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Danny Higginbotham believes Marcus Rashford cut a frustrated figure during Manchester United’s disappointing draw last night.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag will be frustrated

Despite coming back from 2-0 down against a bitter rival, Erik ten Hag will likely be furious with his side, who put themselves into a difficult position against a relegation-threatened opponent.

When Man United found themselves 2-0 down against Leeds United, it was clear that something had to change – and that’s what happened when Wout Weghorst was hooked off after 59 minutes.

This then allowed the in-form Rashford to be moved more centrally as Jadon Sancho took up a spot out on the wing, and that appears to have been a smart move given how frustrated Rashford appeared to look, according to Higginbotham.

The Latest: Rashford has to be the main man

It’s bizarre given Rashford’s form of late that Ten Hag would force him into a different position to the one he’s been thriving in, and it didn’t pay off until he got moved, as Higginbotham stated on The 2 Robbies podcast.

He said: “He played three different positions in the game. The first half, Garnacho obviously was playing left wing, so that meant Rashford went to the right wing.

“I think he cuts a frustrated figure in that position. He’s been at his best on the left, driving inside, and when he doesn’t play on the left, I think it affects other players. I think it affects Luke Shaw, who wants to get into that space that would naturally be left by Rashford tucking inside, but because Garnacho was there, Luke Shaw didn’t have any space to get into.”

The Verdict: Man United must keep Rashford fit and firing

Rashford hasn’t just been one of Man United’s most in-form players, but one of the Premier League’s best players. Since the turn of the year, last night’s goal means he’s now scored five times in 2023, which is more than Liverpool and Chelsea have managed as a team, and led to analyst Statman Dave labelling him a ‘monster’.

Especially when the player who took his natural and favoured spot on the left was an 18-year-old in Garnacho – who’s got just one senior goal to his name – it’s perhaps unlikely Ten Hag will set up like this anytime soon.

Given the sheer number of important games Man United have coming up including two matches against Barcelona and a Carabao Cup final against Newcastle United, Ten Hag must ensure Rashford doesn’t get the hump by being moved out of position and keep him fit during this run of games.

Insider Graeme Bailey believes that Newcastle United will be looking at the loan market to recruit a new midfielder.

The Lowdown: PIF not looking to spend heavily

Newcastle appear to have found themselves in a rather big hole heading into the final hours of the transfer window by allowing Jonjo Shelvey to join Nottingham Forest on a permanent basis without having a replacement lined up.

Eddie Howe has insisted that there are no guarantees the Magpies will be able to bring in a replacement signing before Tuesday’s deadline, which would certainly leave Newcastle very short in midfield.

As things stand, Newcastle have four central-midfield options, which may sound sufficient, but given the fact Howe deploys three at once, they are one injury away from a crisis in that department.

The Latest: Newcastle to look at the loan market

Howe’s commented on Financial Fair Play restrictions at Newcastle in the past, which is likely why they will look to move in the loan market, as Bailey highlighted on the Loaded Mag YouTube channel.

He said: “We’ve known they are looking for another midfielder. From what I’m told, it’ll likely be a loan. They’ve done the Gordon deal, it seems highly unlikely that they’re going to pay big money [again].

“Not that they can’t, but just with FFP etc, it’s looking very, very difficult to fit that in.”

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The Verdict: Sensible business is being done

It is very admirable and sensible from Newcastle’s mega-wealthy owners to not just hand Howe whatever he wants and risk them being hit by FFP issues further down the line, which could ruin any progress they’ve already made.

Therefore, it looks as though a temporary signing is the only way Shelvey will be replaced, with the likes of Sander Berge, Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek all being linked with the Magpies recently.

However, any potential move for either of the latter two could well depend on Chelsea’s ability to land Enzo Fernandez, so Newcastle may well have to sit tight until other clubs do business, which may well lead to a busy deadline day.

Leeds United continue to be linked with additions to bolster their midfield, with Victor Orta actively seeking out improvements in the engine room…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to Sport Italia, who claim that a number of European clubs, including those from the Premier League, are interested in Salernitana maestro Lassana Coulibaly.

Having made early advances towards the 26-year-old, Nottingham Forest have already seen a bid dismissed in December. The Serie A club will reportedly hold out for a fee of around £8.5m, as they hope to keep hold of their player.

Repeat of Adams masterclass?

Having struggled this season domestically, Coulibaly retains a constant level of quality in one area – his defensive statistics.

Averaging a 6.75 Sofascore rating in the current Serie A campaign, this somewhat masks what benefits he can offer to a team when they play to his strengths.

Boasting the ability to break up play and set his team on the counter with a threaded pass, a deal here would bear many similarities with Leeds’ summer move to sign Tyler Adams from RB Leipzig.

The American has taken to Premier League football with ease due to his aggression, tenacity and immense quality. However, his final season in the Bundesliga was not too dissimilar from Coulibaly’s current campaign.

The then-Leipzig midfielder only averaged a 6.68 rating from Sofascore in 2021/22, and making just one tackle per match, it seemed unclear just what tempted the Yorkshire outfit to splash out £20m on the 23-year-old.

However, with an average Sofascore rating of 7.01 and a mammoth 4.2 tackles per game in the current Premier League season, the Whites’ decision is starting to bear fruit.

With Mali international Coulibaly, it could be argued that an even stronger foundation is in place to succeed at this level. He is averaging 3.1 tackles alongside 0.7 key passes per 90 this season, supplemented by an 85% pass accuracy.

The basic principles to be a successful midfielder at Elland Road are already in place, with his time at Ibrox on loan in 2018/19 having had a lasting impact on then-Rangers boss Steven Gerrard.

The 42-year-old praised Coulibaly, stating: “He (Lassana) is a machine, he’s exactly what this football club needed in terms of that enforcer in the middle of the park. He enjoys getting after people, biting into tackles and doing the ugly side of the game. He loves it and is only going to get better, there is more to come.”

If the gegenpress-loving Jesse Marsch could describe his quintessential player, many of the qualities listed by Gerrard would likely crop up. The Salernitana ace bears striking similarities with Adams, and should he be half as shrewd as the summer 2022 signing has been so far at Leeds, it would mark a fine deal by Orta and co.

Celtic are thought to be in pole position to sign Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward Cho Gue-sung, with an offer already on the table.

The Lowdown: Successful World Cup

Cho represented South Korea at last year’s World Cup in Qatar and impressed on the biggest stage, helping his country qualify for the last 16.

The 24-year-old netted twice in a group game against Ghana and become a breakout star, gaining millions of followers on social media, partly due to a viral clip of him mocking Cristiano Ronaldo.

He was linked with a move to Parkhead as a result, and it looks as if a transfer is a real possibility going on a recent update.

The Latest: Transfer news

The Daily Record relayed an update on Celtic and a move for Cho in the last 48 hours.

They claimed that the Hoops are in pole position for the forward and have tabled a £2.2m offer to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, who appear to want a bidding war for their star attacker.

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Ange Postecoglou is seemingly on the search for a replacement for Giorgos Giakoumakis after contract talks broke down with the Greek striker. He’s thought to be poised for a January exit, so bringing in Cho could be a shrewd move.

The South Korean has been labelled a ‘physical player’ who can be a ‘real handful for defenders’ by journalist Pete O’Rourke and can also provide an option out wide. He has scored a total of 57 goals for club and country, so hopefully, a transfer can gather more pace in the coming days.

Tottenham Hotspur continue to be linked with plenty of potential incomings for the upcoming January window, which hints that Antonio Conte has another war chest to unleash in his bid to revolutionise his club.

It seems that one particular area of interest is in midfield, where the Italian seeks to add creativity and unpredictability to bolster his attack and offer something more when his team cannot break down stubborn opposition.

Whilst James Maddison might be the immediate option, given how he is already excelling in the Premier League, perhaps Conte could return to his homeland to find a superb alternative for a fraction of the price.

The 26-year-old boasts seven goals and four assists already this term, looking to build upon last season’s haul of 18 goals and 12 assists. Despite this, a reported price tag of £60m could put him just out of reach for the Lilywhites.

Instead, they could act upon rumours which emerged earlier in the month and finally sign long-term target Ruslan Malinovskyi.

Reportedly available for just €15m (£13m) and having failed in a summer bid, Tottenham could now save themselves millions and reignite their interest in a player of similar pedigree to Maddison.

Despite enduring a poor season, with just three goal contributions to his name, the Ukraine international has proven on numerous occasions that he can be a top performer.

Just last season he recorded 17 goal contributions across the board, while in the 2020/21 campaign he scored eight goals and set up 12 in Serie A alone. During that campaign, football journalist Fernando Evangelio even lauded the Atalanta dynamo as “an animal” after he had scored again.

As such, Malinovskyi sits in the top 4% for progressive passes, the top 7% for assists and the top 9% for total shots among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues in 2022 (via FBref), a firm indicator of his attacking threat.

The midfielder has been a consistently creative presence for years now at Atalanta, as outlined in his tally of 58 goal contributions across 142 appearances at the club.

Although the Ukrainian’s numbers might seem to falter when compared to the recent successes of Maddison, the disparity is not so large that it demands spending an extra £37m on the Englishman.

Therefore, Conte must seal an ideal alternative in the reliable maverick Malinovskyi.

Everton transfer target Daichi Kamada had an afternoon to forget in Japan’s World Cup defeat against Costa Rica on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Everton links

Kamada has been linked with a move to Merseyside in recent weeks, with the Toffees thought to be eyeing up a potential move in the January transfer window for the attacking midfielder.

His ability to garner direct attacking returns is second to none, with his haul of seven goals and three assists from 13 Bundesliga games registering him as a vital component in Oliver Glasner’s side.

Kamada’s seven goals see him rank as the side’s top goalscorer in the league this season, with the World Cup serving as a big platform for him to showcase his ability to the masses.

The Latest: Flopping on the World Stage

90min reporter Henry Burt shared a player ratings story from Japan’s 1-0 defeat to Costa Rica where Kamada was slammed for a lacklustre performance.

Burt rated the midfielder 5/10, a joint-worst score for Japan, saying:

“A lacklustre display from the Eintracht Frankfurt playmaker.”

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The Verdict: World Cup blip

The 26-year-old could do very little to help his side and was far too easygoing out of possession, winning just two duels from a possible six, with a measly average of 20% ground duels won.

He lost the ball on 12 occasions, however, there were a couple of positive signs with his four passes into the final third and three recoveries, but both were nowhere near the quantity or quality required.

Ultimately, Kamada was not involved enough but we can look at this performance as a one-off in a set-up that he is not as accustomed to in comparison to domestic life in Germany with Frankfurt.

With 10 attacking returns in 13 Bundesliga appearances, his quality is there for all to see, so Everton may still continue to track him heading into the New Year.

Arsenal have a number of their first-team squad members in action at the Qatar World Cup this winter, with Bukayo Saka undoubtedly being the Gunners’ standout performer in the competition so far, with the winger scoring a sensational brace in England’s 6-2 demolition of Iran on Monday afternoon.

However, it was arguably one of Arsenal’s former players who stole the show in Wednesday’s batch of World Cup fixtures, with Takuma Asano turning in a match-winning display in Japan’s shock 2-1 victory over Germany – a result that sees one of the tournament favourites facing the very real possibility of a group stage exit.

Indeed, despite starting the fixture on the bench, the VfL Bochum winger made a huge impact upon his introduction in the 57th minute of the match, as, despite enjoying just 14 touches of the ball and completing a mere five passes, the £3.5m-rated talent proved a constant threat down Germany’s right flank.

In spite of the fact he had so little time on the ball, the 28-year-old still managed to take five shots at Manuel Neuer’s goal, with one being on target, two being off target and two being blocked, however, it was the one that did trouble the Bayern Munich shot-stopper that proved decisive in the meeting at the Khalifa International Stadium.

With just seven minutes of regulation time remaining, Asano magnificently plucked Ko Itakura’s hopeful long ball out of the sky, with his “Bergkampesque” first touch brilliantly taking him away from the onrushing Nico Schlotterbeck and towards the German goal, before the winger unleashed a fierce drive beyond Neuer at his near post.

And, while it would be difficult to argue that Arsenal’s £1m sale of Asano back in 2019 was a mistake, Arsene Wenger will have been watching on with glee on Wednesday, as the former Gunners manager was always convinced of the 38-cap star’s potential.

Speaking about the winger upon his £3.5m arrival in north London back in 2016, the legendary Frenchman said: “Takuma is a talented young striker and very much one for the future. We look forward to him developing over the next couple of years. He is a player I believe in a lot. I will take care of him and make sure he gets to the right place.”

As such, while Wenger may not have managed to deliver on this promise at The Emirates, it is undeniable that Arsenal supporters now know what Asano is capable of, as the 28-year-old well and truly proved his ability to the world against the Germans.

Arsenal have been dealt an injury blow ahead of tonight’s Carabao Cup meeting with Brighton & Hove Albion.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via football.london), Mikel Arteta confirmed that, after picking up a knock in the Gunners’ 1-0 win over FC Zurich last week, Takehiro Tomiyasu will remain unavailable for selection for the visit of the Seagulls this evening.

However, the Spaniard went on to state that the right-back should return to full fitness in around seven days’ time, suggesting that the 24-year-old will be ready for Japan’s World Cup 2022 opener against Germany on November 23.

Reagrding the fitness of the defender, the 40-year-old said: “It’s a small injury for Tomi, he did well to stop during the match, so it’s not going to be a big issue. I think he will be back in a week or so, so hopefully he will be fine to start at the World Cup.”

Silver lining

While the loss of Tomiyasu will undoubtedly have come as a blow to Arteta ahead of both the Brighton and Wolverhampton Wanderers fixtures this week – as regular squad rotation will be key to Arsenal competing on as many fronts as possible this season – the Japan international’s unavailability could well bring with it a silver lining.

With reports revealing that 17-year-old Reuell Walters was training with Arsenal’s first team squad on Tuesday, Tomiyasu’s absence could well see the Gunners U21 right-back be handed at least a spot on the bench against Roberto De Zerbi’s side – or perhaps even a place in the starting XI.

And, considering just how exciting a prospect the England U18 international looks to be, his potential first-team debut on Wednesday night could well represent the emergence of one of Arteta’s next stars of the future.

Indeed, the £1.7k-per-week teenager caught the eye during the Gunners’ pre-season tour of America, playing out of position at left-back against fellow Premier League side Everton, an appearance which was reported to have excited the Arsenal fanbase.

The defender – who has made 14 appearances for the U18s and 27 appearances for the U21s since his move to London Colney – has also earned a considerable amount of praise, with Layth Yousif dubbing the youngster “calm and assured” and suggesting that he has “pace to burn”, while Kaya Kaynak claimed the right-back “really impressed” during pre-season.

As such, while Tomiyasu’s setback is undoubtedly a blow, it does present Arsenal supporters with the possibility of seeing one of their most promising talents in action at The Emirates tonight – something that is sure to excite everyone involved with the club.

Newcastle United are unbeaten in their last six Premier League matches and they now travel away to face Tottenham Hotspur this evening.

Eddie Howe’s men are on a fine run of form and recently held Manchester United to a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford, which shows that they can go to a traditional big six ground and pick up a result.

Miguel Almiron’s fantastic strike from distance was enough to seal the three points last time out in the top-flight as the Magpies beat Everton 1-0 at St. James’ Park.

However, they may be forced into making a change to their starting XI from that match as one of their players has been dealt a blow in the build-up.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh Tweeted some early team news ahead of the clash: “Joelinton has a knock to his knee which #NUFC “hope” is not serious but he will be assessed in the coming days. Seems like he’ll be out of Sunday’s game, but Joe Willock seems to have shaken off his illness & Jonjo Shelvey will be in the squad again.”

Joelinton’s injury looks set to open up a space in the midfield and Howe must now unleash Joe Willock from the start, alongside Sean Longstaff and Bruno Guimaraes.

The Englishman has started nine of the club’s 11 Premier League matches so far this season and has been relied upon as a regular starter by the manager.

He has caught the eye on the creative side of the game as he has produced three big chances for his teammates and created 1.1 chances per game from central midfield, racking up two assists for his efforts.

The 23-year-old gem is yet to notch his first goal of the season but Howe previously described Willock as being “full of energy” and claimed that the midfielder is “desperate” to score, without being selfish on the pitch.

His ability on the ball is not his only quality as the ex-Arsenal man also makes an impact at the other end of the pitch. He has averaged 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game so far this term, whilst also ranking in the 15% for pressures per 90 among players in his position in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year.

Willock is a box-to-box midfielder, like Joelinton, who can slot straight in for his Brazilian teammate and do a job against Spurs.

Playing against the bitter rivals of his former club could also give him extra motivation to score and get stuck in defensively during the match – if he was invested in that rivalry.

When Matty Longstaff scored on his Newcastle United debut against Manchester United, it seemed as if the Magpies had a potential superstar on their hands.

Sadly, since then, the young midfielder has done little to suggest that he will ever make it as a Premier League player, and Eddie Howe should look to get rid of the 22-year-old at the earliest opportunity.

The younger brother of Sean, made his first team debut as a 19-year-old and scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win, adding another goal in a 4-1 defeat against the same opposition later in the season.

Longstaff’s only other goal for the club came in a FA Cup replay against Rochdale in the 2019/20 season, with the youngster unfortunately never kicking on from that eye-catching campaign.

The midfielder was sent on loan to Aberdeen for the first half of the 2021/22 season after struggling for regular game time in the 2021/22 campaign, with links to Udinese perhaps disrupting the youngster’s focus.

During his time in Scotland, he would manage just five appearances, in which he failed to score or assist, with his chances of making it in Newcastle’s first team quickly diminishing.

There were eyebrows raised when Longstaff joined Mansfield Town in League Two for the second half of last season but his performances there indicated that he could still have a promising future, as he contributed an impressive six goals and two assists in 18 appearances.

However, it became clear that he wasn’t part of Howe’s plans for this season and inexplicably, he was sent back on loan to League Two, this time with Colchester United.

After scoring six goals in a side challenging for promotion, it seems baffling that he was allowed to join Colchester, who look likely to be involved in a relegation battle this season, as surely a League One loan or return to Mansfield would have been far more beneficial.

The fact that he has made just six appearances for Colchester this season and has failed to score or assist, suggests that Longstaff simply does not have a future in Newcastle’s first team, and Howe must bite the bullet and get rid of him at the earliest opportunity.