Marcelo Bielsa showered heaps of praise on midfielder Kalvin Phillips in his post-match press conference after Leeds United lost 2-0 against West Ham United. Jesse Lingard and Craig Dawson scored for the Hammers as they moved up to fifth in the Premier League table. Leeds played in their usual relentless style, and Bielsa was left disappointed that they failed to score despite dominating the match for a long period. The Whites looked fresh after getting a nine-day break since their 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa and welcomed back Phillips from injury. Bielsa said after the match that the England midfielder added balance to the side and was one of the best players on the pitch. Bielsa, as quoted by Leeds Live, said: “Very good. It’s very difficult to play the way Kalvin played today after h...
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble has agreed on a short-term contract extension with the London club. As per the Athletic, the 33-year-old was due to be a free agent at the end of this season but he has now extended his stay for another year. Despite not being a regular starter for the Hammers anymore Noble remains a key figure in the West Ham dressing room. The 33-year-old is also involved in coaching some academy sessions and he is integral to mentoring some of the young players at the club like Ben Johnson. Noble is undoubtedly a West Ham legend and it will be interesting to see if he can play European football with the Hammers next season. It would be a proper send-off for the fan favourite who has been at the club since 2000 as a youth player. The Hammers are currently fifth in th...
Leicester City are thought to be closing in on a £15 million signing of Odsonne Edouard from Celtic at the end of this season. The Frenchman has made quite an impression in the Scottish Premiership over the last few seasons, and he is expected to move this summer. Apparently, the player is keen on a reunion with Brendan Rodgers. The two worked together during their time at Celtic. Edouard has 20 goals this season, and he could prove to be a quality long-term replacement for Jamie Vardy at the King Power stadium. According to pundit Kevin Phillips, West Ham could move to sign the French striker if he is available for a fee of around £15m in the summer. He said to Football Insider: “I think a lot of clubs will be interested at £15million because if it works, great and if it doesn’t you ...
Celtic are interested in signing Wigan Athletic striker Kyle Joseph at the end of the season. The 19-year-old will be a free agent in the summer, and the Hoops are not the only club looking to sign him. According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers are also monitoring Joseph. To fend off the interest from the other clubs, Celtic have offered the striker a pre-contract, and they will hope to finalise an agreement soon. The Scottish giants have offered him a long-term deal and will have to pay around £300,000 to Wigan before the transfer can go through. SL View: Celtic would be the ideal move for Joseph The Hoops could definitely use some depth in the attacking department, and Joseph would be a solid long-term investment for them. If Celtic manage to hold onto Odsonne Edouard ...
Liverpool midfielder Gini Wijnaldum has been linked with a move away from the club at the end of this season. The 30-year-old will be a free agent in the summer and he is yet to sign an extension with the Merseyside outfit. The player has been linked with the likes of Inter Milan and Barcelona in recent months and it will be interesting to see where he ends up. Wijnaldum has been an excellent servant for the Reds since his move from Newcastle United and the Reds must look to replace him adequately this summer. According to BBC pundit Garth Crooks, Liverpool should sign the Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse as a replacement for the Dutchman. “I am convinced Southampton would be in serious trouble were it not for James Ward-Prowse,” said Crooks (via Teamtalk). “We know he can take a f...
Another week has flown by and it is Monday again, which means it’s time to roll out our latest ‘Three Things’ column. The latest round of matches in the Premier League provided a vast array of talking points, so let’s dive straight in. Shaw for England? Luke Shaw was undoubtedly one of the standout performers as Manchester United ended Manchester City’s long unbeaten run at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Shaw rarely looked troubled defensively throughout the game and crowned an excellent display with United’s second goal in a 2-0 victory. The 25-year-old has won just eight caps for England, but his performances this season deserve rewarding with another international call-up. Let’s hope Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate agrees. Brainless Arsenal mess up Arsenal missed a golden opportunit...
Everton and Manchester City have been linked with a move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot. According to the Sun, the 25-year-old is a top target for City, but it is unlikely that the Frenchman will leave the Italian champions this summer. The Toffees have also been linked with Rabiot for a while now, and Carlo Ancelotti worked with him during their time together at Paris Saint-Germain. It remains to be seen whether the Premier League clubs can bring the Frenchman back to England at the end of this season. Rabiot was a youth player for City back in 2008, but he left without making an appearance for the Premier League club. The midfielder has done reasonably well since his move to Juventus and could prove to be a quality addition to Everton’s midfield. SL View: Much needed depth for the...
West Ham United host Leeds United in the Premier League later today, and the Hammers will be looking to bounce back from their defeat against Manchester City with a win at home. Leeds head into this game on the back of four defeats in their last six league outings and will be determined to produce a strong performance here. The Whites have an impressive away record against the Hammers and are undefeated in their last six away matches in all competitions. West Ham have been quite impressive this season and are currently 7th in the league table. They are the favourites heading into the game, but Leeds can beat any side on their day, and the Hammers will have to be careful. Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been quite vulnerable at the back, conceding 44 goals in 26 league matches. The Hammers ...
European football expert Lars Sivertsen believes that Erling Braut Haaland will push for a summer move if Borussia Dortmund fail to qualify for the Champions League. Dortmund’s 4-2 defeat against Bayern Munich on Saturday left them sixth in the Bundesliga, four points behind fourth place with 10 games remaining. The 20-year-old has been linked with all of Europe’s top clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. Sivertsen suggested it could be difficult for Dortmund to keep hold of Haaland if they don’t force their way back into the top four in Germany. “I think the plan was very much for him to stay at Dortmund for one more year but, of course, everyone in Norway wants to know what will change if they don’t make the Champions League,” Sivertsen told talkSPORT. “He...
Former Wales international Danny Gabbidon has lauded winger Gareth Bale following his recent run of form. Bale’s return to Tottenham Hotspur has not been the fairytale that the Lilywhites would have been hoping for, with many people believing that his best days were behind him. However, the Welshman has been in fine form recently. Bale has been flying lately He registered a goal and an assist in the away leg of Spurs’ Europa League round of 32 tie with Wolfsberger and bagged a fantastic goal in the reverse fixture. Bale followed up with braces against Burnley and Crystal Palace in the Premier League, taking his tally to six goals in as many games. And former Wales teammate Danny Gabbidon believes that the Real Madrid loanee was being held back by injuries and is now “up and running”. Speak...
Arsenal are believed to have jumped ahead of Everton in the race to sign Brighton and Hove Albion defender Tariq Lamptey. The Englishman attracted interest from Bayern Munich in the summer, but no deal was concluded. Arsenal are monitoring Brighton right-back Tariq Lamptey. Something could happen this summer [@FabrizioRomano] pic.twitter.com/SAKQRmsTe3 — AFTV (@AFTVMedia) March 3, 2021 Several English clubs are interested in the 20-year-old, but The Sun has claimed that Arsenal may have a slight advantage over their rivals. Current right-back Hector Bellerin now looks set to leave the club after being persuaded by manager Mikel Arteta to stay for a further year last summer. The Gunners will not block Bellerin’s departure if they receive a decent offer, and Lamptey appears to be in line to ...