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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter in defensive fashion after West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini publicly called out their manager Jurgen Klopp, following the 1-1 draw between the two sides at the London Stadium on Monday night.

The Reds missed the opportunity to go even further ahead of Pellegrini’s former side Manchester City as a result of the draw, although they can probably count themselves lucky they didn’t lose as their goal should have been ruled out for offside.

Hammers boss Pellegrini, who appeared to still have his former side Malaga’s last gasp defeat to Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 Champions League quarter-final on his mind, was not happy with the decision.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

The Chilean said: “Klopp is used to winning with offside goals. He beat me against Malaga with a goal seven metres offside – so he cannot complain about anything.”

Naturally, Liverpool fans on Twitter have leapt to the defence of their beloved boss after the war of words…

There’s been a lot of talking points that have stemmed from Arsenal’s season so far. Unai Emery’s arrival, for example, has been intriguing to watch. He’s adapted well to the Premier League, as have many of his summer signings like Bernd Leno and Lucas Torreira, but can he keep it up?

Likewise, Aaron Ramsey has caught the eye at points throughout the season, ahead of his move to Juventus, even if he hasn’t played as much as he has in the past.

However, the bigger story coming from the Emirates so far has been that which surrounds Mesut Ozil. The German’s involvement under Emery has dipped significantly over the course of the season, and despite maintaining a strong status under Arsene Wenger, he’s been knocked down more than a few pegs by his new manager.

Seldom given chances by the Spaniard, it’s been up to him to try and prove the boss wrong, and against Bournemouth on Wednesday, he certainly did just that.

He was given a rare start against the Cherries, and with so much pressure on his shoulders, he delivered as he so often has in the past at the Emirates.

It’s not often that the German has been given 90 minutes in the Premier League this term, but he certainly deserved to stay on for the duration. The headlines will be written about his goal and assist, but as per Who Scored, a further examination of his statistics resemble a player at the peak of his powers.

An incredible passing accuracy rate of just shy of 97% resembles Ozil at his very best, moving play on and creating magic with very little margin for error. He was, in fact, the only player to complete the entire game with a rate above 95%, and that speaks volumes of his involvement.

Beyond that, his 85 touches, a number only bettered by Matteo Guendouzi and Nacho Monreal, highlight the regularity of his involvement, whilst his 4 key passes show just how engaged he was with Arsenal’s offensive movement.

Stats, of course, only tell part of the story. Anyone that watched the game would have recognised that Ozil was at the centre of everything good that Arsenal did. But if Unai Emery is seeking a reason to keep the German in his team; he doesn’t need to look any further than the incredible numbers that the German produced.

Thoughts?

– Keep up with the rest of our Trending Topic coverage on The Mesut Ozil Problem by clicking here… –

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Loads of Manchester United fans have been giving their verdict on some damning comments from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who said he can’t do anything about Alexis Sanchez’s poor form.

Manchester United were completely outclassed on Tuesday night if truth be told, as goals from Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe were enough to give the French champions a 2-0 advantage to take back to Paris.

Paul Pogba was sent off on a miserable evening for Solskjaer, and the boss also lost two key attackers to injury.

Both Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial were taken off injured during the defeat, with Juan Mata and Alexis Sanchez replacing the speedy duo.

Needless to say, the Red Devils had absolutely no pace on the counter attack in the second half, and Sanchez was particularly poor, managing just 26 touches of the ball, zero shots, zero dribbles, zero key passes and zero crosses.

“I can’t do anything about Alexis Sanchez, when he plays, he needs to find himself, because we know there is a quality player there,” Solskjaer said of the Chilean international.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are already preparing to cut ties with the winger this summer…

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Jonjo Shelvey has returned to Newcastle training ahead of a very winnable fixture at home to Huddersfield, and Rafael Benitez should switch things up to accommodate both the English pass-master and new signing Miguel Almiron.

Shelvey is officially back in Newcastle training, Sky Sports reports.

The 26 year-old England international has been missing since the beginning of January with a thigh injury, but has re-joined the first team at their warm-weather training camp in Spain.

The Magpies have no fixture this weekend due to their exit from the FA Cup, but the following weekend brings Huddersfield to St. James’ Park, and the struggling Terriers will be there for the taking, so Benitez should go for the throat.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Miguel, meet Jonjo

Benitez and Newcastle have found success with a 5-4-1 system recently, a formation which requires Matt Ritchie to play out of position as a left-wing-back.

By switching to a 4-3-3, Benitez would be taking a risk by benching one of his centre backs, who have performed mostly excellently all season.

However, there is simply no place for Almiron in the 5-4-1 setup, and a switch to 4-3-3 also makes room for Shelvey.

Salomon Rondon is un-droppable and Almiron would no doubt take a place in the front three, leaving the last spot for Ritchie, Christian Atsu and Kenedy to fight over.

Shelvey could then move into midfield alongside Mo Diame and the ever-improving Sean Longstaff, a midfield trio packed with athleticism, composure and most importantly for Almiron – Shelvey’s ability to ping balls behind the opponent’s defence.

The little Paraguayan international looked absolutely electric in his short cameo against Wolves, and his pace will terrorise the Huddersfield defence if Rafa finds a way to fit Shelvey in the team.

So, Newcastle fans, would you change the system to accommodate the star duo? Or keep the 5-4-1? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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Tottenham fans have taken to Twitter to react after Youri Tielemans put in an excellent performance against them for Leicester, despite being on the receiving end of a 3-1 scoreline at Wembley on Sunday.

The young Belgian international was making his debut for the Foxes, having arrived on a loan deal from Monaco on deadline day for the remainder of the season.

Coincidentally, he was making his first appearance against a club who were also interested in his services in the January window in Spurs, although the 21-year-old eventually ended up at the King Power Stadium.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Tielemans completed 91.7% of his passes, completed two tackles and made two key passes as he was unlucky to be on the losing side against Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

Understandably, having been linked with him last month, Spurs supporters on Twitter were upset to see the former Anderlecht man perform so well after missing out on him…

تلقى مجلس إدارة اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية، اليوم الخميس، شكوى جديدة من هاني العتال نائب رئيس نادي الزمالك ضد مرتضى منصور، لتصبح الشكوى السابعة.

وكانت اللجنة الأولمبية قد تلقت 6 شكاوى من قبل، من محمود الخطيب رئيس النادي الأهلي، عمرو الجنايني رئيس اتحاد الكرة، المهندس هشام نصر رئيس اتحاد كرة اليد، لجنة الحكام الرئيسيّة باتحاد كرة القدم، عبدالله جورج عضو مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، وممدوح عباس رئيس الزمالك السابق.

طالع | أبرزها لـ الخطيب والجنايني.. “الأولمبية” تتلقى قائمة من الشكاوى ضد مرتضى منصور

وجاء بشكوى العتال الجديدة، أنه تم انعقاد الجمعية العمومية العادية لنادى الزمالك بتاريخ 23 و24 نوفمبر 2017، والتي تضمنت بند انتخابات مجلس إدارة جديد للدورة 2017 /2021 والتى أسفرت عن فوزه على مقعد نائب رئيس مجلس إدارة النادى للدورة وذلك بناءً على ما أعلنته اللجنة القضائية المشرفة على الانتخابات فضلا عن اعتماد ذلك من الجهة الادارية المختصة واللجنة الألومبية المصرية.

وأضاف نائب رئيس مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك في شكواه، أنه منذ ذلك التاريخ ومرتضى منصور يحاول بكل الطرق منعه من مباشرة مهامه كنائب للرئيس، مخالفًا بذلك إرادة الجمعية العمومية التي جعلها القانون السلطة العليا في الهيئات الرياضية، فضلا عن مخالفته كذلك لكل القوانين والمواثيق الدولية والأولمبية المنظمة لشئون الرياضة.

واختتم شكواه بطلب اتخاذ ما يلزم نحو تنفيذ إرادة الجمعية العمومية لـ الزمالك، بتمكينه من مباشرة مهامه كنائب لرئيس مجلس إدارة النادي.

وكان مجلس إدارة اللجنة الأولمبية قد قرر تحويل الشكاوى التي وصلت إليه إلى لجنة الأندية والقيم والأخلاق للتحقيق فيها واتخاذ مايلزم طالع التفاصيل من هنا.

يُذكر أن لجنة الانضباط بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم قد قررت منع مرتضى منصور من المشاركة أو الحضور في الأنشطة التي ينظمها الاتحاد المصري لمدة 6 مباريات وتغريمه 200 ألف جنيه، وذلك بعد هجومه على أعضاء اللجنة الخماسية والحكام.

Well, a slip in form couldn’t have come at a worse time possible for Liverpool, could it?

While they’ve remained defensively impenetrable, their misfiring attack’s disabling them from churning out wins. To make things worse, their midfield’s shown little signs of creativity and been the root cause of all their frustrations.

While Fabinho’s been a commendable figure guarding his defence and Georgino Wijnaldum’s legs in midfield have helped them, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita have been held back by underperforming. Too much pressure is on the trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah to create and score their own goals, with Liverpool’s full-backs also doing more work than their midfielders.

However, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s return can fix their midfield issues. The energetic midfielder, who’s been out for nearly a year, is poised to return for Liverpool’s U-23 side this Friday (via the BBC.)

Chamberlain was a revelation in Jurgen Klopp’s system last season, shifting into a new midfield role effortlessly. He worked hard, did his defensive duties well and also helped the Reds drive forward. The fact that he made 7 assists, created 5 big chances and recorded 13 accurate through balls in the Premier League (stats via Premier League) proves how effective he was in lighting up their midfield.

The 25-year-old’s adapted to a central role impressively and possesses the urgency and creativity missing in Liverpool’s midfield currently. While Klopp will immerse him back into the fray easily, he needs the Ox to get back to his rhythm and spark up their dull midfield quickly.

Liverpool fans, do you think Chamberlain can help rejuvenate the Reds’ midfield? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

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Crystal Palace had a wonderful win at the weekend, putting four goals past Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Jonny Evans registered for Leicester in the second half of the Premier League match, but the Eagles ran out 4-1 winners in the late kickoff.

It was a wonderful performance from the London club, with Michy Batshuayi scoring his first Palace goal and Wilfried Zaha hitting a double.

However, it was the display of central defender James Tomkins that really caught the attention of then club’s supporters during and indeed after the match.

According to WhoScored, Tomkins won four headers and had a pass success rate of 84% during his 90 minutes on the field.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

The 29-year-old has been quietly excellent for Palace in recent weeks and the club’s fans were very keen to draw attention to the Englishman on Saturday.

A selection of the Twitter reaction in relation to his display can be seen below:

West Ham fans have had a really good season this campaign so far, Manuel Pellegrini is undoubtedly the best manager that they’ve had in a while and to your every day Hammer, the thought of sacking him is absolutely absurd. However, in football, you always get those strange few as one West Ham fans has called for a Slaven Bilic return.

Yes, just in case you thought that you must have misread the previous paragraph and the tweet above, there is a genuine supporter of West Ham United who would happily see Pellegrini, a former Premier League winner, sacked for a gaffer who was recently sacked in the Suadi Arabian League. It is up there with one of the most ridiculous calls this year, and Hammers everywhere have been rubbishing it.

Whilst Slaven Bilic was at West Ham, he may have completed some tidy transfer business. His signing of Dimitri Payet was the obvious highlight, but then things went downhill as he brought in Gokhan Tore and Simone Zaza, players that were destined to flop in the big leagues of the Premier League. Now it seems that they have a manager who really knows what he’s doing, poaches quality players in the market and knows how to win, yet some still aren’t happy.

You can see what the Hammers have made of the Pellegrini out comments here:

The Hammers hate the idea of losing Pellegrini and want to hear no more talk from their own fans that he should go.

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Everton are crying out for an upgrade at right-back, but they may already have the man for the job at the club.

On the chalkboard

Everton upgraded three quarters of their ageing rear-guard last summer, adding Lucas Digne, Kurt Zouma and Yerry Mina to the defensive ranks.

Seamus Coleman is the only one left of that iconic back-line led by Phil Jagielka, but the Republic of Ireland international has had a very poor season.

After missing the first part of the campaign with a foot injury sustained on international duty, he has looked a step off the pace in virtually every game, and has recently lost his place to youngster Jonjoe Kenny.

Kenny himself has not exactly impressed though, and a right-back is surely high up on the priority list for the summer transfer market.

However, Mason Holgate’s form on loan with West Brom suggests the youngster could be ready to step into Coleman’s shoes next season.

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The perfect loan move

Holgate was primarily a centre back at Goodison, as many felt he didn’t have the pace or technical ability to bomb down the wing as a full-back.

He has well and truly put that notion to bed though, wowing West Brom fans this weekend with a lung-busting run to earn his side a corner in the dying moments of a 1-0 win, which you can see here.

The 22 year-old has started all four of his Championship appearances so far as a right-back. He has one assist already, and averages a whopping 2.5 successful dribbles per game. To put that in perspective, Richarlison averages just 1.2 dribbles per game.

And while the youngster’s time as a full-back is improving his ability on the ball, he isn’t neglecting his defensive duties either, making a remarkable three tackles and 2.3 interceptions per game so far with the Baggies.

Holgate is far from a perfect right-back at the moment, but the versatile defender has all the physical and technical tools to be Coleman’s eventual successor, and his January loan move is playing out perfectly.