Lee Carsley made a winning start to his England tenure with a comfortable 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League, helped by two players who previously represented the hosts.

Both goals came in the first half on Saturday, with Declan Rice's powerful finish followed up by Jack Grealish's sweeping effort to hand England their first win in Dublin in over 60 years.

Jayson Molumby's early chance offered the visitors a warning, but Harry Kane headed over as Carsley's team swiftly took control.

The England captain, now one shy of his 100th Three Lions cap, was denied by Caoimhin Kelleher moments later inside the box after a fast break from an Ireland free-kick. 

But England had the lead after 11 minutes. Having made three senior appearances for Ireland, Rice pledged his international future to the Three Lions in 2019, and it was the Arsenal midfielder who opened the scoring with an emphatic finish into the roof of the net.

Rice turned provider for another who switched their international allegiance, as Grealish rounded off a fine move to double England's advantage 15 minutes later.

Ireland improved after the interval, though rarely came close to truly testing Jordan Pickford.

Bukayo Saka went close to adding further gloss to an impressive display in added time, only to see his effort repelled by Kelleher with substitute Eberechi Eze firing over on the rebound. 

Data Debrief: Rice and Grealish haunt Ireland

In a game where all the focus was placed on former Ireland international Carsley, it would be two of the Republic's former hopes that stole the headlines in Dublin. 

Rice's goal at the Aviva Stadium came six years and 97 days after making his only previous appearance there for Ireland against the United States in June 2018.

He completed 88 of his 93 passes and ended with an accuracy rate of 94.6%, a total only bettered by Pickford (96.3%) of those that started the game.

Grealish, meanwhile, netted his third goal for England, and his first as a starter. While he was on the pitch, no England player won more fouls (four) or created more chances (two) than him.

Sri Lanka duo Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis frustrated England's bowling attack to ensure the tourists finished day two of the final Test on 211-5.

England resumed on 221-3 after bad light limited Friday's play, with Ollie Pope having reached his seventh Test century shortly before stumps.

The hosts enjoyed a major reprieve early in the morning session, with Harry Brook inexplicably dropped on 12 by Asitha Fernando after skewing Milan Rathnayake's ball horribly.

Brook's luck soon ran out as Kamindu took a stunning catch off his drive, but Pope was more fortunate to survive an lbw review after appearing to have been trapped for 139 by Vishwa Fernando's delivery.

Pope made it to 154 before being caught in the deep by Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka's second wicket in three balls, as they went on to make light work of the England tail. 

Olly Stone was the pick of England's bowlers, taking 2-28 after first running out Sri Lanka opener Dimuth Karunaratne, while Chris Woakes dismissed Kusal Mendis before debutant Josh Hull took his first Test wicket, ending Pathum Nissanka's brilliant knock of 64, with Woakes taking a fantastic catch at cover.

Yet Hull dropped a gilt-edged chance to send Dhananjaya packing, and the Sri Lanka captain took full advantage, moving onto 64, with Kamindu on 54 at the other end, by the time bad light stopped play with the tourists trailing by 114.

Data Debrief: Kamindu England's bogeyman

Kamindu's tally has come from just 70 deliveries, at a strike rate of 77.14. He has scored 70+ in two of his last three Test innings against England, and he is well on course to make that three from four.

England stuttered in the field after an excellent start to defending their lead, though the hosts should still be confident. After all, they are undefeated in their last eight Tests at home (W7 D1).

Harry Kane is drawing inspiration from the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as he prepares to lead England into a new era.

Kane has captained England to two European Championship finals only to finish on the losing side on both occasions, versus Italy in a penalty shoot-out at Euro 2020 and against Spain earlier this year.

The Bayern Munich striker failed to hit top form at Euro 2024 in Germany and was substituted early in both the final and in a 2-1 semi-final victory over the Netherlands.

Kane scored twice from open play at the tournament – in a group-stage draw with Denmark and an extra-time victory over Slovakia in the last 16 – but was criticised for a series of lethargic displays. 

However, the 31-year-old remains committed to the Three Lions as they enter the post-Gareth Southgate era and hopes to continue representing his country for many more years.

"It's tough whenever you get so close to reaching one of the pinnacles of your career and it's taken away," Kane told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It makes me even more motivated. It puts the fire in the belly to try and get there. Our task is to get better.

"I think when you look at players like Ronaldo, [Luka] Modric and Messi, all these players who are playing in their mid to late 30s, that's the inspiration for me because it shows that you can really play at a high level for a long time.

"I want to play football for as long as possible and at the highest level for as long as possible. I use those players for motivation and inspiration to be able to do that.

"I feel I am in a really good place both mentally and physically to have another great season, hopefully that continues for many years to come."

England face the Republic of Ireland in their first game since Southgate's departure on Saturday, with former under-21 boss Lee Carsley in interim charge.

Kane admits it was strange to return to the Three Lions camp without their long-serving former boss, under whom he netted 61 goals, the most ever scored by any England player under a single manager. 

"It felt a little bit strange when we first came into camp," Kane said. "The boss has his own ideas and identity. 

"We did a lot of good things with Gareth but ultimately the new coach has fresh ideas. It's been good. There are a lot of young players excited to be here and express themselves."

Ben Duckett hailed Ollie Pope's resilience after the stand-in England captain shook off his poor form to hit his seventh Test century in the third Test versus Sri Lanka.

Bad light limited play on day one of the final test at The Oval on Friday, but Pope made good on the time allowed to smash 103 runs off as many deliveries.

Standing in to lead the team with Ben Stokes out injured, Pope had failed to make more than 17 runs in any of his first four innings in the series, being limited to single figures on three occasions.

Friday's ton, though, was his third in Tests this year, after knocks of 121 versus West Indies in July and 196 in India in January. Only eight England batters have accomplished that feat, and Pope is the first to do so since Gary Ballance in 2014.

He is also the first batter in history to hit his first seven Test tons against seven different opponents, in Sri Lanka, West Indies, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Pakistan.

Duckett, who himself fell short of his fourth red-ball century as he went for 86 runs off 79 balls, was delighted to see Pope quieten the doubters.

"Everyone is so happy for anyone's success in this dressing room, it's an incredible place to be," Duckett told Sky Sports.

"There was a lot of noise around Ollie. There shouldn't be but there has been and I know what it’s like at the top of the order and he's had a far better summer than I have.

"To block that out and score an incredible 100 was so good, you could see that from his emotions. We’re all extremely happy for him.

"People are paid to give their opinion, which is completely fair enough and I saw Pope say that last week.

"To go two games without a big score is not a long time and facing the new ball in England, I know how tricky it can be. For Pope to go out there and express himself at a ground that he loves, it's just credit to him."

Unbeaten on 103, Pope will return to the crease alongside Harry Brook (8) on Saturday, with England 221-3 as they chase a series whitewash.

Stand-in captain Ollie Pope put his recent woes behind him with a magnificent century as England cruised to 221-3 on day one of the third Test versus Sri Lanka at The Oval.

Pope had overseen back-to-back victories at Old Trafford and Lord's in Ben Stokes' absence but had struggled with his own form, failing to score more than 17 runs in any of his four innings in the series to date.

Things turned around for him on Friday, though, as he helped the hosts build a handsome lead with six wickets still in hand ahead of day two.

England were initially frustrated by bad light during the morning session, with a delay of almost three hours ensuing after Ben Duckett helped the hosts to 80-1 following the early loss of Dan Lawrence (5).

Duckett counted nine fours and two sixes among his 86 runs off 79 balls before he scooped Milan Rathnayake's slow delivery into the waiting hands of Dinesh Chandimal.

Joe Root then struggled to match Duckett's pace and he walked for 13 off 48 balls when he sliced Lahiru Kumara's delivery straight to Asitha Fernando in the deep.

However, Pope took the reins from there and put his poor recent form behind him with a speedy ton off 102 balls, with bad light stopping play for the final time immediately after he brought up three figures with a four, much to the frustration of the home fans.

Pope (102 not out) and Harry Brook (8 not out) will resume at the crease on Saturday, as England target a 3-0 series whitewash and a perfect Test summer.

Data Debrief: Pope's redemption

Figures of 6, 6, 17 and 1 through his four innings with the bat had somewhat sullied Pope's experience of captaining England in this series, but the stand-in skipper had a far more positive experience on Friday.

He put recent criticism of his performances to one side with an assured knock, hitting 13 fours and two maximums to ensure England made the most of limited play.

It is his seventh Test century overall, and his third of 2024 after knocks of 121 versus West Indies in July and 196 in India in January. Only eight England batters have accomplished that feat, and Pope is the first to do so since Gary Ballance in 2014.

England will play their first match without Gareth Southgate in the dugout when they take on the Republic of Ireland.

Southgate quit his post in the wake of England's 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024 in July.

That ended a hugely successful eight-year stint for Southgate when it came to turning around the fortunes of the Three Lions, and restoring England's pride in the national team.

Yet for all the promise and potential, England could not get over the line when it truly mattered, falling short in two Euros finals, and a World Cup semi-final.

England had endured a miserable Nations League campaign before their exploits in Germany, and in hindsight, it showed that perhaps Southgate's magic was wearing off.

Now in League B, having been relegated from League A, England's first match after Southgate sees them face an old rival, as former Ireland international Lee Carsley aims to prove his credentials to the Football Association (FA).

Having won last year's Under-21 Euros, Carsley will surely be hoping he can follow in Southgate's footsteps in transferring from the youth set up to the senior side.

Here, using Opta data, we delve into the key talking points ahead of Saturday's clash in Dublin.

What's expected?

It's always hard to fully gauge what a team will look like under a new manager, especially in international football. 

That being said, while we do not quite know what Carsley's England will look like, we can be sure that they are the favourites for this one, with Opta's supercomputer handing them a 70.4% win probability.

Ireland, on the other hand, have been given just a 13.2% win likelihood, while the threat of a draw is 16.5%.

This is England's first game without Southgate in charge since a 1-0 win over Slovakia in September 2016 in Sam Allardyce's one and only game.

Including caretakers, only four managers have lost their first game in charge of the Three Lions: Alf Ramsey (2-5 vs France in 1963), Howard Wilkinson (0-2 vs France in 1999), Peter Taylor (0-1 vs Italy in 2000) and Stuart Pearce (2-3 vs Netherlands at the 2012 Olympics when coaching Team GB).

It is fair to say Carsley, who played 40 times for Ireland between 1997 and 2008, has history on his side. Will he continue those strong records?

New blood

Carsley, as expected, freshened up his squad with some new faces. Angel Gomes, Morgan Gibbs-White, Tino Livramento and Noni Madueke all made the cut.

Gomes, Gibbs-White and Madueke made 50 appearances combined for Carsley in the U21s, so it is not a huge surprise to see the trio given a shot, while Livramento has usurped Kieran Trippier, who has now retired from international football, at Newcastle United this season.

At last year's U21 Euros, Carsley's team scored 11 goals in six games, outperforming their 8.5 expected goals (xG) and, despite not dominating possession, averaging 56.4%, they scored the most build-up goals at the tournament (seven) - a build-up goal is an open play sequence that features 10+ passes and ends in a goal.

Given England performed so poorly, relative to the quality at their disposal, in attack at Euro 2024, perhaps Carsley's approach can help get the best out of that star-studded frontline, albeit Phil Foden, Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer have all withdrawn from the squad.

Indeed, England have scored just 13 goals in 11 games in 2024, having netted 26 in 10 games in 2023. Their 2024 average of 1.2 goals per game is their lowest in a year since 2000 (exactly one per game, 11 goals in 11 games), so Carsley has a relatively low bar to improve on.

What about the defence, though? Southgate was a pragmatic manager, and in fairness, England only allowed 7.3 xG against through their seven matches at Euro 2024.

However, they have shipped the opening goal in each of their last four matches, all in the knockout stages in Germany (W2 D1 L1). The Three Lions have not conceded the opener in five games in a row since between November 1953 and June 1954.

And going back to that U21 Euros, Carsley's side did not concede a single goal, albeit the xGA metric suggests they should have conceded at least seven.

While the fresh faces in England's squad will be looking to stake a claim, Jack Grealish has been handed a reprieve after missing out on Euro 2024. And, right at the top of the pitch, there is the experience and world-class finishing ability of Harry Kane, who is closing in on his 100th cap - should he play in Dublin, that will be appearance number 99 for his country.

Ireland's new era

It is not just Carsley that is making his bow in the dugout on Saturday. Heimir Hallgrimsson is Ireland's new boss, with the former Jamaica and Iceland coach having been appointed earlier in the summer.

Hallgrimsson has previous with England, of course. He was in joint charge of Iceland when they knocked Roy Hodgson's Three Lions out of Euro 2016.

The only manager to defeat England with two different nations is Bora Milutinovic, in 1985 with Mexico and in 1993 with the United States.

And what better way to start a new era than a big win over a big rival?

This is the first time Ireland will host England since a goalless draw in a friendly in June 2015. In a competitive match, it is the first time since a November 1990 European Championship qualifier, drawn 1-1 with Tony Cascarino cancelling out David Platt's opener for the Three Lions.

England also won their last meeting with Ireland in November 2020 – they have not won consecutive games against them since doing so with wins in 1980 and 1985.

Ireland last beat England in 1995, though the sides have only met each other three times since, with two draws and one win for England: that 3-0 triumph in 2020.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Republic of Ireland - Evan Ferguson

Ferguson could not quite get going last season after a bright start for Brighton, but he is still one of the Premier League's most exciting youngsters.

The striker is Ireland's big hope going forward and will be out to make his mark against one of the best teams in the world.

England - Harry Kane

Kane ranks 10th on the all-time list of England caps and has made 85 starts, playing 7,616 minutes, directly contributing to 83 goals (66 goals – an England record – and 17 assists). He averages 0.78 goals per 90, and 0.98 goal contributions per 90.

Indeed, Kane averages a goal every 115 minutes for his country, and he will surely be the key man for Carsley as the interim manager looks to capitalise on this audition.

Kyle Walker believes Lee Carsley made "the right call" leaving him out of England's party for their upcoming Nations League matches.

Carsley named his first England squad last week, with Walker one of the notable absences after being a pivotal figure under Gareth Southgate.

The right-back made 70 appearances under the previous manager, starting 64 of those, and featured in all seven of England's games at Euro 2024 as they reached the final.

However, since returning to Manchester City after an extended break, Walker has played just two minutes in the Premier League, coming off the bench in their 3-1 win over West Ham last weekend.

Walker admitted that while he was unhappy to be left out of the fold, he understood why he was not given a place.

"I'm disappointed," Walker said on his BBC podcast. "You have to accept it and just try to prove them wrong.

"With a new manager, you are always expecting a few changes. I'm disappointed because to represent your country is always the highest thing.

"But I haven't played any minutes this season, so you have to take it on the chin. I've not performed at any level since coming back from the [Euros], so I think it's the right call from him."

England start their Nations League campaign against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday before hosting Finland on Tuesday.

Brendon McCullum retains full confidence in Jos Buttler as England's white-ball captain, describing him as his country's best-ever limited-overs cricketer.

McCullum has won plenty of admirers for his aggressive approach to Test cricket in just over two years in charge of England's red-ball side, and earlier this week his remit was expanded to include coaching the ODI and T20I teams until 2027.

The move comes after Matthew Mott quit in the wake of England's semi-final exit at June's T20 World Cup, while they also surrendered their 50-over crown in meek fashion at the 2023 World Cup in India, losing six of their nine games.

While those disappointing tournament performances saw Buttler's leadership placed under the microscope, McCullum is confident he remains the right man to lead the team.

One of the New Zealander's main aims upon taking his new role, which he will formally start in January, is to get Buttler enjoying his cricket again.

"I am very confident in Buttler as captain," he said at a press conference at The Oval. "What I want from Jos is for him to enjoy the next few years.

"If he retired tomorrow, he would probably go down as the greatest white-ball player England have produced so there is a chance, for however long he plays, to not protect anything and play with a smile on his face. 

"My job is to push him towards that. He has been a little bit miserable at times, he is not naturally as expressive as some, but he has done a great job.

"He has won a World Cup as captain and been part of World Cup-winning teams previously. He is a gifted player and a fine leader."

Buttler has been ruled out of England's upcoming three-match T20I series against Australia with a calf injury and could also miss the five ODIs that follow. 

McCullum's ultra-attacking approach to Test cricket coaching has been dubbed "Bazball", with England winning 19 of 28 Tests under him and averaging 4.57 runs per over, compared to 3.09 in their 29 Tests immediately prior to his appointment.

He intends to bring a similar fearlessness to the white-ball game, saying: "I will bring the positivity and style I like to operate with across all formats and I think it will give us a good chance of being successful.

"The white-ball side has been through a dynasty. They have won World Cups and some once-in-a-generation players have come through at the same time. Now a natural regeneration is required and that's the bit that excites me."

McCullum added he sought the approval of Test skipper Ben Stokes before committing to the new role, and he hopes Stokes could yet be persuaded to return to limited-overs cricket, having prioritised the longer format during an injury-hit spell.

"In terms of white-ball, why not? We will see where he sits. He loves big moments and big stages but our players can't play everything," McCullum said of Stokes.

"There will be some bilateral series where we can't have all our best players at the same time but when it comes to major events and big series, those players are very much in discussions."

England captain Jos Buttler will miss the three-match T20 series against Australia due to a calf problem.

Buttler has not played since the T20 World Cup semi-final defeat to India on June 27, sustaining the injury in training for The Hundred, forcing him to sit out of the entire competition.

He was due to be back for England's T20I series but has suffered a setback, which also makes him a doubt for the five one-day internationals that follow.

Phil Salt will lead the side for the first time in Buttler's absence, with Surrey all-rounder Jamie Overton called up to the squad as his replacement.

Should Buttler also miss the ODIs, which start on September 19, Harry Brook will be the stand-in captain, with Essex batter Jordan Cox added to the group as cover.

The T20I series is England's first white-ball assignment since the World Cup, with head coach Matthew Mott since leaving his role.

Marcus Trescothick will take charge of his first game on Wednesday as interim head coach, with Test coach Brendon McCullum set to take charge of the limited-overs sides in a combined role which will begin in January.

Alan Shearer believes Marcus Rashford should have left Manchester United if he wanted to reignite his England career.

Rashford enjoyed a stellar start to life under Erik ten Hag, netting 30 goals in all competitions during the Dutchman's first season in 2022-23.

However, he struggled to build on that momentum last campaign, scoring just eight goals and registering six assists in 43 appearances across all competitions, resulting in him being left out of Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad.

So far this season, he has played in all four of United's matches but has failed to get a goal involvement so far, having had no shots and creating just three chances, meaning he has been unable to force himself into Lee Carsley's first Three Lions squad.

And former England forward Shearer believes a change in club may have been the spark Rashford needed to get back to his best form.

"In his current form, I don't see Marcus Rashford reviving his England career," Shearer told Betfair.

"I personally don't know his mentality, or what his approach is in terms of training, but there's only one way back, which is to train and have the right attitude.

"But looking from the outside, for me, he should have left Man United to reignite his career because he's gone very static for whatever reason, and it hasn't worked for him for a while now.

"Only Marcus can answer how much he wants to get back to scoring 30 goals a season."

Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has missed out on a nomination for this year's award, with Lamine Yamal, Rodri and six England internationals making the 30-man shortlist.

Jamaica and Manchester City striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has once again been included on the 30-player shortlist for the Women’s Ballon d’Or, which is considered the most prestigious individual award in world football.

Awarded by French magazine France Football, the winners in each category will be announced at a ceremony scheduled to take place at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris on October 28.

Though she didn’t match her 31 strikes from the 2022/23 campaign, Shaw enjoyed what could be described as her finest Barclay’s Women’s Super League (WSL) season to date last year, breaking individual, club, and league goal records.

The 27-year-old won the WSL Golden Boot with 21 goals in just 18 appearances and also became Manchester City’s record goalscorer when she netted against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium in March 2024.

With an impressive turn of pace, remarkable aerial ability, and a clinical finish, Shaw was often the driving force behind City’s attack and was once again named in the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) WSL Team of the Year for 2023/24.

To add to that list, the towering striker, who had her 2023/24 season cut short due to a broken foot, also claimed individual awards in the form of the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) Women’s Footballer of the Year.

Shaw is one of three players from Gareth Taylor’s Manchester City nominated for the prestigious award, with Yui Hasegawa and Lauren Hemp being the others.

The list also includes last year’s winner, Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona.

Full Women’s Ballon d’Or shortlist

Barbra Banda - Shanghai RCB/Orlando Pride

Aitana Bonmati - Barcelona

Lucy Bronze - Barcelona/Chelsea

Mariona Caldentey - Barcelona/Arsenal

Tabitha Chawinga - PSG

Grace Geyoro - PSG

Manuela Giugliano – Roma

Patricia Guijarro - Barcelona

Caroline Graham Hansen - Barcelona

Guilia Gwinn - Bayern Munich

Yui Hasegawa – Manchester City

Ada Hegerberg - Lyon

Lauren Hemp – Manchester City

Lindsey Horan - Lyon

Lauren James - Chelsea

Marie-Antoinette Katoto - PSG

Alyssa Naeher - Chicago Red Stars

Sjoeke Nusken - Chelsea

Ewa Pajor - Wolfsburg/Barcelona

Salma Paralluelo - Barcelona

Gabi Portilho - Corinthians

Alex Putellas - Barcelona

Mayra Ramirez - Chelsea

Trinity Rodman - Washington Spirit

Lea Schuller - Bayern Munich

Khadija Shaw– Manchester City

Sophie Smith - Portland Thorns

Mallory Swanson - Chicago Red Stars

Tarciane - Houston Dash

Glodis Viggosdottir - Bayern Munich

England will hand a debut to bowler Josh Hull for their third Test against Sri Lanka.

Hull, who was in the squad for the second Test at Lord's, has been included in the team for the final match at The Oval.

The 20-year-old left-arm seamer has replaced Matthew Potts.

England are 2-0 up in the series, having won by five wickets at Old Trafford before triumphing by 190 runs at Lord's.

Jack Grealish can expect a frosty reception should he feature for England against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, so says Callum Robinson.

Grealish, who was omitted from England's Euro 2024 squad, has returned to the Three Lions fold under interim manager Lee Carsley.

And with Manchester City team-mate Phil Foden having withdrawn from the squad due to illness, it seems likely Grealish could start on the left for England against Ireland in Saturday's Nations League clash in Dublin.

Grealish, who has Irish grandparents, represented Ireland at underage level before switching allegiance to England in 2015.

And Ireland striker Robinson, who played alongside Grealish at Aston Villa, would not be surprised if jeers from the Irish crowd were directed at the 28-year-old.

"I'd be surprised if he doesn't because I think he gets booed anywhere he goes anyway – even in England," said Robinson, who himself switched allegiance from England to Ireland.

"I think he'll be getting ready for a bit of abuse but that's part of it, it's part of the game. He's old enough and with being a senior player now, that stuff's going to come.

"As I said, he gets it in English games [in the Premier League], I don't think there will be any change on Saturday, I think he will be getting it."

Ireland are set to host England for the first time since a goalless draw in a friendly in June 2015.

In a competitive match, this is the first time England have played in Ireland since a November 1990 Euros qualifier, which finished 1-1.

England won their last meeting with Ireland in November 2020 – the Three Lions have not won consecutive games against them since doing so with wins in 1980 and 1985.

England have confirmed that Chelsea attacker Cole Palmer has withdrawn from their squad for the Three Lions' upcoming Nations League fixtures. 

Palmer, along with Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, were named in interim head coach Lee Carsley's first Three Lions squad but have since returned to their clubs. 

Manchester City's Phil Foden will also play no part in their matches against the Republic of Ireland and Finland after not reporting with illness. 

It serves as a significant blow for Carsley in his audition for the England role on a full-time basis, with Palmer a player the 50-year-old knows well from his time in charge of the Under-21's. 

Palmer was part of Carsley's European Under-21 Championship winning side last year, netting once in their semi-final victory over Israel. 

Of those included in the recent Nations League squad, only Anthony Gordon (14), Morgan Gibbs-White (15), Angel Gomes (16) and Noni Maudeke (19) have made more appearances under Carsley than Palmer (13). 

Palmer has continued on from his sensational return last season into this, notching one goal and four assists in three Premier League games so far this season. 

He has also created 11 chances this season, a total only bettered by Dwight McNeil (13) and Andreas Pereira (14) in the top flight so far.