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Liverpool will face off against Manchester City this evening in their first match as Premier League champions.

The Reds, who will receive a guard of honour from last season’s winners, will be hoping to stamp even more authority on this campaign with a win over their rivals.

Mohamed Salah will also be looking to make the visit to the Etihad Stadium a special one. The Egyptian is still firmly in the running for his third consecutive Golden Boot and is currently on 17 goals for the season. If he can net a brace against City, it will see the winger top the table by matching joint-leaders Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Jamie Vardy (via BBC Sport).

With the title wrapped up, Jurgen Klopp could opt to rest some key players and give the youngsters some valuable playing time. However, it’s almost certain that Salah will be hungry for this personal accolade and, particularly against City, the manager might field a full-strength team.

This Liverpool side has not only made club history, but league history as well. After being crowned champions last week, the Reds became the fastest-ever team to wrap up the title, with seven games remaining (via ESPN). The competitive nature of these two sides suggests that Klopp might want to rub salt in the wounds of Pep Guardiola and his team.

Salah’s current goal tally for this season averages at a goal every 137 minutes. His total attacking record in red is an astounding 130 goal contributions in 145 games across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).

With City coming into the match off the back of losing their Premier League crown after defeat to Chelsea, morale could be low and Salah could capitalise on a sleepy defence.

Do you think Mohamed Salah will score against Man City? Have your say in the comments below!

Tottenham welcome Leicester City to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon in a pivotal Premier League clash in the race for European qualification. 

After beating Arsenal in the North London derby last week, Spurs have started to gain some momentum, as they then defeated Newcastle United 3-1 to mark Jose Mourinho’s first league win at St James’ Park.

Dele Alli remains absent for the game with Leicester, as he has missed the last four matches with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Tanguy Ndombele has been ruled out for the rest of the season, while Eric Dier serves the final match of his suspension.

The Foxes travel to Tottenham in fourth place, just ahead of Manchester United on goal difference alone, knowing that a slip-up in north London could give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side the impetus they need to usurp them for the final Champions League berth.

Transfer Tavern have put together a predicted starting lineup for Spurs, which sees Mourinho make adjustments to the side that travelled to Newcastle, as Moussa Sissoko drops to the defence while Steven Bergwijn makes his return.

Mourinho has admitted that he is unsure if Serge Aurier will be available for selection on Sunday, as he is back in France to mourn the death of his younger brother with his family.

The Ivorian is the club’s only specialist right-back, as Kyle Walker-Peters is currently on loan at Southampton, and the Spurs boss has been considering Gedson Fernandes, Oliver Skipp and Sissoko as possible alternatives instead.

Sissoko is the most experienced out of those players and he will likely slot into place alongside Davinson Sanchez on the right-hand side of defence.

Although Mourinho started the match against the Magpies with a 4-2-3-1 formation, it makes sense for him to revert back to a 4-4-1-1 system to compensate for the combined loss of Aurier and Alli.

Bergwijn replaced Lucas Moura in the second half at St James’ Park after his teammate picked up a knock. However, it seems as though Moura has made a full recovery, as he wasn’t mentioned in the club’s official team news ahead of the game.

The 22-year-old’s extra pace could punish Leicester, who have been hit by multiple injuries to several key players including James Maddison, Ben Chilwell, Christian Fuchs, while Caglar Soyuncu has also been suspended.

As Bergwijn hasn’t started since the 0-0 draw with Bournemouth, he should be fit and raring to go, and Spurs fans will be hoping he can make another major contribution if he starts, as he has scored in several big games so far. The Dutchman famously scored in front of the home crowd on his debut against Manchester City and also opening the scoring during the 1-1 draw with Manchester United last month.

In theory, Bergwijn could line up next to Harry Winks, which will allow Giovani Lo Celso to push further afield.

Make no mistake, this is a must-win game for Spurs if they want to stay in the mix with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United in the race for a place in the Europa League.

Tottenham fans, do you think this is how Mourinho will start against Leicester? Let us know your views in the comments section below!

Plenty of Everton fans have been slamming the latest transfer update on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as Todo Fichajes have claimed that the Merseyside club are close to signing the Southampton man.

As per the outlet, they have reportedly been trying for weeks to secure his services and even speculated that it could become official very soon.

An agreement has apparently taken place between the two teams with a transfer fee of nearly €30 million, which is the equivalent of around £27.3 million.

It is also reported that Hojbjerg would double his salary and thus prevail over the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and Ajax who have all had the intention of signing him.

However, despite the relatively high asking price, the central midfield player has failed to score and has made just one assist in 38 games in all competitions in the 2019/20 season so far, according to Transfermarkt.

Based off of these stats and the sum of money allegedly agreed, perhaps it is not a surprise that these members of the Goodison Park faithful slammed him on Twitter after reading the update:

Evertonians, would Hojbjerg be a bad signing? Comment below!

Chelsea’s frustrations with Kepa Arrizabalaga continue after he let five goals past him against Liverpool on Wednesday. 

Their loss to the Premier League winners means that a place in the Champions League rests on their final match of the season. Frank Lampard and his men are preparing to face Wolves and need to avoid defeat in order to be assured of a top four finish.

Lampard had already made it clear that Chelsea’s long-term plans do not involve Kepa in goal, but his most recent performance has only worsened the situation. It seems now that, whether the Spaniard is sold this summer or not, the Blues will be recruiting a new first-choice goalkeeper.

Names including Jan Oblak have been linked with the west London outfit, but one of the most recent to emerge is Burnley’s Nick Pope. According to 90min, Lampard and his backroom staff have been impressed by the Englishman’s performances this season and are conducting background checks to see if they want to take their interest further.

Pope has made the fourth-highest number of Premier League saves this term with 118 and is tied for the Golden Glove with Ederson, who have both kept 15 clean sheets so far. For contrast, Kepa has eight league clean sheets this season and has managed just 55 saves (via Premier League).

Chelsea’s current list of signings is unbalanced after welcoming two attacking players in Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner to the club. The Kai Havertz deal is reportedly close to being finalised as well, meaning that Lampard must look to recruit more defensive reinforcements.

If the Blues are serious about challenging for silverware next season – particularly in the Premier League – they must bring in a more reliable goalkeeper. Pope has made more than double the amount of saves Kepa has this campaign and has a much stronger clean sheet record. Currently valued at just £8.5m, it is likely his asking price wouldn’t be astronomical either.

Poaching the England international is a no-brainer for Chelsea and they should look deeper into how they can make it happen.

Would you like to see Chelsea sign Nick Pope this summer, Blues? Have your say in the comments below…

Chelsea are hoping that they can recruit a replacement for goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer, who has fallen short of the mark between the sticks. 

One man whose name continues to crop up is Marc-Andre ter Stegen and he joins the likes of Nick Pope and Jan Oblak as serious transfer targets. According to ESPN, the Blues are battling Inter Milan for the Barcelona man’s signature and hope that Petr Cech can help aid a move for the star.

Whilst Frank Lampard’s side have impressed in front of goal, they have been poor at keeping shots out at the other end, scoring 69 league goals in 2019/20 but conceding 54.

Having already signed Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, Chelsea look well-stacked up front as they head into the new season. However, they must now shift focus onto their defensive problems and how they can plug the holes that have leaked an alarming amount of goals in recent months.

Lampard has made it clear that Kepa is no longer part of his plans moving forward and a replacement must be a priority. Ter Stegen would certainly make a statement if he were to join Stamford Bridge, as he boasts one Champions League crown and four La Liga titles with Barcelona (via Transfermarkt). The Germany international is currently valued at £64.8m.

Fellow goalkeeper and former Chelsea player Cech has played a big part in Lampard’s business this summer. ESPN revealed that he was integral in their quiet yet effective swoop for Werner after they snatched him from under Liverpool’s noses. The 38-year-old could again be called upon to work his magic and coax Ter Stegen away from Camp Nou.

Cech has already proved that his role as the west London club’s technical and performance advisor is one in which he is doing well. A deal for Kai Havertz is all but over the line and now he needs to up his charm and try to lure in one of the world’s most valuable goalkeepers.

Should the Czech Republic native succeed in this, Chelsea will boast a very frightening squad next season.

Chelsea fans, are you confident that the Blues will land Ter Stegen? Comment below with your views!

Aston Villa could be eyeing up a surprise move for a player who hugely impressed down the road last season…

What’s the word?

According to the Beautiful Game Podcast (via Birmingham Mail), the Midlands outfit are interested in signing West Ham winger Grady Diangana this season following his spectacular spell on loan to local rivals West Bromwich Albion.

The likes of Southampton, Fulham and the Baggies themselves have all been linked with the 22-year-old and now the Villans have entered the race.

Meanwhile, Football Insider have claimed that the Hammers could let their young academy graduate depart east London if their £25m valuation is met, so it’s now all on those interested clubs.

Bye-bye Jota

Just a year on from joining, Jota is heading closer towards the exit door with AS reporting that the 29-year-old has numerous suitors in his home country, including Granada and Valladolid.

Perhaps it’s time to move in on and bring in some fresh blood in the shape of Diangana.

The tricky yet enigmatic speedster was electric at the Hawthorns as Slaven Bilic’s men secured promotion from the Championship, he provided eight goals and six assists whilst averaging 2.4 dribbles, 1.6 shots and 1.4 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

Such performances have led to pundits waxing lyrical over his credentials and they go to show why he’d be a hit at Villa Park next season.

Villa legend Lee Hendrie believes he can be a “total nightmare” for the opposition to defend against whilst Keith Andrews labelled the 22-year-old as “explosive” – what players does Dean Smith currently have that match this besides Jack Grealish?

The answer is probably none.

Therefore, it would make perfect sense for Johan Lange to bring the energetic wide man to Villa this summer.

AND in other news, Smith eyeing La Liga STAR to bolster leaky defence…

Portsmouth have missed out on the chance to bring Sammie Szmodics in to the club from Bristol City with Peterborough United said to have won the race for his signature.

Kenny Jackett’s failure to guide Pompey to a Championship promotion proved to be a second successive one and pressure is now firmly on the manager’s shoulders as the new season fast approaches.

Seeing a whole host of first team players leave Fratton Park earlier this summer, it was expected that Jackett would look to bring in some new faces but only three players have arrived in the shape of Sean Raggett, Cameron Pring and Callum Johnson.

Linked with a potential move for Szmodics, joining the likes of Sunderland with interest, Jackett has now seen rival League One club Peterborough United jump the gun.

Darren Ferguson’s side are said to have had a £1m-plus bid accepted by Szmodics’ parent club Bristol City.

The attacking midfielder made handful of appearances last term, spending time during the 2019/20 season on loan with League One side Peterborough, scoring four goals and providing four assist in 10 games.

Portsmouth fans will be excused for feeling a little bit concerned ahead of the new season. Pompey have made very little moves in the transfer window, other than strengthening their defence.

One thing Jackett must ensure is that his side finish in a play-off or better yet, automatic promotion place, and it remains to be seen if his current squad have the capability to do just that.

Missing out on Szmodics is a blow. He showed in his loan spell at the Posh last term that he can excel at this level, but Portsmouth must now identify other targets.

Do you think Kenny Jackett will bring any new players in before Saturday’s league opener? Let us know in the comments section below…

As per Foot Mercato, Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos is a priority for Fiorentina.

The Colombia international has long been linked with a move to Lille, with whom he is said to have agreed personal terms.

However, there has been little movement on that front recently, and as such, the Serie A outfit are said to be eyeing a deal. If La Viola want to sign him, though, they must first sell – the Ibrox outfit still want €20m (£18.2m) for the 24-year-old.

The list of who doesn’t want Morelos is now almost shorter than who does. That may be a slight exaggeration, but the number of sides who want him appears to be on the rise with each passing day. Yet here we are, with less than a month left of the transfer window and, other than Lille’s £16m bid, which Les Dogues’ president Gerard Lopez confirmed, there appears to have been no other concrete approach.

Like many of the other options, Fiorentina would be an interesting option – the likes of Franck Ribery and Federico Chiesa would likely provide fantastic service for the former HJK Helsinki man. For the Gers and Steven Gerrard, though, the speculation is likely becoming tiresome. It is about time this saga is concluded once and for all.

Let us know what you think below!

Southampton’s hopes of a last-minute move for Brandon Williams have been punctured after Manchester United changed their mind on letting him leave on loan.

According to The Mirror’s David McDonnell, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has no intention of sanctioning a move away from Old Trafford for the young defender. The Saints were reportedly keen on bringing Williams to St Mary’s in a short-term move to help bolster their options across the backline. However, a deadline day curveball leaves Ralph Hasenhuttl scrambling to find another potential full-back who fits the bill.

Hasenhuttl concerns

Despite having a well-stocked defensive roster, the Southampton boss is seemingly in the market for another full-back. Williams, who can operate on both the right and left flank, would’ve given Hasenhuttl a lot to think about in terms of his starting line-ups. His interest in a player who is versatile across the back-line could hint that he has little faith in the club’s current young full-backs.

Yan Valery, 21, and Jake Vokins, 20, are two of the club’s defensive fringe players currently in the senior team. However, neither have played a single minute of Premier League football this season. The arrival of Kyle Walker-Peters sees him become one of the first names on Hasenhuttl’s team-sheet, with veteran Ryan Bertrand opposite him.

Adding Williams to his options would have provided more depth for catering to certain opposition sides. The 20-year-old has featured in Man United’s Carabao Cup run this season, keeping two clean sheets and bagging himself an assist. He is already ahead of most other young full-backs after notching an impressive 38 senior appearances for the Red Devils, with a goal and three assists to boot (via Transfermarkt).

Southampton have won two of their four games played so far and sit in a respectable 11th place in the table. Will any last-gasp loan deals sneak through the door to help shape Hasenhuttl’s season?

In other news, Ralph Hasenhuttl makes Southampton transfer deadline day statement…

Some Liverpool fans were not happy to discover that midfielder Marko Grujic has moved to FC Porto on a season-long loan.

The 24-year-old returned from a two-year loan spell at Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, where he impressed the likes of their former head coach Pal Dardai, who described him as their “best midfielder in 20 years”, as per Bundesliga.

On his return to Anfield, Grujic put in two good performances in the Carabao Cup against Lincoln City and Arsenal respectively, despite exiting the competition on penalties against the latter.

However, this wasn’t enough to convince Jurgen Klopp to keep the Serbia international this season, as the club announced that he would be moving to the Portuguese champions.

Grujic is moving to a side that is in the same Champions League group as Manchester City, which could be an ideal challenge for him at a high level this season.

Nonetheless, some supporters were not happy about him being loaned out again and believe that Grujic would have been better off staying at Anfield this season. Here is a flavour of the reaction from disgruntled Reds fans, one of whom called the decision “crazy”:

Liverpool fans, was it the right move to send Marko Grujic on loan again? Join the conversation by commenting below…