All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Unfortunately for the Tottenham Hotspur faithful, last night was a return to what has become their new normal this season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side played host to Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest in the Premier League and found themselves two goals down within 20 minutes.

Now, Richarlison did manage to pull one back late on and, in all honesty, they created enough chances to turn the game around, but in the end, they fell to their 18th league defeat of the campaign and their eighth at home.

In all, it was just another disappointing night for the North Londoners, one in which most of the starters let themselves down, including one ace who should probably be dropped after yet another shocking showing.

Spurs' poor performers

So, before we get to the player in question, it seems only fair to go over some of the other Spurs players who let the manager and fans down last night, starting with Cristian Romero.

Player ratings via Sofascore

After his sensational showing against Eintracht Frankfurt last week, there was some hope that he’d carry that into the rest of his appearances this season, but it was very quickly evident that wasn’t going to be the case against Forest.

Not only did the World Cup winner look determined to get himself sent off, but he also lost track of Chris Wood for the striker’s headed goal, making the 4/10 match rating he received from Alasdair Gold more than fair, and his substitution at half-time the correct call.

However, the Argentine wasn’t the only dire defender, as it was also a first 45 to forget for the usually impressive Micky van de Ven.

Like his defensive partner, the Flying Dutchman came off second best for the Tricky Trees’ second goal as he lost the aerial duel with the free-scoring Kiwi and certainly warranted the 5/10 rating he received from Gold.

Minutes

45′

Expected Assists

0.01

Blocks

0

Tackles

0

Interceptions

1

Duels (Won)

4 (2)

Long Balls (Accurate)

2 (0)

However, as poor as the two centre-backs were, another member of the back five was even worse and should, therefore, probably be dropped ahead of the game against Liverpool on Sunday.

The Spurs star who should be axed

So, even though there were a number of other starters who also endured a torrid time last night, such as Richarlison, Dejan Kulusevski and Pape Matar Sarr, when it came down to it, the worst performer for the hosts was Guglielmo Vicario.

It really was a night to forget for the Italian shot-stopper, as he probably could have done better for Elliot Anderson’s opening strike and then definitely should have done far better for Wood’s header.

In fact, had the former Empoli star not come rushing off his line to fly into thin air, there is a real chance that he would have been able to either parry the ball out of danger or perhaps even hold onto it. Instead, he gave the in-form forward practically an open net at which to aim.

Unsurprisingly, Gold was left unimpressed and awarded the 28-year-old a 3/10 match rating, which was more than justified by his stats, as in 95 minutes of action he made a single save, prevented -0.60 goals, made one error leading to a goal, made just 18 passes and failed in 100% of his long balls.

Now, if this display was a one-off, then suggesting he be dropped ahead of the game on Sunday would be unjust, but it’s not the only time he’s failed to perform in recent weeks, as he put on yet another horror show away to Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month.

Minutes

95′

Saves

1

Goals Conceded

2

Goals Prevented

-0.60

Errors Leading to a Goal

1

Passes

18

Duels won

0

Long Balls (Accurate)

1 (0)

In fact, that match saw Gold justifiably award him a 2/10 match rating, as he also made an error that led directly to a shot and, on top of that, managed to prevent -1.05 goals.

Ultimately, Vicario might be a better keeper than Antonín Kinský, but at the moment, he is a liability, so Postecoglou should be bold and drop him from the starting lineup for the next game.

Otherwise, it could be a third shambolic league performance on the bounce for the “unbelievable” Italian ace, as the legendary Gianluigi Buffon once described him.

The best signing since Kulusevski: Spurs have hit gold on "ridiculous" star

He has been Tottenham Hotspur’s best signing since Dejan Kulusevski.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 21, 2025

Since taking the job as Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta has made his fair share of dire signings.

The likes of Pablo Mari, Willian, Marquinhos and Fabio Vieira are some examples of players who either failed to live up to expectations or were just poor when they played.

However, for all the bad, Arteta has also overseen plenty of sensational signings, with Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and David Raya and perhaps the best of the lot, Declan Rice, joining the club under his stewardship.

The former West Ham United captain has been sensational for the Gunners since his club-record move in the summer of 2023, and now it would probably be fair to say one of the manager’s signings from last summer has proven to be his best since the Englishman.

How Arsenal's summer signings are getting on

So, it would be fair to say that overall, the campaign has been a mixed one for the signings made last summer, so before we get to the player in question, it’s worth going over how the others have fared, starting with the worst of the lot: Raheem Sterling.

The Kingston-born star joined the club on a season-long loan deal on transfer deadline day, and while he told the fans they would “see the best” of him, the complete opposite has been true so far.

For example, in 24 appearances, the former Manchester City monster has scored just a single goal, which came against League One Bolton Wanderers, and provided five assists, meaning he’s averaging a goal involvement every four games.

Appearances

13

6

1

4

Minutes

352′

297′

80′

270′

Goals

0

0

0

1

Assists

2

2

0

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.15

0.33

0.00

0.50

Minutes per Goal Involvement

176′

148.5′

N/A

135′

It’s been a more positive year for fellow summer signing Riccardo Calafiori, who joined the club from Bologna for around £42m, as when he’s played, he’s looked good and has an impressive tally – for a defender – of three goals and two assists in 26 appearances so far.

However, there has been one significant problem, which is his fitness.

So far, the Roma-born international has missed a whopping 24 games for club and country thanks to three knee injuries, one muscle injury and one calf injury, allowing Myles Lewis-Skelly to come in and make the left-back position his own.

Aside from David Raya, who initially joined the club on loan in 2023, and Neto, who barely played, there was one more senior signing made in the summer, a signing that might be Arteta’s best since Rice.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Arsenal's best signing since Rice

So, with all the other signings from last summer covered above, it should be no surprise that Mikel Merino is the addition in question.

The Spanish international joined Arsenal for around £31.6m in late August after what felt like a particularly protracted transfer saga, but things did not start out well.

In cosmically poor luck, the European champion fractured his shoulder in his first training session with the club and remained out of action until the Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain on the first of October.

Unfortunately, his luck didn’t improve much over the coming months as he struggled to assert himself in the team and, as a result, found himself constantly in and out of the starting lineup, which understandably made it hard for him to establish any sort of rhythm or consistency.

However, things took a turn for the unexpected in February, as injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus left the Gunners without a recognized number nine, so after a rather paltry first 70 minutes of goalless action away to Leicester City, the Spaniard was thrown on to lead the line.

Somehow, even though he had admitted to never playing there before, the former Real Sociedad ace looked right at home, scoring a brilliant header and then slotting home another to secure the North Londoners all three points.

Since then, the 28-year-old “mentality monster,” as dubbed by podcaster Matt Kendala, has scored another four goals to add to his two assists, and following his exceptional strike against Real Madrid, it’s hard to imagine that the club are still officially without a fit centre-forward in the team.

The Pamplona-born game-changer has been hearing his song sung by the fans more and more in recent weeks, and if he keeps on producing in the way he is, Kendala’s claim that he’s “approaching cult status” will undoubtedly be proven correct.

Ultimately, while he’s not on the same level as the Englishman, it would be hard to deny that, thanks to his performances of late, Merino is unquestionably Arteta’s best signing since Rice in 2023.

He's like Saka & Yamal: Arsenal in talks to sign "world-class" £39m star

The incredible winger would bring so much experience and quality to Arsenal’s squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 15, 2025

Only the most unbelievable of relegation escapes would suffice if Ipswich Town are to survive in the Premier League past this season, with the Tractor Boys now looking dead set on an instant return to the Championship.

A mammoth 12 points now separates the Suffolk strugglers from 17th placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, who managed to sneak away from the relegation zone even further when beating Kieran McKenna’s lowly men 2-1 last time out.

The 10 best relegation escapes in Premier League history

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ByStephan Georgiou Apr 3, 2025

Despite all the obvious negativity that’s hanging in the air at Portman Road, there have been some positive performers during Ipswich’s fleeting top-flight voyage, with left-back star Leif Davis managing to stand out.

Davis' Premier League heroics

The ex-Leeds United defender would have entered into the promised land of the Premier League eager to prove himself, having torn the EFL to shreds with sensational attacking displays season after season.

After all, during his side’s automatic promotion heroics up to the top division, Davis would amass a staggering 21 assists and two goals from 43 clashes, meaning he could potentially take the next step-up in his stride.

Whilst his numbers haven’t quite been as jaw-dropping in the elite league, Davis has shown bursts of his sublime quality in his new and tricky surroundings, with this well-executed volley pulled off against Leicester City one of four goal contributions he’s managed to tally up in the league for his relegation-doomed outfit.

There could well be some parties sniffing around for the Newcastle-born full-back’s services come this summer, therefore, with reports even wildly suggesting that Juventus are taking a look at the assist machine as a fresh option down the left.

Sinking back down to the second tier will bring about waves of uncertainty, but McKenna doesn’t need to be overly worried about what happens down the left-flank next campaign, with a new Davis-style defender already emerging at Portman Road.

McKenna's next Davis in the making

Even with a bruising relegation looking likely to take place, Ipswich should be well equipped enough to mount an instant promotion charge based on the talent at McKenna’s disposal.

That should be the case even if Davis does depart, with former West Bromwich Albion man Conor Townsend already proving to Tractor Boys supporters that he can be equally sharp in the attacking areas when assisting Liam Delap for this breakaway strike away at AFC Bournemouth.

Whilst he isn’t a spring chicken anymore at 32 years of age, the reserve full-back has still managed to fill in competently in Davis’ absence over the last couple of top-flight encounters, with six duels also successfully won against the Old Gold despite the crushing final scoreline.

Moving away from his top-flight output, however, and Townsend could be the real deal for McKenna’s men back down in the Championship, with the Ipswich number 22 a consistent top performer for the Baggies when last strutting his stuff at the level.

23/24

46

0

5

22/23

48

3

3

21/22

44

0

2

20/21

27

0

2

19/20

30

1

1

18/19

18

0

2

Always consistently available for selection at the Hawthorns, Townsend would bow out of his time in the West Midlands with 15 assists next to his name from 213 games.

Coming close to promotion last time out in the division with the Baggies too, the 32-year-old will be raring to succeed with the Tractor Boys if selected more regularly down a league, with the potential there for the £15k-per-week defender to pick up even more goals and assists surrounding by some exceptional personnel for the EFL.

Indeed, even Davis himself has admitted that Townsend has been keeping him on his toes of late, after branding the experienced full-back as an “incredible player”, with an “incredible left foot”. That has since been followed by further praise from Dara O’Shea, who highlighted the veteran’s “amazing” recent displays down the left flank.

Already heralded as being an “important” figure by his manager when initially signing in gifting Ipswich more depth, this importance to the cause could shine through even more if he’s handed the first-team reins after Davis ups and leaves.

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Kieran McKenna could get more out of this Ipswich Town ace in the Championship.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 7, 2025

The final chunk of international action is winding down for the year, and that means Liverpool fans can get ready to see Arne Slot’s side back in action.

There is an air of uncertainty about the Reds at the moment. After all, they were thrashed out of the Etihad Stadium nearly two weeks ago, having put Real Madrid to the sword in the Champions League days before.

But we must look at the wider trend, and we must accept that Slot’s squad have lost five of their past six matches in the Premier League, and that has eliminated any hopes of retaining that hard-won title for the time being.

The season is still young, but whatever happens over the coming months, FSG will have accepted that a few deeper problems need to be solved.

Take, for example, Virgil van Dijk’s announcement that the 2026 World Cup will be his last for Oranje. That underlines the 34-year-old’s ageing legs, and his acceptance that soon – not yet, but soon – he will wind down.

And the same could be said of Mohamed Salah, who has not been himself this season. FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes are aware that Salah, 33, might be nearing the end at Anfield.

Liverpool begin search for Salah successor

Liverpool’s search for a Salah successor is tentative and new at this stage. The Egyptian star earns £400k per week on Merseyside after renewing his soon-to-expire contract in April, keeping him at the club until the end of next season.

After such staggering success last year, Salah’s drop-off in form has been painful to see, though circumstances have played a part, and the prolific winger is sure to rediscover his shooting boots at some point.

Goals scored

0.77

0.37

Assists

0.48

0.18

Shots taken

3.23

2.29

Shot-creating actions

4.51

3.11

Touches (att pen)

9.50

5.68

Pass completion (%)

70.6

68.7

Progressive passes

3.84

3.66

Progressive carries

4.14

3.66

Successful take-ons

1.55

0.64

Ball recoveries

2.70

2.84

Tackles won

0.29

0.18

But Liverpool do need to start drawing up plans, and Spanish sources suggest this is already in the running, with Hughes preparing a

€100m (equating to £88m) offer for Barcelona superstar Raphinha.

The Brazil international is a wanted man after his sensational 2024/25 campaign, with Atletico Madrid also keen.

However, Liverpool have more financial might and La Blaugrana’s interminable money worries could see a deal completed in 2026.

Why Liverpool want Raphinha

Raphinha, 28, is not a young, up-and-coming talent who can be shaped into a superstar over the next several years.

That’s because he’s already among football’s top brass, hailed as “the best player in the world” by Statman Dave for his herculean efforts in last year’s Champions League.

Last year, the former Leeds United ace produced Salah-esque numbers for Hansi Flick’s La Liga champions. He scored 34 goals and provided 26 assists across all competitions, and that haul saw him eclipse everyone else across Europe’s top five leagues in all competitions. No small feat that, especially when considering the season Liverpool’s talisman had.

Raphinha

57

34 + 26

Mohamed Salah

72

34 + 23

Harry Kane

46

38 + 13

Ousmane Dembele

49

33 + 15

Kylian Mbappe

55

42 + 4

He hasn’t quite hit the same awe-inspiring heights so far this season, but Raphinha has still made a commendable start to the campaign, notching five direct involvements from six league games.

A ready-made talent, Raphinha could prove the perfect replacement to Luis Diaz in Slot’s Liverpool, who was, of course, sold to Bayern Munich this summer for £66.5m.

Diaz, also 28, has been riding the crest of a gigantic wave in Germany this season, with six goals and four assists to his name in the Bundesliga, just nine games played, as well as three strikes from four in the Champions League. His all-round play has been spectacular, his impact sending tremors across Germany.

Away from the more emphatic side of his game, Diaz’s combative side has been sorely missed this term at Liverpool. Last season in the Premier League, he averaged more than one tackle per fixture. Moreover, journalist Neil Docking hailed him as “strong and a fighter” upon the announcement of his departure.

There is also the small matter of Raphinha’s Premier League experience. The Brazilian’s years at Elland Road fashioned in him a physicality and determination that are necessary for success in England. The struggle of Florian Wirtz in a Liverpool shirt underlines the difficulties of integration from overseas.

But, most crucially of all, Raphinha is a player whose skillset aligns with Liverpool’s former wideman. FBref’s data reveals that the Barca man ranks among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe over the past year for goals and assists combined, and then the top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90 too.

This has seen Diaz recorded as one of his most comparable players. Diaz is incredibly prolific in front of goal, and like Raphinha, he observed his fleet-footed quality, not running about with the same intensity and frequency as someone like Jeremy Doku, but instead being economical in his advancements.

Liverpool need something different in attack, and with Salah winding down, Wirtz struggling to make his mark at this stage, and Diaz now plying his craft elsewhere, the dynamic and versatile Raphinha would be a stunning addition. If Liverpool can capitalise on Barcelona’s financial plight, they must do so.

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Liverpool made a bigger mistake than offloading Jarell Quansah when they got rid of their own Ryan Gravenberch for just £15m.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 20, 2025

Wolverhampton Wanderers fans would have been largely encouraged by their side’s first 45 minutes post-Vitor Pereira, as the Old Gold were holding Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea to a tense 0-0 stalemate.

However, after Malo Gusto opened the scoring for the Blues early into the second half, it ended up being one-way traffic as the West Londoners picked up their sixth Premier League win of the season, which, in turn, consigned the lowly visitors to their depressing ninth defeat of the campaign.

Journalist Nathan Judah stated at the final whistle that the West Midlands outfit are “destined” to be in the Championship next season, and it’s hard to dispute this claim, with Wolves still stuck at the bottom of the unforgiving division on just two points.

It will be up to Rob Edwards to somehow steer the sinking ship back on course, with their replacement for Pereira ditching the luxuries of being in a promotion race in the EFL with Middlesbrough, for an intense relegation dog-fight in the top-flight.

Interim manager James Collins did state that he thinks Wolves can stay up, despite their pitiful start, after the dust had settled on the 3-0 defeat, as Edwards assesses what players he will stick by and what players he will ditch after the Saturday night loss.

Edwards' immediate selection dilemmas at Wolves

Watching the Chelsea defeat in great detail, the former Luton Town manager will surely stick with Sam Johnstone in between the sticks.

Without Johnstone in goal, Wolves would have been on the receiving end of a far worse battering, with five saves in total picked up by the ex-West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper. He had become Pereira’s first choice over Jose Sa, and that looks unlikely to change.

Hwang Hee-Chan might find his starting spot is on shaky ground, though. He didn’t register a single shot on Robert Sanchez’s goal, with Edwards hoping that his strike partner on the day, Jorgen Strand Larsen, finds his goalscoring mojo again when he enters the Molineux dug-out, as another goalless display passed him by.

While the forward line desperately needs to improve, something needs to drastically change with the backline in front of Johnstone, with Wolves now conceding a horrific 25 goals after the Chelsea defeat, making them the leakiest team in the entire division.

In particular, this ropey Old Gold defender could already be on borrowed time heading into the brand-new Edwards’ era, even with previous shouts from Gary O’Neil, stating he is an “incredible” talent to work with.

Wolves defender is on borrowed time under Edwards

O’Neil was chosen as the first immediate name to replace Pereira, only for advanced talks to go awry last minute.

No doubt, if his return to the Molineux hot-seat did come true, he would have stuck by Toti Gomes, based on his prior adoration, with the Portuguese centre-back also shining under Pereira’s reign in flashes.

During the early days of Pereira’s stint, as Wolves-based content creator Ryan Leister put it, the Old Gold were a far “better side” with him placed in the starting XI.

Indeed, this is backed up by some mightily impressive numbers, with Gomes winning a commanding 18 duels at the end of December last year against Leicester City and Manchester United to secure Pereira his first two league victories in the West Midlands.

In the here and now, however, Gomes looks a shadow of his former self, as the £25k-per-week defender let Gusto have all the time in the world to head the Blues into a one-goal lead, among other shoddy moments from his lacklustre day at the office, which also saw him win no tackles or aerial duels.

Games played

30

8

Goals scored

0

0

Assists

1

0

Touches*

68.1

53.6

Accurate passes*

46.5 (87%)

37.6 (87%)

Tackles*

2.0

1.0

Ball recoveries*

3.7

3.3

Clearances*

4.7

2.6

Total duels won*

4.8

3.0

Clean sheets

8

0

With Edwards priding himself on making his former Luton side more “difficult” to break down – as Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta put it – he is likely to want to axe Gomes based on his porous performances so far this season, regardless of his impressive showings under previous regimes, and when Pereira was at his peak in the Molineux dug-out.

Of course, that isn’t to say Gomes will be completely written off, as Edwards attempts to get a tune out of those who are visibly faltering and can do better.

But, it might be beneficial for the underperforming number 24 to be removed from the starting XIs initially when Edwards enters the building, as the 42-year-old attempts to inject some much-needed fight into his downtrodden troops.

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ByEmilio Galantini Nov 8, 2025