Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is welcoming his Gunners squad back to training in London Colney ahead of his side’s crucial derby against Tottenham this weekend.

The face-off carries significant weight in this year’s Premier League title race, with Arsenal looking to maintain their position at the summit while Tottenham seek to disrupt their neighbours’ title aspirations.

Arsenal enter the match off a 2-2 draw at Sunderland, which ended their 10-match winning run in all competitions and eight-game run without conceding a single goal.

Arsenal’s unbeaten run in all competitions since defeat to Liverpool

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

The Gunners have been in exceptional form this season, averaging over two goals per match and establishing themselves as the team to beat. Their defensive prowess has been particularly impressive, conceding just five goals so far and boasting the best defence in all of Europe’s top five leagues.

Fifth-place Spurs drew 2-2 with Man United in their last outing and currently hold the best away record in the Premier League with 13 points won from a possible 15, having scored the joint-most goals (12) and conceded the fewest (three) on their travels (NBC Sports).

Despite having won just three times at Arsenal since the Premier League’s inception, this remarkable away form makes them dangerous opponents and Arteta will be very aware of the threat Thomas Frank’s side pose.

Arsenal also face a real selection headache, with star defender Gabriel Magalhaes poised to be out for at least a month after sustaining a thigh injury on international duty with Brazil.

Arteta’s attacking depth faces a severe test heading into the derby too, with multiple forwards battling to prove their fitness. Viktor Gyokeres is still a doubt for the match, with little certainty around Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz.

Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann revealed that Havertz had a “minor relapse” of his knee injury and is expected to return “towards the end of the year”, casting doubt on his involvement in this weekend’s derby.

Captain Martin Odegaard’s situation remains unclear as well. Norway boss Stale Solbakken said Odegaard is “some distance away”, but the player himself stated the injury is “starting to look better” and will hopefully be back soon (TV2).

Noni Madueke was actually close to making the Sunderland squad, so he could well return to the fold for Spurs, but the game comes too soon for striker Gabriel Jesus.

Gabriel Jesus pictured in Arsenal training with teammates after lay-off

The Brazilian hasn’t played a single minute since rupturing his ACL in an FA Cup defeat to Man United at the start of the year, and reports suggest he’ll be the last in a long line of Arsenal attackers to return from injury (Simon Collings).

However, Jesus is back in Arsenal first-team training, with football.london relaying that the 28-year-old was pictured taking part in a session this week alongside Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ben White.

The former Man City star, once he makes his comeback, is set to play a role under Arteta this season, despite reports of a potential January exit.

Arteta has called Jesus an ‘unpredictable’ weapon he can’t wait to call upon, while the player himself is adamant that he’s not going anywhere.

It is unclear when Jesus will be available for full selection again, but it could well be soon given he’s back with the squad.

Should Hong Kong chase the target down, it would be their highest successful T20I chase

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Sep-2025Sediqullah Atal and Azmatullah Omarzai struck half-centuries each to carry Afghanistan to 188 for 6 in the opening match of the men’s T20 Asia Cup. Hong Kong had their moments, their spinners in particular harnessing slow conditions well enough to frustrate their more pedigreed opponents. But the gulf in class eventually showed as Yasin Murtaza’s side dropped catches and committed misfields to hurt their own chances.Sediqullah has brought up each of this three T20I fifties in his last four innings, and as well as he looked out in the middle, standing tall at the crease and largely coping with the lack of pace, he benefited from three missed chances. A man who could’ve been dismissed in the very first over in the end batted through to finish on 73 off 52.Murtaza was involved in all three lives Sediqullah got – twice dropping the catch himself and once having to watch it go down off his own bowling. He did the best he could to make up for it, the three Hong Kong spinners giving the ball such little pace but so much air that this game looked straight out of the 90s. As such, the more modern day T20 batter wasn’t able to adjust. Murtaza, Ehsan Khan and Kinchit Shah picked up 3 for 75 in 11 overs.However, the arrival of pace in the 17th over changed the game with Atal and Omarzai targeting Ayush Shukla. Afghanistan scored 69 runs in the last four overs with Omarzai raising his first T20I half-century. From the simple clear-the-front-leg slog to the cheeky ramp past the keeper, the Afghanistan allrounder has shown impressive range on a difficult batting pitch and finished with a strike rate of 252.38.Should Hong Kong chase the target down, it would be their highest successful T20I chase.

Mikel Arteta has explained why his success at Arsenal is down to his "hero" Pep Guardiola while opening up on his first meeting with the legendary Spanish manager at the age of 15. Following his retirement from professional football in 2016, Arteta worked as an assistant coach under Guardiola at Manchester City before taking up his first head coaching project with the Gunners in December 2019.

• Arteta and Guardiola's long-standing bond

  Arteta and Guardiola's connection dates back to 1997, when the current Arsenal boss joined Barcelona's much-famed La Masia academy from Antiguoko. He spent two years in the Blaugrana's youth system before representing Barcelona B for three years from 1999 to 2002. Guardiola was a key player in the senior side during Arteta's time in the academy. 

  Arteta went on to play for clubs like Rangers, Real Sociedad, Everton and Arsenal. It was only in 2016 that Arteta reunited with his childhood hero, and together at City, the duo won several trophies, including two Premier League titles and an FA Cup. 

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• Getty Images
  

  'He was my hero as a player'

  Speaking about Guardiola's impact on him, Arteta told : "Someone that I met when I was 15 years old. He was my hero as a player. We end up working together and having one of the best times of my life. And again, if I'm sitting in the chair that I'm sitting in today, it's big thanks to him."

  When asked why he chose to join Guardiola at City, Arteta added: "Probably because, how attached we were in terms of philosophy and the way we were educated in Barcelona. Then, because I think it was the right thing for me to step out of the club, to learn from other people, to have different kinds of experiences. And he gave me the choice without coaching anybody to go straight to his coaching staff. One of the best decisions I made in my life."

• Guardiola competing with Arteta for Premier League title

  After a rare off-season at Etihad Stadium last year where Guardiola's side ended up trophyless, City are back in business in the 2025-26 campaign and are ready to give a tough fight to Arteta's Arsenal in the Premier League title race. 

  Former Gunners and City striker Paul Dickov recently backed Guardiola to win silverware once again this season, telling : "I keep saying I don't want to get too far ahead, I'll get too carried away with the recent performances. But there's just something within the club and on the pitch that is near the levels they were at when they were at their best. I know for a fact that there's a hunger, not just from Pep, but from the staff, the players. They were hurt last season. They were really hurt and there's a big drive within the club to put that right this season. And they were quite happy going under the radar a little bit earlier on in the season, but the performance against Liverpool has given everybody hope and they can still get better. It wouldn’t surprise me if Manchester City are up there winning things at the end of the season again because I think the strength and depth, the quality, it’s up there with the very best.

  "The one thing Pep's got is a lot of credit in the bank with the City fans and one bad season last season out of all the time he's been here isn't a bad thing. I think the fans realise that, and City fans obviously are very passionate, but they're good football people as well. They understand that it's probably the third rebuild since Pep came in, with the new signings. They'll be patient with them. At times, they’ve lost this season and it hasn’t always looked great, and people were already declaring them out of the title race. But I think that if City can be in and around Arsenal by January, February time, then that's their time. That's when they know to really kick on. They still have players like Rodri to come back. I think they're going to wrap him up in cotton wool for the next few weeks just to make sure that by the second half of the season, he's ready to go."

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  North London derby up next for Arsenal

  Arsenal are the current Premier League leaders and have not suffered defeat since losing 1-0 at Liverpool in August. They currently lead City by four points at the top of the table and will next face rivals Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday at Emirates Stadium. 

Mikel Arteta has built a squad full to bursting with world-class talent at Arsenal.

However, when it comes to picking the club’s most important player, their talisman, it’s impossible to ignore Bukayo Saka.

The Hale End superstar is still just 24years old and has already amassed a staggering tally of 76 goals and 71 assists in 277 games for the club.

So, fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal to an up-and-coming talent who has been compared to Saka.

Arsenal target the next Saka

There is over a month to go until the transfer window actually opens, but that hasn’t stopped Arsenal from being linked with a plethora of exciting talents.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, for example, has been touted for a £120m move to the Emirates, as has Crystal Palace’s equally exciting Adam Wharton.

However, as talented as the two midfielders are, neither one can really be compared to Saka, unlike Jean-Mattéo Bahoya.

Yes, according to a report from Germany, Arsenal are one of a few teams interested in the Eintracht Frankfurt gem.

However, on top of beating the competition, the Gunners would have to stump up a fee of around €80m, which is about £71m, to get their man.

That is a lot of money to spend on a young talent, but given Bahoya’s ability and potential, it might well be worth it for Arsenal, especially as he’s been compared to Saka.

Why Arsenal should sign Bahoya

So, first and foremost, the comparison between Bahoya and Arsenal’s talismanic number seven comes from analyst Spencer Mossman, who described him as being “like a younger Bukayo Saka.”

That might sound like a bold thing to say, because it is, but it does make sense.

For example, on top of being an “excellent wide area creator” who is “on a continuous upward trajectory”, he’s more than happy to track back and “do the dirty work.”

That ability to influence proceedings at the sharp end of the pitch, while also willing to do the less glamorous things, was one of the reasons Saka quickly became an essential part of the first team.

Another reason the young Frenchman is such an exciting prospect is that, in the words of Mossman, “he’s able to get quality crosses away with both feet.”

This means that he’d not only be able to cover for the Hale Ender on the right but also play on the left, in turn pushing the likes of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli to step up their games.

Finally, despite still being just 20 years old, Mossman has highlighted the winger’s physicality as a key strength, claiming that he’s like an “Olympic-level athlete.”

Bahoya’s Scout Report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Tackles (Att 3rd)	0.67	Top 1%
% of Dribblers Tackled	61.8%	Top 2%
Passes Blocked	1.54	Top 2%
Tackles	2.36	Top 3%
Dribblers Tackled	1.08	Top 3%
Blocks	1.64	Top 4%
Tkl+Int	2.77	Top 6%
% of Aerials Won	54.1%	Top 6%
Goals/Shot on Target	0.50	Top 7%
Tackles (Def 3rd)	0.82	Top 8%
Successful Take-On %	52.1%	Top 8%
Aerials Won	1.03	Top 15%
All Stats via FBref

Finally, on top of passing the eye test, the former Angers gem has also got some brilliant underlying numbers to his name this season.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles in the attacking third, the top 4% for blocks, the top 7% for goals per shot on target, the top 2% for successful take-on percentage and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, even though it wouldn’t be a cheap transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Bahoya, as he could be another Saka in the making.

Arsenal have the next Gabriel and he's the "best CB Hale End has produced"

The incredible youngster looks like he could go to the very top for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 21, 2025

West Ham are preparing for what could prove to be a season-defining January transfer window, with chairman David Sullivan and manager Nuno Espírito Santo identifying a new striker as one of their top priorities amid Niclas Fullkrug’s imminent departure.

Fullkrug has decided to pursue fresh opportunities when the winter window opens, with his representatives already exploring possibilities in Germany and elsewhere (Fabrizio Romano).

The veteran forward, who’s suffered from a plague of injury issues ever since arriving in East London, aims to revive his international prospects ahead of the 2026 World Cup, viewing a January exit as essential to securing his place in Germany’s squad.

West Ham’s spending power remains limited following their £131 million summer outlay, meaning they may need to balance incoming and outgoing transfers carefully, which adds another layer of complexity as the hierarchy make clear they won’t sanction Fullkrug’s exit until a suitable replacement arrives (Claret & Hugh).

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

The Irons want a permanent sale rather than a loan for the striker, with German clubs Hamburg and Stuttgart, as well as AC Milan, expressing interest (TEAMtalk).

Meanwhile, midfielder Guido Rodriguez wants to depart as he chases World Cup selection with Argentina, attracting attention from Marcello Gallardo’s River Plate alongside several European clubs. James Ward-Prowse is another player destined for the West Ham exit door, with Lucas Paqueta reportedly considering his options as well.

With Nuno’s side languishing in 18th and staring at a relegation dogfight, January represents their best chance to course-correct, and any funds acquired from these potential sales could be put towards a cut-price move for Fulham winger Adama Traoré.

The Spaniard, who was once on fire under Nuno at Wolves, is attracting serious interest from West Ham, and Fulham could be forced to sell on the cheap with his contract expiring at the end of this season.

Now, an update has come to light on the situation, courtesy of TEAMtalk and reporter Dean Jones.

West Ham given 'approval' to sign Adama Traoré in January

West Ham have been handed encouragement in their pursuit of Traore, with Fulham now willing to entertain offers for the winger and set to ‘approve’ his sale.

The Whites are planning a squad overhaul as manager Marco Silva targets up to three new signings following a disappointing campaign that has left them 15th with only three wins. Traore represents an opportunity for them to raise funds and recoup some value, so a London Stadium switch may be on the cards for him.

The ex-Barcelona loanee flourished under Nuno at Wolves, making 131 appearances and racking up 28 goal contributions during their successful partnership, and sources indicate that West Ham will make contact before the window officially opens to explore whether a deal can be done.

Traore, while mostly impressing at Molineux, has enjoyed his moments in a Fulham shirt too.

The 29-year-old was a mainstay for Silva last season, making 41 appearances in all competitions and registering nine assists, so his best years may not be a thing of the past just yet.

His pace and directness has been a nightmare for Premier League opponents to defend at times, and he’d offer Nuno something very different out wide for a potentially affordable fee.

The New York Yankees found themselves in unfamiliar territory Thursday night, strolling into the away clubhouse and dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field, a ballpark named after their late owner.

The Yankees spend spring training playing there in Tampa, and during the season, it's the home of their Single-A affiliate Tampa Tarpons. But in 2025, the Tampa Bay Rays are calling George M. Steinbrenner Field home as Tropicana Field undergoes repairs.

To welcome the Rays and manager Kevin Cash to the building, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone left a good luck note and a bottle of tequila in the office desk.

"Just my housewarming gift, like, hey, take care of the place," Boone said [via MLB.com's Bryan Hoch].

The Yankees are set to play six games against the Rays as visitors to their spring training home this season, with a four-game series this weekend and another two-game set at George M. Steinbrenner Field in August.

Through 18 games, Boone's Yankees are 11-7 and in first place in the AL East entering Thursday's slate of games.

The only thing better than watching a young player collect his first career hit? Watching his family watch the play unfold from the stands.

That's exactly what happened in the second inning of the Minnesota Twins' series opener against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Truist Park. Designated hitter Luke Keaschall, ranked as the No. 57 prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline, was called up by the Twins on Thursday and made the most of his MLB debut one day later.

In his first career at-bat, Keaschall poked a line drive down the right-field line for his first career hit and RBI. He also stole second for his first career stolen base. When the Apple TV cameras panned to his family in the bleachers, they were standing up, hooting and hollering from their seats.

What a moment.

Keaschall was busy in his second plate appearance, too, ripping a double down the left field line and coming around to score on a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Keaschall, the No. 49 pick by Minnesota in the 2023 draft, batted .297/.415/.470 over 147 games in the minor leagues before getting his call up to the Show. He's not wasting any time making a big difference at the plate to help turn around the Twins' sluggish start to the 2025 campaign.

Rangers’ winning streak continues, albeit in far from convincing fashion.

On Saturday, the Gers battled to a 2-1 victory over bottom of the table Livingston at Ibrox, with Emmanuel Fernandez marking his first start since August by scoring a towering header, only for Tete Yengi to equalise soon after, but Mohamed Diomandé’s goal 12 minutes from time, Bojan Miovski putting it on a plate for him, enough to snatch victory.

This makes it four Premiership wins out of four since Danny Röhl was appointed manager, the Gers’ longest streak since February, albeit they remain fourth, given that Hibernian beat Dundee 2-0 at Easter Road simultaneously.

Next up, Röhl’s team will take on Braga in a must win Europa League tie on Thursday and, despite victory on Saturday, which starter should be axed ahead of this one?

Rangers' current injury crisis

After some very underwhelming summer recruitment, most Rangers supporters agree that their squad lacks quality, so, when that is the situation, the last thing a coach needs is a lengthy injury list.

First-choice centre-back pairing John Souttar and Derek Cornelius are both expected to be sidelined until after Christmas, after suffering serious injuries while on international on the same evening, doing so within hours of one-another but more than 4,200 miles apart in Glasgow and Miami.

Meantime, just as he had started to click into gear, Mikey Moore suffered a muscle injury in training, so is set to spend weeks on the sidelines.

The Tottenham lonaee had made an inconspicuous start to life in Glasgow, but had started to show glimpses of his talent in recent weeks, scoring his first goal for the club at Dens Park in the last game prior to the international break.

In the absences of the teenager, Röhl’s team lacked dynamism, panache and flamboyance in attacking areas, with the player tasked with deputising certainly not earning rave reviews.

The Rangers star Röhl must axe after Livingston

Röhl went for a more attacking 4-2-3-1 formation for Livingston’s visit on Saturday, with Thelo Aasgaard given the free role as the central number ten.

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The Merseyside-born midfielder helped Norway qualify for a first World Cup since ’98 during the break, coming off the bench as his country crushed Italy 4-1 at San Siro last Sunday.

Thus, Aasgaard was handed a first club start since being sent off during the League Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Celtic at Hampden.

Well, he certainly did not grasp this opportunity with both hands, as the table below documents.

Thelo Aasgaard’s stats vs Livingston

Stats

Aasgaard

Match rank

Shots

Zero

12th

Successful dribbles

1

11th

Accurate passes

12

16th

Key passes

1

4th

Duels won

2

24th

Touches

19

23rd

SofaScore rating

6.4

21st

Stats vis SofaScore

The statistics underline that Aasgaard was generally pretty anonymous during Saturday’s victory, completing just 12 passes and only one dribble, not registering a single attempt.

The most galling number is the fact that the Norwegian international touched the ball only 19 times before being hooked at half time, nine fewer than goalkeeper Jack Butland and six less than Livi scorer Yengi.

Writer Kai Watson asserted that Aasgaard went “missing” in the first half, adding that he “needs to offer something” and is “capable of much more than we’re seeing”.

Meantime, Aheed Abrar of Ibrox News exclaimed that the midfielder was “embarrassing” on Saturday, awarding him a 3/10 rating, while Let’s Talk Rangers believes he should not be an “automatic starter” over Nedim Bajrami, Lyall Cameron and others.

Thus, despite their ongoing injury issues, Röhl does appear to have better attacking options than Aasgaard, who did little to stake a claim for a start against Braga this weekend.

Related Rohl's own Maeda: Rangers begin talks to sign "very pacy" sensation

With Rangers set to heavily invest in January, they have reportedly began talks to sign a “very pacy” star who would be Danny Röhl’s own Daizen Maeda.

Posts ByBen Gray Nov 21, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are set to face bitter North London rivals Arsenal at the Emirates this afternoon, with the clash against the Gunners no doubt the biggest of the 2025/26 campaign to date.

Thomas Frank will be getting his first taste of what the Derby has to offer, but he will undoubtedly be hoping to be on the winning side later on this evening.

However, he faces a huge challenge ahead of him, with Mikel Arteta’s team currently sitting top of the Premier League and remaining unbeaten on home soil after their first five encounters.

To make things worse for the Lilywhites, they have only beaten the Gunners once away from home in the last 32 matches, with Frank potentially writing himself into the history books this afternoon.

If his men are to claim all three points against their bitter rivals, the manager desperately needs to drop one player from his starting eleven after his recent dismal form.

Why Brennan Johnson needs to be dropped against Arsenal

Brennan Johnson has endured a massive decline over the last couple of weeks, with the Welshman unable to match his form from the 2024/25 campaign.

The 24-year-old has only found the net twice in his first 11 outings of the league season, with his last effort coming way back in the 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the end of August.

However, he did start the last outing against Manchester United before the international break, but failed to deliver and made it nine games without a goal in England’s top-flight.

His underlying stats showcase his lack of impact against the Red Devils, with the Welshman only able to complete 50% of the dribbles he attempted in North London.

Johnson also only managed to find a teammate with one of his five crosses, whilst also failing to register a single shot on goal during his 90-minute display.

He gifted possession back to the opposition on 18 separate occasions – the most of any player in the squad – further highlighting his lack of success in the meeting.

As a result, the manager desperately needs to drop him from his starting eleven, with one player deserving of the opportunity to thrive against the club’s bitter rivals.

The Spurs player who can secure bragging rights over Arsenal

During the recent draw with Ruben Amorim’s men, Frank made some crucial substitutions that managed to save the game and secure a vital point in the Premier League.

Mathys Tel was brought off the substitutes bench in the 79th minute against the Red Devils and made an immediate impact on the meeting – as he scored just five minutes after stepping onto the field.

He wasn’t alone in thriving after his addition, with winger Wilson Odobert grabbing the assist for Richarlison’s stoppage-time effort, with both massively staking their claim for a starting role.

However, it’s unclear whether the manager will decide to hand any of the aforementioned stars a rare start – but they are massively deserving of an opportunity from a starting role.

Instead, Frank should look to recall a man who was billed as “Arsenal’s perfect Saka replacement” by pundit Adrian Clarke. Indeed, that man is Mohammed Kudus who must return to the starting eleven after missing each of the last two outings in all competitions with a minor injury.

The £150k-per-week Ghanaian only joined the Lilywhites in a £55m deal from West Ham United in the summer, but he’s wasted no time in impressing and is arguably one of the club’s most important players.

He’s already opened his account for the Lilywhites, whilst laying on four assists in the process – a tally which is the joint-highest of any player in the division.

Johnson has had the opportunity to fill the void in recent weeks, but he’s been unable to do so, with the manager needing to recall the 25-year-old this afternoon.

Kudus, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has only lost once to the Gunners in his four previous meetings – even finding the net in the Carabao Cup win back in November 2023.

xG generated

1.39

3rd

xA registered

1.26

1st

Assists

4

1st

Big chances created

2

1st

Key passes per game

1.9

1st

Dribbles completed per game

3.6

1st

His numbers from the ongoing season, coupled with his previous wins against today’s opponents, showcase his ability to cause carnage in attacking areas when having the chance.

Given such numbers in recent history, Frank desperately needs to start the winger at the Emirates, with his pace and quality on the ball a real danger to any side that dares to stop him.

It’s a massive game and one that the supporters always want to win, with their chances of claiming a rare victory potentially falling into the hands of Kudus.

Spurs must sell "one of the worst signings in PL history" to fund Semenyo

Tottenham Hotspur must sell one player if they are to land Antoine Semenyo in January.

1 ByEthan Lamb Nov 20, 2025

Manchester City are now considering a move for a new forward who Pep Guardiola called “extraordinary”, and they have identified him as a priority target.

Man City eyeing new forward amid overreliance on Erling Haaland

Man City are the joint-highest scorers in the Premier League this season, having netted 24 times, but to say they are reliant on Erling Haaland would be an understatement, with the Norwegian scoring 14 of those, finding the back of the net every 74 minutes on average.

No other City player has scored more than once in the league, and Guardiola called on his other attacking players to step up after the 2-0 victory against Everton last month, saying: “He [Haaland] could have scored four or five at the end. He’s our key man,”

“At the same time, we cannot do good things with just Erling. Our wingers, attacking midfielders and the other players have to make a step up.”

However, Maxime Esteve technically still remains the Blues’ second-highest scorer in the league this term, having scored two own goals in Burnley’s 5-1 thrashing at the Etihad Stadium, so it is no surprise a new forward is now being targeted.

According to a report from Spain, Man City are now considering a move for AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo, amid concerns they are overreliant on Haaland, with the Ghanaian forward set to be available for a fee of £65m during the January transfer window.

Semenyo has now been identified as a priority target by City, given the fantastic start he has made to the Premier League season, although there could be competition for the 25-year-old’s signature from reigning champions Liverpool.

Talks could ‘accelerate soon’, with the Blues clearly keen on signing the versatile attacker, who is capable of playing on the wing, as a target man, or even as a second striker.

Man City preparing £158m+ bid for star who wants to work under Guardiola

The Citizens are keen to make new signings and could now look to acquire one of Europe’s most prominent attackers.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 24, 2025

"Extraordinary" Semenyo could boost City's title chances

In fairness, Jeremy Doku has stepped up to the plate in recent times, most notably scoring and winning a penalty in the 3-0 victory against Liverpool last month.

However, none of City’s attackers have been anywhere near as consistent as Haaland, so it would make sense to bring in a new forward this January, and Guardiola has made it clear he is a big fan of the Bournemouth star.

The Ghana international made a flying start to the campaign, meaning he is currently the joint-fourth highest goalscorer in the Premier League.

Top scorers in the Premier League	Club	Goals
Erling Haaland	Manchester City	14
Igor Thiago	Brentford	9
Danny Welbeck	Brighton	7
Antoine Semenyo	AFC Bournemouth	6
Jean-Philippe Mateta	Crystal Palace	6

With Haaland clearly in need of additional support in attack, Semenyo could be a fantastic signing for Man City, as they look to hunt down Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.