أكد لاعب فريق ليفربول جورجينيو فينالدوم أنهم سيعودون أقوى بعد هزيمتهم الثقيلة، مساء أمس الأحد، أمام أستون فيلا في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتواجه الفريقان في فيلا بارك، في ختام منافسات الجولة الرابعة من البريميرليج.

وحقق أستون فيلا فوزًا تاريخيًا غير متوقع على حامل لقب الدوري الإنجليزي، بسبعة أهداف مقابل هدفين.

وكتب فينالدوم، عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع “إنستجرام”: “نتيجة مخيبة للآمال للغاية الليلة، لكننا سنعود أقوى!”.

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Very disappointing result tonight. But we will come back stronger!🔴 #AVLLIV #YNWA

A post shared by Gini Wijnaldum (@gwijnaldum) on Oct 4, 2020 at 2:10pm PDT

يُذكر أن ليفربول سيواجه إيفرتون، بعد انتهاء فترة التوقف الدولي الحالي، وذلك يوم 17 أكتوبر الجاري.

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Alan Hutton will see his contract with Aston Villa expire this summer.

And there are question marks over whether he will turn out for the club again when considering that he could miss the rest of the campaign through injury.

Indeed, Hutton picked up a knee issue in the early stages of Saturday’s clash with Stoke City.

According to Villa boss Dean Smith, the injury is not as bad as first feared, but he will miss ‘a number of weeks’, which could mean anything really.

Smith hopes to have the Scot back before the end of the campaign, but that is far from certain at this stage.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

The 34-year-old has played 33 times for Villa this season and 201 times in total since arriving at the club from Tottenham Hotspur in 2011.

The Villa fans have been on social media discussing whether the defender is deserving of a testimonial.

And it would be fair to say that many have differing views on the situation.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Loads of Celtic fans have been reflecting on the weekend’s cup action, and they’re completely split on the quarter-final performance of Nir Bitton.

Celtic cruised into the last four of the Scottish Cup all too easily on Saturday, as Neil Lennon’s return to Easter Road was a very comfortable one.

His side were rarely threatened in the first half by Paul Heckingbottom’s Hibs, and second half goals from James Forrest and Scott Brown were enough to progress.

Forrest’s goal was a moment of pure individual brilliance, skipping past a couple of defenders before rifling in from the edge of the box, and Brown’s effort wasn’t much worse, thundering his strike home after some good work by Odsonne Edouard.

The game was won and lost in midfield though, where Bitton was once again very busy.

The 19-cap Israeli international has started Celtic’s last three matches since returning from a knee injury, and while his dirty work in midfield helps other players to venture forward and attack, he is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Fans are completely split on the 6 ft 5 in midfielder’s all-action showing, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

It really would be disastrous if Leeds fail to secure promotion to the Premier League this season as they’ve come so far under the guidance of Marcelo Bielsa.

Bielsa has made a number of excellent decisions in the current campaign, including playing Tyler Roberts in the No.10 role. But, he didn’t manage to get things right against Sheffield United at Elland Road last time out as Chris Basham silenced the fans in what was a very disappointing day for all involved.

Leeds will need to bring in reinforcements if they manage to secure promotion to the Premier League, with another striker, a central midfielder and an attacking midfielder possibly required.

Interestingly, it appears as if the Yorkshire club have identified a possible summer target, as according to Tuttomercatoweb (via HITC), Leeds United are interested in Boca Juniors star Nahitan Nandez.

The Uruguayan is a very exciting central midfielder who loves to get on the ball and make things happen, which would benefit Leeds massively with Leeds’ main playmaker Pablo Hernandez getting on with age. He’s produced two goals and one assist in just 13 appearances this season and he has plenty of experience from his time on the international stage and at club level, which could help him adjust to life in the Premier League if Leeds get promoted.

Nandez offers that extra something special and he’s very similar to Mateusz Klich as he possesses the ability to get forward and influence the game, as well as being able to pick the final pass and sometimes gets on the scoresheet. So, both men could work perfectly alongside each other and would offer a different dynamic moving forward.

Leeds United fans, would you like to see Nandez controlling your midfield next season? Join the discussion by commenting down below!

Ayoze Perez may have picked up all the plaudits, but the tactical genius of Rafa Benitez played a major role in Newcastle’s comeback against Everton on Saturday.

When Rafa was forced into a change at half-time due to Jamaal Lascelles picking up an injury, he brought on Paul Dummett as his replacement.

But rather than slot him in at centre back — a position that Dummett has excelled at in the past — he changed the formation.

The trusted five at the back — Rafa’s preferred choice of late — was abandoned, and Dummett went out to left back with Matt Ritchie swapping onto the right flank, and Miguel Almiron patrolling the left.

It was the recognition that the Magpies needed an extra body in midfield to compete with Everton, having been overrun in the first half, that make Rafa’s tactical nous head and shoulders above anyone they could ever hope to replace him with, were he to leave in the summer.

In fact, some fans have questioned why Rafa sticks with Perez week after week, and have often called for him to be replaced in the starting lineup. I will bet they are pleased he did now!

But it is because Rafa thinks on a different plain to most of us. He knows that Perez has the ability to produce that sort of display. It is also why, regardless of how much criticism he gets from pundits, he will always set his side up with the best formation to get a result, even when it is largely derided as negative and boring.

The problem is, the people who are criticising him are former managers who are sitting in a studio because they do not have the managerial ability that he possesses.

That is why the second half against Everton is another clear sign — if there weren’t enough already — that Mike Ashley must give Rafa everything he wants and needs to sign on for a longer stint at the club.

Yes, Rafa has made tactical mistakes in games, who hasn’t? But the club hierarchy will rue the day they ever let him go, because, frankly, he is virtually irreplaceable. Someone capable of building something on Tyneside, future generations of Toon fans may not have to endure the kind of struggles we all have, if Ashley gives the man what he wants.

Newcastle fans, how far would you go to keep Rafa at the club? Will Ashley realise it too, and give him what he wants? Your thoughts would be appreciated. Comment below…

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Eric Dier made his first Premier League start of 2019 on Saturday afternoon as Spurs suffered a 2-1 defeat away at Southampton.

What’s the word?

There was a time when Dier was regarded as one of the best young players in English football.

Combining a rugged hard-man attitude with a percentage-based approach to passing football, the midfield enforcer was regarded as a player with the potential to establish himself as the first-choice option in England’s pivot role.

His exciting development even prompted Premier League icon and serial trophy winner Xabi Alonso to label him as his favourite young English player in 2017, as per The Times, citing his versatility and composure as two defining characteristics of his game.

That a player of Alonso’s immense standing in the game chose Dier as his favourite young player spoke volumes about the enormity of the former Sporting Lisbon man’s reputation at the time.

But nearly two years on it’s fair to say that Dier has struggled to match the hype which surrounded the formative stages of his career.

Huge point still to prove

The 25-year-old, who is valued at £36 million by Transfermarkt, can be brilliant on his day. Every side needs a player to crunch into challenges and keep things ticking over between the lines of defence and midfield, but Dier has struggled to develop in the manner which many predicted him to.

Cutting-edge through balls are stashed away in his locker but not released regularly enough, while his lack of mobility often leaves him vulnerable in one v one situations.

Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko have established a formidable midfield partnership this season and Dier will face an uphill battle to win his place back when both players are fully fit.

And with Declan Rice staking the strongest claim to slot into Gareth Southgate’s midfield anchor role, it’s clear that Dier has failed to justify why Alonso singled him out for such esteemed praise in 2017.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have expressed their relief that Louis van Gaal rejected the club after managing the Netherlands at the 2014 World Cup.

The Dutchman moved to Manchester United and spent two years at Old Trafford, finishing fourth in 2014-15 and fifth in 2015-16, though he won the FA Cup in his second season at the club.

Nevertheless, he was sacked despite the achievement, with Jose Mourinho appointed in his stead.

United struggled with the Dutchman’s playing style; he tended to favour a slow, ponderous build-up and did not appear to get up to speed with the pace and intensity of the English top-flight.

He was close to moving to Spurs, who were looking to replace axed Tim Sherwood following the World Cup in Brazil, but he instead opted for a switch to Old Trafford.

He has now admitted that he regrets that decision, with Spurs, under Mauricio Pochettino, finishing above United in two of the three seasons since his appointment.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “Tottenham were a better selection because Manchester United were an old team and I knew I would have to transform them.

“Was it the wrong choice? Maybe, but I follow my heart. I worked at the number one team in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and now also in England.”

And fans have now revealed their relief, in hindsight, at the 67-year-old’s choice. Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

كشف أحمد سامي مدرب فريق سموحة تفاصيل فسخ التعاقد مع اللاعب كريم يحيى المُعار من الأهلي لصالح النادي السكندري.

وقال أحمد سامي في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس2”: “كريم لاعب جيد ومُعار من الأهلي لسموحة، هو فقط ما زال صغيرًا ولا يمتلك خبرة”.

وأوضح: “كل اللاعبين يريدون أن يشاركوا ولكن هناك ضوابط وعلى اللاعبين ألا يتعدوها، هو لاعب محترم ولم يتجاوز”.

وواصل مدرب سموحة: “الموضوع كان بسيطًا ولا توجد مشكلة، ولكنه لم يعد ضمن صفوف سموحة”.

واختتم: “أنا أضع قوانين وطالما لاعب معين تعداها فلابد من حسم الأمر”.

It has been a testing couple of months for fans at Portsmouth as their hopes of automatic promotion this season were seemingly dashed following the club’s 2-1 defeat at Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

After initially leading the League One standings in December, Kenny Jackett’s side now found themselves eight points adrift of the top two places which are currently occupied by Luton Town and Barnsley following their disappointing loss at The Valley.

However, any despondency which may have been present following a run of just two wins in eleven games was not present during Pompey’s 3-2 win at Walsall on Tuesday. Brett Pitman’s penalty put them ahead before goals from Omar Bogle and Viv Solomon-Otabor saw Portsmouth cruise into a 3-0 lead.

After overcoming a nervy ending to the game set up by two late goals by Saddlers defender Jon Guthrie, Portsmouth held on to claim all three points and move within six of second-placed Barnsley.

With nine games to play, the prospect of achieving automatic promotion to the Championship is still an outside possibility for Jackett’s side, especially when you consider that they still have to face contenders Sunderland in the league. If they are to rescue their promotion push, they will also have to overcome tough fixtures against Coventry City and Peterborough United who are both enjoying successful campaigns in League One.

Even if the club do eventually miss out on a top two finish, they would undoubtedly benefit from a good end to the season as it would provide them with the momentum which is typically needed to succeed in the play-offs.

Although it is an almost impossible task, nine wins from nine would see Portsmouth finish on 95 points, a total which has guaranteed automatic promotion for each of the last ten seasons in England’s third tier of football. If they were to only achieve twenty points from a possible twenty-seven, it could still be enough for them to achieve their goal of a return to the Championship after seven years away.

With Jackett’s future at the club surely more than dependent on what happens at the end of the current campaign, Pompey’s results over the next two months could make or break their season.

What do you think Portsmouth fans? Is automatic promotion still a realistic prospect for your side? Or would you prefer a visit to Wembley Stadium if it guaranteed play-off success? Tell us your thoughts below.

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To buy or not to buy is the question on everyone’s lips at Goodison Park.

From Marcel Brands right through to the supporters, the question of whether Andre Gomes is worth the 40 million euro (£34.1m) fee Barcelona could receive, per Marca, for the popular midfielder is a conundrum which splits the mind in two.

And the international break has added a fresh dynamic to consider in the equation in the shape of Sheffield United loanee Kieran Dowell.

On the chalkboard

The 21-year-old midfielder festered in Everton’s reserves for the first half of the season before he was sent to Bramall Lane in January.

An attacking midfielder by trade, Dowell has made a steady impact in 10 appearances for Chris Wilder’s promotion-chasing side, but his call-up to the England Under-21 side provided a fresh challenge for the budding Premier League talent.

Aidy Boothroyd opted to start Dowell at the base of his midfield against Poland and Tuesday night’s defeat against Germany saw him lying deep once again alongside Tom Davies.

Defensively he was a tad suspect in unfamiliar territory, but that was to be expected given his lack of experience.

In possession, however, Everton’s academy product was technically accomplished and showcased glimpses of his potential to operate in a deeper-lying role at club level.

Take a gamble

Dowell is not ready to immediately step into the side to replace Gomes, but the fact the Toffees faithful are not unanimously convinced by the Portugal international’s credentials suggests it’s a gamble not worth taking.

Rather than spending the best part of £34 million on the Barcelona playmaker, Silva should mould Dowell into a number 8 or number 6 to fill the creative void in midfield.

It’s a huge gamble which is unlikely to garner impressive short-term results as Dowell hasn’t made a single Premier League appearance since 2016.

But glimpses from his performances with both the Blades and the Three Lions suggest there is an untapped talent in waiting if Silva utilises him properly, one who could save the club tens of millions in the transfer market.

The next big thing to emerge at Goodison could be right under Brands’ nose.