So Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham are picking up their form at just the right time.
After a drab 0-0 draw against relegation-battling Bournemouth, Mourinho’s men have racked up three consecutive wins, with their latest one coming against Leicester on Sunday afternoon.
The Lilywhites took the lead thanks to a deflected strike from Heung-min Son, before a magical brace from Harry Kane finished off the game within the first-half.
Best of the Decade: Top scorers & creators – Can you name them?
And whilst their attacking players will no doubt steal the headlines, some of their defenders were equally as impressive, not least Davinson Sanchez.
As per Sofascore, the Colombian blocked four shots (a team-high), made three clearances, two tackles, and won three of his four duels on the ground.
And after seeing his performance, Spurs fans took to Twitter to share their reactions.
A couple of fans lauded Sanchez for making some big improvements over the past couple of games under Mourinho, and insisted that he could develop into a top player for them.
Reports in recent days have suggested that Spurs are on the look-out for a new centre-back, with Beijing Guoan’s Kim Min-jae being touted as a possibility this summer.
Sanchez’s performance against the Foxes on Sunday showed that they still have a defender with plenty to offer, and with the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld well into their 30s, it could be the Colombian’s time to shine sooner rather than later.
Tottenham Hotspur continue to be linked to wingers despite the very impressive signing of Steven Bergwijn during the January transfer.
What’s the word?
According to Defensa Central, Real Madrid’s Lucas Vazquez could leave the La Liga champions with Spurs willing to offer €16m (£14.5m) for his services.
It’s claimed that the 29-year-old has been told by Zinedine Zidane that he’s the third choice for the right-sided spot behind Marco Asensio and Rodrygo, although Vazquez is more than happy to stay and help their title defence next season.
He’s suffered most this campaign after picking up a freak injury back in November, which had restricted him to just 839 minutes of league action all year.
N’jie, Nkoudou, Vazquez…
What is most perplexing is the fact that Jose Mourinho has a whole armoury of wide options at his disposal, especially on the right. The Portuguese chief is able to pick either Lucas Moura, Erik Lamela or Bergwijn to start there – and maybe even Gedson Fernandes, too.
Is a fifth option really necessary?
Given the club’s unsuccessful winger signings in recent seasons, Bergwijn has been a rare diamond having scored three goals and provided one assist, via WhoScored.
But for every Dutch sensation, there’s a Clinton N’Jie or Georges-Kevin Nkoudou that didn’t make the grade and in some ways, the former bears similarities to Vazquez.
The 26-year-old, who now plies his trade for Dynamo Moscow, arrived in north London for £8.3m but a combination of injuries and lacklustre displays saw him sold within two seasons.
N’Jie failed to score in 14 appearances for Spurs.
Meanwhile, Vazquez’s 24 goals in 205 matches for Los Galacticos is really nothing to shout home about either.
Two injury-prone players with very disappointing returns in front of goal.
Mourinho simply must steer clear of a swoop for his old Madridista colleague and avoid falling down the same winger traps his predecessor did.
AND in other news, Daniel Levy is setting Mourinho up for instant failure at Spurs…
Sunderland’s League One rivals Shrewsbury Town are no longer interested in making a move for striker Will Grigg.
After moving to the Stadium of Light in January 2019, the former Wigan Athletic striker has had the spotlight firmly on him, seeing his move much documented via Netflix series Sunderland Til I Die.
Featuring regularly for the Black Cats through the 2019/2020 season, Grigg’s form took a nosedive, with just one goal and one assist to his name last term.
Reports claimed earlier this summer that Sunderland were willing to listen to offers for Grigg, who is valued at £1.08m by Transfermarkt, and Shrewsbury Town were reportedly keen.
The Northern Echo, however, have now said that Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts is now looking elsewhere to improve his attacking options, having seemingly given up on trying to land Grigg.
The report added that Sunderland officials have received a number of inquiries about the Northern Ireland international but are yet to have a bid presented to them.
Sunderland manager Parkinson will seek to address his attacking options this summer and it remains to be seen if Grigg will stay at the club for next season.
Grigg’s future at the Stadium of Light remains in doubt and it seems highly doubtful if he is the right man to take the club forward and push for an automatic promotion place, given his horrendous fortunes in front of goal in recent months.
If the striker remains with the Wearside club, a drastic change in form will be needed to appease those fans who may have doubts over the current squad.
Do you think Grigg will remain at Sunderland next season? Let us know your views in the comments section below…
Former Newcastle United player Mehdi Abeid has admitted to The Athletic that he never wanted to leave St James’ Park.
Indeed, the 28-year old officially left the northeast to join Greek outfit Panathinaikos for £540,000 in August 2015, having previously had loan spells with both them and St Johnstone in Scotland after his free transfer from RC Lens B, as per Transfermarkt.
He has since gone on to play for both Dijon and Nantes in France and is currently playing with the latter, where he scored three goals and provided a further two assists in a total of 29 games in all competitions last season, according to Transfermarkt.
However, his time at the Tyneside club was limited to just 21 matches across all competitions over three separate seasons (via Transfermarkt).
Nonetheless, Abeid has managed to make a relatively fine career for himself, perhaps most notably winning the African Cup of Nations with Algeria in 2019. When underage appearances for France are included, Abeid has scored six goals so far in 48 games for various international teams, according to Transfermarkt.
Over his club career, the central midfielder has managed to score 27 times in total and produce a further 17 assists, having played in 231 games since his debut for the Magpies in 2011/12, as per Transfermarkt.
With 33 goals in total between club and international level, Abeid will be looking to add to that and kick on in his footballing career, and perhaps by admitting that he never wanted to leave the Toon in the first place, he has not ruled out the possibility of a return to Newcastle in the future.
Geordies, would you like to see Abeid return to Newcastle? Comment below with your views!
Celtic have already bolstered their defensive armoury this transfer window but with a recent change of system, might they need further additions?
What’s the word?
According to Football Insider, mooted summer target Ben Davies has been slapped with a £10m price tag by Championship outfit Preston North End amidst interest from the Scottish champions and AFC Bournemouth.
The Lilywhites are thought to have rejected a £5m advance from the Cherries this week and they will only part ways with the 6 foot 1 colossus for double the amount.
However, his contract is set to expire next summer meaning he could be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with the Hoops in January.
Change of system calls
Neil Lennon has gone back to the 3-5-2 formation that brought so much success during their nine-in-a-row title-winning campaign after starting the season quite poorly with a 4-2-3-1 system.
It means there’s a need for quality centre-backs and thus, a move for Davies shouldn’t be overlooked despite adding Shane Duffy on loan to the likes of Kristoffer Ajer and Christopher Jullien.
However, none of these options are naturally left-footed, so it leaves a risk at the left centre-back position. This is something the 25-year-old could immediately resolve having also played at full-back in the past too.
“Ben has got a good left foot and he should really have more confidence in it than he actually has,” said his manager Alex Neil back in 2018.
Last season, Davies averaged 4.5 clearances, 3.2 aerials won and a passing success rate surpassing 75%, via WhoScored.
It’s no wonder LancsLive described his rise at Deepdale as “phenomenal” whilst Neil has also claimed that he “has really good pace, which for a centre-back is rare and that “he reads the game well and has the determination to get better.”
Nick Hammond may have to fork out a club-record fee, though clearly, he’d not only be a perfect fit for Parkhead but also a major upgrade considering no other centre-back has such pace and the ability to use the left-foot.
AND in other news, Celtic face disappointment over La Liga target, according to reports…
It’s almost time for the return of Premier League football, much to everyone’s delight. This weekend sees the first run of games in the opening weekend of the league, with the first game kicking off between Fulham and Arsenal at Craven Cottage.
It is always tense during the first game week – fans of all clubs hoping for a strong start to the season and a big three points to start their new campaign. There has been plenty of action during the transfer window in the Premier League, with money still being spent despite the implications of COVID-19 on the financial landscape of the sport.
This means this season will be one of the strangest but likely one of the most competitive yet, making it harder to predict all the results every week. Because of how difficult it has become, this is likely going to become a weekly series now, with me trying to predict the results for each game week, and hopefully, it doesn’t go too awful…
So here it goes, my predictions for game week 1…
Fulham 0-2 Arsenal
Soccer Football – Premier League – Arsenal v Liverpool – Emirates Stadium, London, Britain – July 15, 2020 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) REUTERS / Paul Childs / Pool EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player
The first game of the season, and Fulham’s first game since being promoted via the playoffs just a few months ago. The Gunners have had a strong transfer window – and with it being Arteta’s first full season in charge the players will be in good spirits ahead of the game along with their new signings such as Gabriel and Willian, I can’t see the Cottagers come out of this game with a decent result, and I predict Arsenal to win 2-0.
Crystal Palace 1-2 Southampton
Another away win – the Saints will be full of optimism ahead of the new season, having had a strong finish to their last campaign under Ralph Hassenhuttl, and Danny Ings will likely return to his goalscoring prowess.
Palace have recruited well this summer, with Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson proving decent additions for the team. Despite this, I still see Southampton being too strong for the Eagles, with them running out 2-1 winners at Selhurst Park.
Liverpool 4-0 Leeds United
The current Premier League champions will likely be happy with their opening game of the season, against newly-promoted Leeds United. Marcelo Bielsa and his team will be hoping for a strong start to life back in the Premier League, but are facing some real competition here.
The Reds will no doubt start how the left off last season, with a big win due to the strength in that team that was almost unplayable at times last campaign. Leeds will have a tough evening on their hands, with Liverpool finishing the game 4-0 at Anfield.
West Ham United 1-2 Newcastle United
Soccer Football – Premier League – AFC Bournemouth v Newcastle United – Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain – July 1, 2020 Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Glyn Kirk/Pool via REUTERS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or sin
The Hammers had a tough time out last season and faced an unexpected relegation battle. This season, I just can’t see things getting much better for the team – whereas Newcastle have been active throughout the transfer window in an attempt to strengthen their squad further.
Due to this, I see the Magpies running out winners here against West Ham at the London Stadium, with the away side coming out of the game with a 2-1 victory.
West Bromwich Albion 0-3 Leicester City
Soccer Football – Premier League – Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain – July 19, 2020 Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pool via REUTERS/Michael Regan EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, g
The Foxes has a surprisingly strong campaign under Brendan Rodgers last season, finishing 6th in the league.
This summer has seen them invest further into the squad with the arrival of Timothy Castagne from Italian side Atalanta – but West Brom have also made some positive moves in the market, securing permanent deals for Matheus Periera and Grady Diangana, as well as the signing of Callum Robinson from Sheffield United.
Leicester still looks the stronger side, and I predict them to win 3-0 against the Baggies.
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Everton
Soccer Football – Premier League – Tottenham Hotspur v Everton – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain – July 6, 2020 Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho and Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti before the match, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Adam Davy/Pool via REUTERS EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 imag
Spurs had a disappointing time last season, missing out on Champions League football after the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino and appointment of Jose Mourinho.
This summer has seen them strengthen their squad with the additions of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Matt Doherty, but the Toffees have also made waves during the transfer window, signing Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure, and James Rodriguez – due to both clubs having strong windows and strong managerial influence behind them in Mourinho and Ancelotti, I can only see this one playing out one way, a 1-1 draw.
Sheffield United 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Two of the best defences from last season, both clubs had impressive campaigns last time out – and United have had a strong transfer window with the signings of Aaron Ramsdale, Ethan Ampadu, and Oliver Burke.
Wolves, however, have broken their transfer record to sign 18-year-old Porto striker Fabio Silva, as well as Brazilian left-back Marçal from Lyon. With these reinforcements and the strong defensive capabilities of both sides, I see this one ending in a stalemate, 0-0, and a point apiece.
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-3 Chelsea
Soccer Football – FA Cup Final – Arsenal v Chelsea – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – August 1, 2020 Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pool via REUTERS/Adam Davy
What a window Chelsea have had – the additions of Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, and Kai Havertz has helped push the Blues to have one of the best teams in the league on paper, and it will be exciting to see how well they will play together throughout the season.
Brighton themselves have also had a positive window – Ben White signed a new contract, with the singings of Joel Veltman and Adam Lallana also added to the squad.
Overall, I see Chelsea still coming out on top. Brighton will likely have a great season under Potter, but Lampard’s squad appears too strong, with them coming out 3-1 victors at the Amex on Monday.
Time is quickly running out if West Bromwich Albion are to secure that elusive new striker this transfer window, although the Midlands outfit are set to launch a “major bid” this week…
What’s the word?
According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, the Baggies are preparing one final move for Huddersfield Town forward Karlan Grant as they put other options ‘from abroad’ on hold.
He claims that Albion are making a “major bid” but with an odd structure – but it could work.
Slaven Bilic’s men are strapped for cash this summer and have previously been linked with a £5m move upfront for the 23-year-old talisman with a remaining £13m to be paid if they stave off relegation at the end of the season.
Phillips 2.0?
West Brom’s’ history with strikers isn’t great but for every Ideye Brown, there’s been a Romelu Lukaku and as such, the Midlanders may have found a new star that resembles a club legend.
Grant is very much in the mould of the prolific Kevin Phillips.
The former Sunderland man fired the Baggies into the big time and wasn’t really known for his imposing stature, but rather his pace and ability to find the back of the net.
Well at 6 foot, Grant is hardly a man-mountain but according to his old boss Lee Bowyer, he “causes problems and scores goals.”
Whilst Addicks assistant Jonnie Jackson reinforced this and said: “[Karlan is] someone with pace to burn, I always wanted him playing on the shoulder of defenders.”
Last season, the 23-year-old bagged 19 goals in 43 appearances, which is nearly double what Charlie Austin could manage in the Championship. He also averaged 2.6 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.
As a solitary striker in Bilic’s system, it’s important to be able to bring other players into the game and these numbers hint that Grant would be able to do that.
It’s about time the Albion faithful got a striker to be excited about and the Phillips-like Grant could indeed be that man if Luke Dowling and co can get the move sealed and signed before the incoming deadline.
AND in other news, West Brom heading for a familiar mistake if they sign club-record PL FLOP this window…
Steven Gerrard has confirmed that Bongani Zungu will be unavailable for this week’s Old Firm and the subsequent two games.
Zungu unavailable
South Africa international Zungu was a last-gasp loan signing for Gerrard, joining on transfer deadline day.
However, it seems that he will not be seen in action for the 54-time Scottish champions in the immediate future. Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Gerrard explained:
“Bongani Zungu is currently in quarantine so we sadly won’t see him for another 10 days or so. We have sorted him with gym equipment so he can train from home.”
Probably for the best
Signed from Amiens, Zungu is a 28-year-old who has experience in one of Europe’s top five leagues – this should be an astute signing from Ross Wilson. However, whilst his absence from the Old Firm may be seen as a blow, it could actually be a blessing in disguise.
Without fans at the stadium, the match against Celtic may not have quite as much pressure as normal, but there is no doubt it will still be a tense occasion. After all, it is a huge opportunity for the ‘Gers to prove they have what it takes to rival Neil Lennon’s side for the title this term.
The last thing Gerrard would want to do in such a situation is throw in a player who has never appeared for the club before and who is still getting to know his teammates.
Further down the line, Zungu is likely to prove how useful he can be. For now, though, his absence means Gerrard has no temptation to throw the man he called “dominant” straight into the heart of the action.
‘Gers fans, will Zungu be a major loss for the derby? Let us know what you think by commenting below!
Wolverhampton Wanderers were linked to an array of players during the transfer window, though none were more exciting than Hirving Lozano, who has already been making them pay this season…
What was the word?
Ahead of the summer, Italian outlet Calciomercato claimed that the Midlands outfit were one of three Premier League teams chasing the enigmatic Mexican winger.
Both West Ham and Everton were also interested in signing him.
The Toffees were likely the front-runners due to both Carlo Ancelotti and Marcel Brands having an influence in his career at Napoli and PSV Eindhoven.
A move to Molineux would have seen him link up with his international teammate Raul Jimenez, and what a partnership that could’ve been this season.
One that got away?
According to ESPN, the Serie A outfit appeared to be offering the 25-year-old out to anyone that would bite despite costing them €42m (£38m) just a year earlier.
Well, perhaps Jeff Shi and Nuno Santo should’ve taken their arm off as Lozano has since scored four goals in four league games for Napoli, averaging a whopping three shots, 1.3 dribbles and 0.5 key passes per game, via WhoScored.
Brands, who signed him for PSV, once likened ‘Chucky’ to Lionel Messi in an interview with AD (per Football.London), claiming:
“When you look at his playing style, without wanting to compare, you know, Lozano has what Messi also has – a centre of gravity low to the ground, the ball is usually quickly under control, very explosive and agile. Then your opponents automatically force mistakes.”
The Mexican’s spell in Holland was particularly lucrative, bagging 40 goals and 23 assists across two electric seasons.
Nuno has called on his side to start sharing the goals around – well, the solution was staring him right in the face if he was truly keen on signing Lozano.
Jimenez has scored four of their six top-flight goals with only Pedro Neto and Romain Saiss chipping in with the other two, per WhoScored.
Daniel Podence’s 1.4 shots per game is surely a worry to his manager after his recent comments, so maybe he’ll regret not bringing in the explosive Napoli star this summer.
Not bringing in the tricky dynamo has clearly cost them dearly. An unforgivable error from the Wolf Pack boss.
AND in other news, Wolves have dodged a massive bullet with “special player” Nuno once lauded…
Plenty of Manchester United fans have been lauding a transfer link to Cristiano Ronaldo as El Grafico have reported that he could return to his former club next year.
As per the football journalist and transfer guru Christian Martin, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team have already pitched a return for the global superstar to his agent Jorge Mendes, which has seemingly sent a lot of tails of the Old Trafford faithful wagging.
Indeed, the Portugal international established himself at the Red Devils before going on to achieve great things in the game with both Real Madrid and now with Juventus.
Ronaldo scored a quite impressive 118 goals and made a further 69 assists in 292 games in all competitions for Man United in six consecutive terms (Transfermarkt).
The £54m-valued talisman won no fewer than three Premier League titles and a UEFA Champions League trophy under Sir Alex Ferguson, as well as several other accolades.
Manchester United fan reaction to Ronaldo link
These Man Utd supporters lauded the link to their former hero on Twitter, as despite him being 35 years of age, they feel as if CR7 still has a lot to offer and that he would also be a sentimental arrival that would please the wider fanbase.
In other news, find out which MUFC star fans want to sell after comments from his international manager here!