All posts by z3u9t.icu

Matt Clarke, Alex Mowatt and Andy Carroll were the standout performers as West Brom pulled off an impressive 2-0 victory at home to AFC Bournemouth. 

The Baggies kept their faint playoff hopes alive with a crucial three points at a stage of the season where only wins will suffice if Steve Bruce’s side are going to make a late dash for the Championship top six.

Two early goals were enough for the home side at The Hawthorns as Mowatt opened the scoring after eight minutes before Carroll cooly doubled the lead just four minutes later – the veteran striker’s second goal since joining the club in January.

According to Sofascore, there were three players who stood out as West Brom’s most influential on the night – could this spine drive Bruce’s side towards a sneaky play-off berth?

Clarke 7.8/10

The 25-year-old full-back was at the heart of this performance and produced a defensive masterclass to keep the automatic promotion-chasing Cherries at bay.

Clarke provided seven clearances, two blocked shots, four interceptions and three tackles – winning 6/9 (67%) of his duels overall up against Ryan Christie and Jefferson Lerma.

Mowatt 7.7/10

This was yet another strong performance from the midfielder who has so often been West Brom’s leading light this season.

Early goal aside, the 27-year-old was a key figure in the midfield and ended the match having made two key passes, winning 2/4 (50%) duels and with a pass completion tally of 20/24 (83%).

Carroll 7.8/10

So often the figure of angst, Carroll repaid the faith shown in him by Bruce in the absence of Karlan Grant with a display packed full of all the qualities needed to act as a focal point in attack.

The 33-year-old former Newcastle United star made two clearances and two interceptions in defence to add to a successful tally of 12/21 duels (57%) – winning eight in the air.

In other news, Premier League club sent scout to watch West Brom ace. Read more here.

Rangers have been hit with a worrying injury setback over Ibrox central defender Filip Helander…

What’s the latest?

Gers boss Gio van Bronckhorst has revealed why the towering centre-half was forced off on Sunday, as Leon King came on for him at half-time in the 4-0 rout.

Kemar Roofe scored a hat-trick and Joe Aribo found the top corner with a stunning strike as the Light Blues moved back to within six points of their rivals at the top of the table, but they now have an injury concern to deal with.

The head coach told the Daily Record: “Helander fell a bit awkward so he is having a scan now.

“Hopefully in the next few hours or by tomorrow we’ll know the extent of his injury.”

Van Bronckhorst will be gutted

Van Bronckhorst will surely be gutted with this setback as it potentially leaves him without another strong option heading into a busy period of matches.

Rangers are still competing in the Premiership, the League Cup and the Europa League, for now, and will need as many players available as possible to share the load. The head coach will want to rotate the team, as he did against St. Mirren to ensure that he is not overloading players and this blow to Helander could leave him with one less player to pick from.

Van Bronckhorst is not blessed with natural centre-back options as it is, with Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun the only senior players aside from Helander. Calvin Bassey, who is a left-back by trade, can play there, though, and he has academy prospect Leon King waiting in the wings.

However, the boss will not want to put too much pressure on the youngster so soon into his career with huge matches coming up this week against Braga in Europe and Celtic in the cup. This could be a season-defining week and not having the Sweden international available is, therefore, a big blow as he could be needed in the cup if any injuries are sustained in the European clash.

Last season in the Premiership, Helander averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.10 for the Gers across 22 appearances. This shows that he does have the quality to be a top performer for the club and that is why losing him over the next few weeks would leave van Bronckhorst gutted, with the head now surely now praying that it is not a serious injury for the defender.

Fingers crossed…

AND in other news, Forget Roofe: Rangers ace with 5 key passes showed GVB he’s no longer “useless” today…

Celtic have been dealt a late injury blow concerning Kyogo Furuhashi ahead of their upcoming Premiership clash on Monday evening.

What’s the latest?

According to a report by The Scottish Sun, the 26-year-old centre-forward, who suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury in Celtic’s 3-1 victory over St. Johnstone on Boxing Day, looks set to be ruled out of action until at least next month, missing tonight’s clash with Hibs as a result.

The report claims that the Japan international is a doubt for the Old Firm clash on February 2 – despite the fact that Ange Postecoglou claimed after the St. Johnstone win that the striker’s injury was “nothing major,” leading us to believe he could return after the break.

The report went on to state that Kyogo will not link up with the Japanese national team for their World Cup qualifiers against China on January 27 and Saudi Arabia on February 1 due to his fitness concerns, as well as revealing that the forward has not been training with Celtic upon their return to Lennoxtown after the winter break.

Postecoglou will be fuming

Considering just how important a part of the Celtic side Kyogo has become since his £4.6m move to Parkhead last summer, the news that the centre-forward looks set to miss the fixture against Hibernian, as well as a number of other extremely important games in the coming weeks, is sure to have left Postecoglu fuming.

Indeed, over his 14 Premiership outings so far this season, the £4.95m-rated man has already scored eight goals, registered two assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots and making 1.1 key passes per game.

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These returns have seen the £18k-per-week striker average a SofaScore match rating of 7.03, ranking him as Postecoglou’s 11th-best performer in the top flight of Scottish football – of the players who remain in the Greek-Australian manager’s first-team squad.

The Japan international has also bagged a further two goals and three assists over his five Europa League appearances, three goals over his four Europa League qualifying fixtures and three goals in three games in the League Cup – taking his total to 16 goals and five assists over just 26 appearances for the Hoops.

As such, being without Kyogo for any extended period of time will undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Postecoglou and his side, who will need to keep the 26-year-old fit and firing over the second half of the season if Celtic are to have any chance of going on to reclaim their Scottish Premiership crown come next May.

In other news: Ange must unleash Celtic’s £1.44m-rated “dream” on Hibs, he’ll give Maloney nightmares

Barcelona is going through a hard period in these past couple of years as the club is struggling to reach the peak form that it had during the 2010s. However, this isn’t something that should surprise football fans. Why? Because it is a well-known fact that all clubs go through a period of great success, then fall off and need a couple of years to recoup and get back to the top.

Ups and downs are part of the journey and that is what Barcelona is experiencing at the moment. After falling off in the Champions League, Barcelona is now set to compete in the Europa League, which is something that left many speechless as they are used to watching this club perform with the best in Europe.

Punters are fond of these developments, though. They consider Barcelona as the clear favourite to win the Europa League and earn itself a spot in the CL next year. After all, Europa League is still a trophy and it counts in the total tally.

The odds are also decent and this is a win-win situation for bettors. Not only will they be able to play a so-called safe bet, but they might end up earning a decent reward in the process. Of course, there are tons of other bet types and predictions in store and if you are thinking of placing a bet, feel free to take a look at the latest Europa League predictions from squawka.com.

Barcelona might even reap a few benefits from the fact that it is in the Europa League this season and these benefits mostly concern its young stars. Here’s why.

They Will Get Familiar With the Feeling of Playing in a Major Tournament

Many of the young stars in the club were thrown into the pit when they started competing in the Champions League. After all, the CL is the cream of the crop and there’s a chance that it may have been a bit too much to handle. After all, we are talking about young boys who are just experiencing what pressure means.

Europa League is the perfect competition where they can learn the importance of being in a major international tournament without the pressure and eyes on them. You always start small and gradually graduate and that is exactly what the transition from Europa League to the Champions League means.

A Chance to Develop

Europa League is a second-tier tournament. Now, we’re not saying that this competition features weak teams, but there’s no denying the fact that the teams that are competing in the Champions League are far better than the ones competing in Europa League.

This is a good thing for Barca’s young stars as it provides them with a great chance to develop and learn everything about them individually, but also how to play as a collective. After all, Barca is known for its team play and the so-called tiki-taka tactic.

Experimenting with new strategies against the calibre of Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester City, PSG, etc., is not the best option, but many Europa League teams are below Barca’s standard and that provides the young stars with the perfect chance to learn something new. Plus, it is also a benefit for Xavi as he will be able to determine what are the strengths and the weaknesses of his players and thus, come up with the best tactics.

Barcelona Needs a Break from the Champions League

At the beginning of this article, we mentioned that Barcelona is not the team that it once was. However, everyone at the club is so keen on holding on to its former glory and that may have torn it apart. Trying to compete against the best even though you are not in their realm might have a negative effort on the team’s mentality.

In other words, a break is needed from time to time, and the entry to the Europa League might be a good thing for the young stars as they will start building up a winning mentality in an international tournament and build up from that point.

After a while, they will be able to use that mentality to achieve better results in higher competitions, such as the Champions League.

Photo from Pexels

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Well, it appears that Marko Arnautovic is staying at West Ham United then.

The 29-year-old’s future has been the subject of intense speculation over the last few weeks amid suggestions of at least one offer from the Chinese Super League (BBC Sport).

Arnautovic appeared to wave goodbye to the West Ham fans following the club’s 1-0 win over Arsenal earlier this month (Mirror Football).

According to The Guardian, West Ham were prepared to sell Arnautovic had a club come up with an offer of £45m.

However, the attacker has now taken to Instagram to insist that he will be staying at the London Stadium until at least the end of the season.

Arnautovic, who joined West Ham from Stoke City in the summer of 2017, has scored eight times in 18 appearances for West Ham this season (Transfermarkt).

There is no question that the Hammers are a better team when he plays, but a number of the club’s fans had started to get their head around the idea of him leaving.

Arnautovic’s words have been welcomed by some, but others feel that the attacker will only be staying until the end of the season, when he will again seek a move.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the West Ham fans can be seen below:

Check out the video below to see Pl>ymaker FC’s American Soccer Fan give his take on all six ‘field goals’ in West Ham v Burnley…

Manchester United are on the cusp of appointing a new manager to take over at Old Trafford this summer, and after a new transfer update has emerged, Erik ten Hag may not be the only new addition at the club ahead of 2022/23.

What’s the word?

According to Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have already discussed a potential move for Darwin Nunez this summer.

Romano tweeted: “Darwin Nunez will leave Benfica in the summer, fee around €80m. Man United already discussed his name internally – Arsenal wanted him last January as West Ham but Darwin was not for sale.”

Ten Hag will love him

The Mirror has reported that the Dutch coach is likely to have full involvement in recruitment as per the terms of his move to Man United at the end of the season, something that would suggest that Ten Hag has already given his seal of approval to make an approach for the Benfica striker.

Nunez has been attracting a lot of interest from Premier League clubs, with both Liverpool and Arsenal speculated to be interested in making a move for him, and a bid from West Ham was rejected last January, but, with a brand new project on the horizon at Old Trafford, the striker could well be tempted by a move the Red Devils in order to become the main man in Ten Hag’s forward line.

The 22-year-old Uruguayan has scored 31 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions so far this season, with the £36m-rated hitman playing a huge role in Benfica’s Champions League campaign – in which the Portuguese side have reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2016.

Nunez has also found the back of the net against some of the biggest sides in European football’s most prestigious club competition this term, bagging five goals in games against Liverpool, Barcelona, Ajax and Bayern Munich, and will hope he can revive Benfica’s chances of progression to the semi-finals against Liverpool in the second leg tonight.

A move to Manchester United could certainly take the striker’s career to the next level, however, if the current squad can’t secure Champions League football this season, it could become a major issue in signing a player of Nunez’s calibre this summer.

AND in other news: Man United eye move for “brutal” £45m-rated monster, he’s miles better than Maguire

Wolves want to extend midfielder Joao Moutinho’s contract at the club beyond its expiry date this summer, according to reliable journalist Liam Keen.

The Lowdown: Moutinho out of contract

The 35-year-old has been a fantastic servant for Wanderers since joining from Monaco in 2018, making a total of 170 appearances for the club.

Moutinho is out of contract at the end of the season, however, and there have been doubts over whether or not he would extend his stay at Molineux.

Now, a hugely promising update has emerged, in that respect.

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The Latest: Huge news emerges

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Keen confirmed that Wolves wants to extend Moutinho’s time at the club, with the Portuguese also happy to stay put in the Premier League:

“Lage confirms that Wolves want to keep Moutinho and that he also wants to stay. Talks ongoing.”

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The Verdict: Get that deal signed

This is a massive boost for Wolves, with Moutinho’s experience and class in the middle of the park still vital, despite his advancing years. He averaged a 95.8% pass completion rate in the Carabao Cup this season, which speaks volumes about his class in possession.

With Ruben Neves potentially leaving Wanderers in the summer, it is doubly important that his compatriot remains at Molineux – losing both at the same time would feel like a hammer blow.

Moutinho may have to accept that he won’t play every week moving forward, given his age, but the idea of him signing a new deal feels significant for Bruno Lage and everyone associated with Wolves.

In other news, one player has been tipped to start for Wolves next season. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham are considering going back in for Nottingham Forest loanee Djed Spence, claim Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Spence profiled

Spence is on loan at The City Ground from Middlesbrough and is primarily a right-back who can also play as a right midfielder.

Labelled as a ‘massive player’ by Sky Sports pundit Jobi McAnuff, the 21-year-old has made 22 appearances for Forest and helped them defeat Arsenal in the FA Cup earlier this month.

Reports in recent weeks suggested that Antonio Conte was close to signing the Englishman, and it now appears as if Spurs could go back in for Spence after a move for Adama Traore collapsed.

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The Latest: Sky Sports claim

According to Sky Sports’ Transfer Centre, relayed by Football League World, Spurs are weighing up another move for Spence.

The update claims that even though Tottenham won’t be able to use the player this season, they are still considering a late January swoop.

The Verdict: Good news

Out of all the Forest players who have played 15 or more games this season, Spence has been the best, as per WhoScored, so a late winter window deal ahead of the summer could be an exciting one.

He’s clearly an impressive young talent, and who knows, he could fit the right-wing back mould Conte wanted Traore in over the coming years.

Missing out on Spence now could also be a risk ahead of the summer, especially with Transfermarkt believing Arsenal, Inter Milan and Roma are circling – securing a deal now could be extremely beneficial for the long-term future under Conte.

In other news: ‘Agreement reached’ – Spurs breakthrough as player Conte and Paratici love now ‘happy’ to sign. 

Everton can finally axe Salomon Rondon by signing Southampton striker Armando Broja.

What’s the story?

According to TEAMtalk, the Toffees have joined the race to sign the young Premier League sensation, with the likes of Leeds and Wolves also being equally impressed with the centre-forward.

Forget Salomon Rondon

While Rafael Benitez may no longer be at the club any more, a number of his summer signings still are, and perhaps none have been as disappointing as Salomon Rondon.

The Venezuela international has struggled for goals and assists since arriving at Goodison Park, with his only strike coming against Crystal Palace back in December – that’s a record of just one goal and no assists in 15 games in all competitions this season.

It’s no surprise then that he has come in for some criticism, with former Everton man Michael Ball slamming him for not offering something more as the central striker.

He said: “I’ve given Salomon Rondon the benefit of the doubt because he’s been playing catch-up fitness wise and has been playing in a lesser league but he’s got to do something.

“You’ve got to make your mark in the game. We’ve had lots of different types of strikers at Everton, some would run the channels and make it difficult while others like Duncan Ferguson and Paul Rideout wouldn’t, but they would dominate the centre-half and bring others into play so you can keep possession.

“Rondon is not giving us that outlet at all. I didn’t see our striker create one chance. He didn’t do anything.”

In Broja, Everton could find a number nine who would allow them to axe Rondon from the team.

Speaking after the Saints beat Brentford 4-1 earlier this season, the Albanian’s manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “He’s a great threat. He didn’t have many poor games this season so today he showed again how dangerous he can be for the opponent and he’s very helpful for our game.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards, who said: “He’s fearless, he’s strong, he runs in behind, he can hold it up – just at the age of 20 as well. I’ve been really impressed with him.”

Broja has bagged seven goals in 21 games this season as he gets his first proper taste of Premier League football, and he looks to be taking to it like a duck to water.

Valued at £34m by CIES, the 20-year-old would certainly be a pricey acquisition, but one who could prove to be well worth the money for both the here-and-now and in the long run.

Meanwhile, Moshiri could make a surprise signing by landing this man…

Liverpool have been boosted by the news that Villarreal key player Gerard Moreno could miss both Champions League semi-final clashes with the Reds.

The Lowdown: Liverpool one step from Paris

Jurgen Klopp’s men overcame Benfica in the quarter-finals, following an exciting 6-4 win on aggregate, booking their place in the semis in the process.

It is Villarreal who Liverpool are up against next, following their surprise win over Bayern Munich, with a place in the final in Paris now within touching distance.

With the first leg at Anfield arriving on April 27th, a key injury update has emerged from Spain.

The Latest: Moreno could miss out

Taking to Twitter on Monday, journalist David Lynch shared confirmation that Moreno has picked up a hamstring problem that could rule him out of both legs of the tie:

“Villarreal confirm striker Gerard Moreno has suffered a hamstring strain. No timescale but that doesn’t bode well for his chances of facing Liverpool.”

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The Verdict: Undoubted boost for Reds

Moreno has arguably become one of Villarreal’s most important attacking players, so the idea of him missing both legs is undoubtedly a positive for Liverpool.

He has scored nine goals in 14 La Liga starts this season, as well as picking up the all-important assist for Samuel Chukwueze’s goal away to Bayern earlier this month.

It is worth stressing that Moreno hasn’t officially been ruled out yet but the current news suggests Liverpool’s hopes of reaching the Champions League final have been boosted.

In other news, one Liverpool player has been backed to leave this summer. Find out who it is here.