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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

The Guardian journalist Jamie Jackson has identified Taylor Harwood-Bellis as one to watch for Manchester City this week as they take on Southampton in the EFL Cup.

What did he say?

City will firstly face off with the Saints on Tuesday before they face them at the Etihad Stadium again in the Premier League on Saturday. Pep Guardiola can be expected to make the changes for the upcoming tie given the stature of the competition, and one man Jackson has picked out to step up is Harwood-Bellis.

The teenager made his City senior debut in the last round of the Carabao Cup, playing 90 minutes against Preston North End and keeping a clean sheet.

In an article published by The Guardian regarding young players to watch in the domestic cup this week, Jackson said: ‘When the 17-year-old centre-back made his debut in the 3-0 win at Preston in the previous round the City fan lived the dream of the boy who was at the Etihad to witness Sergio Agüero’s unforgettable late winner against Queens Park Rangers that clinched the 2011-12 title.

‘Pep Guardiola admires Harwood-Bellis’s ball skills and a relish for tackling that the 6ft 2in defender says has only ‘developed in the last four or five years’. Harwood-Bellis, who was composed at Deepdale, is yet to complete his physical development.’

Another chance for him to shine

The Stockport-born defender registered a 7.1 rating in the fixture against Preston – only four outfield players scored higher ratings. In the same game, the youth product looked controlled and confident throughout the entire game, playing 84 passes out from the back at a 93% success rate.

Furthermore, he made 96 touches – only Eric Garcia alongside him had more. This time around, against the Saints, Harwood-Bellis will have the addition of the home crowd on his side, which could add to his confidence.

A positive performance from the youngster may force him into Guardiola’s side a little more often in the future. Injuries to Aymeric Laporte and Rodri have left the defensive spots wide open and, with a good performance on Tuesday, the Spaniard may have be compelled to think about where Harwood-Bellis fits into his long term vision.

This is his chance to show the Etihad faithful what he can do.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

La Liga is finally returning this weekend and Real Madrid will be travelling away to Mallorca for matchday nine. Even though every point matters, Zinedine Zidane should consider rotating his squad a bit considering the tough schedule ahead.

On the chalkboard

Currently, Los Blancos are sitting top of the table in La Liga and are two points ahead of their arch-rivals, Barcelona, and three points ahead of city rivals Atletico Madrid.

For the time being, things are under control but football is unpredictable and everything can change in an instant.

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With that being said, however, it would be wise of Zidane to actually try and look ahead and towards the end of the month.

Real have a midweek Champions League fixture and will then travel to the Camp Nou for the El Clasico the weekend after this one.

For that reason, rotating the squad for the trip to Mallorca could be a viable and recommendable option.

Planning ahead

If Zidane were to deploy a somewhat weakened lineup this Saturday, it still shouldn’t be seen as a form of disrespect.

Mallorca are, however, a newly promoted team that are currently sitting third from the bottom of the La Liga table and have only two wins to their names so far in the new campaign.

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Not to mention that prioritising and picking your battles is essential if you want to compete on all fronts.

Real Madrid still don’t have a win under their belts in the Champions League and winning against Barcelona next weekend is definitely a must for Los Blancos.

For that reason, this is the perfect opportunity to give some other players a chance, and also rest and preserve the key pieces of the puzzle for the tough schedule ahead.

In the worst-case scenario, points will be dropped against Mallorca but the team will still be fresh to tackle the bigger fish shortly after that.

And besides, Zidane has enough quality and depth on his bench to be able to get all three points on Saturday regardless of the lineup he deploys.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Jordan Pickford and Everton travel to Turf Moor on Saturday where the current first-choice England keeper will meet his foe Nick Pope, as the Burnley man continues to push him for the number one spot.

Pickford has been involved with England ever since Gareth Southgate sought to replace Joe Hart in 2017, with the 25-year-old taking the number one shirt as the Three Lions approached the World Cup in 2018. In the process, the former Sunderland keeper edged past Pope, Tom Heaton and Jack Butland for the main jersey, but things are looking much different nowadays.

The tide is seemingly changing with the Burnley keeper having a significantly better start to the season than the Toffees man. Pickford was arguably lucky to sneak into the England side based on form as the Sky Sports’ power rankings omitted him from the 23-man squad, based on his statistical numbers.

He also fluffed his lines against Manchester City last weekend, drawing stern criticism from Everton fans for firstly failing to save Riyad Mahrez’s free kick and then almost gifting a goal with an irresponsible failed Cruyff turn in his own third, so it certainly feels as though the pressure is on Pickford to prove he can still be trusted.

Pope, on the other hand, comes with a reputation of steadiness between the sticks, even if he’s a more understated presence than Pickford. The Burnley man has the one cap to his name and was on the bench during each match at the World Cup. However, a shoulder injury kept him out of the squad for many months, which subsequently lost him his place in the Burnley goal, as Heaton returned by the time he was injury-free.

However, having secured the number one spot after Heaton’s move to Aston Villa, now is the time for the 27-year-old to make his mark on the Three Lions setup, and recent form suggests he’s ready to become Pickford’s England nemesis by capitalising on the Everton man’s sloppy start to the season with more assured performances.

Pope currently boasts 3.3 saves per Premier League fixture, whilst winning 0.7 aerial battles each game, and at the same time has conceded three goals less than the 25-year-old’s 12 at Everton so far. On the other hand, Pickford has averaged just 2.4 saves per game in the league, whilst averaging just o.1 aerial battles won per match.

The Burnley shot-stopper has made 24 saves this season, whilst making five high claims and seven sweeper clearances. In contrast, England’s current number one has stopped just 17 shots, made two high claims and two sweeper clearances.

Not only are the statistics significantly in favour of Pope reclaiming the jersey, but his overall performance on a consistent basis proves his worth as well – averaging a 6.86 rating on Whoscored compared to Pickford’s 6.32.

There is no doubt Southgate will be watching closely as Burnley host Everton to determine who takes the spot between the sticks against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Right now, it may just come down to whoever makes an error or pulls off a more important save, as the England boss certainly has a tough call to make.

But while it seems Pope can only really go up in Southgate’s estimations as the current second or third choice, Pickford needs to impress to ensure he doesn’t slide down the pecking order. After such ropey beginnings to the new campaign, another disappointing performance could prove incredibly costly. Nothing shows a player up more than failing to deliver in front of a direct rival, or in this case, a potential nemesis.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Seamus Coleman was sent off for a second yellow card on the 56th minute against Burnley last weekend, which forced Marco Silva to bring on back-up right-back Djibril Sidibe during the second half.

The Frenchman joined Everton this summer on a season-long loan from AS Monaco but has had to settle for a place on the bench so far, other than two Carabao Cup fixtures where he started.

Upon entering the fray for his first-ever Premier League outing, Sidibe was also booked towards the end of the match. However, with Coleman suspended, now is his time to show Silva that he is the main man for the Toffees at right-back.

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In Ligue 1 last season, Sidibe provided two assists in 27 appearances – the same amount as the Irishman in the Premier League – and after averaging 3.3 tackles per game in the Champions League, the 27-year-old could prove to be a positive addition both defensively and creativity.

As Coleman’s dismissal came in the form of two yellow cards, the Everton regular will miss just the one game against West Ham United, which further justifies the importance for Sidibe in that game. It may be a one-shot take for the former Lille defender, and should he impress, a spot as the Toffees’ main right-back may well be on the cards.

This is because Coleman’s form has indeed been questionable so far, being part of a defence that has conceded 13 goals in eight games. However, the 30-year-old does have the one assist to his name and has averaged 3.3 dribbles each match thus far. Although, his topsy-turvy start may allow Sidibe to take his spot in the side should the Frenchman stand out against West Ham.

The last time the Monaco loanee started for his new team, he achieved a 7/10 rating for his display against Sheffield Wednesday, which may have already given Silva some food for thought in the full-back slot. With a solid performance against West Ham, Coleman may find himself missing even more action, and quite frankly, he couldn’t have chosen a much worse time to get himself a suspension as now Sidibe has a golden opportunity to snatch his place.

The centre-back was very straightforward with the caption. He didn’t dwell on the Dutch team’s performance as he simply stated ‘Job done’ before moving on to talk about the upcoming games for Liverpool.

This is exactly the type of mindset Jurgen Klopp needs from his star man if Liverpool are to win the Premier League this year, and luckily, it seems as if van Dijk has the perfect attitude.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by The Liverpool Echo, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted he got his team selection and tactics wrong for the win over Newcastle on Saturday.

What did he say?

The German sprung a surprise in his selection by choosing Divock Origi ahead of Roberto Firmino, and then using Sadio Mane as the central striker.

Origi’s injury forced him off before half-time, and Firmino’s introduction turned the game in the Reds’ favour. Speaking after the game, Klopp revealed the Brazilian’s “creative edge” made all the difference, and acknowledged his mistake.

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He said: “It is significant he (Firmino) provided a creative edge when he came on. It was my idea to start with Sadio in the centre. That didn’t work really well. It has done in the past but today against such a deep defending side, it was a bit different. That’s why we changed it already in the game (before Origi’s injury). Then Bobby came on in his natural position. Sadio really flexible in that space, Mo really strong in one-on-ones all day.

“When we use Mo more often for balls in his feet and one-twos in and around the box we were really in charge of the game. We won a lot of second balls and there weren’t as many counter-attacks. It was then a really good game.”

Unnecessary experimentation

Whilst winning the Champions League again would be a remarkable achievement, surely ending the club’s long wait for the Premier League title is the priority this season? It is that debate that makes the decision to drop Firmino to the bench all the more baffling. Surely the Reds would be better off picking their strongest line-up in the league, and then rotating for European games? Especially when outside of Napoli, one would expect them to coast through a relatively easy group.

If Klopp has any plans of overhauling Manchester City this year, they simply cannot afford any slip-ups. Origi may forever be etched into Anfield folklore for his exploits last season, but he is a serious downgrade on Firmino. The Reds looked a shadow of their real selves when the Belgian was playing against the Magpies, and so Liverpool must be far smarter in deciding which competitions they look to rotate for.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Steven Gerrard has been praising Joe Aribo again, after the former Charlton man impressed his manager and fans in the 3-0 League Cup win over East Fife.

What’s he said?

Gerrard has sung the praises of one of his most interesting summer signings, with Aribo already catching the imagination of the supporters. The Nigerian midfielder has settled into life at Ibrox quickly, scoring four times in his eight appearances for the Light Blues.

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Brought in from promoted Championship new boys Charlton Athletic, Aribo has put disconcerting voices behind him to make a flying start to his Gers career.

As reported by BBC Sport, the Gers manager was full of praise for the 23-year-old after Sunday’s win: “I am not sure how many good players have been at this stadium, but I don’t think you will see many better than Joe.

“He can go as far as he wants. I hope he stays alongside me for many years, but he’s got the world at his feet.”

Gerrard is spot on

Aribo came to Ibrox this summer off the back of helping Charlton get promoted to the second-tier of English football, and attracted some interest from big clubs in the past campaign. A transfer to Arsenal seemed an unlikely deal, but given his start to life at Rangers, you can understand why Unai Emery might’ve had a look at the midfielder before his move to Glasgow.

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The fact that he’s settled into life at a club as demanding as the Gers so quickly shows he can cope with the pressure of the biggest stages. This bodes well for Gerrard’s comment that he feels Aribo can go as far in the game he wishes. Potential suitors can look to his blistering start at an important juncture in the season as a reason to pursue the midfield star in the future.

While it’s a bit early for him to be looking for a move away, continuing in this fashion will almost certainly prove his manager’s praise to be right. If Aribo can keep up this incredible form and make it last across the season he could very well have the world at his feet and the biggest clubs in Europe at his door.

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According to The Sun, Crystal Palace are eyeing a move for Newcastle United defender Ciaran Clark before the transfer window slams shut.

The report claims that Palace are considering a loan offer, although Clark could be available for £5m if the Eagles pushed for permanent deal.

The 29-year-old has made 72 appearances for Newcastle since moving to St James’ Park from Aston Villa in 2016.

The Republic of Ireland international made just 11 Premier League appearances during the 2018-19 campaign, though, and only appeared once in the league in 2019.

That said, a number of Newcastle fans have taken to social media to call for their club to keep hold of Clark heading into the 2019-20 campaign.

Joelinton is the club’s only summer arrival thus far, whilst the likes of Ayoze Perez, Joselu and Mohamed Diame have moved on.

As a result, the Newcastle supporters are reluctant for another first-team player to leave at this stage of the window, as shown by the tweets below:

Norwich City are hoping to agree on a fee with Sheffield Wednesday for striker Jordan Rhodes, according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon.

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The Yorkshire club are hoping to fetch a sizable fee for the Scotland international, though £4m is thought to be a reasonable compromise, according to Nixon.

Rhodes was an unused substitute as Sheffield Wednesday opened the new Championship season with a 3-1 win over Reading.

Links with the Sheffield Wednesday man fail to go away, with the Canaries having been linked with a move for the 29-year-old last week. Rhodes was on loan with Norwich City last season, making more than 30 appearances as the Norfolk club won promotion to the Premier League. The striker managed to score nine goals in England’s second tier.

However, Norwich City seemed to have filled the void left by Rhodes who returned to Sheffield Wednesday this summer, with the acquisition of Josip Drmic from Borussia Mönchengladbach. The Switzerland international seems to have hit the ground running as he notched up a ‘perfect’ hat-trick in the pre-season friendly against Luton Town.

The Norfolk club have also added Manchester City youngster Patrick Roberts on loan, adding depth to the squad ahead of the new season.

Ultimately, with the signings of both Drmic and Roberts, Norwich City have two players in each attacking position of the 4-2-3-1 formation Farke prefers. The squad has the depth required to try and avoid relegation this upcoming season, making a move for Rhodes pointless.

Norwich fans, does Farke need Rhodes for the 2019/20 campaign? Comment below!

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Loads of Sunderland fans have been celebrating the latest transfer news, as Donald Love is set to depart the club after three disastrous years.

According to The Sunderland Echo, the 24 year-old is all set to leave the Stadium of Light this summer.

Even though he still has one year left on his contract, the report claims he will join Shrewsbury on a free transfer, with the club clearly keen to shift his £450k-a-year salary by any means necessary.

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Love joined the club from Manchester United in 2016 and was billed as a promising young defender, but has since been relegated twice.

He made just four League One appearances last season, and has only managed 34 in total during his entire three-year stay on Wearside.

And fans are overjoyed on Twitter after hearing the news that Love will finally depart, which is perhaps the first really positive move the club will have made this summer – they have only made two signings for the senior side so far, Conor McLaughlin and Lee Burge.

Take a look at some of the best reactions down below…