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BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson has made a surprise claim about Tottenham Hotspur’s defeat to Burnley on Saturday in his latest set of Premier League predictions ahead of the midweek fixtures.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Spurs’ title chances suffered a massive and perhaps fatal hit as they were beaten 2-1 by the Clarets at the weekend, and they will be looking to return to winning ways when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Lawrenson believes that the encounter between the two London clubs will end in a 1-1 draw, and suggests that the return of Harry Kane from injury at Turf Moor actually hindered Spurs.

The 61-year-old said: “I had predicted a draw, knowing that Harry Kane was coming back. Part of my thinking was that, when a team’s best player is out, you get a little bit extra from all the other players. When he returns, they relax a tiny bit.”

Is he right?

Perhaps a little bit, yes.

There’s good news for fans of City, Liverpool, Spurs and United in the video below…

There will of course be an expectation when Kane is on the pitch that he can find the net because of his record, and that could easily lead to his teammates becoming a little more complacent, as Lawrenson alludes to.

However, you wouldn’t expect that to be the case with experienced players like Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-Min when you are in a title race, and it shouldn’t be used as an excuse.

Those individuals know that they must produce the displays they did in Kane’s absence from here on in if the north London outfit are to have any chance of keeping the pressure up on Liverpool and Manchester City.

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West Ham United attacker Felipe Anderson has been talking to BBC Football about life in the Premier League following his club-record move from Lazio last summer, and he has suggested that amount of space he often gets in matches has surprised him.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Anderson was speaking about a range of different subjects including about how his game – which includes having plenty of pace, trickery and being direct – is ideally suited to England.

The 25-year-old told BBC Football: “I have always enjoyed dribbling.

“That has been a key part of my game and you do get quite a lot of space in England. But the game is very intense and it is difficult to keep it up for the 90 minutes.

“Every game is end to end, with attack after attack. I am still adapting to that side of the game and I need to get stronger.”

The Brazil international has certainly made an impact in his debut campaign with the Irons, scoring nine goals and providing a further four assists in 30 appearances in all competitions.

Is Anderson right to be surprised?

Quite possibly, yes.

The Premier League is often known for its intensity and players not having as much time on the ball as in some of the other top European leagues, but the South American winger’s comments go some way to discounting that theory.

The way the 25-year-old talks about how much space he has suggests it wasn’t something he was expecting when he made the move to the London Stadium, and it is probably one of the reasons why he has thrived so much so far.

However, as Anderson mentions he is still adapting and that is great news for West Ham fans, who may have not seen the best of the Brazilian yet.

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The Steve Bruce revolution continued at Hillsborough on Saturday, and one January swoop in particular is looking like an absolute stroke of genius from the club.

The Owls have still not lost since Bruce arrived at the club, and Saturday’s win was one of the best performances yet.

While goals from Craig Conway and Elliott Bennett gave Blackburn a fighting chance, the hosts blew their guests 4-2, and January capture Dominic Iorfa was once again at the centre of everything good.

The 23 year-old, who signed for the club on deadline day on a permanent deal from Wolves, has now scored three times and found an assist for his new club, despite only featuring in seven games.

He has started at right-back in the last four games, in which the Owls have picked up eight points and kept two clean sheets.

He assisted Steven Fletcher’s early opener on Saturday before smashing in a goal of his own in the second half, and fans are now heaping praise on what they consider to be the best piece of transfer business the club has done in a long time.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Leicester’s new boss Brendan Rodgers has identified Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney as a possible replacement for Ben Chilwell according to the Scottish Sun, and the switch seems ideal for the Foxes.

The Daily Mail linked Chilwell with a move to Manchester City back in December and, if Pep Guardiola does move for the 22-year-old, it’ll be hard to stop him. The forward-thinking full-back would take some replacing at Leicester though, but Tierney could fit the bill well.

The Scotsman has made 15 appearances for Celtic this season, making five assists in the process and at 21-years-old his future is looking promising. He’s come through the ranks in Glasgow, so Rodgers knows the youngster well and clearly rates him considering the game time he’s been given this campaign.

There’ll be lots of pressure on him if Chilwell does leave and he arrives as his direct replacement because there won’t be time to be slowly edged into the first team as he has been at Celtic Park. He’ll be expected to perform from the off in a division miles ahead of the one he’s used to playing in, but the pressure of playing for Celtic should have prepared him well.

Following the manager who gave him his first taste of senior football would give him confidence that Rodgers believes in him, and that’ll help him adapt to the Premier League quicker than if he signed for a club like Arsenal who he’s also been linked with in the Scottish Sun. Although he’ll have to prove himself to the fans, he won’t feel the need to prove himself to his manager because he’s already done that at Celtic.

The move makes sense for the player and for Leicester too because Celtic don’t usually demand a high fee for their players and their new manager knows the player fits their system, so he’s less of a risk.

Who do you think should replace Ben Chilwell if he leaves in the summer?

Luka Modric – the current holder of the Balon d’Or award – may have built his profile at Real Madrid but he honed in his exceptional talents at Tottenham’s White Hart Lane.

The Croatian was a highly thought of talent in the last decade making his move from Dinamo Zagreb for £15.8 million (as per the Telegraph).

Even back in 2008 Luka Modric was considered one of the brightest talents in world football, drawing interest from far and wide.

Indeed, the story could have vastly different if he had joined Newcastle United – which he was expected to do after visiting Tyneside to discuss a move to St James’ Park.

“If you had a list of the midfield players around Europe who Newcastle could possibly attract, Luka Modric would be one of them,” former Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan said (Telegraph).

“I think he would be pretty much on everyone else’s list as well because he is a fantastic prospect.

“If you look at the midfield players who have a fantastic future, he would be one of them. But every other club in the league, from Arsenal and Manchester United, would like Modric.”

It was to be Tottenham who profited from his arrival, however, who, after an incredibly disappointing season failing to break into the top four under Martin Jol, needed to make a statement of intent to appease their riotous fans.

And what a capture he was.

He may have been small, which he openly admitted had always been a point of concern for everyone who doubted he would ‘make it’, but he was strong – the kind of exaggerated strength the less physically blessed can muster in a moment of ‘David versus Goliath’.

But this was by no means the best bit of his game. Not by a long shot. Modric was incredibly gifted with the ball.

Indeed, years of being smaller had deemed it necessary to learn football in its purest form; the art of guiding a pinpoint pass, the ability to orchestrated play with the slightest movement, or dance around the opposition with the faintest of touches. He was a complete midfielder.

Unfortunately, when Real Madrid come knocking a player answers – as Spurs know all too well – and Modric’s time came in 2012 when he moved for an estimated £30 million (BBC Sport).

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According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to offer Premier League strugglers Fulham £20 million to sign Ryan and Steven Sessegnon in the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Ryan Sessegnon has been in and out of the Cottagers’ starting XI this season. Last year, in the west London club’s promotion campaign from the Championship, the 18-year-old was an integral part of the side, scoring fifteen goals and racking up six assists over the course of the league season.

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

The left-sided starlet has failed to truly find his feet in the top flight so far though. However, his efforts to acclimatise to the Premier League have been hampered by Fulham’s wider issues on and off the pitch – which has led them to the their current position in the relegation zone.

Sessegnon’s twin brother, Steven, is also on the books at Craven Cottage. The right-back is highly-rated by the club’s academy staff, but is yet to make his Premier League bow.

A double steal

Whilst Ryan Sessegnon has struggled to really shine this season, the England under-21 international remains a hugely exciting talent. He certainly belongs at the top level, and should Fulham get relegated this season then there ought to be plenty of Premier League clubs interested in his services. 

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino has already demonstrated his ability to aid the development of young English talent with Dele Alli and Harry Winks. Ryan Sessegnon could be the next man on the conveyor belt.

What’s more, the Fulham ace could also prove to be the answer to Spurs’ left-back woes. Ben Davies lacks attacking quality whilst Danny Rose is inconsistent and injury prone. If Sessegnon were able to mature defensively then he could become a key weapon in Pochettino’s arsenal.

His brother is also a talent and worth a punt, especially if he helps Ryan settle in north London. All in all, £20 million for the pair would have to be considered an absolute steal.

Tony Adams hasn’t been able to stay out of the headlines as of late. Whether it’s with regards to his ill-fated spell at Granada, or his appointment as the President of the Rugby Football League, Adams certainly has been a regular feature in the newspapers over the last year or two.

However, his latest comments appear to have generated more discussion than ever. Speaking to Sky Sports, Adams has been discussing Arsenal man Aaron Ramsey’s move to Juventus, whom he is set to join on a free transfer this summer.

Discussing the move, he’s questioned why the Welshman has opted for a move to Italy as, in his words, “Why would you go to Juventus anyway? They’re a smaller club than Arsenal”.

Of course, a comment like this is always going to generate a reaction, and his Arsenal connections aside, a lot of football fans have simply been bewildered by the claim. One fan online has deemed it ‘ridiculous’, whilst another has described Adams as ‘deluded’.

Is he right? Or is he ‘deluded’?

It’s certainly a topic worth discussing, but then, how do you determine the size of a club? Is it regarding the number of trophies won? Has it, actually, got more to do with the current players that are in the squad? Or is it simply to do with fan numbers and stadium attendance? Well, the reality is it’s probably a mixture of the three – so can Arsenal compete with Juventus?

As far as trophy numbers are concerned, Arsenal fall well short of Juventus. As per the official Arsenal website, the Gunners have bagged a total of 13 league titles, which by all accounts, is a stellar run. That, of course, includes an unbeaten season in the 2003/04 campaign. However, Juventus can boast a whopping 36 Scudettos– as per the official Juventus website – including every title since the 2011/12 campaign. Now, you could argue that the Italian league isn’t as strong as the Premier League, but Juventus can also boast 2 major European cups, in addition to 3 UEFA Cups. Arsenal don’t come close in this regard. So, with historic and contemporary success on their side, it’s evident that Juventus are ahead of the Gunners as far as trophies go.

Regarding the personnel at the club, Juventus are given a huge boost by the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese is arguably the most recognisable player in world football, and he’s the main man at Juventus. However, he’s just one of a collective of Europe’s best players, with individuals including Paulo Dybala, Miralem Pjanic, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Alex Sandro, among many others. Arsenal do possess a lot of individual talent, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil in the squad, but they’ve not really got anyone that can compete with Juventus’s squad.

Fan base is a hard thing to judge, and it’s tough to separate Juventus and Arsenal, at least with objective means. Stadium attendance is an obvious stat to consider, and Arsenal do have Juventus beat with an average attendance of 59,888 in the Premier League (as per TransferMarkt). In comparison, Juventus’ average attendance sits at 39,069 (as per TransferMarkt). However, it’s important to note that Juventus are hamstrung by their comparatively small stadium – so perhaps this isn’t the best measure of club size – making the previous two descriptions more relevant.

Make no mistake, Arsenal are a big club. They’re a huge club. But on paper, they don’t come close to achieving the success that Juventus have, and at present, most reasonable fans would consider the Italian giants to be aÂmore attractive proposition than the Gunners. Adams, of course, is entitled to his opinion – but there is little tangible evidence to suggest that his point of view is accurate.

Arsenal fans – is Tony Adams right? Let us know by discussing below!

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Leeds United’s title ambitions were dealt a blow on Tuesday night as Marcelo Bielsa’s side slumped to a 1-0 defeat against QPR at Loftus Road.

The Whites had their chances to score, with striker Patrick Bamford and full-back Barry Douglas amongst those guilty of spurning clear opportunities. The defeat has seen Leeds lose the initiative in the title race too, as Norwich City now hold top spot and are two points clear.

Leeds were the dominant side against QPR but couldn’t find any end product. All too often their territory and possession fizzled out into nothing as the killer final pass was lacking. Right-back Luke Ayling was particularly guilty of failing to provide quality going forward.

The 27-year-old defender was consistently let down by his inability to accurately pick out his teammates. The No. 2 should now be taken out of the firing line by Bielsa, who ought to turn to Jamie Shackleton in his place.

After the match, plenty of Leeds fans took to Twitter to give their verdict on Ayling’s display…

رد التونسي فرجاني ساسي لاعب الزمالك على انتقاده خلال الفترة الماضية مشيرًا إلى أنه يرفض السخرية منه.

وكان عصام عبد المنعم حارس الأهلي المعتزل قد طلب ترحيل فرجاني ساسي من مصر بسبب موقفه مع الحكم أمين عمر مشيرًا إلى أن اللاعب التونسي يجب أن يحترم البلد التي يعيش بها.

وقال فرجاني ساسي في تغريدة على حسابه بموقع “تويتر”: “حزين بعد الفترة الكبيرة التي قضيتها في مصر أن أسمع كلامًا بهذا الشكل ضدي، ولا يوجد لدي مشكلة في النقد البناء لكن التهكم عليّ غير مقبول (ناقص تعملولي محاكمة عسكرية)”.

وأضاف: “لو كنت ضيفًا في بلدي فلن أتحدث عنك بهذه الطريقة ولكن في جمهور عظيم يحبني وأنا نفس الشيء وألعب من أجل إسعاده وإدارة قوية تجلب لي حقي”.

pic.twitter.com/VSkEHNj00W

— Ferjani Sassi (@FerjaniSassi) October 4, 2020

Fulham were just 10 minutes away from recording an unlikely draw at Craven Cottage against Liverpool on Sunday.

Following Ryan Babel’s equaliser against his former side, it was looking like Scott Parker’s side were heading for arguable their best result of the season. Yet, in typical Cottagers fashion, they let themselves down once again.

Following a harmless strike from Reds forward Mohamed Salah, Sergio Rico somehow managed to drop the ball at the feet of Sadio Mane before unnecessarily tripping the Senegalese star up in the penalty area. James Milner stepped up to take the spot-kick and duly scored the winner, condemning the Cottagers to their 22nd defeat of the season.

However, despite many fans rightfully blaming Rico for his error, he should still keep his place in Parker’s side as he is clearly the best goalkeeper at the club once you look closer at the stats for this season in the Premier League.

In the 22 games that the Sevilla loanee has been involved in, he has conceded 45 goals which averages out at 2.046 per game which is a better ratio than both Fabri (2.5 goals) and Marcus Bettinelli (2.86 goals.)

Furthermore, Fulham’s only clean sheets this season, which came in fixtures against Newcastle United and Huddersfield Town, have come with Rico in between the sticks.

It could be argued that no matter who Fulham have in goal, it simply does not matter as the main reason for why they will be relegated to the Championship at the end of the season is their horrendous defence.

By letting their opponents score 70 goals in the Premier League in just 31 games, they are already well on course to record one of the worst defensive records in recent top-flight history.

Therefore, whilst it would easy for Parker to drop Rico for the Cottagers’ clash against Manchester City on March 30th, he should instead be making alterations to his back four who have been woeful throughout the 2018/19 campaign.

What do you think Fulham fans? Should Rico be dropped by Parker for his error against Liverpool? Or is it the defence who are ultimately to blame for this season? Let us know below.