10 January Transfers Everyone Wants To See: #6 Mario Lemina

Mario Lemina of Southampton during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Southampton FC at Goodison Park on August 18, 2018 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

(Aug. 17, 2018 - Source: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Europe)

No matter how good some players are, football players or otherwise – they kind of need a bigger turf or neighbourhood to show that they belong, to prove that they have the “it” factor. Such is the story of some of the most exciting professional footballers in the game today, they can only become as big as the club they play for and we have a few names that many would want to see move to other pastures. Some have been rumoured away from their clubs and some haven’t but sooner rather than later, transfers are inevitable. The sixth one is actually my personal favourite.

We have repeatedly featured Gabonese international Mario Lemina, here on FirstTouch, more so on his unexploited potential at the Saints. The 25-year-old central midfielder joined EPL side, Southampton for what was actually a club record fee of £15.4 million in the summer of 2017 from Italian Serie A giants, Juventus. Lemina is a huge physical presence in the Southampton midfield, astute in his dealings, technically gifted and possessing a rare ability to slow down or increase the tempo of the game at will. He really can be a real conductor of the midfield orchestra but has quite recently been reduced to only breaking up attacks as Southampton is continually in the fight to stay alive and relevant in the Premier League. Mario is most certainly becoming a hidden gem, lacking the exposure to shine or the specialist to cut it to perfection as a result of the Saints’ challenges. His talent is basically suffocating and a move away could be the needed right of way, one that am overly excited about. PSG’s has already shown interest in getting the Gabonese to Parc de Princes as a possible replacement to the departing Adrien Rabiot. A reported £30 million bid is being lined up and you one cannot possibly belittle the rumour given the Parisians shockingly captured another African star, Eric Maxim Choupo Moting from relegated Stoke City in the summer. Should the move materialise, a new lease of life to Lemina could be one that puts him in a position of similar dominance to his compatriot, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but in a slightly different position.

“Mario is most certainly becoming a hidden gem, lacking the exposure to shine or the specialist to cut it to perfection as a result of the Saints’ challenges. His talent is basically suffocating and a move away could be the needed right of way, one that am overly excited about.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Giroud and Morata goals send Chelsea to the final of the FA Cup

Antonio Conte’s men are on a mission to salvage their season after failing to defend the English Premier League title which they won comfortably last season. They were looking to get one over the Saints and book a place in the final with Manchester United. Southampton also went into the game with an added motivation to defeat Chelsea who defeated them 2-3 at home on the 14th of April. The wounds were still fresh after letting a 2-0 advantage turn into a loss.

Willian set him himself up and fired a shot on the crossbar while Hazard had a couple of chances blocked before Olivier Giroud, who was preferred to Morata in the lineup, missed a couple of volleys in the first half. However, this did not stop him from turning up with a fantastic goal just a minute into the second half. Those that know Giroud from his days at Arsenal are aware of the fact that the forward might not be a 30 goal-a-season striker but he has a neck for memorable goals. Giroud received a pass from Eden Hazard before going for a Messi-like dribble as he wiggled past four defenders and beat the goalkeeper before finishing with his weak foot into the net. Surprised? Well, you shouldn’t. There is a reason why the striker is always called up to the French national team even when he is not in the best of form because he delivers when everyone least expects him to.

Southampton created a couple of chances themselves, and Shane Long found himself in acres of space with only the goalkeeper to beat but could not finish past the keeper. He tried to round the keeper who had read his thoughts and ended up over kicking the ball out for a goal kick. Southampton we denied a penalty on the 67th minute when Austin headed the ball onto Giroud’s hand, but the referee waved play on. Redmond had a rocket shot from outside the box miraculously saved by Caballero. Morata came from the bench to score the second of the night from an Azpilicueta cross. That was it, and Southampton were knocked out of the semifinals. Chelsea will then be facing Manchester United at Wembley Stadium in the final of the FA Cup. Who do you think will win?

Marcos Alonso receives a 3 match ban

Chelsea met Southampton last Saturday and the London team came out the victors with 3-2 score line. Southampton failed to build up on their win against Arsenal in the previous week. An issue was raised to the Independent Regulatory Commission board concerning the clash between Marcos Alonso and Shane Long on the 44th minute in the match that was played during the weekend. Initially, the referee gave no card to the Chelsea defender because he did not have a clear view of how Alonso caught the English forward but a lot was expected from the fourth official, Roger East, who was directly in front of the pair when the incident happened. The Spanish left-back has been charged with violent conduct which can be seen in video replays as he stepped on Long’s calf when he could retain the ball from the striker. The ban is set at 3 matches and the player still denies the charge. This means that Alonso will not be available for selection against Southampton again in the FA Cup semifinal as well as Premier League matches against Burnley and Swansea City. This could be the chance that new signing Palmieri would take as he is expected to replace the Spaniard in defense and make a claim for a starting spot for next season.

Reiss Nelson close to signing new deal

The young Arsenal forward who has been on everyone’s lips since his pre-season match against Benfica, has been handed a couple of first team appearances this season. The player was primarily deployed in the right-wingback position in a make-shift 3-4-3 formation when the manager wanted to rest Bellerin and the Ox before he left for Liverpool. He has made 15 appearances in total and his full debut in the EPL came in the last match between Arsenal and Southampton which was played at the Emirates and he was placed in a more advanced position i.e. right wing. Reiss Nelson is an energetic 18 year old winger who has the confidence of beating any defender he comes against. The player has revealed that the club have decided to reward him with a new contract after his decent performances for Arsenal and he is willing to sign it.

Here’s what he had to say, “It is a big achievement to sign for a big club like Arsenal so I'm just delighted with the contract and hopeful that I can sign it soon.”

The England under 19 player was one of the many names that were anticipated to be handed first team opportunities by Wenger after the club fell back in the top 4 race and the club shifted their focus towards qualifying for the UEFA Champions League through the Europa League.  

Arsenal win 3-2 against Southampton

The Arsenal side that has been largely disappointing this season conceded a goal on the 17th minute. Mustafi was at fault for not paying attention to Shane Long behind him who ran ahead of the defender and pocked the ball into the back of the net to give an early lead to the visitors. Petr Cech was furious at the defender for sleeping in the match and the gunners required their star signing to save them. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang scored next in the match to bring the teams level on scores. This goal means that the striker has scored 6 goals and provided 1 assist in the 7 games that he has played in ever since joining Arsenal in the winter transfer window. This is a record matched by no other player in the history of the club. Indeed, it is a great start for the African player. Danny Welbeck followed that up with a fine goal for himself when he cut inside from the left and scored a deflected shot past the Southampton goalkeeper. Both teams created opportunities to score more before and after the break. Charlie Austin was brought on from the bench and was met by Cedric’s cross to score for Southampton just 2 minutes after coming on. Welbeck squandered an opportunity to score his second of the night when he was set up through on goal with a pass from Wilshere which he blazed over from less than 3 yards out. He finally redeemed himself as he scored Arsenal’s third on the 81st minute by heading in Iwobi’s cross. The match saw some controversial decisions as Stephens got a red card on the 92nd minute for a clash with Wilshere which saw him take down the Arsenal man to the floor. Elneny also got his marching orders a minute later for shoving Cedric. This result means that Arsenal have closed the gap on Chelsea to just three points as the blues drew 1-1 against West Ham United.

Teammate Delaney talks about the importance of the Ivorian

Damien Delaney is lamenting on the injury woes that are keeping their star man on the sidelines. The 36-year old believes that Wilfried Zaha is the man to take Crystal Palace to safety. The Ivorian forward is currently struggling to remain fit but has dazzled the fans with some fantastic displays which have resulted in 4 goals and two assists. Delaney is quoted as having said, “Without him, we lose someone with the ability to release pressure.” Such is the dependence of a club on a young African forward who has a promising future. Palace is currently sitting on 16th position with a 2 point advantage over Southampton who are also in the relegation battle.  

Luke Shaw could be on his way out of Manchester United

The English left back moved to Manchester United from Southampton in 2014 as a promising teenager who looked capable of becoming one of the best players in the world under the right manager. He has since suffered from injuries that have hindered his progress at Old Trafford. Mourinho took over at United in 2016 and has showed that he does not trust the player’s abilities. Instead of looking after a fragile young player and boosting his confidence, Mourinho has criticized the 22-year old defender whenever he has set his feet on the pitch. He was once quoted as having said that, “Shaw had a good game because he was using his body and I was controlling his brain because I was telling him what he had to do with the ball.” Some analysts have since come up with theories to explain the pair’s relationship suggesting that the Portuguese manager might be bitter over the fact that Shaw chose United over Chelsea in 2014 when he was still at the helm of the West London club. It is clear that Mourinho will not prioritize the player so he should seriously consider his future in the summer.   

Chelsea win 2-1 in extra time

Antonio Conte proves he has still got it as his team fought hard for him against Leicester City in a match which they won 2-1 in extra time. First, it was Alvaro Morata who was out to prove his critics wrong who have been at his back for not living up to expectations. Some believe that he does not deserve to start for Chelsea ahead of Giroud because he is out of confidence. Nonetheless, it did not prevent him from scoring the opener in the 42nd minute. There was nothing much in the match after the break before Vardy deservedly evened the scores in the 76th minute. 90 minutes passed and still, there was no winner. The match had to go to extra time where N’golo, in an unfamiliar position to the right, whipped a beautiful cross and it was headed home by the Spanish Pedro of all people on 105 minutes. That was it for the night as both teams tried to score more with nothing materializing. Chelsea are up against Southampton next in the semis whom are now under the coach Mark Hughes who won 2-1 against Wigan in his first game in charge. Game on!

The cycle continues at Southampton

Mauricio Pellegrino is the latest Premier League manager to face the sack after a chain of disappointing results. It is recorded that the average Premier League manager does not last longer than 1 year and 3 months. The Southampton manager has been let go after a run of one win in the last 17 games. He confirmed on Saturday that his players looked like they had given up when they lost 3-0 to newly promoted Newcastle. The club have now decided that new management is the solution for the team that has been playing some entertaining football in the past few years. Assistant manager Carlos Compagnucci and first-team coach Xavier Tamarit have also parted company with the club. Do you think that this culture of sacking managers in the Premier League is the only way to guarantee success?

Batman in Town!

About a year ago, the English Premier League was in awe of the performances of Liverpool attacker Sadio Mane who had joined the team from Southampton. He graced the stench supporters of the Merseysiders who had lacked quality in the final third after having lost Suarez, Sterling and losing Daniel Sturridge to injuries. Now the 2017/18 season brought more excitement to the League through the team’s acquisition of a gem in Mo Salah who has surprised most by his goals. But that is not the end of it. Arsenal have brought their own.

Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (nicknamed the Batman for his heroic antics) is a prolific goalscorer proven in the German Bundesliga where he outscored Robert Lewandowski before his move to Arsenal. Aubameyang’s move created a buzz and brought hope to the Arsenal side that have been struggling in recent months if not years. He showed early signs of what he is capable of when he chipped Jordan Pickford as he scored Arsenal’s fourth goal against Everton. We hope the striker lights up the league as his predecessors in Mahrez, Mane and Salah in recent years.