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IDRISSA GUEYE CONFIDENT EVERTON TEAMMATE OWNS QUALITIES FOR FUTURE GREATNESS

Senegal star Idrissa Gueye backs Everton teammate Iliman Ndiaye to win the Ballon d'Or. Gueye says the 25-year-old has a "unique combination" of talent and believes he can be the next African to win the prestigious award.

Idrissa Gueye confident Everton teammate owns qualities for future greatness
Iliman Ndiaye tipped to win the Ballon d'Or in future - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Iliman Ndiaye has the potential to be one of the best players in the world, according to Idrissa Gueye.

This season, the 25-year-old has dominated the Premier League, scoring four goals and dazzling defenders with his tricks on David Moyes' right flank.

Since the beginning of the season, several highlight clips of his matchday antics have gone viral as the larger football community begins to recognise his talent.

That talent might propel Ndiaye to the pinnacle of success, and possibly to the Ballon d'Or award that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo previously controlled, according to Gueye, his teammate from Everton and Senegal. The only African player to win the coveted prize is George Weah.

"I challenge [Ndiaye] every game, every time we play," Gueye stated. I talk to him all the time. He listens a lot, is a good guy, and I am, in a sense, his grandbrother. I always thought he would succeed at Everton, and to be honest, I have not seen his best yet.

"I train with him every day, so I get to see his qualities and his potential every day. All he needs to do is have high standards for himself, believe in himself, and keep working hard. When he first came here, I told him that he had the qualities, the technique, the skills, and everything to be the next African Ballon d'Or winner. I have never seen a mix like his before.

After leaving Marseille in the summer of 2024, Ndiaye had a successful debut season on Merseyside. Since Moyes took over in January, his attacking abilities have become more apparent, and the Blues manager has given him more latitude to run at full-backs.

That was best demonstrated by his incredible solo goal against Tottenham Hotspur, which gave Moyes the first victory of his second season as Everton's manager.

And despite being transferred to the right wing this season, he has not turned around. His incredible solo performance at Sunderland is the pinnacle of a season in which his cunning has given teammates other incredible opportunities, including one against Manchester City.

Speaking to the Everton club's media, Gueye stated, "He is a modest man. A really nice person. He enjoys playing and joking with everyone, thus he is not shy. He is humble and never stops working hard, thus no one ever has an issue with him. Even in those early movies, you can tell how hard he works, which is a result of his constant desire to improve.

Moyes has expressed similar admiration for Ndiaye and his dedication both on and off the field. In a recent interview with the ECHO, Moyes acknowledged that his level of skill had taken him by surprise. When I first arrived, I was unsure if he would add objectives to our existing ones since he stated, "If your nines are not obtaining them, you are saying where else are we getting the goals?" Are our wingers entering the game or our centre-half scoring from set pieces?

I must admit that when I initially arrived, I wondered if Ili would provide us with enough goals. However, he has given us significant goals and assists, and I genuinely believe that he has improved.

Even if his performances are drawing attention, Moyes remains optimistic about Ndiaye's future at Everton. But the constant worry is how to deal with his and Gueye's absence when Senegal travels to Morocco for the Africa Cup of Nations in December and January.

"I typically think that he has improved considerably," Moyes stated. We do not have to worry about that because he has a long-term contract here. We do like him, and he is a very pleasant youngster to deal with. He is low maintenance, plays the entire game, and never complains.

"He leaves with Senegal and returns to play, so from that perspective, he is a pretty decent child; therefore, we like him a lot."

VAR REVIEW: CHELSEA 2-2 BOURNEMOUTH, ESTêVãO PENALTY DRAMA EXPLAINED! WAS IT A FOUL OR A DIVE

Explaining the VAR: How an 11th-minute penalty check at Stamford Bridge saved a point for Chelsea against a resilient Bournemouth.

top-news
Antoine Semenyo’s clumsy challenge handed Chelsea a vital lifeline

Every week, the Video Assistant Referee stirs up drama in the Premier League. Let's break down how these calls are made and if they're actually right.

This season, we're digging into the big moments to explain the VAR process and the rules of the game.

What went down: Chelsea's Estêvão was moving into the Bournemouth box, with Antoine Semenyo on his tail. Estêvão went down after some contact with Semenyo. The ref, Barrott, waved off Chelsea's penalty shouts, saying there wasn't a foul. He thought both players made contact naturally as they were running, and Estêvão basically tripped himself.

VAR said, "After looking at it, VAR Pawson suggested Barrott take another look at the monitor for a possible penalty because Semenyo might have tripped Estêvão."

VAR's take: Pawson had to figure out if the contact was just part of the play, like the ref thought, or if Semenyo fouled Estêvão. It was clear Estêvão tripped, but the question was how the contact started.

At first glance, it would be hard for Pawson to disagree with the ref because the main TV angle wasn't clear. But after checking out the sideline and behind views, Pawson saw that Semenyo stepped into Estêvão's path, making enough contact with his leg to cause him to trip.

Pawson told Barrott to check the monitor for a possible penalty. Barrott watched the replays, agreed, and gave Chelsea the penalty.

The call: It was a reasonable VAR call based on today's standards. But it's a borderline case.

Barrott seemed unsure of the monitor and needed some convincing from different angles.

A lot of the time, this kind of contact is just from players running normally, and someone goes down. To give a penalty, there really needs to be a clear foul by the defender. You could say that happened here, but it's a pretty low standard for VAR to get involved.

Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth

Referee: Sam Barrott

VAR: Craig Pawson

What: VAR check for a foul in the box

When: 11th minute

BREAKING: UNAI EMERY REVEALS THE REAL REASON BEHIND HIS COLD ARTETA HANDSHAKE SNUB NOW

Unai Emery explains why he skipped the post-match handshake as Arsenal’s 4-1 win ends Aston Villa’s 11-game streak at the Emirates.

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Emery snubs Arteta's handshake

Unai Emery said he didn't shake Mikel Arteta's hand right after Aston Villa lost at the Emirates Stadium since the Arsenal manager kept him waiting.

This loss stopped Villa's winning streak at 11 games, their first in almost two months.

Villa held their own in the first half, but Arsenal scored early in the second when Gabriel got to the ball before Emi Martinez on a corner.

Martin Zubimendi quickly made it 2-0, and Leandro Trossard scored a third goal a little after an hour had passed.

Soon after entering the pitch, Gabriel Jesus scored, making it 4-0. Ollie Watkins was able to respond by tapping in a goal late in the game after Donyell Malen's nice play.

After the game, Emery waited to shake Arteta's hand, but he went to the locker room since Arteta was still celebrating with his team.

It’s easy to see. I like to do things fast,” Emery said when asked about why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand.

“I shake hands, then I go to the dressing room with my players and coaches. I was waiting.

“Arteta was busy with his coaches, so I went inside. It’s not a big deal for me.”

About the match, Emery commented, “We played great in the first half, and things were going our way. We had corners and defended well. We didn’t let them get a corner in the first half.

“We felt good, but we let in the first goal in the second half. Onana getting hurt didn’t help since he’s important for set pieces and in the midfield.

“We didn’t quit, and we kept playing hard. We scored one goal and almost scored more. Arsenal is the best team in the league and should win the title.

“I’m not sure which day it is since we’ve played Arsenal twice already, and we still have to play Nottingham. But I’m happy with our goals and how we're trying to attain them.

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