Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted that record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a doubt for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Everton at the Emirates Stadium.
Aubameyang joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund on transfer deadline day, with the Gunners paying in the region of £60m to sign the Gabon international.
The 28-year-old had initially been pencilled in to make his Arsenal debut when Everton visit the English capital in Saturday’s late kickoff.
However, Wenger has conceded that Aubameyang has been suffering with an illness, and the centre-forward will be assessed on Friday to determine whether he can debut this weekend.
The same can also be said for Jack Wilshere, with Wenger, who spoke on Friday morning, revealing that the midfielder is also a doubt through illness.
Wenger told reporters:
“Aubameyang was sick as well, we have to assess him today.”
Aubameyang followed former Dortmund teammate Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Arsenal during the January transfer window.
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Arsenal were also recently boosted by the news that Mesut Ozil has signed a new long-term contract with the Gunners, who lost 3-1 at Swansea City on Tuesday night.
Liverpool were at their attacking best on Saturday as they moved into second place, temporarily usurping Manchester United in one of the automatic qualification spots for next season’s Champions League with a 4-1 win over West Ham.
Emre Can headed Liverpool into the lead with just under half-an-hour played, and Mohamed Salah doubled the Reds’ advantage just after half-time when he put the ball beyond Adrian in the Hammers goal.
Roberto Firmino then made it three after a mistake by Adrian, before Michail Antonio made a game of it with a low finish and the rejuvenated Sadio Mane put the icing on a thumping win at Anfield.
Liverpool are unbeaten in 16 home matches in the league now, a record for which the ever-influential Mohamed Salah can be credited. The Premier League’s second highest goalscorer was again at his imperious best, getting on the score sheet and playing a key part in the Reds’ dismantling of the struggling Irons.
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With four different goalscorers, though, there are plenty of nominees for Liverpool’s best player, while a few Reds surely disappointed on Saturday despite the healthy scoreline. With that in mind, we’re asking Liverpool supporters to issue ratings out of ten for each individual performance…
According to reports in The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Victor Wanyama wants a new contract amid links with Manchester United and Liverpool.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Mirror says that the Kenya international is on both Premier League sides’ list of potential options this summer with Jose Mourinho actively looking for a new midfielder and Jurgen Klopp potentially looking for a replacement for contract rebel Emre Can.
Wanyama is two years into his five-year contract with Spurs and The Mirror says he is keen to extend his stay with the north London outfit rather than joining one of their top flight rivals.
While the 26-year-old has only been sparingly used in recent weeks following his return from a knee injury, Mauricio Pochettino still sees him as an important player.
How has Wanyama done this season?
The Kenyan started the campaign as a regular in the Tottenham team, but he suffered a knee injury at the end of August that kept him on the sidelines until 2018.
The 26-year-old has only started once in nine fixtures in the Premier League and Champions League since then – the 1-0 win against Crystal Palace last weekend – but he has come on as a substitute in all of the others and he scored a screamer in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield last month.
Should Tottenham offer him a new deal?
They certainly should.
It is no surprise that the likes of United and Liverpool are targeting Wanyama because he has proven that he is one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League, and the strength and protection he provides in front of the back four is priceless.
While Spurs also have Eric Dier and Mousa Dembele in those positions, Pochettino needs the competition and while the latter has been brilliant of late, he will be 31 this year and the club need to think about the long-term.
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The fact that Wanyama wants to stay should be enough to get a deal over the line, and Tottenham can’t afford to miss out on tying the Kenya international down.
Rochdale’s visit to Wembley to face Spurs in their fifth round FA Cup replay tonight may feel like a cup final for the League One side, but for Tottenham their priorities might be slightly different.
In the midst of a busy three-game week, with Mauricio Pochettino focused on keeping his side’s spot in the top four secure, Spurs may choose to rest some key names tonight and give their youngsters the chance to shine.
One of those young guns looking to prove himself is 20-year-old right-back Kyle Walker-Peters. The Tottenham academy graduate has made only two appearances in the league this season, but has featured heavily in Spurs’ FA Cup run – having played all 90 minutes in the third round and been given a 45 minute run-out in the fourth.
Pochettino has seemed unable to decide whether he wants to give regular playing time at right-back to summer signing Serge Aurier or Kieran Trippier, so now seems like the perfect time to throw another name into the mix.
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But what do Spurs fans think? Should Pochettino play Walker-Peters tonight? Have your say by voting below…
Tottenham Hotspur desperately need a trophy if they want to keep their burgeoning squad together.
That is the prevailing point of view in the aftermath of Spurs’ Champions League last 16 defeat at the hands of wily Italian giants Juventus last week. It makes Saturday’s FA Cup quarter final against Swansea their biggest game of the season.
Not everyone subscribes to this viewpoint but even those who do cannot dispute that Mauricio Pochettino has vastly improved the club in almost area since his appointment.
He has shipped out the deadwood and made Spurs a well-coached, potent and adaptable side, who improve year on year.
For my part, I am a huge admirer of Tottenham and what Pochettino has done there. In an era of quick fixes and overspending, Spurs are bucking the trend.
The Argentine is much more adept on the training pitch than in the transfer market and appears to be one of the few coaches left in the English game – although Eddie Howe and Sean Dyche are others – that believe in building something.
‘Poch’ feels that greater cohesion, team spirit and organisation over a period of time will do more for his young and prodigious squad than expensive purchases would and based on the performances his side put out most weeks, it is hard to disagree.
They are the epitome of a modern football side. Comfortable in numerous formations, capable of dominating games or counter attacking, tight at the back and frightening going forward. It is hard to find a weakness when running through their starting eleven.
Yet, as the club passes ten years without a trophy after their latest failure at the hands of the Old Lady, all this serves to do is beg the question; how does such a good team keep faltering during the big moments?
They blew up against Chelsea when they were Leicester’s closest challengers in 2015/16. Last season’s FA Cup semi-final was a huge opportunity to set up a shot at silverware but they lost 4-2 to the Blues.
Even this season, while they collected impressive home wins over Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, they were timid throughout away defeats in crunch matches against both Manchester clubs and bitter rivals Arsenal.
They dominated for 170 minutes of the tie against Juve but in the 10 minutes they were on the back foot, they conceded four goals. That is not good enough.
Week to week, it is evident that the quality of the players is there. Most of their Premier League rivals would trade their respective options for Toby Alderweireld, Christian Eriksen, Mousa Dembele and Harry Kane.
Yet, there are big moments within big matches. Ones where other teams – Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich – find a way to keep the ball out of the net or make their chances count.
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They switch on and realise that if they ride out the current storm or make the most of their sustained pressure, they will win the match. They manage the game. And Spurs still don’t.
It is not a case of being ‘Spursy’ or ‘bottle jobs’, as Spurs are far too good a team for that. They have performed in some hostile atmospheres; in Turin, in the Bernabeu, and have made Wembley a fortress.
They still just don’t have the knack of identifying the crunch times, the ones where they simply cannot afford to go to sleep and stepping up at those times.
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That’s all it is. It’s a small step that will make an almighty difference. By almost every discernable on-pitch measure – attacking potency, speed of play, adaptability, playing style – Spurs are better than say, a much more expensively-assembled Manchester United.
Yet they are behind them in the league. Because they lack that bloody-minded ruthlessness at the key times.
It should come for Spurs. They could quite easily win the FA Cup this season and silence the doubters. I don’t subscribe to the theory that if it doesn’t, there will be a mass exodus as the players are clearly happy where they are – with only one or two exceptions.
But it needs to soon, or else this team will become synonymous with glorious failure. Poch was ruthless in his culling of the deadwood until he had a squad that, to a man, bought into what he was trying to do.
Now, he must instill that same bloody-mindedness into his players, so they learn to come out those vital moments within matches with their noses in front.
According to The Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur have learned that Norwich City attacker James Maddison will cost them £25m at the end of the season.
What’s the story?
Maddison, 21, has been in outstanding form for Norwich this season – scoring 14 times and registering 10 assists in 41 appearances in all competitions.
A number of Premier League clubs – including Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Everton – have been credited with an interest, but it is understood that Tottenham are confident of enticing the attacker to the new White Hart Lane.
According to The Mirror, Tottenham have learned that they will have to pay £25m to sign the England Under-21 international.
It is a high price for a player that is unproven at the highest level of English football, but it is not a number that will put off a Spurs team who seem determined to land a player that is being tipped to become a future England international.
How good is Maddison?
Arguably the most gifted footballer in the Championship, it is not a surprise that a number of Premier League clubs are closely monitoring Maddison.
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Norwich signed the attacking midfielder from Coventry City in February 2016, and he showed his incredible potential for the Canaries in the second half of last season, which also included a loan spell at Aberdeen.
It was always going to be difficult for Norwich to keep Maddison when he hit full flow, and that has been the case throughout the 2017-18 campaign.
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Capable of operating in a number of positions in the final third of the field, the 21-year-old could well thrive alongside the likes of Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen at White Hart Lane.
Tottenham will have to fight tooth and nail to sign Maddison ahead of a number of Premier League rivals – notably Liverpool – but £25m might well turn out to be a steal for a player that has all of the tools needed to be a future star for the England national team.
Fulham starlet Ryan Sessegnon has gone from strength to strength since making his breakthrough at the Cottagers last season.
Rather than make the jump to a Premier League club last summer, the 17-year-old chose to sign his first professional contract at the London outfit.
A handful of top-flight clubs have been linked to the youngster’s signature, including Tottenham Hotspur.
Last month, The Sun reported that the North London outfit, as well as Manchester United and Manchester City, are interested in recruiting the left-sided player.
In an article later published by The Sun, it was claimed that Fulham value Sessegnon at around £25m, which in this market is fairly modest, despite the fact that he is only a teenager.
Tottenham fans have made it clear that they are keen for the club to make a move for the in-demand youngster.
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Now, they seem even more interested for a deal to go through following reports that Sessegnon’s price tag could be around £25m.
Former Newcastle United forward Micky Quinn has claimed that Magpies captain Jamaal Lascelles should be in the England squad ahead of Manchester City’s John Stones.
Lascelles has had an impressive 2017-18 campaign at St James’ Park, but the 24-year-old was not given an opportunity to impress for the Three Lions during the recent international break.
His lack of involvement up to this point suggests that it will be difficult for the centre-back to make Gareth Southgate’s squad for the 2018 World Cup.
Quinn, however, has insisted that Lascelles is ‘easily among the best five English centre-backs’.
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The pundit even claimed that the reported Chelsea target should be in the squad ahead of City’s Stones, who had some nervy moments during the clash with Italy last week.
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Quinn wrote in the Evening Chronicle:
“It actually really frustrates me that Lascelles keeps being overlooked by Gareth Southgate for England.
“He is easily among the best five English centre-backs at the moment – in fact, I’d have him in the squad ahead of John Stones. I really would.”
Lascelles signed for Newcastle from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2014, and is closing on a century of appearances for the Magpies.
The battle to become Liverpool’s long-term right-back has evolved into a Mexican standoff with Nathaniel Clyne’s recent return from injury, reminding Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez that potential alone won’t be enough to keep them in Jurgen Klopp’s long-term plans. All three bring something slightly different to the role; Clyne offers balance and experience, Gomez athleticism and defensive solidity as part full-back, part centre-half, and Alexander-Arnold local-lad enthusiasm combined with prodigal offensive flair.
But there’s no question who Liverpool fans think should emerge as Klopp’s primary choice for the No.2 berth heading into next season. When we asked Reds supporters earlier this month to choose between the three right-backs, and the prospect of signing a new one altogether this summer, it was Alexander-Arnold who won our poll with a clear majority – 54% – voting his favour.
And after a second impressive performance against Manchester City, the Premier League’s champions in waiting, in as many appearances, it’s becoming only more obvious why Liverpool fans value the emerging academy product so highly – especially as his journey along the learning curve of what has quickly become one of modern football’s most important positions over the last decade has steadily increased in prevalence.
It wasn’t so long ago Klopp’s decision to start Alexander-Arnold in a big game came under scrutiny, after twice being sucked towards the ball at Old Trafford to afford Marcus Rashford the space to fire Manchester United to victory in the Northwest derby. The 19-year-old was culpable for the same error against Crystal Palace too, allowing Wilfried Zaha to drift into the space between him and his corresponding centre-half to lure Loris Karius into a penalty-conceding challenge.
But Manchester City, albeit never quite at their best against Liverpool, have provided the biggest tests Alexander-Arnold’s defensive qualities will face this season and the return leg of the Champions League quarter-final at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night marked the second the England U21 has passed with flying colours, especially considering his direct opposite for those 180 minutes was Leroy Sane – one of Europe’s most exciting forwards with nine goals and twelve assists in the Premier League this season.
Indeed, while the German international once again endured a frustrating evening, Alexander-Arnold’s defensive contributions in a match that was all about City trying their best to rack up a cricket score to reverse the 3-0 deficit truly stood out – registering the most tackles and interceptions of any Liverpool player, while even finding opportunity to briefly impact at the other end with one accurate cross into the box.
No doubt, Alexander-Arnold still isn’t quite the finished article, especially for Klopp’s system which implores his full-backs to get forward and provide width. Despite technical ability being widely seen as the teenager’s greatest strength, he still completed only 70% of his passes against City and suffered two unsuccessful touches – on another day, a team of City’s calibre could have punished him dearly for that sloppiness in possession.
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But the real question over Alexander-Arnold since his emergence in the first team has regarded his defensive prowess, not whether he has the quality to contribute going forward, and Klopp’s willingness to throw him in at the deep end against top quality opposition has seen that side of the Liverpudlian’s game rapidly improve. Despite Gomez holding down the role for most of the first half of the season, and a full England international in Clyne returning to fitness too, the right-back slot for 2018/18 now well and truly feels like Alexander-Arnold’s to lose.
According to The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur want £40m plus Luke Shaw in order to sell Danny Rose to Manchester United in this summer’s transfer window.
What’s the story?
United are again being strongly linked with a move for Rose, who is widely expected to leave Spurs ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.
Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho is a firm admirer of the England international, and still sees him as a key transfer target despite the fact that the left-back has only featured on 14 occasions for his current club during the 2017-18 season.
According to The Sun, Tottenham have informed their Premier League rivals that Rose will be allowed to move to Old Trafford this summer, but the London club want £40m plus Shaw.
Shaw has had a number of problems with Mourinho at Old Trafford, and has been tipped to leave Old Trafford this summer as the former Southampton youngster looks to move on from what has been a difficult couple of seasons.
Would the deal suit both parties?
A swap deal involving Rose and Shaw would certainly be appealing to both Mourinho and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino. After all, both managers would be acquiring excellent left-backs.
A price of £40m plus Shaw does seem very steep, however, when considering that Rose has been unable to dislodge Ben Davies in the Tottenham XI this season.
Pochettino worked with Shaw at Southampton and sees the Englishman as a potential superstar, whilst Mourinho believes that Rose would be the perfect player to work alongside Ashley Young, who has been excellent for the 20-time English champions this season.
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It would not be a surprise to see the two individuals move in opposite directions this summer, but United would surely be reluctant to part with £40m as well as a player that still has incredible potential despite his issues since suffering a serious leg break.
Mourinho’s side might well be better off coming up with a counter offer of £15m plus Shaw, which would still represent excellent value for both clubs.