Everton
Everton push for Grealish loan as wage talks and Dibling saga complicate window
Everton advance on Jack Grealish loan from Manchester City as Moyes targets immediate attacking help
Everton have intensified their pursuit of Manchester City’s Jack Grealish, progressing loan discussions as David Moyes looks to add proven attacking quality ahead of the new Premier League season. Sources inside the negotiations say Grealish is open to a move that would offer regular minutes and a platform to rebuild form.
Grealish, who turns 30 next month, has been told by Pep Guardiola that he will not enjoy regular minutes at the Etihad this season. His fall down the pecking order has left him seeking an opportunity to restore his reputation, and Everton believe they can offer that chance.
Financial hurdles remain significant. Initial talks have revealed that City want to recover as much of Grealish’s £300,000-a-week salary as possible. That equates to an annual commitment of at least £12 million. Despite that burden, Everton have remained engaged in negotiations.
Sources also say Grealish is motivated by the chance to play consistently ahead of next summer’s World Cup, where he hopes to force his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England plans. Under Moyes, the winger would be given licence to influence games, a role he played during City’s Treble-winning campaign in 2022-23 when he was instrumental in their Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup triumphs.
“It will take time to get adapted to it completely,” Moyes said, speaking about the club’s readiness for the season ahead. “It is a brilliant football ground. It is a great stadium and, hopefully, it gets a chance to see some really good players and teams in the future.”
Everton’s activity elsewhere has been marked by frustration. The club have seen three bids for Southampton winger Tyler Dibling rejected, the latest worth around £37 million including add-ons. Southampton are said to want £45 million plus a further £5 million in bonuses and a 25 per cent sell-on clause. Dibling is thought to be open to the move, but Southampton’s demands have stalled progress and Everton are keeping alternative targets under review with the right flank a priority.
Saturday’s third and final test event at the 52,000-capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium ended in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Roma but delivered minutes for returning and new players. Jarrad Branthwaite returned from injury and Thierno Barry, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Charly Alcaraz all started as Farhad Moshiri watched on. Moyes described the stadium as a “real positive step” for the club, adding, “We need to build a team and lots of bits behind the team need to get done as well.”
Securing Grealish would be a clear statement of intent, but the wage demands and broader squad needs mean the move carries notable risk.
Aston Villa
Villa’s Control Counts for Little as Martinez Error Hands Everton a 1-0 Win
Villa dominated possession but lost 1-0 to Everton after Emiliano Martínez spilled a shot. at Villa.
Aston Villa controlled much of the ball at Villa Park but left empty-handed after a 1-0 defeat to Everton. Thierno Barry scored the only goal, following a spilled save from Emiliano Martínez and finishing with a composed lob that completed his third goal in four matches and secured three points for the visitors.
The loss ended Villa’s 11-game home winning run and was their first defeat at Villa Park since September. They remain third in the table, seven points behind Arsenal and behind City on goal difference.
Martínez was given a 6.1 for his role in the decisive moment, spilling Dwight McNeil’s curling effort into Barry’s path. Other ratings reflected a mixture of control and frustration: Youri Tielemans 7.9 for shielding the defence and dictating play; Matty Cash 7.2 for energy down the right; Ian Maatsen 7.0 for his forward intent; and Ollie Watkins 5.7 after a quiet game with just one shot on target. Morgan Rogers was rated 5.8 and was described as wasteful by his standards after missing several promising chances.
Evann Guessand replaced John McGinn early and was given 6.9; Guessand returned from AFCON and rattled the crossbar after coming on. Lucas Digne (73′) was rated 6.3 and George Hemmings (73′) 6.0. Subs not used included James Wright (GK), Marco Bizot (GK), Andres Garcia, Tyrone Mings, Victor Lindelöf and Jamaldeen Jimoh.
Villa dominated possession and territory for long spells but Everton’s compact shape and organisation kept the hosts at bay. The Toffees thought they had taken the lead in the 35th minute when James O’Brien nodded in, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside involving Harrison Armstrong.
It took just 11 seconds for sparks to fly when a long Jordan Pickford ball was knocked down by Barry and Merlin Röhl struck the post, the quickest woodwork hit in a Premier League match since 2006-07. Yet Villa could not convert territorial advantage into goals, and a single defensive lapse proved costly.
Match statistics (selected): Possession 62% to 38% (Villa), xG 0.82 to 0.34, Shots on target 3 to 1.
Chelsea
Foreign Stalwarts: Non-English Players Who Became Premier League Mainstays
Non-English players became Premier League mainstays through longevity consistency and contributions.
Since 1992 the Premier League has been defined by English talent and by players from abroad and neighboring nations who provided steadiness season after season. Some of the competition’s most trusted appearance makers are not English, with many racking up matches after arriving from overseas or from Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Schwarzer arrived as a dependable presence and proved something of a lucky charm in the top flight. The former Bradford City man played his part in Boro and the Cottagers reaching UEFA Cup/Europa League finals, and he even ‘won’ the Premier League twice—with Chelsea and Leicester—despite not making a single league appearance in either title-winning campaign.
Sylvain Distin was a Premier League stalwart for years, retiring in 2016 at the age of 38. His first venture in England was a season-long loan with Newcastle United that led to a permanent move to Manchester City. He went on to captain the future Premier League champions prior to their big-money investment, then enjoyed a two-year spell at Portsmouth that yielded FA Cup success. Everton benefited from Distin’s prime extending into his 30s and he made almost as many appearances for the Toffees as he did for City—174 in six seasons.
Ryan Giggs’s record of 13 Premier League title wins with Manchester United will probably never be bettered. The Welshman was already an established United player when the Premier League kicked off in 1992–93, and he was a key figure for Sir Alex Ferguson as the club rose to the top of the country. Later in his career Giggs converted into a central midfielder and produced some of his best football. Winning the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award in the 2008–09 season at age 35 was followed by another two Premier League titles prior to his retirement in 2014.
Forget Arjen Robben, Damien Duff was the real star winger in José Mourinho’s early Chelsea sides, yet he’s often underrated and not given the credit he deserves. A pacy, consistent performer, Duff rose to prominence at Blackburn Rovers as a natural left winger, terrifying right backs with his running and superb delivery. Goals followed and Chelsea came calling after the Roman Abramovich-led takeover in 2003. Duff was instrumental in Chelsea winning the Premier League two seasons in a row before being phased out. Newcastle United were the next stop in his 18-year top-flight career, followed by Fulham and then a move Down Under.
Arsenal
Panel Rules Everton Were Denied Penalty in Arsenal 1–0 Win After VAR Oversight
Key Match Incidents Panel ruled Everton were wrongly denied a penalty in Arsenal’s 1–0 win. at Hill.
The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has concluded Everton were wrongfully denied a penalty in their 1–0 defeat to Arsenal. The ruling follows an incident the on-pitch official Sam Barrott and VAR Michael Salisbury missed during the match, a decision that angered the home crowd and Everton manager David Moyes.
Immediately after the game the Premier League Match Centre described the contact as “insufficient” to warrant a spot kick. Less than two weeks later the panel voted 3–2 that Barrott’s choice not to award a penalty was incorrect. The panel also voted 3–2 that VAR Salisbury should have instructed the on-pitch official to review the incident at the monitor.
Those who supported a penalty noted “Saliba carelessly kicks Barry with no contact on the ball”. Those who opposed the award argued “there was not enough impact and a delayed reaction.” The split vote underlines the fine margins at the centre of the decision.
Had Barrott pointed to the spot and Everton converted from 12 yards out, Mikel Arteta’s side would be level with Manchester City atop the table. Instead Arsenal, who were rightfully awarded a first-half penalty that Viktor Gyökeres buried, left with a 1–0 victory and the full three points.
The win allowed the league leaders to top the table at Christmas Day. The club had reached the summit on that holiday on four previous occasions and failed to convert those positions into a Premier League title in each instance.
By New Year’s Eve Arsenal were five points clear of the Cityzens, who held a game in hand. Should Manchester City defeat Sunderland on the first day of the new year the gap would fall to two points.
As the title race develops the panel’s finding on the Everton incident will remain a talking point. The match-day decision at Hill Dickinson Stadium and the panel’s 3–2 verdict may be significant if Arsenal’s margin over Manchester City stays as slender as it is now.
United Preparing Major Midfield Overhaul with Goretzka Among Targets
Salah becomes first player with 152 goal contributions at one Premier League stadium
