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Manchester City moved to within three points of league leaders Liverpool with a 3-1 win over Arsenal at the weekend and then regained their seat at the top of the table with a 2-o victory over Everton on Wednesday.

Fernandinho deputised for captain Vincent Kompany at the heart of defence against the Gunners and did well to deal with the pace of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette – if Pep Guardiola opts to place the organiser in the back four against Chelsea, though, the Blues will walk over City once again.

Last time the two met, Chelsea inflicted the first defeat of the season upon the Etihad Stadium outfit as they ran out 2-o winners, courtesy of goals from N’Golo Kante and David Luiz and, should he continue with the lineup he used against the Gunners, Guardiola risks a repeat of that December clash.

Fernandinho completed 2 tackles and 3 clearances as City strolled to the win over Unai Emery’s men but the 33-year-old is wasted in that role – in fact, City are far more easy opponents when he is absent from their midfield.

The former Shakhtar Donetsk man is the lynchpin of Guardiola’s side, anchoring the midfield so that Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva can operate with minimal defensive responsibilities and, when he doesn’t feature as the base of the trio, City are far more easily undone.

Fernandinho is the glue that binds City’s defence and midfield together and if you move him into the back four you lose his impact further upfield. Why might Guardiola do this, then?

Well, with Vincent Kompany ruled out, City are in desperate need of a leader to regiment their defence – this has often proved to be their weak point, as the likes of John Stones and Kyle Walker are guilty of making mistakes on occasion, and having someone of Fernandinho’s ilk to boss the back line makes a big difference.

The Spanish manager, though, must risk leaving his defence a tad more exposed by putting Fernandinho in his natural role – the only realistic option beyond putting the enforcer into defence is to field his most experienced back line possible, leaving no room for Stones, unfortunately.

Chelsea, meanwhile, bounced back from their drubbing at Bournemouth as they hammered a hopeless Huddersfield 5-0, with Gonzalo Higuain getting his first goals in blue.

The Argentine was spotted by Kante – who seems to be developing into a top class centre-midfielder, despite having established himself as the Premier League’s best ball-winner since his title-winning 2015/16 season with Leicester – making a run behind the defence and he slotted it coolly.

The pass from Kante was exquisite and a sign that the diminutive Frenchman is far from just a ball-chaser – his energy and new-found vision will be a huge threat to City, who must be wary of his attacking prowess as well as his defensive solidity.

Without Fernandinho in their midfield, City face being completely overrun by Kante and co, who will run themselves into the ground to get the three points. It’s either that or you shackle De Bruyne and Silva with defensive duties, which simply cannot happen.

Who will be the next ‘Big 6’ manager to be sacked? The Pl>ymaker FC squad all seem to agree on one name. Find out who in the video below…

أطلق نادي سبورتنج لشبونة المنافس في بطولة الدوري البرتغالي اسم أسطورته ومهاجم نادي يوفنتوس، كريستيانو رونالدو، على أكاديميته للشباب والناشئين.

وأعلن النادي البرتغالي تغيير اسم أكاديميته تكريمًا لرونالدو الذي خرج من المراحل السنية بسبورتنج لشبونة في بداية الألفية الحالية، وأصبح أفضل لاعب في البلاد على مر العصور.

ونجح رونالدو في كتابة اسمه في تاريخ عالم كرة القدم، بعدما حقق الكثير من الألقاب الفردية والجماعية سواء مع الأندية أو منتخب بلده على مدار السنوات الماضية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كريستيانو رونالدو يعلق على فوز يوفنتوس الأول بالموسم الجديد

أنضم رونالدو إلى سبورتنج لشبونة في عام 1997، عندما كان عمره يناهز 12 عامًا فقط، وفي 14 أغسطس 2002، عندما كان يبلغ 17 عامًا فقط، شارك لأول مرة مع الفريق الأول ضد إنتر ميلان في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وبالتالي، ستخلد الأكاديمية بحسب ما ذكرت في بيانها اسم أعظم رمز لها على الإطلاق من خلال هذا القرار وسيكون ذلك مصدر إلهام لجميع المواهب الشابة في المستقبل.

وأكد النادي البرتغالي أن سيتم تحديد موعدًا، بمجرد أن تسمح الظروف بسبب فيروس كورونا، للقيام بالافتتاح الرسمي للأكاديمية بشكلها الجديد.

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Southampton striker Danny Ings lasted just 27 minutes before leaving the pitch with an injury during his side’s 1-1 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday, and his latest setback suggests the club has made a grave error with their distinct lack of January business.

On the chalkboard

There is no doubt that Saints took a risk by bringing the 26-year-old to St Mary’s on an initial loan deal that will lead to a permanent £20m move at the end of the season last summer, as per The Telegraph, and it has proved to be the case.

While the attacker has scored seven goals in 18 Premier League appearances for the south coast outfit this term, including three since Ralph Hasenhuttl took charge in December, he has also missed six top-flight matches because of injury problems.

That number could increase even more if the issue that saw Ings limp off with less than half-an-hour played is deemed serious enough to keep him out of the huge clash with Cardiff City at St Mary’s on Saturday.

Grave error by Southampton?

It would seem that way, yes.

Saints failed to bring in a single new player during the January transfer window despite seeing the likes of Manolo Gabbiadini, Steven Davis, Cedric Soares and Wesley Hoedt go, and failing to sign a new striker could prove to be a decision that comes back to haunt them.

Should Ings be out for the foreseeable future – something that could certainly be the case should he have suffered a hamstring or groin injury – then the south coast outfit are left with Shane Long, Charlie Austin and Sam Gallagher as their strikers, with Michael Obafemi also currently on the sidelines.

The former trio hardly scream goals given they have three in the Premier League between them this term, and Hasenhuttl could be left relying on Nathan Redmond to find the net – as he did against the Clarets – which would be a dangerous game given they are currently just two points above the drop.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

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Nottingham Forest midfielder Ben Watson made his first start since October in his side’s 3-1 win against Wigan Athletic at The City Ground last weekend, and his future prospects are certainly looking much brighter under Martin O’Neill than they were just few weeks ago.

On the chalkboard

Well, despite finishing the 2017/18 campaign in fine form and often captaining the Reds in the early stages of the current Championship season, the 33-year-old fell out of favour under previous manager Aitor Karanka following the 2-1 home defeat by Norwich City on October 20.

The midfielder suddenly found himself behind the likes of Adlene Guedioura, Claudio Yacob and Jack Colback in the central midfield pecking order, and on nine occasions between October and January he didn’t even make the substitutes’ bench for Forest in the league.

That changed following the arrival of O’Neill as Karanka’s successor however, and while he was an unused member of the 18-man squad against Bristol City he was reinstated to the starting XI and even named as skipper against the Latics last time out.

Does he have a big role to play now?

He does, but only one condition.

In the 4-4-2 system that O’Neill employed in his first match at The City Ground there should be no spot for the 33-year-old, as he no longer has the legs and box-to-box ambitions to only have one teammate alongside him.

It is no coincidence that Watson impressed as part of a midfield trio in a 4-3-3 against his former club last Saturday however, and while he did his job defensively well he could also advance forward too, knowing that he potentially had two players that would cover him if needed.

Watson looked destined for the exit door either this month or in the summer had Karanka remained with the east Midlands outfit, but with a contract not due to expire until the summer of 2020 he now must grasp the new opportunity he has been handed.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

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According to The Telegraph, Everton have agreed a £4m compensation fee with Watford for Marco Silva, whom the Toffees appointed as their manager in the summer.

Hertfordshire outfit Watford were furious with their fellow Premier League club after attempts were made to bring the Portuguese north in November 2017 following the sacking of then-boss Ronald Koeman, although, now that an agreement has been reached, this is surely the end of the matter.

The former Hornets boss filled the vacant role left by Sam Allardyce at the Goodison Park helm prior to the start of the 18/19 season but has had far from an enjoyable time on Merseyside so far.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Silva’s side have largely underperformed and, despite their respectable position in the standings, will surely feel that they should be doing better. They have lost five of their last six games in all competitions and are in desperate need of a result against Cardiff, who they face on Tuesday.

Here’s how the Evertonians reacted on Twitter…

The Southampton revival under Ralph Hasenhuttl continues with the south coast club managing to gain a point from their 1-1 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor last Saturday in a game where they came extremely close to winning. 

A stoppage-time penalty converted by Ashley Barnes ensured the points were shared after Nathan Redmond, who is at the top of his game right now, had given the visitors the lead.

And the 24-year-old has since come in for praise from one of his team-mates as he continues to impress under his new boss.

The Breakdown

Speaking about the form of Redmond, midfielder Stuart Armstrong told the Daily Echo: “I think everyone can see how talented a player he is in training and in games of late. His goal [against Burnley] was fantastic.

“The way he moved the ball and then a quick shot into the corner of the net with so much power, with so little back-lift. He is a very good player to have in our team.”

As mentioned by Armstrong, Redmond is undoubtedly a talented individual, something which has been clear since his days in the Championship with Birmingham City.

However, for whatever reason, it has not quite worked out for the England international at St. Mary’s despite a strong start to life in a Southampton shirt.

At 24, though, there is still plenty of time for Redmond to get things right, which he has been doing in recent weeks, and evolve that talent into something further.

Watching the way Redmond can take the ball past a defender with his pace and dribbling skill, he really should be on course to becoming a serious winger in the Premier League, yet without the numbers to go with it, that did not look like the path the former Norwich City man was heading down.

Rejuvenated under Hasenhuttl, though, Redmond now appears to be going in the right direction again.

أكد طه إسماعيل، نجم النادي الأهلي السابق والمحلل الكروي الحالي، أن محمد يوسف، المدير الفني الأسبق للقلعة الحمراء، سيكون أفضل من السويسري رينيه فايلر، المدير الفني الحالي للأحمر، في حال تولي قيادة الفريق.

كشف مصدر داخل الأهلي، عن اقتراب رحيل المدرب السويسري رينيه فايلر المدير الفني للمارد الأحمر عن الفريق خلال الفترة المقبلة.

أقرأ ايضًا.. هل يرحل قبل دوري أبطال إفريقيا؟.. فايلر يرفض حسم مصيره مع الأهلي

أضاف طه إسماعيل، خلال لقاء عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورت”: “محمد يوسف إذا تولى تدريب الأهلي في هذه الفترة سيكون أفضل من فايلر، المرحلة المقبلة لا تستدعي تأليف فايلر”.

تابع: “رينيه فايلر مُصر على طرق معينة بلا جدوى، نحن مقبلون على مباريات إفريقيا ولا نتحمل هذه التجارب، فايلر غير مستقر على الطريقة، دائمًا يصنع عقدة في الشوط الأول ويحلها في الشوط الثاني”.

وواصل: “هذا سار في الدوري وعدت على خير وكان أحيانا الأهلي يفوز وهو ليس جيدًا، فايلر على المستوى النفسي غير مستقر، وفي ذات الوقت هو يطلب إجازات كثيرة وهذا صعب في الوقت الحالي”.

اختتم: “هو لا يركز بعد كورونا في طرق التشكيل واللعب، ولذلك أنا أقول إن الفترة المقبلة ضبابية بالنسبة للأهلي إلا في حالة وجود بديل يضع خطة واستقرار للفريق”.

من المقرر، أن يخوض الأهلي مباراته أمام الوداد البيضاوي المغربي، في نصف نهائي إفريقيا في شهر أكتوبر المقبل.

يستعد الأهلي لمواجهة نادي مصر في الجولة التاسعة والعشرون من مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز، في الثامنة من مساء اليوم الأربعاء.

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According to an interview with evertonfc.com, winger Ademola Lookman says the trust shown in him by manager Marco Silva has allowed him to be more confident when he has been on the pitch this season.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 21-year-old looked set to instantly become a key player for the Merseyside outfit having scored on his debut against Manchester City following his move from Charlton Athletic back in 2017, but he has largely failed to kick on since then.

The England U21 international struggled for first-team opportunities under Silva’s predecessor Sam Allardyce before spending the second-half of last season on loan at RB Leipzig in Germany, where he impressed.

While there may have been some doubts over his future, Lookman has been involved again under the Portuguese boss at Goodison Park this term, and has revealed to evertonfc.com how the 41-year-old has helped him.

The attacker said: “It is always important to feel you have the manager’s trust. Once you go out there it enables you to play free.

“I have always thought about football in terms of enjoying myself. I still play football for fun and that is what I want to do my whole career, God willing.

“I enjoy expressing myself and I enjoy the pressure of football.”

How has he fared this season?

It’s certainly not been easy for him considering he faces competition from the likes of Theo Walcott, Richarlison and Bernard for a spot in the starting XI.

While he failed to make the squad against Manchester City earlier this month due to a “technical decision”, he has still made 17 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

With Everton not looking like they will have too much to play for in the closing 12 Premier League fixtures, Lookman will be hoping that Silva places his trust in him again in the coming weeks so he can continue to express himself on the field.

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Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after Andros Townsend won the ‘Goal of the Year’ award at the London Football Awards on Thursday evening.

The England international picked up the accolade as a result of his stunning strike against Manchester City at the Etihad earlier this season, in which he rifled a dropping ball into the top right corner from well outside the box.

His goal also meant more than just pure aesthetics. Townsend’s strike helped the Eagles beat the champions 3-2 on their own turf, becoming the only side to do so in the current campaign – the former Tottenham man has become the first player to win the ‘Goal of the Year’ award at the London Football Awards.

Impressively, the 27-year-old was also nominated for the ‘Player of the Year’ award after an impressive season in which he has already hit seven goals – a personal best – although he lost out to Tottenham’s Son Heung-Min.

Understandably, Palace fans are beaming with pride at Townsend’s achievement, and have taken to Twitter to react…

Many people believe that it will take Arsenal a good few transfer windows to get a team that can start competing for the Premier League.

No one was expecting Unai Emery to instantly revolutionise the Arsenal team as it was clear that he needed time and funding to do so.

This January, therefore, was a great opportunity for him to start building his team for the future, however, things may not have gone to plan for many Arsenal fans. With that in mind here are the two biggest mistakes of their transfer window:

Losing Sven Mislintat

Sven Mislintat was at Arsenal for just over a year and no one fully knows the reason why he left this month, but it could well have been down to the fact that he was never going to be more than a glorified chief scout at Arsenal.

However, the German was one of the greatest assets the club had as he has a proven track record for unearthing some of the world’s best footballing talent. The likes of Robert Lewandowski are an example of this.

Mislintat recruited Arsenal players like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Bernd Leno to The Emirates. Things were starting to happen with the German at Arsenal and his departure may prove very costly, particularly given the fact that The Gunners are renowned for making some fairly poor transfer decisions.

Failing to sign Ivan Perišić

One player that Arsenal were heavily linked with over the transfer window was Inter Milan’s Ivan Perišić. Other than Denis Suárez who they did indeed buy, the Croatian was probably the second biggest target.

The World Cup finalist would have added some serious quality to the Arsenal attack and his versatility would have come in handy as he can play as both an attacking midfielder and a winger.

The fact that they did not sign him has not only prevented their team of a high quality player which could have improved their chances of Champions League qualification as the season goes on, but it also sends a bad message to the rest of the Premier League that they are struggling to land new signings and that they may not have the power in the transfer window that they used to have.