Newcastle United

The Newcastle midfielder has represented both Scotland and England at youth level and has recently turned down call-ups to Scot Gemmill’s Under-21 squad while he considered his international future.

The 20-year-old has played one under-21 international for Scotland, against Belgium in June 2022.

He has also been capped at under-16, under-17 and under-18 level for Scotland, and under-19 level for England.

Anderson has come off the bench in all three of Newcastle’s Premier League matches this season.

The midfielder had not made a competitive appearance since starting for Saint-Etienne in a defeat to Lyon on March 1, 2020.

Cabaye posted on Twitter: "It is with great emotion that after more than 17 years of passionate love for football, with emotions greater than any other, memories that will remain forever and unforgettable human and sporting encounters, I announce the end of my professional football career.

"If this decision may seem obvious, logical and inevitable to some, having spent 35 years in the world of football, it remains very difficult to take and to accept because my love for football is immense."

Cabaye debuted with Lille in 2005 and won a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double in his final season with the club in 2010-11.

His performances over his final two campaigns with Lille, in which he scored 18 goals, provided 18 assists and created 140 chances across 90 games in all competitions, earned international recognition and a move to the Premier League with Newcastle United.

Cabaye quickly found his feet in England, scoring five goals and delivering six assists in his debut season as Newcastle fell just short of Champions League qualification.

His form attracted the attention of Arsenal, but Cabaye failed to force through a move in August 2013 and instead enjoyed one of the most productive spells of his career as he scored seven times and laid on a pair of assists in 20 games before departing for Paris Saint-Germain in January 2014.

Two further Ligue 1 triumphs followed, along with success in the Coupe de France and twice in the Coupe de la Ligue, but he failed to establish himself as a regular starter in Paris.

Just 30 of his 57 PSG appearances came from the start and he soon left for Crystal Palace, spending a further three years back in the Premier League before ending his career with Al-Nasr and finally Saint-Etienne.

Cabaye played for his country on 48 occasions, scoring four times.

His first international goal came against Ukraine at Euro 2012 and he was a regular again at the World Cup two years later. France's home European Championship in 2016, where they reached the final, saw Cabaye appear only twice and once as a starter.

The 53-year-Hislop, who made 53 appearances for Newcastle United from 1995-1998, currently works as a football pundit on ESPN FC. During his time at Newcastle, Hislop used his influence to combat discrimination after an incident in which he was racially abused by a group of youngsters at a petrol station opposite the club’s ground, St James' Park.

In 1996, he was instrumental in the founding of Show Racism the Red Card. That work continues today.

He shared on Instagram his gratitude for being recognised.

“Fifty-five years ago, Newcastle University bestowed Dr Martin Luther King with an Honorary Doctorate in Civil Law. Dr King’s speech was a call for racial equality, a sharing of those responsibilities regardless of where you call home,” he said.
“Dr King’s and NU’s legacies continue to shape the civil rights responses of today.

I am humbled that Newcastle University deemed me worthy to receive an Honorary Doctorate as well. I accept in recognition of the thousands who have supported, contributed, volunteered and worked for Show Racism the Red Card.

“I accept in recognition of all who remain undaunted by the task, who give of themselves knowing they may never savour an equal world themselves.”

In closing, he thanked Newcastle University Chancellor Imtiaz Dharker, Vice Chancellor and University President Chris Day as well as Show Racism the Red Card founder Ged Grebby as well as Matin Cox, who nominated him for the award.

He also expressed gratitude to his wife Desha Hislop and his children.

A goalkeeper in his playing days, Hislop made 26 appearances for Trinidad and Tobago between 1999 and 2006. During his club career, he was also the man between the sticks for Reading, West Ham and Portsmouth in England before playing for FC Dallas during the 2006/2007 season.

On an individual level, Grealish's debut season at Manchester City had not been a roaring success.

But his six goal involvements in the Premier League dwarfed Almiron's one, giving Grealish the confidence to talk down the Newcastle winger the day after City's dramatic 3-2 title-clinching win against former club Aston Villa.

Misfiring City team-mate Riyad Mahrez needed to be substituted "as soon as possible" in that match, a drunken Grealish said, because he had "played like Almiron".

For his part, Almiron brushed off the barb and wished Grealish well.

Meanwhile, the horrified City winger, having sobered up, sought to apologise to the Paraguay international and acknowledged he deserved "a lot of stick off the Newcastle fans".

Grealish was at least spared slightly in that regard as a minor injury kept him out in August when City visited St James' Park for a match in which Almiron scored his first of 10 goals this season.

Almiron then netted six in October alone, when it seemed he could do no wrong. Only once in his Premier League career has Grealish tallied more than six across an entire season.

But heading into Saturday's reverse fixture between City and Newcastle in Manchester, Grealish is the form man, playing his best football under Pep Guardiola.

Since the World Cup, a period in which fellow left-sided attacker Phil Foden has struggled for fitness, Grealish has two goals and four assists in the league. Including cup competitions, he has a further two assists on top.

Those eight goal involvements in 16 matches (one every 134 minutes) compare to 11 in 55 (one every 343 mins) over the first 16 months of Grealish's City career.

However, his is an upturn that can be explained no more easily than Almiron's.

Following the World Cup, looking at slightly more granular per-90 metrics, Grealish has actually seen a decline in chances created, passes into the box, touches and touches in the box. A very slight boost in expected assists does not account for those improved assist numbers.

Yet as long as Grealish continues to deliver in big games, supplying goals against Manchester United and Arsenal and assists against Chelsea and Arsenal, Guardiola is unlikely to mind.

City at least have alternative options if this run proves unsustainable. They head into Saturday's latest sizeable match on a high – in complete contrast with a stuttering Newcastle and their leading marksman regressing to the mean.

Almiron outperformed his xG by 3.3 across that inexplicable October but has otherwise almost exactly matched his expected figure over the rest of the season.

Worse still for Newcastle, Almiron's team-mates have failed to even do that since the World Cup.

In all competitions, only four Premier League teams have scored fewer goals per game than Newcastle (0.9) over that period, yet the Magpies rank fifth for xG per game (1.8).

Eddie Howe's side should have scored roughly twice as many goals as they have, underperforming their total xG of 25.6 by 12.6. Chelsea's underperformance of 9.4 is next-worst, followed by a distant 6.3 from Everton.

While Newcastle have won only five of 14 matches since the restart, they have come out on top on xG in 11 of those.

Almiron is not the problem, it appears, but another run like that of earlier in the season might be required to set Newcastle back on track.

Instead, confidence is again on Grealish's side, with the England man primed to this time do his talking on the pitch after last May's title party mishap.

Guimaraes has been linked with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.

But having sold youngsters Yankuba Minteh and Elliott Anderson in order to comply with the Premier League's financial rules, Newcastle would be loathe to sell their prized asset.

And the Brazil midfielder also has no intention of leaving St James' Park.

"I'm very happy, I never said I would like to leave, I always said I would like to put my name in the club's history," he told reporters on Thursday, before explaining how he has been added to the squad's leadership group.

"I have always been a leader. But it's a big challenge because English isn’t my first language.

"The leader isn’t just who wears the armband, but the person who fights for the club in many, many ways. For example, I missed just one game last season.

"I've been captain at Athletico Paranaense, Brazil Youths and at Lyon. The gaffer has given me a big responsibility and I want to deliver something for him and the fans.

"I want to be a leader and help the club in many ways and I want to help [Eddie Howe] because since I have been here he has developed my game."

While Guimaraes' immediate future may now appear to be certain, there is far less clarity over Trippier.

The England international, who was signed from Atletico Madrid in January 2022, is reportedly of interest to West Ham, while he has also been linked with a move to the Middle East.

And Howe, who faced the press alongside Guimaraes, suggested a move may happen if Newcastle deemed it financially prudent, even though he still sees Trippier as a crucial player.

He said: "I don't think Kieran's openly looking to leave. He's been very good in training this week, he has come back with an ambition to play and fight for his place, like every player does in pre-season. I see a player who is fully committed.

"I see him as a huge part of the team and the squad going forward, but while we're in this moment with FFP affecting the club, there is still the possibility that anyone could leave.

"I won't talk about individual players but naturally with incomings there will be outgoings too."

One potential incoming could be Marc Guehi, with Newcastle in talks with Crystal Palace over a £65million move for the defender, though Howe refused to offer an update on those negotiations.

Prior to Thursday's media briefing, Newcastle confirmed the arrival of forward William Osula from Sheffield United, in a deal that is reportedly worth £15m.

The 25-year-old wide-man, who has been in the Magpies’ sights for sometime, has signed a five-year contract after the two clubs agreed an undisclosed fee which it is understood could eventually amount to £38million.

Newcastle said in a statement: “Newcastle United are delighted to announce the signing of winger Harvey Barnes for an undisclosed fee.

“The 25-year-old has signed a five-year contract.”

Barnes, who travelled to Tyneside last week to undergo a medical, is the third addition to a squad which finished fourth in last season’s Premier League with AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali and Odense striker Yankuba Minteh, who has been sent out on loan to Feyenoord, having arrived earlier this month.

A graduate of the Foxes’ Academy, he made 187 appearances for the club, which was relegated to the Sky Bet Championship at the end of last season, and is an FA Cup winner as well as a full England international.

Barnes, who scored 13 Premier League goals for City during the 2022-23 season, said: “I’m delighted. It’s an amazing club and for me it’s a massive opportunity to come and be involved in a successful team that’s doing exciting things, so I’m absolutely buzzing to be here.

“I think it’s an attacker’s dream to come into a team like this; it’s high paced, it’s physically demanding, but you can see the rewards of that with the chances and the goals scored, so I think I’ll certainly suit the style.”

Barnes’ capture is reward for the Magpies’ persistence and head coach Eddie Howe was delighted to have finally got his man.

Howe said: “Harvey is an exciting talent who I have admired for a long time, so I’m delighted to welcome him to Newcastle United.

“He is strong, quick and very good technically, and he showed last season in particular that he has an eye for goal from wide positions.

“He will add a different element to our play and we look forward to working with him as we prepare for the season ahead.”

Leicester thanked the player for his contribution during his time with the club.

A statement said: “After a proud 16-year association with Leicester City, Harvey departs with the thanks of all friends and colleagues at the football club for his contribution during that time and best wishes for his future career.”

Barnes’ arrival is likely to signal the departure of Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin, who was left out of the party which has travelled to the United States for the inaugural Premier League Summer Series as he held talks over his future having been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia.

The Magpies’ £38million summer signing was called from the bench with his side trailing 4-2 at St James’ Park and after Kieran Trippier had given them hope, it was he who smashed home a 73rd-minute equaliser in his first appearance since September.

In a full-blooded encounter, the home side led 1-0 and then 2-1 through Sean Longstaff’s double, but after Gabriel Osho and the excellent Ross Barkley had levelled, Carlton Morris’ penalty and a fourth from midweek hat-trick hero Elijah Adebayo looked to have put the visitors in the driving seat.

Newcastle’s fightback extended into 10 minutes of stoppage time at the end of a pulsating contest as they threw everything they had at the search for a winner, but the visitors stood firm to take a more than deserved point from a hugely entertaining draw.

The Magpies went ahead with just seven minutes gone when 17-year-old Lewis Miley sprayed the ball out to Trippier, who looked up before picking out the fast-arriving Longstaff and watched as he fired past keeper Thomas Kaminski.

To their credit, the Hatters swiftly set about the task of trying to force their way back into the game with Chiedozie Ogbene repeatedly making life intensely uncomfortable for Dan Burn.

They were back in it with 21 minutes gone when, after Sven Botman had been penalised for a trip on Adebayo, Morris turned Barkley’s free-kick back across goal and Osho headed past keeper Martin Dubravka off the underside of the crossbar.

Luton’s joy was fleeting and after Kaminski could only parry Anthony Gordon’s shot, Longstaff controlled the rebound and drilled into the back of the net.

However, the home side succumbed once again five minutes before the break when Barkley set Alfie Doughty away down the left before making his way into the penalty area to fire into an empty net after Dubravka had turned the wide-man’s cross into his path.

Rob Edwards’ men took a 59th-minute lead when, following a lengthy VAR review, referee Tom Bramall was advised to award a penalty against Burn after he had dragged back Ogbene and Morris scored from the spot at the second time of asking having initially beaten Dubravka before the whistle had gone.

The Hatters were in dreamland three minutes later when, after another pacy break, Barkley slid the ball into the path of Adebayo, who beat Dubravka emphatically to make it 4-2.

However, the Magpies refused to accept defeat and reduced the deficit with 23 minutes to go when Trippier volleyed Bruno Guimaraes’ cross past Kaminski, and there was more to come when Miley robbed Barkley and fed Barnes, who steered a left-foot drive into the bottom corner to level.

Jacob Murphy was unable to convert another inviting Bruno cross at the far post with five minutes remaining and Ogbene volleyed straight at Dubravka deep into added time as the spoils were shared.

Eddie Howe's hopes of leading Newcastle United to a club-record 10th consecutive win in all competitions came to an end against Bournemouth.

Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes were among the goalscorers as Newcastle won 4-2 at Brentford to finish their Premier League campaign.

The victory ensured a seventh-place finish, and a Manchester City victory over Manchester United in next Saturday's FA Cup final will confirm Newcastle's place in next season's Europa Conference League.

While this season did not quite live up to the heroics of last term, which saw the Magpies finish in the Champions League spots, Howe still feels it has been a successful campaign.

"It summed up our season," Howe told BBC Sport. "We weren't totally secure at the back, but great credit to the players. They've done their job - now we wait and see.

"We anticipated after losing against Manchester United that our control of the [European] situation had gone. It's never a nice situation, but whatever happens, happens.

"We have issues to solve defensively. If we can do that, next season could be another season of really strong performances. This was a season that could have been better, but a good season overall.

"We're a really united club. I think we're still moving forward, so there's a lot to be positive about."

Alexander Isak scored his 11th goal of the Premier League campaign as Newcastle United routed Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

Newcastle United face Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on Sunday, looking to halt an unprecedented nine-match losing run at Wembley Stadium.

Newcastle United have scored eight goals in back-to-back wins over Leicester City and Ipswich Town, going seventh in the Premier League.

It proved decisive in three different games over the weekend, with Brighton and Hove Albion, Tottenham and Crystal Palace all on the receiving end of controversial decisions – the latter's manager, Roy Hodgson, went on a tirade regarding the "nonsense" rule change.

But arguably the most vociferous of the hot takes regarding handball – see Jamie Carragher deriding the decision as "an absolute disgrace" – focused on the events at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where in the seventh minute of added time, Eric Dier was penalised via VAR for handball despite having his back to the ball.

Although Mourinho refused to criticise the decision, in his own unique Jose way he left no uncertainty as to his feelings on the matter – "If I want to give money away, I'll give to charities, not the FA," he told Sky Sports.

Steve Bruce, whose Newcastle United profited from the decision to clinch a 1-1 draw, gave the impression of being almost embarrassed at having been a beneficiary, effectively suggesting some form of football managers' mutiny against the sport's rule-makers.

But are they exaggerating the changes? Is handball proving more prevalent? We looked at the Opta data and, as the old adage says, there's no smoke without fire…

Premier League on course for avalanche of penalties

Before delving into the data, we have to understand what specifically has changed with respect to handball in the Premier League. Technically, the idea that it is a "new rule" this season is a red herring – instead, the law has been altered in England to bring it into line with those adopted across Europe last season.

It's a stricter approach that basically means a player will be penalised for handball – in a defensive context – if the struck hand/arm is away from the body or raised, or if the player leans into the path of the ball.

On top of those points, the International Football Association Board (IFAB, the body in charge of the rules) tightened up the boundaries involved, meaning handball should be given – regardless of intent – if the ball strikes the arm below the bottom of the armpit unless it has come off another part of the player's body first or they have fallen on to the ball.

The numbers do IFAB and FIFA no favours.

After 28 matches in the new Premier League season, 20 penalties have been given and six of them awarded for handball.

That means there has been an average of 0.71 penalties per match this term, a huge increase on the averages from the previous four seasons.

Last term it was at 0.24 per game – prior to that it stood at 0.27 (2018-19), 0.21 (2017-18) and 0.28 (2016-17).

"But those figures could be down to an increase in bad tackling!" – don't worry, we thought of that.

While that stat of six handballs may not sound huge, it's actually the same figure for the entirety of the 2017-18 season, while it also equates to 30 per cent of all penalties this term – in 2019-20, 20.7 per cent of penalties were awarded for handball, 13.6 per cent the year before and 7.5 per cent before that.

Put into a 'per game' context, penalties for handball are being given every 0.21 matches – almost one in four. The most it reached in the preceding four seasons was 0.05 in both 2019-20 and 2016-17.

While it is unlikely that penalties will be given at such a frequency throughout the season, it's not impossible.

If it does carry on, we are on course for 271 in 2020-21, just four fewer than the totals for 2019-20 (92), 2018-19 (103) and 2017-18 (80) combined. Similarly, we would expect 81 of those to have been caused by handball.

That's 24 more than were given in total across the previous four years.

How do the figures compare to European leagues?

Clearly, the change that has been effected in the Premier League is significant, but compared to the other top five leagues, the differences are a little less stark… in most cases.

Even though the rules are now supposed to be consistent across the top five leagues, we are still seeing a lot more penalties in general.

Last season, Serie A recorded the highest frequency of penalties at 0.49 per game, with that figure dropping to 0.15 specifically for handball.

LaLiga was next with 0.39 penalties each match and 0.13 for handball. The Bundesliga's respective figures were 0.24 and 0.06, and for Ligue 1 they were 0.32 and 0.08.

But specifically relating to handball, the percentages are much closer. In fact, LaLiga (32.2 per cent) and the Bundesliga (30.5 per cent) saw a greater share of spot-kicks awarded for such offences than the Premier League is in 2020-21.

Ligue 1 (25.8 per cent) and the Bundesliga (24.7 per cent) aren't far behind, either.

So, while the data would seemingly prove the points of Bruce and Hodgson, IFAB might argue the consistency and black-and-white nature of the law make it better - football managers and players, on the other hand, disagree.

Anthony Gordon thinks Alexander Isak is the best in Europe after his 10th goal in nine matches as Newcastle beat Arsenal 2-0 in the EFL Cup.

Newcastle United continued their rise up the Premier League table with their win over Manchester United, with Alexander Isak scoring again.

The World Cup-winner curled a shot into the top corner after 31 minutes of a tight encounter at the Etihad Stadium to secure a 1-0 win and three more points.

Eddie Howe’s men had travelled in hope after last weekend’s opening 5-1 drubbing of Aston Villa, but left empty-handed after the hosts summoned up commendable stamina in the wake of their midweek UEFA Super Cup triumph in Athens on Wednesday.

Ange Postecoglou oversaw a thrilling first win as Tottenham manager as Pape Sarr’s strike and a Lisandro Martinez own goal settled a pulsating clash with Manchester United.

Spurs, whose struggles in the second half of last season have been compounded by home-grown star Harry Kane’s recent switch to Bayern Munich, proved too good for a sub-par United on the day.

Former Celtic boss Postecoglou’s influence has borne early fruit and his new-look side sealed a fine 2-0 win thanks to Sarr’s effort and a late Martinez own goal.

Liverpool survived Mo Salah’s penalty miss and Alexis Mac Allister’s red card to surge to a 3-1 Premier League victory over Bournemouth.

The Cherries took a third-minute lead through Antoine Semenyo, but Luis Diaz levelled before Salah converted the rebound after Neto had repelled his spot-kick.

Summer signing Mac Allister’s untimely departure had little impact as Diogo Jota secured the points.

Solly March’s double helped Brighton climb to the top of the table after the 3pm kick-offs following a fine 4-1 win at Wolves.

Goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Pervis Estupinan put the Seagulls in charge, and March struck twice before substitute Hwang Hee-chan pulled one back for the home side, who had Matheus Nunes sent off for a second bookable offence at the death.

Bryan Mbeumo also scored twice to help Brentford to an impressive 3-0 victory at Brentford.

Yoane Wissa opened the scoring and after defender Tim Ream had been dismissed for two yellow card offences, Mbeumo converted the resulting penalty before adding a second in stoppage time.

City were trailing 2-1 at St James’ Park when De Bruyne was sent on as a 69th-minute replacement for Bernardo Silva, but he scored within five minutes before setting up fellow substitute Bobb to snatch victory in stoppage time at the end of a thrilling encounter.

Bernardo Silva had given the visitors an early lead with a cheeky flick in front of a crowd of 52,198, but stunning finishes from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon had the Magpies scenting victory until the Belgium international’s introduction.

The win lifted City, who dominated for long periods but were vulnerable on the counter, into second place in the Premier League table above Aston Villa, who play on Sunday.

Justin Kluivert netted his second hat-trick of the season against Newcastle on Saturday, moving Bournemouth up to sixth in the standings.

Newcastle will face German clubs Mainz and 1860 Munich in Austria ahead of the 2022-23 season.

But the scheduled matches have not been welcomed by supporters of those clubs due to the identity of Newcastle's owners.

The consortium that bought Newcastle last October includes Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns 80 per cent of the club.

Saudi Arabia's human rights record is of major concern, along with its role in the war in Yemen.

But Mainz insist they cannot afford to cancel the Newcastle friendly, both because of the need to prepare for the Bundesliga season and due to contractual obligations.

"A friendly against a big English club is first of all a really good test for us," said chairman Stefan Hofmann in a statement in which Mainz confirmed they had held further talks with Newcastle and would plan to meet with fans. "It's also important for our team’s pre-season preparations.

"After weighing up our options and not having an appropriate alternative opponent of this standard available, we agreed to play this game.

"We didn't expect the reaction we got from some fans. We respect them and regret that these concerns have arisen because it's our responsibility to start the new season as one big unit together with our fans."

Mainz board member Christian Heidel added: "From a footballing perspective, we can't afford to miss out on this friendly.

"A one-sided cancellation of the fixture, as has been demanded by some fans, is not feasible, because were we to not honour our contractual obligations, this could have serious legal and economic consequences for us, and so we're going to stand by the contractual agreement."

Mainz coach Bo Svensson had already addressed the concerns, saying as reported by Bild: "On the one hand, I can understand the arguments.

"[But] whenever it comes to football, things get very inflated and become huge issues."

Referring to the PIF's shares in Disney, Svensson added: "How far are we going? Will we then also forego Disney films with our children?"

1860 coach Michael Kollner said to db24: "You always have to be a bit careful when conducting a moral discussion. I find that difficult. You can find something in everyone.

"We haven't done everything right in the past either – and teams are still playing against us in preparation.

"Newcastle was bought by someone with the money he has. I don't know if we are always entitled to evaluate things – especially in times when we have completely different issues in Europe.

"Unity looks different. I'm responsible for the sport – and I'm glad we got this test match."

Reigning English champions City last year became just the fourth club ever to top the list, which examines the top-performing football clubs in terms of revenue every year.

City remained the world's highest revenue-generating club in the 2021-22 campaign – the first season in which fans returned to stadiums as coronavirus restrictions were eased.

They made £619.1million (€731m) over that period to finish ahead of LaLiga giants Real Madrid (€713.8m), while Liverpool climbed from seventh to their highest position of third after making £594.3m (€701.7m).

Fellow English clubs Manchester United (fourth), Chelsea (eighth), Tottenham (ninth) and Arsenal (10th) also make the top 10, with West Ham (15th), Leicester City (17th), Leeds United (18th), Everton (19th) and Newcastle United (20th) in the top 20.

It marks the first time in the report's 26 years that a single country has provided more than half of the rich list.

"The Premier League was the only one of the big five European leagues to experience an increase in its media rights value during its most recent rights sale process," said Tim Bridge, the lead partner in Deloitte's Sports Business Group.

"It continues to appeal to millions of global followers and its member clubs have a greater revenue advantage over international rivals."

Paris Saint-Germain (fifth), Bayern Munich (sixth), Barcelona (seventh), Juventus (11th), Atletico Madrid (12th), Borussia Dortmund (13th), Inter (14th) and Milan (16th) make up the rest of the top 20.

In the women's game, Barcelona generated the highest revenue (€7.7m) after winning the Champions League in 2021 and reaching the final last year.