Tag Futebol

Celtic move a step closer to closing the gap on runaway Premiership leaders Rangers thanks to their Wednesday win over Ross County. The reigning champions secured a convincing 2-0 win over the Staggies, who remain bottom of the table having won just three matches this season.

It’s a big ask for Neil Lennon and co to go on and win this term’s title, but they have enough time for their luck to turn. They also have strong players who have been impressing in recent weeks. One man who will be crucial in any potential Celtic comeback is Ryan Christie.

The midfielder has got many singing his praises since he helped Scotland secure their qualification for the Euros. His hard work and skill on the ball left Chris Sutton in awe, describing him as a “manager’s dream” in a recent column for the Daily Record.

Ryan Christie vs Ross County

Not only did Christie provide the assist to set up Leigh Griffiths’ goal, but he put in a superb shift in the middle of the park. According to Sofascore, the 25-year-old made four key passes, five tackles and completed 100% of his attempted dribbles.

His enviable balance between his attacking contributions and his ability to defend is what makes him a driving force in Lennon’s engine room. Christie is one of the only players who has survived the manager’s recent changes in his lineup. Even Scott Brown has been axed from the starting XI on several occasions, but Christie is a player that Lennon simply cannot afford to keep on the bench.

The Scotland international has been linked to a potential move away from Glasgow, with both Leeds United and Leicester showing keen interest in his services. There will be a gaping hole in this Celtic squad if the £5.8million-rated workhorse is to leave the club. Fans will certainly be heartbroken if he leaves, especially during these recent tough times.

In other news, Odsonne Edouard was disappointing yet again vs Ross County…

For Wolves, it hasn’t been an overly happy Christmas.

They were forced to head towards the festive period in a rather bizarre run of form, something that culminated with a defeat to Burnley.

Nuno Santo’s men were bullied against the Clarets and came out second best courtesy of goals from Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes.

To sum up how bad the Old Gold were, it was Barnes’ first goal for over a year. Thus, they will need to improve desperately against Spurs.

Fortunately, their record against the better sides in the division is pretty impressive. They have beaten both Arsenal and Chelsea in the last month for example.

Though, how will Wolves line-up when they welcome Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham to Molineux on Sunday evening?

Well, for starters, we’re tipping Nuno to make as many as four changes to the XI that started against Burnley.

We’re keeping the formation the same but there are a number of players we’ve removed from the XI. That begins with youngster Owen Otasowie.

The American did little wrong on his first Premier League start last Monday but with Fabio Silva finally breaking his goal drought, he starts in attack next to Pedro Neto. Raul Jimenez is still recovering from a fractured skull so misses out again.

Daniel Podence drops into a number 10 position and behind him, Ruben Neves sits out. The Portuguese was reduced to a number of shots from long range against Burnley that didn’t really trouble Nick Pope and he has been in and out of the squad anyway.

Starting ahead of him is Belgian midfielder Leander Dendoncker. The remaining two changes come at the back.

Rayan Ait-Nouri is replaced by the more experienced head in Marcal while Willy Boly comes back into the starting line-up ahead of Max Kilman.

The 23-year-old was demolished when Wolves played Burnley, losing a mammoth 83.4% of his duels. As a result, Nuno should have no other option but to remove him from the XI, especially against a rampant Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

AND in other news, Forget Adama: Wolves must UNLEASH “outstanding” teen who has “a bit of everything”…

Many Aston Villa fans are fuming following the latest reports surrounding their game against Newcastle United.

The Premier League have opted to postpone Friday night’s match between the Magpies and Aston Villa. According to Luke Edwards, and tweeted out by @villareport, the Tyneside club believe that as many as ten of their players are infected with COVID-19.

This will understandably frustrate Villa as they already have a game in hand in the league due to their game being postponed at the start of the season (SofaScore). To have two games in hand could see the fixture list become very congested for Dean Smith’s side down the line and could cause fatigue and injury issues.

Smith will not be happy – having lost their last two games 2-1 against Brighton and Hove Albion and West Ham, an up and down Newcastle side presented the Villains with a chance to get back on track, but instead they will now be left with a ‘huge disadvantage’ later in the season, as the postponed was confirmed on Tuesday evening.

Here is what Villa fans had to say following the update:

In other Villa news, many fans are praising one defender following his start to the season. Have a read who it is here!

Wolves will hope that their home match against Fulham this afternoon will help them return to winning ways in the Premier League.

As it stands, Wolves are 16th in the table after managing to grab just one win so far. After being beaten by Manchester City, they went on to suffer a shock defeat at the hands of David Moyes’ Irons. West Ham ran out 4-0 winners on home soil, leaving the Midlands side scratching their heads.

A big performance is needed if Wolves want to start their climb up the table, but Fulham will be equally hungry for points. The Cottagers are currently rooted to the bottom of the league table on zero points, with ten goals scored against them.

Football FanCast has predicted how Wolverhampton might line-up in their upcoming Premier League clash…

With £17m man Daniel Podence reportedly due to return today, Nuno Espirito Santo may opt to risk starting him after being out with a shoulder injury. Wolves have missed his attacking threat on the wing after he bagged himself two assists in two games (via Transfermarkt). His link-up play with Raul Jimenez is fast turning into something threatening and they will need all the attacking prowess then can get.

We could see Leander Dendoncker take the place of Joao Moutinho, who has had a quiet last few games. Wolves are short on midfield options as it is, so freshening up the heart of the engine room could be key to finding a result against a desperate Fulham.

The regular back-line of three will likely stay in tact, with Conor Coady looking to lead his side to their second win of the Premier League season. They will need to stay strong against a Fulham side eager to claw their way out of the relegation zone.

In other news, Wolves will feel disappointed after missing out on potential Raul Jimenez strike partner…

West Ham United could be on the verge of ending their centre-back pursuit as they enter the race for an experienced Premier League colossus…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Irons are keen on poaching Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea as he faces uncertainty over his future at the club having been left out by Frank Lampard in recent weeks.

The Telegraph’s reliable Blues correspondent Matt Law claims the 27-year-old is now effectively their fifth-choice centre-back and has been frozen out since the arrival of free-agent Thiago Silva.

Moyes is in the market for a new central defender and he could swoop in for the £36m-rated German on loan.

Ferdinand-like colossus

Ever since the likes of James Tomkins and James Collins departed east London, the centre-back position has been a rather troubling conundrum, even more so with Winston Reid perpetually on the treatment table.

You could argue that the club lack the presence of a Rio Ferdinand-type, someone who can influence from the back in an imposing nature and there were none better than the former fan-favourite.

Rudiger can give the Hammers that and more – ESPN describe the 31-cap international as a “tall, quick and athletic defender who is capable of turning out at centre-back or full-back” who is “comfortable with the ball at his feet and has all the necessary physical attributes to become a top-level centre-back.”

Perhaps the 27-year-old has been unfairly treated across the river as last season he averaged 2.9 aerials won, 2.8 clearances, 1.4 tackles per game, and even managed a passing accuracy of 86.8% from over 70 passes per match too, via WhoScored.

The 6 foot 3 monster has even been likened to Ricardo Carvalho by Garth Crooks, which isn’t a bad one to make given his influence in Chelsea’s title-winning sides.

Although Ferdinand himself isn’t a huge fan of Rudiger having slammed him for “appalling defending” in the past, though Moyes needs a quick solution and bringing him in on loan could provide that.

AND in other news, Hammers could find their new Payet in Serie A wizard…

Crystal Palace have a big transfer window ahead of them as they build to remain a mid-table team in the Premier League, and many fans of the South London side are reacting to the news that one player is due to sign a contract extension at the club.

Palace Xtra tweeted out the news from TEAMtalk suggesting that midfielder James McArthur is set to sign a new deal at the club to keep him at Selhurst Park until 2022.

The Scotsman is highly regarded by fans of the Eagles, and it is easy to see why as he is still performing at a very high level at the age of 32. The central midfielder averaged 2.4 tackles, 1.6 interceptions and 1.3 clearances per game last season, via WhoScored.

Despite his age, this sees him still valued at £4.32 million on Transfermarkt, and he truly has been a great servant for the club as he has picked up 19 goals and 17 assists in his 208 appearances.

He featured in 37 Premier League games last season, highlighting that he is seen as a vital player at the club, and it is no surprise to see so many Palace fans happy with the reports with one labelling him a “top player.”

Here is what fans have said following the news:

Best news so far should really be given the captaincy no one works harder than him

— LordTwigo (@CPFCwill20) August 18, 2020

Palace fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Let us know down below!

Having already secured the Carabao Cup this season, Manchester City continue their bid to retain another domestic trophy tonight as they face Arsenal in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

In the week that they won their appeal against a two-year ban from UEFA competitions, thus paving the way for them to return to the Champions League next season, City will hope to maintain the positive mood by reaching what would be their sixth domestic cup final (not including the Community Shield) since 2016.

Pep Guardiola got the better of his former assistant Mikel Areta when their respective teams met in the Premier League a month ago, taking Man City’s consecutive run of wins over Arsenal to seven in all competitions, although the Gunners came out on top when the sides met at this juncture of the FA Cup three years ago.

Sergio Aguero is the only confirmed injury absentee for Guardiola, who could take the opportunity to switch up his team again from the midweek win over Bournemouth. Here is our predicted Manchester City XI for the match tonight, which shows five changes from the side that started on Wednesday:

Claudio Bravo has been Guardiola’s goalkeeper of choice for domestic cup competitions and could come in to give Ederson a rare night off. With the manager likely to go with a strong XI given that there is nothing more at stake in the Premier League, the full-back duo of Benjamin Mendy and Kyle Walker should be retained. John Stones could also keep his place after a strong performance in midweek, although Aymeric Laporte may be his centre-back partner tonight rather than Nicolas Otamendi.

Fernandinho seems likely to get the nod ahead of Rodri at the base of midfield, with David Silva also a probable starter following his magnificent free kick against the Cherries. Kevin De Bruyne should also come into the side after sitting out the win over Bournemouth, with Ilkay Gundogan the man to make way in midfield.

Guardiola may shuffle the pack with his attacking trio. Gabriel Jesus is again set to start at centre-forward, buoyed by what turned out to be the winning goal on Wednesday, although there could be changes either side of him. Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva both started in midweek, so both might drop out in deference to Raheem Sterling on the left and Riyad Mahrez on the right respectively.

The options are plentiful for Guardiola – it’s just a matter of him deciding what is his strongest team as he hunts down a ninth piece of silverware as Manchester City manager.

Man City fans, is this the team that you would pick for tonight? What changes would you like to see? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

What must Jurgen Klopp be thinking watching the news that Timo Werner looks set to join Chelsea this summer, instead of Liverpool?

Reports in recent weeks had suggested that the Reds manager had informed the club’s board that the RB Leipzig striker “would be perfect for his team”, and the fact Werner himself has spoken publicly about his admiration for the Merseysiders surely put Liverpool in the driving seat for his signature.

Instead, the Germany international is on his way to Stamford Bridge, and Klopp looks set to face another summer transfer window in which the club may not splash out on big-money signings.

Can you spot your Xabi Alonso from your Bruno Cheyrou? This Liverpool quiz will have you questioning your knowledge…

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Last year saw them only bring in Sepp van den Berg for a fee, and whilst the Reds are closing in on the Premier League title this season, Klopp would surely be keen on strengthening his squad to ensure they don’t just stand still.

But now, The Athletic have revealed that the Liverpool manager was overruled by FSG in his quest to land Werner this summer. The report claims that Klopp spoke to the owners to discuss whether the deal would happen, and was promptly told that they simply didn’t have the money to do so.

That then saw Klopp phone his German compatriot to inform him of the club’s decision, paving the way for Chelsea to steal a march.

After everything Klopp has done in rebuilding Liverpool into the reigning Champions League holders, and current Premier League winners-elect, surely the least FSG could have done is find a way to signing Werner.

If that was the German’s one big wish this summer, then it was up to the owners to work their magic to make sure they granted it. However, despite reportedly making it clear to them that he was a player that he very much wanted, he has been oh-so badly let down.

Make no mistake about it, whilst the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson have played their roles in Liverpool’s triumphs over the past couple of seasons, it has been Klopp who has been the ultimate figurehead.

Can you name every one of Liverpool’s top goalscorers in the PL era?

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The economic success that FSG probably look at with pride when they see the accounts sheet every year, has a lot to do with Klopp and the extraordinary job he has done in turning Liverpool’s fortunes around since permanently replacing Brendan Rodgers.

For the owners to deny Klopp a request is nigh-on unforgivable, and raises some serious questions at Anfield. Will the Liverpool manager simply brush aside the matter, or will it have hit him more personally?

How will his relationship with the club’s board have been affected, and how does missing out on Werner affect the Reds’ performances on the pitch next season? Only time will tell, but if things turn sour, then Klopp would be perfectly within his rights to point the finger of blame at FSG.

A number of Brighton fans hailed the instant impact made by Alexis Mac Allister in his very brief yet hugely significant contribution to their 2-1 win over Arsenal this afternoon.

The Argentine youngster was the last of the five substitutes deployed by Graham Potter at the Amex Stadium, being made to wait until the fourth minute of stoppage time to replace Yves Bissouma (as per TransferMarkt).

However, that was still time enough for the 21-year-old to contribute to Neal Maupay’s dramatic late winner. It was a thing of beauty, too, with his very clever pass dummied by the French striker, who then ran on to Aaron Connolly’s through ball and slid it past Emiliano Martinez to give Brighton their first Premier League win in 2020 and complete a league double over the Gunners.

Mac Allister made just his second appearance for the Seagulls this afternoon and has played little more than 10 minutes so far for the club, yet his moment of magic in today’s game had these Brighton fans in raptures on Twitter:

Brighton fans, would you like to see Mac Allister starting against Leicester on Tuesday? Comment below with your views!

Former Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino has been reflecting on his time with the club in an interview with Coaches Voice, admitting that he made mistakes during his spell at St Mary’s.

What did he say?

Well, the Argentine replaced Claude Puel on the south coast in the summer of 2017, but he only lasted for nine months until he was sacked in March 2018 following a largely disastrous campaign – he won just five of his 30 Premier League matches at the helm.

Southampton supporters on Twitter grew heavily frustrated with the former Liverpool man prior to his sacking, meaning his latest comments might be even more interesting.

Pellegrino told Coaches Voice: “So when the opportunity arose, I came together with Southampton (above) as their head coach. They showed me a very ambitious project for the club. A team with a great infrastructure, power and the capacity to sign players. It was a very good place to work as a manager, and to carry on my development.

“That season went from a high to a low – my time there ended with eight Premier League fixtures remaining. Some aspects of our time there, we managed well; in others, we obviously made mistakes.”

Are you a true Saints expert? Test your knowledge on these famous academy graduates…

Honest assessment

It is certainly an honest sum up of how things went for the 48-year-old.

To say that there were things they managed well is probably a little over-exaggerated – in truth, Southampton always looked destined for a relegation battle under the South American despite finishing in eighth position the previous campaign.

Especially towards the end of his spell – including his final game in charge which was a 3-0 defeat at Newcastle United – Pellegrino simply looked out of his depth, unable to motivate and get his players performing for him.

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In addition, one of the transfer decisions he had a significant influence on was bringing Guido Carrillo to St Mary’s in what was then a club-record £19m deal just a few weeks before he was axed, and his fellow Argentine has flopped.

The 28-year-old failed to score in 10 appearances for Saints, while he has 10 goals in 56 matches for La Liga outfit Leganes having spent the last two seasons on loan there.

Most Southampton fans will be keen to forget all about the disaster that was Pellegrino.

In other Southampton news, FFC takes a look back at the Mauricio Pochettino flop signing who cost £5m per goal…