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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on talkSPORT, Tony Cascarino has insisted Manchester City star Raheem Sterling is better than Neymar and is on course to win the Ballon d’Or in the future.

What did he say?

The England international had a barn-storming season last year at the Etihad, registering 25 goals and 18 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions.

The start to this campaign has been no different, with Sterling bagging himself a hat-trick in the opening game win over West Ham, and scoring a total of five Premier League goals in four games.

Watch Manchester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Now, Cascarino has revealed the 24-year-old is amongst the five best players in the world, and is already better than PSG superstar Neymar.

He said: “I would definitely argue he’s in the top five players in the world. If you were to put him on the market tomorrow, Man City wouldn’t take £150m for him. If he continues to improve, he’ll become the first or second (best player in the world) and probably win the Ballon d’Or along the way.

“Who would you rather have: Neymar or Sterling? I’d have Sterling as a player. Try to ignore the antics that have gone on with Neymar off the field, I actually think Sterling’s better on the field. His numbers are better and he’s playing in a better team. I’ve seen Neymar do things that no other footballer can do in the game, like a ‘Harlem Globetrotter’ footballer. But if you want a player to be brilliant for the team and score goals at the rate Neymar can, Sterling’s your man.”

Steady on Tony

In a world where Ousmane Dembele can fetch well over £100m, then Sterling perhaps is worth £150m. But is he in the top five players in the world? The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Eden Hazard, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and maybe even teammate Kevin De Bruyne, just to name a few, would all have their disagreements with that.

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

But Sterling has improved his game no-end since really bursting on to the scene with Liverpool. His work under Pep Guardiola has seen him develop dramatically, and his goal-scoring record is something to behold. The five-yard tap-ins he is becoming renowned for show someone who is continuing to learn and hone his craft. They are not a sign of luck, but a sign of a player with top-notch positioning determined to do one thing and one thing only – score goals.

However, if he is to count himself amongst the world’s elite, then he will have to do it over a consistent period of time. Keep firing in the goals on a regular basis for both club and country, and very few will be able to argue against the England international’s place in the top five.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Before you’ve even started reading this article, it would be easy to guess what you’re thinking.

How on earth could Roy Hodgson possibly be forced to break Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins apart?

The duo helped Crystal Palace keep the sixth-best clean sheet record in the Premier League last season, combining steely defensive work with a calmness on the ball to come out of the 38-game campaign with 12 clean sheets under their belts – averaging a shutout every 3.7 games, which isn’t bad at all.

As per The Athletic, Sakho and Tomkins have played 37 games alongside each other since the Frenchman’s debut in February 2017, recording an impressive 45.9% win ratio while also conceding an average of just 1.1 goals per game.

The balance of the pair is also near perfect. Sakho combines physical strength with excellent composure and passing ability – he is also left-footed, which compliments Tomkins, a right-footed player, on the other side of him.

In the former West Ham man’s case, he is far more no-nonsense than the former Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain defender – some Palace fans may remember Sakho back-heeling the ball inside his own box in the dying minutes of a 2-1 win over Chelsea a few years ago.

So, that prompts the aforementioned question: how could Hodgson break the pair up?

Well, one man’s presence may be the trigger of such a bold move: Gary Cahill.

Having arrived on a free transfer following his departure from Chelsea, the 61-cap England international has been in imperious form since making his Crystal Palace debut.

Cahill made his Eagles bow at Old Trafford against Manchester United – not exactly a simple game to make your debut in.

However, the 33-year-old used all of his experience and know-how to marshal the south Londoners to a historic 2-1 win over the Red Devils, Palace’s first-ever Premier League victory over United.

Cahill made Garth Crooks’ Team of the Week as a result of his performance against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, and the Eagles supporters on Twitter were also extremely impressed with him after that win – additionally, the 33-year-old made The Mirror’s Team of the Week for his second Palace appearance against Aston Villa.

There is no denying the centre-back’s pedigree.

As much as the Selhurst Park faithful adore Tomkins and rate him, Cahill’s trophy cabinet speaks for itself: 2 x Premier League, 2 x FA Cup, 1 x League Cup, 1 x Champions League, 2 x Europa League.

Cahill has also captained the England national team under Hodgson’s tutelage, while he has made the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions.

Tomkins and Cahill are simply incomparable in terms of career achievements and despite the Palace No.5 performing admirably since arriving from London rivals West Ham, it would be utterly foolish to drop Cahill.

At 33 years of age and on a two-year contract, it would be wasteful of Hodgson to remove Cahill from the XI when the former Bolton man is in the twilight of his career. He’s clearly been brought to the club with a purpose.

Palace should be doing their utmost to include Cahill at every given opportunity, and seeing as Sakho is the only left-footed centre-back at the club, Tomkins looks like the man to move aside.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Leeds’ fell to a heartbreaking 1-1 draw with Derby at the weekend in a game where they should have easily been out of sight following Mateusz Klich’s penalty.

The Whites had an ideal opportunity to cement themselves at the top of the table but Chris Martin’s late equaliser ensured the points were shared.

It was a bizarre game given Leeds’ sheer dominance, but three specific pieces of commentary sum up how their day went from almost perfection to disbelief, as commentator Daniel Mann provided his thoughts throughout Sky Sports’ coverage (21/09).

What’s he said?

As the game was reaching the end of the first half, Mann took some time to wax lyrical over the performance from Leeds, essentially saying they were in a league of their own compared to the Rams.

He said: “There looks about five leagues between them. A lot of these Derby players were involved in that playoff semi-final which remember they won in the second leg 4-2. What a different occasion this is so far.”

A lot of the narrative heading into the match was surrounding spygate and the hammering Derby dished out to Leeds in the playoffs.

They were at their fluent best on that day but certainly for the first half of this clash, Leeds were showing signs of getting their own back.

Via WhoScored, they managed nine shots as opposed to Derby’s one in the opening 45, while also playing 132 passes in the opposition half. Phillip Cocu’s men registered as few as 33 in the final third before the break.

As the game was about to end, Mann was then quoted as saying:

“It will feel like ten points dropped for Leeds. They played like a team who should win the Championship title but they’ve not got the job done. They’ve paid the price.”

And how they did pay the price. Marcelo Bielsa’s side were all over Derby at Elland Road. Patrick Bamford hit the post and then Klich side-footed a penalty wide which surely would have seen them go onto win the game.

In total, Leeds had 63% of the possession while the visitors only had four shots in the entire match. That paints a sorry picture for the west Yorkshire side, but so did one of Mann’s final commentary lines:

“A day of Robbery for Phillip Cocu’s side. Leeds fans will go home in total disbelief.”

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Italian publication Calcio Mercato, Liverpool are keeping an eye on PSV starlet Donyell Malen.

What’s the word?

The Dutchman came into the spotlight after netting in Netherlands’ victory over Germany during the international break earlier this season, and the 20-year-old followed that up by scoring five goals for PSV against Vitesse.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Now, Calcio Mercato claim Liverpool are keen on the youngster, although the report itself doesn’t give any more detail than that.

Exciting talent

Scoring five goals in a game is a huge feat in Sunday League football, let alone in the top-flight of a European league. Malen’s achievement spoke volumes of the kind of progress he has made since leaving Arsenal in 2017 to return to his homeland.

In his five appearances in the Eredivisie this season, the attacker has averaged an impressive four shots and two dribbles per game, constantly causing opposition defences problems with his directness.

Encouragingly for Klopp, the 5 foot 10 prospect has already gained plenty of experience playing in numerous positions. Aside from operating through the middle, Malen has had a lot of game-time on both flanks, as a second-striker and as an attacking midfielder too. That kind of versatility will surely appeal to the Reds boss.

Speaking back in 2017, his former U14s coach at Ajax, Brian Tevreden, hailed the potential of the then 17-year-old, and made a huge comparison about who he is similar to.

“He can play at No.10, or as a winger or a striker. He’s a multi functional player. Quite small, pacey. He’s strong as well even though he’s not the biggest striker. It’s difficult to describe him. In terms of people playing in England I would say he’s like Alexis Sanchez.”

The Sanchez of 2019 may not be the comparison Liverpool fans may have been dreaming of, but the Chilean was still firing on all cylinders for Arsenal when Tevreden made the huge claim, scoring 30 goals and providing 18 assists in that campaign.

Certainly if he joins Liverpool and plays like that, it could be considered somewhat of a coup – snapping up an exciting young talent who clearly possesses real potential.

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Aston Villa fans criticised striker Wesley after another goalless performance on Saturday.

Dean Smith’s men drew 2-2 with Burnley at Villa Park, with Anwar El Ghazi and John McGinn on the scoresheet.

Villa paid a club-record fee for Wesley in the summer, spending more than £18m on the striker.

However, he has scored twice in seven games thus far and was particularly absent against Sean Dyche’s men.

Per WhoScored, he failed to have a single shot on goal and touched the ball a mere 18 times throughout his time on the pitch.

And some fans have called for him to be dropped; 21-year-old Keinan Davis has been suggested as a potential alternative by a certain section of supporters.

He has just 41 minutes of Premier League football to his name this season but has made a total of 49 appearances for the club, scoring four goals and registering five assists.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

In our Transfers that shook the club feature, Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at deals that many may not have seen coming and the impact that they had during their time by using statistical data and pundit remarks.

Although transfers are generally made to improve the club, sometimes one particular deal can work in such a way that it sends shockwaves throughout the side and change almost everything about the team; something Tottenham Hotspur could say happened to them.

In 2015, Spurs splashed out a reported £22m (The Guardian) to sign Heung-min Son from Bayer Leverkusen to help improve Mauricio Pochettino’s squad, but it would have been extremely difficult to predict just how much his arrival would help to change things for the north London outfit.

Having played 87 times for the Bundesliga outfit, in which he scored 29 and assisted 11 goals, there will have been a degree of expectation from the South Korea international, but it looked as though things would be ending in a rather disappointing fashion in the early stages of his Premier League career.

In fact, the slow start he had to life with Tottenham had left him wanting to leave the club in a hurry as he found his confidence at a low point following injury and felt rather uncomfortable (Goal).

However, he credited Pochettino with helping him to turn things around and stated the Argentine was the type of manager that he needed at the time and has since burst out of that shell.

Indeed, Son has perhaps become one of the main members of the Spurs squad since his slow start to life and has been crucial in helping the club become a consistent competitor in their quest to try and finally bring back some silverware to north London.

Having played 196 games to date for the Premier League outfit, the South Korea international has proven to be as effective in front of goal as he was for Leverkusen prior to his English switch, scoring 70 goals and providing his team-mates with an additional 39 assists (TransferMarkt).

When looking at Tottenham’s overall squad, they currently only have Harry Kane available to them as their recognised striker, but there have been a number of occasions whereby Son has helped to bail them out and help Spurs move on without their English talisman.

As noted by Planet Football, the Asian attacker has stepped up a number of times to replace the England international for Pochettino and has proven to be a crucial replacement for him as he helped to win them a number of points in difficult situations.

Since he has been in north London, Tottenham are yet to finish a Premier League season outside of the top four (TransferMarkt), which can not be considered as just a coincidence.

It would have been almost impossible to know just how big of an impact Son would have initially had at Tottenham when he first signed for them and his first 12 months would perhaps not have given them too much hope.

However, it is rather clear that his arrival helped to change the face of the club and, if it were not for Pochettino’s wise words to him, Spurs may not have had the pleasure of being shaken to their core by the South Korean’s presence.

Tottenham fans, how big of a role did Son play in changing the club? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them in the comments below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Arsenal legend Martin Keown was very unhappy with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his performance against Bournemouth on Sunday.

What’s the word?

The former Borussia Dortmund striker has blown away the Premier League since his £56m move in January 2018.

Having signed Alexandre Lacazette six months prior, Arsenal secured the deadly attacking duo that they were seeking. Since his arrival at the Emirates, he has scored 49 goals in 75 appearances for Arsenal and he already has seven goals to his name this season.

And after not getting on the scoresheet on Sunday, Keown singled out the Gabonese striker for criticism.

Quoted by the Daily Star, he said: “I thought they started the game very well. Everyone was engaging, they forced Bournemouth back and they were struggling a bit.

“[Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang is trying to fix the play and everyone else is engaged, so they play it long, and Arsenal win it back. Then they can be creative and this is what Arsenal are good at.

“They’ve got that creativity, they’re well probed. They’re all on the front foot, ready to break. But in the second half, they seemed to switch off.

“Aubameyang, you are scoring the goals but you need to work harder. I know it’s tough but you can’t allow space, [Bukayo] Saka as well.

Strange timing

Arsenal find themselves in a fantastic situation in the Premier League table after just eight games. If offered, supporters would have taken the chance to be one point behind last season’s champions in Manchester City.

Keown’s gears were still ground regardless of the number of goals that Aubameyang has scored, even stranger that he would accuse him of not working for the team. Considering the 30-year-old is an out-and-out striker, he has 12 assists since he joined from Borussia Dortmund, where he had 36 assists in 213 games.

He’s a luxury player and one of the most idolised footballers at the club since the departure of Thierry Henry.

Despite the poor business that Arsenal have carried out in the transfer market over the years, the Gabonese striker is one of the very best in the Premier League era. Once Alexandre Lacazette returns to fitness, Arsenal will be a huge attacking threat once more.

It’s a bizarre time to be going in hard on arguably the best player at the club. Aubameyang is in scintillating form right now and jointly won the Premier League Golden Boot during the last campaign. Maybe Keown will change his tune if he fires Arsenal to a trophy this season.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette has backed his team-mate Matteo Guendouzi to become one of the best in the business.

What’s the word?

After arriving from French Ligue 2 side Lorient for £8m in 2018, the Frenchman has had a strong start to the new campaign. The 20-year-old has established himself as an essential piece of Unai Emery’s lineup in midfield alongside the likes of Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos, playing in every Premier League game thus far.

His efforts were rewarded with the Gunners’ player of the month award for September.

And Lacazette, 28, has told the club’s official website how Guendouzi can grow into one of the very best players around.

“He is like the younger brother”, the Frenchman said. “We all really have a good relationship, we like to work and to laugh together so it’s really good.

“I’m really happy for Matteo [for being named September Player of the Month], he played really well, he helped the team when we needed him, he is really improving each season so we are all really happy with his performances this month.

“We can see that every top midfielder in the world is like this [in terms of demanding the ball and being brave]. They all want to take the ball.

“Matteo has a good ambition, he wants to be one of the best players in his position so every day he is trying to be the best and this month he showed that he can be.”

Future leader

The France U21 international has grown and matured this season.

Former Arsenal centre back Per Mertesacker said that he expects the 20-year-old to become a future leader at the club due to his sense of confidence, per talkSPORT.

And Lacazette raises a very good point concerning being brave and making himself available to pick up possession. This season so far, the former Lorient midfielder has made an average of 1.4 interceptions and accumulated a pass success rate of 87.4%.

In the video below, we look at where it all went wrong for Arsenal’s former ‘saviour’, Mesut Ozil…

This is replicated from last season, in 33 games he averaged 87.7% passing accuracy and 1.3 tackles per game.

If he can keep this up, then the 20-year-old may well be on track to live up to Lacazette’s words.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Arsenal winger Nicolas Pepe joined the Gunners for a club-record £72m from Lille in the summer but his agent has revealed that he was “convinced” that he would move to Napoli instead.

What’s the word?

The north London side smashed their transfer fee record to bring the winger to London, after previously spending £56m to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund in 2018.

Speaking with Radio Marste via Corriere dello Sport, Pepe’s agent Mario Giuffredi said: “I was in Dimaro, convinced Napoli had got him.

“Unfortunately, however, other factors come into play and when we talk of commissions, Napoli are limited in certain operations.”

Bad timing

With the Ivorian taking some time to bed into his new surroundings in north London, it’s poor timing from Giuffredi to make such remarks while his client is under pressure to get up to speed.

Pepe has admitted that his confidence has been low since his move from France because of the level of skill required in the Premier League and the language barrier, per RMC (via the Metro).

Indeed, he has scored just one goal in 10 appearances for the London side, and that came from the penalty spot against Aston Villa.

In the video below, we look at where it all went wrong for Arsenal’s former ‘saviour’, Mesut Ozil…

As quoted by the Telegraph, Arsenal boss Unai Emery told Pepe that he must embrace the pressure that the football club brings and that it is a privilege to play for the club.

Whether Pepe takes the feedback on board is another matter entirely, however.

The 24-year-old, though, will now be feeling the weight of his agent’s words on his shoulders and supporters are unlikely to be happy either.

As it is right now, they may wish he had joined Napoli.

Aston Villa came from a goal behind to secure an important 2-1 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday (via BBC Sport).

Goals from Jack Grealish and Matt Targett were enough for the Villans to win three points, a result which saw them move three points clear of the relegation zone (BBC Sport).

Plenty of players impressed for Villa as they turned the game around, but one man who was subject to specific praise on social media after the match was centre-back Bjorn Engels.

The Belgian played five accurate long balls, made two clearances, one successful tackle and one interception on the afternoon, whilst also finishing with an impressive 90.4% passing accuracy (WhoScored).

Engels has formed a partnership with Tyrone Mings at the heart of the Villa defence and has started all nine of their Premier League matches so far (via WhoScored).

Villa fans were happy with the former Olympiacos and Reims man’s performance against the Seagulls, and in particular, were praising his partnership with Mings.

Here is what some of them had to say on Twitter…