The 2020/21 Premier League season is heading into the final few weeks, and there are some eye-catching fixtures taking place this weekend. The action gets underway on Friday evening as Everton go head-to-head with Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Yerry Mina, Fabian Delph and Bernard miss out for the home side, while Matt Doherty and Ben Davies remain on the sidelines for Spurs. West Ham United visit Newcastle United in the early game on Saturday aiming to boost their hopes of a top-four finish. Declan Rice and Michail Antonio are still injured, but the Hammers will be confident of continuing their recent good form. There is one other game on Saturday, with Wolverhampton Wanderers facing Sheffield United at Molineux. Arsenal will turn their attentions back to domes...
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed that the club will be without Mateo Kovacic and Andreas Christensen for the FA Cup semi-final tie against Manchester City on Saturday. The Blues recently suffered a 1-0 defeat to Porto in the Champions League, but they still progressed to the last four of the elite competition after a 2-1 aggregate triumph. They are scheduled to face the Cityzens at Wembley Stadium tomorrow, and Tuchel has confirmed that Kovacic and Christensen have been ruled out with injuries. Christensen has been unavailable since the 3-1 league win over Crystal Palace last weekend with a knock. Kovacic suffered a hamstring injury before the Porto clash. Tuchel told football.london: “We have the green light for N’Golo (Kante) because we’ve had three days. Mateo Kovacic is out ...
Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti has spoken out about the future of Moise Kean, suggesting he could be ‘an important player’ next season. Kean joined Everton in the summer of 2019 but failed to make an impression in his debut season. The Italian scored two goals in 33 appearances, though many of his minutes on the pitch came off the bench. Kean then joined Paris Saint-German on a season-long loan last summer, where he has flourished. The 21-year-old has 18 goals in 37 appearances, with three of his goals coming in PSG’s impressive Champions League campaign. Despite impressing with PSG, the French giants do not have an option to buy Kean as part of last summer’s deal. If they want him permanently, they will need to deal with Everton in the coming transfer window. It has been reported that the F...
Takumi Minamino has explained why he left Liverpool on loan in January, with the Japan international set for a big decision this summer. Minamino joined the Reds last summer with high expectations despite costing a modest £7.25 million. Shining in a team that also housed Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Braut Haaland, it was expected Minamino would provide adequate cover for Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. However, the forward only managed four goals in 31 appearances and failed to replicate his form in Austria. As a result, Minamino joined Southampton on loan in January and has flourished under Ralph Hasenhuttl, scoring two goals in six games. Minamino has now spoken out about his decision to leave Liverpool temporarily. “It is never nice for a player if you don’t have the game ...
Celtic are closing in on the appointment of Fergal Harkin as their new director of football. According to Football Insider, the Irishman is a massive Celtic fan, and the Scottish outfit are keen on appointing him this summer. The Hoops have recently been linked with the move for former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, and the appointment of Harkin could affect their chances of luring the 43-year-old to Parkhead. The former Premier League manager made it clear to the Scottish club that he wanted Richard Hughes to join him at Parkhead in the sporting director role. The former Cherries manager had a great working relationship with Hughes from their time together at Bournemouth. The Hoops must get their managerial appointment right this summer. They need someone capable of rebuilding the squad ...
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was delighted with the impact from Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe in the club’s stunning 4-0 Europa League win over Slavia Prague last night. The Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their quarter-final tie, and they needed to score at least once in Prague to stay in the competition. Saka was poor with his finishing at the Emirates Stadium last week but made amends with an impressive all-round attacking display for the Gunners. His curled shot in the 15th minute was impressively saved by the goalkeeper, but he won the penalty for the club’s second goal a few minutes later. Saka made it 3-0 in the 24th minute with a clever finish at the near post, which caught the keeper wrong-footed as he was anticipating a shot towards the opposite upright. Me...
Tottenham have been heavily linked with a move for Fulham defender Joachim Andersen in recent weeks, and it appears that the Londoners are serious about signing the 24-year-old. According to Denmark’s BT, Andersen’s representatives are set to meet with Spurs next week, and the Londoners will be hoping to strike a deal to sign him. The Denmark international is currently on loan at Fulham from Lyon, and the French club could be open to selling him for the right price. SL View: Andersen would be a quality investment Jose Mourinho needs to add more defensive quality to his side, and Andersen has proven himself in the Premier League. Fulham have had a very poor season, but Andersen has been outstanding and his performances have caught the attention of several Premier League clubs. The likes of ...
According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, Leeds United are looking to sign youth players at Celtic and Rangers this summer as they look to strengthen their academy ahead of next season. The Whites under-23s are a point away from winning Premier League 2 Division Two title, and are preparing for life in the top tier next season. Leeds brought in Joe Gelhardt, Crysencio Summerville, Sam Greenwood and Cody Drameh to their under-23s last summer, and the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union will see Premier League clubs raid Scottish Premiership academies this summer. Rangers and Celtic boast of some of the best youth players in Europe, and the Elland Road outfit will be keen to recruit the best of the bunch. The likes of Billy Gilmour and Kieran Tierney have inspired Scottish Premiership ...
According to Evening Standard, West Ham United manager David Moyes is a fan of Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, and sees the England youth international as someone who fits his energetic style of play. The Hammers want to sign a new striker this summer after failing to bring in a direct replacement following Sebastien Haller’s move to Ajax in January. Nketiah has emerged as a target, and he is likely to leave Arsenal in the coming months, having struggled for playing opportunities. The 21-year-old has started just three Premier League games this term and has expressed his unhappiness with his situation in north London. West Ham wanted to sign Nketiah in January, but Arsenal refused to listen to offers. That is expected to change after another young striker Folarin Balogun agreed to put pen-t...
Ally McCoist has weighed in on England’s right-back situation, believing that Aaron Wan-Bissaka should be in the squad for this summer’s European Championships. Wan-Bissaka has been a regular for Manchester United this season, starting 29 of their 31 Premier League games and every European fixture. He has contributed to United keeping 19 clean sheets in all competitions and helped his side to second in the Premier League. Wan-Bissaka and Greenwood celebrate at Man Utd defeat Tottenham The former Crystal Palace man is considered one of the world’s finest one-on-one defenders, renowned for his tackling ability. However, his attacking contribution is limited, especially in comparison to other English right-backs. The 23-year-old is yet to receive a cap for the England national team, receiving...
The Europa League returns with the quarter-final second leg ties scheduled to be played on Thursday. Manchester United will fancy their chances of progressing to the last four as they hold a two-goal advantage over Granada. However, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay all miss the game through suspension. Arsenal will be without David Luiz and Kieran Tierney for their tough trip to face Slavia Prague. The two sides are locked at 1-1 after the first game, leaving the Gunners needing to score at least once to reach the semi-finals. Roma are a good bet to go through to the next round after securing a 2-1 lead over Ajax in Amsterdam last week. Villarreal versus Dinamo Zagreb completes the quarter-final line-up with the La Liga side leading 1-0 after the first leg. Europa League Quarte...
Carlo Ancelotti has issued an injury update ahead of Everton’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and three more players set to miss out. The Toffees are currently attempting to navigate an injury crisis, with numerous players missing in recent weeks. Allan, Andre Gomes, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Jordan Pickford, Yerry Mina, Joshua King, Fabian Delph and Bernard have all missed games over the past fortnight. The situation is so bleak that Alex Iwobi was the only senior player to appear on the bench for the clash with Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday, with the rest of the squad being made up of youth players. Now, going into the clash with Tottenham tomorrow, Ancelotti has provided both some good and bad news. Ancelotti confirmed that Allan, Gomes, King and Pickf...