Manchester City fans have taken to Twitter to react after The Sun revealed that the midfielder could be moving to Qatar, as a lucrative offer has reportedly been handed to him.
The Spaniard has reportedly been tempted by a two-year deal worth a whopping £12m tax-free, which he is said to be mulling over whilst City try to line up £40m-rated Youri Tielemans as his replacement.
Losing 6-0 was only told half the story for Watford fans in the FA Cup final. Check out the video below to find out why…
Silva, now 33, revealed last year that he has a desire to return to his homeland of Gran Canaria with Las Palmas so his son can experience the same upbringing he had; given the child’s premature birth last year, it wouldn’t seem likely that Silva would want to take his son to Qatar for two years as some fans have suggested below.
The Citizens have already said goodbye to one cult hero in Vincent Kompany this summer, and it would be heartbreaking for City supporters if they had to let another go at the same time.
Let’s see what the supporters of the Premier League champions have been saying on Twitter…
Ajax attacker Hakim Ziyech continued his and his side’s remarkable season with an impressive display and assist in the 1-0 Champions League semi-final first leg win against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night, and his display didn’t go unnoticed by Arsenal fans on Twitter.
The Morocco international took his tally of assists to 21 for the campaign after setting up Donny van de Beek for his first-half strike in north London, while he also has 20 goals to his name in 45 appearances in all competitions this term.
The 26-year-old will surely be attracting interest from some of the best clubs across Europe following such an impressive spell for the Eredivisie giants, who have taken a step closer to the Champions League final following Tuesday’s victory.
Meanwhile, it has been another tough season for the Gunners who may well be relying on winning the Europa League to qualify for Europe’s elite club competition next term, given they have suffered three successive Premier League defeats.
A lack of creativity – not helped by Mesut Ozil’s patchy form and struggle for starts – has hardly helped, and it could be an area Unai Emery takes a closer look at in the summer transfer window.
Arsenal supporters were clearly impressed with what they saw from Ziyech against their arch-rivals, believing that the African playmaker could be the ideal replacement for their Germany international.
One individual said “he would be the perfect heir to Mesut Ozil”, while another predicted that “Emery would love him”.
Given his ability and how long he has been around for, it is a surprise that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is only starting to make a real name for himself now.
Better late than never, though, and the 23-year-old will undoubtedly be delighted with how things are currently going after some very difficult moments at Chelsea.
Under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, Loftus-Cheek had constantly been overlooked before going out on loan to Crystal Palace, a move that has helped him get to where he is today.
There, when fit, the midfielder got regular minutes on the pitch and really started to strut his stuff.
Be it on the flank, an unfamiliar position for him at the time, or centrally, Loftus-Cheek was able to showcase his full skill set and impact games.
With his sheer power and ability to drive with the ball, the Chelsea academy graduate would often bulldoze past the opposition with ease.
The above were quite clearly qualities Gareth Southgate respected, with the England manager later handing Loftus-Cheek a place in his Three Lions World Cup squad.
Despite missing a chunk of that 2017/18 campaign due to injury, Loftus-Cheek had obviously shown the England boss enough in the appearances he did manage to make.
Fast forward to now, and Loftus-Cheek is a midfielder on the verge of tying down a spot in the starting XI of one of Europe’s elite clubs after helping his country reach a World Cup semi-final.
Since returning to Stamford Bridge, life has not always been easy under Maurizio Sarri, while a recurring back injury has done him no favours.
But for Loftus-Cheek, his future at Chelsea seems bright with that loan spell at Crystal Palace looking like it will go a long way for the England international.
Crystal Palace fans, what are some of your standout memories of Loftus-Cheek’s time at Selhurst Park? Join the discussion by commenting below.
Toby Alderweireld’s departure from Tottenham Hotspur may well fix one of Mauricio Pochettino’s biggest problems at a stroke.
The Belgium international has a £25million release clause in his contract and doubts persist over whether the defender will remain north London beyond the summer.
Indeed, Alderweireld has spent a total of four years in the capital and has emerged as a genuinely world-class centre-back.
But this season he has been at the centre of one of Pochettino’s biggest problems.
The Argentine has continually rotated between a back three and a back four throughout the campaign.
When playing the former, he has partnered Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez with Alderweireld. When using the latter, he has cycled through the three and has occasionally used Juan Foyth too.
It should be no surprise, then, that the uncertainty surrounding the defence has adversely affected the club.
This season, Spurs have conceded 34 goals in the Premier League in 31 games. In 2017-18, Spurs conceded 36 in 38 games. Indeed, they have not kept a clean sheet domestically since February in a 1-0 win over Newcastle.
Since then, Spurs have let in one against Leicester City and Arsenal, as well as two versus Burnley, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool.
Across the club’s last five games, they have played a back three, three times – in the 2-1 losses to Liverpool and Burnley and the 1-1 draw with Arsenal. In those games, Alderweireld, Vertonghen and Sanchez played together twice, but Alderweireld was not involved versus Burnley.
In the two games in which they used a back four, Alderweireld and Sanchez played together against Chelsea but the Belgian was replaced by Vertonghen against Southampton. Alderweireld was not even in the squad that day.
Last season, Spurs utilised a centre-back pairing of Sanchez and Vertonghen because of Alderweireld’s injury-riddled campaign.
The defender missed 23 Premier League games in a row through injury. In that time, Spurs lost just four times.
They beat the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea in that time period, and also recorded Champions League wins over Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund without Alderweireld on the pitch. Indeed, he sustained his injury against the Spanish giants and lasted a mere 24 minutes. When he was substituted, the two sides were level at 0-0. Spurs won 3-1.
Football FanCast quizzed Football.London’s Tottenham correspondent, Alasdair Gold, on this very issue.
He said: “Last year, Pochettino may have been weirdly helped, if that’s such a way of describing Toby Alderweireld’s injury, but Alderweireld’s injury meant he had to play Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez. They formed a very solid partnership and they knew what each other were doing and when it went to a back three, it was purely Eric Dier coming back into that back three. It was very settled.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – February 2, 2019 Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld and Kieran Trippier in action with Newcastle United’s Salomon Rondon Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/leagu
“This year, he looks like a man who is thinking ‘I have to play Alderweireld, because he’s class’ but it’s now giving him an issue with Sanchez, who Pochettino absolutely adores, so he’s now got a thing of ‘I really want to play a back three but I can’t do it every match’ and it’s messy. You can see it in the goals conceded tally.”
Of course, much of the furore surrounding his future revolves around the asking price. Alderweireld is not a £25m defender; he is worth at least double that in the current transfer market.
And many believe that whichever club triggers the clause and acquires his signature will receive a genuine bargain. That may be true.
But, by the same token, Alderweireld departing will allow Pochettino to properly bed in a central defensive partnership that has already proved its worth in north London.
John Toshack turned out for Liverpool between 1970 and 1978, finding the back of the net on 96 occasions in 247 appearances for the Reds in all competitions.
The former striker actually started his professional career with Cardiff City, turning out for the Welsh side for five years before the move to Liverpool.
Toshack’s playing career then finished at Swansea City, who he represented between 1978 and 1984.
The Welshman has since gone on to coach a number of sides at club and indeed international level, including Real Madrid and Wales.
Toshack last managed Iranian club Tractor Sazi in 2018, but is currently without a job.
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It was actually the former forward’s birthday on Friday, and Liverpool’s official Twitter account was on hand with a special message for the now 70-year-old.
A expected, that led to a number of Liverpool fans revealing their respect for the Welshman, who had an excellent scoring record at all three of his professional clubs.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Loads of Crystal Palace fans have been running the rule over their defeat against Brighton, and they are not at all happy with former fan favourite Patrick van Aanholt.
As has so often been the case at Selhurst Park this season, Palace dominated Saturday’s match against the Seagulls but barely mustered a single clear-cut chance.
Roy Hodgson’s decision to start three workhorses in midfield backfired again, as superb goals from Glenn Murray and Anthony Knockaert gave the visitors all three points.
The gaffer is taking plenty of stick for his team selections at the moment, but one of the biggest problems has come in an area where he doesn’t really have other options to choose from – left-back.
Van Aanholt is a very popular figure in south London thanks to his passion for the club, ability to add goals and assists from defence, blistering speed and of course his entertaining social media presence.
However, the 28 year-old is enduring a horrific run of form, and scored just a 6.32 on Whoscored’s player rating system on Saturday.
He was way too relaxed in allowing Knockaert to cut inside onto his stronger foot and score the winner, and the Twitter reactions down below are well and truly fed up with the Dutchman…
Liverpool fans are calling for what would be the most audacious transfer move in recent history, after Kevin De Bruyne spoke highly of the Reds’ title charge.
Liverpool and Manchester City have formed a new rivalry over the last year or so, thanks partly to the their intense Champions League clash last campaign and of course even more so due to this year’s title race.
The two are locked in an epic battle that looks certain to go right to the end, and De Bruyne has now had his say on the showdown between the two clubs.
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“Last year we were 12 points ahead, and now we are one behind,” De Bruyne said. “That shows Liverpool are doing well.
“If we keep winning and they keep winning it goes to the wire, but if we win every game until the end of the season and it’s not enough you just have to congratulate Liverpool, as they will win with 99 points.
“There are still 10 games in the Premier League – a long way to go – and Liverpool are still there, so we try to win game by game.”
De Bruyne has always been a classy contender, but Liverpool fans are reading more into the comments due to past admissions that the Belgian international grew up as a Liverpool fan.
The 27 year-old has quite literally said the words “I want to play for Liverpool” before, and even though Transfermarkt values him at a whopping £135m, fans are calling for a jaw-dropping summer move.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
Speaking to Sky Sports’ Match Centre (11:25am on March 7 as per HITC), Danny Higginbotham expects Birmingham City to target Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish in the second city derby at St Andrew’s on Sunday, but believes they can benefit.
What’s the word, then?
The 23-year-old returned to action in the 4-0 win against Derby County last weekend following a three-month injury lay-off, and he made an instant impact with a dynamic display – as captain – that culminated in a stunning volley.
According to WhoScored, the Villa talisman is the most fouled player in the division averaging 4.8 every appearance, and it would be no surprise if the hosts look to take him out of the game at the weekend.
Well, speaking on Sky Sports’ Match Centre, per HITC, ahead of the huge clash between the Championship play-off hopefuls, the 40-year-old pundit said: “There will be no doubt about that [Birmingham targeting Grealish].
“The beauty of it is when you go to try and stop a player like that because there are three players around him. He has got the two central midfielders and the centre back comes out, so all of a sudden he creates space in behind him because you are fearful of a player like Grealish.”
What will happen?
The 23-year-old has got so used to being fouled by opposition players that he now knows how to get up, get on with it and still make a difference.
The great thing for Dean Smith is that if Higginbotham is correct with his predictions, it could give players like John McGinn and Conor Hourihane more space to make a difference in the final third at St Andrew’s.
The latter showed with a brace in the success against the Rams last time out that he has plenty of quality, and he could be given the opportunity to take advantage to ensure Villa take a crucial three points in their play-off bid.
Andre Onana will not be changing his ways at Manchester United, with the confident Cameroonian goalkeeper saying he will continue to “take risks”.
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Big money invested in a new No.1Costly errors have sparked criticismProven performer believes in himselfWHAT HAPPENED?
The 27-year-old shot-stopper has endured a tough start to life in English football following his £48 million ($59m) transfer from Inter over the summer. A number of costly errors have crept into his game, leading to suggestions that United may be tempted to bring David de Gea back to Old Trafford a matter of months after releasing him as a free agent.
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Onana has sent a defiant message to his doubters, though, with the African ace eager to point out that he is “not afraid to make mistakes” as he seeks to become the modern day No.1 that United placed so much trust in. Onana has told the series on MUTV: “Now the goalkeeper is like [having] another player more, you know? And when you look at the way most of the teams want to play, now they use the goalkeeper as a plus one. I consider myself as a modern goalkeeper, so I'm not afraid to make mistakes. I'm not afraid to take risks and I would take risks because the way I play is what brought me to Manchester United, one of the best clubs in the world, and I will not drop. I will never drop. I will only go forward. I can make mistakes and mistakes are a part of life.”
WHAT THEY SAID
Onana has big boots to fill as the man chosen to succeed De Gea between the sticks in Manchester. He is also following in the footsteps of illustrious figures such as Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar – with the latter having helped to mould his game while working as chief executive at Ajax. Onana added on learning from all-time great Van der Sar: “He advised me a lot during the game, after the game, especially if I was making mistakes! He was coming through all the way to the dressing room or to the training session to speak with me and he helped me to build that personality, you know? I will always be thankful to him.”
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Onana helped United to a clean sheet in his latest Premier League outing – a 1-0 win over Fulham – and will be hoping to figure again on Wednesday when the Red Devils take in a Champions League clash with FC Copenhagen that they desperately need to take maximum points from.
O Guarani perdeu para o Botafogo-SP por 2 a 0, nesta quinta-feira, pela 11ª rodada do Paulistão e aumentou as chances de classificação do Corinthians para as quartas de final da competição. Agora, o time de Tiago Nunes chega para a última rodada da fase de grupos podendo garantir vaga se vencer o Oeste e o São Paulo derrotar o Bugre na Vila Belmiro.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians divulga balanço com superavit no primeiro semestre, mas dívida é de mais de R$ 900 milhõesCorinthians23/07/2020VídeoConfira as imagens dos bastidores da vitória do Corinthians no DérbiVídeo23/07/2020CorinthiansApós o Dérbi, Corinthians volta a treinar, mas só reservas vão a campoCorinthians23/07/2020
Com o revés do time campineiro e o triunfo corintiano no Dérbi, a diferença que era de cinco pontos, caiu para dois, restando ainda uma partida desta fase. O Timão, terceiro colocado no Grupo D, chega no máximo a 17 pontos, enquanto o Guarani, vice-líder da chave, já tem 16. Sendo assim, somente uma vitória contra o Oeste mantém o Alvinegro com chances de vaga nas quartas.
> Veja tabela e simulador do Paulistão clicando aqui
No entanto, mesmo se vencer, o Corinthians ainda vai depender de outros fatores para comemorar a classificação, e um deles é o São Paulo, que neste cenário bastaria vencer o Bugre para colocar os corintianos na próxima fase, mas se empatar, forçará o rival a vencer o Oeste por dois ou mais gols de diferença. Os jogos serão todos no mesmo horário, domingo, às 16h.
Resumo: O que o Corinthians precisa para se classificar?
1) Para continuar vivo é preciso vencer o Oeste. Em caso de empate ou derrota, estará eliminado da competição; 2) Em caso de vitória alvinegra por um gol de diferença em Barueri, precisa torcer para o Guarani não pontuar contra o São Paulo; 3) Se Bugre e Tricolor empatarem, o Timão precisa vencer o Oeste por dois ou mais gols de diferença, por conta do saldo de gols 4) Se Corinthians e São Paulo vencerem, os corintianos estarão automaticamente nas quartas.