All posts by h716a5.icu

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Arsenal visit Manchester City this weekend and will be hoping to pile more misery on the reigning Premier League champions while subsequently reducing the gap on London rivals Spurs – the Gunners, though, are thin in defence due to a number of injuries but this may be a blessing in disguise.

On the chalkboard

Unai Emery will surely be scratching his head over how he can approach Saturday’s clash with City; Sokratis Papasthathopolous, Hector Bellerin and Rob Holding are completely out of the picture, while Laurent Koscielny is being assessed (per Arsenal’s official club website).

The former Sevilla boss has chopped and changed frequently in a bid to find the right blend in his Arsenal side, but the lengthy list of wounded means his options are limited.

However, the lack of defenders may mean Emery is forced into a three-at-the-back approach, particularly due to the lack of pace now that Bellerin is sidelined. If the Gunners’ honchos tuned in for City’s defeat to Newcastle on Wednesday night, they would see that this is the key to besting Pep Guardiola’s men.

Flood the midfield

City have lost four Premier League games this season, three of which have come against teams in the bottom half. Crystal Palace got the better of the Etihad Stadium outfit before Christmas and the Magpies ran out 2-1 winners on Wednesday night – Palace played with five men in midfield while Newcastle’s wing-backs offered their men in the middle plenty of support, which is crucial to thwarting the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva.

Nacho Monreal’s lack of pace would surely leave him exposed on the counter by Raheem Sterling or Riyad Mahrez and so tucking the Spaniard into a back-three might be the best option, with Sead Kolasinac providing cover at left-wing-back. At the same time, the Bosnian and (most likely) Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the opposite flank can push up to support the engine room and help congest the middle of the park.

With Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up top, the Gunners still possess plenty of attacking talent to upset the Cityzens – playing with three-at-the-back enables both to start and Emery to play the five-man midfield which is becoming City’s kryptonite.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Theo Ogden was at the Emirates on Friday to see Alexis Sanchez come back to haunt Arsenal. Check out Gunners’ fans reactions in the video above…

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard would have known that this January was going to be monumental in shaping his team’s season. 

With The Gers breathing down bitter rivals Celtic’s necks, they needed to add to their squad to make them that bit more competitive and push them to the next level in order to stop Brendan Rodgers’ men winning a historic tenth Scottish title in a row.

There was a lot of pressure for the Ibrox club to come up with the goods this January, and with that in mind, here are the club’s two biggest mistakes:

Not forward thinking

First of all, it must be said that Rangers did sign some young players this month such as Glen Kamara, who is 23, and Matt Polster, who is 25, but they also recruited some slightly older players in Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis.

The England striker Defoe is 36, and the 107-cap Northern Ireland international Davis is 34- both are great players, but are at the wrong end of their careers. Both were only loan signings, meaning that they will only have short stays at Ibrox, but it does give the indication that the club are only really thinking about this season.

This is not saying that Defoe and Davis are not good players, far from it. In fact, there is little doubt that they will improve their teams, but it does not answer the question as to where Rangers are going to be next season or the season after. This is a short-termist approach, and while it may pay off this season, if Rangers want to end Celtic’s run of dominance in Scotland, they need to build a squad for the future.

Not strengthening their defence

With the additions of Davis and Kamara, Rangers have gone a long way to enhancing their midfield for the rest of the season. Likewise, Defoe fills the gaping hole at the top of the field that needed to be filled to create a partner for Alfredo Morelos or even to replace the Colombian.

However, a problem lingering over Rangers at the beginning of the window was the state of their defence. They were not necessarily low on numbers, but were perhaps lacking in the quality needed to win titles.

Loanee Joe Worrall has been trusted by Gerrard on a number of times this season but has not necessarily repaid the manager’s trust. He has failed to win over a large portion of the fans and his manager would not want to rely on him too often. Likewise, fellow centre-back Gareth McAuley is now 39 years of age, and may not be able to last the season. Gerrard will need to therefore balance the workload among his defenders, and a new addition would have been very beneficial. Rangers fans will hope that Gerrard has a plan.

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West Ham fans have taken to Twitter to criticise the officiating in their 1-1 draw with Liverpool at the London Stadium on Monday night, after a shoddy decision from the linesman ultimately cost them all three points against the league leaders.

With the scores level at 0-0, James Milner crossed for Sadio Mane to control inside the box, before slotting in the opener to give Jurgen Klopp’s men the lead.

However, replays showed that Milner was offside, and that the linesman wasn’t anywhere near to being up to speed and in line with the play.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The Hammers did go on to grab an equaliser through Michail Antonio, although they will rightly feel aggrieved after a poor piece of officiating potentially robbed them of a historic win.

The draw now means that Liverpool sit precariously above Manchester City by just three points, although West Ham fans on Twitter don’t care about the title race one bit after being hard done by…

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According to The Express, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has identified Leeds United winger Jack Clarke as one of his targets for the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Liverpool welcomed no new arrivals in the January transfer window but their attentions already appear to be on the summer market. The Reds have apparently watched Clarke on several occasions, with Klopp having been impressed with the reports he’s received on the 18-year-old.

Liverpool are currently well-stocked in the wide areas, with the likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Xherdan Shaqiri all having impressed on the flanks this season. The teenager would certainly have a job displacing any of these experienced first team stars at Anfield, but the Leeds academy product is certainly a tremendously exciting talent.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

One for the future

Clarke has been in fine form at Elland Road this season. It is easy to see why Klopp might have earmarked him as a star of the future, and Liverpool could likely strike a deal for his services this summer for an affordable fee.

However, the winger should not come straight to Anfield. Too much time spent so far down the pecking order there could easily hamper the attacker’s development. Instead, Liverpool should sign him and then send him straight back out on loan.

If Leeds are able to secure promotion to the top flight this season then another campaign at Elland Road working under Marcelo Bielsa and gaining Premier League experience would be the best thing for Clarke’s development, and would also give him a great chance of succeeding at Anfield in the future.

Liverpool’s 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich on Tuesday showed signs that their relatively free schedule compared to Manchester City could be their downfall in the Premier League title race.

The Reds no longer feature in the FA Cup and won’t be playing in the Carabao Cup Final on Sunday because they were knocked out in the early rounds after fielding weakened sides. This could be a masterstroke because, as City find out regularly, fixture congestions test the depth and fitness of your squad, and Liverpool simply don’t have enough depth to deal with it.

However, at times the best way to recover from poor form or continue good form is to play quickly after it, something Liverpool won’t be able to do when FA Cup weekends crop up or they’re out of the Champions League, which could be the case considering the prospect of having to win at Bayern Munich. Their prioritisation could come back to bite them.

Jurgen Klopp’s men were warm-weather training in Marbella for a week prior to the Bayern game and when it came to the final pass or shot on Tuesday night, it looked like they thought they were still there. Liverpool were lacking the cutting edge we saw early this season and last season, as they have since the year turned quite frankly.

Yes, it’s important that in a title run-in players have chance to rest before their next match, but a week’s rest may be too much and could be even more detrimental than playing every three or four days. This is certainly the case when the extra games City are playing involve teams of much less quality like Rotherham, Burton, Swansea and even Schalke in the Champions League.

If City get past Schalke, they could face a much tougher draw in the next round and that will certainly test their ability to play across three competitions, as it will be by then. Liverpool’s position in the Champions League is less assured, but those who would prioritise the Premier League over Europe should hope Liverpool remain in the competition.

Without playing regularly, Liverpool could become lethargic as it looked in and around the box on Tuesday, so their weapon of prioritisation could become their own worst enemy in the title race.

Do you think Liverpool staying in the Champions League would help or hinder their Premier League title chances?

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Leicester City have parted company with manager Claude Puel, the club have confirmed on their official website.

The Foxes announced on Sunday that Puel has left the King Power Stadium. Puel joined the club in October 2017 but has struggled in the dugout this season.

Leicester are currently 12th in the Premier League but were beaten 4-1 by Crystal Palace on Saturday in what has proved to be the Frenchman’s final game in charge.

Indeed, the club have not won a game since New Year’s Day, when they defeated Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park.

Since then, Puel has seen his side beaten by Southampton, Wolves, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Palace in the Premier League, along with Newport County in the FA Cup. A surprise 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield is the last point the club picked up.

And Leicester fans are now anticipating the club’s next move, with many calling for either Brendan Rodgers or Rafael Benitez to come into the fold.

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Tottenham welcome Arsenal to Wembley on Saturday in a match that could now have huge top four implications, and Mauricio Pochettino should do the unthinkable and drop Harry Kane.

Kane has escaped punishment for a possible head-butt in Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, per Sky Sports, but should the striker miss out on Saturday anyway?

It seems utterly ridiculous to even entertain the notion that Kane, who has scored six goals in his seven appearances against Arsenal, would not start the derby, but the talisman does not look fully fit.

The 25 year-old has just returned well ahead of schedule from an ankle injury, something he has struggled with in the past, and playing three intense games in seven days may just be a step too far.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas which Arsenal players would get into the Tottenham team ahead of the North London Derby – Check out the video below…

Off the pace

For a player returning from a serious ankle injury, a trip to face an extremely physical Burnley side followed by two London derbies is about as brutal as it gets, and Kane is clearly feeling the effects.

The England captain looked heavy-footed and out of sorts in the 2-0 defeat against Chelsea, and he didn’t exactly have a top performance at Turf Moor despite finding the back of the net.

Whoscored rate his performance at Stamford Bridge at 6.05, the joint-lowest score he has recorded this season along with the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.

A boost for Son?

Shocking the world by benching Kane could also fire Son Heung-min back into form, who has struggled since the main man returned to the team.

Son had scored in four consecutive games in Kane’s absence, but has failed to score or assist in either of his showings since the striker’s return, and his scintillating showings have turned into drab displays with virtually no effect on the game.

The South Korean speedster clearly thrives in the spaces around a more traditional target man like Fernando Llorente, and he also showed in the Carabao Cup contest earlier this season that his pace can rip Arsenal to shreds if he is deployed up front.

The Gunners are very thin in defence due to an injury crisis, and stunning them with the pace of Son and/or the physicality of Llorente could restore Tottenham’s fortunes.

And hey, if it all goes horribly wrong, Kane isn’t exactly a bad super-sub to have in the back pocket.

Jurgen Klopp will be hopeful of once again being given the blessing to spend big this summer. 

Having not spent a single penny in the January transfer window, the German can surely expect a hefty amount to spend on some talented players this summer instead.

With Liverpool deep in a title race, on first glance it may appear that they don’t need any more players. However, considering the relentless nature of top-level football and all the money at the top end of the game, that simply isn’t the case.

Indeed, the best teams stay on top by making improvements and never standing still in the transfer market.

With that in mind, one man Klopp would do very well to acquire in a bid to better his squad is Sevilla’s midfield maestro Pablo Sarabia.

Sarabia, (who is valued at £36 million on Transfermarkt) has been in sensational form for the Spanish side this season and will undoubtedly be a target for many a team this summer.

Last season he would have been delighted to record nine goals and ten assists, whilst this season already, he’s smashed that by scoring an incredible 19 times, as well as registering 13 assists from his attacking-midfield role.

The 26-year-old oozes class in the middle of the park and would complement the likes of Fabinho and Naby Keita extremely well.

Whilst those two put in the hard yards defensively, Pablo Sarabia has the on-the-ball quality to make things happen, whether that’s scoring himself or providing a killer ball through for his team-mate.

Liverpool are still yet to find someone with the ability to fill the void of Philippe Coutinho and at times this season, have really lacked the cutting edge that a creative-minded player would bring to their team.

26-year-old Pablo Sarabia is in the form of his life and could do a very good job in adding even more quality to Liverpool’s ranks.

Liverpool fans, thoughts? 

Marcelo Bielsa continues to make Leeds fans dream as promotion to the Premier League is very much in their sights, which is hard to believe when you consider the position they found themselves in under the likes of Paul Heckingbottom and Thomas Christiansen last season.

Interestingly, Leeds United fans are now fully aware of Samu Saiz’s intentions as he reportedly wants to move to another club in Spain if Getafe opt against signing him permanently, so a summer replacement could be required.

And, much to the delight of supporters, it appears as if the Whites already have their sights set on a possible replacement for the Spaniard, as according to talkSPORT, Leeds United are interested in QPR’s Luke Freeman but any potential deal could depend on whether Bielsa’s side secure promotion to the Premier League.

Leeds can kill two birds with one stone by bringing Freeman to the club as he could easily replace Saiz at the heart of the attack, with his pace, creativity and finishing ability making him a very similar player. Also, the Englishman has been a constant threat in the final third having produced nine goals and six assists in all competitions and could provide that extra bit of quality that would be required to unlock some of England’s best defences in the top-flight.

Many fans have been pleasantly surprised by Tyler Roberts’ performances in recent times, but Luke Freeman is naturally creative and deserves a step up. Although, the QPR star upset Leeds fans towards the end of last month as he dented their promotion hopes slightly by netting the winner at Loftus Road.

Leeds United fans, do you think Luke Freeman could do a job at Elland Road if you get promoted? 

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to discuss a potential move for Real Madrid midfielder James Rodriguez, with the bulk of fans wanting the club to steer clear of a swoop for the Colombian international.

The former Porto and Monaco star has been on loan with Bayern Munich for the entirety of the current campaign as well as last season, having joined the club on a two-year loan move back in 2017.

Is Jurgen Klopp a “serial bottler”? The fan in the video below certainly thinks so…

Los Blancos completed a deal worth £71m to bring the attacking midfielder to the Santiago Bernabeu after Rodriguez’s stunning 2014 World Cup campaign, in which he won the Golden Boot with six goals.

However, since the Spanish giants decided to ship him off to Germany, he has looked a shadow of his former self. As a result, many Liverpool fans don’t want him to arrive at Anfield, especially for a reported fee of around £70m.

The 27-year-old has just four goals and three assists in the Bundesliga this term, and the Reds supporters on Twitter certainly aren’t keen on seeing him in the colours of Liverpool…