With Henrikh Mkhitaryan cup-tied, an Arsenal victory in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday will require some effective re-jostling of their forward line from Arsene Wenger, the ultimate point of contention being the left flank – Mesut Ozil looks set to create play from the right, while January signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will almost certainly lead the line.
Following the departure of Alexis Sanchez, the north London outfit don’t exactly boast an embarrassment of riches in that position. But the main candidates to face Manchester City there on Sunday are England international Danny Welbeck and 21-year-old Alex Iwobi.
We put that exact selection headache to Arsenal fans earlier this week, and it was the latter who came out on top in our poll with a convincing 73% of Gunners supporters voting in his favour.
The Nigerian international hasn’t always impressed this term but it appears Arsenal fans back him far more than Welbeck, whose campaign has once again been disrupted by injury problems.
How would you line up Wenger’s side on Sunday, Arsenal fans? Let us know by commenting below…
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Rangers announced on Wednesday evening that full-back James Tavernier has signed a new three-and-a-half year deal at the club, extending his contract which was due to run out in 2019.
The full-back has been in excellent form for his club this season, scoring six goals and providing eight assists from the right hand side of defence, arguably becoming the best in his position in Scottish football.
Retaining his talents for his peak years is fantastic news for the Light Blues, who know that retaining their best players is just as important as attracting new stars to the club if they’re ever going to compete with Celtic.
Tavernier can’t close the gap on the Scottish champions on his own, but he’s a player who has the determination to win major honours at Ibrox and can certainly play a big role.
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Fans were left absolutely delighted by the news he’ll be staying and took to Twitter to share their thoughts…
Tottenham Hotspur will look to cement their spot in the top four of the Premier League when they host Huddersfield Town at Wembley on Saturday.
Spurs had spent some time outside of the Champions League qualification spots after struggling to hit the heights they did last season, but a late 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park last weekend combined with Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat against Manchester United saw them climb up to fourth.
Harry Kane’s 88th-minute goal proved to be the difference between the two teams in south London, and Mauricio Pochettino will know that his team have a potential opportunity to increase the gap between them and Antonio Conte’s side into the latest round of fixtures given the Blues face a tough-looking trip to runaway leaders Manchester City on Sunday.
The north London outfit followed up three points with a comfortable 6-1 win against Rochdale in their fifth round FA Cup replay during the week, and they will hope to make it six wins on the bounce at Wembley in all competitions against the Terriers, who are just three points above the relegation zone and in desperate need of points themselves.
Pochettino was forced to make changes to his team against Palace because of injury with Jan Vertonghen missing out, while Erik Lamela and Serge Aurier also replaced Kieran Trippier and Son Heung-Min respectively in the starting line-up.
Following some impressive individual performances in the thrashing of Rochdale the Argentine boss may well be considering making some alterations against David Wagner’s men.
Here is how Tottenham must line up against Huddersfield on Saturday, ahead of Hugo Lloris in goal…
Defence
Pochettino lined up with a back four of Serge Aurier, Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier and Ben Davies against Crystal Palace last weekend, and he should definitely make one change.
The former continues to be a bit of a liability and produced three foul throws against the Eagles, and it is time for the more reliable Kieran Trippier to come back into the XI for the visit of Huddersfield.
Tottenham announced on Friday that Jan Vertonghen was back in training after an ankle problem but unless he is 100% fit he should start the game on the substitutes’ bench, especially with the huge Champions League last 16 second leg tie against Juventus to come on Wednesday night.
Midfield
Dier dropping into the backline at Selhurst Park meant that Victor Wanyama came into the XI to make his first Premier League since he returned from a knee injury at the start of 2018.
The Kenya international produced an impressive performance alongside the in-form Mousa Dembele in the middle of the park, and there is no doubt that the duo should start together again for the visit of Huddersfield to ensure that Tottenham don’t slip up in a match they need to win to boost their chances of finishing in the top four.
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Attack
The January addition of Lucas Moura and the return of Erik Lamela from injury has given Pochettino plenty of headaches in the attacking midfield positions in recent weeks.
The latter got the nod ahead of Son Heung-Min against Crystal Palace, but the South Korean forward and Lucas both shone against Rochdale during the week and should be in contention to start against Huddersfield.
Meanwhile, Dele Alli hasn’t been at his best in the last few matches and the Argentine boss should look to leave him on the substitutes’ bench against the Terriers, playing Christian Eriksen through the middle and Son and Lucas on the flanks, with the main man Harry Kane up top.
Newcastle fans are absolutely loving the club’s little dig at Gareth Southgate, after the England manager excluded Jonjo Shelvey and Jamaal Lascelles from his England squad.
Lascelles and Shelvey have both been in fine form recently, with plenty of people backing them for an international call-up. However, neither were selected in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming friendlies, which was announced on Thursday.
Lascelles has been the Magpies’ stalwart in defence this season, and has shown both his ability and his leadership as he looks to steer the side away from the relegation scrap.
Shelvey has been enjoying some of the best form of his career, and grabbed two assists in the 3-0 win over Southampton last weekend. He also garnered national support when he dominated Manchester United’s expensive midfield in the Magpies’ 1-0 win last month.
Newcastle fans had already expressed their disgust at Southgate’s England selection, but they are loving the club’s sly dig at the England boss this morning.
James Tarkowski and Alfie Mawson were picked over Lascelles and Jake Livermore seems to be the popular choice to drop for Shelvey. Fans have been reacting on Twitter, and some of the best reactions can be found below…
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Patrice Evra’s passion for football is infectious, and the Frenchman’s catchphrase of ‘I love this game!’ has become famous around the world.
The Frenchman absolutely loves making videos, but the timing of his latest one has not gone down too well with the West Ham United fans.
The 36-year-old joined the Hammers on a short-term deal at the start of February, and made his debut for the London club against Liverpool on February 24.
David Moyes’ side have lost all three of their Premier League matches since then, and Evra has struggled to make his mark.
West Ham’s decision to draw attention to Evra’s latest video would have been with the view to raising spirits ahead of Saturday’s key Premier League clash against Southampton.
However, it has not gone down well with the supporters, who feel that the former France international should currently be focusing on getting his form right on the field.
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A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Speculation surrounding Toby Alderweireld’s future at Tottenham Hotspur continues to rumble on.
Each day the defender does not sign a new deal at the North London club, the more likely it seems that he is heading towards the exit door.
There has not been any official word as yet, but a recent report in the Daily Mail claims that Paris Saint-Germain are willing to meet the 29-year-old’s wage demands and pay him around £10m a season.
The publication adds that Tottenham are unwilling to give Alderweireld his desired salary of around £200,000 per week, nor are they prepared to give him a five-year deal due to his age.
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Within the report, it states that manager Mauricio Pochettino has informed the club that the centre-back can leave this summer.
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Chairman Daniel Levy is likely to make the final decision about the future of the player, who attracted plenty of attention for a recent post on Twitter.
Fans have now taken to social media to discuss the latest reports involving Alderweireld and PSG.
Comment from discussion PSG willing to match Alderweirelds wage demands.Comment from discussion PSG willing to match Alderweirelds wage demands.Comment from discussion PSG willing to match Alderweirelds wage demands.Comment from discussion PSG willing to match Alderweirelds wage demands.Comment from discussion PSG willing to match Alderweirelds wage demands.Comment from discussion PSG willing to match Alderweirelds wage demands.Comment from discussion PSG willing to match Alderweirelds wage demands.Comment from discussion PSG willing to match Alderweirelds wage demands.Comment from discussion PSG willing to match Alderweirelds wage demands.
Arsenal won for the fourth successive time in all competitions on Sunday with a 3-0 win over Stoke City at the Emirates Stadium, but fans are still looking for a more from their team.
With little left to play for in the English Premier League this season, it’s all about the UEFA Europa League over the next weeks and months, but fans still expect good performances in league action and were left disappointed this weekend despite knocking a few goals past the Potters.
Much of the criticism was aimed at Danny Welbeck, who failed to have much of an impact on the game before being hauled off on the hour mark, after which Arsenal produced a more cohesive attacking display.
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His performance was perceived by supporters to be so bad that many are now calling for him to be axed as soon as possible, believing he is below the standard required of an Arsenal player in 2018.
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They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his display…
Nottingham Forest’s dreadful form in the English Championship continued on Tuesday night, this time losing at home to top ten side Brentford at the City Ground.
The 1-0 defeat was Forest’s third loss in a row and the sixth match in a row they’ve have failed to score a single goal.
It’s of course concerning to supporters, who are beginning to anxiously look over their shoulders at the relegation candidates below them, despite in theory being relatively safe from the drop.
Despite the current situation, fans are for the most part remaining cool-headed when it comes to the status of manager Aitor Karanka, still having belief he can turn things around in the summer when he has a proper chance to sign his own players.
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Undoubtedly the biggest problem is in attack and supporters can’t wait to see a quality striker or two arrive at the club, believing Karanka has overseen enough improvement in the defence to be optimistic.
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Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on it all…
It’s incredible to think Mohamed Salah could beat the strongest one-term scoring total of Liverpool legend Ian Rush during his first season at the club. And it’s incredible to think when the Reds acquired Salah from Roma last summer, he was considered an educated gamble of a signing at best. It’s even more incredible to think that Chelsea once deemed the 57-cap Egyptian international surplus to requirements. And it’s even more incredible to think Salah’s very own former club, Giallorossi, thought the best way to defend against him at Anfield was to deploy a high line, marshalling him between a 32-year-old Aleksandar Kolarov and centre-back Juan Jesus.
Indeed, the last few years of Salah’s career have been defined by his ability to defy expectations and continue rising to the occasions in front of him. Unloved at Chelsea, a sensational six months at Fiorentina obliged Roma to help him block a permanent deal. In turn, two seasons at the Stadio Olimpico convinced Liverpool to bring the 25-year-old back to the Premier League. Every move since that ill-fated Chelsea switch has resembled a jump up a rung in the ladder, and every time Salah has embraced the added pressure and responsibility.
Within the context of this season too, Salah has grown and grown. He’s transformed from an exciting addition to Liverpool’s front-line, to their top scorer, to their most talismanic influence. And Tuesday night’s stunning 5-2 victory over his former club provided the latest climax; just as Salah’s risen to fill the void as Liverpool’s most frightening entity, the challenge of proving it in a Champions League semi-final only appeared to bring the best out of the diminutive, nomadic attacker.
Once again, there’s no question Roma made it easy for Liverpool and particularly Salah, as the trick that inspired their incredible comeback against Barcelona proved impossible to pull off twice against similarly potent opposition. The deployment of a high line but the failure to curtail Roberto Firmino’s influence created a consistent supply line that proved unstoppable, the Brazilian twice assisting his attacking accomplice as Salah – who Transfermarkt value at £72million – netted twice in the ten minutes just before half-time.
It wasn’t just Salah’s effectiveness in affecting the scoreline though, but the manner in which he did it. The forward’s season has been littered with gorgeous goals, but an unstoppable curler into the top right corner and a delicate chip over one of the best goalkeepers in Europe right now, with just enough top spin to roll over the line, were up there with any strike Salah’s netted this term, all the more incredibly on such a momentous occasion for a club that boasts elite heritage in Europe but has only been involved in the Champions League twice since 2009/10.
History and expectation was on Salah’s shoulders last night, from Liverpool fans, Roma fans and neutrals, yet he defied it once again to further elevate his stock. Coupled with two assists in the second-half, it was an individual performance that won’t be forgotten quickly by the Champions League, and even less quickly on Merseyside. And yet, there remains a lingering doubt over how long Salah can sustain not only this level of form but also this level of exponential growth for.
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If Salah continues at his current rates, he’ll soon be in the same category as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Simply because of how incredible those generation-defining talents are, it seems almost implausible – a slump next season is far easier to imagine. But if Salah has proved anything since failing to make his mark at Chelsea, it’s that nothing can stop his ability to grow.
Manchester United picked up a victory over rivals Arsenal in the English Premier League on Sunday, winning 2-1 at Old Trafford.
After seeing their opening goal by Paul Pogba cancelled out by former player Henrikh Mkhitaryan early in the second half, the Red Devils looked destined to share the spoils with the Gunners before Marouane Fellaini headed home in stoppage time to secure the three points.
United are now five points clear of third-placed Liverpool with a game in hand and look destined to secure the runners-up spot this season.
Fans were pleased with the result and while generally content with the performance believe that improvement can still be made in the remaining games.
Many reckon that Anthony Martial could give the team a boost in the final three matches after he livened up the United attack coming off the bench on Sunday.
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The Frenchman has started just one English Premier League match since February and supporters are now calling on him to get a game ahead of Jesse Lingard or Alexis Sanchez.