All posts by h716a5.icu

Mikel Arteta favoured a lot of his youth over experience in Arsenal’s recent fixture against Manchester City and it looks like he will continue to do so. The manager was full of praise for one young star in particular following the match.

The Gunners lost the fixture 3-0 but this was more due to the disasterclass of David Luiz than the performance of the whole squad, and there were some positives to take.

Clearly Arteta has noticed this and he spoke highly of forward Eddie Nketiah, as he said (via Arseblog):  “I want him to keep doing what he’s doing. The way he played last night against those players, in those difficult conditions, for me is extraordinary at his age.

“He has an immense personality to play, confidence, he’s powerful and is developing in every area I think. I have a lot of faith in him.”

Nketiah managed to get a 6.8 rating on SofaScore and, bearing in mind his side lost 3-0, this is a respectable rating to achieve from the match and was also the best out of the whole Arsenal team.

He was starved a lot of the ball due to the red card that Luiz received, but he managed to win four out of his six ground duels playing as a forward and shows some promising glimpses against one of England’s best teams, which makes you wonder how he struggled for game-time at Leeds.

The 21 year-old has a decent scoring record ever since he played for the under-18’s at Arsenal, as he has scored 57 goals in 104 appearances, per Transfermarkt. He has also already managed one goal in his six Premier League appearances and, with Arteta in charge and trusting in youth, we could really see Nketiah grow into a top striker.

With Aubameyang now 31, the Gunners are going to need a new leading striker soon, and it will be great for all parties if Nketiah could be the one who steps up and replaces him.

Gunners fans, what are your thoughts on Nketiah? Comment below with your views!

Jurgen Klopp has stated it’s likely that Liverpool won’t be bringing in many new signings this summer due to financial difficulty.

According to James Pearce, the German has said a lavish spending spree in the upcoming transfer window is ‘just not possible’. The Premier League champions have been linked to plenty of high profile names, but no talks have come to fruition. One particularly of note is Timo Werner, who looked set to join the Merseyside outfit prior to his move to Chelsea.

Fans have taken to Twitter to air their frustrations over this recent update, as many aren’t happy with their current situation. One supporter has slammed the news for being ’embarrassing’, as they clearly feel a title-winning club should have the funds to recruit this summer.

Another fan has assumed it means ‘so no Thiago’, after Liverpool have been heavily linked to signing the Bayern Munich midfielder (according to Sport, via Metro).

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:

What’s your opinion on Klopp’s recent comments, Reds? Join the discussion in the comments below…

Chelsea have reportedly agreed personal terms with major summer transfer target Kai Havertz.

According to transfer expert Nico Schira (via Daily Express), Blues director Marina Granovskaia has worked her magic on a lucrative deal for the 21-year-old. The report claimed that Chelsea have tabled a contract worth £7.3m per year in wages plus add-ons, which will tie Havertz to the west London club until 2025.

The German’s wages will see him pocket a handsome £140,000 per week, making him one of the highest earning players at the club, according to Spotrac.

All that is left to finalise is a transfer fee for Havertz’s services, which a previous report claimed could be chiselled down to €70m (£63.3m). According to SportBild (via Sport Witness), Granovskaia is working on securing a lower amount to get the deal over the line, despite Leverkusen originally wanting €100m (£90.4m).

With personal terms agreed and the likelihood of a fee being met over the coming days or weeks, Frank Lampard is one step closer to getting his hands on Havertz. The playmaker has been described as the 42-year-old’s ‘dream’ signing and could contribute plenty to Chelsea’s already potent attack.

Do you think Chelsea can get the Havertz deal over the line, Blues fans? Join the conversation in the comments below!

One of West Ham United’s flops has been given an exit route out of the club this summer but it’ll only prove just how badly David Sullivan, David Gold and Karren Brady have run the east London outfit…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Star, Lazio are keen on bringing their former winger Felipe Anderson back to the Italian capital this summer after being snubbed by David Silva at the last minute.

The Manchester City legend opted for a move to La Liga side Real Sociedad instead, leaving a furious Lazio looking at alternatives, of which the Brazilian is one.

It’s claimed that the Hammers would be open into selling their one-time £36m club-record signing with the Serie A outfit eyeing up a move.

One of many GSB’s failures

Anderson featured 28 times in all competitions for the Irons this season but only managed to deliver one goal and four assists, averaging just 1 key pass and 0.9 shots per game, via WhoScored.

It has been suggested that West Ham would sell the 27-year-old for just £30m, so if they were to offload him back to Lazio, then it only goes to show just how poorly GSB have conducted business over the years.

You only have to look at Alban Ajeti for a more recent example.

In the 5 foot 9 wide man, they have blown a total of £50.5m through transfer fees, add-ons and his reported £85k-per-week wages.

That’s an awful, awful lot of money for a player that has simply failed to deliver and the east Londoners are going to struggle to get half that in return for his services this summer.

It’s hardly encouraging for David Moyes, who will no doubt be wanting to bolster his squad having only staved off relegation in the final few games of the season.

Anderson’s sale could fund new additions, but can GSB be trusted to finally get it right? It looks rather doubtful.

AND in other news, West Ham signing PL rival STAR would be shades of Frank Lampard…

Leeds United chief Victor Orta could soon land a devastating one-two on the rest of the Premier League…

What’s the word?

According to La Lazio Siamo Noi, the Yorkshire giants are keen to sign Lazio centre-back Luiz Felipe after contact was made between the two clubs earlier this week.

It’s claimed that United are ready to pay €30m (£26.8m) with add-ons to clinch the 23-year-old, but the chairman of the Serie A outfit Claudio Lotito would ideally like around €38m (£34m) to let him leave the Italian capital.

He’s also hoping that interest from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain sparks a bidding war for the Brazil U23 international.

Imagine him and Koch

Leeds also appear to be closing in on the signing of Freiburg colossus Robin Koch for around £13m, so this could be the perfect way to announce their ambition on the big stage.

It would certainly be one way to move on from Ben White.

The 23-year-old has been a regular presence in defence for Lazio this campaign, averaging 2.3 clearances, 1.6 tackles and 1.6 interceptions whilst also managing a passing accuracy of just under 90%, via WhoScored, which makes him an ideal fit for Marcelo Bielsa’s brand of football.

Following a “monumental” display against Inter Milan in March 2019, Felipe was described as a “very aggressive defender” who “gave little breathing room” to the opposition by World Football Scout.

Whilst according to Bleacher Report, the Lazio faithful have compared him to Alessandro Nesta and ranked him alongside outgoing Lille sensation Gabriel as a Brazilian to watch earlier this year.

Currently, Bielsa has skipper Liam Cooper as the only senior option going into their first PL bow in over 16 years, so if Orta and co can clinch both Felipe and Koch, then it would be one hell of a statement to the rest of the division.

AND in other news, Leeds target 26-cap international who is a perfect fit for Bielsa…

Former Leeds United, Manchester City and England international Danny Mills has claimed to Football Insider that Arsenal ace Rob Holding would start for Newcastle United should he make the move to St. James’ Park.

Indeed, The Atheltic journalist and Gunners transfer guru David Ornstein has recently claimed that the Englishman is close to signing for the Tyneside club on a season-long loan deal.

After hearing about this story, Mills was asked as to whether Holding would start in Steve Bruce’s team ahead of the new 2020/21 term, to which he replied:

“Yes, definitely. Newcastle we know last year had all sorts of issues with injuries. Strength in depth is a real problem for them.

“They need some solid players in there and that’s what Steve Bruce will have identified. They might not be the most exciting side on the planet but you’ve got to trust in Steve Bruce and he’ll know what that team needs.

“If you look at the players they’ve got and some of the flair players they’ve got, you need a solid base. 

“He (Bruce) was a defender himself and an unbelievable defender and obviously worked under the greatest Premier League manager of all time so he’ll know what it takes.

“If you get that foundation right then you can build everything of the back of that.”

Indeed, Holding would arguably be a solid signing for the Magpies even if it is just for one campaign. The 24-year old is relatively experienced in the Premier League, having played in 39 matches in total over the last four terms, according to Transfermarkt.

Holding has also won FA Cup trophies and two Community Shield titles, including recently being in the starting 11 which beat Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side 5-4 on penalties after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s rather superb first-half goal was cancelled out by Japanese international Takumi Minamino in the second.

His winning mentality may be useful to Bruce’s team as they look to get enough points on the board in the top-flight table for the new campaign.

The central defender also averaged more passes at a higher success rate than Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar and Federico Fernandez in the EPL in the last season, suggesting that he is more composed on the ball and is comfortable in playing out from the back if and when needed.

Holding may well be a shrew addition to the Toon should NUFC be able to get his signature over the dotted line.

Geordies, would Holding be a good signing? Comment below!

An EFL expert writing for Oddschecker [via Sunderland Echo] has predicted that Portsmouth will finish fourth in League One this season.

Kenny Jackett’s side finished in a play-off place last term but lost on penalties to Oxford in the semi-finals, their second successive failure at that stage after similar heartbreak in 2019.

After seeing a whole host of first team players leave the former Premier League club earlier this summer, Jackett has signed just Callum Johnson, Cameron Pring and Sean Raggett so far.

With the new season fast approaching as Pompey open their League One campaign against Shrewsbury Town on Saturday, predictions are now being made about where Jackett’s side will finish in 2020/21.

Reported via Sunderland Echo, website Oddschecker have predicted the outcome of England’s third tier, putting Portsmouth fourth.

EFL expert Tom Love wrote about Portsmouth’s chances of promotion, saying: “Portsmouth always seem to be there or there about under Kenny Jackett and although the former Millwall gaffer has come in for criticism from some of the south coast faithful, his teams are always pretty competitive. Jackett will be hoping to get the most out of striker John Marquis who has proven he can score at this level, defensively they will be pretty sound as most Jackett teams are.

“They’re poised to bring in a few more bodies to add greater depth but a fully fit Marcus Harness and Ronan Curtis either side of Marquis is a very strong front line. Tom Naylor is one of the more impressive defenders/holding midfielders in this league and the signing of Sean Raggett is classic Pompey, very strong. Despite murmurs of discontent in the fanbase trust them to be in the mix up come May.”

It is hard to see Portsmouth doing any better than last season with such limited squad additions.

After two failed tilts at the play-offs, Jackett knows that promotion and nothing else will do this time around.

Where do you think Portsmouth will finish this season? Let us know your predictions in the comments section below…

Callum Robinson had been anonymous in West Bromwich Albion’s first match back in the Premier League, as they lost 3-0 to Leicester City.

It was pretty much the same scenario during the 5-2 loss against Everton, in which he failed to make much of an impact on the day’s proceedings once again.

This surely led to questions around whether he could be clinical enough to lead the Baggies line in the Premier League – he answered any doubts emphatically during the 3-3 draw against Chelsea.

Best of the Decade: Top scorers & creators – Can you name them?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

When the Republic of Ireland international received the ball from Matheus Pereira, just four minutes into the game, he had Reece James, N’Golo Kante and Andreas Christensen for company. However, he was able to fire off a strike into the bottom corner from a tough angle.

Then, he managed to add a second after pouncing on Thiago Silva’s poor touch, driving to the edge of the box and shooting past Willy Caballero.

True, he was helped by two Chelsea mistakes, but Robinson had two opportunities and scored two well-taken goals. That is the very definition of a striker being clinical – he only had three shots in the entire game.

There was the same isolation as the aforementioned matches, as he only attempted eight passes in his 66 minutes on the pitch, completing four, while making no key passes.

However, he showed the ability to make something out of very little, which is exactly what West Brom need from him, especially if Slaven Bilic continues using the 5-4-1 formation he has opted for so far this term.

Liverpool could be tempted to make a move for Stoke City goalkeeper Jack Butland after reports suggested there has been a huge development regarding his future.

Butland on Liverpool’s radar

The 27-year-old has been struggling to break into the Potters’ first-team this season, with the Welshman Adam Davies the preferred option by manager Michael O’Neill. This has raised questions about his future, with Paul Robinson believing that the 6 foot 4 (1.95m) giant would be a good addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad.

After the Reds’ shot-stopper Adrian was heavily scrutinised following their shocking 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa before the international break, some supporters wanted to see a new ‘keeper brought to Anfield.

The Spaniard stepped in after Alisson Becker was ruled out for up to six weeks, which will see him miss the Merseyside derby against Everton next week, as well as Premier League and Champions League games against Sheffield United, West Ham, Ajax, FC Midtjylland and Atalanta.

According to Football Insider, those wishes from a segment of the fanbase could be answered as it was revealed that Stoke would consider letting Butland leave the bet365 Stadium before the transfer window closes next Friday.

The report added that the Reds are plotting a swoop for the nine-cap former England international as they look to Championship ‘keepers who have already proved themselves in the Premier League.

Alarm bells ringing for Adrian

This development could be a serious worry for Adrian. Despite stepping into the fold at a similar stage last season, he was almost faultless last autumn. This time around, the same cannot be said.

With Klopp looking to make amends from that dismal defeat at Villa Park, the German tactician will be looking at this squad wondering where he needs to improve.

If he decides to sign Butland, Adrian will have every right to be disappointed, but he would only have himself to blame. It could be a nervous week for the Spaniard.

Liverpool fans, is Jack Butland the man to replace Adrian? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Even despite going 1-0 up thanks to a Luke Shaw own goal, it never really looked like Newcastle were going to come away with all three points against Manchester United on Saturday night.

Steve Bruce’s side got off to the perfect possible start as Shaw turned the ball inside his own net within two minutes, but even with that early shot in the arm, the Magpies didn’t seem interested in getting out of second gear.

Bearing in mind that this was the same United team that got demolished 6-1 at home to Tottenham, and it was incredibly disappointing to see Newcastle not being willing to throw any significant punches on a surely wounded Red Devils.

Instead, they were incredibly passive throughout, and the fact Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side took an incredible four times as many shots as them – 28 to 7 – just underlined how frustrating the Magpies were.

But whilst they surrendered a point thanks to a late flurry of goals from United in the final few minutes of the game, Bruce effectively lost complete control of the match with his reluctance to make game-changing substitutions earlier than he should have.

It took until the 73rd minute for Ryan Fraser to be introduced into the attack for a hapless Joelinton, even despite the Scotland international being his country’s match-winning hero in midweek against Czech Republic.

The club’s summer signing would have been on cloud nine following his goal-scoring display, and Bruce could really have tapped into the momentum that he would have built.

And if that wasn’t bad enough in itself, Bruce waited another 15 minutes to bring on Miguel Almiron, having seen Bruno Fernandes give United the lead.

The Paraguayan’s goal-scoring record for Newcastle leaves a lot to be desired – he’s managed just nine goals in 59 games – but his pace and energy would have offered the Magpies a much-needed counter attacking threat.

Instead, Bruce’s in-game management reflected the Tyneside club’s performance: passive, weak and ultimately far too little, and far too late.