All posts by h716a5.icu

Aston Villa would feel they let a massive opportunity slip by to climb up the Championship table after being held to a goalless draw by Reading on Saturday.

Despite having far more shots on goal at the Madejski Stadium, Villa lacked accuracy in their attempts and squandered a few golden chances to break the deadlock.

Ultimately, it was a good chance for Dean Smith’s men to back up last week’s 2-1 win over Ipswich Town with another victory.

A win over Reading would’ve seen the Villans move up to eighth in the league and a mere two points off a playoff spot.

Villa started the New Year poorly and the manager will be even more desperate now for some more consistent performances by the Birmingham team.

The main problem, though, on Saturday was Villa trying to pass the ball into the back of the net and taking way too many touches inside the box, where they maybe could’ve had a shot at goal.

Tammy Abraham blew two big chances in both halves to take the lead from headers but his attempts weren’t good enough to trouble Reading ‘keeper Emiliano Martinez.

Abraham’s form this season has been absolutely brilliant for Villa and seeing him miss such good opportunities in front of goal would’ve been disappointing to the club’s fans.

Smith, though, will need his team to be more clinical and ruthless in front of goal if they were to really make a surge up the league table.

The likes of Anwar El Ghazi and Conor Hourihane shouldn’t be afraid to take long-range efforts in the hope of catching ‘keepers off guard.

Villa looked far more likely to score on Saturday and were unlucky not to find the back of the net in the first-half after Tommy Elphick’s header came off the crossbar.

But, if you’re playing against a team that is fighting to avoid relegation then you’re expected to put them to bed with such good chances. Despite all the money spent and promise Smith brought to Villa Park, they’re currently architects of their own downfall.

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Arsenal fans have been reacting on social media in their droves after Sergio Aguero completed his hat-trick using his arm to ensure Manchester City beat Unai Emery’s side for the second time this season.

Aguero had opened the scoring inside the first minute with a powerful header directed back beyond Bernd Leno after Alex Iwobi was caught in possession on the edge of the box.

The Argentine continued to pose a threat to the Gunners defence throughout the game thereafter, and added his second with a late first half tap-in to kill any momentum the visitors hoped to carry into the second half.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Theo Ogden was at the Emirates on Friday to see Alexis Sanchez come back to haunt Arsenal. Check out Gunners’ fans reactions in the video below…

The subdued efforts of Emery’s side after the break where then put to rest once and for all when the 30-year-old reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box and slid in to complete his hat-trick after 61 minutes.

Replays, however, showed the 89-cap international had actually hit the ball forwards using his elbow rather than any legal part of his body, but as the contact was made on the opposing side of the field to the assistant referee, he could not help Martin Atkinson in overruling the goal.

Atkinson, himself, could not do anything to aid the Gunner’s cause as his position on the field meant he had an obstructed view of the goalmouth.

Fans quickly took to social media to vent their frustration, with many questioning why the Premier League continues to hold off on implementing the Virtual Assistant Referee cameras that would have corrected the decision in seconds…

Everton’s defensive issues were exposed again on Saturday when the high-flying Wolverhampton Wanderers ripped Marco Silva’s team apart with a smart attacking display at Goodison Park.

But, the brilliance of Nuno Espirito Santo’s team in the 3-1 win over the Toffees once again highlighted the need for Silva to make a drastic and important defensive change in order to bring solidity to the team.

And one obvious change should be to bring Yerry Mina back into the team but to partner both Michael Keane and Kurt Zouma in a back-three formation.

Mina suffered a foot injury in Everton’s FA Cup loss at Millwall last weekend and wasn’t part of the matchday squad over the weekend.

He is, however, expected to be back in the Everton squad soon, although Wednesday’s clash with Manchester City might be a bit too early for his return.

But, should he be ready for this coming weekend’s trip to Watford, then Silva could find it beneficial to draft the 24-year-old into the starting lineup alongside Keane and Zouma.

The manager has opted with this tactic before this season and it did offer some sort of composure to the rest of the team.

Everton’s current struggles have really left Silva with not a lot of other options to explore and the fact that they didn’t sign any additional players in the recent transfer market means they will have to make do with the current group of players.

Playing with Mina as an extra centre-back should help Keane and Zouma improve their current form after a few dismal performances.

Keane was caught on the break on a couple of occasions against Wolves and had difficulty tracking Raul Jimenez and Jota who were making consistent runs in behind the Everton defensive line.

Mina’s aggressiveness is also just the type of motivation Everton will need from now on if they were to finish the season on a high and in terms of structure, playing with that back-three will also make it easier for the midfield to defend higher up the field.

West Bromwich Albion are still in with a great chance of securing an automatic promotion place as they currently find themselves just six points off second place with a game in hand. 

The Baggies managed to secure a valuable point against Nottingham Forest last time out, thanks to a controversial penalty which was converted by Jay Rodriguez.

One thing that may be playing on supporters’ minds is Salomon Rondon’s future, as he continues to impress in the Premier League at Newcastle United. Interestingly, Rafa Benitez indicated that the South American is playing his way towards a permanent move back in December, so a permanent summer switch could be in the offing.

Therefore, it’s vital that Darren Moore takes a look at who can potentially replace the forward.

Oliver Burke is a name that springs to mind with his loan deal set to expire in the summer, and Moore has insisted that he will be returning (as per the Express & Star) to the Hawthorns at the end of the season, despite the player being keen (as per the Scotsman) to extend his stay beyond the summer.

So, it’s exciting times for the Baggies as they look set to have him in their ranks for next season.

The youngster has been a joy to watch since moving to Scotland last month as he’s managed to find the back of the net three times and has produced two assists in eight appearances. He was never able to live up to expectations during his time at the Hawthorns, but Moore will definitely be looking to benefit from his progression at Celtic.

Burke has operated at the pinnacle of the attack for the Hoops and it has served him well up until this point, so the Baggies should look to deploy him in that specific role if he stays in the summer. It’s clear to see that he knows how to score and create chances for his teammates, so he could be a real asset for the Baggies in years to come as he has plenty of potential and all the ingredients to develop into a star.

West Bromwich Albion fans – thoughts?

Unai Emery had a much quieter window in January than he did in the summer.

Emery was limited to just loan signings for Arsenal last month and Denis Suarez was the only incoming in that respect.

On the outgoing front, it was rather quiet too. Just Emiliano Martinez left on loan to Reading, with Emery clearly keen to take more of a look at some of his current players.

With that being said, here are two players who must surely be disappointed to not move on in the window…

Mesut Ozil

There were not any concrete rumours surrounding Ozil over January, despite only playing twice in all competitions in that month.

The situation from the outside seems rather confusing as other options are often preferred to the German, then the next game he can be captain, using the wins against Chelsea and Cardiff City as examples.

If he fails to get much game time between now and the end of the season, he must surely be disappointed to not move on in January.

Eddie Nketiah

This is more so from a loan perspective. Nketiah has now made five first-team appearances this season for Arsenal and, despite not scoring, he has looked bright and made troublesome runs in his opportunities.

The 19-year-old has now been on the bench on a dozen occasions now in the Premier League, amounting just one minute of League football in that time.

If the promising youngster does not make many more appearances before the end of the season, he could be frustrated that a loan opportunity did not arise in January.

Southampton moved out of the relegation zone on Wednesday ousting fellow relegation contenders Fulham to boost their survival chances.

The win couldn’t have come at a better time, considering the Saints now head into a dreaded period.

Next up is a trip to Old Trafford against a rampant Manchester United side, after which they host Tottenham Hotspur and round up March with a crucial tie against relegation rivals Brighton Hove & Albion. While picking up maximum points in any matches seems a tough ask, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men need to start believing in themselves.

They might not have dominated Fulham, but were clinical enough to bag three points. Both goals came due to center-midfielders Oriol Romeu and James Ward-Prowse showing the kind of drive required to get on the score-sheet. Nathan Redmond is increasingly becoming an influential engine under Hasenhuttl, while Ryan Bertrand’s also regaining his best form at long last.

While Hasenhuttl still needs Danny Ings back for the goals, he also needs to keep their defensive work stable. The Saints have conceded some dreadful goals in recent weeks, and the midfielders need to start protecting defenders against dominant attacks. If Southampton can be defensively strong enough and clinical in the final third, they can frustrate the big sides into bagging a few crucial points.

The Saints need to be positive against Brighton at the very least, though shouldn’t be scared about taking on either United or Tottenham.

Indeed, they need to attack all three of them to get three points and help their survival chances. The players have to start playing for the badge and show desire if they’re to weather the onslaught and live another season in the Premier League.

While fans on the south coast may rightly grumble about the distinct lack of quality in their squad compared to previous years, they have the kind of talent on the books to

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Roma are reportedly looking to sell one of their key players in Cengiz Under this summer for a fee of around £50m, which will be of interest to Arsenal who have been keeping tabs on his situation according to Corriere dello Sport.

What’s the word, then?

The Turkish international has been in excellent form for the Serie A side so far this season, scoring six goals and recording six assists in all competitions.

Previously, the Gunners had a bid rejected for the 21-year-old back in January which was swiftly rejected, but their hopes of landing him in the summer have been handed a boost with the Italians looking to cash in on him in order to raise funds.

Under is one of Europe’s best young players. Since making his debut last season following Mohamed Salah’s departure, he has scored on his European debut – becoming the youngest Turk to net in the Champions League – and has already earned ten caps for his country.

Comparing Under to other potential Ozil replacements?

It is no secret that there is something odd going on between Ozil and Gunners boss Unai Emery. The Spaniard has left the German out of a lot of his matchday squads this season, and has told the 30-year-old that he needs to be ‘consistent in training and for matches, without injury or being sick.’

One would presume that Ozil may be set to leave in the summer, and Arsenal have already been linked with a few names who could come in and replace him such as James Rodriguez, Houssem Aouar and Under.

Ozil is unique in the way that he operates in between the line of midfield and attack, but the aforementioned trio arguably have more strings to their bow.

Aouar is starring for Lyon in a holding midfield role, whilst he has also played in a left-forward role, left-midfield and attacking-midfield – his form has even drawn rave reviews from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

In that respect, the Frenchman may even be a better option than Ozil, and a better purchase than Rodriguez or Under as they are arguably more restricted in their roles – Aouar is also just 20, so he has all the time in the world on his side.

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More than 24 hours removed from the north London derby, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal fans are still arguing.

This is perhaps nothing new but the tone of the argument pivots around one specific event at Wembley.

As Harry Kane rose to challenge for a header, Gunners defenders Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny wrestled with the England striker in the penalty area.

Kane hit the deck and referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot.

However, the 25-year-old was offside when the ball into the area was played by Christian Eriksen and there has been much debate surrounding the officiating.

The law, per Sky Sports News, states: “If a player in an offside position is moving towards the ball with the intention of playing the ball and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the foul is penalised as it has occurred before the offside offence.”

The debate since has circled around whether or not Kane was challenging for the ball at the time he was fouled.

Former referee Dermot Gallagher, per the aforementioned Sky article, claims the decision was wrong because Kane was challenging for the ball by attempting to head it. Spurs fans maintain that, because he had not headed it, he was not yet active and thus the foul comes first.

This is the chicken and the egg argument all over again and it needs to change.

The offside rule right now is a mess. There are too many shades of grey and the referee’s decision, ultimately, hinges on his understanding of the word “challenging”.

The penalty, of course, was given and Kane scored. Tottenham subsequently earned a 1-1 draw in a game they had been losing.

Were the offside rule to remove the ability to argue such trivialities, perhaps it would not have been given.

A player, at the end of the day, is either offside or he isn’t. If the rule was changed to state that a team cannot be penalised for fouling a player in an offside position, all arguments would be solved.

There is also the idea that there should be clear daylight between the defender and the attacker because the current rule has been reduced to a nitpicking anality.

With the introduction of VAR to the Premier League next season, perhaps these arguments will stop. Or maybe the offside rule will become even more convoluted, as the action is slowed to within an inch of its life.

Changing the rule would be a great first step to removing these debates.

Three years ago yesterday, West Ham fans witnessed possibly the best goal that a Hammer has ever scored at Old Trafford. The Irons travelled to face Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals and managed a 1-1 draw thanks to a moment of sheer brilliance from their magic Frenchman Dimitri Payet.

That season was West Ham’s Payet season. The Frenchman was one of the best players in the Premier League during the campaign, with a number of flashy goals and assists in claret and blue. Whilst his career as a Hammer ended in bitter disappointment, the fans aren’t letting the way Payet left the club change their perception of some of his truly fantastic goals, especially not this one given the absolite magic of it.

With the game looking like it could go to the wire at Old Trafford, the Hammers won a free-kick about 30 yards away from goal. For the home fans, it was something they’d seen hundreds of times without conceding, but Payet did what he does best as he whipped the ball into the top corner to send the away fans into raptures. It was a moment that will go down in West Ham history, and despite the Irons’ hate for Payet, they all absolutely adore seeing replays of this goal.

You can read the Hammers’ verdict on that famous goal here:

The Hammers will never forget Payet, mostly for the wrong reasons, but also for the incredible goals, like this famous one, that he scored for them.

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Paris Saint-Germain were seemingly keen to sign Idrissa Gueye during the January transfer window, only for Everton to turn down at least one bid from the French champions.

It is not too difficult to understand why Everton fought to keep hold of Gueye, who has been one of his team’s most consistent players this season.

The 29-year-old played a key role as Marco Silva’s side beat Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

And the Everton fans have been on social media lavishing praise on the 5ft 9in ace.

According to WhoScored, Gueye had a pass success rate of 84%, whilst he also managed one shot during his 90 minutes on the field against Maurizio Sarri’s side.

The midfielder’s ability to cover the ground was absolutely key to collecting all three points against a Chelsea team who have struggled for consistency this season.

To put it mildly, the Everton fans were simply delighted with his display at the weekend, as can be seen below: