The left side of defence has proved to be a surprisingly contentious position at Arsenal this season. Summer signing Sead Kolasinac initially held down the left wing-back role in the Gunners’ 3-4-3 formation, but a switch to four at the back has seen the Bosnian international come out of the side – first replaced by promising youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles and then veteran full-back Nacho Monreal.
The Spaniard – who Transfermarkt value at £11.7million – has been Arsene Wenger’s preferred option in recent weeks and provided an impressive supply of goals and assists, bagging two apiece in his last four games. But it appears not every Arsenal fan thinks the 31-year-old is the club’s strongest candidate at left-back.
Indeed, we asked Arsenal fans earlier this week to vote for which player should start at left-back against Tottenham and although Monreal received the strongest percentage in our poll, 55% of supporters chose Maitland-Niles or Kolasinac instead.
How would you line up Wenger’s side at Wembley on Saturday? Let us know by commenting below…
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Celtic reaffirmed their nine-point lead atop the Scottish Premiership with a 2-0 win over Aberdeen.
Moussa Dembele turned in a cross from James Forrest at the back post to open the scoring for Celtic just before half-time, but the visitors risked letting Aberdeen back into the game when Mikael Lustig was sent off for a second yellow card with 15 minutes remaining.
Kieran Tierney doubled Celtic’s advantage just seven minutes later, though, and Dons’ Sam Cosgrove received his own marching orders when he lunged in on Scott Brown.
Dembele was perhaps the visitors’ most accomplished player on the day, having opened the scoring and produced a superb assist for Tierney to seal the deal in the final moments.
This was not a commanding performance by a Celtic side who are used to controlling their Scottish opponents with ease, but who do the club’s fans think was their team’s best performer at Aberdeen?
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Let us know by voting below and giving each player a performance rating out of ten…
Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez was desperate to add a new striker to his squad during the January transfer window with Joselu and Dwight Gayle struggling to do enough up top in the first-half of the season, and with Aleksandar Mitrovic out of favour at St James’ Park.
The Spaniard had said at the end of 2017 that he wanted all of his transfer business completed by January 20, but by January 31 and with hours until the deadline he still didn’t have the centre-forward that he wanted, despite the fact that goalscoring was proving to be one of his side’s biggest issues in their battle to beat to drop.
The Tyneside outfit had been heavily linked with the likes of Feyenoord’s Nicolai Jorgensen and Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge in the lead-up to the climax of the window, but they failed to agree a fee with the Eredivisie outfit for the former, while the latter joined relegation rivals West Bromwich Albion instead.
At one stage it looked as though the Magpies may not get anyone, but the club managed to get a deal for Leicester City striker Islam Slimani over the line, with the Algerian coming to St James’ Park on loan until the end of the season.
The club announced at the time that the 29-year-old wouldn’t be available right away as he was suffering from a thigh strain.
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Benitez would have been hoping that the striker would play a key role in the run-in as Newcastle looked to avoid making an instant return to the Championship, and while he always looked likely to miss the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace on February 4, the Spanish boss would have been hoping to have him available for the home clash against Manchester United last month.
That didn’t happen though and one day prior to the huge clash against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on February 24, Benitez announced that the Algerian had suffered an injury setback and would be out for a further fortnight.
That setback means he will definitely be out for the trip to Anfield to face Liverpool on Saturday, and potentially the huge clash against Southampton at St James’ Park the following weekend.
The Tyneside outfit could find themselves in the bottom three by the time they play Jurgen Klopp’s side on Saturday evening if other results go against them – they only lie two points above the drop zone prior to their trip to Merseyside – and they may stay there with the trip to a free-scoring Reds team looking hugely difficult on paper.
The Magpies then host Saints in what is likely to be a huge six-pointer, which Slimani could be absent for, before they have a 21-day break until their next top flight fixture.
They could find themselves in a big predicament if they slip up against the south coast outfit, and they will have just eight matches left to save themselves when Slimani is finally fully fit to make his return – barring any more setbacks – when they host Huddersfield Town at St James’ Park on March 31.
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Considering the player was injured when they signed him just hours before the deadline, you have to question whether the 29-year-old was a bit of a panic buy, and if Newcastle made a mistake signing a player that has missed so many matches that have been crucial in the Magpies’ battle against the drop.
Of course, time will tell as to whether that proves to be the case, but the Tyneside outfit may have been wrong to sign Slimani rather than getting another player who was fully fit at the end of January.
Arsenal are considering a summer swoop for Inter Milan midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, according to FC Inter News.
What’s the story?
The last few weeks have raised questions over Arsenal’s progress given that they were comfortably beaten by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and they are struggling to stay in the fight for top four.
In fact, the North London outfit are 13 points off the pace, and fans have once again turned on manager Arsene Wenger.
The Frenchman’s long-term future remains unclear, but recent reports have suggested that a defensive midfielder is on the list of this summer’s transfer targets.
FC Inter News claim that Kondogbia, who has been at Inter since his 2015 switch from Monaco, is wanted by the Gunners.
How likely is this deal?
The publication suggests that Arsenal could face some stumbling blocks in trying to land Kondogbia’s signature.
At the moment, the 25-year-old is on loan at Valencia, who have an option to buy the midfielder at the end of the season.
A figure of £22m will reportedly get the deal done, but there are indications that Valencia would immediately sell the player on.
There is no doubt that Arsenal could do with some power and grit in the middle of the park.
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Kondogbia has those qualities, but he also has the ability to create attacking plays.
In fact in his 26 outings so far this season, the midfielder has scored four goals.
According to the printed version of the Sunday Mirror on March 25 (Page 64), Southampton are lining up a move to sign Stoke City centre-back Ryan Shawcross this summer.
The 30-year-old played under current Saints boss Mark Hughes at the Britannia Stadium, and the Sunday Mirror says that the Welsh manager will look to bring the Potters captain to St Mary’s if he keeps the south coast outfit in the Premier League – they lie two points from safety ahead of their potentially season-defining clash against fellow strugglers West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Any transfer would likely rely on the 54-year-old manager extending his deal however, with it due to expire at the end of the season.
The report adds that Shawcross will look to leave Stoke if they suffer relegation to the Championship this term – they are currently in 19th position and three points from safety with seven matches left to play.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United can move a step closer to securing their spot in the top flight for at least another 12 months when they host Huddersfield Town at St James’ Park on Saturday, and manager Rafa Benitez will already be thinking about the players he can bring to Tyneside this summer.
Shawcross should be on the Spaniard’s radar, and he could prove to be a great addition for the Toon.
Here are three reasons the Magpies must hijack Southampton’s bid to sign the 6ft 3in defender…
Lascelles has established himself as one of Newcastle’s best and most important players in the Premier League this season, and the Magpies captain has been a real leader at the back for his team whether he has been partnering Ciaran Clark or Florian Lejeune at the heart of the defence.
The Tyneside outfit have only conceded 40 goals in 30 top flight matches this term – only six clubs have conceded fewer – but the experienced Shawcross would prove to be a great addition alongside Lascelles and make them even stronger at the back next season, if they do stay up.
With Martin Dubravka in goal, Lascelles in defence and Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame in midfield, Newcastle have formed a strong spine to their team in recent weeks and it is no surprise that the positive results have followed that have led the Magpies towards Premier League survival.
Adding experienced 30-year-old Shawcross – who has been Stoke captain for a number of years and has 310 top flight appearances to his name – alongside Lascelles, whose link to West Ham United over the weekend has been laughed off by Magpies fans, next term would make them even solid through the middle of the park, and that could be vital to their future success.
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If Stoke do go down this season and Newcastle stay up, the Magpies would fancy their chances of keeping the 30-year-old in the Premier League for a reasonable transfer fee.
Shawcross would certainly want to stay in the top flight rather than drop down to the Championship, and the Potters may not be able to demand the fee that they would ideally like for a player that is going to turn 31 years of age in October and who has been such a great servant for them over the years.
Arsenal announced on Monday afternoon that Mohamed Elneny had signed a new long-term contract with the club.
Elneny, who is valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, joined the Gunners from Basel in January 2016, and has made 65 appearances in all competitions for the Premier League club.
The midfielder, who is expected to represent Egypt at this summer’s World Cup, has scored once and provided two assists in 26 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season.
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There remains uncertainty surrounding the future of Jack Wilshere, but Arsenal have secured the future of Elneny, who has actually only appeared in 10 Premier League fixtures this term.
The Gunners supporters, who have previously been split on Elneny, are not exactly delighted with what is happening at their football club at the moment, and it was somewhat surprising when such a large number reacted positively to the news surrounding the Egyptian.
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Indeed, the club’s fans seem delighted with the contract news, and a selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Paris Saint Germain have registered a concrete interest in Mo Salah, according to French outlet Le 10 Sport, as the club looks to redouble its efforts to secure European success next season.
Liverpool have already experienced how the added riches available abroad can turn a key player’s head in Philippe Coutinho and they must ensure that Salah doesn’t go the same way.
What’s the story?
PSG are reportedly looking to make a big signing to bolster their attacking options, likely funded by the departure of Edinson Cavani, who has clashed with Neymar on occasion this season.
The report continues to say that the French giants have sounded out Salah to see whether he would be interested in leaving Anfield after just one season at Liverpool.
The Parisiens are concerned about Financial Fair Play and that is why any swoop for Salah would depend on the departure of Cavani.
Liverpool have to ensure Salah stays
Coutinho dreamed of playing for Barcelona and although Liverpool were able to delay the deal and eke out a monumental transfer fee, the Brazilian still left.
Salah – who is valued at £72m by Transfermarkt – has helped ensure that the mid-season departure of the playmaker has not been acutely felt.
But Liverpool cannot afford to keep selling their top talent. If they want to progress, they have to keep the core of their best players together and build something by adding to that.
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Selling off their key assets – no matter the price – is not a way to get the fans excited and make them believe in the progress of the club. Salah must stay.
According to a report in The Times, West Ham co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan have made a huge U-turn by abandoning plans to appoint a director of football, and Irons fans have been quick to react to the rumour.
The Evening Standard reported last month that the east London outfit would bring in a director of football following criticism from the London Stadium faithful about their recruitment, with Sullivan taking a back seat from transfer negotiations.
However, The Times reports that they have now changed their minds and are ready to give manager David Moyes, who certainly wasn’t popular with fans on Twitter following the 1-1 draw against Stoke City on Monday, full control when it comes to transfers, with the Scot set to sign a permanent contract to stay with the club beyond the end of the season imminently.
West Ham supporters were quick to have their say on the story via social media, and while one predicts there will be “trouble ahead”, another said it was “one more lie to add to all the others”.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
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Mauricio Pochettino is seriously considering walking out of Tottenham to join Real Madrid, according to Yahoo Sport, following Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final defeat at the hands of Manchester United.
If he did so, that would be an incredibly impetuous decision, which would erode all pretences of incremental progress that the club and the Argentine have claimed are taking place in North London.
What’s the story, then?
The report claims that Madrid are running out of patience with Zinedine Zidane and are beginning to sound out Pochettino as their lead candidate to replace the Frenchman.
It goes on to say that Pochettino may well be willing to sacrifice his long-term vision to realise his ambition of managing the Spanish giants.
Following the defeat against United last weekend, Pochettino also referenced the progress that Spurs could make under him “or another”, sparking fears that his time at the club could be coming to an end.
It would spark chaos at Spurs
The draw of Real Madrid is understandable but Pochettino has constantly preached the virtue of gradual progression and his continued loyalty runs through the heart of that.
His commitment is essential to ensure that the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli stick around to see the project through, looking past the immediate absence of trophies to remain at a club where there is the feeling of something building up.
Pochettino walking out for a genuine European giant would knock all the stuffing out of the Spurs revolution and it would be all the more damaging as it feels like a temperamental reaction to a defeat in a big match.
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Tottenham have made a lot of progress under him but it would be a body blow to everyone connected to the club if he walked away at this stage. It simply cannot be allowed to happen.
Bitter rivals Manchester United and Liverpool look set to be Manchester City’s two closest challengers for the Premier League title next season, but they are going about clawing their way back to the top in very different ways.
What they have in common is a substandard defence; United have four-time Player of the Year David de Gea to bail them out while Virgil van Dijk has made a major difference at Anfield.
Yet Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho have very different ideas on how to protect their shaky backlines; the German presses the ball to keep it as far away from Liverpool’s goal as possible, while the notoriously cautious Mourinho uses a low block and conservative style to keep the goals down.
While United’s big game record has improved since the turn of the year, Klopp’s blockbuster style has taken Liverpool into the final of the Champions League, where they will face Real Madrid.
It is fair to say that fans of the Red Devils would like to see Mourinho show a bit more of the attacking impetus favoured by Klopp…