Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson predicts top clubs could come calling for Michael Olise after another impressive performance from the midfielder helped the Eagles all but assure Premier League football next season.
The 21-year-old recorded his ninth assist of the season in Saturday’s 4-3 victory over West Ham – his total making him the fourth-best provider in the league – and was also instrumental in the build-up to the returning Wilfried Zaha’s seventh goal of the campaign.
Hodgson’s interim deal in the Palace dugout expires at the end of the season, and as a result the former England manager is not required to concern himself with contract matters, including the potentially worrying prospect of someone tempting Olise away from Selhurst Park.
“I was Steve Parish I would be (worried),” said the Eagles boss. “But I’m Roy Hodgson for the next few weeks and I wish them all well. I don’t have any conversations regarding contracts and what the club wants to do.
“If ever they need an opinion from me I know they’ll ask for it but I certainly won’t be proferring it.”
Olise’s assist to set up Jordan Ayew for Palace’s first-half equaliser made him the youngest player to register nine or more Premier League assists since Trent Alexander-Arnold did the same in 2018-19.
He became the first signing for Hodgson’s successor turned sacked predecessor Patrick Vieira when he joined Palace on a five-year deal in 2021, and has netted twice for the Eagles this season, a figure Olise’s current boss challenged him to improve on.
Hodgson said: “I think he needs to get more goals. He’s got goals in him. He cut inside on his left foot on a few occasions and got good strikes away.
“But all the time he’s producing those goals for us like he’s doing, we’re more than happy with him. He’s another player I see getting better in terms of doing things we want him to do.”
Olise is a rumoured summer target for Arsenal, though Hodgson on Friday agreed he and 24-year-old Eberechi Eze possess the potential to ascend to the same talismanic status as Zaha
He said: “I do believe that those two players, if they continue to progress as they have done, if they continue to milk their skills and ability as they have done so far, why can’t they go on to have the sort of career that Wilf has had?”
Like Zaha, who is out of contract with Palace at the end of the season, Hodgson’s future with the club remains uncertain.
He would not discuss his tenure, but admitted working with this Eagles squad – and all but securing their safety on Saturday as they hit the 40-point mark – has lifted his spirits as much as the 75-year-old has seemingly buoyed theirs, resulting in four wins, one draw and a single defeat since his arrival.
He added: “I was enjoying my life. I love my wife and enjoy her company very much so there’s no problems with that. But it was nice to be invited back into this environment which I’ve been a part of for so long and still enjoy so much.
“Meeting this group of players and being able to work with them has given me an even further boost. I’ve got another month to enjoy, which I shall.”
West Ham supporters might have hoped their relegation-battling side could pick up at least a point at Palace before a challenging run that will see them face both Manchester City and Manchester United and take on AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.
Saturday’s Selhurst Park encounter was the Irons’ third in match in seven days, and while boss David Moyes refused to fully blame fatigue as a factor he admitted the congestion “probably didn’t help us”.
He said: “I don’t think anybody in any way should underestimate how well Crystal Palace are doing at the moment, how well they’re playing.”
Kompany targeting Champions League top eight despite stuttering start
Vincent Kompany is eyeing a place in the top eight of the new Champions League format with Bayern Munich despite back-to-back losses in the competition.
Bayern welcome Benfica to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, hoping to recover from defeats to Aston Villa and Barcelona, the first time they have failed to win consecutive games in the competition since April 2017.
Kompany's started their Champions League campaign with a 9-2 thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb, but have since plummeted down the new league table.
They find themselves 23rd after three matches. However, they have fared better in the Bundesliga, sitting three points clear at the top of the table after nine games.
"What we know is you have to win around six (of eight) games to reach the top eight," Kompany said.
"You have to win three games and that should be enough for the playoffs. My goal is to reach the top eight."
Bayern last failed to reach the Champions League knockout stages in 2002-03, finishing bottom of a group that featured Deportivo La Coruna, Lens and Milan.
But despite their stuttering start in the competition so far, Kompany said the new format plays no role in the team's planning.
"I don't want to think too far ahead because we have enough games," Kompany said.
"We have to win against Benfica. I don't want to spend too much time thinking about what could happen in January.
"No one knows how it will work. We only know we want to win tomorrow. We play at home. That is my only goal."
Bayern, however, have every confidence of getting their European campaign back on track, with the German outfit boasting an impressive record against Benfica.
They have played 12 major European matches against Benfica and have never lost (W9 D3).
But Bruno Lage's side will be looking to buck that trend, having beaten Atletico Madrid and Red Star Belgrade so far, but they did lose to Feyenoord last time out.
"We have a lot of confidence going into this game. We will always adapt and take the steps that are right for the team," Kompany said.
"But to say we will change everything is not serious. We just want to win again at home.
Benzema: Mbappe must adapt to Madrid role and forget 'best in world' Vinicius
Kylian Mbappe must learn to play as a central striker at Real Madrid because he cannot displace Vinicius Junior on the left wing.
Those were the words of Los Blancos' second-highest scorer of all time, Karim Benzema.
Mbappe has scored eight goals in 14 appearances in all competitions for Madrid since his move from Paris Saint-Germain, but has failed to score in his last five games.
The 26-year-old has been deployed in a more central role since under Carlo Ancelotti, as opposed to the wide role where he enjoyed success with the Parisiens.
"The problem, in my opinion, is that [Mbappe] is not a central striker, even with the national team, every time he plays as a number nine he doesn't feel right, because that's not his position," Benzema said on Spanish television show El Chiringuito.
"On the left, he's got a guy who's at the same level as him, Vinicius, so there is a problem.
"You can't play Vinicius as a number nine or on the right, because when he plays on the left he makes the difference in every game.
"Mbappe isn't a real number nine. People ask a lot of him and he's under a lot of pressure, this isn't Paris Saint-Germain."
The France captain has underperformed his expected goals (xG) figure in LaLiga by 1.75 this term, recording a shot conversion rate of just 18.18% from his 33 total attempts.
He has also missed seven big chances, with only Real Betis duo Abde Ezzalzouli and Vitor Roque (both eight) and Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski (11) wasting more in LaLiga.
In Madrid's last game, a 4-0 Clasico defeat, Mbappe recorded just 27 touches. Only Aurelien Tchouameni (24) registered fewer among those who started the encounter.
Benzema also endured a difficult start to life in the Spanish capital, netting just nine goals in his 33 appearances in all competitions in his debut season after his move from Lyon.
He would, however, go on to become one of Madrid's best ever players, scoring 354 times in 648 outings, a total that puts him behind only Cristiano Ronaldo (450) in the club's history.
Benzema won 25 major honours during his time at the club, also scooping the Ballon d'Or in 2022, and had some advice for his compatriot moving forward.
"Don't give up, because I don't think he's going to push Vinicius to move. He's the best player in the world at the moment," Benzema added.
"Mbappe needs to get it into his head that today he's a number nine, and forget about the left flank for a while."
Mbappe will be back in action for Madrid on Tuesday when they face Milan in the Champions League.
Luis Enrique in awe of Simeone energy ahead of reunion
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique was full of praise for his former rival Diego Simeone as he prepares to go head-to-head with the Atletico Madrid boss in the Champions League.
PSG and Atletico, who reached the semi-finals and the quarter-finals respectively last season, will face off on Wednesday having both won just one of their three league-phase games.
A home victory would boost PSG, currently 19th with four points, while Atletico, languishing in 27th on three, are aiming to recover from back-to-back losses.
PSG have never faced Atletico in the Champions League before but Luis Enrique's Barcelona defeated Simeone's Atletico side nine times in their 14 meetings between 2014 and 2017, drawing twice and losing three times.
Luis Enrique led Barca to a Champions League and LaLiga double in 2014-15 followed by another league title the following year.
"We've played against each other as players and then as managers. I admire Simeone, when a coach can stay for so many years at a top club it means he is great because that is such a difficult thing to do," Luis Enrique told reporters on Tuesday.
Simeone has managed Atletico for 13 years, guiding them to two LaLiga titles and two Europa League crowns, though the Madrid side had considered hiring Luis Enrique prior to Simeone's arrival.
"I had given my word to another club. If I had gone to Atleti, I would not have stayed half as long as Simeone because I don't have the energy as him," added Luis Enrique.
"They are lucky to have found Simeone as a coach. You need a lot of energy, to be able to convince all your players over the long-term."
PSG, having lost Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid in the close season, have just two goals in their three Champions League games, beating Girona 1-0 but drawing 1-1 with PSV and losing 2-0 at Arsenal.
"I have no doubt we can improve in defence and attack, whether it is with the defender duos of Marquinhos and Willian Pacho, or Milan Skriniar and Lucas Beraldo, or in the midfield," Luis Enrique said.
"I understand you want to discuss individual players, but we analyse things from a broader perspective.
"What interests me is to always generate goalscoring opportunities and to arrive in the penalty area because you have managed to be stronger than your opponent.
"That is my objective as a coach: to always generate opportunities."
Close-season signing Matvey Safonov, who kept a clean sheet in their opening win against Girona, might replace number one goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, whose mistakes proved costly at Arsenal and against PSV.
"You will find out tomorrow. After a good cup of cappuccino, I will decide who the goalkeeper is," Luis Enrique said.
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