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It was another bad result for Arsenal at the weekend against Crystal Palace.The Gunners were 2-0 up at home against the Eagles after nine minutes thanks to goals from Sokratis and David Luiz, yet they somehow conspired to leave the Emirates Stadium with just a 2-2 draw after Luka Milivojevic and Jordan Ayew levelled up proceedings.In the video below, we look at where it all went wrong for Arsenal’s former ‘saviour’, Mesut Ozil…It means that the Gunners have now won just two of their last eight games in the Premier League, and the pressure is really beginning to crank up on boss Unai Emery. The former Sevilla boss is said to be safe for now, but some more results like this could see that change.Brendan Rodgers, meanwhile, is doing a fantastic job at the King Power Stadium with Leicester. The Foxes are currently third in the table and beat Southampton 9-0 on Friday night.Such has been his side’s form, the north London outfit’s faithful want the former Celtic manager to take over from Emery.They have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Rangers completed a comfortable 5-0 win over Hamilton at Ibrox on Sunday and what was more impressive was that it was achieved with a host of first choice and international players sitting out as they hit the top of the Scottish Premiership.

The squad depth assembled by departed Director of Football, Mark Allen and Steven Gerrard has seen Rangers go into the international break top of the Scottish Premiership and qualify for the group stages of the Europa League in a run of form that has seen just two defeats from twenty-two games.

What is noticeable this season is that the Ibrox club has still been picking up points domestically whilst coping with the rigours of European football. Compared to this time last season, Rangers are seven points better off.

There is also the manner of the two defeats that the Gers have suffered this season, each time, against both Celtic and Young Boys respectively, they were victims of their own defensive mistakes. They weren’t out-played or out-classed in either of these games but coughed up gilt-edged opportunities through lapses of concentration. Another sign of improvement, Rangers appear to have their destiny in their own hands.

Sunday’s starting XI had a few notable absentees; Filip Helander, Nikola Katic, Ryan Jack, Joe Aribo, Andy King, Ryan Kent, Jordan Jones and Alfredo Morelos. Only one of these players isn’t a full international and he cost £7.5m.

As Gerrard alluded to at the weekend, they have managed to get these results and have players coming back to fitness. Rangers ran out of steam at several points last season, relying on Kyle Lafferty, Andy Halliday and Gareth McAuley to rotate the squad, few would argue they are of the same quality as Jermain Defoe, Glen Kamara and Filip Helander.

The competition for places and gentle rotation of the squad has been the key difference in improving on last year’s form. Fans accept that it won’t be the same starting XI every game and as long as the “back-ups” like Defoe, Greg Stewart and George Edmundson continue to produce performances like they did at the weekend then the groans when the team is announced an hour before kick-off will get quieter and quieter.

Just how good a transfer window was summer 2019? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Not for the first time this season, Wolves skipper Conor Coady has looked some way off the mark in the top-flight.

Molineux’s 100th Premier League game saw a drab draw as Southampton made the trip north from the south coast.

The visitors opened the scoring in the second half as Danny Ings pounced on a mistake in the defence to slot past Rui Patricio into the bottom corner.

Ings’ persistent running paid off as he forced Coady into the error to which he duly capitalised on.

After having two goals ruled out through VAR in the first half, striker Raul Jimenez could have been on for a hat-trick after he netted an equalising penalty just after the hour mark.

Matt Doherty was tripped inside the area by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg before the Mexican finally got his goal.

Following the match, much of the talk has been surrounding summer loan arrival Jesus Vallejo after he was introduced for the injured Ryan Bennett early on.

Express & Star journalist Joe Edwards described the Real Madrid man as Wolves’ worst player on the day while also labelling him as ‘unconvincing.’

Now some parts of that may be correct as he has certainly struggled to adapt to life in England, ranking as the worst rated player amongst the west Midlands club by WhoScored – but the man next to him was just as bad, if not worse.

Funnily enough, this isn’t the first time Vallejo has had to cover up for a poor afternoon for Coady, taking stick after the Chelsea game.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Coady was clearly the man at fault for Southampton’s opener, not Vallejo, as his nonchalant attempt to control the ball allowed Ings to burst clear towards goal.

This sort of attitude was also reflected in the 26-year-old needing a last man tackle to deny another chance at scoring. He also lost possession eight times, won no aerial duels, and conceded the one foul, per SofaScore.

All in all, it was a dire display. One that even he has recognised himself by saying: “I’ve got to deal with it better, it is as simple as that. I need to improve, it is as simple as that.”

Therefore, Vallejo should be cut some slack when the captain next to him is setting an example like that.

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It was a fantastic performance from Arsenal against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night in the League Cup.

The Championship side were no match for the Gunners, who prevailed 5-0. Joe Willock, Rob Holding and Reiss Nelson were all on the scoresheet, while Gabriel Martinelli scored his first goals for the club with a brace.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Both strikes also came on the 18-year-old’s first-ever start for the Emirates outfit since joining from Ituano in the summer. Given the chance by boss Unai Emery to show exactly why the club brought him to London, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

Supporters of the north London club had called for the Brazilian to start against Eintracht Frankfurt last week, but he was left on the bench by Emery. Having seen him perform so well against Forest, the fans must have felt vindicated, and they shared their delight with his display.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

On Tuesday evening, Garry Monk suffered his first league defeat as Sheffield Wednesday boss after Tom Eaves’ header was enough to hand Hull City a 1-0 victory.

The 40-year-old would have learned a few things about his team, but most glaringly that a potential problem could lie in their attacking department.

The Owls were without five-goal man Steven Fletcher as the 32-year-old surprisingly missed the match through injury, and his absence was harshly felt.

Wednesday had 12 attempts at goal with just three of them coming on target.

Sam Winnall was chosen to partner Atdhe Nuhiu and it just didn’t seem to click in the way it did against Middlesbrough when Monk’s men stormed away with a 4-1 victory.

The pair have only scored two goals between them this campaign with Fernando Forestieri also missing through suspension and Jordan Rhodes seemingly not in Monk’s plans, making just one substitute appearance since his appointment.

The lack of quality options must be a pressing concern for the Owls boss, but it could have been so much different if he was instilled before the summer.

Former boss Steve Bruce may have released a player that would have been of some use – particularly now with Fletcher out injured.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

That’s another point too. Monk is having to work with the cards he’s been dealt, at least until January, when he can bring in some targets of his own.

Gary Hooper enjoyed a prolific time in Scotland as he scored 82 goals in 138 appearances for Celtic, which earned him a move to the Premier League with Norwich, but after two full seasons there, he moved to Hillsborough.

His time at the south Yorkshire club was far from the goal-laden exploits which bore fruit in the SPL but it was still a respectable return, scoring 31 times in 89 matches.

At 5 foot 9, he offers a totally different presence to Fletcher, who averages 6.3 aerial duels won per game or the 6 foot 6 Nuhiu – something that’s quite clearly lacking in the Wednesday squad currently.

And even though it’s in hindsight, the club are now left rueing the decision made by Bruce.

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Leeds United secured their second successive Championship victory on Saturday to retain the initiative in the title race.

The Whites had to battle hard at Elland Road, but were ultimately deserving of their 2-1 victory over strugglers Bolton Wanderers. However, Marcelo Bielsa will feel that his side should have been able to secure a more comfortable margin of victory.

This is a recurring theme, as Leeds have struggled to take their chances in recent weeks.

Who do you want to see promoted this year? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked their 3 favoured teams in the video below…

On the chalkboard

If Leeds are to hang on and achieve automatic promotion to the Premier League this season then they must rediscover their clinical edge soon. However, the recent injury sustained by 14-goal top scorer Kemar Roofe will have come as a major blow in this regard.

Bielsa must now find a way to make his side more prolific without having the 26-year-old forward to lead the line. The likes of Patrick Bamford and Tyler Roberts must now step up. The Argentine coach must first find a way to configure his attacking talents in a cohesive and effective manner.

Adapting to Bamford

25-year-old summer signing Bamford will now be the first choice to lead the line for the Whites. The 6’1” striker’s season has been ravaged by injuries so far, but now fully fit he has the capacity to get amongst the goals. 

Bamford is a clinical and reliable finisher, but a very different kind of forward to Roofe. Leeds must now adapt to having the former Middlesbrough hitman up front.

Bamford is less mobile than Roofe, but his movement in the penalty area, strength, and hold up play make him an ideal target man. If he can cultivate a relationship with the likes of Roberts and Pablo Hernandez, who can break forward from deep in order to link up with the No. 9, then Leeds could suddenly find themselves banging them in with regularity again.

And when you watch the video you can see exactly why he’s so proud of the strike.

The left-back looked like a top-class centre-forward in the clip. An incredible piece of skill opened up some space on his right foot, and he smashed the ball past Adrian, who quite literally had no chance of stopping it.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

This was Willems’ first goal for the club, and his impassioned celebrations will certainly make some supporters fall in love will him.

Many Newcastle fans won’t be feeling too great after the weekend’s result, but this goal is one that they’ll be able to look back on with fond memories. What a strike.

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Former Aston Villa striker Kevin Phillips has been reacting to the club’s move for Calum Chambers, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Out-of-the-blue Chambers move

Villa recently announced a move for Chambers completely out of the blue, similar to how they brought Danny Ings to the club over the summer.

The under-the-radar transfer made Chambers Villa’s fourth senior acquisition of the January window, penning a three-and-a-half-year deal from Arsenal.

The Gunners failed to activate a clause in the versatile defender’s contract to allow them to extend his deal by a further 12 months, which ultimately placed the defender’s future in his own hands.

The Latest: Phillips comments

Phillips, who regularly features as a pundit on Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding the move for Chambers. He labelled Villa’s business as ‘amazing’ and heaped praise on the club’s hierarchy for backing Gerrard this month, saying:

“They are the big winners this window, in my opinion. The business Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa have done so far is just amazing. Hats off to the board for backing Steven.

“Steven has clearly had an impact in terms of the players the club can attract. Villa is a massive club, of course, but this calibre of signing hasn’t been seen at the club in a long time. The club is moving in the right direction.

“To bring the players in they have had, with the possibility of a couple more coming in… 1000 per cent Villa have had the best window.

“It has put them in a position where they could challenge for European football.”

The Verdict: Solid transfer window for Villa

Even though Villa haven’t bolstered their central midfield ranks following bids for Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, they have still enjoyed a respectable transfer window.

They’ve made marquee additions in Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne and have also brought in experienced squad players in Chambers and Robin Olsen.

A central midfielder would have been the icing on the cake, but it seems as if that may have to wait until the summer for Gerrard ahead of his first full season in charge.

In other news: ‘Ridiculous’ – Lots of Aston Villa fans fume at ‘the dumbest’ deadline day move.  

Everton’s Financial Fair Play issues could prevent them from spending big in a rebuild this summer, and even if Frank Lampard steers them to Premier League safety, he could be forced into sounding out bargain transfers, loan deals and free agents as the club look to get back on track.

The potential sales of in-demand trio Richarlison, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jordan Pickford could provide the club with a welcome cash injection, but the fees earned from those prospective transfers may not all be reinvested in the playing squad.

With that being said, one player with whom they were linked in January will be available at the end of the season on a free transfer – Matias Vecino.

What’s the news?

According to Italian news outlet Calciomercato, there is almost no chance the Inter Milan midfielder will remain at the club beyong this summer, with his contract set to expire at the end of June.

The Uruguay international has long been a target for the Merseyside club, first being linked by Gianluca Di Marzio in 2020 as then-Toffees manager Carlo Ancelotti was keen on taking him to Goodison Park, while Rafael Benitez was also keen on signing him in the January transfer window according to Calciomercato.

Bargain signing for Lampard

Rated at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, Vecino could still have a decent resale value which would give Everton an automatic profit if things don’t work out, and at the age of 30, it seems unlikely that he would want a long-term contract.

However, the midfielder would most likely be a low-risk, high-reward signing who would bring some much-needed fight into an already experienced team.

Once labelled a “very good and vastly underrated player” by journalist Adam Digby, the former Fiorentina star has started just two games in Serie A this season, averaging a 6.69 rating from Sofascore. Despite barely featuring, he still ranks in the top 1% for xG per 90 (0.30) among midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions in the last 365 days.

He would also bring high intensity to Lampard’s team, ranking in the top 3% for tackles in the attacking third per 90 (0.58), top 8% for pressures in the attacking third per 90 (4.84) and top 1% for goal-creating actions per 90 (0.69 – more than any other midfielder), as per FBRef.

There is no doubt that Vecino could still have a lot to give for his next club, and if that destination is Goodison Park, then Everton would have an excellent addition to their midfield for next season. They could strike gold by landing the 30-year-old on a free transfer.

In other news: Lampard must finally unleash “aggressive” ace, it’s “bizarre” that Everton don’t play him

Rangers are among the clubs eyeing teenage prodigy Zak Lovelace, according to The Daily Record’s Scott Burns. 

The lowdown

The youngster, who will turn 16 next week, became the second-youngest player in Millwall’s history when he made an appearance from the bench against Coventry City in December.

According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, the striker had to get ‘permission from his parents and his school’ to join up with the Lions squad for the fixture. Lovelace has been called to train with the club’s first team ‘several’ times.

The latest

Rangers have ‘regularly’ scouted Lovelace this season and are hopeful of signing him, as per The Daily Record. They face competition from the Premier League, with Leicester City and Brighton mentioned as prospective suitors.

Millwall are described as ‘desperate’ to keep hold of Lovelace, for whom they have ‘massive hopes’, and they are trying to persuade him to sign a professional contract at The Den.

The verdict

Millwall manager Gary Rowett has waxed lyrical about Lovelace, saying: “Zak is a really good lad. He has come in with a humility and hunger to want to do well – that exuberance of youth. I’d love to see how that develops over the next two or three years because he could be, from what I’ve seen, a top player.”

However, the 47-year-old admitted that the London club might not have full control over the teenager’s next move, so it could come down to who can offer him the clearest or swiftest path to senior football.

Rangers have clearly been impressed on their trips to watch Lovelace if they are interested in signing him, and they may even think that he’s a superstar in the making. After all, journalist Dan Marsh urged fans to ‘remember the name’ when the 15-year-old came on against Coventry.

In other news, Rangers are in a strong position to land this defender