Rangers gave the Old Firm Derby away to Celtic, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst does not think it will be decisive in the Scottish Premiership title race.
Celtic took the lead through Reo Hatate inside five minutes at an electric Parkhead on Wednesday and completely controlled the clash between the top two during the opening period.
Hatate rifled in a brilliant second and two minutes later crossed for Liel Abada to make it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time.
Rangers improved after the restart but were unable to stop their 21-game unbeaten run coming to an end, with Celtic replacing them at the Premiership summit and going a point clear.
"It seemed like it was the first Old Firm game we'd played. We know what the Old Firm will bring, what we have to do … but it seemed like we weren't ready for it," Van Bronckhorst told Sky Sports.
"You see the way we gave the goals away. It's the sharpness, I cannot say otherwise. It's not going with your man, not being ready for the battles. I think it was unbelievable the first half I saw.
"I think our Old Firm game started in the second half. We were much better, much more aggressive and we played the second half really well. But in the first half we gave the game away.
"It wasn't something I expected. When I see the trainings we had, the focus we had before the game, but when the whistle blew, we were just waiting for the goal to be scored. We were too naive and we deserved to be down 3-0 with the way we played.
"We had an honest conversation in the locker room after the game.
"We're not the first Rangers team to lose. I lost very big here as a player, but we eventually became champions that year. Of course, we wanted to win this game, but these games don't decide the championship. We still have many games to play and we have to be ready."
The victory was Ange Postecoglou's first since taking charge of Celtic and ended a six-game winless run against Rangers in the league.
The Australian was thoroughly impressed with how his team outplayed Rangers and believes there is still plenty more to come from the Bhoys.
"Our first 45 minutes were outstanding; three great goals," Postecoglou told the BBC.
"Our football was pretty special and their keeper pulled off some great saves. In the second half, we had to defend a bit more but we've been a team that can do that. It shows another layer. We knew the consequences, what it meant to our supporters, and we stood up.
"Considering the context of the game and the opposition, I thought our football was outstanding. It's the kind of football team we want to be. It doesn't mean you disrespect or dismiss the opposition. We are still developing, but we want to take it to the opposition, and if we do that, we can take it to any opposition.
"We've still got key players missing, very influential players. Some are just in the door. Reo Hatate and Matt O'Riley have played fewer than five games. Our target was not top spot, our target is to win things, and if we're going to win things, we have to keep improving."
Erling Haaland would suit playing for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, according to Ruud Gullit.
Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland is expected to be one of the most in-demand players when the transfer market re-opens in the close season.
The 21-year-old reportedly has a clause in his contract that means he will be available for €75million (£68m), a fee that looks like a bargain given his goalscoring exploits.
Manchester City are believed to be the frontrunners for his signature, while Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid have also been heavily linked.
Gullit does not believe United will be able to beat the competition to Haaland's signature, with the former Netherlands international claiming Liverpool will be the best place for the Dortmund star to take the next step in his career.
"I see him in England, but I don't think he'll go to Manchester United," Gullit told Bild.
"City would be good for him because of Pep Guardiola. But Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool would also be great. What Jurgen has done with the club is unbelievable. You just have to love him, and he's always hungry. That suits Haaland.
"In Spain, only Real Madrid is an option. These are the three clubs that will be in the running for Erling."
Since his debut for Dortmund on January 18, 2020, Haaland has been involved in 97 goals (80 scored, 17 assisted) in 79 appearances in all competitions for the club. That is over double the number of goal involvements Sadio Mane has had for Liverpool in the same time frame (43) and 14 more than Mohamed Salah, who has played in 18 more games.
Another player linked with a move to the Premier League is Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule.
Sule will be out of contract at the end of the season and will be available on a free if he does not agree to a renewal with Bayern beforehand.
Should the Bundesliga champions need to dip into the market to reinforce their squad, Gullit believes Juventus' Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt would be a good solution.
"Matthijs has experienced and learned a lot at Juventus. He could make a very good contribution to Bayern," he said.
Dele Alli made the right decision to leave Tottenham for Everton and can return to his very best at Goodison Park, according to former Spurs defender Jonathan Woodgate.
Alli's seven-year spell at Tottenham came to an end on Monday, leaving for Merseyside in what is said to be an initial free transfer.
Everton will reportedly be obliged to pay £10million for the midfielder after he makes 20 appearances, with subsequent performance-based add-ons that may take the eventual figure as high as £40m.
After signing for Spurs in January 2015, but initially staying at MK Dons on loan, Alli swiftly became a key player under Mauricio Pochettino.
He has failed to maintain that form in recent seasons, though, and Woodgate, who played for Tottenham between 2008 and 2011, believes Alli can return to the peak of his powers under new Toffees boss Frank Lampard.
"I think he needed to get out of Spurs, to be honest with you," Woodgate exclusively told Stats Perform. "I think in the Pochettino era, he was one of the best players in the Premier League. He was in the England squad regularly and sometimes it's just that manager that really believes in you and gives you that confidence to play well.
"I mean, you don't turn into a bad player overnight. Dele Alli will be good again at Everton, no doubt about that, and with the right manager it'll give him more confidence and put him on a platform to put him in the right position for him to go and do what we know he can do.
"Because at Tottenham, he was scoring goals for fun, he was running forward, he was assisting, he moved a bit like a Rolls Royce-type player. He always had time on the ball, but something hasn't gone right from the last few managers. [Jose] Mourinho, [Antonio] Conte and [Nuno Espirito] Santo. In the Pochettino era, he was absolutely outstanding."
Woodgate also weighed in on Harry Kane's failed move to Manchester City in the early weeks of the season, saying he understood the striker's stance.
Having expressed his desire to leave Spurs at the end of last season, the England captain was strongly linked with a record-breaking transfer to the Premier League champions during the transfer window.
But despite City boss Pep Guardiola publicly stating his interest in Kane, a move failed to materialise with Spurs refusing to negotiate.
Kane was heavily criticised by supporters for his position, but Woodgate believes it is only natural he would look elsewhere to get his hands on some silverware.
"I think everyone was surprised at the time," he added. "I think everyone really was because no one envisaged him coming out in the middle of the season saying that he wanted to really leave and go and move on.
"I can see his point because he wants to win the Premier League. Who wouldn't want to win the Premier League? Is he going to do that with Spurs? Not at the minute because they haven't got that calibre of player.
"They've got the right manager in but they need more players like Kane and like Son [Heung-min] to really have a go at the league. But they've got some progression to do. We've got to climb huge steps to get anywhere near the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City at the minute."
Dani Alves is the new signing to miss out on Barcelona's Europa League squad after the club confirmed his omission on Wednesday.
The Brazilian, who rejoined the Blaugrana in November, was finally registered for LaLiga duty at the start of January but will not feature for the club in their European campaign.
Alves was joined at the club by fellow new arrivals Ferran Torres, Adama Traore and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January, but only three would be permitted to be included in the Europa League squad.
UEFA regulations prohibit any more than three new additions to European squads after the January transfer window.
As such, Barca had more new signings than free spaces, with 38-year-old Alves ultimately the one left out.
Ousmane Dembele has been included, however, despite his contract stand-off seeing tensions rise at the club over the past few weeks.
President Joan Laporta openly suggested the situation might make it "more difficult" for Dembele to feature, though he did leave that up to the discretion of head coach Xavi.
Like Alves, young forwards Ez Abde and Ferran Jutgla were left out of the selection despite breaking into the first-team squad – neither were registered with UEFA at the start of the season, nor do either qualify as a homegrown Barca player, therefore would have been competing with the new signings for spaces in the squad.
Barca face Napoli in their Europa League knockout play-off, hosting them on February 17 before going to Naples a week later.
Alexander Bublik moved into the quarter-finals of the Open Sud de France as he continues to put a poor Australian Open behind him.
Bublik is seeded sixth in Montpellier but is coming off a second-round exit at the hands of Gael Monfils in Melbourne.
However, the world number 35 moved into the last eight on Wednesday, though he needed three sets to do so against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, the qualifier taking the second set to force a decider.
Bublik claimed a 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 6-2 win and will face Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarters.
Bautista Agut claimed the first set against Gilles Simon 6-4 and was 3-2 up in the second when the Frenchman retired injured.
Besides Filip Krajinovic's 6-4 7-6 (7-2) defeat of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the rest of the day's action comprised of round of 32 matchups. Seventh seed Ugo Humbert crashed out in three sets to four-time champion Richard Gasquet, while Adrian Mannarino and Mackenzie McDonald both prevailed.
Meanwhile, at the Tata Open Maharashtra, Lorenzo Musetti claimed his first win of 2022 following an impressive 2021.
The 19-year-old, who progressed to the last 16 at Roland Garros last year, fought back from losing the first-set tie-break to defeat Aleksandar Vukic in three sets.
"Aleksandar was playing good, he was serving really big, and I tried to stay calm even in the second set, [which] I didn't win. It didn't go the way that I planned. But the third set was a really great set," Musetti said.
"I stayed really focused with the right attitude and I won a great match with a tough opponent. I'm really happy to be here and to be in the quarter-finals."
Also victorious in Pune were Joao Sousa, Daniel Altmaier and Kamil Majchrzak, whom Musetti will face next.
Defending champions Craig Simpson and Aliana McMaster successfully defended their titles at the David East Memorial Sporting Clays shoot at Murphy Hill in St Ann on Sunday.
In cool and cloudy conditions, both shooters proved to be a class apart with Simpson, who shot a 92 to be the only shooter to score in the nineties while McMaster, scored 81 and was the only female to score in the eighties.
"It feels good. It took everything I had today,” said Simpson, who had a perfect start at Station Nine picking off all six birds.
“I really put out everything today and at the end of it, I am always happy to come out with a favourable score. I know what I am up against. I know the talent that's here (and) yes it can also have a negative effect in that you are trying not to be beaten and that's actually what comes with the territory.
“Fortunately, I was able to zone that out and just keep what was in front of me. I can feel them right behind me but I am not looking back."
Simpson hit 24 consecutive birds before dropping one on Station 14.
He said that the weather had little effect on him during the competition.
"I enjoy this weather. Actually, it wasn't too cold for me. This was comfortable for me, I like it.”
‘A’-Class shooter Geoffrey Ziadie copped the runner-up spot after posting 89 in the morning session while three-time national shotgun champion Christian Sasso who tied with Simpson last year on 96, shot an 84.
Meanwhile, 14-year-old McMaster, who had a perfect start on Station 12 before missing two at the next station said she was proud of her final score.
"Honestly, I am very proud of my score and I knew it could have been higher but I am very proud of myself. I have never felt so proud of myself and accomplished, especially after a tournament,” she said. “Honestly, the course was really good and I enjoyed even the difficult targets and stations that I might have not shot as well at, I enjoyed knowing that I need to go practice this to come back again and shoot a better course."
For her, the conditions were a factor.
"I hate shooting in the cold and when it’s kind of overcast because it kind of messes with you when you are cold. It kind of distracts you away from what you are trying to do, which is shoot and get a good score but once you just embrace it and focus on what matters most then you should be fine and I was."
Jonathan Woodgate hopes Newcastle United stay patient with Eddie Howe in their long-term bid to become contenders in the Premier League.
Newcastle have refocused their sights on the top of the table after a lucrative takeover by a consortium backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the richest owner in world football.
For now, however, the Magpies are battling relegation under Howe – the first coach appointed by the new owners in November.
Newcastle were winless when Howe took over and have only added two victories since, remaining in the bottom three with relegation a major concern.
But after a January transfer window in which Newcastle were the top spenders across Europe, shelling out in the region of £90million for five players, Woodgate believes they will stay up.
The former Newcastle defender told Stats Perform: "Some of the performances they've produced have been really good – especially at home, they've been decent.
"Okay, away from home, they've had a few difficult results, but they're a good team.
"And you need to give Eddie Howe the time to really implement what he wants to do, because he's a fantastic manager."
That was a sentiment Woodgate repeated when discussing the potential for Newcastle to challenge for the title, as they did during his time at the club between 2003 and 2004.
"You're looking at five years, five to 10 years," Woodgate said. "It depends on which players you can buy, and hopefully they can stay with Eddie Howe, because I know he can build something there.
"We had a fantastic team there. We were young, energetic, good players, English players, who really had that hunger.
"We had great senior players, Gary Speed, Alan Shearer, Shay Given, Steve Harper, at the time, who were really good behind the scenes and good with the young players as well.
"You need the right balance and the right blend to build a team. We had that in that team in the Bobby Robson era."
"Balance" is the key again now, Woodgate says, and he believes Newcastle may have found it in January, signing defenders Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett and Dan Burn, midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and striker Chris Wood.
Himself widely considered Newcastle's best centre-back of the Premier League era, Woodgate sees a player in Burn who has "improved fantastically well". Guimaraes, he suggests, "is a very good signing".
"I think they needed someone else in the middle of that park to really be hard to play against, because at times Newcastle can be easy to play against," the ex-England man added.
"Putting [Guimaraes] in the centre of the pitch, it'll be a lot more difficult now for teams to break them down."
"They've brought in that balance," Woodgate concluded. "They did need two full-backs, they needed a centre-back and they needed a centre-midfielder and centre-forward to help Callum Wilson.
"So, I think it's been a very good window and they haven't overspent. They haven't spent £200m like everyone thought they would, but they've kept it nice."
Celtic overthrew Rangers at the Scottish Premiership summit after Reo Hatate inspired a resounding 3-0 victory in the Old Firm derby at Parkhead on Wednesday.
Hatate continued his blistering start to life at Celtic with a first-half double that played a crucial role in securing a first league win against Rangers since September 2019.
The Japanese midfielder set up Liel Abada with a tantalising cross two minutes after netting his second of the game, practically ending Giovanni van Bronckhorst's hopes of salvaging a result in his first Old Firm at the Rangers helm.
Rangers' 21-game unbeaten run in the league consequently came to an ignominious end, with Ange Postecoglou's first win over Celtic's arch-rivals sending his team one point clear at the top.
Celtic took a fifth-minute lead when Hatate's effort from the edge of the box deflected off Glen Kamara and found the bottom-right corner.
Allan McGregor produced a brilliant double-save to keep Jota and Giorgos Giakoumakis at bay, but he was helpless when Hatate curled in a second in the 42nd minute.
Hatate then turned provider before half-time, crossing for Abada to steer home after Rangers were caught napping by a quick throw-in.
Rangers tightened up after the restart but found it difficult to create chances to test Joe Hart, although Ryan Jack rattled the crossbar with a 30-yard piledriver in the 79th minute.
Celtic were able to comfortably see out the victory, and the new league leaders are now unbeaten in 18 straight top-flight matches.
What does it mean? A shift in Rangers' outlook
Rangers just could not keep track of Celtic's interchanging attack in a blistering first-half display, and it ultimately cost them their place at the top of the league.
The defeat sees Rangers go from being on a 21-game undefeated streak to having won just one of their past four matches in the top flight.
A Reo-lly good start
Hatate was named man of the match on his debut against Hibernian last month and scored a screamer at Hearts the following week. The 24-year-old produced another stand-out display, with two goals and an assist making it a maiden Old Firm outing to remember.
Barisic ball watches
Had Rangers gone into half-time at 2-0 down, they may have had hope of mounting a second-half comeback. However, Borna Barisic was completely idle as Abada nipped in front of him to get Celtic's third before the break. He did not return for the second half.
What's next?
Celtic head to Motherwell on Sunday, when Rangers face another difficult challenge at home to Hearts.
Manchester City have announced highly rated youngster James McAtee has signed a new contract.
The 19-year-old is now tied to the club until 2026, with City securing the future of one of their most promising young players.
McAtee, a gifted attacking midfielder, made his first-team debut off the bench in City's 6-1 EFL Cup defeat of Wycombe Wanderers in September and has made another couple of appearances since.
One of those was a cameo against Everton in November, his Premier League bow.
McAtee becomes the fourth City youngster to sign a new deal this season after Finley Burns, Liam Delap and Cole Palmer.
He said: "I've been here since I was 11 and I can't thank everyone enough for everything they have done for me.
"I have worked with some brilliant coaches in the academy, who have put me in a position to be able to train and play with Pep Guardiola and the first team, which is all I've ever wanted to do.
"I've been really pleased with my progress this season and I am sure I am in the right place to keep improving, so it feels amazing to know I will be a Manchester City player for another four years."
Senegal reached a second consecutive Africa Cup of Nations final as goals from Abdou Diallo, Idrissa Gueye and Sadio Mane secured a 3-1 win over Burkina Faso on Wednesday.
Aliou Cisse's side were denied a first AFCON title by Algeria back in 2019, but they will have another chance to get their hands on the trophy against either Cameroon or Egypt in Sunday's decider after edging their semi-final.
Senegal thought they had been awarded a penalty deep into first-half stoppage, but the VAR came to Burkina Faso's rescue with referee Bamlak Tessema Weyesa overturning his initial decision after replays showed Gueye's shot had hit Edmond Tapsoba's stomach and not his hand.
The Lions of Teranga deservedly broke the deadlock in the 70th minute, however, when Paris Saint-Germain defender Diallo spun on the six-yard box and fired a crisp strike past substitute goalkeeper Sofiane Ouedraogo.
And Senegal doubled their advantage six minutes later when Gueye slotted home from inside the penalty area after being teed up by Mane.
Ibrahim Toure pulled one back for Burkina Faso with an improvised finish with his knee in the 82nd minute, but Mane put the game to bed five minutes later with a sublime breakaway goal.
Former Tottenham defender Jonathan Woodgate is stunned that Tottenham managed to hire Antonio Conte as their manager, and believes the Italian has Spurs supporters in the "palm of his hand".
Conte, who left Inter after guiding them to the Serie A title last season, was appointed by Spurs on November 2 following the dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo.
He has overseen an upturn in their fortunes since then, with Spurs winning six of their 10 Premier League games to force their way back into contention for a Champions League qualification place.
Woodgate, who played for Tottenham between 2008 and 2011, is in awe of Conte's managerial record and says the Spurs hierarchy should give him whatever he wants as he bids to cement the north London club as serious top-four contenders.
"I don't know how they got Conte to be honest with you," he exclusively told Stats Perform. "I don't know how they got him because he's the best manager Spurs will have. Period.
"I think he's an incredible manager. What he did at Chelsea, what he did at Inter, what he did at Juventus, he's managed the national team.
"He signed a contract to the end of next season, so it'll be interesting to see what the off-season brings because I think if it doesn't bring the players that he wants, then it's going to be very interesting.
"And we know what type of character Antonio Conte is. We know what he's like. He's ruthless in his thinking, he's ruthless in what he wants to do.
"Look what he did last year with Inter, they won the league and he didn't get something in his own way so he left. Because it's either his way or no one's, really. So that's going to be interesting how that plays out.
"He's got the Spurs fans in the palm of his hand. They absolutely adore him, they're eating out of the palm of his hand, because they see his passion on the sideline.
"And I think that signing of Conte can only bring good times back to Spurs if he's backed and if he gets the right players that he wants."
Despite the signings of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus on transfer deadline day, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy continues to receive criticism from supporters for a perceived lack of investment in the playing squad.
Woodgate, though, thinks Levy deserves more respect for what he has achieved at the club.
"I think everyone needs to start getting off his back, because what he's done for Tottenham has been incredible, really," he added.
"Bringing Mauricio Pochettino to the club for starters, was a masterstroke. So let's think of what he's done for the club. The new stadium has been absolutely fantastic. He's made money for the club. Harry Kane didn't go; he stopped him from going.
"Spurs have got to be slightly creative in the transfer market, because they're up against Man City, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal. So they need to be a little bit creative in who they sign.
"The top players, they have lists, they have categories. So most of these top players are going to be on the top lists of Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea and then where are Spurs going to go? So they can't go for the top one, because the top clubs are always going to want him."
Karim Benzema has been left out of Real Madrid's squad for the Copa del Rey quarter-final against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday due to a hamstring injury.
The fitness of France international Benzema has been a source of concern since he hobbled off in the second half of Madrid's 2-2 draw with Elche in LaLiga on January 23.
During his pre-match news conference, Carlo Ancelotti was hopeful the striker, who has been in sensational form this season with 24 goals in 28 games in all competitions, would be fit for the trip to San Mames but insisted no risks would be taken.
Benzema's name was not in the 22-man squad for the match against Athletic that was released later on Wednesday, prompting concerns about his fitness for the Champions League last-16 meeting with Paris Saint-Germain in less than two weeks.
Mariano Diaz and Ferland Mendy also miss out through injury, while Marcelo is ineligible due to suspension.
However, Marco Asensio could make his return from a hamstring injury sustained in the Supercopa de Espana success against Barcelona
Ashley Giles has left his position as the managing director of England men's cricket following a shambolic Ashes showing from the Test team.
England's Ashes campaign was effectively over after just 12 days of cricket in Australia, with some woeful batting and questionable selections coming amid a 4-0 loss.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) met this week to review England's performances and Giles, who spent three years in his position, has been dispensed with.
Head coach Chris Silverwood and batting coach Graeme Thorpe are also under pressure, with ECB chief executive Tom Harrison suggesting that large scale change is needed.
"I'm extremely grateful to Ashley for his commitment and contribution to England men's cricket over the last three years," Harrison said in a statement.
"Under his leadership the teams have scored some notable results, most memorably the dramatic victory in the 2019 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, while dealing with some of the most challenging times English cricket has ever been through.
"He's highly respected throughout the game and has made a huge contribution to the ECB and England men's cricket.
"Off the back of a disappointing men's Ashes this winter we must ensure we put in place the conditions across our game to enable our Test team to succeed."
Giles said: "I'd like to thank everyone for the support they've given me, particularly all the staff and the players, as well as the board for giving me this opportunity.
"The past couple of years have been incredibly challenging and I'm proud of what we've been able to deliver in the toughest of circumstances. This has undoubtedly protected the future of the game in England and Wales.
"Despite these challenges, over the past three years, we have become 50-over world champions, the top ranked T20I side in the world, we remain the fourth-ranked Test team and our Under-19s have just reached the World Cup final for the first time in 24 years. I wish all our players and staff great success for the future.
"I'm now looking forward to spending some time with my family before looking at the next challenge."
It's officially a World Cup year, that means footballers all over the globe will be hoping to get themselves into contention for their own shot at glory in Qatar.
Back in November, Stats Perform began their one-year countdown to the biggest show in football by identifying 11 uncapped players who could potential break into their respective national squads before Qatar 2022 got under way.
With February now upon us, we have revisited those players to see how they have been faring and whether a trip to World Cup looks any likelier…
Luis Maximiano (Portugal) – 23, goalkeeper, Granada
Having been one of LaLiga's form goalkeepers during the early stages of the season, Maximiano has been a little rocky lately. Since the start of December, he has conceded 10 times (excluding own goals) in the league despite those chances only being worth 7.9 xG – that puts him at least partly at fault for 2.1 goals, the sixth-worst over that period.
Jonathan Clauss (France) – 29, right-back, Lens
Clauss continues to show his worth in Ligue 1. Since December 1, his three assists have been bettered by only Dimitri Payet and Lovro Majer. Granted, the expected assists (xA) value of those was only 1.2, so there's an element of luck or benefiting from expert finishing, but he's still proving himself a good outlet both out wide and from set plays.
Bremer (Brazil) – 24, centre-back, Torino
Torino managed to keep Bremer in January before they extended his contract by a year to 2024 on Wednesday. Not only does that protect his value to the club, it was also a just reward for his reliable form. Since December 1, his tally of 21 interceptions is the second-highest among Serie A defenders, as is his 28 aerial wins.
Sven Botman (Netherlands) – 22, centre-back, Lille
Lille stood firm as Newcastle United tried to prise Botman away in January. Over the past two months, the Dutchman has continued to look an imperious presence at the back – his duel success rate (76.5 per cent) is the highest among defenders with at least 300 minutes on the pitch, while only two of those to have engaged in more than 11 aerials can better his success rate (79 per cent) in the air.
Angelino (Spain) – 25, left-back, RB Leipzig
Spain certainly aren't short of quality options in this area of the pitch, but Angelino is still a standout from an attacking sense. Since early December, his 3.0 xA is the best in the Bundesliga, while only five players have played more key passes than him (16).
Riqui Puig (Spain) – 22, midfielder, Barcelona
It's not looking good for Puig. It was thought Xavi's arrival might finally be the break he needed, but he has played only 158 minutes of LaLiga football in the past two months, and that was a period that saw Barca under real stress amid an injury and COVID-19 crisis. With players returning to action, including Pedri, few would be surprised to see his minutes reduce even further.
Christopher Nkunku (France) – 24, midfielder, RB Leipzig
Nkunku continues to look to be in with a great chance of forcing himself into France reckoning. Since we last checked on him, the versatile midfielder has scored four non-penalty Bundesliga goals, bettered by only four players (all out-and-out strikers), and laid on three assists. Only five players have tallied more goal involvements over the same period.
Alan Velasco (Argentina) – 19, winger, FC Dallas
Young talents leaving South American countries for MLS is becoming a recurring them – Velasco is the latest. The young winger became Dallas' record signing on February 1, reportedly costing $7million. He has not played much in recent months due to the Argentinian football calendar, so it will be intriguing to see if he kicks on when MLS starts again at the end of the month.
Cade Cowell (United States) – 18, forward, San Jose Earthquakes
The first success story on this list! Cowell was given his international bow in December as the USA beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0. He did only feature for 12 minutes, and it was a partly experimental squad, but a cap is a cap.
Amine Gouiri (France) – 21, forward, Nice
Gouiri is another who continues to plug away to good effect. He slowed a little, and his return of five goal involvements (three assists, two goals) in the specified period is bettered by as many as eight players, though only Payet has as many as seven. The exciting forward is still doing well, though he could do with another minor boost.
Matias Arezo (Uruguay) – 19, forward, Granada
With the Uruguayan season finishing in early December, Arezo has not played much since his form was last examined – though he did get one more goal to take his seasonal tally to 15 in 29 games for River Plate (URU). That form earned him his shot in Europe, with Granada pulling off a potentially major coup in bringing him to Spain for about €3million. He awaits a first senior cap, though Uruguay are back in an automatic qualification spot.
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