FIFA 19 ratings: Messi, Pjanic and the best free-kick takers in the game
It is no surprise to see the Argentine lead the way when it comes to dead-ball situations, but who else is adept at beating the wall?
It is no surprise to see the Argentine lead the way when it comes to dead-ball situations, but who else is adept at beating the wall?
Everything you need to know about the latest batch of yesterday's stars on EA Sports' new title
Every year, EA Sports rolls out a new 'class' of FIFA Ultimate Team Icons as game-makers resurrect the glory days of some of the best players in football history.
The new Icons in FIFA 21 will join a considerable cast of former stars, which already includes the likes of Johan Cruyff, George Best and Ronaldinho, among others.
Last year, FIFA 20 bedazzled fans with the addition of Zinedine Zidane to the Icons roster, with Pep Guardiola and Ronald Koeman also joining the throwback crew.
So, what about this year? Which new players are in FIFA 21's 'Class of 21'? Goal has all the details, including ratings, below…
The Blancos, amid a testing 2017-18 campaign, are expected to overhaul their squad in the summer and will have a sizeable budget at their disposal
Steve Bruce has confirmed that Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson will face six to eight weeks on the sidelines with a “devastating” hamstring injury.
That’s according to the Mirror, who quote the Toon boss as revealing that his £20m summer signing from AFC Bournemouth will miss the best part of the next two months.
Wilson could miss up to seven Premier League fixtures as a result of the issue, starting with Monday night’s trip to Chelsea and subsequent meetings with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and potential relegation rivals Wolves, West Brom and Brighton.
Wilson sustained a deep hamstring tear during last weekend’s 3-2 win over Southampton, that also saw United lose Javier Manquillo for multiple weeks and Fabian Schar for several months.
Manquillo is now expected to miss around six weeks with a muscular injury, while Bruce has confirmed that Schar underwent surgery on Tuesday after sustaining knee ligament damage that the defender will hope does not rule him out of this summer’s Euros.
As for Wilson, the striker underwent scans to assess his hamstring injury earlier this week after being forced to limp off the field during the first-half of last week’s win over the Saints, which returned sombre news for Bruce.
“Unfortunately for Callum, it is a tear to the hamstring and that could be six to eight weeks,” the Toon boss said. “The aftermath of a fantastic victory has blighted us. Losing the centre-froward for weeks is a bitter pill to swallow.
“We hoped it was a grade on two to three weeks, but it is worse than that. We have to be without him for six-eight weeks, but we won’t put a time scale on it. It is devastating news for us. It takes time, when you are pace and power as Callum is. His rehab will have to be spot on. We need him back as quick as we can.
“His performance at Everton [last month] was terrific. We are all struggling with muscle injuries, the sheer number of games and no rest between. Without Callum, it will be hard core. He has been terrific. It will be difficult to replace him.”
The scale of the task now facing Bruce is colossus, with Newcastle left with a mammoth obstacle in their way toward securing Premier League survival for another season.
No Magpies player has been as involved in United’s attacks this term than Wilson, who has offered 2.0 shots a game over his 21 top-flight appearances, in a side that has only offered on average 9.7 each league fixture played to date, per WhoScored.
His efforts have also returned the most goals (10), while Miguel Almiron’s brace against Southampton was enough to move the Paraguayan second on the scoring chart at St. James’ Park with four – only Jeff Hendrick, who’ll be suspended against Chelsea, has also scored twice or more.
Jonjo Shelvey, who boasts one goal to his name, has taken the second-most shots per game with 1.6 but only 0.5 of those have come inside the box, where Wilson is the only player to have offered over 1.0 among those who have featured more than once for Bruce thus far.
Joelinton, who has also only scored once, has taken 1.2 shots a game over his 17 outings, while fellow strikers Andy Carroll (1.1) and Dwight Gayle (0.7) will hope to improve their output in Wilson’s absence.
AND in other news, Newcastle have an ace up their sleeves in efforts to sign a striker valued at £30m earlier this season…
Many Nottingham Forest fans were quick to rush to Twitter to slate the performance of Sammy Ameobi during their Championship fixture on Saturday, despite the forward scoring twice in the 3-1 win.
Chris Hughton’s side have started to pick up some great form lately, and are now undefeated in their last seven matches (Sky Sports). This has not only seen them climb out of the relegation zone (SofaScore), but it has also seen them advance to the Fourth Round of the FA Cup.
Fans picked a rather peculiar target during Saturday’s win though, as one supporter tore into Ameobi and called him ‘lazy’ after he grabbed the first two goals on the day. That said, it appears fans may have a point, as some of the stats do reveal why there was frustration aimed at the player.
He lost five ground duels and all four of his aerial duels (SofaScore). He also lost possession 19 times, which was the second most on the pitch.
We suspect these supporters will be relieved the former Newcastle man was able to add some end product to an otherwise wasteful display, but the stats suggest their criticisms are just.
“Does Ameobi ever hit the target”
Credit: @MedCLJS
“Why is Ameobi so slow with the ball.”
Credit: @NickBriggsNFFC
“Ameobi looks knackered after 10 mins. Stamina of a chihuahua”
Credit: @NJL82
“Ameobi stopped trying and reverted back to his lazy self showing his true colours #nffc”
Credit: @Jamsmitchell
“What will it take for Sammy Ameobi to put a bit of quality into the box? #NFFC”
Credit: @DGBCampbell
“Ameobi needs hooking. Another game there for the taking where he is completely anonymous #NFFC”
Credit: @mikewood77
In other news, fans were fuming with a tactical decision Chris Hughton made. Have a read what it was here!
West Brom need incomings this January if they are to stand a chance of surviving in the Premier League, and one name has emerged as a potential target this week…
According to the Daily Mail, Baggies boss Sam Allardyce is eyeing a ‘cut-price’ move for AFC Bournemouth forward Josh King as he looks to add more firepower to his faltering squad.
The 28-year-old is entering the final six months of his contract, so it is the final chance for the Cherries to cash in on his services before he’s allowed to leave for free.
They rejected bids of £7m and £13m for him during the summer transfer window, though King has barely featured this campaign with the Championship outfit third in the division.
Albion are the Premier League’s leakiest side, conceding a whopping 39 goals – six more than anyone else – in 17 matches, so some defensive reinforcements were surely on the agenda.
That was until Karlan Grant got ruled out for six weeks with a broken foot, though it’s not as if the goals were coming thick and fast at the Hawthorns anyway.
Only Burnley and rock-bottom Sheffield United have scored fewer than the Baggies’ 11 goals this term.
King’s arrival would certainly bolster their fortunes in front of the net as he’s a vastly-experienced and proven star in the Premier League.
In five straight seasons, the Norway international has scored at least six times with a career-best 16 goals coming during the 2016/17 season, per Transfermarkt.
His versatility adds an extra dimension too, one that won’t halt the progress of Grant whenever he returns from this latest set-back. King can play anywhere along the front-three. He also averaged 1.2 key passes per game in the Cherries’ final season before relegation.
It’s no wonder that his former boss, Eddie Howe, lauded him the “complete package” to Match of the Day (via The Football Faithful), adding: “Josh is outstanding physically, technically and mentally.”
The 6 foot 2 talisman bears some similarities to former Baggies legend Peter Odemwingie – not too much difference in height, an ability to play in a multitude of positions, and undoubtedly an underrated record in the big time (55 goal contributions in 129 matches).
Allardyce must convince Luke Dowling to sanction a move for the £9.9m-rated sensation.
AND in other news, Big Sam can resolve their biggest problem with swoop for “extremely talented” beast…
Mike Ashley may well be rueing the disastrous outcome of Steve Bruce’s blunderous decision to start Emil Krafth against Arsenal, with the Newcastle United defender now said to be stalling on a January transfer to Istanbul Basaksehir.
According to the Daily Mail, Krafth is now hesitant to the leave Tyneside during the mid-season window as his rare appearance at the Emirates has given him second thoughts.
The 26-year-old had looked likely to have played his final game for the Magpies with a £2.7m move to Super Lig side Istanbul Basaksehir expected to be completed in the coming days.
Krafth had not started a league game since December 12, having returned to the back-up role he occupied throughout much of his maiden season in England last term, with DeAndre Yedlin emerging as Bruce’s favoured option over the festive schedule.
Yet a full 90 minute run out in north London has given Krafth a belief that he can still force his way back into a regular starting role, despite the £5m signing from Amiens SC only featuring in the top-flight on four prior occasions this term.
Krafth is now evaluating his options and will be hoping he gets the nod for Saturday night’s trip to Aston Villa, where Bruce will be striving to end Newcastle’s nine-game winless streak across all competitions.
Ashley will likely have already been frustrated at having to accept an offer worth close to half what Newcastle paid to sign Krafth just 18-months ago, having seen the defender prove time and time again that he is not up to the standard needed in the Premier League.
Yet Bruce’s decision to rest Yedlin at Arsenal and look favourably on Krafth has given the defender confidence that he can still have a future at the club where he earns £57,500-per-week as the fourth-best paid player.
Krafth is bleeding Ashley dry on those terms, that have so far returned just one assist and seen Newcastle record six clean sheets in 29 games across all competitions to date. He was even omitted from the matchday squad at Sheffield United last week entirely, marking the ninth time that Bruce has overlooked his services outside of injuries.
Not many Toon players left north London with much to write home about as Newcastle were comfortably beaten 3-0, and Krafth was certainly one who failed to cover himself in any glory as he frequently held back as the last man whenever Arsenal countered.
And yet Krafth only attempted a single tackle and made one clearance at the Emirates, while playing only one additional accurate pass (20) compared to goalkeeper Karl Darlow (19), per WhoScored.
His efforts ensured Krafth continues to rank joint-last for successful tackles (1.3) per game when fielded at right-back by Bruce in the Premier League this season, and with fewer attempts (1.8) than natural midfielder Jacob Murphy (2.3).
Bruce would have been wise to leave Krafth at home, rather than take him to Arsenal, and show the Sweden international that his future should be in Turkey and not Tyneside.
AND in other news, Newcastle United are being targeted to solve another PL side’s transfer crisis…
Many Liverpool fans have been reacting to news that striker Divock Origi is to be offered in a swap deal for Schalke defender Ozan Kabak.
The 20-year-old centre-back has earned plenty of plaudits for his performances in the Bundesliga and his maturity at such a young age was called “astonishing” by Stuttgart sporting director Thomas Hitzelsperger during his time at Die Roten (cited by talkSPORT).
Sky Germany (via Anfield Edition) reported that the Reds have contacted Schalke over sending Origi the other way in exchange for Kabak.
The Kop faithful have heavily criticised the Belgian of late, with some suggesting that his time at the club has come to an end.
With Liverpool’s current injury crisis in the defensive department, supporters would welcome offloading the 25-year-old in exchange for Kabak.
“This sounds like it will be a good piece of business for both teams, more especially for Liverpool who needs a centre-back.”
Credit: @OmilaVincent2
“100% needs to happen.”
Credit: @RomeoKomTrikru
“Yes yes yes yes yes.”
Credit: @CaroleAnne1487
“We need a centre-back and it’s time for Origi to move on so I can see this deal happening in January.”
Credit: @1121LFC
“If this happens plus we get David Alaba its PL title secured back to back seasons.”
Credit: @Jhonny_Savage
“nahhhhhh no way I beg”
Credit: @MikeJones2k
In other news, Journalist provides conclusive five-word statement amid Mohamed Salah exit rumours.
Said Benrahma has left David Moyes powerless to omit the Algerian forward after the Brentford loanee excelled in West Ham United’s victory over Leeds on Friday night.
Moyes opted to hand Benrahma his first start in claret and blue following a late injury to Arthur Masuaku, which forced West Ham to deviate from the five-man defence which has inspired their solid form this season.
Benrahma had featured for just 78 minutes of Premier League football before the Hammers took to the pitch at Elland Road, as Moyes struggled to see a reason to bench his favoured attackers Pablo Fornals or Jarrod Bowen, believing the pair were playing “really well”.
In the end, Masuaku’s injury and a move to a four-man defence allowed Moyes to introduce Benrahma to his starting plans in behind striker Sebastien Haller to provide an added level of creativity beside Fornals and Bowen.
Benrahma upstaged his more established teammate Fornals with a game-changing display as the Hammers clinched a 2-1 win to move up to fifth in the table, with more points beside their name after the opening 12 games than early high-flyers Everton and title-hopefuls Manchester City.
Former Irons defender Anton Ferdinand was among the hordes to applaud the 25-year-old for his performance, seemingly confident that only good things can come from the £5million loan signing who West Ham are obliged to buy for £20m next year.
“Benrahma looks like he could be a maverick for us,” Ferdinand shared in a post on Twitter. “Loves the ball at his feet, very comfy and loves to make things happen!”
VAR stole the show at Elland Road when Mateusz Klich was allowed to retake his penalty after Lukasz Fabianski was deemed to have been off his line whilst making the initial save, but Benrahma’s performance ensured a spotlight focused on him as well.
The six-time Algeria international may not have registered a third assist of the season to pair with his game-winning involvement in goals against Fulham or Aston Villa, and may still be without a maiden goal for West Ham, yet achieved what Moyes tasked him with being. A nuisance for Leeds star Kalvin Phillips.
West Ham often found themselves without possession while Benrahma was on the field, as Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites controlled 65.7% of the ball before Moyes opted to introduce Mark Noble six minutes from time to instil an added defensive presence in the engine room.
Yet Benrahma still recorded the joint-second-most touches by a visiting player with 45, only Aaron Cresswell (52) took more, and played one key ball from 15 accurate passes, per WhoScored.
Benrahma came into his own when with an eye for goal, as he unleashed a game-high six efforts on Illan Meslier’s net, though only forcing the Leeds’ shot-stopper into making a save once.
Only Bowen could match his 100% dribble success rate, too, among any Irons player to feature, with Benrahma able to beat his marker with each of his three attempts as the £23,077-per-week forward won five of nine ground duels, per SofaScore.
Moyes will no doubt like to see Benrahma fine-tune his shooting, but is now powerless to omit the 25-year-old from his starting plans after seeing what he can bring to the side having bided his time for a chance to shine.
AND in other news, a £27m-rated West Ham dud is playing on borrowed time after a shocking showing at Leeds United.
After seeing him arrive from Lyon in the summer transfer window, it would have no been surprise to hear Aston Villa fans desperately wanting to see Bertrand Traore in action for them.
The man keeping him out of the starting line-up, Trezeguet, had endured a difficult start to the season, failing to score at all and dropping the kind of shocking performance against Leeds that would have warranted him being dropped.
But, football’s all about taking your opportunity, and after being benched for Traore in the weekend clash against Southampton, the Egyptian was back on the pitch sooner than he would have expected.
Villa’s summer signing went off mid-way through the first-half, and Dean Smith had no option but to throw Trezeguet back in. And whilst he couldn’t help complete a remarkable comeback, he was one of the only silver linings of their 4-3 defeat against the Saints.
Whether Traore is ruled out of action for the foreseeable future or not, Smith must surely consider bringing Trezeguet back into the fold, such was the impact that he made on the game with his usual tireless running.
And with Villa facing Arsenal next at the Emirates on Sunday – the team that the 26-year-old scored the crucial winner against in penultimate game of the Premier League last season – it’s all set up for him to deliver another masterclass against the Gunners.
It promises to be quite the roller-coaster for Trezeguet, and journalist Gregg Evans went on record last month to admit that he had his doubts about the Egypt international.
He said: “The amount of energy that Trezeguet puts in, it’s natural that he’s going to be tiring when it gets to like 65, 70, 75 minutes. [It’s] an incredible turnaround from that player as well, somebody who, admittedly I thought wasn’t cut out to be a Villa player, wasn’t cut out for the Premier League.
“He was probably the scapegoat in the winter months of last season where things weren’t going well. I mean fair play to him for knuckling down and working so hard and actually realising that sometimes hard work beats talent.”
Trezeguet has got to start against Arsenal on Sunday.