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The road to becoming a professional footballer is filled with many twists and turns.

There are a number of points in a young player’s career where it can all fall apart, with many youngsters playing at academies during their teenage years never going on to make a single senior appearance for a professional team.

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However, for the players that are destined for the big-time, there comes a point where they realise they’ve made it.

Tyrone Mings appeared on the BBC Sport YouTube channel to answer a few questions this week, and he revealed when he realised his dream of becoming a footballer was coming true.

The Aston Villa man’s answer was quite hilarious in its sincerity, as he revealed that he thought he’d hit the big time when he swapped his Citroen Saxo for a Vauxhall Corsa soon after he’d signed for Ipswich Town.

We’re sure that Mings can afford something a bit better than a Corsa nowadays after signing for Aston Villa for £26.5m, but it’s funny to see how far the defender has come over the years.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Arsenal are safely through to the next round of the Carabao Cup thanks to a comfortable 5-0 win against Nottingham Forest.

Goals from Joe Willock, Rob Holding, Reiss Nelson and a brace from Gabriel Martinelli helped to sink the Championship side, the Gunners’ third victory in a row in all competitions.

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It was also a game that manager Unai Emery used for the purpose of bringing players lacking match fitness back into the side.

Holding was making his first appearance of the campaign, while it was Kieran Tierney’s first-ever start for the club since arriving from Celtic during the summer transfer window.

While the match was against a side of inferior quality, it was still a good opportunity for Gunners fans to see the Scotland international in action for the first time, and the 22-year-old put in a solid all-round display that will surely have pleased his boss.

Both in defence and attack, Tierney showed what he is capable of, and was assiduous on his flank.

Going forward, he laid on two key passes, while also managing to dribble past his opponents on three occasions. No other Arsenal player managed more.

Defensively, too, he was solid, managing two tackles and not giving away a single foul during the 76 minutes he was on the pitch.

His 84.5% passing accuracy could have been better – only three Arsenal players had worse, including goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez – but there was bound to be some rustiness. Nevertheless, despite Forest targeting the flanks, they were only able to manage one shot on target throughout the game.

Tierney will be competing against Sead Kolasinac for a place on the left side of the defence, and his performance was better than the Bosnia international’s display in his last outing against Aston Villa.

That’s according to WhoScored, anyway, who gave the former Celtic man a 7.65 rating, compared to Kolasinac’s 6.84 against the Villans. Indeed, the latter has yet to be involved in a clean sheet in the Premier League.

It is important to emphasise that Tierney will face far sterner tests this season than Forest throughout the season but he can still be pleased with his display.

A solid full-back, after all, is just what they need.

While life at Celtic has not exactly got off to the best of starts for Ange Postecoglou, with the 56-year-old manager having already seen his Hoops side fall to three defeats in the Scottish Premiership this season, there have nevertheless been a number of positives under the Greek-Australian boss – one of which has been the progression of the Bhoys’ younger talents.

Indeed, the likes of 18-year-old central midfielder Dane Murray, 19-year-old left-back Adam Montgomery and 21-year-old centre-back Stephen Welsh have all been afforded a considerable amount of game time under Postecoglou.

Meanwhile, a number of other Celtic starlets, including the likes of 18-year-old winger Karamoko Dembele, 19-year-old attacking midfielder Owen Moffat and 20-year-old central midfielder Scott Robertson have all also been included in the manager’s matchday squads.

As such, it would very much appear as if the promotion of youth will be a characteristic of Postecoglou’s time at Parkhead, and one youngster at Lennoxtown has been attracting an increasing amount of attention in recent weeks – Rocco Vata.

Exciting talent

While the 15-year-old is yet to make a senior appearance for the Bhoys – perhaps an unsurprising fact considering his tender age – the attacking midfielder has nevertheless caught the eye while playing for Celtic’s U18 side, as well as on international duty with the Republic of Ireland U17s.

Firstly, the son of the former Celtic defender, Rudy Vata, demonstrated his creative capacity in a recent Scottish FA Youth Cup clash with East Fife – feigning a turn on the halfway line to leave an onrushing opponent in his wake, before turning on the afterburners in a powerful drive down the right flank and landing a pin-point cross on the foot of a teammate to fire home.

More recently, the midfielder proved with Ireland U17s that he is also capable of finding the back of the net himself – once again turning a helpless defender, before cutting inside and unleashing a thunderous drive into the North Macedonian net to give his side the lead, with the ROI Twitter account dubbing the teenager’s strike “fantastic”.

As such, with Tom Rogic – who has not exactly been in the best form of his life so far this season – being Postecoglou’s only senior option in attacking midfield at Parkhead, the 56-year-old might be tempted to enter the market for a new player in the position this January. However, perhaps it would be wise to take a closer look at Vata before doing so – as the starlet could well go on to save the club millions of pounds in transfer fees in the long run.

In other news: Celtic’s “special” 8-goal gem has shown a big “lack of respect”, fans surely livid

Liverpool have so far enjoyed a blistering start to their 2021/22 campaign, having scored 22 goals in eight Premier League games and 11 goals in their first three Champions League matches of the season.

Despite this impressive start to the season in front of goal, however, it seems as though the Merseyside club have their eyes on securing their next long-term attacking star in the near future.

What’s the news? 

It has recently been reported by CBS Sport that Liverpool are one of the clubs currently interested in signing FC Dallas striker Ricardo Pepi alongside German duo Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, as well as Inter Milan and Ajax.

Firmino heir?

The 18-year-old, who is currently valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt, has made 55 appearances for Dallas across all competitions, racking up 16 goals and four assists in the process.

This season has seen the teenage striker – described as “absolutely lethal” by American soccer legend Landon Donovan, who knows a thing or two about scoring goals with a tally of 190 in 492 club games across his career – score an impressive 13 goals in 27 MLS games so far with two assists to his name as well, which is probably why so many European clubs are reportedly interested in signing him.

In addition to his impressive goal tally, the teenager has also averaged 2.4 shots and one key pass per game whilst making four big chances in the process according to SofaScore, showing how much of an attacking threat he can offer.

In terms of a potential move to Liverpool in the future, we feel that Pepi could be a possible long-term replacement for 30-year-old centre-forward Roberto Firmino, who despite his excellent recent form has been questioned in the past over his goalscoring consistency.

Moving forward, we feel that a move for the American youngster is something Liverpool should definitely explore if they can get him for a cheap price, as he could develop and progress at Anfield before potentially growing into a regular first team player further down the line, especially if Firmino leaves the club when his current contract ends in the summer of 2023.

In other news – Body blow: Liverpool suffer huge setback before Man Utd clash, Klopp will be gutted

Liam Kennedy has now revealed some promising insight from PCP Capital Partners on the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Ongoing CAT case

The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) case between Mike Ashley and the Premier League over the stalled takeover deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium is currently ongoing, with the date for the separate arbitration hearing now set for January 3rd 2022.

All parties involved in the bid are keeping a close eye on the proceedings and what information comes out of it that may affect the deal.

The Latest: PCP insight

Writing in his latest piece for Newcastle World, Kennedy has now revealed that PCP, headed by Amanda Staveley and part of the consortium looking to take over at St. James’ Park, are looking at the CAT case with ‘interest and hope but ultimately helplessness’.

The journalist also shared that they ‘remain committed to the deal’, despite reserving judgement on what comes next after the case has finished.

The Verdict: Promising

It is certainly promising to hear that PCP remain committed to getting the proposed takeover back on track, and that they are keeping a close eye on what is happening in the CAT case.

There is still hope from the buying side that a deal can be done, despite the delays that they have faced, and its possibility could well come down to the arbitration process next year.

Nonetheless, the Toon Army will no doubt be pleased to hear updates from the prospective buyers as their takeover dream remains alive, and if anything the fact they have been so hellbent in succeeding throughout all the chaos suggests they would be extremely ambitious if they ever do arrive.

In other news, find out which three clubs Allan Saint-Maximin now knows he could leave for here!

The transfer window only slammed shut 27 days ago but Everton have already begun to think of how they can improve their ranks heading into the winter market.

The Toffees struggled to sign many players over the summer with finances limited and Rafa Benitez finding his feet at Goodison Park.

On the chalkboard

Despite that, Everton have actually enjoyed a superb start to the 2021/22 campaign.

They are one point off the summit of the Premier League table and some of their new acquisitions have been nothing short of sensational.

Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray have scored seven goals between them but there are still some concerns about their squad.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Seamus Coleman are all out injured while their lack of depth in key areas is being exposed.

Salomon Rondon has had a poor start to the campaign while their options behind Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure looked worrying following the defeat to QPR in the Carabao Cup.

Andre Gomes and Tom Davies stepped in for Benitez’s usual enforcers but didn’t set the world alight.

Davies was especially poor, missing a decisive penalty in the shoot-out and winning just 50% of his defensive duels. He gave away two fouls, didn’t attempt a dribble and failed to produce a key pass.

Figures surrounding the club appear to be running out of patience with the academy graduate, lamenting the 23-year-old at full-time.

Everton podcaster, Lee McLean, commented: “I just think he’s an extremely poor footballer which is based on five years of watching him play week in week out.

“He doesn’t score, he doesn’t assist. He’s weak, he’s not quick. He doesn’t impose himself on games and I think he hides from possession a lot.”

Davies was linked with a move away to Southampton over the summer but an upgrade must be sourced in January.

If that does occur then it may well give Benitez the power to axe him from the first-team picture.

The solution

One player the Merseyside outfit have been touted with is Aaron Ramsey.

The Welshman is now 30 years of age but possessing 262 Premier League appearances, he’s exactly the sort of figure you want in your squad.

Benitez has already shown the benefit of signing older players since his arrival with Townsend thriving after signing for the club on a free transfer.

Ramsey could also be acquired for nothing with Juventus willing to sanction his departure in a few months time.

His performances at club level have dwindled but he looked in exceptional touch for Wales at the European Championships.

After scoring against Turkey in Baku, his international colleague Joe Allen remarked: “When you’re world-class players like Gareth and Aaron the focus is always going to be on you.

“I think the pair of them were incredible the other night and certainly answered the critics in special fashion.”

Unlike Davies, Ramsey has the ability to thrive in defensive and offensive situations.

During the 2013/14 campaign for instance, the best of his career, the 67-cap Wales international recorded 3.3 tackles per game in the Premier League but also found the net on ten occasions and registered eight assists.

If he can replicate that sort of form at Goodison, he’d be a marvellous capture.

AND in other news, Everton could repeat their Gray masterclass by signing £14.4m-rated “Rolls Royce”…

We have learnt a lot about this Celtic team under the stewardship of Ange Postecoglou over the last week.

We have seen that defensive mistakes still riddle the Hoops’ play while we’ve also discovered that their depth isn’t good enough.

That feels like a strange comment to make when Celtic made as many as 12 first-team signings during the summer.

However, the fact of the matter is that when things get tough for the Bhoys, they crumble.

The last five days could have been enormously different for Postecoglou. They went 2-0 up against Real Betis before losing 4-3 and then they lost once again on the road to Livingston.

That loss provoked more pain because there simply weren’t any positives to take from the clash.

We championed the idea of James McCarthy starting more regularly in the last week and with Callum McGregor injured with a small knock, he was handed a first start on Sunday.

That came after Ismaila Soro’s unconvincing performance in Seville last Thursday.

Sadly, McCarthy was considerably off the pace. He struggled with Postecoglou’s ideology of pressing and his passing was also wide of the mark on several occasions.

Per SofaScore, the Irishman lost possession 15 times and failed to produce a single accurate cross.

It was a laboured performance from a midfield player who didn’t move the ball quick enough or have the legs to gallop forward.

McGregor is set to return on Thursday in the cup and it wouldn’t be a surprise if McCarthy was ousted straight away.

Postecoglou may have described him as “top-class” when he first signed but the manager wasn’t too keen on seeing the £2.7m-rated talent arrive in the first place.

The Republic of Ireland international was signed on a free transfer after his contract with Crystal Palace expired but worrying reports have emerged since Sunday’s defeat.

The Athletic claimed on Monday that neither the manager nor the scouting department had meaningful input into the 30-year-old’s signing.

It’s also claimed by other outlets that he is struggling with the pace and intensity at Lennoxtown.

With that in mind, he could well be the club’s new Shane Duffy. Like McCarthy, he was signed with plenty of Premier League experience and was seen as someone who’d be a valuable asset to the team.

However, he was a desperately poor signing and ultimately left the club early due to injury. The nadir of his loan spell was nearly being sent off against Rangers back in January when he’d appeared as a substitute.

Duffy was never convincing in defensive situations and because of that, started just 14 times in the Premiership.

It is, of course, important to give McCarthy more time to settle in but the early signs are far from promising.

AND in other news, 100% pass success: 25 y/o now starring after leaving Celtic, he had been a “disgrace”…

As per the club’s official website, Premier League outfit Crystal Palace sealed a last-gasp move for Michy Batshuayi late on in the January transfer window. The 25-year-old had been playing his football at Spanish club Valencia on loan from Premier League giants Chelsea in the first half of the season, only for struggles in front of goal at the Mestalla to call into question his future at the club as the winter window progressed.

And it was Roy Hodgson’s Palace who officially sealed a Deadline Day move for the striker as they sought the reinforcements they desperately needed in the final third of the pitch, with the arrival of the Belgium international potentially going some way to securing the Eagles another season of Premier League football.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while one look at the Palace squad suggests a side full of talent and one that shouldn’t be in relegation trouble, their evident struggle for goals means that the Londoners are indeed embroiled in a battle near the bottom, what with Hodgson’s men currently sat 15th in the table and just four points clear of safety.

And their meagre tally of 24 goals from their 24 matches is without doubt a key factor in their struggles to put daylight between themselves and danger this term – after all, their top-scoring striker this season is on-loan man Jordan Ayew with a paltry two goals to his name.

But with supremely talented attackers in Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, the Eagles are always likely to create ample goal-scoring opportunities just waiting to be converted by the predatory and lethal striker the club have been crying out for – and they may finally have that man in Batshuayi.

Yes, the 25-year-old has endured a tricky time in Spain recently with only one La Liga goal to show for his endeavours in Valencia, but one only need look at his goal-scoring record at Chelsea, Marseille, and Borussia Dortmund to suggest that Palace appear to have pulled off something of a masterstroke.

The Belgian ace has netted 19 times in just 53 appearances for Chelsea following his move from Marseille back in 2016, which given his lowly number of starts at Stamford Bridge equates to a goal every 93 minutes of action – that is a staggering return.

And with 33 goals in only 78 appearances in France for Marseille, and then nine goals in 14 games for Dortmund last season, it’s pretty clear that his time at Valencia was a one-off – on the whole, the 25-year-old will more often than not have an impact when on the field.

And that ability to get into the right place at the right time in the penalty area, and thus get on the end of goal-scoring opportunities, is exactly what Palace need to start moving up the Premier League table – it’s difficult to see where the goals were coming from were they not to sign the striker.

As it happens, the 25-year-old made the Deadline Day move to Selhurst Park, in turn equipping Hodgson with the goal-scoring forward the Eagles so desperately need to move clear of danger – thus, his arrival might well have just saved their season.

Crystal Palace fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Arsenal star Vivianne Miedema will be out for 'several weeks' because of 'minor knee surgery', days after starting for the Netherlands against Spain.

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• Miedema started for Netherlands vs Spain last week
• Now requires 'minor knee surgery'
• Arsenal boss says she would've needed it anyway

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Miedema returned from a long spell on the sidelines with a ruptured ACL in October and her minutes have been managed since, with knee irritation also keeping her out of some recent games. She was back for Arsenal's win over Manchester United before the international break and then started for the Netherlands in their Nations League semi-final against Spain, but Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall has now revealed that the forward needs surgery after returning from the Dutch camp early.

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• WHAT EIDEVALL SAID

  Speaking to reporters on Friday, Eidevall said: "She requires a minor knee surgery and that is going to have her off the pitch for several weeks. We will have an update on that after the surgery and when we see how she is progressing."

  Asked about the communication with the Netherlands team and about Miedema's start against Spain in midweek, he added: "We have good communication with all the national teams that we work with but we also have to have a lot of respect for the autonomy in the decision making. The Netherlands were playing some really, really important games for them, both for a Nations League trophy and maybe more importantly for Olympic qualification. They also need to take the decisions that are best for them.

  "What is important in all these conversations is that I always think that we put the player at the forefront and we're trying to find solutions that are the best for the player, and we need to cooperate. She doesn't need a surgery because of those 45 minutes she played against Spain. She would have needed the surgery anyway. It was nothing that the Dutch team did that complicated this here or made the situation worse. It was a situation that needed to be fixed anyway."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Miedema's absence is a big blow for an Arsenal team that recently reasserted themselves in the Women's Super League title race, with the Gunners now only three points behind Chelsea and Manchester City. With three players currently at the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, Eidevall doesn't have an abundance of options available to him right now.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Miedema is the all-time top goal-scorer in WSL history, having netted 79 times in 101 appearances for Arsenal since signing from Bayern Munich in 2017.

Phil Parkinson has rejected suggestions that Wrexham receive "preferential treatment" from referees after MK Dons were denied a goal on Tuesday.

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• Wrexham get away with controversial goal-line incident
• MK Dons coach Williamson hit out at refereeing decision
• Parkinson rubbished Williamson's "one-sided view"

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  MK Dons boss Mike Williamson suggested that Wrexham have benefited from a series of contentious decisions during their matches. Williamson's frustration stemmed from an incident where Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo looked to fumble a shot from Joe Tomlinson over the line, which he believed should have been awarded as a goal. Expressing his exasperation, Williamson commented, "I don't know where to start with that, I don't think I've ever seen anything like it."

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• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Parkinson vehemently refuted such claims and stated: "I really don't think we get any preferential treatment, I don't see that at all. I've been constantly this season going through clips of decisions we could have got, penalties or red cards which were harsh against us, but over the course of the season you've got to accept it and it balances itself out."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While acknowledging the potential fortune in the Okonkwo incident, Parkinson went on to highlight several key decisions that he felt went against his team during the match. "First of all as managers, we all look at things in a one-sided view," he said. "Obviously that [Okonkwo] incident it looks as it's gone against them. But equally when you review the game back, Dean Lewington stamped on Andy Cannon.

  "On another day that for me is a red card, and also [there was] the one where Ryan Barnett wriggled through on the right-hand side and crossed it and the lad just hauled Ollie Palmer down when he was going to put the ball in the back of the net. So for me that's a definite penalty and the more you look at that the more you can't see how the referee hasn't given it."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The debate over refereeing decisions and perceived bias will continue to rage on as managers continue to hold differing opinions on specific contentious incidents. However, the Red Dragons must put aside the controversy and focus on their upcoming fixture against Gillingham on Saturday as they continue to push for a second successive promotion. They are currently third in League Two, three points off leaders Stockport.