Tottenham Hotspur have endured a difficult 2016 and, having seen their push for the Premier League title fall apart at the back-end of last season, the Lilywhites have struggled to establish themselves as contenders for the top-four once again and suffered an early exit from the Champions League.

Despite winning four of their last five in all competitions, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have endured a decline in form over the recent months and it’s led to frustrations for players, supporters and pundits.

Dele Alli has been one of those being drawn into criticism and the England ace will probably not be too content with his own performances but former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas has suggested the issue is Tottenham and not the midfielder.

Quoted by The Evening Standard, Jenas suggested the burden of being crowned PFA Young Player of the Year last season may have increased the pressure upon Alli’s shoulders.

“I did struggle a little bit. My issue was more within myself. I needed to do more in terms of fitness and work rate because you’ve got so many players looking at you saying ‘I want to be you, I want to take your place’. It makes life very difficult.”

“But I think he’s [Alli] being harsh on himself. I think it’s more of a Spurs issue – I don’t think the team is playing as well. I think he’s doing alright and if he puts away half of the chances that he misses, which he’s been very self critical about, we could be talking about Dele Alli on eight or nine goals already.”

Sat three points above Manchester United but now just one point off Arsenal, Pochettino’s side will hope to secure a spot within the top-four heading into the New Year and will have to overcome Southampton to do so.

The first six weeks of 2017 will also be testing for the North London outfit, as they face Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool during that period.

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Newcastle United will look to get back to winning ways and boost their chances of returning to the top of the Championship table when they host Nottingham Forest at St James’ Park tonight.

Since losing 2-1 to Forest in the reverse league fixture at the City Ground at the start of December, Rafa Benitez’s men had bounced back with three straight wins to remain in pole position for an instant return to the Premier League.

However, they suffered a disappointing 1-0 home loss to Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day and consequentially relinquished their slot at the summit, with Brighton moving above them on Tuesday night following a comfortable 3-0 success against QPR.

Benitez has rotated his squad in recent matches over what has been a busy festive period and he could do the same against the Reds – especially after a defeat in their previous encounter.

Here is FootballFanCast’s Newcastle XI that will take all three points vs. Forest…

GK: Karl Darlow

The former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper has been Benitez’s first choice stopper for the majority of the season, and following his fine performance in the reverse fixture earlier this month – when he saved two first-half penalties – he will once again be between the sticks at St James’ Park.

Darlow was in brilliant form in the below-par defeat against Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day, and made a number of impressive saves in the 1-0 loss.

RB: DeAndre Yedlin

The American full-back and the more experienced Vurnon Anita have largely rotated in the right-back spot this season, and with the games coming thick and fast over the festive period, it could be Yedlin who gets the nod here.

Anita started the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day, and Benitez could look to shake up his back four for the visit of Forest, with Yedlin especially able to offer a real threat going forward with his pace on the overlap.

CB: Jamaal Lascelles

Like Darlow, Lascelles is a former Nottingham Forest player and he will be up for the home match against his old side – especially as he looks to make amends after what happened in the reverse fixture at the City Ground earlier this month.

Newcastle were reduced to nine men in the first half but despite Forest’s dominance, Benitez’s men looked like they would take a point back to St James’ Park before Magpies skipper Lascelles scored an unfortunate own goal in the last minute.

CB: Ciaran Clark

After conceding just one goal in their three matches following the reverse fixture against Forest earlier this month, Clark and his defence would have been confident of keeping another clean sheet against Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day.

However, Glenn Loovens netted when Newcastle failed to clear a corner and it would have been a goal that Benitez would have believed was preventable – Clark will want to help keep more things solid at the back against the Reds tonight.

LB: Paul Dummett

With few other options available to Benitez at left-back – aside from playing someone out of position – Dummett has been Newcastle’s first choice defender on the left side of the defence this season, and he has generally been impressive and proven that he is one of the best in the Championship.

The Wales international would have been frustrated at conceding the soft goal against Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day, and he will want to give his side the best possible chance of bouncing back with a win against Forest by helping the Magpies keep a clean sheet.

RM: Matt Ritchie

As many would have predicted following some fine performances for Bournemouth in the Premier League last season, Ritchie has quickly showed that he is one of the best and most effective attacking players in the Championship this term.

Like some of his Newcastle team-mates, the right-sided player struggled to fire going forward as the Magpies drew a blank against Sheffield Wednesday, and he will be keen to provide more of a contribution when Forest come to town – the Scot scored his side’s goal in the reverse fixture at the start of December.

CM: Isaac Hayden

Jonjo Shelvey has been Newcastle’s main man in central midfield this season but after he was ruled out for five matches, Hayden has had to step up in midfield alongside Jack Colback.

With Shelvey often dictating the play it is a hard act to follow for the former Arsenal man and he will want to be better in possession than he was in the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, in order to prove to Benitez that he deserves to be a regular starter for the Magpies.

CM: Jack Colback

Following the five-game ban that was given to Shelvey, it was Colback who replaced him in the central midfield in the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, and Toon fans would have certainly been questioning whether they can be effective going forward in the absence of the impressive midfielder.

The former Sunderland man and Isaac Hayden will want to show that they are up to the task for the visit of Forest, and the duo must find those passes forward that can make the difference.

LM: Yoan Gouffran

The Frenchman has been one of Newcastle’s standout players so far this season and he is the club’s second top goalscorer in the Championship behind Dwight Gayle with four league goals to his name.

While he struggled to make an impact going forward against Sheffield Wednesday and was substituted off for Christian Atsu after 62 minutes, he deserves to be given the chance to make an impact when Nottingham Forest come to St James’ Park.

AM: Mohamed Diame

For much of the campaign, Diame had struggled to find himself named in Benitez’s starting XI in Newcastle’s Championship fixtures, but that certainly hasn’t been the case in recent weeks when he has been preferred to Ayoze Perez.

The Senegalese midfielder has scored two goals in his last three league appearances and his strength and power will continue to be a key attribute in this division. He will look to provide that support to Dwight Gayle once again on Friday.

ST: Dwight Gayle

Like Diame behind him, Gayle has been in fine goalscoring form in recent weeks – the striker has scored four goals in his last four Championship appearances and he was only denied adding to that because of the woodwork against Sheffield Wednesday on Boxing Day.

With 17 league strikes to his name, not only is the former Crystal Palace man the club’s top goalscorer, but he is also the top marksman in the division and someone in that kind of form and with finishing ability has to be in the starting XI every week.

Arsene Wenger has been busy once again and has secured the future of veteran midfield Santi Cazorla, The Daily Mirror reports.

What’s the word?

After recently signing Francis Coquelin, Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny to new deals, before activating an extension clause in the contract of Per Mertesacker, Arsene Wenger has been busy with internal deals once again to secure a similar clause in Santi Cazorla’s deal.

The Spaniard, who remains sidelined through injury, is an influential member of the North London side and the Gunners have struggled to find a replacement in the side during his absence, with the likes of Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey both lacking the necessary attributes.

Cazorla, 32, saw his contract due to expire at the end of the season- but an FA slip-up has revealed Arsenal have extended his deal.

Is this the right move?

Arsene Wenger has been accused of being too sentimental to his players, a criticism that reared it’s head again this week following the decision to hand Mertesacker another year at the club despite the German not playing since last April, but Cazorla is an understandable move.

Despite his age, Cazorla is a first-choice option for the Gunners when fit and Arsenal’s troubles without his services prove his importance to the side. However, his injury means he may not feature again before the end of the season.

Arsenal need to find a long-term replacement for the Spaniard but that is easier said than done, so securing Cazorla to a short-term deal whilst they find a longer solution is the right move.

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A car belonging to wantaway West Ham United star Dimitri Payet was recently vandalised outside his home, according to the Daily Mail.

The Frenchman sent shockwaves through the club and its fanbase when he informed manager Slaven Bilic that he no longer wants to play for the club.

The 29-year-old is believed to be trying to instigate a return to Marseille, who have had two bids – one thought to be around £20m – rejected by the Hammers, according to BBC Sport.

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Payet has been shunned from the first team and forced to train with the Under-23s, while the Daily Mail claims that the playmaker is not welcome at team meetings and dinners.

The latest development in the saga is an unsavoury one, as the British publication reports that a brick was thrown through a window and aimed at Payet’s car.

Such is the Frenchman’s desire to return to his homeland, the midfielder has turned down salary offers of around £500,000-a-week from Chinese Super League clubs, reports Sky Sports.

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Safe to say, Manchester City have given West Ham an absolute pasting this season.

From their two matches so far this term, a Premier League fixture in August and an EFL Cup clash earlier this month, Pep Guardiola’s side boast two wins with an aggregate scoreline of 8-1.

But in terms of recent form, it’s actually the Hammers who come out better; despite Payet-gate lingering over the club, Slaven Bilic’s boys have claimed four wins from their last seven Premier League outings, whereas City have failed to find victory in three of their last four.

That includes hefty defeats to Everton and Liverpool on Merseyside, forcing Guardiola to admit the Citizens’ planned title push could be over already, and a disappointing draw with Spurs despite going 2-0 up at the Etihad Stadium.

In short, the two-time Premier League champions are there for the taking when West Ham host them under the London Stadium floodlights tonight. We take a look at three ways the Irons can claim revenge for their humbling defeats at the hands of the Citizens.

Aerial bombardment

Such a strategy may contain traces of Sam Allardyce but West Ham need to play to their strengths against high-quality opposition and aerial dominance certainly falls into that category. On average, the Hammers win 2.4 more aerial duels per match than the visitors, whilst they also rank second throughout the Premier League for headed goals this season – as shown above.

To call City weak in the air would be a little unfair, but it’s clearly not a priority for Guardiola and in stark contrast to the east Londoners, Liverpool are the only club in the top six to have conceded more headers than his side so far this term – as shown below.

Of course, taking the aerial approach requires the kind of long-ball-game Hammers fans came to detest under Allardyce, but there is another advantage of going direct against City; bypassing that immensely talented midfield, whilst putting pressure on a back four, Claudio Bravo included, desperately struggling for confidence at the minute.

Further highlighting aerial bombardment as a potential breaking point, Bravo ranks a lowly 20th throughout the Premier League for catches this season – although he does have a 100% success rate.

Set Pieces

Inherently linked with their aforementioned proficiency in the air, West Ham simply must take advantage of City at set pieces. Once again, it’s not exactly a Citizens weakness but the table above shows just how more effective the Hammers are in this regard, ranking second throughout the Premier League for goals from dead ball situations this season – equating to 31% of their top-flight tally of 36.

No doubt, the Irons boast some fantastic targets in the air. 13 of Michail Antonio’s 16 Premier League goals for West Ham have come via his head, including the most of any player in the division, six, this season, whilst centre-backs Winston Reid, James Collins, Jose Fonte and Angelo Ogbonna are all real beasts in the air.

And then there’s the not-s0-small matter of Andy Carroll, who has returned to fitness with a bang and now boasts three goals in his last two Premier League outings. Although just two goals have come with his head this term, the occasional England man has averaged a whopping 9.9 successful aerial duels per match – the most of any Premier League player – as shown below.

Press high and pin City back

Whether West Ham have the right kind of player to press high up the pitch remains open to debate. Andy Carroll, although large and somewhat mobile, isn’t exactly renowned for winning the ball back in the final third and overall, it’s not something you’d particularly associate with the Hammers under Slaven Bilic – they more tend to sit back before hitting on the counter.

Nonetheless, the likes of Spurs, Liverpool, Leicester City and Everton have provided the perfect template for West Ham to follow, if their forward players can dig a little deeper and find a bit more energy for a rather unique ninety minutes.

City will shuffle the ball around the back until they’re blue in the face, even if they’re being hounded from all sides, and in the high-octane world of the Premier League, that inevitably leads to mistakes in possession and consequently, conceding sloppy goals.

As we’ve already mentioned, City’s confidence in defence is at an all-time low right now, so if West Ham take a risk by pressing high, it seems inevitable they’ll eventually win the ball in dangerous areas.

The Champions League has returned this week and for Arsenal it represents one of the toughest tests of the season. They have the unenviable task of travelling Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich on Wednesday night hoping to pick up a result to take back to the Emirates Stadium.

It’s a tough ask and not really the reward the Gunners were looking for after winning their group so superbly last year.

It’s not all doom and gloom for Wenger’s men, though, this Bayern side aren’t as imperious as they’ve been in recent years with Carlo Ancelotti not exactly winning over supporters after the exit of Pep Guardiola last summer.

There are ways Arsenal can get at the Germans and if they can pick up a draw or even an incredible win then they’ll be in great shape for the second leg.

Here are the THREE Bayern weaknesses that the Gunners should exploit…

Smash the left flank

Philipp Lahm announcing his retirement at the end of the season has sent shockwaves around Germany over the last week. It was a controversial move with the Bayern hierarchy somewhat unhappy with his decision to announce it in such a fashion.

As quoted by The Sun, chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said:

“Bayern Munich are surprised by the actions of Philipp Lahm and his advisor.”

Hardly the ideal situation heading into the knockout stages of UEFA’s biggest club competition.

Lahm played at right-back on the weekend away to Ingolstadt but didn’t have the best game in a 2-0 Bayern win, before being substituted in the second half. If Arsenal can capitalise on this friction then it could be a way for them to expose what is a very talented backline.

That’s not to say Lahm isn’t still one of the best right-backs in the world, he is an extraordinary player. Arsenal have plenty of talent on that left-hand side though with the likes of Alex Iwobi and Alexis Sanchez able to put in match-winning performances. If they can overload on that side and give Lahm a battle, the Gunners may be able to show why he’s decided to hang up his boots at the end of the campaign.

Bayern’s pressure to win big

Bayern’s away record in Europe isn’t the best – in fact, they’ve failed to win away from home in their last eight knockout ties in the Champions League. Also losing twice away from home in this season’s competition to FC Rostov and Atletico Madrid, it’s clear that Ancelotti will be looking for a convincing win on Wednesday night to avoid any potential slip-up at the Emirates.

That puts pressure on the home side and leaves Wenger with a dilemma. Match them toe-to-toe in an open attacking game? Or have his side bide their time to pick off Bayern on the counter-attack?

Given the German side’s need to win it could be the latter that proves most effective. We know Arsenal can counter with pace with the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott likely to be in the side, while we know Arsenal can take chances with the likes of Alexis Sanchez leading the attack. Can Wenger exploit Ancelotti’s desire to win by two clear goals?

A midfield casualty

As reported by The Daily Mail, Xabi Alonso is facing a fitness battle ahead of Arsenal’s visit after hobbling out of a training session with a knee injury this week.

That’s a massive boost for Arsenal. Even if he makes the game, it gives the Gunners midfield an edge to exploit, knowing that the Spaniard likely isn’t at 100%. If he misses it? Well, Arsenal’s stars can impose themselves on the game knowing that Ancelotti has had to veer from his gameplan.

With Granit Xhaka again available, Wenger has a bit of midfield steel of his own to call upon and that could be vital with Bayern looking to exploit the space between Arsenal’s somewhat lightweight midfield and their defence. Xhaka, of course, knows all about Bayern having arrived at the Emirates from a four-year stint at Borussia Monchengladbach.

Can Arsenal exploit this pre-match turmoil in the heart of Bayern’s midfield?

As reported by The Express, Liverpool are the side most interested in signing Fulham’s teenage sensation Ryan Sessegnon this summer and are ready counter interest from some of the biggest clubs in England.

What’s the story?

Currently making a name for himself on the left flank at Fulham, 16 year old Sessegnon is tipped to make an impression at the very top of the game.

The Express report that Antonio Conte is a big fan but it’s Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp who is hoping to sign him when the transfer window opens again.

With Arsenal and Manchester City also interested in signing him up to his first professional contract, it would be quite the coup if Liverpool manage to land him.

Worth the fuss?

Compared to Gareth Bale by Fulham teammate Kevin McDonald, it’s clear Sessegnon is thought to have a very bright future in the game. The teenager has made 18 appearances in his first season of professional football and has shown excellent dribbling and crossing ability.

At just 16, he is of course still raw and would require polishing by Klopp to truly shine for Liverpool. What he needs more than anything is regular first-team football so perhaps a move to the Anfield would not be the best for his development.

Nevertheless, the Reds investing early in that development could pay dividends down the line, especially if he truly is a player that could turn into a world class talent like Gareth Bale.

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The world’s oldest association football competition returns to our screens this weekend, with the FA Cup reaching the quarter-final stages, and it will have punters all over the country looking for the chance to make some big money with an upset.

However, whilst we have seen out fair share of giant killings this season, now we’re into the latter stages of the competition, with just eight sides left looking to book their place at Wembley Stadium, it looks very unlikely that results will go against the odds this weekend.

Therefore, it may be beneficial to your bank balance to look deeper into the options of who and what you can back with your pocket money this weekend.

Individual bets on goalscorers are always a win for the canny punters out there and many will be looking at the Arsenal front men, when they take on non-league Lincoln City at The Emirates, to make them some quick money.

However, there is an even more sure-fire way to turn a profit on goalscorers this weekend, and he’s just across north London.

Tottenham striker Harry Kane has been in sublime form this season, especially since the turn of the year. The England international is leading the Premier League top scoring charts with 19, after his brace against Everton last weekend.

That may be more than enough for many to back him, at a generous 11/5, to open the scoring against Millwall at the Lane this weekend, however, if you are still not convinced, his stats this calendar year will have you running to the bookies with cash in hand.

The 23-year-old has featured in 12 games in 2017, bagging 14 goals and three hat-tricks, one of which was against Fulham in the FA Cup fifth round

Still not enough? Well, just to tip you over the edge, in every game Kane has scored in 2017, he has been the one to open the scoring. Taking all that in, you would be foolish not to get the “one season wonder” on to continue that trend this weekend.

Romelu Lukaku has told Everton that he will not sign a new contract at the club, despite his agent Mino Raiola indicating that a deal was almost done, according to The Telegraph.

What’s the latest?

The majority of Everton fans have probably been waiting for an official announcement that their star striker has put pen to paper on a new contract given the amount of times that the player’s representative has discussed it.

Raiola recently reiterated to talkSPORT that a long-term deal was 99.9% finalised, but importantly, Lukaku has been rather quiet on the situation.

His only real comment on the speculation was given a few days ago when he replied, “No”, after being asked by Play Sports if he was signing a new deal.

Now, reports The Telegraph, Lukaku has informed Everton that he will not put pen to paper on a £140,000-a-week contract.

It appears as though the Belgium international intends to keep his options open ahead of what could be a busy summer transfer window.

What happens next?

Lukaku still has two years remaining on his current deal, so there is no rush for either party to come to a solution just yet.

Because of this reason, the Toffees are unlikely to give up hope on convincing the 23-year-old to put pen to paper.

However, the latest developments are sure to spark the attention of rival clubs that may be keen on making a move for Lukaku.

The striker’s former club Chelsea have previously been linked with a big-money swoop, while Manchester United have also been touted s a rumoured suitor.

Elite clubs around Europe are also likely to be linked to the forward, who has admitted before that he has a desire to play Champions League football.

If Everton are resigned to losing their key player, then they are expected to demand a huge fee for him.

As it stands, Lukaku is joint top scorer alongside Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane in the Premier League with 19 goals.

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Celtic’s progress under Brendan Rodgers continues to be stellar. Now 36 games unbeaten domestically, a stretch that runs the entire season, the club are now just one win away from a sixth successive league tile.

In recent weeks though performances have gone slightly off the boil. It’s obviously absurd to suggest there are problems at Celtic, especially on the pitch, but the team could do with refocusing on their goals between now and the end of the season.

The big one is of course securing a domestic treble of trophies. The Hoops have a massive semi-final in the Scottish Cup coming up against Rangers, a match that is by far the most important of their upcoming schedule.

If the Hoops play like they did against their city rivals two weeks ago or like they did recently against Dundee then that match is not a foregone conclusion, despite the difference between the two sides on paper.

Step forward Tom Rogic, a man who is edging closer to a return from injury that has seen him ruled out since December.

Here are the THREE reasons why Rogic is the man to come in and deliver the treble for the Hoops…

 The team needs a different option in the final third

Celtic were at their best this season when they had Scott Sinclair rampaging down the flanks, Moussa Dembele battering defences up front and a certain Tom Rogic finding space just behind.

He adds a different dimension to this Celtic side through the middle, a clear and distinct different option to Sinclair’s play on the left.

Sinclair has of course been fantastic this season but if he’s off his game then suddenly Celtic are relying on the likes of James Forrest, who can be inconsistent, or Gary Mackay-Steven, who isn’t getting the job done to great effect.

As teams get increasingly used to the way Celtic play and have started to isolate Sinclair, re-introducing Rogic could be the shot in they arm they need to find their attacking swagger once again.

For the Rangers game in particular this could be big. He’s been missing from the previous two matches so bringing him back in time for that would provide a real tactical headache for new Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha.

His goal contribution is big

Tom Rogic is one of the five Celtic players on doubles figures for the season and he’s been a constant threat to opposition goalkeepers all season. In fact, only Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele have a better goals to minutes played ratio this season, highlighting that Rogic is a level above the rest of the midfield when it comes to finding the back of the net.

Putting that goal threat back into the side could be massive and the difference between going the season unbeaten and not.

If Celtic again have Moussa Dembele, Scott Sinclair, Stuart Armstrong and Rogic back in the starting XI then they’ll be absolutely unstoppable on their march to the treble. Between the four of them they have scored a massive 72 goals so far this season.

He savours the big games

Tom Rogic is a big game player and after netting against Aberdeen in this season’s League Cup Final and against Rangers in last season’s Scottish Cup semi-final, has shown he isn’t afraid of the Hampden stage.

Generally Celtic’s players all manage to raise their game when big occasions come around but the last performance against Rangers at Celtic Park lacked a cutting edge.

Rogic provides that and has a ruthlessness to his game on these occasions that can be undeniable. It’s made him a fan favourite with Australian national team supporters and now he’s starting to show it at club level too.

Starting him in the games at Hampden could be the difference between winning the treble and this season becoming one of missed opportunity.