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Manchester City returned to winning ways with yet another convincing win last weekend against Crystal Palace.

A 50th City goal for Gabriel Jesus and a sublime team goal from David Silva sealed the points at Selhurst Park.

The result brought the champions back within six points of league leaders Liverpool after the Reds drew with Manchester United at Old Trafford. Plus, with Jurgen Klopp’s men not playing until Sunday, Guardiola has a chance to be within three points off the top spot by Saturday afternoon.

The Spaniard will be looking to do so with another demolition of a visiting team to the Etihad. This time, it’s Aston Villa.

In defence is where the former Barcelona boss has had the issues this season. The long term injury to Aymeric Laporte and the departure of Vincent Kompany has forced Fernandinho and Rodri into a makeshift backline.

However, Rodri’s injury against Atalanta will keep him out and most likely force the Brazilian to stay in at centre-back alongside John Stones. Elsewhere, Oleksandr Zinchenko underwent knee surgery this week, which should keep Benjamin Mendy at left-back for the foreseeable future.

Kyle Walker’s position at right-back has been under threat this season with the signing of Joao Cancelo. The former Juventus man could come into the side on a regular basis now after he played the full game against the Eagles.

In midfield, Rodri’s injury leaves Ilkay Gundogan as the most likely option, whilst Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva remain irreplaceable for the Citizens – the playmaking duo have an outstanding four goals and 12 assists between them in the Premier League.

In the attacking slots, Raheem Sterling scored yet another hat-trick for City in midweek. It leaves the 24-year-old on 81 goals for the club since his move from Liverpool in 2015. Also, despite being rested for the clash at Selhurst Park, Sergio Aguero is still Guardiola’s go-to man for goals in the league.

The Argentine is the joint top scorer in the top-flight and is averaging a goal every 70 minutes in the league. Alongside the 31-year-old could be Bernardo Silva, who has four goals and two assists in the league so far from just five starts.

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

According to The Sun, Manchester United have added Aleksandr Sobolev to their list of targets for the centre-forward role.

What’s the word?

The Red Devils’ decision to let both Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez go in the summer transfer window was certainly eyebrow-raising, and their struggle for goals since then has only under-lined what a questionable move that was.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have scored just nine times in their opening seven Premier League games, and reports in recent weeks have suggested they will be targeting a new striker in the January transfer window.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Now, The Sun claim United have added Krylia Sovetov marksman Sobolev to their list of options, and that scouts have watched the 22-year-old closely this season. The report adds the Russian club could “listen to offers above £15m”.

Beast

Standing at 6 foot 5, Sobolev is a monster, and it’s fair to say United don’t have anyone quite like him in their side. A swoop for the Russian would quite obviously bring them a physical presence (he has won 3.8 aerial duels per game this season), but he would also give the Red Devils a platform to build from.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The stat that shows United haven’t scored more than one goal in a league game since the 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea says a lot about the lack of success with their current focus on counter-attacking. Having Sobolev lead the line would allow the Red Devils’ attacking midfielders to play off him, and have more touches in and around the box, thus creating more.

The 22-year-old has shown an ability to successfully link up with those around him, averaging 1.5 key passes per game.

Getting players like Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Daniel James to make runs in behind the opposition defence and having Sobolev find them with either his head or his feet would be a great route to goal. It is a move that makes sense on all levels.

Liverpool fans can hardly contain themselves after Georginio Wijnaldum made a cheeky reference to that corner against Barcelona.

Only three things are certain in life. Death, taxes and Liverpool fans winding up Barcelona fans over last year’s Champions League semi-final.

You won’t find a Liverpool-related tweet without a very bitter Catalonian in the replies reminding Reds that they have never won the Premier League, and Wijnaldum’s latest tweet won’t do much to calm the storm.

After the club tweeted that Trent Alexander-Arnold has been handed a place in the 2020 Guinness World Records book, the Dutchman replied asking if the record was for the “fastest corner”.

Of course, it was actually for providing the most assists by a defender in a Premier League season (12), but the £45m-rated midfielder’s tweet was brilliant nonetheless.

After Alexander-Arnold’s incredible campaign, there could have been no finer way to dump Barcelona out of Europe’s elite competition than with his cheeky corner to Divock Origi, and the reactions to Wijnaldum’s tweet make for hilarious reading.

Warning, meltdown ahead…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Cast your mind back a few seasons, and you will remember the incessant in-fighting amongst Arsenal supporters.

The main source of debate was Arsene Wenger. Of course, the Frenchman’s influence on the Gunners was revolutionary when he first joined the north London outfit in 1996, winning two doubles and leading the side to an unbeaten Premier League season.

However, after 2005, he hit a barren spell, winning just three more major trophies in 13 years. Eventually, he left at the end of the 2017/18 season, much to the joy of the Wenger Out brigade.

Indeed, the slogan went viral. Per a Times piece in 2018, posters were not just seen at The Emirates, but also at an anti-Robert Mugabe protest in Zimbabwe and at the Glastonbury music festival. One sign was seen at Wrestlemania in America; another at a World Cup qualifier between New Zealand and Fiji. It was a global phenomena.

Arsenal had become stale under the 69-year-old, and a new impetus was needed. Unai Emery was chosen to be the man to usher in a new era at the Emirates Stadium.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

According to The Athletic, though, there is some discontent amongst the squad in regards to his training sessions. They are deemed by several members of the side to be too repetitive, and they are believed to be growing frustrated. In light of this recent report, it is worth considering whether the former Sevilla boss has really brought in the positive change many hoped for.

The fact is, there has not been much difference between the two. During Wenger’s last term, Arsenal ended up with 63 points and finished in sixth place. Whilst the Gunners may have moved up one spot and earned seven more points last time out, the end result was the same: no Champions League football.

In the cup competitions, there was once again little to split them. Wenger led his side to the League Cup final in 2018, whilst Emery took Arsenal to the Europa League final in May. On both occasions, the north Londoners were easily dispatched, by Manchester City and Chelsea respectively.

It remains to be seen whether Arsenal kick on this term, but it doesn’t look too promising so far. They currently sit seventh in the table, and last Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Watford was reminiscent of the end of Wenger’s reign as they failed to hold on to a 2-0 lead.

Under the former Nagoya Grampus Eight boss, the Gunners were connected with a possession style of play. Under Emery, though, the side has no clear identity.

After sustained periods of criticism, Wenger finally departed the Emirates Stadium after 22 years in charge. However, little has changed since then.

They remain cast adrift of the top two, desperately attempting to qualify for the Champions League. Yet again, there is no guarantee it will happen this season.

As the old adage goes, the grass isn’t always greener.

This Saturday evening we have a real treat on the menu in La Liga. Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano and that clash just might be decided in the middle of the park.

On the chalkboard

Real Madrid will be making a short trip across the capital and meeting their city rivals, Atletico Madrid, in one of the first big derbies of the ongoing campaign.

As it currently stands, it will be a clash between first and third-placed teams in Spain and the victory for either would be huge at this point in the season.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But looking at the personnel and the squad both giants have at their disposal, whoever wins the battle for supremacy in midfield just might go on to win the whole game.

With that in mind, Toni Kroos’ clash against Koke is looking likely to be a key battle come Saturday night.

The midfield generals

Real Madrid’s 29-year-old German maestro has really been blowing hot and cold so far this season.

Even though he was harshly criticised recently, Kroos managed a masterful performance against Osasuna which proved that when he’s on his best, not many can go toe to toe with him.

And Los Blancos will certainly need him to be at his best against Atletico Madrid’s own general in midfield – Koke.

The 27-year-old has so far tallied one assist in the ongoing campaign but has also registered 2.7 key passes and 0.5 shots per game in La Liga. Kroos is also not far behind. In fact, he edges Koke out in both with 3.3 key passes and 2.2 shots per game.

The Spaniard, however, makes more interceptions per game with his 1.5 outshining Kroos’ 0.8. As far as tackling goes, the situation is once again pretty close and there’s just a slight margin between the two midfielders.

Koke has averaged 1.3 tackles while Kroos is on two per game but the former is definitely harder to dribble past with that only happening once per game on average so far. The German, however, has been dribbled past 1.5 times per game.

Judging purely by the stats, it looks like Real Madrid just might have a small advantage going into the game but the venue should also not be disregarded.

Atletico Madrid’s home, the Wanda Metropolitano, is definitely not an easy fortress to conquer as Diego Simeone’s men are yet to be defeated there across all competitions in the 2019/20 season.

If, however, the Galacticos manage to dominate the middle of the park, they just might stand a chance of changing that.

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Newcastle fans might have been cursing Martin Dubravka for his late blunder in their 1-1 draw with Wolves last time out – the ‘keeper lost out to Willy Boly in the air and the Frenchman nodded home from close range – but the Slovakian’s error was not enough to prevent him from being named North East Football Writers’ Player of the Year on Sunday.

The 30-year-old moved to St James’ Park on loan from Sparta Prague in January 2018 and a string of impressive performance saw him nail down a starting spot and a permanent switch in the summer, as Magpies chiefs moved quickly to ensure the stopper remained on Tyneside.

Having made 26 Premier League appearances for Newcastle this season, the custodian has looked a fantastic buy but a string of error-strewn showings have led to some negative reaction on social media, the Wolves clash being the latest of which.

Watch Wolves Fan TV react to their side’s dramatic 1-1 draw with Newcastle in the video below…

Dubravka had this to say on receiving the award:

“It’s amazing, I couldn’t believe it.

“I got the message that I won this trophy and I couldn’t believe that, because I spent an amazing year here, but it is the first year, you know.

“It is an honour for me to be part of this great history and I know that fantastic players won this trophy before me, so I am very pleased with that.”

Here’s how the Toon Army reacted on Twitter…

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Some QPR fans have taken to Twitter to react after Ian Holloway described an elaborate ploy to remove him from his first spell as R’s boss.

Speaking to The Sack Race, Holloway – who spent time with QPR both as a player and as a manager in two separate stints – spoke of the time he received a call from someone claiming to be associated with the Nigeria national team.

Holloway recalls about how he was offered the job, but he thought it may have been a QPR director trying to stitch him up.

Whilst this seems like a mere throwaway story from the former Crystal Palace boss, it has sparked a reaction from some QPR fans who clearly remember the time Holloway was suspended and sent on gardening leave amid rumours of him taking the Leicester job back in 2006.

One fan said that he “thought we were done with all of this”, whilst another simply replied “yawn” due to Holloway continuing to discuss a story which is over a decade old.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction from some QPR fans…

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According to Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic, talks between Tottenham and Milan are ‘expected to continue’ over the possible loan move of defender Japhet Tanganga.

The Lowdown: Increased playing time but more criticism

The 22-year-old centre-back has seen increased game-time this season, having made 11 Premier League appearances, 10 of which came in the starting XI. Tanganga’s ability to play in a number of positions across the back line has proven to be an invaluable asset for Spurs – he has been employed as a centre-back, right-back, left-back and even as a right midfielder during the current campaign.

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However, the defender has been on the receiving end of some criticism this year following a string of poor performances. Having averaged a tame 6.65 SofaScore rating, Tanganga has often been blamed for being the reason as to why Spurs have been shipping goals regularly; Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand described his performance in the 3-0 thrashing by Crystal Palace as being costly for Spurs, on a day that he demonstrated ‘a lack of experience’ throughout.

The Latest: Spurs and Milan in talks over Tanganga

As per Eccleshare on Twitter on Monday morning, talks between Tottenham and Milan are ‘expected to continue today’ over the possibility of a loan move for Japhet Tanganga.

Despite the aforementioned criticism, Spurs are wary of letting the defender go, as he has started the club’s last five games. However, if they do end up sanctioning the transfer, they would only permit a loan with an obligation to buy, whereas Milan want a straight loan deal.

The Verdict: A loan move could be the right decision

Tanganga reportedly ‘wants to stay’ at the north London club, but he is aware that the returns of central defenders Eric Dier and Cristian Romero could reduce his game-time over the remainder of the season.

However, joining the Serie A club could prove to be the right decision for Tanganga, who last August was hailed as a ‘really special’ player by Gary Neville.

If he ends up being shunted out of Antonio Conte’s starting XI, he may need to go somewhere he would enjoy regular top-flight football. Up to now, the 22-year-old has been thrown in and out of the starting XI by various Spurs managers, only utilised when he’s needed to fill in at the back due his ability to play anywhere across the defence.

Therefore, this prospective loan move could prove to be a blessing for Tanganga – that’s if the two clubs can come to an agreement over the arrangement of the deal.

In other news – “Still in talks”: Fabrizio Romano provides the latest on another player linked with a possible exit from Tottenham

Crystal Palace have made an approach to Celtic over a move for Liel Abada, according to The Scottish Sun’s David Friel.

The Lowdown: Abada profiled

Abada only made the move to Celtic last summer, costing £3m from Maccabi Petah Tikva.

Primarily a right-winger, the 20-year-old has enjoyed a fine first season in Scotland, scoring 13 times and registering nine assists in 37 appearances, adding to both tallies in a 3-0 win over Rangers on Wednesday.

Interestingly, he appeared to clash with Odsonne Edouard over a penalty before the Frenchman made the move to Selhurst Park back in August, and it seems as if Abada is now wanted by Palace officials as well.

The Latest: Approach made

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic have rejected a ‘tentative approach’ from the Eagles, who have been impressed by Abada in recent months.

They add that the Scottish giants have no plans to sell the Israeli, who is under contract until 2026.

The Verdict: One to keep an eye on?

Abada, who can play anywhere across the front three, appears to be a star of the future, so Palace may end up keeping tabs on his situation over the coming years.

The Hoops clearly don’t want to lose the versatile forward who Stiliyan Petrov called ‘outstanding’, and hold all the cards due to his long-term deal in Scotland.

However, we’ve seen in the past that players are keen to move south from Scotland in order to join a Premier League side, so a move for Abada could be one to keep an eye on over the coming years to bolster Palace’s exciting attacking ranks.

In other news: ‘Suits all parties’ – Matt Woosnam reacts to Palace loan exit for gem with ‘strong physique’. 

The ongoing feud between Everton left back Lucas Digne, and manager Rafa Benitez has been a hot topic of conversation, that has now lead to the player being linked away from the club and even included in a rumoured offer made to Newcastle United, but it looks like Digne is not about to do his current manager any favours.

What’s the word?

Fabrizio Romano has taken to his Twitter account to let his million followers know about the potential move of Lucas Digne to Newcastle, which is said to be in conjunction with a deal to bring Sean Longstaff to Merseyside, and it’s not good news.

Romano tweeted:

“Lucas Digne will decide his next club soon. He’ll leave Everton with Premier League move likely – but he’s not going to Newcastle despite rumours. Not even an option. No way.”

The transfer insider went on to add further claims of a move to Chelsea:

“Chelsea are interested since weeks but no official talks opened with Everton yet.”

The potential move stems from an alleged argument that took place in training, where the defender disagreed with the Spanish manager’s tactics, and has not been seen in the starting side since the Merseyside Derby at the beginning of December last year, but did return to the bench in the defeat to Brighton at Goodison Park last weekend.

A nightmare for Benitez

There are a number of reasons why the French defender’s apparent rejection of a move to Newcastle United could become a nightmare for Benitez and his plans moving forward.

Sky Sports journalist, Keith Downie, reported that the club could receive Sean Longstaff in a deal that included Digne, but with the Everton player apparently refusing the move, it could put off Eddie Howe and the board in the North East who are looking to bolster their defence over the January transfer window, as they won’t be getting what they need from the move.

It would also stop the Merseyside outfit from signing a player that their manager clearly loves.

Another reason why the 28-year-old’s rumoured snub of the move could cause problems for Benitez is that he wants to sell the player, not loan him out, which is the alleged premise and conditions of the Chelsea deal that Romano has suggested Digne prefers.

According to ESPN in a report this week, Everton are not interested in loan deals for the £110k-per-week star, and have valuated the player at around £25m, with the intention to boost transfer funds by selling the out of favour full-back.

It looks like Digne has no interest in doing his manager any favours when it comes to cooperating with the transfer plans the Everton board have outlined for the Frenchman’s future, and it will be interesting to see if he will get his own way on a Chelsea loan move.

Until he leaves permanently, however, this whole ordeal will continue to terrorise the mind of Benitez for this situation is nothing short of a disaster for the Toffees.

In other news: Rafa can axe Seamus Coleman after securing new signing