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Marcus Rashford will be Manchester United’s key man heading into this weekend’s North West derby against Liverpool, according to former Old Trafford favourite Darren Fletcher.The host’s job of securing a result against current league leaders, Liverpool, who are chasing their 18th consecutive victory to equal Manchester City’s record (this is a sandwich United really don’t want to find themselves in), was made that bit harder when their no.1 David de Gea pulled up with a hamstring on international duty, and while he hasn’t exactly been at his best since the World Cup, his presence will be missed.Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

United need a hero. But despite Fletcher’s protests, Rashford probably isn’t going to be that person.

During England’s Monday night clash with Bulgaria, we saw a very different Rashford to the one we’re used to in club football.

He was fearless, direct and skilful. He actually scored a goal from open play, his first since the opening game of the season, and contributed to the general run of play as Gareth Southgate’s side ran rampant in Sofia.

But like escaping the smog-filled streets of industrial Britain for a getaway break in the countryside and breathing that oh-so-sweet fresh air of freedom, the 21-year-old will soon have to return to Old Trafford and again ingest the very fumes of negativity and crippling expectations that have stifled his game since he became the “manâ€.

Jurgen Klopp has been speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Old Trafford on Sunday and many fans are amused by his swipe at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Manchester United are on a horrific run of form which leaves them with two wins in the league from eight games and 15 points off the Reds in 12th place.

However, their manager still feels that facing Klopp’s side is the “perfect team for us”, possibly as a win over their fierce rivals would grant his players the confidence and motivation to kickstart their season.

In response the German has stated that his side will have to make sure Solskjaer’s way of thinking is a ‘misunderstanding’, implying that the Reds will undermine his assertion by extending their 100% record.

Many Liverpool supporters are liking the edge that Klopp is showing and the competitive, battling spirit that is on display from their manager, as their reactions show.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Ernesto Valverde probably won’t be truly satisfied with Barcelona’s performance against Slavia Prague on Wednesday.

Yes, Barca clinched all three points in a tough away Champions League clash but their narrow 2-1 victory leaves a rather sour aftertaste.

And things started off so well – Lionel Messi found Slavia Prague’s net after less than five minutes and everything pointed towards another comfortable victory for the Catalan giants. An equaliser came on 50 minutes, however, with Jan Boril on the scoresheet.

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The brave hosts fought until the very end and they came so close to at least snatching away a point for their troubles.

An unlucky deflection from a Luis Suarez shot ended up in their own net and even though they kept knocking on Barcelona’s door until the very last second of the game, they couldn’t level things up for the second time on the night.

Not for the lack of trying, though.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

As a whole, they attempted 24 shots compared to Barcelona 13 and were it not for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, the final result might have been very different from the one we got in the end.

But Blaugrana’s stopper was once again immaculate, saving a total of eight shots in the process, six of which were attempted from inside the penalty area.

Not only that but he also recorded one punch and was extremely good with his distribution, tallying 76% passing accuracy with 40 touches and six accurate long balls.

Considering that he was under fire for practically the entire 90 minutes, he did a brilliant job and kept Barcelona from completely losing their grip on the game.

The most worrying thing, however, is that this is not the first time he has had to save them from a potential disaster.

Practically the same thing happened when Barca visited Signal Iduna Park and ter Stegen had to work his magic to salvage a point against Borussia Dortmund.

They might have picked up a victory over Slavia but it’s rather questionable whether they actually deserved it in the first place.

Had it not been for their goalkeeper, this could have been a truly atrocious evening.

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…

Jamie Carragher has noticed a key difference between the two title contenders Liverpool and Manchester City after the Reds fought back to win against Tottenham Hotspur.

What did he say?

Liverpool went behind after 47 seconds against Spurs on Sunday but claimed all three points in a resilient fightback in the second half. An equaliser from Jordan Henderson and a penalty from Mohamed Salah ensured that Jurgen Klopp’s men remain six points clear of City.

However, the ex-Liverpool man believes the league leaders are a better team and are winning games differently and more convincingly than the champions this season.

Asked if Liverpool looked like title winners against Spurs, Carragher told Sky Sports (as quoted by The Liverpool Echo): “I agree. I thought Liverpool were superb in the game. The manager has just mentioned it. The goal so early didn’t really affect them.

“At no time in that game, did I think Liverpool weren’t going to win. When we went air at half-time I said Liverpool will still win this game. I feel as soon as they got one they would get, if that goal came at 70/75 minutes, I thought they would go on to win the game.

“But Liverpool are just the better team. They just steamrolled them. That’s a Liverpool performance. Man City don’t win games like that.

“Man City win games differently and they look better on the eye so you think that City are a better team when you watch them in terms of how they play and the amount of chances they create.

“But actually playing against Liverpool is non-stop. Every time they couldn’t get out, someone is on top of them every time they get the ball out. Win the ball back and they go again.”

Title-winning mentality

As Carragher touched on, Liverpool always looked like they could get three points, despite trailing after just 47 seconds. The intense pressure from the likes of Henderson and Fabinho was too much for Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko to deal with.

Down the flanks, Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold consistently cause a threat, whilst there is always the chance that a piece of magic will come from the front three.

There are many different ways this Liverpool side can trouble you, and as a result, they never look like losing. Against Manchester United, a late Adam Lallana equaliser was proof that Klopp’s team will never stop and most likely claim something from a game.

The champions will travel to Anfield in two weeks in what promises to be a fascinating clash of England’s footballing Goliaths.

Well, it was certainly better than Friday night.

Southampton were dumped out of the EFL Cup by Manchester City on Tuesday as they suffered a 3-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium.

However, it was a decent performance and indeed result when considering that they suffered a 9-0 home defeat to Leicester City in the Premier League at the end of last week.

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There will be no more EFL Cup football for the Saints this season, but they face another trip to City in the league this weekend, which is not exactly ideal.

Sofiane Boufal was handed a start on Tuesday night as he went in search of his first goal of the 2019/20 campaign.

It was not to be for the 26-year-old, but he actually completed 11 of his 12 passes during a decent display against Pep Guardiola’s side, according to WhoScored.

And a number of Southampton fans were disappointed that the attacker was replaced in the 69th minute whilst the Saints were looking for a route back into the match.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

QPR fell below their usual standards against Leeds but Eberechi Eze maintained his consistency and proved why he is one of the best young players outside of the Premier League.

He has made huge strides under Mark Warburton since last season, though Saturday was a small reminder of the Eze of old, as though he impressed in some areas, he lacked the killer ball or clinical edge when he found himself in a scoring position at the beginning of the second half.

Despite that, he was very influential for his team, helping the R’s to a majority of possession, some feat against a side which loves to get on the ball and dominate, averaging 59% possession this campaign.

In Kalvin Phillips, the England U20 international was coming up against one of the best defensive midfielders in the league. Not only has the Leeds player attracted interest from Manchester United, but he ranks third for most tackles made in England’s second tier this term.

Eze is also a top performer this term, and his nine successful dribbles at Elland mean he now ranks highest in the division in that department, with an average of 3.3 successful dribbles per game.

That often allows him to create chances to score, with his two penalty wins against Hull City a few weeks ago evidence of that, and such trickery is unlikely to go unnoticed by Premier League clubs.

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However, as per WhoScored, there are still improvements to be made until he is ready for the step-up.

Steve McClaren showed the faith in him to play him regularly last term, even though he only returned four goals and four assists in 42 league games.

That game time allowed him to develop, and this season the 5 foot 8 midfielder already has a combined total of 10 league goals and assists. That underlines the progress he is making in his game, so there is certainly the potential for him to get better in and around the final third and improve on the zero key passes he made against Leeds.

For QPR, they are in a win-win situation. Producing and developing young players is exactly what they should be aiming to do, and in Eze they have a flair player who has been significant in taking them from fighting relegation to challenging for the play-offs.

If he is sold, they can expect a decent sum of money for his services, though that may have to happen soon as he is approaching the last 18 months of his contract.

Tying him down to a new deal will be crucial to their success over the foreseeable future, as he certainly has the ability and will probably only get better.

Tottenham Hotspur fans were left in awe of Hakim Ziyech’s performance as Ajax and Chelsea drew 4-4 in a Champions League classic at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening.The Morocco international was in breathtaking form in west London, laying on two assists and also taking the free-kick that led to Kepa Arrizabalaga’s own goal as the Dutch side raced into a 4-1 lead.

Spurs fans know all about Ziyech, of course, as he scored against them in the second leg of their semi-final in 2018/19.

Ex-star Rafael van der Vaart recently said, per Voetbal Primeur, that he had recommended the playmaker to chairman Daniel Levy as a potential signing, however, and fans were keeping a close eye on his display against Frank Lampard’s side.

And they took to social media both after and during the game to express their desire for the schemer, who has scored six goals and registered 14 assists already this season, to find his way to north London.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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…

QPR’s shocking defensive record continued against Middlesbrough on Saturday, and if Mark Warburton doesn’t address the issue soon it threatens to send them further down the table.

Their current winless run sits at four matches, but an alarming 30 goals conceded this season, due to a variety of factors, means they are not achieving the results their performances sometimes warrant.

The game against Boro was an example of that. Warburton’s side dominated with 61% possession and 14 shots, but two lapses in concentration cost them dear, and at the moment that is what is separating them from the top sides in the division.

It doesn’t seem to just be an individual problem either, with two of the team’s top performers in Ryan Manning and Nahki Wells costing goals at the weekend.

Warburton has to focus on preparing his players in the right manner, and that means getting their mentality right ahead of matches, not just ensuring that they have an understanding of what instructions they have to abide by.

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Interestingly, the expected goals (xG) table suggests QPR could have expected to have conceded eight goals less than they have, which would indicate that they have been slightly unlucky.

That could also suggest that it is individual mistakes holding back the R’s, as if they eradicate those errors from their game they will be much better-placed to keep clean sheets, since they would only have to worry about the opposition, rather than themselves.

The fact they have conceded two or more goals for eight consecutive games show this is not a problem that is going to go away, and since it is costing them points they can forget about any play-off ambitions while it lasts.

It would seemingly have no easy fix, although a better understanding between teammates could increase the awareness they have of potential dangers, making events like Wells’ backpass to Britt Assombalonga last weekend completely avoidable.

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…

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ current season is going relatively under the radar.

They sit eighth in the Premier League table and have one foot in the Europa League knockout stages after they opened up a five-point cushion in Group K with victory over Slovan Bratislava last time out.

However, their season could have been so much better. In reality, they could have sprung their name into the elite conversation, that being a place in the top six of the Premier League, something they’ve never achieved in their history.

Their league campaign understandably got off to a slow start, failing to record a victory in their first six matches, but they are now currently unbeaten in seven with fewer defeats than reigning champions Manchester City and Champions League finalists Tottenham Hotspur.

Although, they have recorded the least amount of victories of any side in the top half, a position they currently hold for the first time since the opening weekend.

In the summer, the task ahead was well known. Wolves had to endure a gruesome qualification campaign to get to where they are in Europe today – they have since played 24 competitive matches, which is likely to be more than any other top-flight team.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Old gold boss Nuno Santo should have used the off-season to add strength in depth to bolster his team’s chances of bettering last season’s seventh-place finish whilst sufficiently competing on a continental stage.

He did bring in a couple of first-team faces, but not enough.

Take how some of those that finished in the top six last season went into the summer – Chelsea were faced with a transfer ban and the unknown qualities of having a new manager while Manchester United had issues of their own, which have proved to be the difference this campaign.

And in further hindsight, Spurs have struggled to deal with the heartbreak of losing the UCL final with North London rivals Arsenal also failing to impress after splashing £72m on Nicolas Pepe.

All of the above meant that Wolves had a perfect opportunity to slip in and cement their name amongst the best in the league – just look at Leicester City this season, they genuinely look like the only contenders to Liverpool at the moment.

Squad depth, alternative options, and European-quality players were needed. Nuno and Fosun have one chance to rectify that in January. Take advantage.

Scotland fans have hailed Aston Villa’s John McGinn after Steve Clarke’s men beat Cyprus in a Euro 2020 qualifier on Saturday.The 25-year-old has been in excellent form for Villa thus far this season in the Premier League, scoring three goals, against Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Burnley, and providing two assists, versus Everton and Liverpool. Villa are currently 17th in the table, three points clear of Watford in 18th.

And McGinn stepped up for his national team too on Saturday, scoring the winning goal after Georgios Efrem had cancelled out Ryan Christie’s opening goal.

Per ESPN, Scotland are guaranteed a home draw in the play-offs for the finals, with UEFA stating that they will play either Norway, Serbia or one of Bulgaria, Israel and Romania in the semi-finals.

Scotland, fans, naturally were delighted with the midfielder’s display, who also provided the assist for Christie’s strike, per SofaScore.

McGinn also won three tackles, made one interception and one clearance and completed the one dribble that he attempted.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!