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With the mid-season winter break now over, all eyes will be back on Premier League action.

For Mikel Arteta, the couple of weeks away no doubt gave him precious time with his Arsenal players to work on a few things and get his ideas across a bit more clearly.

That extra time will surely stand the Gunners in good stead heading into their clash with Newcastle at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon.

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Despite there still being a couple of absentees from injuries – the likes of Kieran Tierney and Calum Chambers for example – the Arsenal head coach appears to have a strong squad to choose from.

Below is a look at how the north London side might line up.

In front of first-choice goalkeeper Bernd Leno, Daviz Luiz and Shkodran Mustafi should be given the chance to impress as a centre-back partnership once again following their shut-out against Burnley.

That will mean the Gunners’ loan signing of Pablo Mari will have to wait a little longer to make his debut for the club, with the Europa League tie against Olympiacos in mid-week a potential place for him to do so.

The north London side also confirmed Bukayo Saka has shaken off the knock that caused him to go off at half-time at Turf Moor last time out, whilst Hector Bellerin should keep his place on the opposite flank at right-back.

Arteta could opt to bring in Lucas Torreira for Matteo Guendouzi in central midfield, and thereby partner Granit Xhaka – a player who has remarkably turned around his career at the Emirates.

Who is that?! Nobody has been able to name the teams all of these obscure managers were once in charge of…

Further ahead, Mesut Ozil’s inclusion in the starting line-up continues to baffle, with the German still failing to find the back of the net this season. A home game against Newcastle should surely tempt Arteta into handing Dani Ceballos a chance to shine in the number ten role.

And with Alexandre Lacazette unfortunately out of form at the moment – he has not scored in his last eight Premier League matches – the Gunners boss may finally axe him from the line-up. That could see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang move into a central role, with Gabriel Martinelli and the returning Nicolas Pepe out wide.

Meanwhile, Arsenal must tie down this youngster to a new contract.

According to a recent report from The Sun, Asmir Begovic’s future looks far from certain heading into the remainder of the January transfer window. The 31-year-old currently plays his football at Premier League outfit Bournemouth and has done so since leaving Chelsea back in 2017, although his recent exclusion from Eddie Howe’s starting eleven has plunged his future at the Vitality Stadium into doubt.

And a recent report from The Sun suggests that the Bosnia and Herzegovina international could look to leave the South Coast outfit this month in a bid for regular first team football, and while the report outlines the possibility of Premier League clubs signing the shot-stopper, the door could well be ajar for Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers to sign the £7.2 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt).

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Bhoys have been pretty busy in this month’s transfer window as they seek to go toe-to-toe with Kilmarnock and Old Firm rivals Rangers in pursuit of the Scottish Premiership title this season, which would be their eighth in a row were they to finish top of the pile.

And with the likes of Timothy Weah, Oliver Burke, and Vakoun Issouf Bayo coming in to bolster the attacking ranks in Rodgers’ squad, the Northern Irishman may also be thinking about a long-term replacement and upgrade for goalkeeper Craig Gordon, who turned 36 at the end of last year.

The Scotland international has been an outstanding servant to the Bhoys ever since joining the club back in 2014, helping them win four straight league titles as well as a whole host of domestic honours in their quest to completely dominate football north of the border.

However, there have been instances in the last 12 months which have called into question just how reliable the shot-stopper can continue to be, with some high-profile errors sometimes coming back to haunt Celtic – he was fortunate that his mistake against Red Bull Salzburg didn’t cost Rodgers’ side their place in the last-32 of the Europa League.

Clearly though, Gordon is reaching the twilight of his career and it remains to be seen just how much longer he has got at the top of the game in Scotland, with Bournemouth’s Begovic the ideal long-term replacement and upgrade for the 36-year-old.

The Bosnian star may have lost his place to Artur Boruc in the Cherries first team last time out, but he has on the whole performed well throughout his time in the Premier League, be it at Stoke City, Chelsea, or indeed Bournemouth.

In fact, his impressive efforts for Stoke between 2010 and 2015, in which time the goalkeeper kept 50 clean sheets and shipped only 210 goals in 173 appearances for the Potters, earned him a move to Premier League giants Chelsea to emphasise what a fine job he did at the bet365 Stadium – he more than proved his worth to the club in his five-year stint.

Yes, he didn’t get much game time at Chelsea, but a move to Bournemouth has reminded us all what a great shot-stopper Begovic is at Premier League level – the sort of goalkeeper Celtic are crying out for post-Gordon.

And with Scott Bain unlikely to be the heir to the 36-year-old at Parkhead, Rodgers must be thinking about his next long-term option between the sticks – and the door might well be ajar for the Bhoys manager to make a move for linked-away Begovic, who would represent the ideal upgrade for Gordon at Celtic Park.

Celtic fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Loads of Everton fans have been reacting to the impressive form of Ross Barkley, and let’s just say they aren’t exactly being forgiving.

Everton fans were delighted when Barkley was left out in the cold by Antonio Conte last season, but Maurizio Sarri has completely transformed the young midfielder.

After losing out to Mateo Kovacic earlier in the season, Barkley has taken the helm as the most advanced player in Sarri’s midfield trio, and he certainly hasn’t looked back.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”310054″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Fake Madrid & Ross Barkley Emulates… David Ngog”]

After scoring once and assisting once against Southampton, the 24 year-old grabbed a crucial late goal against Manchester United and then put on an absolutely stunning display against Burnley this weekend.

He has now has three goals and four assists in all competitions, and his drive from midfield could have been the perfect final piece in Everton’s midfield.

Lots of fans have been discussing his impressive form though, and they certainly aren’t forgetting his tendency to have three or four superb games followed by several poor ones.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, look away now Ross…

Rangers have announced the signing of Borna Barisic from NK Osijek on a four-year deal for a reported fee of £2.2million according to BBC Sport.

Barisic came to Rangers’ attention after impressive performances in both legs of their Europa League qualifying tie against Osijek in which the Gers ran out eventual victors.

The versatile player is comfortable playing at left-back and left-midfield and was a constant menace down the Rangers’ right flank throughout the game.

Barisic is a Croatian international with three caps to his name and spoke of his desire to join compatriot Nikola Katic in defence at Rangers.

He is the latest arrival in a major overhaul this summer, commandeered by new manager Steven Gerrard who has brought in 11 new faces at the Ibrox.

Rangers fans have been reacting to the latest signing at the club and it’s clear they’re expecting to see more solid performances from the left-back.

Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways in style on Saturday with an exceptional 3-0 victory away to Everton at Goodison Park.

After losing to Chelsea and drawing with Burnley before the international break, fans were becoming a little worried with the performances of Mauricio Pochettino’s men but they finally reached their potential with a demolition of the Toffees.

After a dry August, Harry Kane was the hero of the day, scoring a double and bringing his career goal tally for Spurs over the 100 mark. Christian Eriksen also netted on the day to send the away supporters home delighted.

While that duo will grab the headlines, Spurs fans have been paying special mention to their unsung hero of the match, Ben Davies. The Welshman put in a storming performance on the left flank, even assisting Kane’s second goal of the afternoon.

In Danny Rose’s absence, Davies is stepping up to the mark and if he keeps this up, Rose could find it tough to get back into Pochettino’s starting eleven.

Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on Davies’ performance…

Visit Britain are currently running a competition to find football’s biggest Super Fan, and football fans in Brighton are as loyal as they come.

A quaint seaside town, football has often played a big part in the lives of Brightonians – with a day on the beach not complete without a kick around.

Professionally, Brighton-based football clubs have not achieved too much success – with Brighton and Hove Albion, the highest placed club from the city, yet to breach into England’s top flight.

Indeed, there are a host of clubs throughout the city, though, with clubs like Lewes and Eastbourne often welcoming small but hugely passionate fans to their ground on a Saturday afternoon.

Brighton and Hove Albion are the club to watch, though, and with the side looking to embark on a huge period in their history, now is a very good time to be a passionate fan of the Seagulls…

Brighton & Hove Albion

It is a very interesting time to be a Brighton and Hove Albion fan. The club are currently sitting near the top of the Championship, which is the second division in the English tier system, and could be set to earn immediate promotion at the end of the season.

This will mark the first time that the club have competed in the Premier League, with the Chris Hughton-led side being the surprise package of the season so far.

They play their football at the American Express Community Stadium, or The AMEX, which is an impressive, modern stadia in the heart of the Sussex Downs.

Affectionately known as the Seagulls, fans of the club are loyal and dedicated to their team and city – and that has played a vital role in their rise over the last few years.

Do you think you have what it takes to be Visit Britain’s biggest Super Fan? Click 0n the link below to find the details.

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It isn’t just the EUROs making everyone go ballistic this summer, guys, there’s the small matter of the Copa America rumbling along a few thousand miles to the west. Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay and others are all going to be playing off for the biggest prize that the Americas has to offer, could it be more exciting?

Clubs love a bit of national team scouting and it invariably ends in a monster transfer fee followed by a calamitous season. We can look forwards to some really hilarious negotiating, questionable scouting and over-rated stars making fools of themselves, there’s just simply nothing not to like.

Of course it would be easier for clubs to look at these players during the regular season, but that would be far too easy for our money-dominated Premier League club. Like that kid at school that had to have the newest phone, console and football boots, Premier League clubs focus solely on the vogue.

FIVE players might just be eyed-up by the PL moneybags…

Juan Cuadrado

Goading a Chelsea winger away to North London or Merseyside will be tricky in itself, but Cuadrado has been one of the top performing players in Italy in 2015/16.

Flying pace, rocket shooting and decent crossing, Cuadrado could provide natural width to many a Premier League side. Whilst Chelsea seem unsure what future there is for the Colombian, he should be given a Premier League opportunity.

Gonzalo Higuain

Simply the best natural centre-forward in the world right now, Higuain’s sublime season with Napoli cannot be overstated.

Scoring goals more regularly than any player has in recent Italian history, the Argentine has developed rapidly since his move from Real Madrid and looks a totally different force right now. A finisher as lethal as Higuain doesn’t come along too often…

Javier Mascherano

Could a return to Liverpool on the cards? Or could a move to elsewhere in England be on the horizon?

Argentina’s destroyer has largely featured as a centre-back at Barcelona and might be tempted into a move if a team can offer him a midfield berth. A rock hard tackler, experienced campaigner and all-round class act, Mascherano must be a target for many a Premier League club this summer.

Hulk

Yesterday’s potatoes, I hear you scream. Well, perhaps, but Hulk has yet to be given an opportunity in any of Europe’s top five leagues and he must be growing tired of his time with Zenit.

A regular for Brazil, he clearly has the ability and this might be one of the last seasons that he can really demonstrate that. English football seems nicely suited to Hulk, perhaps this could be the summer for him to make his mark.

Christian Pulisic made his mark with a goal and an assist off the bench, but it wasn't enough to save Milan in a 4-2 loss to Monza.

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Pulisic scores equalizing goalUSMNT star sets up Giroud as wellMilan throw it away lateWHAT HAPPENED?

With both Pulisic and Yunus Musah left out the XI, Milan dug themselves quite a hole, conceding twice in the first half against midtable Monza.

Both goals came just before halftime, with Matteo Pessina opening the scoring in the 45th minute from the spot. Dany Mota doubled that lead in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time, giving Monza a 2-0 advantage heading into the break.

It got no better for Milan in the opening moments of the second half. Luka Jovic was dismissed with a straight red card in the 52nd minute, leaving Milan with it all to do and down a man.

Milan, though, did fight back. Having subbed in several stars at halftime, Milan broke through with a goal from Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman was thrown into the fray alongside Pulisic and Rafael Leao, and it was the American's flicked-on assist that teed up the Frenchman to make it 2-1.

Pulisic, then, leveled the match late on, scoring a stunning goal in the 88th minute. His fantastic finish to the back post seemingly earned Milan a split of the points. It wasn't to be, though.

Monza struck back to reclaim all three points, netting the game-winner in the 90th minute. Warren Bondo provided the finish to reclaim the lead before on-loan striker Lorenzo Colombo added another to add insult to injury as Monza stunned Milan in a 4-2 win.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

With the loss, Milan joins Juventus in dropping points this weekend. As a result, the title has been all but handed to Inter, who have opened up a massive lead atop Serie A. As things stand, Inter have a nine-point lead on second-place Juve and an 11-point lead on their local rivals Milan. And, to make matters worse, Inter have a game in hand on both of them as we head into the final third of the Serie A season.

Getty ImagesUSMNT IMPACT

Pulisic more than made his mark off the bench, but Milan were unable to coast in a match that saw Stefano Pioli rotate the team. That was done, no doubt, due to the club's Europa League schedule, as Milan topped Rennes 3-0 on Thursday in the first leg of their tie with another match in France set for Thursday.

As a result, there's no need to read into Pulisic's benching, as he was sat alongside fellow starters Olivier Giroud and Rafael Leao. Pulisic's goal and assist, though, will be a huge positive for a player whose form has taken a slight dip in recent weeks. The left-foot finish to make it 2-2, in particular, was fantastic, as Pulisic placed his shot to the far post to score what should have been the final goal of the game.

Pulisic had largely been held quiet in recent weeks as a resurgent Leao led the charge in attack. This performance will give the American a bit of a lift, even if it didn't lead to the three points Milan desperately needed in this title race.

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Getty ImagesGOAL'S RATINGS

Christian Pulisic (9/10):

Came on in the second half and made a big impact, starting with his flicked-on header to Giroud. That was just the start, though, as Pulisic went on to score a superb goal to single-handedly drag Milan back into it.

Yunus Musah (6/10):

Went all 90 minutes against Rennes on Thursday, so no need to worry about him not getting thrown into this one until very, very late. Once on, he didn't get to do too much.

Here's where you can watch Toronto vs New York City FC in MLS on TV or stream it live.

On matchday 10 of the Major League Soccer season, New York City FC will make the short trip north to BMO Field to face Toronto.

The Reds' seven-match unbeaten streak came to an end last weekend when they were defeated 4-2 by Philadelphia Union, while New York has now won four straight MLS games after defeating Dallas 3-1.

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Bob Bradley hailed his team's draw against Atlanta United as a step forward, but they took a significant step back last Saturday after losing 4-2 to Philadelphia Union.

Defensively, the entire team looked as fragile as we've seen all year, as they struggled to handle the Philly press, lacked intensity, and were second to half chances, according to their coach.

While their last game was their worst of the season, the Reds are still in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, just a point back from the wildcard spot after nine games.

The Boys in Blue concluded a three-game run of games at home with victories over Nashville SC and Dallas, moving them up to fourth place in the Eastern Conference, five points behind FC Cincinnati and the New England Revolution.

With only nine games played, it is difficult to tell if they have found a genuine number nine, but while replacing Valentine Castellanos will be difficult, NYCFC is scoring regularly, with six different players scoring at least once and seven others with at least one goal contribution.

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about where to watch the game on TV and how to stream it online.

• Toronto vs New York City FC date & kick-off time

  Game:	Toronto vs New York City FC
  Date:	April 29, 2023
  Kick-off time:	7:30 pm ET
  Venue:	BMO Field

  Toronto and NYCFC face off at the BMO Field on April 29. The kickoff for the game is set for 7:30 pm Eastern Time.

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• Where to watch Toronto vs New York City FC on TV & how to stream it

  Fans in the United States & across the world can watch MLS with Apple TV MLS Season Pass.

  Country	TV channel	Live stream
  US	N/A	Apple TV

  • Check out GOAL's soccer on U.S. TV guide

• Team news & squads

  Toronto FC team news and squad

  The injury concerns revolve around Victor Vazquez Adama Diomande and Michael Bradley. Matt Hedges and Cristian Gutierrez are fit to return to the squad. Lorenzo Isigne is expected to start having made his first appearance of the season last week as a substitute.

  Toronto FC possible XI: Johnson; Laryea, O'Neill, Rosted, Petretta; Servania, Osorio, Kaye, Marshall-Rutty; Bernardeschi, Insigne

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Johnson, Romero
  Defenders	Laryea, Petretta, Rosted, Hedges, O'Neill, MacNaghton, Franklin, Ellis-Watson
  Midfielders	Osorio, Bradley, Kaye, Servania, Kerr
  Forwards	Bernardeschi, Akinola, Antanoglu, Mbongue, Insigne

  New York City team news and squad

  New York City has no notable injury concerns and will have the entire squad up for selection. Their top scorer so far has been Telles Magno.

  New York City FC possible XI: Barraza; Ilenic, Martins, Chanot, Cufre; Ledezma, Sands, Parks; Pereira, Segal, Magno

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers	Barraza, Fresse
  Defenders	Cufre, Chanot, Martins, Ilenic, O'Toole, Amundsen, Turnbull, Alfaro
  Midfielders	Parks, Sands, Pellegrini, Pereira, Jansson, Magno, Rodriguez, Haak, Andrade
  Forwards	Segal

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• Useful links

  Live football on UK TV

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  Stream MLS matches on Apple TV

  Buy MLS tickets with Ticketmaster

From the adidas MUNDIAL to Nike's Total 90

There’s a lot that goes into a football boot design. There’s the materials, studs and laces, obviously, but nowadays there’s also the specific zones for control, shooting and accuracy, as well as different plates for speed or precision.

Then there’s the colours, whether you’re going for the all-time classic of black and white, or you want bright footwear to say something about the style of play.

Looking for the best football boots in 2023? GOAL has you covered

But when football boot design is great, it becomes much more than the sum of its parts. Suddenly, a boot becomes fused to a player in the public imagination.

The boot is no longer its own thing, now it’s David Beckham standing over a free-kick, it's Lionel Messi leaving defenders in his wake or it's Thierry Henry ruling over Highbury.

With that in mind, here are 20 of the best boots of all time…

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  1Predator Mania

  The boot to end all boots, adidas’ Predator franchise is undoubtedly one of the most famous lines to ever launch, and has been updated, reworked and rejigged over the last 28 years.

  The boot reached its peak in 2002, though, with the launch of the Predator Mania.

  Already eight years old by this point, the Predator was a popular boot. The launch of the Mania sent it stratospheric, further refining the off-centre tongue and laces and the boots’ signature rubber control pads.

  Over the course of the year, to mark the 2002 World Cup, adidas launched the boots in a variety of “Champagne” colourways, but the headline grabber was always the black and red design.

  Nowadays, those Predator Manias are a symbol of early noughties football, worn by everyone from Steven Gerrard and David Beckham to Xavi and Zinedine Zidane. For a brief moment, the boots even crossed over and rugby’s very own Jonny Wilkinson laced up his pair.

  The relaunch of Predator Mania will be available to buy Sunday, 10 July from the Adidas website.

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  2Nike Total 90 III

  Nike’s Total 90 line only existed from 2000 until 2013, before it was replaced by the Hypervenom. But in that time, the line was home to one of the all-time great Premier League match balls and a series of now-iconic boots.

  One of the stand-out Total 90 releases arrived in 2002, with the T90 II, complete with an asymmetric construction and a colourful gradient stripe. That boot also starred in “The Secret Tournament” advert, directed by Terry Gilliam, soundtracked by Elvis and packed with the world’s best players.

  It was the next installment of the Total 90 that cemented it as a cultural force, though. Arriving in 2004, the T90 III didn’t feature a tongue, and was best known for its huge, circular 90 logo and the block colour on the instep.

  The boot was a hit, but more importantly, the astro version became a school disco classic.

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  3adidas Copa Mundial

  The adidas Copa Mundial is a classic at every level of the game. It made its debut in 1979 – although it was planned for the 1982 World Cup in Spain – and has always been popular for its black and white colours and no-frills design.

  Over the subsequent decades, adidas has returned to the Copa franchise to update the boot. New technologies, constructions and designs have been used to continually reinvent the line for new audiences.

  Throughout all of this, the Copa Mundial has remained one of the most popular boots ever released – and was the best seller for a long time.

  Even 43 years after it was launched, that black leather, serrated Three Stripes and subtle gold branding make up a football institution.

  Get the Copa Mundial boots from adidas for £130.00

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• Neymar Jr.
  

  4PUMA King

  The PUMA King has been around for more than 50 years. Over five decades of trends and fads have come and gone, but the black boot with its white Formstripe has been a regular sight across them all.

  It’s the boot that Pele wore to top score at the 1970 World Cup, it was on Maradona’s feet for the “Goal of the Century,” Lothar Matthaus laced up a pair before winning the 1990 World Cup and, with it, the Ballon d’Or.

  After all of that history, the King faded from top level football for a while, before 2020’s deal with Neymar saw the iconic boot back at the front for a new generation. The Brazilian’s first release alongside PUMA saw him put his own spin on the boot, adding an interlocking logo to the signature Formstripe.

  Get the latest version of the PUMA King boots from Puma for £180.00