Walsall boss Mat Sadler hailed veteran striker Jamille Matt’s impact off the bench after he became the Saddlers’ match-winner for the second time this week in a 1-0 victory over Tranmere.
Matt, mostly used as a substitute, had not scored all season until midweek in the FA Cup but coolly beat Rovers keeper Luke McGee to earn Walsall a third straight win in all competitions.
The 34-year-old has endured an injury-plagued time at Walsall since joining in January but Sadler believes Saddlers fans are beginning to see the best of him.
“I tell you, people hate playing against him,” said Sadler. “Their centre-halves had had enough by the end.
“He is horrible to play against. I’m just glad he’s getting the rewards now. He’s been hindered by a few bits and pieces, it’s been a bit stop-start.
“He’s had loads of little things which have curtailed his momentum, he has had to battle through that and he has done it.
“I always knew – and will maintain – what a guy he is at this level and I won’t be persuaded otherwise because I know what he can do.
“He gives us a platform and when he is on it like that, he is a handful. He was brilliant.”
A second successive league win moved Walsall 12 points clear of the bottom two and just five points off the play-offs.
“It’s been a good week, we know that, it was a week we had to fight, scrap, give everything – we had to show a hell of lot of different sides to us,” Sadler added.
Rovers, meanwhile, stay 21st, six points above danger after their winless away run was stretched to 17 games.
They suffered a first defeat since Nigel Adkins was made permanent boss as Walsall keeper Jackson Smith foiled Kristian Dennis and Kieron Morris, who also missed two other big chances.
“The shape and gameplan was working great first half – we had four or five really good chances,” said Adkins.
“At half-time we could have been 4-0 up – you’ve got to take your chances.
“That was the first time for a long time that we’ve not scored but we’ve created again.
“We kept going and could have got something at the end – it’s disappointing we haven’t got at least a clean sheet, disappointing we haven’t got the three points.
“We are up against it but we are having a go – and I think that’s an important thing. Slowly but surely there is a consistency about ourselves and on another day we could have scored four or five goals today.
“There were a few oohs and ahhs today – ultimately we didn’t get the result but I’m certainly seeing a performance from players who are grafting, working hard.”
Szczesny made to wait for Barcelona debut
Barcelona's new goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny will not make his debut against Alaves on Sunday and will instead have to wait until after the international break.
The club signed the Pole as a free agent on Wednesday, with the goalkeeper reversing his decision to retire so he could come to the team's aid following Marc-Andre ter Stegen's season-ending injury.
Ter Stegen suffered a serious knee injury against Villarreal last month, and Inaki Pena has featured in the last three games for Barcelona, most recently keeping a clean sheet in their 5-0 win over Young Boys in the Champions League.
And it looks like Pena is set to start between the sticks against Alaves, too, with Hansi Flick confirming that Szczesny is not yet available for selection.
"Szczesny is in good shape and, with his experience, character and quality, I think he is the very best option for the club," Flick told reporters.
"It's very good to have him, he will help us a lot, but he is not with us against Alaves.
"I am sure after the international break Szczesny will be an option for us. For him also, to play for Barca will be great. We will see how he is doing in training. We have a lot of time."
The Catalan side have a tough run after the international break, hosting Bayern Munich in the Champions League three days before visiting Real Madrid in LaLiga on October 26.
They are in a strong position though, sitting top of the table heading into their match against Alaves, though did suffer their first loss of the domestic season against Osasuna last weekend in a 4-2 defeat.
With 25 goals to their name already, they have made their best scoring start to a single campaign since 2016-17 (26).
However, Flick admitted his decision to rest key starters had an impact in that loss, and accepted the players would not like his choices.
"It's normal to get angry, everyone wants to play more. Those changes had to be made. It's a decision that they have to accept, and they did," he added.
"Lamine Yamal [a 59th-minute substitute against Osasuna] complained that he wasn't receiving many balls, but now he can work on fixing that.
"We have to avoid the many mistakes we made at Osasuna. We need to have more control and possession. It is going to be a high-intensity game at Alaves."
Brentford defeat 'my worst game as a coach', says O'Neil
Gary O'Neil believes Wolves' 5-3 defeat against Brentford was his "worst game as a coach" as the visitors remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table.
Nathan Collins' second-minute header was cancelled out by Matheus Cunha soon after, only for in-form Bryan Mbeumo to put the Bees in front from the penalty spot.
Jorgen Strand Larsen levelled the game once again, but the hosts then raced into a 4-2 lead by the break thanks to efforts from Christian Norgaard and Ethan Pinnock.
The final two goals of an enthralling encounter came in the closing stages, with Fabio Carvalho scoring Brentford's fifth before Rayan Ait-Nouri netted a late consolation.
Wolves are now winless in their first seven games of the 2024-25 Premier League season (D1 L6), their worst run at the start of a top-flight campaign since 2003-04, when they also went without a win in their first seven (D2 L5).
They have also managed just one win in their last 17 league matches, but it was the manner in which his team collapsed that left O'Neil feeling downcast.
"It's the furthest I've seen the group from what we wanted to look like. An unbelievably disappointing afternoon for us. Crazy, crazy goals we gave away," O'Neil said.
"There's a lot to think about and a lot to put right. We’ll get straight to work. Some players will be away [on international duty] but we need to find a way for the team to be better than this afternoon.
"Today was so loose. [We made] crazy decisions with and without the ball. It was a really poor performance.
"The responsibility is on me. Of course, the players are going to make decisions, but I need to give them something that makes them make better decisions than they made today, make fewer mistakes than we made today. It’s the worst game I’ve been involved in as a coach.
“I'll do the best I can with the group I have. The club do what they can do off the pitch. My responsibility is to find results. This league can be tough. There are no hiding places. We can do better than that."
For Thomas Frank and Brentford, they continued their impressive home form in the Premier League this term.
The Bees are now unbeaten in their first four home games of the 2024-25 Premier League season (W3 D1), their longest such run at the start of a top-flight campaign since 1936-37.
Saturday's triumph was also their first home league win against Wolves since a 3-0 win in the Championship back in February 2016.
They also netted four first-half goals for the second time in the Premier League following their 4-0 win over Manchester United back in August 2022.
Brentford continued their lightning starts to matches this campaign, with Collins' opener coming after a minute and 15 seconds, with the Bees falling agonisingly short of scoring inside the first minute for the fourth game running.
"We've been practising winning the coin toss all week, and we lost it. That’s why it took us so long [to score]," Frank joked.
"AIl jokes aside, we want to get forward as quickly as possible and put crosses into the box. After they made it 2-2, we scored 32 seconds after the kick-off.
"Offensively - wow! Unbelievable. We seemed to create a chance every time we went forward, and we were such a threat from set pieces.
"Defensively, I’m mostly angry about the first goal. The second one, we lost the ball - it was quite good play from them. For their third goal we could have done better.
"We gave less away compared to the West Ham game, but we still need to improve."
Everton 0-0 Newcastle United: Pickford penalty heroics deny Goodison old boy Gordon
Everton old boy Anthony Gordon saw a penalty saved on his return to Goodison Park as Newcastle United were held to a 0-0 draw on Saturday.
Gordon had been Newcastle's spot-kick hero a week earlier, winning and converting a penalty to earn a point against Manchester City, but his failure this time cost the Magpies.
After James Tarkowski's foolish foul on Sandro Tonali gave Gordon, who left Everton for Newcastle in January 2023, his opportunity from 12 yards, he could not find a way past England team-mate Jordan Pickford.
The save from Pickford was heartily celebrated by the Everton fans, though their fury was directed at referee Craig Pawson midway through the second half, when Dominic Calvert-Lewin felt he too should have had a penalty.
Idrissa Gueye missed a huge chance as part of that incident, before Gordon was wasteful again late on as both sides were forced to settle for a point.
It nudges Sean Dyche's side further clear of the relegation zone, while Newcastle can at least take solace in a place in the top six.
Data Debrief: Gordon's Goodison nightmare
Gordon was at the centre of attention right from the outset, jeered by the Everton fans and on the end of a number of heavy challenges from his former team-mates. He won four fouls, more than any other player on the pitch.
So the Newcastle winger was clearly determined to provide a response when the visitors were awarded a penalty, stepping up as he had against City but this time denied by Pickford. This was Pickford's first Premier League penalty save since May 2023, ending a run of eight consecutive concessions against a man he knows so well from both club and international duty.
Gordon should have done better late on, too. He had only two shots, but they were worth a combined 0.87 xG – more than Everton's total of 0.73.
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