Spurs fans delighted as Kane travels for Champions League clash

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left delighted after the club confirmed that Harry Kane has travelled to the game against Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The England striker missed the 1-1 draw with Everton due to a virus, with Mauricio Pochettino instead selecting Lucas Moura to play up front in his stead.

Kane has travelled to Serbia, though, as Spurs go in search of a vital win.

They have won just once in Europe thus far this season and are currently second in Group B, though they are five points behind Bayern Munich – who thumped them 7-2 in north London – and just one clear of their opponents in midweek.

Kane has been in electric form already this season despite his side’s struggles and has scored 10 goals in just 13 appearances in all competitions.

Indeed, he netted twice in the 5-0 win over Red Star at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and has thus far scored in all three group games.

Having him back, then, would be a major boost for manager Mauricio Pochettino and supporters are thrilled at the fact he has made the trip.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

West Ham supporters hail Fulham boss Scott Parker

Scott Parker featured on 129 occasions for West Ham United between 2007 and 2011 before making the move to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

And the fact that the former midfielder is still fondly remembered by the West Ham fans is an indication of what he gave to the club over those four years.

Parker could not prevent the Hammers from being relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2010/11 campaign, but his performances during that particular season saw him named the FWA Footballer of the Year.

Now head coach of Fulham in the second tier, Parker is making a name for himself on the managerial circuit having retired as a player in 2017.

It was the Englishman’s 39th birthday on Sunday, and a number of West Ham fans have subsequently been on social media lavishing praise on their former midfielder, despite the fact that he controversially left for Tottenham.

A selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:

Tottenham fans believe they can win against Liverpool next week

Tottenham have won only one of their last seven matches and therefore the trip to league leaders Liverpool should be a daunting prospect, but some Spurs fans think their side can claim a win.

It is a questionable stance to take considering the contrasting form of both sides, as well as the fact Spurs have only won at Anfield twice in the Premier League.

However, some supporters may have sensed a sign of weakness in the Reds when they took on Manchester United on Sunday, but for a late Adam Lallana equaliser they would have lost their unbeaten record.

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Jurgen Klopp’s side struggled to breakdown an out of sorts Red Devils side, lacking the spark of Mo Salah, and that may be what is giving Spurs fans confidence, or rather hope.

A victory next weekend could be huge for Tottenham’s season, and inject some life back into a side which put in yet another lacklustre display on Saturday, relying on a late Dele Alli goal to claw back a point against a winless Watford side.

It will, therefore, be a difficult task to overcome Liverpool, but there is a small section of fans who believe their team will do so, as seen in these reactions.

Wolves’ win over Watford offers encouragement ahead of City test

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

Wolves managed to pick up their first win of the season on Saturday as they defeated rock-bottom Watford at Molineux.

The result saw them rise to 13th from 19th thanks to goals from Matt Doherty and Daryl Janmaat.

The right wing-back opened the scoring inside the first 20 minutes, meeting Pedro Neto’s driven pass across goal before turning provider for the second as his cross was met by Morgan Gibbs-White, whose header found its way in via the Watford defender just after the hour mark.

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Nuno Santo’s men have actually only lost two of their seven Premier League matches, but their position in the league told a different story considering it was a world away from their seventh-place finish last campaign.

On the Chalkboard

Over their last two domestic matches, Wolves have reverted back to the 3-4-3 system which saw them win the Championship in 2018.

Football FanCast have previously mentioned why the Portuguese boss should stick with it going forward, and even though he’s unlikely to have read the article, he’s done precisely that.

Their performance against Watford was defensively sound hence the clean sheet, but further details provide an insight into why they should again continue with a similar setup against reigning champions Manchester City.

As expected from a Pep Guardiola team, they dominate the league for possession percentage per game at 60%, and no club is higher for passing success either at 89.3%.

Therefore, it seems likely that Wolves will have their backs against the wall.

On Saturday, the west Midlands club sat back and looked to hit the Hornets on the counter – they recorded just 39.1% possession with a total of six shots in the match, yet came away with a 2-0 victory.

That gameplan matches up well with the test of City.

Obviously, there is a different level of quality on offer as Watford are the worst team in the league currently, but it bodes well for encouragement.

When Nuno deployed the 3-4-3 against them at Molineux last season they managed to earn a point with just 28.9% possession, so there’s no reason why it can’t work again – Norwich have already shocked them once, Wolves can make it twice.

Arsenal’s predicted XI against Standard Liege

Arsenal got their Europa League campaign off to a terrific start against Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Bundesliga outfit made it to the semi-finals of the competition last season, but they were easily dispatched by the Gunners 3-0 in their own back yard.

Watch the Flying Pig tear into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jesse Lingard following Man Utd’s limp draw with Arsenal in the video below…

In their second match in the tournament this term, the north London team will face Belgian side Standard Liege, and Emery is likely to once again ring the changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Manchester United on Monday. Here, we predict his next starting XI.

In both of the games he has played so far this term, Emiliano Martinez has kept a clean sheet. As the club’s cup goalkeeper, he will be brought back into the side on Thursday and will be hoping to extend that run.

Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin are both now fit and have already featured so far this term, against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup. Neither of them were included in the squad to face the Red Devils, which indicates that they will play from the off here. At the heart of the defence, Rob Holding and Calum Chambers could play at centre-back, despite the latter having played the majority of his matches at right-back so far this term.

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The middle of the park should see changes, too. Emery decided to play with three defensively-minded players there at Old Trafford, but Arsenal should be looking to breeze past Les Rouges, especially at the Emirates Stadium. Therefore, Joe Willock and Dani Ceballos, both more offensive threats, should come into the side.

Again, considering the opposition, the former Sevilla boss is likely to return to a 4-2-3-1 formation. Reiss Nelson, having only been introduced from the bench against United, is the freshest option on the wing, whilst Mesut Ozil was not even in the squad. Both should start here.

On the right, Nicolas Pepe has struggled in the league, scoring once and laying on just one assist in seven games. This match could be the perfect opportunity for him to gain some much-needed confidence.

Up front, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is needed for far more important matches. He will, therefore, be rested, which should see Gabriel Martinelli return to the team.

He impressed on his full debut against Nottingham Forest, netting twice, and will be eager to show his quality once again.

Leeds fans react as Bielsa names XI for Bolton clash

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Tyler Roberts for the injured Kemar Roofe will be the only change to the Leeds United XI for this weekend’s Championship clash with Bolton Wanderers.

Indeed, Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa named his team for the Bolton match on Thursday, revealing one change from the side that started the 2-1 win over Swansea City last time out.

Roofe’s knee injury will see the attacker miss out, which will mean a start for Roberts in the final third of the field.

Patrick Bamford will again lead the line, though, with Bielsa hopeful that the striker can score his third Championship goal of the campaign.

Pablo Hernandez and Jack Harrison will operate in the wide areas, with Ezgjan Alioski featuring at left-back and Kalvin Phillips holding the middle of the park.

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…

The Leeds fans have been on social media offering their views on the confirmation of the XI.

And a selection of their best reaction can be seen below:

Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish shares his disappointment after losing to Arsenal

It’s hard to not sympathise with Grealish a little bit after this post.

Despite the Gunners being reduced to ten men, Dean Smith’s side failed to pick up any points against the London club.

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Grealish says that he doesn’t know how Villa came away from the game without getting at least a draw, and you can understand why he’s so dumbfounded.

The Villans were also denied a late penalty, and if it weren’t for a few errors at the back they’d have picked up all three points against the London club.

Preview: West Ham vs Kidderminster

David Moyes’ West Ham United side ease themselves back into first-team football with a trip to Kidderminster Harriers in the fourth round of the FA Cup this afternoon, a fixture in which the 58-year-old Hammers boss will undoubtedly be looking to rotate his side.

Indeed, the Scotsman recently suggested that he could be set to hand Alex Kral – the Spartak Moscow central midfielder West Ham signed on a season-long loan deal last summer – just his third start since his temporary switch to east London, while the club’s only recognised centre-forward, Michail Antonio, is also unlikely to feature having only landed in England on Friday following his international duty with Jamaica.

So, how many changes will Moyes make to the side that started the 1-0 loss against Manchester United last time out? Here’s how we think West Ham could line up against Kidderminster, along with the latest team and injury news…

With the greatest of respect to Kidderminster, a National League North side should not be giving a team chasing a top-four finish in the Premier League a great deal of trouble this afternoon, something which leads us to believe that Moyes will make nine changes to the team which lined up at Old Trafford before the winter break.

Fours of these changes come in defence, with Ben Johnson taking the place of Vladimir Coufal at right-back, Arthur Masuaku starting ahead of Aaron Cresswell at left-back, while Issa Diop and 21-year-old Aji Alese – who West Ham podcaster Tom Edwards dubbed “gold dust” – being given the nod ahead of Kurt Zouma and Craig Dawson at centre-back.

In the middle of the park, the rarely-seen £24k-per-week Alex Kral is indeed awarded a start, as is club captain Mark Noble, with both Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek being rested ahead of the visit of Watford on Tuesday.

In attack, Said Benrahma makes a return to the XI following his early exit from the Africa Cup of Nations with Alegria, taking the place of Jarrod Bowen on the right, while the £69k-per-week Nikola Vlasic gets the nod ahead of Pablo Fornals on the left – with Manuel Lanzini retaining his spot in the number 10 role.

Finally, the £100k-per-week Andriy Yarmolenko is given a chance to impress in the absence of Antonio up top, with Moyes certainty hoping for a clinical display from the 154-goal forward against Kidderminster – after the manager failed to bring in a backup striker for the first-choice Jamaican during the January transfer window.

In other news: “All I can say is”: Moyes finally addresses transfer failures, WHU fans won’t be happy

West Ham backed to move for Broja

West Ham have been backed to make a move for Southampton striker Armando Broja, with the youngster currently impressing on loan from Chelsea.

The Lowdown: Broja impressing for Saints

The 20-year-old moved to St Mary’s Stadium on a temporary basis last summer, in order to earn more playing time away from Stamford Bridge.

Broja has impressed for Saints, leading the line well and scoring six goals in 11 Premier League starts, also chipping in with two Carabao Cup strikes.

It seems unlikely that the Albanian will play a big role at Chelsea for the foreseeable future – they have £100m Romelu Lukaku, £72m Kai Havertz and £48m Timo Werner to keep happy – and with West Ham eyeing up summer additions, he has been backed as a potential target.

The Latest: Broja backed to make move

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Alex Crook of talkSPORT claimed the Hammers should consider making a move for the young striker, even though another year on loan at Southampton appears most likely:

“That’s the most likely outcome [another year at Southampton], but teams like West Ham and Newcastle would be foolish not to at least have a try.”

This comes after claims that an absolute promise has been made to David Moyes from GSB, ensuring he will have cash to splash with a proper strategy in place to attack the market this summer.

The Verdict: Shrewd summer signing

While it may be difficult to snap up Broja permanently, given his potential ceiling at Chelsea and the fact his contract there is until 2026, a loan move could add much-needed attacking depth to Moyes’ squad.

The youngster has been hailed as ‘dangerous’ by Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl and he has won an average of 2.9 aerial duels per game in the league this season, showing the type of physicality which could make him the perfect deputy to Michail Antonio.

The Hammers have long needed an adequate support for the Jamaica star, and Broja’s age and profile suggest they should look on further.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a big West Ham transfer claim. Read more here.

Rangers ready to cash in on gem

An update has emerged on Rangers and their January transfer window plans for gem Joe Aribo…

What’s the talk?

According to The Scottish Mail of Sunday journalist Gary Keown, via Ibrox News, the Gers are keen to ‘strike while the iron is hot’ by cashing in on the midfielder this month.

The report claims that he is attracting ‘strong interest’ from a number of English Premier League teams, although no potential fee is mentioned.

Infuriation

Gers fans will surely be left infuriated by this update as it suggests that the club have decided that now is the best time to sell Aribo.

However, Rangers could be headed for a major January blunder if this is the case because they would be frustrating their own supporters and weakening their side in the midst of a title battle.

Supporters will be up in arms as he has been in terrific form this season and his exit would harm Gio van Bronckhorst’s chances of winning the Premiership. He has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.20 this term, scoring six goals and providing three assists, showing that he is delivering consistently brilliant displays for the Scottish giants.

His former Charlton teammate Ezri Konsa once praised Aribo’s style of play, saying: “Having Gerrard as his manager at Rangers, that has made him go up another level.

“Joe’s style is unique. When I was with him at Charlton he did remind me for a while of a left-footed Yaya Toure. But you don’t get a lot of midfielders like Joe, there aren’t many around.

“Like Toure, for a tall guy he’s got such great feet. But that languid style he’s got is actually fairly unique in the game.”

These comments, in particular, highlight why selling Aribo could be a big disaster for the Gers. He is not a run-of-the-mill midfielder who the club could go and easily find a replica of. He is unique and replacing him in the transfer market, particularly in the winter window, could be extremely difficult, which is why selling him now would be an error.

Therefore, Ross Wilson must reverse his decision to seek a sale for Aribo and avoid striking ‘while the iron is hot’ to keep him at Ibrox. He is a crucial player for the Gers and selling him now could have a major impact on the pitch and off it in terms of the fan reaction it could bring.

AND in other news, Expert makes “transformational” £50m Rangers claim that will leave Ross Wilson buzzing…

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