[ad_pod ]

Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to record a 2-1 win over Watford in Wednesday night’s Premier League clash at Wembley.

Craig Cathcart sent Watford into a first-half lead, but Son Heung-Min came up with an 80th-minute leveller before Fernando Llorente struck late on for the hosts.

It was a huge result for Spurs and despite their struggles, Mauricio Pochettino’s side are now just two points adrift of second-placed Manchester City in the table.

There does seem to be a real issue at right-back at the moment, however, with Kieran Trippier’s form questionable to say the absolute least.

Serge Aurier was deployed in a right wing-back role against Watford, but the Ivorian did not fare much better and his performance has been slammed by the Tottenham fans.

It has not quite happened for Aurier since his move from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 and it surely seems unlikely that the defender will have a long-term future at the club.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Spurs supporters can be seen below:

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Sunderland will be desperate to ensure consistency from here on in until the end of the season after picking up another three points earlier on today.

The Black Cats still find themselves in the race for an automatic promotion place in League One, but it won’t be easy as there’re a number of teams fighting for limited places.

However, it appears as if the Wearside club already have one eye on the summer, as according to The Scottish Sun (via Shields Gazette), Sunderland continue to keep tabs on Lawrence Shankland.

Of course, Sunderland splashed out on Will Grigg last month but it’s safe to say that attacking reinforcements are still required, with the Northern Ireland international not quite hitting the heights just yet and Kaziah Sterling returning to Spurs in the summer. So, it would sense for the Black Cats to move in for Lawrence Shankland as his contract is set to expire in the summer, and he’s been hugely impressive this season with 30 goals and eight assists to his name.

But, the likes of Oldham Athletic, Swansea City, Nottingham Forest and Hull City are all interested in signing him, so it won’t be easy to lure him to Wearside. Therefore, Stewart Donald can make a big statement by pipping a number of Championship clubs to secure his services, and he’s one of Scotland’s most talented forwards so he could have a huge impact at the Stadium of Light.

What do you think Sunderland fans?

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Tottenham fans have been running the rule over Saturday’s draw against Arsenal, and they’re not too happy with the form of Christian Eriksen.

Hugo Lloris was the hero on Saturday as Spurs stayed one step ahead of their north London rivals in the race for top four.

The Gunners took the lead in the first half though and were good value for it, with Aaron Ramsey racing through in the first half to open the scoring.

Spurs answered back through a controversial Harry Kane penalty before Lloris saved the day late on, denying a tame Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang spot kick in the dying moments of the match.

There were several poor performances in Mauricio Pochettino’s side despite the relatively positive result, but none were worse than Eriksen.

The 27 year-old, who will be out of contract in the summer of 2020, looked completely disinterested throughout the match if truth be told, and he has now failed to score or assist in three consecutive games.

Eriksen has always been a hugely popular figure at the club, but looking disinterested in what, for many, is the biggest game of the season might just be the clearest sign yet that he intends to leave the club.

Fans suspected something similar after a quiet showing in the defeat to Chelsea, and the Twitter reactions down below do not make pretty reading…

أكد حسين الشحات لاعب الاهلي أن فريقه كان واثقًا من تحقيق بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز مبكرًا من أجل التركيز على دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

واستطاع الأهلي أن يُتوج بالدوري للمرة 42 في تاريخه، لكنه تعادل سلبيًا مع مصر المقاصة اليوم في إطار مواجهات الجولة 28 من المسابقة.

وقال حسين الشحات خلال لقاء معه عبر قناة “الأهلي”: “كنا مطمئنين بشأن حصد الدوري مبكرًا، ومركزين على حسم بطولة إفريقيا الغائبة عن النادي”.

طالع أيضًا.. بادجي يوجه رسالة للجماهير ويؤكد: انضمامي للأهلي تحديًا كبيرًا وسعيد بأول بطولة

وفي السياق ذاته تحدث زميله وليد سليمان متابعًا: “الطبيعي أن يحقق الأهلي الدوري، وإن شاء الله نحصد إفريقيا”.

ومن المقرر أن يلاقي الأهلي منافسه الوداد خلال شهر أكتوبر المقبل في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

واختتم وليد: “نحن ننتظر عودة مؤمن زكريا بالتأكيد ليكون معنا”.

West Ham fans will be disappointed to see their side not secure three points at home to Liverpool on Monday night.

The Reds opened the scoring early in the first-half through Sadio Mane who beat Lukasz Fabianski despite James Milner crossing from an offside position. However, the Hammers soon equalised from a well-worked free-kick with Michail Antonio beating Alisson Becker expertly on his right foot. Liverpool almost stole victory late on but Divock Origi couldn’t beat Fabianski even though he was offside.

Nevertheless, Manuel Pellegrini will look at the result as a good point gained. The Hammers’ progress under the Chilean has been steady and a good run of form in the latter stages of the campaign could secure European football at the London Stadium. The club must also look ahead to the summer window for players who could take them to the next level.

A perfect addition to the squad would be Eibar maestro – Joan Jordan. Valued at just £7.2m by Transfermarkt, the midfielder joined his current employers for just £900k in the summer of 2017 after departing Espanyol. Jordan has since become a crucial player for his side, making 21 appearances in La Liga so far this season.

Jordan is a well-rounded midfielder who would add another dimension to the Hammers engine room. The Spaniard loves to transition defence into attack meaning he would be the perfect partner for Declan Rice in a double pivot. Jordan has scored three goals and registered four assists for his team-mates this season, averaging an incredible 2.1 key passes per game – more than any other West Ham player so far this season (WhoScored).

While he may be an unknown name, this move could prove to be an astute piece of business.

West Ham fans, thoughts?

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, the future of Gary Cahill remains uncertain heading into the final few days of the January transfer window. The 33-year-old defender currently plays his football at Premier League giants Chelsea and has done so since 2012, although struggles for regular game time under new Blues boss Maurizio Sarri this season has plunged his future at the 2017 league champions into doubt.

And a recent report from The Daily Mirror suggests that Arsenal are seeking to lure the centre back across London in the last knockings of the window, while Cahill’s availability should also be of interest to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp given his defensive concerns – as such, the Reds must try their hand at an audacious move for the linked-away ace.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the centre back ranks at Anfield have taken something of a hit in recent times given Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, and Dejan Lovren have all been struck down by either injury or illness in the last few weeks – in fact, the former doesn’t look like returning to full fitness anytime soon.

And with messrs Lovren and van Dijk doubts for their clash with Leicester City in the Premier League on Wednesday, and plenty of other big matches to come in February in the form of the Champions League and league clashes against West Ham and Manchester United, Klopp must be aware that his side’s season could be defined on results in the coming weeks.

Add in a suspension to the commanding van Dijk for the first leg of their last-16 clash against Bayern Munich in Europe’s elite competition, and Klopp looks set to be very thin on the ground – playing messrs Lovren and Matip against Bayern could be asking for trouble.

And that is why a move for Chelsea’s Cahill would make some sense this month, as although at 33 he may be entering the twilight of his career, he retains the quality and indeed the know-how to help the Reds navigate what looks set to be a testing period of the season.

The centre back has enjoyed much success at Chelsea after joining from Bolton Wanderers back in 2012, with the Englishman since then helping the Blues win two Premier League titles, as well as triumphs in the Champions League, the Europa League, and the domestic cup competitions – he’s certainly a well-decorated defender.

Yet it was only the 2016/17 season a few years back in which the 33-year-old shone in Antonio Conte’s defence to help inspire Chelsea to the Premier League title – not only would he give Liverpool some much-needed trophy-winning experience off the field, but he could certainly do a job on it as well.

And while it would be something of an audacious move, what with Chelsea perhaps unlikely to help out a Premier League rival, it’s a move the Reds should make nonetheless, as doing so could help Klopp’s side negotiate what looks set to be a season-defining few weeks.

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

Tottenham fans are eagerly anticipating the return of talismanic forward Harry Kane from injury.

The England international limped off during the defeat to Manchester United in January with fears he could spend a long time on the sidelines. Scans revealed that Kane had suffered ligament damage which would rule him out until March at the earliest. With few quality options to replace him, Mauricio Pochettino was forced to turn to Fernando Llorente.

Signed in the summer of 2017 from Swansea, the former Athletic Bilbao man had never been given the chance to impress for the Lilywhites – limited to mostly cameos from the substitutes bench thanks to Kane’s goal scoring exploits. The striker was widely linked with an exit from the club in both the summer and January transfer windows but ultimately stayed put. Pochettino’s faith in the forward was rewarded with some excellent performances and crucial goals from the Spaniard.

After scoring a hat-trick in the FA Cup against Tranmere, Llorente netted against Chelsea before scoring and assisting during the 2-1 win against Watford to keep Spurs in the title race. The 34-year-old also picked up assists during the victories over Leicester and Newcastle before scoring off the bench against Borussia Dortmund. With his contract set to expire in the summer, his recent purple patch should convince the Tottenham hierarchy to offer him one more short-term deal.

Indeed, the former Spain international is approaching the end of his career but has proved to be suitable back up should Kane pick up another injury. Finding a forward that will settle for a backup role will prove to be difficult in the transfer window and Llorente has already stated his happiness at the club. Spurs would be better off offering the ex-Juventus man a new deal and using their funds to strengthen other areas of their squad.

Tottenham fans, thoughts?

[ad_pod ]

Liverpool have a strong collection of midfield players but their options extend beyond those who are currently available to Jurgen Klopp.

On the chalkboard

The arrival of both Naby Keita and Fabinho in the summer added an extra dimension to an already fantastic set of midfield options.

The double signing effectively made Marko Grujic surplus to requirements at this stage in his career, and he completed a loan move to Hertha Berlin as a consequence.

A series of impressive performances on loan at Cardiff City last season hinted that he had the potential to make a step up this season, and that’s exactly what he’s done.

Glowing performances in the Bundesliga hint that he could be ready to fight for his place in the starting eleven at Liverpool next season.

According to SportBild (via Sport Witness), however, Klopp is eager to loan him out once again in the 2019/20 season to a club playing in either the Europa League or the Champions League.

Grujic could be a ready-made Henderson replacement

Well, Klopp may not be short of options but the club’s stance on Grujic could deprive him of a long-term replacement for Henderson.

Forcing Grujic to embark on another loan move could force the 22-year-old to consider his future and instead search for a permanent move to give his career some much-needed stability.

Hertha’s head coach, Pal Dardai, labelled him as the best midfielder he has seen at the club during a 22-year period, per Bundesliga.com – an admission which suggests the physically commanding Croatian is destined to play at the top level.

Henderson may well be captain at Liverpool but he has struggled to convince the supporters that he is worthy of that responsibility during his time with the club, and he is not of the standard which the club require to consistently challenge for the Premier League title.

Grujic is not yet ready to step into Henderson’s shoes, but the form he has showcased in Germany this season combined with Dardai’s comments hint that he has the quality to replace him in the long-term.

[ad_pod ]

Middlesbrough fans have taken to Twitter to heap praise on John Obi Mikel’s performance against Blackburn on Sunday, as they ran out 1-0 winners thanks to Britt Assombalonga’s goal.

Tony Pulis’ men snatched their goal in the first-half thanks to a predatory finish from the Congolese forward, before defending their lead professionally to see the game out at Ewood Park.

Boro were helped by Rovers left-back Derrick Williams’ red card right on the stroke of half-time, although they had one of their own players to thank for ensuring that their lead never looked like being pegged back – January arrival Obi Mikel.

The former Chelsea midfielder arrived at the Riverside Stadium last month on a deal until the end of the season, having been a free agent after leaving Chinese side Tianjin Teda.

The Nigerian international may only have made four appearances for his new side, but Boro fans on Twitter are already hugely impressed with the 31-year-old…

شدد سوسو جناح فريق إشبيلية الإسباني، على صعوبة مواجهة بايرن ميونخ الألماني في السوبر الأوروبي بعد غد الخميس.

وانتقل سوسو إلى إشبيلية في يناير الماضي، قادًما من ميلان الإيطالي، إذ ساهم في تتويج الفريق الأندلسي بلقب الدوري الأوروبي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بيريسيتش: حظيت بعام رائع في بايرن ميونخ.. وأتطلع للمزيد مع إنتر ميلان

وقال سوسو في تصريحات لصحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “لو حلمت في يناير الماضي بأن موسم إشبيلية سينتهي بهذا الشكل، لن يكون حلمي أفضل مما حدث في الواقع”.

وأضاف: “أمنيتي عندما أتيت إلى إشبيلية، كانت تحقيق أشياء عظيمة مع الفريق ولكن ما حدث تجاوز أي توقع”.

وتابع: “لقد ضمنا التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا ووصلنا لنهائي الدوري الأوروبي وحققنا اللقب، والآن نحن لدينا فرصة للفوز ببطولة أخرى (السوبر الأوروبي) كل ذلك في هذه الفترة القصيرة”.

وأردف: “السوبر الأوروبي؟ في هذا المستوى لا توجد مباراة سهلة، بايرن ميونخ لديه فريق رائع، مع لاعبين من النخبة”.

وأكد: “سنحاول القيام بما قمنا به في الأشهر الأخيرة، وإلقاء نظرة على كل ما قدمناه ضد المنافسين الكبار في الدوري الأوروبي”.

وواصل: “إنهم يلعبون بشكل جيد للغاية مع الكرة بشكل عمودي، علينا أن ندافع كما كنا نفعل في الموسم الماضي”.

وأتم: “سنحاول إلحاق الضرر بهم عن طريق المرتدات، لقد أظهرنا شخصيتنا، ونحن نعرف أيضًا كيفية القيام بذلك”.