Heart of Midlothian endured somewhat of a slow start to their transfer business during the early part of the summer window, signing only goalkeeper Michael McGovern.
Steven Naismith has certainly upped his game over the previous few weeks however as the Jambos have secured talents such as Frankie Kent, Alex Lowry and Kenneth Vargas alongside a few others as he has significantly bolstered his squad.
Could the Scot be about to lose one of his prized assets, however? As Lawrence Shankland is attracting plenty of attention following his impressive displays for the Gorgie side last season.
Is Lawrence Shankland leaving Hearts?
Arriving from Belgian side Beerschot last summer for a fee in the region of £500k, it appears clubs in Saudi Arabia and England are showing interest in luring him away from Edinburgh before the transfer window closes.
According to Edinburgh Evening News, Hearts are not in any rush to sell their star man and will only consider a potential deal if a fee of £3-£4m is discussed, and that also includes add-ons.
He has just two years on his contract and Naismith will be tested should a large offer arrive for the Scot in the coming days.
Who could replace Lawrence Shankland?
The former Dundee United frontman netted 28 goals across 47 matches last season and has continued this fine form into the current campaign.
After just five matches in 2023/24, he has netted four times, including once in the wonderful Europa Conference League victory over Rosenborg which saw the Jambos secure a 4-3 aggregate triumph.
If Shankland does leave, Naismith could certainly turn to one of his summer signings to fill the void – Japanese striker Kyosuke Tagawa.
The 24-year-old arrived from FC Tokyo after Hearts paid a six-figure fee, and the forward has signed a deal until 2027 and he has the potential to take over from Shankland.
Tagawa has scored 28 times during his senior career so far and has enjoyed spells in Japan and Portugal, and he has even scored his first goal for Hearts, netting in the recent League Cup win against Partick Thistle at Tynecastle.
Steven Naismith
Hearts coach Frankie McAvoy praised the striker as Hearts had agreed a fee with FC Tokyo, saying:
"He's a good player. He's quick, gets in behind, scores goals and has good link up. He can use both feet so he's an exciting prospect. We're just waiting on international clearance in terms of today. But he's a player we're excited to get through the door.
"It's taken quite a bit of time but that can happen. The process can take longer than you'd hope but we're delighted to have Kyosuke in.
"If it comes through I imagine he'll be part of the squad. He can cover the four attacking positions. Striker, wide right, wide left or as the ten. He gives us great options and adds strength in depth."
The 6-foot frontman's versatility could also be key for Hearts, being able to operate across the front three if required, whereas Shankland tended to just play as a centre-forward.
Tagawa has even gained two caps for Japan, scoring once, demonstrating his undoubted talent. He perhaps isn’t as prolific as the 28-year-old, but the potential is clearly there.
With a first goal under his belt, Tagawa will be aiming to kick on and net a few more throughout the next few matches while showing Naismith exactly why he signed him.
An update has emerged on one of Celtic's transfer targets as Brendan Rodgers has missed out on a centre-back before the end of the summer transfer window.
What's the latest Celtic transfer news?
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has relayed the news central defender Lyanco has officially signed for Qatari side Al-Gharafa SC on loan from Southampton until June 2024.
This comes after Football Scotland reported that the Hoops had been eyeing a swoop to sign the 26-year-old defender to bolster their defensive options.
When asked about a possible swoop for the former Torino man last weekend, Rodgers said that the club were working on deals in the background and that he was hoping for an update over the coming days.
They have missed out on a move for the Brazilian defender but the Northern Irishman could instead land a perfect alternative by securing reported transfer target Eric Dier's signature.
How good is Eric Dier?
The £85k-per-week titan is a proven Premier League performer who could thrive in Scottish football in the same way that Cameron Carter-Vickers has.
Celtic's USMNT international joined the club from Tottenham Hotspur after failing to make the grade in north London and was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, which is a feat the former AFC Bournemouth loanee repeated last season.
Carter-Vickers only made five first-team appearances for Spurs and was still able to hit the ground running as one of the best defenders in Scotland, which suggests that Dier, who has played 361 matches for Tottenham, has the ability to be a very outstanding performer at that level.
The England international could also provide more quality than Lyanco based on the pair's respective performances for their clubs over the last two seasons.
Dier averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.86 over 33 Premier League outings last term, which came after he averaged a superb rating of 7.01 over 35 top-flight games during the 2021/22 campaign.
The 29-year-old colossus, who was described as an "anchor" in a back-three by ex-Spurs defender Michael Dawson, caught the eye in and out of possession last season with a pass completion rate of 86% and an aerial duel success rate of 70%.
Tottenham defender Eric Dier.
Lyanco, on the other hand, has not been able to perform as well as the experienced stopper as he averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.81 across 21 league games for Southampton throughout the 2022/23 campaign after a score of 6.61 over 15 outings during his debut year in the Premier League, which ended in relegation.
The Saints dud completed 75% of his attempted passes and only came out on top in 57% of his aerial battles last term, which suggests that Dier would offer more in and out of possession.
Tottenham's defensive pass-master could be more reliable on the ball with his ability to find teammates more frequently, whilst the England international could also be a stronger presence in the air when it comes to dealing with crosses and set-pieces.
Therefore, Dier could be a dream alternative to Lyanco, now that the Southampton man has moved elsewhere.
If Rodgers is able to strike a deal for the former Sporting CP prospect before Friday's deadline, then Celtic will certainly land themselves a hell of a signing at the back, given the evidence above.
Newcastle United defender Jamaal Lascelles is “open” to leaving this summer, and a reliable journalist has named the club that are set to make an official move for him.
Is Jamaal Lascelles still captain?
Despite the centre-back having fallen significantly low down in the pecking order, Eddie Howe confirmed ahead of the start of the current season that he was indeed still the club captain, but there’s a strong possibility that he could be on the move in the final days of the window.
England’s former youth international was handed just four starts last term in the Premier League, showing how out of favour he is, and even though he admitted during a public interview that he wants to stay and fight for his place, it’s looking highly unlikely.
This is because the 29-year-old’s contract is also set to expire in less than a year meaning that now could be the perfect opportunity for PIF to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free, and chiefs have already been assessing the market for potential replacements.
The Magpies have so far been linked with the likes of Crystal Palace’s Joachim Andersen, Benfica’s Antonio Silva and Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio just to name a few, and they could be set to make a late move for one of those candidates with the veteran expected to depart.
Newcastle United defenderJamaal Lascelles.
Is Jamaal Lascelles leaving Newcastle?
Taking to X, Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth revealed that Lascelles is attracting significant interest from Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas, and admitted that whilst he's content at Newcastle, he will consider an exit if it means getting regular minutes under his belt. He wrote:
“Besiktas have strong interest in Newcastle United defender Jamaal Lascelles & expected to make formal approach. Lascelles happy at Newcastle but thought to be open as he wants more game time. He was unused sub in opening two Premier League games this season.”
How good is Jamaal Lascelles?
Newcastle will know that Lascelles won’t be happy with how much of a bit-part player he’s become since last season, but as a skipper who always “gives everything”, according to BBC pundit and St. James’ Park legend Alan Shearer, Howe should do everything he can to fend off interest and retain his services beyond September 1st.
Read The Latest Newcastle Transfer News HERE…
The Unique Sports Group client, who pockets £40k-per-week, was averaging 1.9 clearances per top-flight game during the previous campaign so can still be a real rock at the heart of the backline, not to mention that also offensively he’s posted 18 senior contributions (14 goals and four assists) since putting pen to paper in the northeast.
The Derby-born talent, who has the versatility to operate out wide at both left-back and right-back alongside his usual role at centre-back, has even been previously recognised for his individual efforts having been named the club’s Player of the Year in 2017/18, showing how valued and appreciated he is by supporters and his fellow teammates, but by the looks of things, he could be on the way out before the deadline.
Aston Villa will head into the first international break of the season off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool as they failed to pick up any points in the Premier League on Sunday.
How did Aston Villa lose to Liverpool?
The hosts opened the scoring through Hungary international Dominik Szoboszlai as he was afforded too much room on the edge of the box and his left-footed strike floated into the far corner.
It did not take long for the Reds to double their lead as Darwin Nunez’s strike from around 12 yards cannoned back off the post and into the net off the unfortunate Matty Cash, who had little time to get out of the way.
Mohamed Salah then made it 3-0 in the 55th minute as he pounced at the back post from Nunez's flick-on to tap into a virtually empty net, with Villa's defenders completely switching off from the corner.
That said, the backline weren't the only members of the Villa squad to underperform, with Ollie Watkins also out of sorts.
How did Ollie Watkins perform against Liverpool?
Whilst there were a number of less-than-impressive performers for Unai Emery's side on Sunday, Watkins stood out as the true villain for the head coach with his display at the top end of the pitch.
Cash did score an own goal to help put Liverpool on their way to a comfortable win but the Poland international was not without his redeeming qualities.
The former Nottingham Forest man won four of his six ground duels and made two clearances alongside four tackles to win possession back for his team, which shows that he was – at least – strong in his physical battles.
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.
Watkins, meanwhile, was worse than Cash as he struggled with both sides of the game, failing to offer enough in and out of possession throughout his 73 minutes on the pitch.
The England international racked up 0.20 xG during the game and the best opportunity came when Lucas Digne's cross found him in the box but he was only able to scuff his effort wide of the post instead of testing Alisson.
As per Sofascore, the £75k-per-week earner only completed seven passes out of nine attempted and no other starter for Villa – including Diego Carlos who came off injured after 19 minutes – made fewer than ten passes.
This shows that Watkins was unable to get himself into the game and was left isolated at the top end of the pitch. He did not do enough to get involved in the match, leading to his lack of effectiveness in the final third.
Whilst you could point to Liverpool's dominance, with 64% possession, as an explanation for his lack of involvement, the 27-year-old did not help himself with a lack of physicality up against Joe Gomez and Joel Matip as he lost three of his four (75%) duels and was pushed aside far too easily.
Indeed, it's clear to see that Watkins produced a disappointing display with his contributions on and off the ball. He did not offer the strength to hold the ball up to be an out ball to relieve pressure for his side and wasted the one presentable chance that did fall his way to get the team back into the match.
Everton are known for having one of the more colourful atmospheres in the English game and their supporters are famed for making Goodison Park a difficult environment to play in for away opponents in any given fixture.
Of course, the Toffees won’t be staying at Goodison Park much longer, with the construction of their new stadium, which will be located at Bramley-Moore Dock, now well underway.
Saying goodbye to Goodison Park will undoubtedly be an emotional farewell for the Everton fanbase, given that the Walton-based stadium has been their home since 1892. Nevertheless, the new Everton Stadium, which will have a capacity of 52,888, will provide a major increase in revenue streams and provide a beacon of hope following a tough few years on and off the field for the blue half of Merseyside.
Despite trials and tribulations at boardroom level and close shaves with relegation on the field, Everton fans have remained passionate and vocal in the stands, providing fantastic backing to their players and continually challenging the club hierarchy when needed.
Without further ado, Football FanCast takes a look at ten of the best chants Everton supporters have belted out from the stands home and away over recent years, in no particular order.
Lyrics: “60 Grand, 60 Grand Seamus Coleman. 60 Grand, 60 Grand I say. 60 Grand, 60 Grand Seamus Coleman. Playing football the Everton Way!”
We begin with a song that pays homage to Everton club captain Seamus Coleman, who has been a pivotal fixture over the years at Goodison Park since famously joining for just £60,000 from League of Ireland outfit Sligo Rovers in January 2009, cited by The Liverpool Echo.
Put simply, Coleman lives and breathes Everton and has become an icon among supporters due to his tenacity, quality and never-say-die attitude on the pitch. Over the course of his time on Merseyside, the Republic of Ireland international has racked up 409 appearances across all competitions for the Toffees, registering 28 goals and 32 assists, as per Transfermarkt.
Back in June, Coleman signed a one-year contract extension at Everton that has seen him enter his 15th season at the club. The 34-year-old is also the longest-serving player in the Premier League.
Speaking to Everton’s official website after signing his new deal, Coleman stated: “Everyone knows how much Everton means to me, which is why it is special to sign this new contract and continue to play for this great club.”
9
Z-Cars theme tune
There are no such lyrics to this tune, which some would claim rules this out of any Everton chant tier list. However, the famous sirens before kick-off at Goodison Park help to generate a raucous atmosphere before big games and have an intriguing back story.
One answer provided on popular Everton fan site ToffeeWeb cited via The Liverpool Echo attributes the Toffees’ adoption of the theme tune to a member of the cast of Z-Cars, which was a British police crime drama that ran between 1962-1978, who was an Evertonian that brought some of his friends from the show to a match at Goodison Park.
In recognition of their attendance, Everton played the Z-Cars theme and the rest was history. The air raid sirens heard audible at the beginning are believed to be a relatively new addition as a result of one of boxer Tony Bellew’s ring entrances.
Lyrics: “Hail, Hail, The Everton are here, What the hell do we care, What the hell do we care, Hail, Hail, The Everton are here, What the hell do we care now …For its a Grand Old Team to play for, For its a Grand Old team to see and if you know the history, It’s enough to make your heart go Woooooooaaaaaaarrrrrrr!!! We don’t care what the REDS**** say, What the f*** do we care, For we all know, That there’s going to be a show, When the Everton boys are there!”
Excuse the blanked-out expletives, but we all know that football is a passionate affair and Everton fans are some of the most vocal supporters around, something which their rendition of Grand Old Team reflects.
Scottish giants Celtic are also famed for their own variation of the popular chant named ‘The Celtic Song’, while Tottenham Hotspur and Hibernian, among others, also have put their own spin on the song.
7
The Spirit of The Blues
Lyrics (excerpt): “It’s good news for the Blues and there’s no more time to lose, cos we’re hot on the trail, and there’s no way we’re gonna fail, so get your coat on and get moving, cos we don’t know the meaning of losing, so come on come on, get down to Goodison Park, Wooooo. Everton, we never shone so brightly, Everton, the spirit of the blues, Everton, we never shone so brightly, Everton, the spirit of the blues.”
One of the more popular chants home and away at present, Spirit of the Blues has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years and can regularly be heard on the terraces throughout the 90 minutes on matchdays.
Spirit of The Blues was released in 1985 after Everton completed a First Division title and European Cup Winners’ Cup double in 1984/85, as per The Daily Mail.
Everton fans famously dragged the song into the official UK single charts and it was the nation’s most-downloaded track of the week, placing 65th following a winning start to the 2020/21 campaign under Carlo Ancelotti.
6
Roberto Had A Dream
Roberto Martinez in charge of Portugal.
Lyrics: “Roberto had a dream, To build our football team, We had no money so we signed our players on loan, we play from the back, with Ross in attack, The School of Science, it’s on its way back…”
One that will bring back some nostalgia for Everton fans, Roberto Had A Dream references the term School of Science, which is believed to have derived from former Derby County striker Steve Bloomer, who mentioned in 1928 that Everton’s exciting brand of attacking football was “of the highest scientific order.”
Since then, the slogan has stuck at Goodison Park and was brought back into popularity during Roberto Martinez’s tenure in charge at Everton between 2013-2016.
Of course, Martinez was sacked in May 2016 amid fan protests; however, the song will at least give some fond memories from the better parts of the Spaniard’s spell.
5
Forever Everton
Goodison Park
Lyrics (excerpt): “We’re the kings of Goodison, We play in Royal Blue, On the ball the Toffeemen, will play it sweet for you, we play it on the carpet, we play it in the air, whichever way we play it, we play it fair and square Everton, Everton, we’re Forever Everton, all for one, one for all, Everton’s the team that plays beautiful football…”
Forever Everton was written by Graham Gouldman, who is an English songwriter best known for his time as bassist and co-lead singer for Stockport-born British rock band 10cc.
Interestingly, some Everton fan forums note that he has no connection to the club and is actually a Manchester City fan, which wouldn’t be surprising as he was born in Salford.
Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that Gouldman has played his part in Everton history, creating a song that is regularly played over the tannoy pre-match and belted out by the fanatical Goodison Park support.
Lyrics (subject to variation): Marching down the Goodison Road, all the windows open wide, when you hear a copper shout ‘hey, put that candle out’, we are the Goodison Gang. We’ve got no manners, we spend all our tanners, we are respected wherever we may go. Marching down the Goodison Road, all the windows open wide. When you hear a copper shout ‘hey, put that candle out.’ We are the Goodison guys.”
Of course, diehard Everton fans reading this may have their own slight tweaks to the working order of this song. Nevertheless, the famous chant has become a staple of matchday activity in the stands at Goodison Park and away from home turf.
Intriguingly, the song actually appeared on the BBC-broadcasted programme The Golden Vision in 1968, which was a mixture of a comedy, drama and docu-series depicting the life of an Everton supporter at that time, directed by Ken Loach.
For anyone who wants to see the footage of fans singing ‘The Goodison Gang’ on the show, click here and fast forward to exactly the nine-minute mark.
3
Singing the Blues
Lyrics: “I’ve never felt more like singing the Blues, When Everton win and Liverpool lose, Oh, Everton, you’ve got me singing the Blues…”
Nice and easy to explain, Singing the Blues is a commonly used song when the following happens: Everton win and Liverpool lose. Of course, this may also happen directly after the Toffees’ dearest rivals across Stanley Park fall to defeat, though I’ll leave it to any keen Toffees fans to decide when the chant is best deployed.
Several other clubs across the United Kingdom who wear blue have also adopted the chant as their own, factoring in their own rivals’ team name to revel in their misery of being on the wrong end of a result.
2
Here We Go
Lyrics:“Here we go, here we go, here we go. Everton is the best we all know. We’re the team, we’re supreme, number one and we love you, Everton! Here we go, here we go, here we go. Side by side as we sing along together, E-V-E-R-T-O-N We’re Everton and we’ll be Everton forever. Everton forever, we are on our way together. Getting stronger every day, we are winners all the way. Here we go, here we go, here we go. Everton is the best we all know. We’re the team, we’re supreme, number one and we love you, Everton!”
Here We Go has rang around the stands at Goodison Park for quite some time and is a variation of the archetypal football chant ‘Here We Go’, albeit with some very advanced add-ons that have made it into a favourite among those of a blue persuasion on Merseyside.
Here We Go was actually released as a single and their playing staff appeared on Top of the Pops to perform the track in 1985 amid the Toffees’ FA Cup final clash against Manchester United at Wembley Stadium, where Everton came up just short of winning a treble, including the European Cup Winners Cup and First Division due to an extra-time goal from Norman Whiteside.
Lyrics (sidenote – some lyrics blanked out): “Oh, we hate Bill Shankly and we hate St John, but most of all we hate Big Ron and we’ll **** the Kopites one by one on the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey, To Hell with Liverpool and Rangers too, ***** **** *** in the Mersey and we’ll fight fight fight, with all our might for the boys in the Royal Blue Jersey.”
Banks of the Royal Blue Mersey had to be included due to being another choice song among some Blues supporters, though some words have been taken out for obvious reasons.
It is unclear where it stemmed from exactly, but some suggestions put forward that the original tune was taken from a Scottish folk song of some kind; however, diehard Evertonians probably know otherwise!
Either way, we hope you enjoyed reading this article and if you enjoyed it, why not read about Everton’s latest free agent transfer target here.
Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has claimed that one "lovely" starlet at Stamford Bridge is just like Tottenham star James Maddison.
What is the latest Chelsea news?
Ahead of their clash with Aston Villa today, Mauricio Pochettino's side haven't exactly enjoyed the richest run of form early on this season. Indeed, despite spending around £397 million on an array of summer signings, Chelsea have won just one of their opening five Premier League matches so far.
The Blues' sole victory came against league strugglers Luton Town, who have been widely tipped to go straight back down to the Championship. Draws against Liverpool and Bournemouth are coupled with two losses at the hands of West Ham and Nottingham Forest.
Injuries have been partly to blame for Chlesea's lacklustre start, but Pochettino is adamant that the wins will come sooner rather than later.
"I think the fans know if you invest the type of money, there is expectation," said Pochettino after their 0-0 draw with Bournemouth last weekend.
"What I can tell the fans is the circumstance, I cannot change the reality. With all of the squad fit we can compete, we don't have all of the squad available, what can we do?
"For me, nothing to say, the fans can do this. Twelve injured today, three of four young guys, two 'keepers on the bench, I am going to cry, I am going to complain, to who? I have to accept this. That is the circumstance and we need to accept. We have our opinion, our reality. I think we are doing good things, more than people can expect but I told you before the season, Chelsea is about the win. Young players need to feel what it means to be a Chelsea player."
Chelsea player ratings
It is hard to pick a standout star from Pochettino's opening matches, with former keeper Asmir Begovic even lambasting the squad as mid-table quality recently in a scathing attack.
There is reason to believe they could turn a corner, though, especially when the likes of Christopher Nkunku come into the fold when available.
Another promising young player who could make his mark is Cole Palmer, coming after he sealed a multi-million-pound move from Man City in the summer.
The 21-year-old has already scored some big goals this season for his ex-club; bagging a fantastic Community Shield strike against Arsenal in August.
Palmer also scored in the UEFA Super Cup final against Sevilla, perhaps motivating Chelsea to make their move for a player who was going to find it hard to earn regular places under Pep Guardiola.
Former Chelsea winger Cole, speaking to TNT Sports this week, was full of praise for the Englishman as he drew a comparison to both Maddison and England star Jack Grealish.
“He’s the Jack Grealish, James Maddison type. He's got lovely balance, a lovely left foot,” Cole said.
“I've watched him mainly playing off the right, coming in on his left foot. But he could play as a 10. He can float anywhere in the final third, but he's just a player that makes an impact. Clearly the project is we buy young players under the age of 25, we give them long contracts and we develop them and teach them within our framework. There are a lot of footballers at Chelsea, so the project is going to be balancing that."
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has admitted there is a mental strain that comes with managing a club at the highest level.
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Guardiola opens up on pressure of management
Klopp stepping down due to relentless demands
City boss notes: "We all have ups and downs"
WHAT HAPPENED?
Guardiola is in his eighth season with City and his 15th campaign in elite football after coaching Barcelona and Bayern Munich. On Sunday he will face old adversary Jurgen Klopp, who is stepping down as Liverpool coach at the end of the season after being worn out by the pressure of coaching the Reds.
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WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID
"All of us have up and downs as manager," Guardiola told a press conference. "The club you represent, that is normal. In Barcelona I was really tired and left. Here I stayed longer than I thought when I arrived. The demands are high for all managers. On my behalf they are a lot, everyone handles it in a different way."
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Guardiola resigned as Barcelona coach in 2012 after four years in charge of the club he supported after becoming exasperated with its internal politics. But he has learned to manage the pressure at City, helped by working alongside old team-mate Txiki Begiristain [sporting director] and former Barcelona colleague Ferran Soriano [chief executive]. "They know when I am tired or not in a good mood. They realise it, it's not a problem," he said. "Sometimes you have to pretend you are superman and perfect, win 1000 million titles, exceptional things all the time. Today the people are confused, they think 'that guy is perfect!'"
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DID YOU KNOW?
Guardiola said he needs to get plenty of rest, which means he is not like former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who reportedly survived on four or five hours of sleep per night. "Margaret Thatcher was stronger than me, I need more hours," he said.
Leeds United recovered from their grim weekend defeat to Southampton with a narrow victory over Queen's Park Rangers on Wednesday evening, with the Yorkshire giants having moved back up to sixth amid what has been a solid, albeit unspectacular return to life in the Championship.
While perhaps not at their free-flowing best last night, the Whites took control of proceedings early on following a close-range effort from Crysencio Summerville, with the visitors rarely looking like getting back into the game, particularly with experienced goalkeeper Asmir Begovic seeing red at the death.
Manager Daniel Farke will likely be expecting more from his side moving forward – particularly in the attacking ranks – although one notable positive was the performance of summer signing, Jaidon Anthony, who sparkled down the left flank.
How did Jaidon Anthony perform vs QPR?
With Wilfried Gnonto currently sidelined with injury, Farke opted to hand the on-loan Bournemouth man a first start for the club yesterday, with the 23-year-old taking the place of Daniel James in that wide berth.
While the Englishman was not able to bolster his goal tally, having previously netted from the bench against Watford, he did show flashes of his quality before being withdrawn on the hour mark, with Leeds Live's Beren Cross writing that the new man 'should keep his place for the weekend'.
As Cross also noted, the fleet-footed wideman was 'bright and went past defenders fairly regularly', with that evidenced by the fact that he attempted seven dribbles on the day as a marker of his desire to be a real outlet for the Elland Road outfit.
Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Graham Smyth was also effusive in his praise for the London-born dynamo, writing that he 'worked hard, produced some sharp stuff and tried to link up with Byram and Rutter', having more than taken his chance in place of James.
That's not to suggest that Anthony's performance was entirely perfect, however, as he lost 13 of his 17 total duels, was dribbled past on three occasions and squandered possession 21 times – albeit with that latter metric somewhat misleading for any creative, attacking asset.
There is seemingly a need for the temporary addition to work on his 'end product' – as Cross suggested – yet Farke could have potentially found a new weapon in the 6 foot sensation.
How good is Jaidon Anthony?
The one-time Weymouth loanee was somewhat ruthlessly cast aside by his parent club this summer, with the Cherries opting to snap up a replacement in the form of Luis Sinisterra, who moved in the opposite direction.
That departure from the Vitality Stadium had come despite Anthony having previously been crucial in the club's promotion push in 2021/22, scoring eight times and registering six assists in the league under Scott Parker.
Speaking at the time, the former Fulham and Club Brugge boss heaped praise on the emerging talent for his unsung work both in and out of possession: “Jaidon Anthony’s a player that goes under the radar massively, what he does for this team is nothing short of incredible at times.
Bournemouth winger Jaidon Anthony.
“In possession, we see his qualities, his calmness, his silkiness when he makes good decisions but the stuff that goes unnoticed is his defensive side, what he brings to this team."
Even after making the step up to the Premier League last term, the former Arsenal academy asset did still manage to score three times in 30 league appearances as the south coast side staved off relegation, further proving just what a weapon he can be in the final third.
Now back in the second tier, Anthony has the chance to make a name for himself by spearheading Leeds' push for promotion, with it fair to say that the early signs have certainly been promising.
Aston Villa star Alisha Lehmann was substituted at half-time against Arsenal in the FA Women's League Cup as her team were demolished by the Gunners.
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Villa face Arsenal in Conti Cup
Losing 4-0 at half time
Lehmann subbed for second half
WHAT HAPPENED?
The 25-year-old Switzerland international made way for Simone Magill after the half-time break, with Villa already 4-0 down to Arsenal in their Conti Cup clash at Meadow Park. Kirsty Hanson also made way for the Villans at the same time, as Carla Ward looked to spark a comeback for her side following a poor first 45-minutes of action.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The Gunners went ahead in the ninth minute through Stina Blackstenius before the 28-year-old netted her second goal of the evening just two minutes later. Frida Maanum would go on to add a third before the 20th minute, as Blackstenius rounded off her first half hat-trick prior to the interval.
DID YOU KNOW?
Arsenal went on to win the clash 4-0 and have booked their place in the cup final. They will take on either Manchester City or Chelsea in the tournament decider, with the Women's Super League's top two teams set to go head-to-head on Thursday.
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WHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN?
Lehmann and her Villa team-mates will have a 10 day break to recover from Wednesday evening's dismal performance – as they prepare to face Everton in the Women's Super League on March 16. Arsenal are in action again the day before, facing reigning WSL champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Everton are thought to be in advanced talks to seal what could be a controversial off-field deal, according to one report.
What’s the latest Everton news?
The Toffees have endured a frustrating start to the new Premier League campaign under Sean Dyche, with the club failing to back up promising wins at Brentford and Aston Villa with a defeat to Luton Town at Goodison Park last time out. The club could well be in line for another battle at the bottom of the Premier League table, currently sitting on just four points from their opening seven top-flight fixtures.
There has been better news off the pitch, though, with the possibility of 777 Partners taking full control of the club. The company signed an agreement last month to acquire Farhad Moshiri's full stake in the club, although a deal still needs approval from the Premier League, FA and the Financial Conduct Authority.
The prospective new owners could soon have plenty on their plate, though, with recent reports claiming Burnley, Leeds and Leicester have written a joint letter to 777 about potentially suing the club for £300m if they are found guilty of breaking Premier League spending rules. However, the club appear to be making off-field plans ahead of the 2024/25 season, one of which is a new kit supplier.
Football Insider shared a report in the last 48 hours regarding Everton and a potential new kit manufacturer. The Toffees are believed to be in advanced talks with Castore over a deal which could be the first commercial deal struck by 777 Partners.
However, Castore are currently facing criticism from those at Aston Villa, while Newcastle United have already triggered an early exit clause with the company. There has also been criticism from other clubs they supply for including Rangers and Wolves, so an agreement with Everton could be a controversial one.
Who makes Everton’s kits?
Everton are in a partnership with Hummel at this moment in time, however, the deal is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, which appears to have led to talks with Castore. Football Insider add that Hummel’s deal on Merseyside is worth around £8m a season, a higher fee than Castore pays for any of the clubs they represent.
Aston Villa’s men’s and women’s players have complained over the ‘wet-look’ of Castore’s shirts, with the company looking at if there are any short-term solutions. Therefore, Everton could be taking a risk, should they sign with Castore, especially with Newcastle, Rangers and Wolves also seemingly not left thrilled with the company.
It looks as if an agreement is one to keep an eye on over the coming months, though, especially with plans needing to be made in advance over a new kit for the 2024/25 season.