• Diego Carlos moves to Villa Park having spent three years at Sevilla
• The £26 million man brings a wealth of experience to the club
• He can be a key figure for Steven Gerrard’s side in the coming seasons

Aston Villa have been busy in the summer transfer window and Diego Carlos has the profile required to thrive in the Premier League.

A first team regular in Seville since joining from Nantes in 2019, their loss will be Villa’s gain and Steven Gerrard will be delighted to get this deal over the line.

Statistically, Carlos ticks plenty of boxes but will he adapt quickly to the pace of England’s top flight? Only time will tell…

The football transfer odds are hinting at more activity in the coming months and the Villa starting line-up could be full of new faces on the opening day of the season.

Without further ado, it’s time to take a look at Diego Carlos and his strengths, weaknesses and how he may fare in English football.

In Possession

The modern game is all about keeping possession and Carlos is your stereotypical Brazilian defender in that regard.

According to various online sources, Carlos completed more passes than any other defender in La Liga last season.

In fact, only Sergio Busquets made more passes overall – which shows best of all just how impressive Carlos’ statistics were.

He ended the 2021/22 season with 89% pass accuracy, an incredible achievement for any player let alone a central defender.

Diego Carlos deal has been officially completed between Aston Villa and Sevilla. “I am really happy because the Premier League is one of the best competitions”, he said. 🇧🇷 #AVFC 

“I always want to do the best for the club and the shirt I'm wearing”.

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 1, 2022

Versatility is another key trait of his, with many hinting that Carlos might be more influential in a holding midfield role – similar to the role taken up by David Luiz.

His calm and composed nature should help to ease pressure on the Villa defence as Gerrard continues to put his own stamp on proceedings.

Villa are odds on in most betting markets to finish in the top half this season and Carlos is the right type of player to lead the club to new heights.

Body On The Line

Any defender worth his salt needs to be willing to put their body on the line in any situation, no matter how precarious – Carlos certainly fits the bill here.

He finished the 2021/22 La Liga campaign with more blocks than any other defender and he was very influential in protecting the goal, particularly inside the 18-yard box.

Sevilla finished the campaign with the best defensive record in the league and Carlos was an integral figure throughout the campaign, helping the club to record 17 clean sheets.

Aston Villa often find themselves under the cosh, adopting a counter-attacking approach and Carlos’ presence at the heart of the defence will certainly give fans a boost.

He exudes confidence and charisma, throwing himself in the line of fire in a bid to protect his goalkeeper.

Whether playing alongside Tyrone Mings or not, Carlos can be a huge hit at Villa Park and he will be popular in Premier League predictions next term.

Reading The Game

Watch Virgil van Dijk and look how he reads the game – that is what separates him from his peers. Carlos is smart but he can certainly improve in that regard.

As previously mentioned, Villa often defend with a low block and so reading the game isn’t as important as it would be if they dominated possession.

However, Carlos will still be required to use his football brain and predict where attacks may or may not be dangerous and when to commit.

Intellect is now more important than ever before in the modern era and Carlos should look at the likes of Van Dijk and Antonio Rudiger when moulding his own game.

He has one of the best managers in the league for getting players drilled but the ability to understand and read passages of play comes naturally.

Weakness

Discipline has been a major problem for Carlos throughout his career, particularly when the pressure is turned up a notch.

Carlos was a star at the back for Sevilla throughout their successful Europa League campaign in 2019/20 but he found himself in a compromising position on several occasions.

He conceded a penalty in the quarter-final win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, the semi-final win over Manchester United and in the final itself against Inter Milan.

The Brazilian received 20 yellow cards in three seasons in La Liga and he will have to try and channel his aggression to avoid cautions in the Premier League.

While La Liga officials have a reputation for being card-happy, Premier League referees try not to brandish cards as frequently but Carlos’ reputation may precede him.

Watch this space – Carlos could thrive in England’s top flight but Villa fans should be wary of his hot-headed nature.

Will Diego Carlos Be A Hit?

Previously linked with Liverpool and Newcastle United, Carlos has been the subject of Premier League interest and that can only be viewed as a positive from a Villa perspective.

Gerrard will be over the moon to acquire a player of such experience and Carlos can be a leading figure at Villa Park for many years to come.

There is no way of knowing if a player will adapt to the Premier League or not but Carlos ticks plenty of boxes to enjoy a successful career in English football.

The Villa Park faithful should be happy enough. Carlos isn’t going to carry the club to the lofty heights of Europe on his own but he is a top calibre player.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 8th June 2022

Expert Steve Mullington gives his daily racing tips, including a NAP, NB and a Longshot. Scroll down now to find out horse racing tips Friday 10th June at Newton Abbot, Sandown and York...

Today's NAP (Best Bet)

6.51 Newton Abbot – Sebastopol

On official ratings the Tom Lacey-trained Sebastopol is a class above his rivals here and should take all the beating in this 2m ½f affair.

Sebastopol was last seen running third to N’golo in the Swinton hurdle at Haydock which was a fair enough result given that his previous six runs had all been over regulation chase fences, and he had taken to that sphere really well.

Lacey has switched him back to the big obstacles once again here and I can see the eight-year-old dominating from the front.

Forecast backers may want to consider Leapaway for the runner-up spot given that he filled the same spot behind our nap back in April at Chepstow.

Today's NB (Next Best)

2.20 Sandown – Liangel Hope

The Ontoawinner-owned Liangel Hope is having a fruitful three-year-old season thus far and can put up another bold show today under William Buick.

Trainer David O’Meara has been in cracking form this last fortnight or so and it is rare for any of his stable to underperform at the present moment.

Jockey William Buick is a class act too which makes Liangel Angel a really solid each-way proposition for any punters placing their horse racing online bets at Sandown on Friday.

A danger on paper could come from Alan King’s Reversion who has been gelded and tackles handicap company for the first time.

Today's Longshot

4.05 York – Ugo Gregory

Ugo Gregory showed glimmers of his old self at Beverley a fortnight ago and has lent himself to being a speculative each-way bet given his attractive weight in this field.

The six-year-old grey gelding has been a fairly prolific winner for Tim Easterby, winning 8 of his 45 starts and placing on 10 other occasions.

He was a course and distance scorer here last October and jockey Dave Allan has already partnered him to four of his victories.

An open affair like this usually requires more than one selection and a few each-way pennies will also be going the way of Wobwobwob who looks like a winner waiting to happen.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 8th June 2022

• Mikel Arteta has won over 54% of his matches in charge of Arsenal

• The former midfielder is embarking on a major restructuring of the Gunners’ squad

• Is Arteta the right man to lead Arsenal forward?

Despite some ups and downs during his Arsenal tenure, Mikel Arteta has rarely been favoured as the next Premier League manager to leave.

That hasn’t stopped fans speculating about his future at the club, however, particularly when big names have been on the market like Antonio Conte, Erik ten Hag and Zinedine Zidane.

This is the Gunners’ longest run outside the top four since the 1970s. Arteta led them to fifth in 2021/22, bouncing back after consecutive campaigns down in eighth, but this is still a club far from where they expect to be.

Heading into 2022/23, online betting prices them as sixth favourites for the title, far behind Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United.

The days of frustration at their consistency under Arsene Wenger have drifted into the history books. The post-Wenger years have been rocky for a club which was so stable throughout the Premier League era.

Expecting a rookie manager like Arteta to provide Wenger-like results isn’t fair, and Arsenal were clearly in for the long haul when they handed the Spaniard the reins.

Some are already doubting Arteta, though, and even with the club exercising patience, there will be a moment when they ask if he’s the right man.

Challenges Facing Arsenal

Arsenal made the Champions League every season between 2000/01 and 2016/17. They have not featured in Europe’s premier club competition since, hitting their revenues hard and eliminating them from the elite group of European clubs.

With a late-season collapse under Arteta, the Gunners once again missed out on a top four spot in 2021/22, instead having to settle for a Europa League berth.

Premier League teams still have a financial advantage over the majority of clubs in Europe’s top five leagues.

The Emirates is becoming the fortress Mikel Arteta always wanted.🏟💪🏼 pic.twitter.com/LhoKD4yINw

— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) June 6, 2022

Arsenal’s television and sponsorship deals enable them to pay far larger wages than their peers in Germany, Spain, Italy and France, but recruitment is a different game when there is no lure of Champions League football.

Naturally, a club’s spending is more controlled without the riches associated with the top level of continental football, too.

On a domestic level, they cannot compete with the Manchester clubs or Liverpool for players. The same has been true of Chelsea, too. Tottenham now have a high-profile manager and Champions League football to offer.

When 2022/23 begins, Arteta and Arsenal are competing with United, Chelsea and Spurs for the final two spots in the top four. Their squad is clearly the weakest of that quartet.

Understrength Squad

‘Rebuild’ is overused in football. Teams cannot bottom out and restock their squad with young talent through the draft like in the NFL or NBA, nor do they receive prospects in return for letting veterans go.

Arteta has been overseeing an overhaul of the senior squad, however, with Alexandre Lacazette following Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out the door this summer. Their core should all have their peak years ahead of them.

While Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel and Ben White will all improve in the coming seasons, this squad is a work in progress. Not all of those six will reach their ceilings.

It’s uncertain if any will get close to the elite levels of Liverpool and Manchester City’s core players, which is what Arteta needs if he’s to make this team into a real challenger.

The latest Premier League football odds paint an accurate picture of where Arsenal stand in the Premier League hierarchy. This is a club working at a disadvantage to the rest of the traditional top six both from a financial and talent standpoint.

The way the season ended may reflect poorly on Arteta, but this isn’t an easy job at the moment. There are higher aspirations at the club, yet fifth has to be viewed as a good finish for this group.

Arteta’s Outlook

Despite the circumstances, a slow start to next season will see more discussion of next Arsenal manager betting. Manchester United will be better under ten Hag after the shambles of Ralf Rangnick’s tenure.

West Ham spent much of the season ahead of Arsenal before their attentions turned to the Europa League. Chelsea and Spurs will both be stronger.

As such, it’s difficult to really evaluate Arteta as yet. This summer will be significant for shaping the squad for the next five-plus years with the wage bill having been cut significantly with the departures of Aubameyang and Lacazette.

It might be the end of 2022/23 when we really get an idea of Arteta’s managerial ability against the best in the league. It might be another 12 months from then.

The manner of their 2021/22 demise was a point of frustration, and Arsenal have put in some poor performances against their supposed peers, but is this team any better than fifth right now?

Arteta has not dazzled in his first 131 matches in charge, nor has he underachieved. The semi-final and final wins in their FA Cup triumph could be viewed as a taster of what he could produce with a deeper, more talented squad.

Alternatively, a counter could be made that finishing ahead of a dysfunctional Manchester United and distracted West Ham is barely an achievement. Being any lower than fifth would have been a very poor season.

Fans might grow impatient with Arteta, and understandably so. It is unusual in the 21st century to say a manager needs more time with over 130 matches at the club, but a glance at Premier League predictions for next season shows how far Arsenal need to go.

Arteta hasn’t been perfect, though that’s no surprise for a man who arrived with no managerial experience. It has been a slow process nudging Arsenal back towards the top four.

While others (such as a certain Italian at the Premier League’s other north London club) might have brought better short-term results, Arsenal invested in a long-term vision with Arteta.

There are shoots of progress both in his management and the development of their under-25 core. It was never going to be a quick fix, and Arsenal risk undermining all the work over the last couple of years if they change course this summer.