LEEDS MUST WATCH CLOSELY! CRESSWELL TRANSFER COULD HAND FARKE A SURPRISE BONUS TODAY
Is Charlie Cresswell heading back to the PL? West Ham tracks the Toulouse star as Daniel Farke prepares a picky January spree.
Leeds United might see some extra cash coming their way this January. Word is that West Ham United is eyeing Charlie Cresswell, who used to play defence for Leeds, according to ExWHUemployee.
Cresswell, who's 23, came up through Leeds United’s academy. Back when Jesse Marsch was the boss, he praised Cresswell’s great attitude.
He did well on loan at Millwall. Their manager, Gary Rowett, said Cresswell had some rare qualities, and there was hope he could get some playing time at Elland Road.
But under Daniel Farke, Cresswell didn’t get much of a chance and ended up going to France.
Toulouse, a team in France, bought Cresswell from Leeds for about £3.8 million. During those talks, Leeds made sure to include a sell-on clause in the deal.
Since joining Toulouse, Cresswell has been doing great. Last summer, several teams were after him, including West Ham.
The Hammers wanted to strengthen their defence that summer, but Crystal Palace's signing of Jaydee Canvot from Toulouse made things tricky for West Ham to get Cresswell.
West Ham suggested a loan to Les Violet with an option to buy Cresswell for £13 million, but the French team said no.
Now that the winter transfer window is getting close, West Ham is figuring out how to support their manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, in strengthening the team, and Cresswell is again on their list.
Cresswell fits the kind of player Nuno wants because he’s determined to help the Hammers get back on track this season.
Cresswell played 14 games for Leeds before leaving, including five in the Premier League.
Because of that sell-on clause, Leeds is expected to get 15% of any profit Toulouse makes if they sell him in the future. Leeds is hoping Cresswell attracts even more teams this window so they can get the most money possible.
Cresswell has played in all 12 league games for Toulouse this season and helped them keep four clean sheets, though he’s also received three yellow cards.
If he moves in January, Leeds could get a surprise bonus, which Farke could then use to bring in his own players.
Farke is ready to make signings but has said he will be ‘especially picky.’
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.