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Every Arsenal fan knew the result was coming, but the performance was on a whole new level of embarrassing.

The 3-0 defeat to Leicester City marked yet another low point in Arsenal’s season, a game in which the Gunners had their lowest percentage of possession ever in a Premier League match and conceded the most shots on target in a single game out of any team in the division this season.

Arsenal are yet again bottling a top-four finish, which is impressive when the Gunners almost looked certain to claim a Champions League spot in the table with other teams competing for those illustrious positions slipping up as the north London side kept on winning, but things aren’t that simple in football.

Arsenal have slipped to fifth in the table two weeks since their away win against Watford, and although the club are still in the race for top-four with teams around them also failing to pick up wins in the remaining fixtures, you can’t help but think the Gunners won’t get over the finish line.

With two games remaining in the league in the form of Brighton at home and Burnley away, Unai Emery knows that six points from six is what the club will need to qualify for the Champions League, and if the Spaniard can execute that whilst also having more luck from other teams slipping up, it would be a masterstroke from the Gunners boss.

Not many Arsenal fans would have expected the team to be two points fourth place with two games remaining in the league, but if you were to tell them that at the start of the season they would take that position in a heartbeat, and Emery now needs to do what must be done to return the club back to the Champions League.

Arsenal fans, can Emery secure top-four this season? Let us know!

Liverpool missed out on the Premier League title this weekend despite a tremendous season and record points haul.

Only a superb run of form from Manchester City prevented Jurgen Klopp’s men from making it a first Premier League title success, and it will have been agonising for Reds fans to see their club come up short after such a brilliant campaign.

However, attentions will no turn to the Champions League final and then to the summer transfer window, with manager Jurgen Klopp no doubt keen to bring in a few reinforcements to keep the momentum going at Anfield.

This weekend has seen news emerge that Real Madrid midfielder Marcos Llorente could be set to leave the club, and we here in the Tavern feel that the 24-year-old would be a useful addition for Liverpool.

Llorente has seen and will no doubt continue to see first team opportunities at Madrid, and a move into the Premier League could well be the ideal next step in the Spaniard’s career.

The midfielder has more than enough ability to be a success, but as we all know, doing well at a club ike Real Madrid is one of the hardest things to achieve in world football, and it might be that Llorente just never gets his proper chance at the Bernabeu.

Liverpool on the other hand will need reinforcements to ensure they keep improving and progressing, and Llorente would be the sort of player who Klopp would no doubt get the maximum out of.

Quality in possession and able to cover numerous midfield positions, Llorente could prove a fairly cheap but effective option for Liverpool to pursue over the summer months.

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Since joining Wolves, Nuno Santo has had wave after wave of praise. But does he actually still have a lot to prove?

There’s no denying his achievements in the English game so far. He took Wolves up in some style last term and they’ve had a tremendous first campaign back in the Premier League.

At the moment they sit seventh and were just moments away from reaching an FA Cup final too.

However, there are some clear issues Nuno has to iron out if Wolves are to ensure they don’t have a bitter reality check and suffer from second season syndrome in 2019/20.

What’s the issue?

In short, Nuno is too stubborn and if Maurizio Sarri has been receiving criticism for something similar then the Portuguese boss deserves the same.

Yes, Wolves have achieved some outstanding results this season but it overshadows some major problems. The Midlands club only have one plan and there is a serious lack of any tactical alternative.

That has never been so evident than in their defeat to Watford last Sunday. Plan A was going swimmingly well, but once the game turned they had nothing to combat their opponents.

They went defensive, so defensive in fact that it cost them the game. They invited pressure and then after conceding Gerard Deulofeu’s second goal had no answer.

Nuno struggles to adapt when the going gets tough and although they’ve claimed 13 points against top six sides, there have been some questionable performances on the road. Molineux may be a fortress but it’s a place they can afford to play an attractive brand of football at.

A major problem in having no plan B is that they have to set up the same on the road and their display against Burnley at Turf Moor two weekends ago was indicative of this.

A Wolves fan shares his most gutting moment of the last 10 years supporting the club in the video below…

Nuno’s substitutes are also largely ineffective and provide further evidence of a lack of an alternative plan. At Wembley, the changes he made had no difference, whilst regular rotation options Adama Traore and Ivan Cavaleiro have only contributed six goals between them.

Wolves’ coveted 45-year-old has been uttered as one of the managers of the season, but perhaps pundits ought to look at the man who outfought him last weekend, Javi Gracia, instead.

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Reports in Brazil have revealed the facts and figures behind Joao Pedro’s move to Watford, and it already looks like a masterful bit of business from the Hornets.

What’s the story?

17 year-old Pedro will join Watford in 2020, once he turns 18.

According to Globo Esporte, translated by Sport Witness, the Fluminense youngster will cost the Hornets €100k (about £85k) every time he plays 45 minutes or more this season, but that has only happened once so far due to injuries.

There was a €2.5m (£2.12m) fee when the deal was initially signed, and there are four bonuses of €1m (£850k) for his performances at Fluminense, a bonus of €1.5m (£1.27m) if he gets a work permit for the Premier League, and two bonuses of €1m for his potential performances for Watford.

All in all, the deal will cost around €10m (£8.5m) only if the youngster actually makes an impact at Vicarage Road, marking yet another genius piece of business from the club.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Another Richarlison?

Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Watford shelled out around £11m for Richarlison, a player who few outside of Brazil had heard of.

Just 12 months later though, the club more than quadrupled their money on the young Brazilian, and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see it happen again.

The move worked out well for the player himself too – he is currently leading Everton with 12 Premier League goals.

There is a well-trodden path for youngsters to break into the first team in Hertfordshire, with Adalberto Penaranda expected to be a star in the future as well.

To be brutally honest though, it doesn’t really matter if players like Penaranda and Pedro make an impact on the first team, because even if they don’t it will barely cost the club a penny.

With plenty of “mid-table” teams splashing loads of cash in the transfer market with a scattergun approach, the Hornets’ ability to hand pick talents with high ceilings on smartly structured deals should ensure they stay well away from any relegation fights for years to come.

وجه مرتضى منصور هجومًا حادًا لمسؤولي اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية، بعد القرارات التي أصدرتها بشأن عزله من رئاسة مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك.

وقال مرتضى منصور في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “الزمالك” عبر برنامج “زمالكاوي”: “ياسر إدريس عضو اللجنة الأولمبية موظفًا في الأهرام ولم يدخل المؤسسة أبدا، ويحصل منها على راتب شهري، بجانب مخالفات أخرى”.

وأضاف: “أصبحت بعد ذلك الذراع الأيمن لـ هشام حطب رئيس اللجنة، الطيور على أشكالها تقع والثنائي هارب من التجنيد”.

وواصل: “أنا تبرعت للزمالك بـ17 مليون جنيه، فلا تحدثني عن الفساد يا هشام حطب”.

وتابع مهاجمًا “أون تايم سبورتس” لمطالبته بالرد على أعضاء اللجنة الأولمبية: “يرفضون إجراء مداخلات معي، إذًن لن تستضيف القناة أي لاعب زمالكاوي سواء قديم أو حالي”.

طالع | فرج عامر: سأواصل التصعيد ضد الزمالك بسبب مشاركة إمام عاشور

وأردف: “أشكر جماهير الزمالك لعدم النزول للشارع، مصر أهم من مرتضى منصور، ولن أفتح المدرجات حتى لا يندس بين الجماهير عناصر مخربة، وأشكر اللاعبين على دعمهم لي وتأكيدهم أن مرتضى رئيسًا”.

واستكمل: ” حتى وإن كان وزير الشباب والرياضة يتم تهديده، سيكون لنا وقفة معه لأنه في يده القرار وإيقاف تلك المهزلة”.

وأتم مهاجمًا فرج عامر رئيس نادي سموحة: “أقول لـ فرج عامر أنت رجل كبير سنًا، منذ أسبوع كنت أدافع عنك، وأجعل محمد مصيلحي رئيس نادي الاتحاد قدوة لك”.

واختتم: “أقول للجماهير لا تقلقوا على الأسد، أقلقوا على الفئران المذعورة التي تخاف من إجراء المداخلات”.

Newcastle fans worldwide will be praying that Rafa Benitez stays beyond this summer, in order to continue pushing the Magpies up the table.

The Spaniard has made a telling contribution to Newcastle Football Club, which all started when he took them up into the Premier League and has now cemented their position in the top flight.

With Benitez’s contract up in the summer, fans will hope that Mike Ashley delivers on his side and makes funds available to the manager, who could make a real difference with better players.

This season, whilst operating on a small budget, Newcastle completed the loan signing of Salomon Rondon, a player they should be looking to tie up permanently past this summer.

Rondon, (who is valued at £13.5 million on Transfermarkt) has been a persistent threat for Newcastle all season and his seven league goals go some way to proving just that.

After a shaky start, the 29-year-old now finds himself in the swing of things at St James’ Park, being the number nine Newcastle have been so desperate to see.

With the power to hold the ball up, shrug defenders off and bring in his team-mates, it’s fair to say that Newcastle look a far better side when they have the Venezuelan up-top.

Not only does he provide goals but Salomon Rondon also works very hard for the team. Newcastle have tried and tried to find a consistent goal-getter and although he is far from the league’s top goalscorer, his efforts surely gone unnoticed by the fans.

Having seen Dwight Gayle perform at West Brom, a permanent stay for both of the strikers should be in order.

Newcastle fans, do you agree?

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Continuing their recovery from a poor run of results, Rangers put five past Hamilton on Sunday, with Jermain Defoe getting on the scoresheet, too. Brian Rice’s side were blown away by Steven Gerrard’s men in terms of the scoreline, but the Accies boss was equally stunned by the outstanding quality of the visitors, drawing some incredible comparisons as he spoke after the defeat.

What did he say?

In a surprisingly upbeat interview considering his side had just been thumped, Rice said:

“I was watching Rangers, their movement, their passes, what everybody was doing and ‘wow, this is great, I love that’.

“I will use that. Now I need to try to get a little bit of that into my club.

“People use Barcelona and Manchester City. What I saw off Rangers yesterday, there are bits of that that I will use. Players need to see that.

“But we need to get to a bit of standard that they have set.

“I need to get my players to believe we can do a bit of that in a short period of time.

“If you sit on the edge of the box and park the bus as they say and lose a goal in the first five minutes, what do you do? You have set your team up to defend.

“We set the team up to try to attack and Rangers were too good for us. They were exceptional.”

Big praise for Gerrard and the Gers

Manchester City and Barcelona, champions of the Premier League and La Liga, respectively, are revered for their slick passing style and Rice thinks that Gerrard has got a bit of that going on at the Ibrox Stadium.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Indeed, the Liverpool legend has imposed a system and an approach that has limited the use of long-balls unless absolutely necessary and the link-up play against the Accies was glorious, although even Gerrard would surely be surprised to hear the comparisons being drawn between his side and two of the top teams in Europe.

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The Daily Mail recently reported that Sheffield United are amongst the clubs keeping a close eye on Rotherham United midfielder Will Vaulks.

Chris Wilder could be plotting a summer swoop for the 25-year-old who has been consistently impressing in the Championship all season.

The Blades are currently flying high in the league and are in the thick of the title hunt. The club’s recruitment team will of course be aware of this, and will therefore be planning their summer transfer strategy with the fact that they may be a Premier League club by that time in mind. That suggests Sheffield United consider Vaulks good enough to take the step up into the top flight with them.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Signing Vaulks could certainly have some knock-on effects at Bramall Lane. We take a look at the potential consequences below…

Outgoings

The Blades are currently pretty well-stocked in the middle of the park. The likes of John Fleck and Oliver Norwood have impressed for Wilder’s team in the engine room this season. However, the make up of United’s midfield contingent could change drastically this summer.

West Ham United showed interest in signing Fleck during the recent January transfer window, as reported by Sky Sports at the time. Should the Irons come back in for the 27-year-old in the summer, they may just land their man – especially if Sheffield United already have Vaulks lined up to replace him.

On top of that, should Sheffield United get promoted this season, the arrival of Vaulks could force others out. Paul Coutts, for instance, may not make the cut for the Premier League with the Rotherham man in to take his place in the squad.

A change of style

The Blades have played some attractive football this season, but should they make the leap to the top tier of the English game, Wilder may decide that a more pragmatic approach is in order. 

With Kieran Dowell’s loan switch from Everton to Bramall Lane set to expire at the end of the season, Wilder may not opt to replace the attacking midfielder in a like for like manner. Instead, the Sheffield United boss could bring in the more defensively-minded Vaulks in order to pack out his midfield and make his team a more solid and compact unit.

Such a shift in style may not sit easily with the fans, but given the quality of the Blades’ current squad, it may represent their best chance of Premier League survival.

A change of position

Vaulks primarily operates as a central midfielder for Rotherham, but in the past he has filled in effectively in the heart of the defence and as a full-back. Wilder may have this in mind for Vaulks at Bramall Lane.

Considering Wilder lines up his side with three at the back, he needs a good number of defenders in his squad. With Martin Cranie’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, and Richard Stearman struggling for regular game time and therefore likely to be let go in the summer, Vaulks may have been earmarked as a potential centre-back option for United.

Reported Liverpool transfer target Kai Havertz scored one and assisted two more in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-1 win against FC Porto on Thursday night, and as a result many Reds fans were left to discuss the 20-year-old on Twitter.

The youngster had found the net in the first leg of the Europa League round of 32 tie, but he was brilliant as the Bundesliga outfit cruised through to the last 16 in Portugal.

The Daily Mail reported earlier this week that the Merseyside outfit, along with Premier League rivals Manchester United, are keen to secure the Germany international’s signature, with the same story saying he could cost £100m.

Eight goals and five assists in 30 appearances in all competitions this term probably isn’t the sign of a £100m player, but the fact he scored 20 goals in 42 outings in total last season certainly shows the potential he has.

Call yourself a Liverpool expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

Many Liverpool supporters were clearly impressed by Havertz’s most recent display, in which he was hugely influential.

As you can see below, there were those who want the Reds to snap the German up…

Others were just left in awe of what he did on the pitch at the Estadio do Dragao, with another believing that Jurgen Klopp could work wonders with him.

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Given how the likes of Sadio Mane and Mo Salah have taken their games to another level under the German, it is no surprise that supporters have full confidence in him succeeding again should Havertz sign for them.

Liverpool have also been linked with RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner in recent times, with The Athletic’s Simon Hughes and Raphael Honigstein reporting this week that the attacker is waiting on a proposal from the Anfield club.

However, one fan believes that Havertz is “way better than Werner”, even if they do play different roles for their respective clubs. It remains to be seen whether it might be one or the other, or potentially even both, for Klopp.

Another believes that Havertz’s upturn in form has left another reported Reds target in Jadon Sancho, who The Daily Mail say could cost them £100m, “in the mud”.

It could be a very interesting summer ahead for Liverpool fans if Jurgen Klopp does strengthen his attacking options.

In other Liverpool news, the Reds can save themselves millions of pounds if they unleash 19-year-old talent now…

Liverpool’s trip to Qatar for the Club World Cup was a successful one but there was one key setback to note that will concern Jurgen Klopp.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was removed from proceedings after 75 minutes due to injury and Adam Lallana took his place on the field against Flamengo.

The severity of the injury and the extent of the England international’s absence is unclear at this time but it’s unlikely to be good news during a busy period of the season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was pictured wearing a protective boot in the aftermath of proceedings and was also using crutches, so there’s no doubt he’ll be absent for a short time at least – Klopp described the injury as a “big shadow” on the victory.

But plenty of the Reds faithful were quick to highlight the signing of Takumi Minamino as a reason for optimism at this time, suggesting he can be the replacement they need.

Meanwhile, a handful of fans alluded to the significance of the deal, highlighting Minamino’s arrival as a key transfer with Oxlade-Chamberlain likely to be sidelined.

Given the fact both players are attacking-minded midfielders with the ability to make an impact in the final-third, the impulsive reaction from these fans is completely justified.

Finally, this fan suggested that the signing of the RB Salzburg midfield could turn out to be the signing of the season.

That is a huge claim given we’re yet to see Minamino in Premier League action, but it’s clear to see the logic under present circumstances.