TOTTENHAM TARGET LEON GORETZKA AS BAYERN MUNICH MIDFIELDER EYES A BOLD PREMIER LEAGUE MOVE
Tottenham are reportedly eyeing Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka as the 30-year-old midfielder looks to revive his career in London.
Fichajes reports that Leon Goretzka might be a target for Tottenham, since his time with Bayern Munich could be ending. The North London team might want the 30-year-old to try out the Premier League and help them in the short to medium term.
Goretzka seems to have lost his edge, especially with the competition he faces at Bayern Munich. Even though there's no confirmed conflict between him and the club or coaches, he might leave when the season ends.
Like when he left Schalke for Bayern Munich, Goretzka might leave for free when his contract expires. He might want a change, as he's reportedly not happy with his playing time under Vincent Kompany.
Even though he's supposedly playing less, Goretzka has started in 11 of Bayern Munich's 14 league games this season, which doesn't really show a lack of minutes. But there's no word on a new contract, since the club sees Aleksandar Pavlovic and Joshua Kimmich as their main midfielders going forward.
So, some teams are thinking about signing the 30-year-old as a short-term to mid-term option, and Tottenham is one of them. Spurs want a new midfielder and have been connected to several players. RC Lens star Mamadou Sangare is a target, and there are others like Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher and Sunderland’s Noah Sadiki.
Will Tottenham get Leon Goretzka?
Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi is also a target, but signing Goretzka in January might be something to consider. Tottenham might not be the best place for him, but they seem to be the only ones interested right now.
Spurs could give Goretzka the chance to start his Premier League career, something he's never done before. Also, Tottenham has a good relationship with Bayern Munich because of recent deals for Mathys Tel, Harry Kane, and Joao Palhinha. This makes it easier for both teams to talk if a January move for Goretzka happens.
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.