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Crystal Palace are said to have their eyes on an "exciting" striker who's really impressed in a top European league.

Palace's mixed start to season

It's been a fairly mixed start to the new Premier League campaign for Eagles boss Roy Hodgson, who's watched on from the dugout as his side win four, lose four and draw three of their opening eight league matches.

Palace won their first since late September last weekend with a 2-0 win victory over Burnley, coming after back-to-back defeats courtesy of high-flying Newcastle and Tottenham.

Jeff Schlupp and Tyrick Mitchell grabbed the goals, with star midfielder Eberechi Eze's return from injury also coming as a huge positive for Palace on a great afternoon overall. However, Hodgson told club media afterwards that his side can very much still improve.

“I think we can play better than we actually did,” said Hodgson on Palace's win over Burnley (via cpfc.co.uk). “So when [one] calls it the ideal away performance, I thought when we did win the ball back, we sometimes surrendered it a little bit more cheaply than we needed to because we have a lot of good quality players on our team.

“Normally, if we get hold of the ball, I would have expected a little bit more from us. I thought Burnley were good, I thought they put us under a lot of pressure. So, I thought it was an outstanding defensive performance throughout. And I thought towards the end of the game as well, the game management was quite good. So, I'm certainly not apologizing for coming away with three points.

“I'm grateful for your sense of a perfect away performance. But I hope I'm not being too harsh on myself if [I think] we can do even better, especially on the ball, than we did today."

One area of the squad which may need shoring up, sooner rather than later, is centre-forward. Indeed, only Fulham, Bournemouth, Burnley and Sheffield United have scored less than Palace so far.

Palace eyeing Karim Konate

According to 90min, Hodgson's side are aiming to fix that issue. It is believed Palace are eyeing up Red Bull Salzburg striker Karim Konate, alongside a host of other London clubs like Arsenal, Spurs and West Ham.

They've kept watch over his performances in Austria recently, with the Ivory Coast international scoring eight goals already this term.

Konate is playing a big role for Salzburg in their title push, most recently scoring both goals in their 2-0 win away at Tirol in the Austrian Bundesliga at the weekend.

Bayern Munich sporting director, during his time at Salzburg, heaped praise on Konate and believes he is an "exciting" forward to watch out for.

"For me, Karim is one of the most talented and exciting players I have ever seen and we know which strikers were here," said Freund on Konate (via sport.orf.at).

"He is an exceptional player and I am almost certain that he will have a great career ahead of him because he is clear-headed, works hard and knows what he wants. I’m also betting that he will be the top scorer in Austria this year.”

da bet sport： The Premier League is chock-full of fantastic rivalries; whether it is the Manchester derby, the Merseyside derby, the North London derby or the west London derby, we are never more than a few weeks away from another tasty encounter between bitter enemies in the English top flight.

da lvbet： However, when it comes to real, genuine rivalries, few are more heated than the one between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. Whether they’re fighting to reach a cup final, fighting for the top four, or fighting for nothing more than pride, you can be guaranteed that when these two sides line up against one another, it’s going to be a cracker.

With that in mind, we have created a list of the top 10 games between Tottenham and Chelsea.

11 Blues complete comeback after penalty mayhem

1994 – Chelsea 4-3 Tottenham

Chelsea 4-3 Tottenham

Mal Donaghy 29′

Steve Sedgley 17′

Mark Stein 33′

Jason Dozzell 18′

John Spencer 40′

Andy A Gray 72′ Penalty

Mark Stein 89′ Penalty

The first entry on our list takes us back to 1994 when Tottenham travelled to Stamford Bridge, and nothing more than pride was on the line.

The first half was about as action-packed as it could have been, with Spurs finding themselves two goals up by the 20th minute before the Blues responded with three goals of their own to take the lead going into the break.

Tottenham pressed hard for an equaliser in the second half and finally found one when Andy Gray scored from the spot in the 72nd minute. The Lilywhites were then awarded another penalty just minutes later, but this time it was saved.

As the game reached its dramatic conclusion Chelsea were also awarded a penalty, and with just a minute left on the clock, Make Stein tucked it away, scoring his second of the day and securing the win for his side.

10 The Blues force a replay

2007 – Chelsea 3-3 Tottenham

Chelsea 3-3 Tottenham

Frank Lampard 22′

Dimitar Berbatov 5′

Frank Lampard 71′

Michael Essien 28′ OG

Salomon Kalou 86′

Hossam Ghaly 36′

In March 2007, Chelsea played host to Tottenham in what has to be one of the most exciting FA Cup quarter-finals of all time.

The Blues were the firm favourites ahead of the game, not only because they had home advantage but because they had finished second in the league the previous season and were once again in a title race with Manchester United this season.

So, when the Lilywhites took an early lead through Dimitar Berbatov, the crowd was shocked. Despite the initial setback, Frank Lampard pulled his side level in the 22nd minute, although Spurs were ahead again just six minutes later thanks to an own goal from Michael Essien.

To add insult to injury, Tottenham added a third before halftime when Hossam Ghaly got on the end of Aaron Lennon’s brilliant cross in the 36th minute. It looked like the north Londoners were heading for a historic win.

However, unwilling to see one of their biggest rivals progress to the semi-finals at their expense, Chelsea came out like a different team in the second half and showed why they were the side battling for a title.

Lampard scored his second of the game in the 71st minute before Salomon Kalou finally restored parity with his strike in the 86th minute. Tottenham were forced to settle for a replay a week later, but with their morale shattered, they lost that game 2-1, and Chelsea went on to win the whole thing two months later.

Then manager Jose Mourinho was delighted with how his team fought back, telling the BBC: “The team’s character, spirit and belief are very important.

“The players’ mentality was very, very good. We were almost out of the FA Cup when we were two goals down but at the end we are still in the competition.”

9 The Cockney Cup Final

1967 – Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea

Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea

Jimmy Robertson 40′

Bobby Tambling 85′

Frank Saul 67′

We are going even further back for our next entry on the list, all the way back to the 1967 FA Cup Final, to be exact.

The final between Chelsea and Tottenham was the first FA Cup Final to be contested by two London teams and was nicknamed the Cockney Cup Final. It’s this game, a game watched by around 100,000 fans, that many credit the bitter rivalry between the two teams to.

The game itself wasn’t a particularly close affair, with Spurs finding themselves two goals to the good in the 67th minute and Chelsea not opening their account until the 85th minute.

We wonder what the relationship between the two sides would be like today had they not met in that final almost sixty years ago.

Read More: The Top 10 Greatest FA Cup Finals of All Time

8 A goal line scandal crushes Tottenham hopes

2012 – Chelsea 5-1 Tottenham

Chelsea 5-1 Tottenham

Didier Drogba 43′

Gareth Bale56′

Juan Mata 49′

Ramires 77′

Frank Lampard 81′

Florent Malouda 90′

It’s hard to take a refereeing mistake against your team at the best of times, but it’s a whole other kettle of fish in a semi-final. Unfortunately for Spurs, this is exactly what they had to deal with in the FA Cup semi-final match against Chelsea in 2012.

With the score 1-0 thanks to a 43-minute strike from Didier Drogba, Chelsea added a second through Spanish playmaker Juan Mata, except they didn’t, not really.

Mata’s shot didn’t actually cross the line, but with his view clearly compromised, referee Martin Atkinson still gave the West Londoners the goal anyway.

Gareth Bale pulled one back for the Lillywhites, but the damage was done, and the demoralised side shipped another three goals, ultimately losing 5-1.

In an interview after the game, Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp didn’t hide his feelings, saying: “Did he guess? He must have. He can’t have been sure.

“He’s just made a mistake, unfortunately. I spoke to him. He says he feels worse than I do. I said: “I don’t think so”. But he says he feels bad. He knows he’s made a mistake, and he says he’ll have a bad week as well.

“There’s nothing we can do now. The second goal was a disaster, nowhere near a goal. An honest mistake, but nowhere near over the line. I don’t see how he can give it.”

7 Chelsea deny Spurs an all north London FA Cup Final

2017 – Chelsea 4-2 Tottenham

Chelsea 4-2 Tottenham

Willian 5′

Harry Kane 18′

Willian 43′ Penalty

Dele Alli 52′

Eden Hazard 75′

Nemanja Matić 80′

With Tottenham’s trophy drought reaching almost a decade in 2017, fans were pinning all their hopes on the team’s run in the FA Cup; the only problem was that Chelsea lay in their way in the semi-final.

Going into the game, Chelsea were clear favourites as they were on the cusp of winning the league, while Spurs languished around fifth place, ultimately missing out on the Champions League.

However, league position mattered little once the game started as Spurs gave as good as they got for large parts of the game. The Blues opened the scoring in the fifth minute through Willian, but Spurs equalised just 13 minutes later through Harry Kane.

Chelsea then took the lead in the 43rd minute, once again through Willian, and just like with the first goal, Tottenham responded quickly with a 52nd-minute goal from Dele Alli.

However, while the Lilywhites fought valiantly, the quality of Chelsea finally shone through, and a 75th-minute goal from Hazard, followed by a thunderbolt from Nemanja Matic five minutes later, sealed the victory for the Blues and robbed Tottenham of the chance to play Arsenal in an FA Cup final.

Read More: Eden Hazard’s Greatest Career Moments

6 Alli and Eriksen help Spurs to break unwanted record

2018 Chelsea 1-3 Tottenham

Chelsea 1-3 Tottenham

Alvaro Morata 30′

Christian Eriksen 45′

Dele Alli 62′

Dele Alli 66′

When Spurs travelled to Stamford Bridge on April 1st 2018, most fans of the club would have been happy with a point, not because the Blues were miles better than them or anything like that, but simply because Tottenham had not won a game at the ground in 28 years.

So, when Alvaro Morata opened the scoring in the 30th minute, most fans sort of expected the game to once again go Chelsea’s way. However, a 45th-minute equalizer from Christian Eriksen once again injected some life into the encounter.

With the scores level, it would take Tottenham’s Dele Alli to break the deadlock, which he did in style.

Within the space of four minutes, the Englishman had tripled his side’s score and given them that elusive away win at Stamford Bridge.

5 Chelsea extend Spurs' trophy drought

2015 – Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

John Terry 45′

Diego Costa 56′

Six years after Tottenham’s previous League Cup Final appearance and seven after they last faced Chelsea in the showpiece event, they again faced off against the Pensioners for the title in March 2015.

However, unlike last time, it was the Blues that emerged victorious, and it wasn’t particularly close, either.

Chelsea took the lead on the stroke of halftime as Terry pounced on a deflected shot before Costa added a second in the 56th minute, although the Spaniard’s shot came off of Kyle Walker’s back before going into the net.

4 Harry Kane brace welcomes in the Pochettino era

2015 – Tottenham 5-3 Chelsea

Tottenham 5-3 Chelsea

Harry Kane 30′

Diego Costa 18′

Danny Rose 44′

Eden Hazard 61′

Andros Townsend 45′ Penalty

John Terry 87′

Harry Kane 52′

Nacer Chadli 78′

Going into their encounter on January 1st, 2015, Tottenham had not beaten their West London opponents in the Premier League for almost five years.

So, there was an expectation that new boss Pochettino was about to suffer the same fate as the men before him: a home loss to the Blues.

However, the Argentinian and his band of attacking players had other ideas.

Despite the visitors taking an early lead through an 18th-minute Diego Costa goal, the Lillywhites were 4-1 up after just 52 minutes.

The Blues did fight back with a 61st-minute strike from Hazard, but a fifth Spurs goal in the 78th minute secured the win for the hosts and rendered John Terry’s 87th-minute goal nothing more than a consolation.

3 Woodgate wins the League Cup

2008 – Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea

Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea

Dimitar Berbatov 70′ Penalty

Didier Drogba 39′

Jonathan Woodgate 94′

Now, most of the cup games on this list have gone the way of the Blues, but the 2008 League Cup Final is a game that is remembered very fondly in N17 and remains the club’s most recent trophy.

Going into the game, Spurs were understandably the underdogs given Chelsea’s recent successes, but that didn’t seem to phase the players at all, as even when they went a goal down in the 39th minute, they never once gave in.

It would be a 70th-minute Dimitar Berbatov penalty that brought the Lilywhites level, and with the game going to extra time, it felt inevitable that more penalties would be required to find a winner.

That was until Jonathan Woodgate stood up.

The former Real Madrid defender was the only one to get his head to a freekick in the Chelsea box, and while Petr Cech got a glove to the ball, it bounced back into Woodgate’s head and into the Blues’ goal.

It might not have been the prettiest way to win a final, but it was effective and gave Spurs fans a brilliant day out in northwest London.

2 White Hart Lane thriller derails Chelsea's title hopes

2008 Tottenham 4-4 Chelsea

Tottenham 4-4 Chelsea

Jonathan Woodgate 12′

Didier Drogba 3′

Dimitar Berbatov 61′

Michael Essien 20′

Tom Huddlestone 75′

Joe Cole 52′

Robbie Keane 88′

Joe Cole 80′

Chelsea travelled to White Hart Lane in April 2008 in the midst of an intense title race with Manchester United and, as such, could not afford to drop a single point.

Unfortunately for them, Spurs were well up for the challenge and still coming off the high of their League Cup triumph just a month before.

In an attempt to silence the crowd, Chelsea found the back of the net in just the third minute but only held the lead for nine minutes before Woodgate, the hero of the previous month’s final, levelled the score.

However, this parity lasted just eight minutes as Michael Essien once again fired the Blues in front.

The visitors doubled their lead after the break when Joe Cole found the back of the net, but not happy to just watch, Tottenham once again levelled the score thanks to Berbatov and Tom Huddlestone.

With ten minutes to go, Chelsea once again found themselves ahead thanks to a second goal from Cole, but just as they had the previous three times, the hosts found an equaliser, this time through Robbie Keane, who fired home a brilliant long-range effort in the 88th minute.

While the draw did little for Tottenham come the end of the season, it cost Chelsea the title as they finished the campaign two points off United in top spot.

Chelsea are trimming their bloated squad right now after sealing around £140 million worth of summer signings thus far, and it is believed that another player is set to join Noni Madueke out of the exit door.

Chelsea defender spotted at club's training ground amid talks to leave

The Club World Cup finalists could soon wave goodbye to him.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 10, 2025

While BlueCo are poised to bank a significant financial windfall after Chelsea reached the Club World Cup final, estimated to be around £80 million, which could rise to around £88 million if they win the tournament on Sunday, there is still a glaring need to sell players.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Their recent UEFA fine for breaking FFP rules comes as a stern warning to the Stamford Bridge hierarchy when it comes to Europe’s financial regulations, even if they’re thought to be within the PSR threshold right now.

There are also many unwanted players on Chelsea’s books right now who are draining the wage bill, not least high earners like Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka – with the trio earning a combined £625,000-per-week.

Lesley Ugochukwu, João Félix, Renato Veiga, Christopher Nkunku, David Datro Fofana, Armando Broja, Axel Disasi and Djordje Petrovic could also depart west London this summer after falling way down Enzo Maresca’s pecking order.

However, while there is still work to be done on selling the aforementioned men, Chelsea have made real headway in their attempts to sell a few others.

Young left-back Ishe Samuels-Smith is thought to be closing in on a permanent move to Strasbourg, and was spotted at their training ground on Wednesday (L’Equipe).

In a much more high-profile departure, Chelsea have agreed another deal with Arsenal to sell Madueke, with Maresca’s side set to bank north of £50 million, including add-ons, for the England international after accelerated talks.

Madueke is set to become the latest in a long line of deals between the London clubs, after Kepa Arrizabalaga also completed a switch to the Emirates earlier this window.

Chelsea agree permanent sale of Mathis Amougou to Strasbourg

Chelsea have been very busy with outgoings in the last few days, as it is now also believed that January signing Mathis Amougou is set to join sister club Strasbourg permanently too.

Alongside Madueke, the 19-year-old will depart Cobham indefinitely, but reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano says this was the preferred outcome rather than using up another allocated loan spot.

Chelsea included a buy-back clause in Amougou’s transfer to France, and documents surrounding the deal are described as “all signed”.

The teenager, who’s been likened to Chelsea star Moises Caicedo, played just 22 minutes in total for the Blues before his move back to Ligue 1.

The competition for places in Maresca’s first team meant that Amougou never quite got a chance to showcase his best, with Football Analyst Ben Mattinson previously calling him a “machine”.

He could yet follow a similar trajectory to Andrey Santos at Strasbourg, and if Amougou impresses in similar fashion, don’t be surprised to see him back in the English capital eventually.

Leeds United already have a hat-trick of signings done and dusted as the new Premier League season grows ever closer next month.

Lukas Nmecha, Jaka Bijol, and Sebastiaan Bornauw have all relocated to England in quick succession to be a part of Daniel Farke’s top-flight camp, but their speedy business has been somewhat overshadowed by Sunderland stealing the transfer market limelight.

Before Sunderland won his services for a handsome £30m, Leeds were very much in the running to snap up Habib Diarra from Strasbourg, with history unfortunately rapidly repeating itself when you also consider the Black Cats are edging closer to signing Noah Sadiki right from under Farke and Co’s nose.

All this drama will surely make the race to beat the drop even spicier this forthcoming campaign, with Leeds wanting to press on now to make even more signings.

Leeds targeting other midfielders

The number of arrivals at Thorp Arch could soon go up, particularly Leeds’ bank account is set to be boosted soon by Maximilian Wober’s £11m exit.

That money could be spent on new midfielders with the likes of ex-Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz and Southampton youngster Mateus Fernandes on their radar.

Yet, the most tantalising transfer rumour comes from the Netherlands, via Sport Witness, which states that Leeds are in the driver’s seat over a deal for Sheffield United ace Gustavo Hamer.

It’s no secret that Leeds have been admirers of the ex-Coventry City man for some time now, with this new development suggesting that Hamer is more inclined to accept a summer move to a Premier League club over Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven.

This has all the ingredients of being a game-changing signing for Farke’s men in improving their attacking personnel, with the recent Championship Player of the Season winner reportedly available for £18m, which could also mean he’s a much better pick-up in the long run than gambling on Diarra.

Why Hamer would be a better signing than Diarra

Leeds have already raided the Blades effectively for some of their top-quality talent, too, with Jayden Bogle formerly a Bramall Lane favourite before defecting to Elland Road to seal promotion at his former side’s expense.

Now, Hamer could follow suit, having been an exceptional talent to watch during all of that promotion run in himself, but unfortunately, coming up short in South Yorkshire.

In total, the exciting Blades number 8 would chip in with ten goals and eight assists across all competitions last season, which included an effort being brilliantly hammered home against Plymouth Argyle.

To add context, Manor Solomon, who slotted into many of Farke’s XIs last season down Hamer’s trusty left-hand side, just about beat the 28-year-old with his own healthy tally of 22 goals and assists.

With Solomon looking unlikely to return to Elland Road, Hamer could be a perfect replacement for him, alongside also boasting the versatility to be able to line up as a number 10, with Brenden Aaronson a notable worry in this position as Premier League football returns.

AM

13

2

3

CM

13

2

2

RM

1

0

0

Based on the table above, Diarra might well have struggled with the pressure of being a starter for Leeds in this problem area, as seen in just five goal contributions coming his way from this position last season in Ligue 1.

Moreover, the expensive Senegal international might well have struggled further back in Farke’s side in a bid to displace Ao Tanaka, with the Japanese gem eclipsing Diarra in many different areas last season, as seen in him averaging a glowing 90% pass accuracy in the second tier, next to his counterpart’s lesser 87% success rate.

On top of that, Tanaka also displayed more steel by winning 4.5 duels per game in league action, next to Diarra’s 3.3, meaning this might have been a sum of money ultimately wasted.

Whereas, landing the “outstanding” Hamer, as he’s been glowing labelled by ex-manager Chris Wilder – at £18m feels like a steal, particularly with the 28-year-old’s impressive return of four goals and seven assists when previously starring in the top-flight.

Huge Rothwell upgrade: Leeds make enquiry to sign "phenomenal" £30m star

Leeds United are interested in signing a star who would come in as an upgrade on Joe Rothwell.

ByDan Emery Jul 2, 2025

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is personally leading the charge to sign a “powerful” player, with an offer now ready to be submitted, according to a report.

Berta taking hands-on role at the Emirates

Having laid the foundations, the Arsenal hierarchy believes now is the time for the team to start winning silverware, and Berta has a big role to play, with the Italian regarded as a master negotiator, capable of being involved in multiple deals at once.

The 53-year-old is taking a hands-on role at the Emirates Stadium, attending training sessions and press conferences, while also putting in work behind-the-scenes to secure agreements for the likes of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi.

There have been some disagreements with Mikel Arteta, however, especially when it comes to which striker they should bring in, with Berta keen to sign Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, while the manager would prefer to sign RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Berta is simultaneously working on moves for both strikers, indicating a decision is yet to be made as to which striker is the preferred option, and the north Londoners are also keen to strengthen at the opposite end of the pitch.

That is according to a report from Super Deporte (via Sport Witness), which states Berta is now leading the charge for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, who has recently been identified as a key target by Arteta.

Saka will love him: Arsenal agree initial fee to sign £60m "monster"

Arsenal could be growing closer to signing a new striker.

ByMatt Dawson Jun 29, 2025

Such is Arsenal’s level of interest, they are now ready to submit an offer in the region of €20m – €25m (£17m – £21m) for Mosquera, with around €3m – €5m (£2.6m – £4.3m) of the higher amount based on bonuses relating to performance.

Berta is said to be key to the deal, with the sporting director retaining a long-term interest in the 21-year-old, having also targeted him during his time with Atlético Madrid.

"Powerful" Mosquera could be ideal centre-back signing

With any new centre-back signing unlikely to immediately take Gabriel or William Saliba’s spot in the starting XI, it would make sense to bring in a younger centre-back, capable of replacing one of the first-choice options on a long-term basis.

The Valencia star is showing very promising signs in La Liga, having now established himself as a key player, missing just one La Liga game last season, while the defender has also received high praise from former youth coach Miguel-Ángel Angulo.

Angulo said: “He’s characterised by a physical condition and good technical qualities, powerful in the air, and mature for his age.”

Having also received plaudits from Statman Dave, Mosquera is clearly an exciting young player, who could provide Arsenal with the depth to compete on all fronts next season, before going on to stake a claim for a regular starting spot.

In the summer of 2016, new Everton owner Farhad Moshiri sought to make a statement of intent in the transfer window by unloading a war chest of funds on several players.

Unfortunately, their business in that summer would foreshadow what was to come as a misfiring transfer strategy continues to be at the forefront of their demise seven years later.

The only two success stories to come from that window were the £1.5m acquisition of striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin from Sheffield United and the £7.1m shelled out for Aston Villa's all-action midfielder, Idrissa Gueye.

The rest of the personnel that arrived all drastically failed in an Everton shirt as Ashley Williams, Morgan Schneiderlin and Ademola Lookman bled the club dry across their spells at the club.

Yet, the most disappointing name on that list was Yannick Bolasie, as the explosive winger was captured from Crystal Palace for a reported club-record fee.

The fee Everton paid for Yannick Bolasie

Described by former manager Alan Pardew as "exciting", Bolasie had Premier League defences on strings for years at Selhurst Park with his searing pace and exceptional trickery, so when Ronald Koeman splashed £30m on the player, Everton may have felt like they were getting their money's worth.

The DR Congo international spent a successful four years at Palace terrorising defences, forming an indispensable partnership with fellow electric winger Wilfried Zaha as that destructive duo helped the Eagles soar back to the top flight in 2013, recording 26 goal contributions between them.

After destroying the Championship, Bolasie would become a thorn in the back of Premier League defences, utilising his pace and athleticism to carve through teams on the counter, without having the goal contributions to show for it.

He did not manage to score and only chalked up four assists across the 2013/14 season, however, the explosive winger would soon turn his sensational build-up play into dynamite in the following term, supplying 11 assists and four goals with Jamie Carragher labelling his performances as "outstanding".

By the time the Toffees snapped him up in 2016, Bolasie had established himself as one of the most exciting wingers to watch in the division, with the Athletic aptly describing him as "Palace's entertainer".

During his association with the South London club, he produced some sensational moments worthy of getting supporters excited, including the profound 'Bolasie flick' and the role he played in the 'Crystanbul' draw with Liverpool.

The Goodison Park faithful envisaged seeing him take Merseyside by storm with his eye-catching and powerful performances, but they were to be disappointed.

Yannick Bolasie's performance at Everton

The hair-raising and magical Bolasie would soon turn into a shell of his former self, perhaps falling victim to the huge expectations and pressure applied on his shoulders.

There was always a question of what Bolasie's ceiling was, impressing with his excellent approach play and ability to glide past defenders, while his output in the final third was severely lacking.

Everton's manager at the time, Koeman, would have felt he could have transformed the 50-cap Congo international into a goal-scoring phenom, which would have propelled him towards the upper echelon of Premier League wingers.

However, he was incredibly unfortunate to have ruptured his ACL early on in his Toffees career in a 1-1 draw against Manchester United. This horrendous injury sidelined him for just over a year and saw him miss a total of 63 games.

Bolasie never quite recovered from this huge setback, seeing his progress in Blue stall as he only scored two goals and supplied four assists in 32 appearances across five years.

A handful of new bosses followed, as did an influx of players and this saw him loaned out to several clubs, including Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Anderlecht.

He was released by Everton in 2021 and is now a free agent following a prosperous spell at Turkish side Caykur Risespor, rolling back the years with 20 goals in 55 appearances.

The capture of Bolasie, who ended up departing on a free transfer, turned out to be a huge blunder on Koeman's behalf as his exciting £30m signing failed to make a significant impact on the pitch and left for nothing.

Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City. It's one of the most notable, and arguably important, results in Premier League history. These two were the title challengers back in 2011/12 after all, and yet one of them thrashed the other on their own patch.

And in hindsight, this was City announcing that they were firmly at the top table. They'd go on to win the Premier League title on the final day in the most dramatic fashion, of course, and the three points here proved decisive.

United would win what is, to date, their most recent Premier League title the following season. But this result signified a shift in the power not just within Manchester, but all of English football. City were ready to take over – and haven't they just?

Unsurprisingly, given this game was well over a decade ago, none of the players in City's squad that day remain with the club. In fact, most have retired from the game.

So how did their careers pan out after this fixture? Football FanCast takes a look at what happened to the members of that famous City XI.

Joe Hart

Rewind back to 2011 and Joe Hart was considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Not only that, but many assumed he'd kick on and become the outright best – he was only 24, after all.

Hart was in the PFA Team of the Year for 2010 and would make it again at the end of 2011/12. He'd win three consecutive Golden Gloves in this span, too, but things quickly went downhill.

Pep Guardiola's arrival in 2016 saw Hart immediately moved on. He found himself loaned out to Torino and later, West Ham United – neither spell worked out. A stint with Burnley saw him fail to depose Nick Pope, while he couldn't break in at Tottenham Hotspur, either.

Hart is now at Celtic, where he's won back-to-back Premiership titles, but it's been far from the career many expected back in 2011.

Micah Richards

Micah Richards was, like Hart, considered one of the brightest prospects in English football. He was only 23 in this game – and was expected to become a star. The defender showed that wonderfully in this one by setting up two of City's six goals.

Injuries, however, were a massive concern. They'd hampered Richards in the previous campaign, limiting him to just 18 Premier League appearances. As it turned out, the 2011/12 season would be the last with the defender as a top player.

He'd play only 19 more games for City after this, before going to Fiorentina on loan in 2015. A move to Aston Villa later that year saw the last 'regular' spell of football Richards enjoyed – and that was still only 24 games. Villa were relegated that season, too, and he'd play just three more career games before retiring in 2018.

Vincent Kompany

City named Vincent Kompany club captain at the start of this season – and didn't that go well? He'd lead them to the title (eventually) while also lifting the trophy in 2014, 2018 and 2019 before leaving the club.

Kompany was considered by some to be the best defender in England back in 2011 and he held onto that position for many years. He was Premier League Player of the Season in 2012 and included in the PFA Team of the Year for 2011, 2012 and 2014.

He left City in 2019 to be player-manager at Anderlecht, achieving mixed results. A move to Burnley, where Kompany remains as manager, has proven very successful, though – they won the Championship in 2022/23.

Joleon Lescott

Joleon Lescott is the first name here that showed off the new-found spending power City had back in 2011. He'd joined in 2009 from Everton as one of the most highly-rated defenders in the Premier League. City flexed their financial muscle to sign him – and is far from the last in this XI that you can say that about.

This was Lescott's best season for City and the one in which he played the most games (42 in all competitions). But they actually started replacing him in the summer of 2012 and his playing time diminished quite drastically over the forthcoming seasons.

After just 10 Premier League appearances in 2013/14, Lescott left for West Bromwich Albion, impressing enough in a single season there to join Aston Villa a year later. That move, however, was a disaster – Villa were relegated in what proved to be the final full season of Lescott's career.

Gael Clichy

Gael Clichy was a serious signing for City ahead of this season. They'd essentially gone out and grabbed Arsenal's first-choice left-back for themselves and he slotted right into their XI.

The Frenchman would stay with City for six seasons, winning two Premier League titles as a reasonably regular inclusion in the starting XI. Clichy never actually managed 30 league appearances in a single campaign for the club, though.

After a very successful time with City, he left for Istanbul Basaksehir in 2017, winning the Turkish Super Lig in 2020. Clichy then left for Swiss side Servette later that year before retiring in 2021.

Yaya Touré

City signed a very promising player in Yaya Touré but he was far from the star he'd become. Arriving in 2010, the Ivorian had been just below the elite level at Barcelona, albeit with a Champions League title already under his belt. At City, however, he'd kick on to become one of the best midfielders in the world.

Now, Touré wasn't quite that in 2011/12 (he'd score six goals this season but 20 two years later), though he was still a midfield powerhouse that the Premier League hadn't seen for quite some time.

Touré would go on to play out the rest of his peak years with City, becoming one of the most important and best players in their history. His post-Manchester career was odd, though. After not quite clicking with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, Touré left for Olympiacos in 2018 – but had his contract terminated after just three months.

Half a year in the Chinese Super League followed before retirement in 2020.

Gareth Barry

Gareth Barry was a star with Aston Villa but made the move to City in 2009 as he sought to compete for trophies. That decision was proven right in 2012, of course, as he won the Premier League.

Barry would only spend four seasons with City before moving to Everton. Another four seasons of regular seasons followed before the midfielder capped his career with a couple of years at West Brom.

All that football certainly added up. Barry retired as the player with the most Premier League appearances in history (635) and only had one season where he played in fewer than 30 top-flight matches between 1998/99 and 2016/17.

James Milner

James Milner was in a similar spot to Barry when he arrived at City. He'd been a regular at Villa alongside the midfielder, in fact, and had a reputation as one of the best midfielders outside of the Champions League clubs.

City snapped him up and he'd play five seasons of consistent football with the club, winning two Premier League titles as the ultimate utility man. However, Milner would leave the club in 2015 to join Liverpool on a free transfer.

That would eventually see Milner compete directly against City for trophies as the two sides dominated English football. His eight years at Liverpool saw multiple title challenges – including a triumph for the Reds in 2020.

Milner is now the only player from this squad who still plays at the top level. He's currently with Brighton & Hove Albion, having moved there from Liverpool in 2023. It makes him the sole active Premier League player with over 500 appearances – a fact that has actually been true for five years now.

David Silva

David Silva was named Man of the Match in this fixture, scoring in the 91st minute to make it 5-1. He'd arrived in 2010 as one of the most sought-after playmakers on the planet – and fully lived up to that billing across ten seasons with Manchester City.

In fact, there's a very good case that Silva is the greatest player in City's history. He was integral across four title wins and made the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions.

He eventually left City at the end of 2020 to play three seasons at Real Sociedad. Unfortunately, his career was ended in July 2023 after an ACL tear forced him into retirement.

Mario Balotelli

No idea where you start with this one. Mario Balotelli is one of the most enigmatic players to ever grace the Premier League. He arrived as one of Europe's top talents but didn't live up to that billing – not that he was at all quiet.

In fact, this is the most famous game of Balotelli's career. He scored twice, and celebrated his first by revealing a T-shirt that read 'Why Always Me?'. Just an all-time Premier League moment.

The Italian would wrap up the season by assisting the goal that won the title – his only assist for the club. Balotelli then followed this campaign by starring at Euro 2012, but was sold by City the following January. His career since then has seen him at eight different clubs with wildly varying success.

We can't possibly explain it all here.

Sergio Agüero

City signed Sergio Agüero ahead of this season, hoping he would be the missing piece that put them on top of the Premier League. He very much was that.

Not only did the Argentine bag in this game, but he'd also score arguably the most famous goal in Premier League history to end the campaign – winning the title with the last kick.

Agüero would remain with the club from 2010 until 2021, winning five titles and going down as one of the best players to play in English football. He is, like Silva, up there as one of the best players in City's history.

He left the club for Barcelona, but a heart condition ended his career prematurely after just five games there.

Edin Džeko (sub)

Okay, so Edin Džeko didn't start in this game, but he came on and scored twice – well worth a mention. He'd joined City in 2010 but had a slow start before kicking into life in 2011/12.

50 Premier League goals followed before a move to Italy and AS Roma. There, Džeko had a 29-goal season that saw him finish as top scorer. His post-City career has been very good, with a trophy-laden two years at Inter coming after his time in the capital.

He's still playing as of October 2023, too, and started life with Fenerbahçe by scoring seven times in his opening nine games.

Northamptonshire took just 32 minutes on the third day to wrap up a 10-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network22-Jun-2018
ScorecardNorthamptonshire took just 32 minutes on the third day to wrap up a 10-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Wantage Road to claim their first win in the Specsavers County Championship this season.Having resisted on the second evening to take the game into day three, Gloucestershire could last only another 17 balls to be bowled out for 250, leaving a target of only 31 that Ben Duckett knocked off himself in just four overs.Brett Hutton removed the final two wickets within three balls to finish with 8 for 57 – the third-best figures for Northants this century.”We’ve played very well this week, we’ve been disappointed in the Championship so far but we showed if we play somewhere near our best cricket we’re capable of winning games.”Ben and Brett will take the headlines but the whole attack did their bit and added to the pressure and they never got away from us,” head coach David Ripley said. “We took the majority of our catches as well, the surface offered a bit more carry which brought the cordon into play so a great effort from the groundsman as well.”We need to back up this performance now at Cardiff and it’s about building the confidence up and we can take that into the T20s too.”Matt Taylor only added a single to his overnight 37 before pushing at a length ball and edging to second slip where Richard Levi dived to his right to take a sharp catch. No. 11 Chris Liddle then lost his off stump for a duck leaving Craig Miles stranded on 38 not out.The chase was over very quickly as Duckett played an emphatic extra-cover drive off Miles, a flick through midwicket and two top-edged pulls over the wicketkeeper’s head. Another pull off Miles took Northants to within one hit of victory before an outside edge found the third man fence to complete the win.Northants, who took 21 points from the match, now head to Glamorgan on Monday while Gloucestershire are left to concentrate on the T20 Blast that begins in two weeks.Gloucestershire head coach said: “We’ve been outplayed, and it’s more to do with the ball – it wasn’t a 280 wicket. We didn’t exert any pressure with the ball, we bowled two sides of the wicket and the wrong length.”We were a bit more up for the fight in the second innings but day one we were behind the eight ball and couldn’t recover from that.”We’ve got the T20 coming up but also the Cheltenham festival and we want to be playing some good cricket in the Championship there so by no means will we just be focussing on T20.”

da bet7k： Crystal Palace could be set to sell one of their first-team stars early next year, with a reliable journalist revealing that he’s attracting interest ahead of January.

Crystal Palace's summer departures

da fezbet： The Eagles lost Wilfried Zaha, Luka Milivojevic, Jack Butland and Vicente Guaita during the previous transfer window, while James McArthur retired and Luke Plange was sent on loan to Carlisle United for the season.

The Selhurst Park outfit have a further eight players who will have reached the expiration of their deals at the end of the campaign, so the club don’t have long to cash in on them should they not want to risk losing their prized assets for free. (Crystal Palace contracts)

Related Crystal Palace make contact over "terrific" player, he'd be open to move

Palace are keen to bolster their squad as they quietly go about their business this term.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Nov 27, 2023

Roy Hodgson’s centre-forward Jean-Philippe Mateta is another star who could soon be heading for the exit door having fallen significantly out of favour, making just three starts and eight substitute appearances this season in the Premier League (WhoScored – Mateta statistics).

France’s former youth international wanted to leave over the summer and you could say he was right to feel that way given his lack of game time, but despite a deal failing to come to fruition before the deadline, the 26-year-old could get his wish in the coming weeks.

Jean-Philippe Mateta could soon leave

Taking to X, The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam confirmed that Crystal Palace might consider selling Mateta in the new year should they be able to recruit a suitable successor because he’s emerging as a target overseas ahead of January. He wrote:

“Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta's future is uncertain as he seeks more regular football after being overlooked by Roy Hodgson this season. Has attracted interest from abroad but a move away probably hinges on CPFC finding a replacement.”

Hodgson could keep "goal threat" in Mateta

While Crystal Palace will be aware that Mateta hasn’t been playing as regularly as he would have liked, the striker is still a solid option to have in the building and he can perform to a high standard when called upon, so Hodgson could be better off retaining his services beyond January if a suitable replacement isn't found.

The Sevran native has posted six contributions, three goals and the same number of assists, in 13 appearances across all competitions since the start of the season (Transfermarkt – Mateta statistics), showing that he is capable of making a positive impact in the final third.

Standing at 6 foot 3, the colossus also provides a real physical presence up top with his height, making himself a threat when it comes to aerial duels, not to mention how much of a handful he is for the opposition’s defence to try and deal with.

According to Josh Bunting, Mateta is a real “goal threat” with the ball at his disposal, whereas former boss Patrick Vieira once called him a "massive player", so Hodgson could be wise to consider giving him some more minutes between now and the upcoming window to hand him the chance to prove what he can achieve in SE25.

The West Indies captain was left to reflect on another Test defeat but one that offered signs of hope

Nagraj Gollapudi at Lord's21-May-2012At the end of it all Darren Sammy had to search mentally for the appropriate word to sum up his team’s performance after the five-wicket defeat at Lord’s? Does he go ahead and call it a minor victory considering West Indies started the final day with a chance? Or should he be modest and admit that they had not progressed much from the finishing point at the end of the home Test series against Australia? Sammy settled for “pleased” with a lot of room for improvement.”We were quite pleased. We were told there were no fifth-day tickets printed. We took the game to the fifth day,” Sammy said. “The team continued to show the never-say-die attitude which we promised to bring out here in England. And we had some good performances from some of the players. We’ll take that these positives into the next Test.”The defeat was not unexpected, but what was definitely not expected was West Indies putting up such a determined show and making England work hard for the victory. Barring Shivnarine Chanderpaul, suggested the pre-series coverage, no other West Indies player could stand the stern test in England. Yet, some of them did: Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin and Adrian Barath with the bat and Kemar Roach with ball inspired confidence in team-mates with their contributions.The downplaying of West Indies’ chances before the series was nothing new for Sammy who said his team had become used to such a billing. “For the last ten years they have been saying that about us. We in the dressing room have our own confidence that once we go out and execute, if we bowl in a disciplined fashion, we create problems. We got the last seven wickets [in the first innings] for 130-odd runs. So we could do it. It is about doing it consistently enough. And when you are playing against the No.1 team you have to be at your best all the time.”They produced a strong fightback on the third morning when England lost their last seven wickets for 154. However, they were guilty of letting key moments slip away from them: a couple of examples of letting England off the hook were immediately after removing Alastair Cook on the second morning and then losing three wickets in suicidal fashion on the stroke of tea on the third day.Another important turning point that could be added to the list of faults was Sammy losing his head in the final hour of play on Sunday when West Indies were steadily building a strong lead with Ramdin looking solid at the other end. Sammy had put some pressure back on England with an attacking innings before becoming Stuart Broad’s 10th wicket of the match. He admitted his mistake and suggested the outcome could have been different had he not played impulsively.”I think I let the team down in that department,” he said. “I was striking the ball quite well when the field was spread. If I had batted for the rest of the evening it would definitely have been 250-plus. That could have been the difference.”Kemar Roach gave England a fright but he needed more support•Getty ImagesLuckily, Roach made sure West Indies’ spirit were not be dampened before they went to sleep on the penultimate evening by grabbing two key wickets and raising prospects of an unimaginable victory push. On the final morning, Sammy acknowledge, West Indies were excited. Their hopes rested on the four-pronged pace attack and when England were 57 for 4 West Indies’ hearts started beating faster.”I like watching these guys, standing at slips, running in and knowing that anytime an edge could come my way. Today it just felt right,” Sammy said. He had pouched Jonathan Trott, the first wicket to fall in the morning, brilliantly to his left at second slip, when Trott was beaten by the movement from Roach.However, Roach needed support Fidel Edwards did not turn up at Lord’s. He started the morning with four wides and remained muted for the rest of the session. Shannon Gabriel, the debutant, once again built his rhythm, bowling purposefully on the off stump and managed to remove the dangerous Kevin Pietersen. But back spasms restricted him to only five overs.”Our pacers have been doing a good job for us throughout the last year or two,” Sammy said. “A few more wickets between Fidel and Roach could have been a different story.”Again, though, the problem for West Indies, despite all their fight, was a lack of runs especially in the first innings. The West Indies players need to start reading situations well and adapting quickly. A major talking point during this Test was whether Chanderpaul should bat higher to strengthen the fragile and inexperienced top order.At the end of the day’s play on Sunday, after he had made 91, Chanderpaul was blunt in his disagreement with such a suggestion. According to him young batsmen do not learn anything batting at No. 5 or 6 and to gain experience they need to play at the top which is something Sammy agreed with.”Shiv is quite an experienced players so if he says something he has a lot of reasoning for saying it,” he said. “He has done an excellent job for us at No. 5 and he continues to do that. I more want our batsmen to take a page out of his book instead of saying where should he bat. Right now what needs to happen is our batsmen have to stand up and bat, and set a platform so when he comes in he could play his game and we all can bat around him.”