FULLKRUG EXIT LOOMS: WEST HAM FOCUS SHIFTS TO UNLEASHING CALLUM WILSON'S POTENTIAL.
West Ham coach Nuno Espirito Santo is determined to maximise Callum Wilson's potential, despite his injury history, as the club faces a striking crisis and potential transfer moves.
Nuno Espirito Santo really wants to help Callum Wilson, the team's experienced striker, play his best even though he hasn't always been the most fit player.
Football Insider says that Nuno Espirito Santo is looking forward to getting the most out of Callum Wilson. He used to play for Newcastle United and has had fitness problems. The West Ham manager is ready to work with him in the near future.
Nuno Espirito Santo has a tough job trying to fix West Ham United's scoring problems. He doesn't have many choices. Right now, the main strikers are Callum Wilson and Niclas Füllkrug.
Fullkrug has also had his share of fitness issues since he joined in the summer of 2024. He missed parts of his first season because he was hurt. He's still injured this season, and the club might think about selling the German player in January.
Wilson came to West Ham for free in the summer after playing a long time at Newcastle United, but he also has fitness concerns. The Magpies decided not to keep him because he missed a lot of last season with injuries, and they didn't want to take the same risk as West Ham.
Wilson has been playing better recently, and Espirito Santo is pushing to get the best from him. The Portuguese manager wants a strong player up front who can cause problems for the other team's defenders and create chances for the wingers. Wilson has been doing okay lately, but there's room for improvement.
Will West Ham sign a new striker?
West Ham wants to improve Wilson and sell Fullkrug, so they might be looking for a younger striker in January. There are rumours about several possible players, and Promise David from Union Saint-Gilloise is a major target.
Santiago Gimenez from AC Milan is also being considered. West Ham might bring in a new striker to take some of the pressure off Wilson and, more importantly, Jarrod Bowen when it comes to scoring goals. If they sign someone in January, West Ham could have a pretty good attack for Espirito Santo to work with and maybe even avoid getting relegated.
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.
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.
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.