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On the face of it, Wolves’ Premier League opener against Leicester was far from a thrilling encounter with both sides battling out a 0-0 stalemate.

But the game will be looked back on for one moment of controversy after the video assistant referee ruled out a 53rd minute Leander Dendoncker strike after it appeared to hit the arm of teammate Willy Boly seconds earlier.

A new law brought into the game for this season state that any goal scored or assisted through the use of the hand or the arm will be disallowed, even if it was an accident.

A number of fans took to Twitter to blast the decision…

One supporter said they didn’t like VAR one bit brandishing it ‘unnatural’ with reference to being one millimetre offside or an accidental handball as in this case.

Others called it ‘farcical’ and ‘ridiculous’ with one fan going as far as saying it has destroyed football.

Some members of the Molineux crowd claimed the team were robbed as a result whilst one supporter took a swipe at those in control of VAR on Sunday, calling them ‘corrupt’.

Here’s the best of the reaction…

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Lots of Crystal Palace fans on Twitter have continued to laud Jordan Ayew’s performances, after the forward bagged the winning goal against Aston Villa.

The Ghana international has now scored in back-to-back games for the first time in a Palace shirt, having netted a calm finish in the 2-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford last week.

Ayew excelled against his former side on Saturday, taking three shots on goal, completing one dribble and also making two tackles – he netted with his only strike to hit the target.

The 6 foot striker said after the game that he was keen to repay the faith shown in him by the south Londoners, and he is certainly doing just that with his performances right now.

The Eagles supporters on Twitter couldn’t stop praising the 27-year-old after the 0-0 draw against Everton on the opening day, and they have continued to do the same after his heroic performance against the Villans.

Let’s take a look at what they’ve been saying about the £2.5m summer signing…

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Loads of Sunderland fans have been reacting to a throwback video posted by the club’s official Twitter account, as they celebrated a home debut goal from fan favourite Julio Arca.

It’s not been a great few years for the Stadium of Light faithful. Back-to-back relegation seasons were absolutely brutal for the fans, while the actions of players like Jack Rodwell, Darron Gibson and Papy Djilobodji have only compounded their misery.

Things may be looking up after the latest rumours regarding a possible takeover though, and fans are also enjoying an old video of one of their favourite ever players.

Arca spent six years on Wearside, racking up 164 appearances, scoring 19 times and adding another nine assists.

And one of those goals came on his home debut, as he glanced in a header against West Ham.

He celebrated with more passion than the three aforementioned names put together ever had for the club, which is perhaps how he endeared himself to the fans so quickly.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Dutch publication Voetbal International, both Feyernoord and PSV enquired about taking Tahith Chong on loan this season.

What’s the word?

The 19-year-old featured prominently in Manchester United’s pre-season tour this summer, but missed out on the match-day squads for the Premier League clashes against Chelsea and Wolves respectively.

Now, the report claims whilst the two Dutch sides had asked about a possible loan swoop for the teenager, Chong’s desire is to remain at Old Trafford and he is understood to be confident of breaking into the team.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Indeed, Chong’s agent Erkan Alkan said, as quoted by The Manchester Evening News: “Tahith does not want to be loaned, but (he wants) to fight for his chance at Manchester United.

“Top clubs from the Bundesliga and La Liga also have him in sight. He has done a strong preparation (for the season), in which he has proven to be one of the better attackers of United.”

Sorry Tahith, off you go

Despite United’s shortage of options going forward after the sale of Romelu Lukaku and the potential departure of Alexis Sanchez, Chong failed to make the squad for the opening two games of the season. The 19-year-old is clearly highly-rated by those at Old Trafford, but that hasn’t been reflected in his game-time in the early weeks of the campaign.

Even if United feel a move to the Dutch top-flight may not be the best for his footballing education, surely sending him on loan to a side in the Bundesliga or La Liga would do him the world of good. The likes of Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson have shown just how much Premier League talent can grow by getting regular game time in a foreign league, and Chong would surely have benefited the same.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Instead, he may face yet another season in the United academy sides and face a long campaign that stunts his considerable potential. So whilst Chong may back himself to break into the Red Devils’ squad, the club should take matters into their own hands and decide his short-term future for him.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

In an interview with West Yorkshire Daily (6pm, 04/09), Angus Kinnear has spoken about the financial situation at Leeds, revealing that the transfer gees gathered from players like Kemar Roofe and Pontus Jansson is unlikely to go into buying new faces.

What’s he said?

Leeds’ battle with profit and sustainability has been well documented and one of the factors in Jansson’s departure was down to financial fair play.

That was according to Paul Bell who acknowledged over the summer that they may have to sell players.

The Swede departed for £5.5m whilst Roofe and Bailey Peacock-Farrell walking through the exit door has also improved the Whites’ financial situation.

However, those fees are unlikely to be spent on new faces because of the club’s current wage bill. Talking to the BBC, Kinnear said it will go into player wages in a bid to keep the squad’s integrity intact.

“The biggest thing to understand is how much the wage bill has grown under Andrea’s tenure. The wage bill when he took over was for a mid-table team and there was a correlation with how much you spend on the wage bill and where you finish.

“The type of players that can get us promoted are more expensive so our wage bill has grown significantly. Some of the player sales money goes into supporting that wage bill and maintaining the integrity of the squad.”

Sensible operation

Although a lack of new permanent faces over the summer might have come as a disappointment, it’s certainly a sensible operation Leeds have in place, particularly because of financial fair play.

Growing the wage bill so significantly under Andrea Radrizzani has helped in terms of Leeds’ league position but now so close to tasting the Premier League, their past activity has arguably restricted the Whites at a time where they need to spend most.

Replacing players like Jansson was crucial and they’ve managed to do so by opting for a cheaper alternative of temporary loan signings.

For the time being, Leeds are doing the right thing in injecting the finances they gained into those already at the club.

The very fact a possible £40k a week deal for Kalvin Phillips is on the cards is evidence of this and quite possibly without player sales, it wouldn’t have been feasible.

Signing six loan players was rather questionable over the summer but it’s understandable when you consider the bigger picture.

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انسحب ماتياس دي ليخت في فترة الإحماء لفريقه يوفنتوس، قبل المواجهة أمام سبيزيا التي تنطلق بعد قليل.

ويواجه يوفنتوس نظيره سبيزيا ضمن مباريات الجولة 25 للدوري الإيطالي، وتنطلق المباراة في العاشرة إلا ربع بتوقيعت القاهرة.

وأوضح موقع “فوتبول إيطاليا”، أن فرابوتا سيحل محل دي ليخت في التشكيل الأساسي ليوفنتوس ضد سبيزيا.

طالع تشكيل يوفنتوس ضد سبيزيا

كان دي ليخت يعاني من مشكلة في الوتر، ولكن عندما بدأ الإحماء، واتضح أنه يعاني بشكل واضح.

بعد محادثة مع المدرب أندريا بيرلو وطاقم اللياقة، دخل الهولندي إلى غرفة الملابس.

بدأ فرابوتا الإحماء في مركزه كظهير أيسر، لكن يمكنه أيضًا اللعب في قلب الدفاع إذا لزم الأمر.

من الممكن أن ينتقل أليكس ساندرو إلى الوسط بدلاً من ذلك، تاركًا فرابوتا على اليسار.

إنها مشكلة كبيرة ليوفنتوس الذي يفتقد بالفعل ليوناردو بونوتشي وجورجيو كيلليني وآرثر وخوان كوادرادو وباولو ديبالا.

⚠️ 𝘼𝙂𝙂𝙄𝙊𝙍𝙉𝘼𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙊 ⚠️
Giocherà #Frabotta al posto di @mdeligt_04 #JuveSpezia https://t.co/QfAbaACD9c

— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) March 2, 2021

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Loads of Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after Alexander Sorloth bagged another goal for Trabzonspor.

The Norway international joined the Turkish side on a two-year loan deal in the summer transfer window, after a turbulent spell in south London which saw him net just a single goal in 20 appearances – he also spent time out on loan with Gent last term.

Presumably surprising some Palace fans who may have written him off due to his awful form, the 23-year-old has now bagged two goals in two games for Trabzonspor with his latest strike helping them progress into the next round of Europa League qualifying.

Sorloth is still fairly young and one feels that his time at Palace isn’t over yet – his encouraging form in Turkey is definitely enough to back that up.

Let’s take a look at how the Palace fans on Twitter reacted to Sorloth’s second goal for Trabzonspor…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s One to Watch series, which focuses on those players we think are particularly worth keeping an eagle-eye on as the 2019/20 season unfolds.

Ayoze Perez’s arrival at Leicester City was certainly one of the surprise deals of the summer, with few expecting that Brendan Rogers would spend £30m on the hit-and-miss Newcastle forward.

The story so far

Perez, who wears the name ‘Ayoze’ on the back of his shirt, joined the Magpies in 2014 and slowly endeared himself to the supporters, though he was subjected to stark criticism during particularly toothless spells.

He enjoyed 195 games in the black and white of Newcastle, scoring 48 goals in the process. It’s not the most overwhelming return at first glance, but for a player who’s played predominantly as a second-striker, it’s a strong tally indeed.

The forward enjoyed his best scoring season last year under Rafael Benitez, bagging 13 goals across the whole season with the majority coming towards the end of the season, including a hat-trick against Southampton in a 3-1 win at St James’ Park.

On the back of this impressive run, Leicester City have come calling, and Perez arrived as one of three incomings so far. Despite the high price tag, he’s not the most expensive to sign; that title belongs to Youri Tielemans, who signed after his successful spell with the Foxes on loan from January last season.

Watch Leicester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

What’s in store for Perez in the 2019/20 season?

The Perez signing is a strange on because it’s difficult to know exactly where he slots into the Leicester starting XI, which one would assume he’s going to do having been signed for £30m.

Out wide seems the most obvious position for Perez to play, considering none of Leicester’s options have really cemented their place in the starting XI just yet and Marc Albrighton is hitting the latter stages of his career.

He’s unlikely to displace James Maddison as the number 10 – though the aspiring England international is also prone to playing in an inside left role – nor Jamie Vardy, who’s surely set to start upfront. So, unless there’s a huge change in system an approach from Rogers, it looks like a wide role for Ayoze.

With Albrighton, Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Demarai Gray all in contention to start out wide, he’ll certainly be rotated and rested on occasion. If he’s to play off the left or right wing, one would assume his role will be less about stretching the pitch and running at defenders, and more about receiving the ball in half-spaces to feet and looking to retain possession, exploiting his creative talents all the while.

It’s the uncertainty surrounding his role in the side considering his arrival for a big fee that makes him Leicester’s one to watch this season.

What would be a good season for Perez?

The Spaniard arrives at the club to join a squad containing a plethora of talented young players who all specialise in doing what he does well himself, so it’s naive to think that he’s guaranteed game-time.

A good season, therefore, will be defined by his number of regular opportunities to impress from the outset, scoring goals, providing assists and exciting the King Power Stadium along the way.

He may even see himself as a striker and the long-term replacement for Vardy, so his versatility should bring plenty of opportunities in the coming 12 months.

A successful season would be (all competitions):

Appearances: 36

Starts: 24

Goals: 9

Assists: 6

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Over the weekend, Sheffield Wednesday finally appointed Steve Bruce’s successor with Garry Monk taking the reins at Hillsborough.

Bruce departed for Newcastle United back in the middle of July with Lee Bullen being named caretaker boss for the third time.

The Owls started the season well but have since slipped to three defeats in four games and could use the wealth of experience that Monk possesses at Championship level after managing Leeds United, Middlesborough and most recently Birmingham City.

His system and way of playing could bring an opportunity for several players that have struggled to make an impact in south Yorkshire, none more so than Sam Winnall.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

On the Chalkboard

Monk’s preferred formation is 4-4-2, per Transfermarkt, and it is one he frequently played at Birmingham last season, which means there’s potentially a spot available to partner Steven Fletcher in the attack.

Maybe it is Winnall’s time to shine at long last.

At 5 foot 9, he offers a differing presence to Fletcher, who stands two inches taller and is likely to be the target man under Monk.

Che Adams is the same height as the 28-year-old, and he partnered Lukas Jutkiewicz upfront at Birmingham so that certainly can be mirrored here – that duo garnered 36 goals in this very league last season.

Winnall joined Wednesday in January 2017 but has scored just four times in 28 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

In the following season he was loaned out to Derby County and ever since then he has struggled to cement a spot in the starting lineup, playing just eight matches last campaign.

His record in the division is actually pretty good, scoring one in every three games, having netted 21 goals in 63 career appearances.

Winnall just needs a run in the side with a manager that can give him some confidence – Monk’s previous case studies, namely Adams and Chris Wood, show signs of that.

The latter frontman had a career year in the 40-year-old’s first and only season in charge at Leeds, scoring 30 goals in 48 appearances while Adams contributed 22 goals to Birmingham’s campaign last season.

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Pre-season looked extremely shaky for Real Madrid, to say the least. But the Galacticos rose to the occasion on their opening day of La Liga and made a statement. So here are three things we learned from that clash.

Down but not out

Real Madrid may be down based on their pre-season form but they are certainly not out. Zidane hasn’t miraculously solved all of their issues in one game, of course, but there is life in this squad and when everything is said and done, they are still a formidable side in Spain.

And now that their biggest rivals, Barcelona, have stumbled on their first steps, leaving the top of the table for Real instead, maybe we’re still in for a thrilling title race. But nonetheless, the challenge has only begun and while the first step is often a very important one, Zidane still has a long way ahead of him.

Check out an epic rant about Real Madrid fans that we can all relate to below…

Bale might have a role to play

Even though earlier this summer we were definitely under the impression that Gareth Bale is going through the exit door sooner rather than later, it appears that may well not be the case. Bale started the game against Celta Vigo on the weekend and helped his team cruise to a 3-1 victory with an important assist to his name.

Zidane also spoke highly of his player, saying he’s an important piece of the team and practically confirming he’s staying at the capital. It seems that either the two have solved their differences or the Frenchman has simply realised he’s going to need all hands on deck if he’s going to pull another trick out of his sleeve and lead Real Madrid to glory once again. Bale just might be a part of that trick after all.

If it ain’t broke

Real Madrid played well in Vigo at the weekend but one thing that may have caught the attention of the more observant ones is the lineup itself. Zidane, maybe a bit unsurprisingly, decided to put his faith into the old guard and reverted back to the tactics that brought him three Champions League titles in a row.

Nine out of 11 players fielded on the opening day were all amongst Real Madrid’s regulars last season. The only exceptions were Vinicius Junior and Alvaro Odriozola. Of course, that is also (mostly) the same squad Zidane used back when he was in charge. He had Cristiano Ronaldo in the team back then but the core of the squad remained unchanged and it brought a good result back home.

It still remains to be seen if Zidane is going to stay faithful to that lineup or if changes are on the horizon for the Galacticos despite a good start to the campaign.

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