MYKHAYLO MUDRYK AMONG FIVE PLAYERS TO STAKE PREMIER LEAGUE CLAIM OVER INTERNATIONAL BREAK
A Tottenham midfielder has started more games for his country than his club this year, and he’s one of five players, along with a couple of bit-part Chelsea stars, who have staked their claim for more Premier League game time over the international break.
Mykhaylo Mudryk
There have been a few signs that Mudryk is finding his feet at Stamford Bridge. He produced a fine finish against Leeds in the FA Cup, before scoring the sort of goal against Newcastle that should have been a common occurrence. Speed, tight control, skill and composure all came together in one moment to produce a moment of magic, arguably for the first time since he drew admiring glances from the European elite through his Champions League displays for Shakhtar Donetsk.
What has been plain for all to see is that Mudryk is a confidence player, who had been sapped of all belief through a combination of moving to a new country – not necessarily to his preferred club – the pressure of his price tag and having to fight for his place in the team, not to mention his homeland being at war with Russia.
He still looks like someone battling inner demons on a football pitch, but his confidence is on the up, and as boosters go, scoring a late winner to send your country to the European Championships has got to be well up there. With extra-time against Iceland looming, Mudryk’s low first-time shot after Heorhiy Sudakov’s cutback found the far corner to spark wild celebrations. Here’s hoping he can bottle that feeling.
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Nicolo Zaniolo
The midfielder said on international duty that “I miss Italy, of course” having left Roma for Galatasaray in January 2023, starting just two games before moving to Villa, for whom he’s started once – the Europa Conference League win over Zrinjski Mostar – since November 5.
He’s quite level-headed about it all, simply claiming he “expected to play more”, and to be fair we probably all thought he would. He even went on to say “Unai Emery is one of the best managers in the world, at the same level of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mourinho,” though he’s not entirely qualified to make that judgement having not played under two of those three coaches. In fact, ranking Roma Mourinho among the elite makes us think he’s definitely not qualified to judge, and comparing him to Emery isn’t the compliment he probably thinks it is.
Anyway, having impressed in Italy’s goalless draw against Ukraine which saw them qualify for Euro 2024 in November, Zaniolo was again called up despite his lack of game time for Villa, coming off the bench against Venezuela and starting the 2-0 win over Ecuador, was more effective than Federico Chiesa and could have scored a couple had he been a touch sharper in front of goal, which comes with actually playing football.
Noni Madueke
It’s probably fair to say the Luxembourg U21 defenders haven’t often had to cope with someone of Madueke’s quality, and Mauricio Pochettino probably isn’t getting too carried away with the winger’s display given the class gap, but he produced two lovely finishes that no goalkeeper is saving and was named Man of the Match after a game of Madueke gets ball; Madueke creates chance.
It’s that directness and (everyone’s new favourite football word) verticality that makes him a) such a threat and b) so much fun to watch. The big problem for Madueke – who’s started just four Premier League games this term and was withdrawn at half time in the last two – is Cole Palmer, whom he linked wonderfully well with when Palmer was still playing for the England U21s, and can do again if Pochettino moves Palmer into a central role to get Madueke into the team.
Giovani Lo Celso
What’s that classic phrase? Like London buses, you wait ages for a playmaker and then you sign one and realise you already had one, it’s just that he had been out on loan for 18 months having previously played under managers who don’t appreciate any of the qualities he has to offer.
Lo Celso provided the assist for the winner against Brazil in their last World Cup qualifier in November, having not yet started a game for Spurs this season other than the League Cup defeat to Fulham thanks to James Maddison’s brilliance, and started both of their friendly wins in this international break, scoring in the 3-0 win over El Salvador, having started one game this year for his club.
It would be great if Ange Postecoglou could squeeze both Lo Celso and Maddison into his team, but we can’t see it.
Giovani Lo Celso starred for Argentina in the international break.
Tyler Adams
Adams tore his right hamstring in training with Leeds over a year ago and and has played just 40 minutes of club football since, reinjuring the leg on his Bournemouth debut in September.
His absence has been enforced rather than a choice of Andoni Iraola, who presumably wants the USMNT captain in his Cherries team having made him his biggest signing of the summer at £24m.
He made it off the bench in Bournemouth’s dramatic 4-3 win over Luton last time out and may well play a more significant role against Everton on Saturday having marked his first start in 478 days in quite some style with a 30-yard screamer to open the scoring in USMNT’s CONCACAF Nations League final win over Mexico.