All posts by h716a5.icu

Hector Bellerin had a brilliant game against Chelsea, but the Arsenal defender’s time on the pitch came to a very unfortunate end, with the Spaniard stretchered off against the Blues. 

He’d only just returned from injury, and now, as per Unai Emery via the BBC, his latest blow isn’t looking good. It’s hard to spin this positively for Arsenal, as Bellerin is a crucial part of the Gunners’ squad, but perhaps, if nothing else, it could allow Unai Emery to finish a project that Arsene Wenger started.

Young defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been on the fringes of the first team for a while now, with the young Englishman filling in both in midfield and in defence at points over the last few years.

He enjoyed a breakout campaign last term, making nearly 30 appearances under Arsene Wenger, and he’s continued to make an impact, when available, under Unai Emery.

If Bellerin is facing a spell out on the sidelines, Arsenal may be tempted to make a major signing to fill in, however in this case, the Gunners have no reason to do that.

Maitland-Niles was a capable replacement for Bellerin on the day, and he’s been just that for a lot of his time in an Arsenal shirt. He’s a strong tackler, he’s powerful and technical enough to drive forward with purpose, and most importantly, he’s consistent, and so Arsenal wouldn’t be losing out much by including him in the team versus having Bellerin available. Not to mention, including Maitland-Niles will also give the defender the best chance of reaching his potential, and that should bode well for Arsenal long-term.

Thoughts?

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Manchester United fans have been slamming Ashley Young’s efforts to stop Leicester City, after the former England international was run ragged by the Foxes’ Ben Chilwell.

Young started Sunday’s affair as the right-back for the Red Devils, and received little help from Jesse Lingard in covering that side of the field, where Chilwell could regularly push forward and overlap.

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 below…

When Alexis Sanchez rotated with the attacking midfielder, the former Arsenal man offered no support to his defensive colleague either, meaning the five-cap England international had free-reign to create chances for Jamie Vardy and co. in the centre.

Altogether, Chilwell notched six of his side’s 23 crosses on Sunday, per WhoScored, which was far more than his United counterparts.

Many Red Devils fans took to Twitter to share their frustrations with Young’s defensive abilities after the game, while a load more expressed a desire for Chilwell to join the Old Trafford ranks in the summer…

[ad_pod ]Newcastle have been handed a huge boost ahead of the Monday night trip to Wolves next week, as Miguel Almiron could make his debut for the club.

What’s the word?

Newcastle had to take on Tottenham at Wembley this weekend without their record signing, as Almiron is yet to receive his work permit.

Ed Aarons of The GuardianÂclaims the player is all set to be granted said work permit though, and could even return to training as soon as Tuesday.

The Chronicle (16:17)Âhave followed up on Aarons’ report, claiming that the Paraguayan playmaker could even be fit to face Wolves on Monday night.

The MLS season ended in December, leaving many to expect an extended layoff for Almiron, but the report says the player has been keeping himself fit and was back training with his former club, Atlanta United, last month.

This gives the 24 year-old a great chance to get straight into the action, and he will of course be judged on how he fares in training this week.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Change the system?

If the £21m man does feature on Monday, it could change how Benitez approaches the game tactically.

The Spaniard’s usual 5-4-1 formation doesn’t really have room for a dynamic number ten, and he may be better suited opting for a 4-2-3-1.

This would allow Matt Ritchie to return to his natural position on the wing, with Almiron playing in the hole behind Salomon Rondon while Sean Longstaff bosses the midfield alongside an all-action presence like Mo Diame or Isaac Hayden.

Almiron’s pace and movement will cause all sorts of problems for what is a relatively un-athletic Wolves midfield duo of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, neither of whom are famed for their defensive abilities.

So, Newcastle fans, would you throw Almiron straight in if he is fit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below…

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According to the printed version of The Mirror (February 12, page 56), per HITC, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge on a free transfer when his contract expires this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, it is looking likely that the 29-year-old will leave Anfield at the end of the campaign considering there have been no developments in him extending his deal with the Merseyside outfit, and The Mirror, via HITC, reports that he is interesting clubs both from the Premier League and abroad.

The Mirror report that the England international may well choose to remain in the English top flight however, and Spurs are keen on him to provide back-up to Harry Kane next term with Fernando Llorente likely to leave the north London club this summer.

The report adds that the centre-forward, who earns £120,000-a-week, would help to boost Tottenham’s number of home-grown players.

Would he be a good addition?

He certainly would be.

While Sturridge turns 30 years of age this year and has suffered from his fair share of injury issues over the years, he has still scored 77 goals in 213 Premier League appearances and the chance to sign him for nothing would be an opportunity that is too good to turn down.

Of course, Tottenham have found themselves without the injured Kane in recent weeks and while their form hasn’t really suffered, they would be much better off if they had an out-and-out striker who is proven over many years at this level – something that Llorente isn’t – and would allow Son Heung-Min to play out wide instead as well as through the middle.

Harry Kane gets his hands on the Super Bowl and Dele Alli gets his hands on a superb owl in the latest episode After 90 below…

[ad_pod ]According to reliable West Ham news site Claret & Hugh, Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis has cooled on the idea of signing West Ham United striker Jordan Hugill on a permanent deal this summer following his season-long loan spell.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the centre-forward joined the Championship club on a temporary basis for the 2018/19 campaign last summer, having only made three appearances for the east London outfit between January 2018 and the end of last term.

Despite being a regular starter under Pulis, the 26-year-old hasn’t exactly set the world alight for Boro in terms of goals, scoring just the six in 26 league appearances for the Teesside outfit.

Claret & Hugh report that they are unlikely to look to make the move permanent should they achieve promotion to the Premier League, although they have been told that he will be returning to the London Stadium no matter what happens.

More bad news for West Ham

Manuel Pellegrini and the club would surely have been hoping that they had seen the last of Hugill and that they could recoup some of the £10m fee they paid Preston North End for the striker.

However, if Claret & Hugh are to be believed then that won’t be happening, and it is yet another striker blow for the east London side.

Andy Carroll is out of contract at the end of the season while Lucas Perez was reportedly left behind when the squad travelled to Marbella for a training camp this month because of his attitude.

Meanwhile, Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic were both heavily linked with exits during the January window, and it would be no surprise if we haven’t heard the last of the story involving the latter even if he did recently pen a new contract.

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Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to an update on the fitness of Jack Clarke, who is set to return to outdoor training next week.

Clarke has been one of the most exciting parts of this exhilarating season at Elland Road, as the teenager looks more than capable of becoming a true Leeds great.

Born and raised in Yorkshire, it’s no surprise fans are very fond of the 18 year-old, and he has bagged two goals and two assists this season despite starting just four Championship games.

He was stretchered away from the sideline during the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough though, and fans were extremely worried over the youngster’s future.

According to Phil Hay of the Yorkshire Evening Post, the winger was suffering from a virus, and has been doing indoor gym work this week, before returning to outdoor training next week.

This will come as a huge relief to Marcelo Bielsa, who is already without Kemar Roofe for an estimated eight weeks due to a knee injury.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Blackburn Rovers’ under-23s side progressed in the Premier League Cup with a 5-1 thrashing of Doncaster Rovers under-23s on Monday night. An own goal and braces for Ben Brereton and Joe Nuttall were enough to secure victory for Rovers’ youngsters.

Brereton will be particularly pleased to have found the back of the net as he has endured a tough campaign at Ewood Park so far.

Rovers signed the 19-year-old striker in August from Nottingham Forest on an initial loan deal that can be made permanent for £7million, as reported by the BBC. Tony Mowbray looked to have pulled off quite a coup in bringing the exciting striker to the club but things have not gone to plan since then.

As per Transfermarkt’s stats, Brereton has made 22 appearances for the first team so far this season but is still yet to open his goalscoring account for Rovers. Fans will be hoping that his brace for the reserves can boost his confidence.

After the under-23s match on Monday, plenty of Rovers fans took to Twitter to react to Brereton’s performance…

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Dominic Calvert-Lewin enjoyed an excellent display as Everton earned a 0-0 draw with Liverpool at Goodison Park.

The result extended Everton’s run of games without a win over the Reds – they last defeated them in 2010.

However, Marco Silva’s side have ensured that Liverpool have lost significant ground in the title race – they are now second, one point behind Manchester City having played the same number of games.

Calvert-Lewin was matched up with Virgil van Dijk, challenging a player who is widely regarded as the finest central defender in English football right now.

Per WhoScored, the 21-year-old had two shots on goal, one of which was on target, and also won six aerial battles, second only to the Dutch centre-back.

Calvert-Lewin also completed both of his attempted dribbles and generally ran himself into the ground, leading to effusive praise from a number of Everton fans.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

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According to the Birmingham Mail, Axel Tuanzebe returned to first-team training with Aston Villa on Monday as he bids to play a part in their playoff challenge.

What’s the word, then?

Tuanzebe re-joined Villa on loan from Manchester United last summer, having seen his loan spell with the Championship club cut short last season through injury.

The centre-back has made 19 Championship appearances this term, but has not featured since the middle of December after undergoing a foot operation.

Tuanzebe has since been back at United recovering, but according to the Birmingham Mail, the 21-year-old returned to first-team training with Villa on Monday.

The report has claimed that the Englishman will not be available to face Nottingham Forest or Middlesbrough over the next week, but could return for the home game against Blackburn Rovers at the end of the month.

What does it mean for Villa?

It really is a huge boost for a Villa team currently struggling with a number of defensive injuries.

Tyrone Mings has been impressive since joining on loan from Bournemouth, but the likes of James Chester, Tommy Elphick and Alan Hutton are currently on the sidelines.

Kortney Hause had to switch from left-back to central defence for Sunday’s clash with Birmingham City, with Neil Taylor coming into the XI.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Tuanzebe’s form in the opening weeks of the campaign was fairly mixed, but he switched from right-back to central defence in the middle of October and was in a wonderful run of form before picking up his foot injury – cementing himself as a key member of Villa’s starting XI.

Villa now sit just four points off the top six in the Championship following back-to-back wins, and Tuanzebe’s return has come at the perfect time.

Arsenal received a massive blow having missed out on the opportunity to recruit profit-turning wiz Monchi, who opted to return to his former club Sevilla after leaving Roma last month – but they may still land a Crystal Palace starlet.

Monchi would have been perfect for Arsenal given his ability to work within a budget – which is something the north London club seems intent on doing at the moment.

Indeed, in his time as a Sporting Director, the former Sevilla goalkeeper has recruited the likes of Dani Alves, Ivan Rakitic, and Julio Baptista for relative peanuts before shipping them off for huge profit.

But it is not all doom and gloom.

According to the Sun¸ the Gunners are preparing a huge bid for Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka this summer, who is rated £40 million by his current employers.

The young Englishman has been incredibly impressive since making the switch from his native right-wing position into right-back, and his performances have earned the interest from the biggest clubs in the country.

If reports are correct, and some might hope they are not, Emery is set to offer either one of Reiss Nelson or Ainsley Maitland-Niles as part exchanges to traverse Arsenal’s financial limitations and sweeten the deal.

Nelson is the most likely candidate having already spent the majority of the current campaign on loan representing Bundesliga side Hoffenheim scoring an impressive six goals in 18 league appearances.

Though Crystal Palace may not be interested in another forward and will likely prefer to take utility man Maitland-Niles if they are to even entertain the possibility of losing their star defender in the next window.

The young Englishman has been in sensational form at right-back and definitely carries enough quality to make the fluid switch into any Premier League side.

Likewise, Wan-Bissaka would transition into Arsenal’s squad well – both staunch in defence and incredibly gifted in attack, there is no doubt he would be the perfect fit for Emery’s brand of football.

Arsenal fans, would you want to see either of your prodigies moved on to make way for Aaron Wan-Bissaka? Let us know in the comments below…