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Player Ratings and Match Highlights

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Sunderland defeated Newcastle United 1-0 in the Tyne-Wear derby on Sunday afternoon.

Although the atmosphere pre-match and during the match was absolutely electric and set up for a potential classic derby match, the first half was incredibly underwhelming. The hosts, Sunderland, enjoyed plenty of possession, but they were playing a pretty one-dimensional game, mainly just crossing balls into the box. The opening 45 minutes of the match saw just four shots on goal, with none of them being on target, which left plenty to improve on for both sides in the second half.

The first half came to a close with the sides level at 0-0.

Following an uneventful first half, the deadlock was broken just a minute into the second. It was Sunderland who took the lead, and it came with plenty of luck, but they will not care one bit. Nordi Mukiele whipped a fantastic cross into the box, and it was met by Newcastle’s striker, Nick Woltemade, but the big German didn’t head it away, he headed it into the back of his own net to gift Sunderland the lead in the Tyne-Wear derby.

After Woltemade’s own goal, Newcastle pushed and pushed to find an equaliser, but Sunderland’s defence remained incredibly hard to break down, and Regis Le Bris’ men saw the match out to win the Tyne-Wear derby 1-0.

Match Highlights

To follow soon…

Sunderland Player Ratings

Nordi Mukiele in action for Sunderland against Newcastle in the Premier League

GK: Robin Roefs – 8/10

Had just a few routine saves to make, but he was dominant when it came to claiming crosses and balls which came into his box.

RB: Nordi Mukiele – 8/10 (Man of the Match)

One of Sunderland’s best creative threats due to his excellent crosses into the box. The Frenchman’s excellent cross in the 46th minute was met by Woltemade, who converted the ball into his own net.

CB: Daniel Ballard – 7.5/10

Didn’t really have that much defending to do as Newcastle were pretty underwhelming and predictable going forward. Ballard stayed organised and disciplined, which made Sunderland incredibly hard to break down.

CB: Omar Alderete – 7.5/10

Like his centre-back partner, Ballard, Alderte didn’t have much defending to do during the match as Newcastle didn’t really create much, but he also managed to stay organised and disciplined.

LB: Reinildo Mandava – 7.5/10

Completely nullified Elanga’s threat going forward. Mandava defended aggressively and also had some positive moments offensively, where he would drive forward with the ball and get his side up the pitch.

CM: Granit Xhaka – 7.5/10

The experienced midfielder put in a very well-rounded performance on derby day. Xhaka was not only very tidy in possession of the ball, but he also worked incredibly hard and was defensively disciplined and organised.

CM: Noah Sadiki – 8/10

Like one of his partners in the midfield, Xhaka, Sadiki also worked incredibly hard, but definitely had the brighter moments in possession. The Congolese international had some great moments where he broke Newcastle’s press and effortlessly got his side up the pitch and into attacking areas.

CM: Enzo Le Fee – 7/10

Didn’t see as much of the ball as his fellow midfielders, but when he got on it, he made things happen. Le Fee put some good crosses into the box and showed plenty of quality on the ball going forward.

RW: Bertrand Traore – 6/10

Tried to make things happen down the wing pretty much every time he got on the ball. Although Traore played positively, he didn’t really produce anything in the final third for his side.

ST: Brian Brobbey – 6/10

Given pretty much zero service in front of goal, but was a real nuisance for the Newcastle defence to deal with throughout the match due to his physicality and ability to hold the ball up well.

LW: Chemsdine Talbi – 7.5/10

Got the better of Livramento in one-on-one situations. Talbi looked to make things happen every time he picked the ball up and showcased plenty of skill in the dribbling department.

SUB: Wilson Isidor – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB: Trai Hume – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

SUB: Romaine Mundle – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

Newcastle United Player Ratings

Aaron Ramsdale consoling Nick Woltemade after scoring an own goal

GK: Aaron Ramsdale – 6/10

Produced a decent save in the second half to deny Isidor. Outside of that, Ramsdale hardly had a thing to do, and he couldn’t have really done anything to stop Woltemade’s own goal either.

RB: Valentino Livramento – 5.5/10

Had a tough afternoon defending against an energetic and skilful winger in Talbi. Livramento saw quite a lot of the ball down the right flank, but never really made anything happen aside from putting in a few decent crosses.

CB: Malick Thiaw – 7.5/10

Excellent and pretty much flawless playing the ball out from the back. For the most part, Thiaw was also very good defensively, although Brobbey was quite hard for him to deal with at times.

CB: Daniel Burn – 6.5/10

Forced off in the first half after suffering a suspected rib injury following a clash with Mukiele. The big defender was solid during his time on the pitch and made plenty of clearances out of Newcastle’s penalty area.

LB: Lewis Hall – 7/10

One of Newcastle’s most positive players going forward. The left-back had some sloppy moments in possession, but put some great crosses into the box. Defensively, Hall wasn’t that great, but he also didn’t make any terrible mistakes.

CM: Sandro Tonali – 6/10

Played with plenty of energy and fight, but tired as the match went on, which led to him becoming quite easy for the Sunderland midfield to play against.

CM: Lewis Miley – 6/10

Worked hard and battled well in the midfield, but in possession of the ball, he didn’t really do much.

CM: Bruno Guimaraes – 7/10

Tried his best to get on the ball and make things happen, but just couldn’t find a pass or cross that beat the dominant defence of Sunderland.

RW: Anthony Elanga – 5/10

Tried his best to threaten with his pace and energy, but was pretty much completely nullified. The Swedish international provided no service to Woltemade and had next to no success against Mandava.

ST: Nick Woltemade – 3/10

A disastrous performance from the big German. Woltemade’s own goal gifted Sunderland the three points in the Tyne-Wear derby, and he never threatened at all going forward, either.

LW: Anthony Gordon – 5/10

Worked hard and battled well at times, but showed no real quality with the ball at his feet. Gordon was full of running but was dealt with quite easily in one-on-one situations by Mukiele.

SUB: Fabian Schar – 6.5/10

Replaced Burn pretty well and never really put a foot wrong defensively.

SUB: Harvey Barnes – N/A

Came on and played with energy, but couldn’t break through Sunderland’s defence.

SUB: Jacob Murphy – N/A

Came on and played with energy, but couldn’t break through Sunderland’s defence.

SUB: Joseph Willock – N/A

Came on and played with energy, but couldn’t break through Sunderland’s defence.​​​​​​​

SUB: Yoane Wissa – N/A

Didn’t do much after coming on.

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Arsenal Lower Asking Price For Gabriel Jesus

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Arsenal are set for a more considered approach to their summer transfer business than some of their rivals, with minor tweaks expected to the squad over the coming weeks on the market.

Given the strength in depth in the Gunners’ ranks, any moves in are likely to come after exits, with a key goal for Andrea Berta likely to be the improvement of fees accrued via sales.

Several stars have been linked with deals elsewhere, with Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli attracting interest from clubs away from the Premier League.

However, there is also the possibility of an exit for Gabriel Jesus this summer.

Arsenal Lower Gabriel Jesus Asking Price

Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus and Arsenal's Kai Havertz

One player who Arsenal are open to an exit for is Gabriel Jesus, as the Brazilian enters the final year under contract at the Emirates Stadium.

The forward has struggled for form and fitness over recent seasons, making 27 appearances last season with six goals and two assists to his name across all competitions.

Given his struggles in getting back to top form, Arsenal could sanction a sale, as Caught Offside reports that the Gunners have lowered their asking price for the forward.

It’s claimed that the Gunners are now willing to listen to offers in the range of £20 million to £25 million to let the 29-year-old leave this summer.

The club had initially set a valuation of £30 million for Jesus, who was previously linked with a move to Serie A as well as a return to Brazil with Palmeiras.

However, a sale at that price point isn’t seemingly possible, and now Arsenal are keen to lower that valuation in an effort to get a deal done.

Jesus is believed to be among the top-earners at the club, earning around £265,000-a-week, and an exit could help save some money on the club’s books.

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Arsenal May Want Versatile Replacement

Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta
via Reuters

An exit for Jesus may come at a fitting point, given that his arrival signalled Arsenal’s first real push to win the Premier League, and his exit comes with a winners’ medal in hand.

His initial signing brought plenty of quality, a mixture of physicality and technical brilliance that left opposition defenders on tenterhooks when trying to face off with him.

The injuries have started to pile up and that spark has now seemingly gone, so an exit in the final year of his deal could be wise to help recoup some money towards another key signing.


Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta celebrates Champions League win against Atletico Madrid


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Arsenal have been linked with a move for a midfielder this summer, as they look to improve their options in the centre of the pitch.

A similarly versatile option could be desired, someone who is capable of playing as a centre-forward behind Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz, but can also receive minutes out wide.

Transfer target Christos Tzolis can certainly provide some of that, largely featuring on the left wing with an ability to play as a centre-forward.

However, it remains to be seen whether a different marquee arrival could replace Jesus this summer.

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Tottenham Transfer Strategy As We Know It Is Officially Over

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Roberto De Zerbi has already made a huge difference to Tottenham Hotspur on the pitch and now he is working his magic off the pitch in the summer transfer window.

The Italian arrived in north London at the end of March following a dreadful interim spell in charge of the club by Igor Tudor. The Lilywhites were in a perilous situation, staring down the barrel of a first relegation to the second tier in nearly 50 years.

But he turned the club’s fortunes around and a 1-0 win over Everton on the final day of the season secured their Premier League status.

Four new signings have already arrived at Tottenham

Jan Paul Van Hecke
Jan Paul Van Hecke

And that has allowed them to delve into the transfer market and make changes to an ailing squad to give De Zerbi what he requires to push the club back towards the top of the table once more.

Four signings have already been made – three of them free transfers – with Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Martin Dubravka and Jan Paul van Hecke all arriving in N17.

Spurs have had a £75million bid for Sandro Tonali knocked back by Newcastle and are in talks over an £85million move for West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes.

It’s clear with De Zerbi at the helm and the Lewis family vowing to invest in the squad, a new approach has come to light at Spurs.

Tottenham securing either or even both of Fernandes and Tonali would see them break their transfer record, which stands at £65million paid to Bournemouth for Dominic Solanke two years ago.

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Talk of breaking transfer records has barely happened in the white half of north London over the past decade and here we are speaking about it potentially happening not once, but twice.

And we haven’t even got to rumours around striker signings yet, the closest we have come being wide forwards like Savinho and more recently Crysencio Summerville.

Spurs have changed their approach under their new head coach

Roberto De Zerbi clapping the Tottenham fans

What do all the names above linked with a move to Spurs have in common? They are readymade, Premier League-experienced players. It is a win-now approach from De Zerbi that the owners appear to be getting behind.

Under former chairman Daniel Levy, Spurs would often be slow and meticulous in the market, with Levy known as a tough negotiator, someone who would always eke out the very best deal for his club. That would often come at the detriment of the squad, with transfers left to the very last moment, or even too late to get done.

Ignoring the free transfers, Spurs splashed out £52million on van Hecke from Brighton and after two failed bids, got the deal done. They saw the player they wanted, they haggled over price for a short time, but relatively quickly signed their man. Spurs know what they want and are going after it. It is a refreshing approach.

Spurs have been stuck in what has felt like an endless loop of transition, building for the future. Under De Zerbi, the Lilywhites are building for the here and now. It is a new approach and it remains to be seen if it is successful, but the old Tottenham in the transfer market is dead.


Roberto De Zerbi


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Tottenham are continuing to assess midfield options this summer, and could land a star compared to Declan Rice.

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Lewis Hall Wants to Join Man Utd and Play in the Champions League

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Manchester United have received a fresh summer transfer window boost with the news that an England international star wants to join them this summer, according to the Sun.

Man United sprung into action immediately after the end of the Premier League season and quickly agreed a deal to sign Ederson from Atalanta, as they look to transform their central midfield ahead of next term when they return to the Champions League.

The Red Devils may have expected to get another midfielder through the door by now, but business has been complicated by the 2026 World Cup and the valuations being set by clubs for their targets.

A move for their top summer target Elliot Anderson proved inhibitive, with Manchester City agreeing a huge £116m deal to sign the Nottingham Forest star.

United turned their attention to West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes, who they would have hoped to land for a reasonable fee after the Irons were relegated to the Championship.

However, the Irons are in no mood to sell their prized asset on the cheap, and they are demanding a fee of between £80-85m to begin concrete talks over a sale.

United are considering strengthening other positions too, including on the left-hand side.

Lewis Hall Wants to Join Man United

lewis hall england via Reuters

According to the Sun, one of the other positions they could bolster in this summer transfer window is left-back.

Luke Shaw started all 38 of United’s Premier League matches last term having suffered from injury issues previously, but there is little quality and depth behind him in that position, especially if the Red Devils decide to use Patrick Dorgu further forward on a full-time basis.

The increased workload of a Champions League campaign could increase Shaw’s risk of injury too, with Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall one player they have been looking at.

The Sun report that the £70m-rated Englishman is keen to join United and play for them in the Champions League, especially after believing that Eddie Howe cost him his place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad this summer, after how he was managed during Newcastle’s run-in last term.

Newcastle have already sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and at a time when Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Tino Livramento are all being linked with exits, they must try and keep hold of some of those players, including Hall.

The Magpies are said to be loath to sell the full-back to United in particular, given he has three years remaining on his contract.

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United Identify Fernandes Alternatives

West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes celebrates scoring Premier League goal against Sunderland via Reuters

Not only are United being put off by West Ham’s high valuation of Fernandes, but the emergence of Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the 21-year-old has made things even more difficult.

Should the Red Devils fail to land the Portuguese star, they do have other targets on their radar this summer, with Premier League experience.

Two of those, according to GIVEMESPORT sources, are Brighton and Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba and Alex Scott of Bournemouth, while Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni remains Michael Carrick’s ‘dream’ target.

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