Celtic sold Stuart Armstrong to Southampton during the summer and are still yet to replace him, but they can do exactly that with a loan move for Everton’s Kieran Dowell.
What’s the word, then?
Well, after 28 goals and 25 assists in 144 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership holders, Armstrong departed for the Premier League and while Bhoys boss Brendan Rodgers has strengthened his team in other areas, he is yet to get an out-and-out attacking midfielder.
The fact that Celtic have struggled so far this season at both ends of the pitch suggests they are missing that creativity and goal threat in the final third, and it is surely something that the Northern Irishman will want to put right before the deadline on Friday.
Meanwhile, Dowell made his first appearance of the season by playing the full 90 minutes for Everton in their 3-1 Carabao Cup win against Rotherham United at Goodison Park on Wednesday night, but it appears as though his game time will be limited in the Premier League.
Why should Celtic sign Dowell?
The 20-year-old failed to make the 18 for the Toffees’ opening two Premier League fixtures but was an unused substitute against Bournemouth last weekend, however it seems as though his minutes on the pitch will be restricted and regular football elsewhere may be the best option for both him and his parent club.
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The youngster proved his quality with 10 goals and five assists in 43 appearances in all competitions during a similar temporary spell with Nottingham Forest last term, and as well as being able to play through the middle he also has the versatility of being more than adept at featuring out wide, too.
With his footballing brain and ability to dribble, Dowell can finally be the Armstrong replacement Celtic have been crying out for.
Marko Arnautovic has captained West Ham United in their last two Premier League games due to the absence of club skipper Mark Noble through injury.
Arnautovic has scored twice for the Hammers this season, but it seems that a number of West Ham fans do not believe that the 29-year-old should be wearing the armband.
There is no question that the Austrian is a wonderful footballer, but his temperament when things are not going well has long been called into question.
The obvious solution would be to reinstate Noble as soon as possible, but a number of the West Ham supporters have been very disappointed with the Englishman this term.
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It is certainly an interesting debate, and has recently been discussed by the club’s fans on social media.
West Ham have lost all four of their Premier League matches this term, and will be desperate to return to winning ways against Everton after the international break.
A selection of the Twitter reaction from the club’s supporters can be seen below:
Strike partnerships are a wonderful thing. Some have been so potent and glorious to watch that they’ve gone on to define teams, seasons and even eras at a club. Since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, the English top flight has played host to many great striking pairs. Immediately, the likes of Cole and Yorke, Sutton and Shearer, Henry and Bergkamp spring to mind.
However, in recent years, the prevalence of strike partnerships has diminished significantly. The introduction of new formations and the tactical shift towards attacking midfielders and marauding full-backs has seen the need to play with two up front reduced.
In recent seasons, only the prolific combinations of Luis Suarez and Daniel Strurridge, and Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki during Leicester City’s remarkable title-winning campaign, stand out as great Premier League strike partnerships.
However, a new double-act may be set to take the division by storm. During the last year, Arsenal have acquired two of the best goalscorers in Europe. In the Gunners’ last match, against Cardiff City, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette were both included in the starting XI for the first time in the Unai Emery era.
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It’s fair to say that it went well. Both the attackers got on the scoresheet as the North London club battled to victory in Wales. Lacazette, in particular, was impressive as he put in a dominant display in the centre-forward berth. Meanwhile, Aubameyang was deployed on the left flank. Unfortunately, this means that the pair can’t yet be considered a striker partnership, but given that both prefer a central role and are players of such supreme quality, Emery must be tempted to shift his system to allow for two up top.
Considering their mutual attributes, Aubameyang and Lacazette certainly have what it takes to form a thriving partnership. The key to any successful partnership on a football pitch is having the correct combinations of strengths and weaknesses between the two players, meaning that where one may struggle the other thrives, and vice versa.
For instance, in the case of Vardy and Okazaki, their understanding of their own roles was such that rather than getting in one another’s way, they were able to create space and opportunities for each other. Okazaki’s hold up play, vision and creativity was vital in forging goalscoring chances for his prolific partner, who duly fired the Foxes to glory.
This current Arsenal pair should hope to strike up a similar relationship at the Emirates Stadium if given the chance. Lacazette is extremely comfortable on the ball and boasts the physicality required to effectively hold the ball up in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Aubameyang’s blistering pace allows him to raid behind enemy lines. Together, they could create chaos amongst opposition defences.
However, in order to get the best out of this potential pairing, Emery must set up the rest of his team in such a way that the Gunners aren’t left vulnerable to being overrun in the centre of the park.
One way to do so could be to shift to a system that features three centre-backs, and wing-backs, and dispenses with wingers entirely. Arsenal themselves have had some success with this set up in recent seasons and certainly have the personnel in their squad to be able to return to it.
A shift to three-at-the-back would allow Aubameyang and Lacazette to both line up as central strikers without the team losing their width, as Bellerin and Monreal have the capacity to operate effectively as wing-backs. What’s more, the addition of a third centre-back alongside the current pair of Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis could go a long way towards making the Gunners more solid than they presently are. Finally, this system would allow Mesut Ozil to take up his favoured No. 10 position – the prospect of the German playmaker providing ammunition for the front two is a tantalising one for Arsenal fans.
However he does it, if Emery can find a system that allows his two main strikers to thrive side by side, without compromising his defence, then big things can be expected of this Arsenal team.
Morocco manager Herve Renard will fly to London to attempt to persuade Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi to pledge his international allegiance to the African nation, Football.London report.
What’s the word?
Arriving as one of Unai Emery’s summer recruits at Arsenal, Matteo Guendouzi has caught the eye after starting all four of the Gunners Premier League matches so far this term and keeping fellow close-season acquisition Lucas Torreira out of the starting line-up.
The performances of the 19-year-old, signed from French second division side Lorient, have impressed many and a huge fight could be set to emerge on the international stage in the quest to land the midfielder’s services.
Guendouzi has featured across numerous youth levels for France so far in his career but is also eligible for Morocco through his father and Football.London reports Herve Renard is set to fly to London in an attempt to persuade the teenager to commit his future to the African side.
What is best?
If Guendouzi is to force his way into Didier Deschamps’ France squad, who of course won the World Cup in the summer, then it is likely to be a lengthy battle as he has the likes of Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante and Adrien Rabiot to compete with.
Alternatively, Guendouzi could switch to Morocco and stand more of a chance of earning senior international football in the near future – but he should be in no rush to make a decision and should focus on his club career for now.
Aged 19 and only recently moving to one of Europe’s top leagues, Guendouzi has plenty of challenges that lie in front of him and international football should not be a concern of his. Therefore, delaying a decision for a year or two is the perfect course of action.
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Liverpool’s Senegalese attacker Sadio Mane once again outshone Mohamed Salah in Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Tottenham, but he will be thankful that his missed chances didn’t come back to haunt him.
Mane has had a blistering start to the season for Liverpool, scoring four goals in the Reds first five matches, after being largely in the shadow of his Egyptian teammate last season.
Salah was breaking records for fun during the last campaign and ended the season with an incredible 44 goals from 52 games in all competitions, wrapping up the Premier League’s Golden Boot ahead of Harry Kane in the process.
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At Wembley on Saturday though it was Mane who stood out. Playing off the left of Liverpool’s famous front three, the 26-year-old had a goal chalked out for offside just a minute into the match as the Merseysiders started the brightest.
After Salah had missed a gilt-edged chance though, Liverpool’s first goal came from a set-piece, as Gini Wijnaldum headed in for his first ever Premier League goal away from home.
It was then striker Roberto Firmino who doubled the Reds’ lead with just over 10 minutes gone of the second half. The goal came from left-back Andy Robertson playing a ball in behind Kieran Trippier on the Spurs right that Mane latched on to.
As he ran into the box the Tottenham defenders looked scared to go near him and his square to Firmino eventually found its way to the Brazilian for via Jan Vertonghen and the post.
Salah’s earlier miss wouldn’t be the last of the game though as with a 2-0 lead he and Mane went on to squander a number of opportunities that Jurgen Klopp was visibly furious with. Mane had a number of shots when others were perhaps better placed and when he had a chance to run at the Tottenham defence with a three on two, he picked the wrong option in Naby Keita over Salah.
Mane ended the game having had five shots, three of which were on target but all failed to beat Michel Vorm in the Spurs net. The two key passes and six fouls won prove just how dangerous he was yet again but after Erik Lamela netted in the 93rd minute it could have been a very different story were Tottenham to score again.
There may come a time during the season that Mane is punished for missing chances and made to rue earlier errors but luckily for the Reds this was their day, especially as on another Michael Oliver could have given a penalty against the 56-cap international for the contact he made on Heung-min Son late on.
The win takes Liverpool onto 15 points after taking the maximum available from the first five fixtures, but no matter how dangerous they currently look, Salah and Mane will need to find the ruthless form of last season if they are to challenge Manchester City for the title.
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Lots of Tottenham fans have been reacting to a rather worrying update, as reports claim the players want Mauricio Pochettino to give them more rest.
Managers like Pochettino, Jürgen Klopp and Marco Silva are well known for their high-tempo styles of management, but one report has claimed the intensity of Pochettino’s regime is damaging the players.
According to The Times, Tottenham players are demanding more rest, as several first team stars rushed back from World Cup duty to start the Premier League season.
This time of the season is extremely busy, and the players are basically guaranteed to play two matches per week from now until the new year.
Pochettino’s side have lost three games in a row for the first time since he arrived in North London, and it’s certainly fair to say the players looked tired against Inter Milan.
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Lots of fans have been reacting to this rather worrying report, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
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Aaron Ramsey is set to leave Arsenal on a free transfer next summer when his contract expires, according to The Mirror.
What’s the word?
Arsenal have hit their stride under Unai Emery, winning their last six matches across all competitions, but the Gunners have work to do off the field as it has emerged they are set to lose a key player at the end of the current season.
The Mirror is amongst many outlets reporting that talks between the North London side and Aaron Ramsey have broken down, with no new offer on the table for a Wales international who has spent the past decade with the club.
A sudden change in recent weeks has seen Arsenal’s stance on the 27-year-old change significantly and the Gunners are ready to allow the former Cardiff City man to leave, with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Juventus and Lazio waiting in the wings.
The right move?
The most interesting part of the report is that this comes on the back of confirmation that CEO Ivan Gazidis is leaving to join AC Milan and his role has been broken down into two parts, with Raul Sanllehi and Vinai Venkatesham earning a rise to power.
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That pair will now run things in North London, including new contracts, the finances available to Unai Emery and which transfers to secure, so the decision to pull out of talks with Ramsey could come from the Gunners’ newest senior duo.
If so, Arsenal fans will expect the club to dip into the market to land a replacement for a player who has become a fan favourite following two FA Cup final-winning goals in recent years, and the danger of him joining a Premier League rival will surely leaves a huge target painted onto the Gunners’ hierarchy.
Fans of the North London side are not known for their patience and understanding, so it is a bold move from Arsenal that could easily backfire.
The majority of Sheffield Wednesday fans that answered our recent poll wanted Liam Palmer to come in and replace Ash Baker at right wing-back after Baker picked up a knock and was forced off during the 1-1 draw with Leeds last Friday evening.
The Owls sit in 12th place in the Championship having lost just one of their last seven league games, but the fans that answered our poll were clear that they wanted manager Jos Luhukay to make this change.
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The Sheffield Star confirmed that Baker had been training but was not 100 per cent fit, and Wednesday will need their starting line up to be on their best form to secure a result against a West Brom side that are in fine form heading into the clash at Hillsborough.
27-year-old Palmer, who replaced Baker on Friday, was the most popular option to start at wing-back against West Brom who have been playing with attacking full-backs of their own, and Kieran Gibbs has been excelling on the left so will need marking closely. Check out the full results of the poll below.
FootballFanCast.com’s Performance in Numbers coverage is brought to you by 5p0rtz. Try 5p0rtz’s Beat the Streak Predictor and you could win £1million! Click here to play.
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Mousa Dembele has been a key cog in Mauricio Pochettino’s machine at Tottenham Hotspur, but in the last few games, Harry Winks is proving that he is a decent replacement for the future.
The midfielder spent the majority of the 2017-18 campaign on the sidelines with injury, but he has since regained fitness.
The 22-year-old has made nine appearances in all competitions so far in the campaign, two of which have been Premier League starts.
After his impressive display against Barcelona in Tottenham’s midweek Champions League game, Winks kept his place for Saturday’s visit of Cardiff City to Wembley.
The England international lined up alongside Eric Dier in the middle of the park, with Moussa Sissoko, Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min ahead of them.
Dier scored the only goal of the game in what was a hard-fought win by Spurs, and Winks put in another positive display.
The young midfielder was strong on the ball and regularly looked to move forward or play in his teammates.
Winks’s passing accuracy was almost perfect and only Kieran Trippier had more touches on the ball during the clash.
The Hemel Hempstead-born player tried various methods in a bid to get Tottenham up the field, and he helped control the midfield.
Dembele’s long-term future at the North London club remains up in the air, but if the Belgian does end up leaving, Winks is showing signs that he can step in.
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Middlesbrough have hit a slump in form in recent weeks. Their dominant early-season displays have petered out and they have slipped down the table to fourth place.
This is certainly not saying that they are playing badly, but they have only managed to pick up two victories in the league since the first international break.
Since that break, striker Jordan Hugill has seen more action, but has also been a scapegoat for many of the team’s poor performances. The man on loan from West Ham has been heavily criticised by fans and been targeted as one of the reasons The Boro have fallen down the table.
However, there is another player that has not performed the way he should have and that is Martin Braithwaite. The Danish international was heavily linked with a move away from The Riverside at the end of August and has never looked the same since. Alongside Britt Assombalonga, Braithwaite made a scintillating start to the season, scoring three goals in four Championship outings. However, he has not found the back of the net since the transfer saga.
Perhaps his heart is no longer in it. This happens when a player wants a move away from a club, only for his dreams to be quashed. Furthermore, his relationship with manager Tony Pulis would have become fractured, and the Welshman does not suffer fools gladly, shown by his frosty relationship with players in the past.
Braithwaite may not only cost Middlesbrough with his performances on the pitch, but may create a bad environment behind the scenes, something that must be stopped.