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New Arsenal signing Bernd Leno made his Premier League debut on Sunday when he replaced the injured Petr Cech on the stroker of half-time. The German looked solid in goal and made some good saves to keep Watford out as Arsenal beat the Hornets 2-0.

Cech has since been ruled out for up to four weeks which means that Leno will now be the first-choice goalkeeper for the Premier League matches, but does that mean that he should play against Qarabag in the Europa League on Thursday?

What’s the story?

Leno made his Arsenal debut last month in the opening round match of the European competition against Vorskla, before also starting in the Carabao Cup match against Brentford last week. In both of those matches manager Unai Emery gave Cech a rest as he is the current first-choice keeper at the club, having played all of the Premier League matches until his injury on Sunday.

That meant that aside from the Premier League, Emery used his second-choice keeper Leno for the smaller cup games but now that he is first pick in Cech’s absence, doesn’t that present an opportunity for the manager to rather let Emiliano Martinez start on Thursday instead of Leno?

Arsenal have had a good recovery to their season after a slow start following defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea in their first two matches. Since then the Gunners have gone on a seven-match winning streak with five of those victories coming in the Premier League.

Arsenal travel to Craven Cottage on Sunday for another important match before they host Leicester City later this month.

Why not Leno?

Arsenal are in the process of restoring their away record and apart from wins at Cardiff City and Newcastle United last month, the Gunners only have one other win on the road in 2018, at Huddersfield in the final match of last season.

Although Emery’s men are expected to easily beat Fulham on Sunday, risking Leno on Thursday could end badly should the 26-year-old suffer any sort of injury. Giving Martinez a start instead should seem like the sensible thing to do for Emery.

The Argentinian has been at the Emirates since 2012 but has been out on loan almost every season. A start against Qarabag could only do him good in a match that Arsenal shouldn’t have any problem with.

Emery named a strong squad for the clash with the likes of Lucas Torreira, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette all having travelled to Baku.

Rangers supporters have been making a lot of noise in recent times after seeing their side return to winning ways in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard’s men went into their encounter with table-toppers Hearts having lost their previous league match at Livingston the week before, although victory over Rapid Vienna in the Europa League on Thursday night gave them much confidence for the visit of Craig Levein’s pace-setters. And the Light Blues produced a fine display to sweep the Edinburgh-based outfit aside, with goals from Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, and Scott Arfield inspiring the Gers to a 3-1 win at Ibrox.

As such, there have been many thrilled Rangers fans up and down the country in recent times, several of whom have been taking to Twitter in recent times to heap praise on defender James Tavernier, with many hoping that their side keep hold of highly-rated Englishman amid reported interest from Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion.

And given just how integral and influential the £765,000-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) has been to the Scottish giants in recent times, manager Gerrard has to retain the 26-year-old at all costs if he is to build something special at Ibrox.

Ultimately, Tavernier made the move north of the border back in 2015 after a short stint at Wigan Athletic having previously made his senior bow at North East giants Newcastle United, yet he has since, somewhat surprisingly, gone on to be an absolute revelation at Ibrox.

The defender has scored 32 goals and laid on 47 assists in just 159 appearances for the Light Blues during his time in Scotland, nine goals and nine assists of which coming last term in their run to third place in the Scottish Premiership, and indeed the last four of the Scottish Cup.

And with six goals and eight assists already this term for Gerrard’s side, the Englishman continues to produce the goods – those numbers would be welcomed by any attacker in the division, let alone someone who has played 149 of his 159 games for Rangers at right back.

Thus, it’s pretty clear that the Gers have a very special talent in their ranks in the form of 26-year-old Tavernier, and given the rebuilding job Gerrard is undertaking at Ibrox at present, they simply cannot be in the business of selling their best players.

The Liverpool legend has certainly brought some excitement back to the club after many years of frustration, and while it may take some time to reach the summit of Scottish football once again, these early steps are significant in laying the foundations for the future – selling Tavernier is thus unthinkable.

As such, those Rangers fans calling for the 26-year-old to stay at the club are absolutely right, with manager Gerrard needing to retain the right back at all costs come the January window.

Rangers fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Marko Arnautovic has established himself as the focal point of West Ham United’s attack in the past twelve months, with alternative options falling well below the standard he has set at centre-forward.

The aggressive Austrian may well have arrived at the London Stadium due to his menacing performances as an inside forward, but his form through the middle would suggest the full extent of his ability remained a mystery until he joined West Ham.

But an over-reliance on Arnautovic’s flair in the final-third simply cannot persist for the entirety of the current campaign considering his recent injury problems.

Indeed, Arnautovic has returned early from international duty after scoring the winner against Northern Ireland on Friday, according to the London Evening Standard.

The same report claims that the Austrian powerhouse has been playing through the pain barrier in recent weeks, and his battle against pain may well explain West Ham’s reported interest in Jermaine Defoe.

The 36-year-old Bournemouth striker and former Hammer was once one of the most clinical poachers in English footbll, but he is well past his best and a player who Pellegrini would be foolish to consider signing.

Pellegrini may not be blessed with a strong contingent of attacking players, but with Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez at his disposal and Andy Carroll still to return from injury, he has absolutely no reason to pursue the English veteran.

Hernandez (valued at £13 million by Transfermarkt) has been missing in recent weeks due to glandular fever and his absence has left Pellegrini with Perez as his only alternative at centre-forward.

But Hernandez scored in a practice match against QPR over the weekend ahead of the visit of Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday and he should be back in the squad for the clash.

Whilst the temptation to sign a player of Defoe’s calibre naturally carries a weight of appeal, the West Ham hierarchy need to focus on the long-term future and trust in Hernandez in the event of Arnautovic’s absence, despite the fact he has underachieved since returning to English football.

Pellegrini may well have his eye on a short-term deal for Defoe but Hernandez’s return suggests his interest is misplaced.

West Ham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to a shock transfer rumour, as reports in Spain claim Barcelona are eyeing Roberto Firmino.

According to Okdiario, Barcelona have set their sights on Firmino amidst growing concerns that Luis Suarez is slowing down.

Suarez was in ferocious form when he left Anfield to join the Spanish giants, scoring a ridiculous 40 La Liga goals in 35 games in his second season in Catalonia.

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Although he has grabbed three league goals already this campaign, he has been heavily criticised by Barcelona fans for his recent performances, and the report claims Firmino is the number one target to replace him.

The report even states the club is willing to try the same tactics they used to sign Philippe Coutinho, something Liverpool fans certainly won’t want to hear.

Firmino has scored 53 goals and added 41 assists since joining Liverpool in 2015, and the 27-year-old is the glue that holds the Reds attack together.

Fans are unsurprisingly not happy with the rumours, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

It’s been a turbulent start to the season for Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris since he captained his country France to become World Cup champions in the summer.

In August, the Tottenham club-captain was arrested and charged with drink-driving before he picked up a thigh strain, causing him to miss six matches across all competitions.

The 31-year-old has been back in the side for the last few matches but in the Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven in the week he was sent off for a rash challenge on Hirving Lozano.

Mauricio Pochettino then should drop the Frenchman and play Paulo Gazzaniga in his place against the current Premier League champions.

Dutchman Michel Vorm has generally been considered as Lloris’ number two, but in his four games so far this season he has made a number of high-profile errors, and Gazzaniga impressed when called upon last season.

So, Tottenham fans, who do you think should start in goal against Manchester City? Have your say by voting in the poll below.

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Sven Mislintat has made quite the impact at Arsenal since he took over as the club’s head of recruitment last year, but neither he nor Unai Emery can afford to rest on their laurels in their effort to restore Arsenal’s credentials as a potential Premier League title winner.

With the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sokratis and Lucas Torreira all now residing with the Arsenal squad, Emery has the foundations of a solid spine to work with.

The latter, in particular, has been an intriguing player to watch since he arrived in north London. A midfield anchor by trade who started his career as an attacking midfielder, Torreira cuts a bullish figure on the field of play with a finesse in his technique which points towards his footballing roots.

On the evidence of his well-balanced performances thus far, it’s fair to say that the Uruguayan lynchpin could establish himself as an integral component of a new dawn at Arsenal, but who exactly will play alongside him?

Well, as a defensive minded midfielder who seldom bursts into the final-third, Arsenal would be wise to partner him with a box-to-box midfielder whose late runs into the penalty area are both elusive and decisive.

Emery has a dream candidate for the aforementioned role in Aaron Ramsey, but the Spaniard will need to source an alternative after his 2019 departure was confirmed earlier this week.

And according to a recent report from French media outlet RMC Sport, Emery has already identified a replacement in Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure, although he will face competition from Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain for his signature.

The report claims that the Hornets have slapped a 40 million euro (£35 million) price tag on his head, which actually represents an attractive price in the current market.

With a proven track record of delivering high quality performances in the Premier League – against opposition at both ends of the table – it’s easy to understand why the Gunners are monitoring his situation.

A return of 7 goals and 4 assists from 37 league appearances last season serves to validate common perception that the Frenchman is a threat to be feared in the final-third and, with a further 4 assists from 10 fixtures already this season, there is no disputing his naturally potency.

If Doucoure continues to perform at the level he has consistently produced since the start of the previous campaign, Mislintat should be recommending the 25-year-old to Emery as the perfect candidate to partner Torreira next summer.

Arsenal fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

The majority of Celtic fans that answered our recent poll said that they would not support a loan move for Everton youngster Kieran Dowell in January.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has a large squad at his disposal already, but players such as Jonny Hayes and Lewis Morgan could be considered surplus to requirements and thus moved on in the winter transfer window.

Dowell though has started just two games for the Everton first team so far this season, both of which were in the League Cup against Rotherham and Southampton, but with the Toffees knocked out in a penalty shootout against their fellow Premier League side it looks as though the midfielder will have to return to the U23 side.

He could then be available for his second loan move away from Goodison Park, after spending last season in the Championship with Nottingham Forest.

Dowell quickly set about becoming a regular fixture in the first team, scoring 10 goals in the first half of the season. Unfortunately for him, when Aitor Karanka was brought in as manager he lost his place in the side.

The Everton youngster, who joined the club’s academy at age seven, did manage 38 Championship appearances for Forest though so has good first-team experience, but Celtic fans clearly don’t think he has the quality to improve their side in January.

Check out the full results of our poll below.

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The Manchester Derby is the chief rivalry at the forefront of English football, or at least it should be.

Manchester United enter this clash against their noisy neighbours on the back of an incredibly underwhelming start to the season and although their recent comebacks, which pay tribute to their last meeting with Manchester City, have demonstrated a mental resilience and passion many accused them of lacking, they’re certainly the underdogs for this one. Even a win wouldn’t get them back into the Premier League title race.

With James Jones still frolicking in foreign lands, Christy Malyan once again takes up hosting duties for this week’s episode and he’s joined by perfect company. Fixture In Focus regular Chris McMullan is an avid Manchester City fan, while previous guest Stel from Shoot The Defence has returned to represent Manchester United in our heated debate.

On the agenda is a quick look back at last week’s Fixture In Focus and Liverpool’s over-reliance on an underpeforming forward line, Manchester United’s great striker debate, the club’s seeming prioritisation of finance over football, Manchester City’s potential weaknesses and of course, our score predictions.

Don’t forget to subscribe to make sure you keep up to date with all the latest episodes.

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Arsenal’s incredible unbeaten run reached 16 games as Henrikh Mkhitaryan rescued a point for the Gunners in the dying minutes with a curling cross-shot, but all the plaudits are going to Bernd Leno for keeping the hosts in the game on multiple occasions.

The German has had to wait a while to consolidate himself in the starting line-up as he has been frequently rotated with Petr Cech, but looks set to hold the gloves for the next few games at least after fending off a bloodthirsty Wolves side on Sunday.

Saving from Helder Costa twice in the first half and putting his body on the line to foil Raul Jimenez, the former Bayer Leverkusen man did his utmost to keep his side in the game after they went 1-0 down early on and, after Mkhitaryan had levelled, smothered Adama Traore’s attempt as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side looked to snatch all three points at the death.

Receiving man of the match for his exploits, the 26-year-old was applauded on Twitter by the Arsenal faithful as some even compared him to an all-time great.

Read the best of the reaction below.

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Loads of Everton fans have been giving their verdict on the interest in Andrija Zivkovic, and a whopping 81 per cent of fans want to sign the Serbian wonderkid.

According to Dominic King, Everton are chasing Zivkovic, who would cost the Toffees upwards of £20m.

King claims Marco Silva is a long-term admirer of the young Serbian, who was tipped to be an international superstar when he was a teenager at Partizan Belgrade.

He has since moved to Benfica, where he has struggled to make an impact managing just three league goals in 41 appearances.

The Playmaker FC squad decided to wind-up some unsuspecting Brazil fans at the Emirates on Saturday night. Watch the hilarious results in the video below…

The versatile youngster certainly has potential though, and fans were all boasting about signing him on Football Manager when the links emerged last week.

Silva is clearly keen to add as many skilful, creative attackers as possible, and the 22 year-old has spent most of this season on the right wing, which could be bad news for Theo Walcott.

81 per cent of fans said they would back a move in excess of £20m, and you can view the full poll results down below…