Paul Merson has rubbished Tottenham Hotspur’s win over Manchester City, insisting that they could have lost 7-0 on another day, per Sky Sports News.

What’s the word?

Spurs recorded a 2-0 win over Pep Guardiola’s side at the weekend, boosting their hopes of a top-four finish.

They subsequently climbed into fifth-place, just four points behind Chelsea, but Merson was less than convinced by the victory.

Per WhoScored, Spurs had just three shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes, while City had 19, with six of the latter on target.

And Merson believes that Jose Mourinho’s men escaped with all three points.

He said: “It was a big win, but it just papered over the cracks, they are a million miles behind – it could have been 6-0 or 7-0 on any other day.

“They rode their luck, but give them credit, they stuck to the game plan and hung in there and got their lucky breaks. And a great goal, as soon as the lad hits it, he is running away as he knows it is a goal.

“But you cannot sit there and say, ‘Mourinho is doing great.’ It was just an absolute run around in my opinion.

“He was brought in to get in the top four and that was a big result towards that though.”

In form

Spurs are actually playing really well under Mourinho.

Per Jonny Blain, who works for the BBC and Sky Sports, on Twitter, Spurs have picked up more points than any other side bar Liverpool, Manchester City and Leicester City since his appointment.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

Merson, though, clearly has some sort of axe to grind and, while he says that this is a “big result” towards the top four, he clearly believes Spurs are way behind City in terms of their development.

As it is, though, Mourinho set up his team to counter-punch their way to victory and it worked.

Merson can criticise them all he likes but, really, he’s missing the point.

Meanwhile, a superstar snubbed Spurs on deadline day!

Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana is interested in joining Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, according to a report from the Daily Mail.

It is suggested that the shot-stopper is keen to leave the Dutch outfit at the end of the current campaign and wishes to move to the Premier League. He wouldn’t come cheap, however, with a figure between £40-£50 million probably required to secure his services.

Spurs could face competition for the 23-year-old if they did try to sign him, with the player also interested in joining Chelsea (according to the Daily Mail). Spanish giants Barcelona are thought to be keen on him, although a move to England is what Onana prefers. The Cameroonian international has been a regular for Ajax for the last four seasons and was a key member of the side which reached the Champions League semi-finals in the 2018/19 campaign, playing in all 12 games (Transfermarkt).

In the current season, he has managed to keep 13 clean sheets in 32 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt) and he averages 1.8 saves per game in the Eredivisie whilst also showing he is adept with his feet, averaging 20.7 accurate passes per match (SofaScore).

However, it seems that plenty of Spurs fans wouldn’t be too keen on signing the young goalkeeper. Some feel that he isn’t that good and that there are better options out there, whilst others are happy with current number one Hugo Lloris and feel that they do not need a new man between the sticks.

Here is what some had to say on Twitter…

Spurs fans, do you want your club to sign Andre Onana in the summer? Let us know below…

Having averaged more than one goal conceded per game (1.35) in his tenure as Arsenal manager, Unai Emery certainly had trouble trying to ensure the Gunners looked defensively solid.

If there were thoughts the former PSG boss could come in and bring some organisation and resilience to the north London side after replacing Arsene Wenger, then it sadly did not prove to be the case.

In his first campaign in charge at the Emirates, the Gunners conceded 51 goals in the Premier League – the exact same amount they let in during Wenger’s final season.

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During the first 13 top-flight matches this season under Emery, Arsenal let in a total of 218 shots on goal, at an average of 16.7 per game. 73 of those attempts were on target, at an average of 5.6 per game.

So when Mikel Arteta replaced the Spaniard as the club’s permanent head coach, the defence understandably was always going to be a priority. When you’ve got someone like last season’s Golden Boot winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front, making sure the back-line is tight and secure is always a good place to start – and to the Gunners boss’ credit, he has done exactly that.

Arsenal have conceded just seven goals in seven league games under Arteta, with clean sheets against the likes of Burnley away and Manchester United at home. And when looking at the underlying numbers, it is easy to see why they have made some major strides forward defensively.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Arsenal Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

Compared to Emery’s time this season, the Gunners have conceded just 87 total shots at an average of 12.42 per game, whilst only 29 of them have been on target – an average of 4.14 per game. The north Londoners are ensuring Bernd Leno has far less to do now, and that is making life a whole lot easier. It’s quite the damning statement that an Arsenal player is second on the list for most saves made by a Premier League goalkeeper this season, with 93.

Whilst wins have been hard to come by for Arteta – he still only has one win in the Premier League – he has at least ensured the Gunners are now no longer soft touches in defence. And that should be applauded big-time.

Meanwhile, this Arsenal man is enjoying an Oscar-worthy revival at the Emirates.

Alan Hutton has officially announced his retirement from professional football and will be hanging up his boots for good.

And it didn’t really take long for his friends and former teammates to start sending him various messages of support, but John McGinn couldn’t resist sending his with a rather cheeky swipe at one of Hutton’s former clubs, Rangers.

Did he really play for us?! No Villa fan has managed to name all of these obscure Villans….

He congratulated the defender on a “great career from 2008 onwards” on

/B8v-ChxHfeD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram, referencing that it only started after he left Ibrox and went on to play for the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and then Villa.

Of course, with the current Aston Villa player being a big Celtic fan himself, it’s no great surprise that he would take this opportunity to throw some harmless shade on Rangers in the process.

Hutton spent six years at Ibrox but, for McGinn, that part of his career is not really important enough to be acknowledged, so he congratulated him on everything he achieved following his departure from Scotland.

But even with the current Villa man being a Celtic fan, this was still just banter among friends and a tongue-in-cheek example of some old-fashioned football rivalry.

Meanwhile, one Villa loanee has been given a vote of confidence by Kevin Phillips…

The Athletic journalist George Caulkin has given his verdict on whether Newcastle United will remain in the Premier League this season.

What’s he said?

The Magpies have been on a remarkably poor run of form.

Since the turn of the year, they have won just once in the Premier League, beating Chelsea 1-0, and have lost to Leicester City, Arsenal, and, on Saturday, to Crystal Palace. They have also drawn with Norwich City, Everton, and Wolves.

In those seven games, they have scored just four goals, conceded 11, and taken six points from a possible 21. They have been left 14th in the league, seven points clear of the drop zone.

Nevertheless, Caulkin thinks that the club have the ability to remain in the top-flight.

He said in an Athletic Q&A: “My gut feeling is that Newcastle will be okay, but I’m basing that on the number of mediocre teams below them and the cushion they have rather than any real optimism.

“Performances have consistently been terrible all season (in terms of how difficult they are to watch) and now results are keeping pace with them. And they’re perfectly capable of losing 5-6 games in a row.

“Is any other Premier League squad as unbalanced as theirs? The lack of a fit, functioning centre-half is criminal, as is the failure to address their obvious weaknesses in January.

“I think the next couple of games will be pivotal. Steve Bruce will change things in terms of style / formation – I don’t have much doubt about that – but will it be enough? And even if they do survive, the big question has to be about what happens next.”

Is life under Ashley really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, Newcastle fans…

Tough run-in

Newcastle face both Liverpool and Manchester City before the end of the season and also play a number of their supposed relegation rivals.

Before the end of the season, Steve Bruce’s side play West Ham United, Watford, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Brighton, who all finished the weekend in the bottom six.

It is key that Newcastle win at least two of those games, then, if they are to climb away from trouble.

But they have won just eight times this season and are yet to string together more than two wins in a row, which they’ve only done on two occasions.

They need to pick their form up if they are to have any hope, and a run of defeats could easily see them slip into the drop zone.

It is crunch time for Bruce’s men.

Meanwhile, Newcastle boss Steve Bruce has been told to start playing one man!

According to Football Insider, Southampton along with fellow Premier League side Aston Villa are interested in signing defender Jake Cooper.

Cooper currently plays as a centreback for Championship side Millwall and very highly rated by the London side, so much so that the defender has played every minute of the last 111 games for the Lions.

Cooper is 6ft4 and is a valuable asset at both ends of the pitch. Indeed, no current Saints defender has won more aerial duels on average than him (4.4 per via WhoScored) so he’s proven, at least in theory, capable of imposing himself in both penalty boxes.

Southampton have conceded the 2nd most goals in the Premier League (51) and Ralph Hassenhuttl has had many issues in defence. The likes of Jack Stephens, Jannik Vestergaard and Maya Yoshida have all been in and out of the side this season, with only Jan Bednarek making over 20 starts when it comes to central defenders.

Cooper is two years younger than the aforementioned 27-year-old Vestergaard and performing well in what tends to be a physical league so perhaps investing in a player like this could be a good idea, given the Dane’s links with a move to Leicester City.

Furthermore, Yoshida was allowed to leave in the January transfer window, so there is certainly scope to strengthen in that area and, given his aerial dominance, he does look as if he could add something to their ranks.

Would you back a move for Cooper? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

Bruno Alves left Rangers in rather understated fashion when Steven Gerrard walked through the door in 2018.

The Portuguese had his contract terminated by mutual consent and with little more than a quick comment from the manager, he was leaving Ibrox.

Alves was an eye-catching signing when he was snapped up by Pedro Caixinha in the summer of 2017 but ultimately it didn’t work out for the defender who has now been capped 96 times his country.

A player boasting vast experience throughout club football and on the international stage, it was a player who could have added a bit of steel to the Gers. Indeed, that’s exactly what they’re missing now.

When the 38-year-old departed Glasgow for Italy, his departure won’t have meant much. After all, Rangers had brought in Connor Goldson who has since been linked with Fulham and Leeds in England’s Championship.

However, he has hardly been convincing in recent weeks, making a catastrophic error against Hamilton on Wednesday. He isn’t the only defender who has been costing the team dearly, though.

Although Rangers came through their Europa League tie with Braga, they were 2-0 down against the Liga NOS outfit in the first leg. Gerrard’s men conceded a further two against St Johnstone and then crashed out of the Scottish Cup at the hands of Hearts.

The issue? Rangers’ back four. Once again they were undone in rather shambolic fashion as club captain James Tavernier failed to clear properly and Allan McGregor wrongfully committed. The result was Oliver Bozanovic tapping the ball into an empty net.

It was symptomatic of a team struggling significantly in defence. In terms of their organisation, it was essentially non-existent.

How they could do with a resolute and resilient character, one possessing undoubted leadership qualities. After Rangers’ defeat on Saturday, a number of fans questioned why Tavernier was captain – remarks that remain very valid given his involvement in their defeat last weekend.

Coincidentally, Alves is now captain of Parma as they sit ninth in the Italian top-flight. The former Gers man has been influential in that, combining a steely nature with a calming influence.

From his 20 appearances, he has a pass success rate of 83%, all while registering a colossal eight long balls per match.

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

On top of that, he’s managed 17 blocks – a number that equates to 0.9 per game. His no-nonsense attitude at Parma would have been vital to Rangers in the last few games; they miss someone willing to defend at all costs.

In the Europa League this term, Filip Helander hars registered 0.6 blocks per match. Goldson, meanwhile, has mustered just 0.4.

With Rangers in such poor form – failing to win six domestic matches in 2020 – their defence is in great need of improvement. How they miss Alves.

Meanwhile, Chris Sutton has had some choice words for Alfredo Morelos…

With just nine games of the season to go, West Bromwich Albion are in a great position to go on and win promotion to the Premier League.

The Baggies sit six points clear of third place, and barring a late capitulation they should be a top-flight outfit next season.

As each game gets ticked off the calendar, eyes will slowly but surely turn towards the summer transfer window, and speculation about who the Midlands club will look to sign is already rampant.

Indeed, Slaven Bilic’s side have already been linked with one of the Championship’s top strikers.

What’s the story then?

Sky Sports are reporting that West Brom are interested in Huddersfield striker Karlan Grant.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Unfortunately, the Baggies aren’t the only team in the race for the Terriers frontman as Aston Villa are reportedly also looking into the possibility of signing him.

Despite the Yorkshire club’s lacklustre season, Grant has been a beacon of hope for the Terriers, netting 16 times in the league.

A prolific forward who knows where the net is sounds like exactly the type of player Albion should be targeting, after all, their top scorer this season is Hal Robson-Kanu, and he only has 10 goals.

However, if they land Grant that shouldn’t spell the end of their hunt for a new striker.

Need more

Grant may well be good enough to lead the line for Bilic’s team in the Premier League.

He scored four in 13 in a struggling Huddersfield side during his maiden top-flight campaign, and that form has carried through to this season, netting 16 times in the Championship.

However, he still isn’t as proven a striker as West Brom would like, and they need a contingency plan for if he proves to be something of a flash in the pan.

Goals are vital for any team battling to stay up in the top-flight, and West Brom should still be in the hunt for someone who has proven their credentials at Premier League level for a number of years.

Taking a punt on Grant would be wise – he’s shown a lot of promise this season, and if the Baggies do go straight back down upon promotion he’d have what it takes to keep them competitive in the Championship. However, they’d be foolish to put all their eggs in one basket with him.

In other news, this Championship midfielder isn’t the answer for West Brom.

Wilfried Zaha is arguably the most iconic and talismanic figure in Crystal Palace’s current squad of players.

The homegrown talent can strike fear into opposition defenders with his powerful dribbling, as indicated by the fact that he completes 4.7 dribbles per game, while also being fouled 3.2 times.

Watch Crystal Palace Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, there has been one thing that has been missing from his game, and it is exactly the sort of moment that is depicted below.

This goal, against Brighton & Hove Albion on December 16, was brilliantly taken to earn a draw against the Eagles’ rivals, when he got himself a yard of space in the box, before blasting the ball past Mat Ryan with his left foot.

It was a great goal, that clearly meant a lot, but the fact that he has scored just two others this campaign is verging on the criminal for somebody who is so threatening and talented.

Another disappointing statistic is that this is his most recent goal, depsite the fact the Ivory Coast international has played the full 90 minutes in Palace’s last 12 Premier League matches after that game.

Zaha is undoubtedly a massively talented footballer, but Palace need him to start scoring more goals.

Meanwhile, Palace have been touted to make a move for a pair of teenagers.

Leeds United fans have been left swooning over former striker Mark Viduka after Sky Sports showed a game from yesteryear on this week’s edition of Monday Night Football.

With no regular match action from the current campaign, the likes of Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher run the rule over Leeds’ 4-3 victory against Liverpool, which the latter actually featured in.

The encounter is well remembered at Elland Road, not just because of the momentous scenes, but because their ex-star nabbed all four goals by himself putting Carragher’s defending to shame.

Here’s how fans reacted to the throwback fixture…

According to Transfermarkt’s recorded matches, the Aussie would go on to bag 21 goals that season in all competitions, including strikes against Real Madrid in the Champions League and Manchester United in the Premier League.

Viduka would remain in west Yorkshire until 2004 as Leeds were relegated to the second tier, resulting in him joining Middlesbrough with their finances not in the best of shape.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Leeds discussion going on in the Vital Leeds Forum! Click here to get involved!

His parting gift from Elland Road was a goal from the spot and a red card in their 4-1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers.

Oh, how Marcelo Bielsa could do with a player of Viduka’s ilk right now. His current side rank third-worst for chance conversion in the Championship with Patrick Bamford their top goalscorer with 13 goals.

Who is that?! Nobody has been able to name the teams all of these obscure managers were once in charge of…

They have managed to score only 13.6% of their 412 attempts at goal so could you imagine a prime and prolific Viduka banging them in now?

AND in other news, Leeds fans rave over Jack Harrison footage…