Highly-Rated Hibs star draws attention from Premier League
Both Nottingham Forest and Leeds are said to be exploring a January bid for 23-year-old Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan. After joining from Dundee in the summer, Mulligan has impressed in David Gray’s midfield, making 24 appearances across all competitions. He has stood out as a consistent performer for the Leith side, registering a goal and three assists so far this season. His eye-catching form earned him a first senior call-up to Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad in October, where he featured as an unused substitute against Belarus at Hampden. Mulligan could be a vital player for Hibernian as they face a challenging schedule over the Christmas period, which includes difficult away matches at Ibrox and Tannadice, followed by a crucial Edinburgh Derby at Easter Road and a game against Aberdeen.
McInnes sees “Maturity” from Standout Devlin
Hearts reclaimed their three-point gap at the summit of the Scottish Premiership against Celtic, but Derek McInnes remains fully focused on the next “challenge” as they look to build on their Parkhead victory. Speaking to the media on Wednesday afternoon, the Hearts manager referenced the significance of Sunday’s result. “For us, it was important to try and get back to winning ways. I think we all needed to feel that win again, after being really spoiled with wins. We had loads of wins at the start, and it just became synonymous, and you get used to it, and you become obsessed with winning, which is no bad thing.” The 2-1 triumph over Celtic ended the Jambos’ spell of four straight games without victory. The winless run also erased their eight-point lead at the top of the league. “You have to dig deep and get the result, so I think the whole club needed the win, the support, players, everybody, so it was nice to get that.” “But it’s only three points, and there’s another challenge on Saturday, but the performance last time was what I hoped for, and thankfully, we got the job done. Midfielder Cammy Devlin has been a prominent feature for McInnes in the opening sixteen league games. The manager is pleased that the Australian is receiving “recognition” for his consistency. “I always thought Cammy was a good player, and he’s got to take the credit for the improvements in his game this season,” “I think we’re seeing a lot more maturity in his performances, a lot more leadership, a lot more prominent, not just when he’s on the ball, but I think he’s got big influence, which you want from your centre-midfield players.” “Cammy’s been a player who’s been so consistent, and it’s nice that he’s getting a bit of recognition for that.” “I’d like that recognition to come when he signs his contract a bit more, but it’s nice nonetheless.” Hearts face Falkirk on Saturday evening, looking to extend their lead to six points ahead of champions Celtic.
Club Brugge vs Arsenal – Match Preview
Arsenal travel to Belgium to face Club Brugge in the Champions League. Ivan Leko’s side go into this clash off the back of a 3-2 defeat in the league against St.Truiden. That result means that Club Brugge now sit in 3rd place , behind St.Truiden on 33 points and behind the league leaders Union St.Gilloise, who sit on 37 points. Arsenal also goes into this encounter off the back of a narrow defeat, losing 2-1 to Aston Villa courtesy of a stoppage time winner from Buendia. Arsenal remains top of the Premier League despite defeat; however, the gap has now shrunk significantly. Manchester City now sit 2 points behind the Gunners and Aston Villa are now only 3 points behind. Club Brugge were defeated in their last Champions League encounter, losing 3-0 to Portuguese outfit Sporting CP. The Belgian outfit have played 5 matches so far in the Champions League, winning 1, drawing 1 and losing 3, with their 1 win coming against Monaco in a 4-1 win. Arsenal have enjoyed the perfect start to their Champions League campaign. Mikel Arteta’s side have won all 5 of their Champions League fixtures, including a 3-1 win against Bayern Munich. Furthermore, the North London outfit have scored 14 goals and only let in 1, which is the best defensive record in the competition thus far. Following defeat in their previous league encounter, Club Brugge announced the sacking of Nicky Hayen. Nicky won 52 of his 88 matches across all competitions, drawing 16 and losing 20. His successor, Leko, has experience managing Club Brugge. The Croatian managed the Belgian side from June 2017 until June 2019, in that spell he won the Belgian League and the Belgian Super Cup. Arsenal have confirmed that Max Dowman has been removed from the Champions League squad through injury. Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus replaces him. In continuation, Declan Rice, Leandro Trossard and William Saliba were not spotted in today’s training session. However, youngsters Josh Nichols, Louie Copley, Marcell Washington and Marli Salmon were all involved.
