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During Arsenal’s recent disappointing 1-1 draw with Wolves at the Emirates Stadium, left-back Sead Kolasinac failed to produce the kind of performance that will see him usurp Nacho Monreal as the first-choice option.

With the Spaniard currently injured, Kolasinac is as good as guaranteed of getting a spell in the side. With him yet to truly convince for the Gunners though, his long-term future with the north London club must be in doubt.

Playmaker FC’s Theo Ogden was at the Emirates to witness Arsenal’s qualification for the Europa League last 32. Check out his match diary in the video below…

Since joining the club as a free agent in the summer of the 2017, the former Schalke defender has struggled to consistently impress in England and has been shown himself to be vulnerable defensively on numerous occasions.

With Monreal ageing, Unai Emery will soon need to identify a new first-choice left-back. So far, the 24-cap Bosnia and Herzegovina international has done little to convince that he’s worthy of stepping up to that more senior role in the squad.

If the Spanish manager is forced to buy a player to replace Monreal, instead of promoting Kolasinac, then the 25-year-old must consider his Arsenal career to be dead in the water.

Arsenal fans are certainly split on whether or not the powerful full-back will still come good at the Emirates, with only 54% of those who voted in our poll still of the opinion that Kolasinac has a future under Emery. See the full results below.

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has been left short of options between the sticks due to injuries to both his senior goalkeepers.

The Argentine took over the club in the summer and placed his faith in young Bailey Peacock-Farrell as his number one at Elland Road. Bielsa did sign Chelsea youngster Jamal Blackman on loan to add depth, but now both ‘keepers face a spell on the sidelines. Blackman will miss the foreseeable future after suffering a broken leg, while Peacock-Farrell is struggling with a knee injury.

And with the January transfer window now less than two months away, Bielsa would be wise to bring another shot stopper to the Yorkshire giants as they seek a return to the Premier League.

And one man who should be on his shortlist is Fulham outcast Marcus Bettinelli.

Valued at £4.5 million by Transfermarkt, the Englishman was a key player for the Cottagers under Slavisa Jokanovic last year. He made 26 appearances in the Championship, helping his side win the play-off final against Aston Villa to earn promotion back to the Premier League.

Fulham targeted a new goalkeeper during this summer which made his future at the club unclear. Eventually, Jokanovic opted to sign Sergio Rico, but Bettinelli remained his number one. His impressive showings earned him a call up to the senior England squad, but the shot-stopper hasn’t featured in the Premier League since October.

Confident off his line and an excellent communicator, Bettinelli would be the ideal January addition. He would add stability to the Leeds back four, which in turn could give them the boost they need to push on and secure promotion, while his experience in the Championship could prove to be invaluable to Bielsa’s side in the long term.

If the Argentine could convince him to return to the lower division, it would be a masterstroke of a signing.

Leeds United fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Arsenal and Spurs produced the best game of the season so far as they fought out a bloody battle on Sunday, with the former recording an impressive 4-2 victory to move above their neighbours in the league standings. Mauricio Pochettino named a questionable starting XI and one man in particular is being slaughtered on social media for his performance.

Serge Aurier surely pumped himself up to the maximum for this game as it presented the opportunity to show Unai Emery, the man who sold him to Spurs from PSG last summer after a series of controversies, exactly what he’s about – he did just that as he was run ragged by a rampant Sead Kolasinac and turned inside out by the Gunners’ red-hot forwards.

The Ivorian’s frustration was on show early on as a failed interception forced him into unlawfully bringing down his man before angrily turning to Juan Foyth and accusing him of the mistake – wrongly, I might add.

The series of events which followed would lead to the hosts opening the scoring from the spot and things only got more heated from there as fans, players and staff clashed in what was one of the most memorable north London derbies to date – but it surely won’t be one Aurier talks about as often as we will.

Here’s how the White Hart Lane faithful reacted on Twitter.

Playmaker FC Exclusive: “Wolves absolutely spanked you” – Jermaine Jenas gives damning verdict of Arsenal’s season. Check out the video below…

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Celtic fans are desperate to sign Filip Benkovic permanently after his Thursday night display, so would the Croatian be a better signing than Dedryck Boyata?

After a troubling start to their European campaign, Celtic got back on track on Thursday night with a 1-0 win in Norway.

It wasn’t a vintage performance by any stretch of the imagination, but the performances of both centre backs meant the Bhoys never really looked like throwing away their lead.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”335560″ player=”12034″ title=”FIFA Awards”]

The problem of course is that neither of those centre backs are expected to still be here next season, with Benkovic only at the club on loan and Boyata yet to show any signs of penning a new long-term deal with the club.

So who would be the better signing? Boyata is a 15-cap Belgium international with tons of European experience, but Benkovic may just have the higher ceiling.

However, Leicester paid £13m for the 21 year-old this summer, so would expect more than that for a permanent deal at the end of the season.

In an ideal world the Bhoys would sign both, but Boyata’s experience, lower cost and connection with the club means he should be the priority.

So, Celtic fans, which centre back would you rather sign to a long-term deal? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

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Chelsea host reigning Premier League champions Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and Maurizio Sarri will be desperate to see his side bounce back from a midweek defeat at Wolves to claim a result against Pep Guardiola’s unbeaten outfit. 

Ahead of this enticing encounter, Football FanCast has taken a closer look at the tactical factors that could decide the outcome of Saturday’s clash between these two famous hues of blue.

The Key Battle – Raheem Sterling vs Marcos Alonso

So effective going forward, but often somewhat suspect defensively, Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso has the unenviable task ahead of him of containing the threat of Raheem Sterling.

The Manchester City forward has been in fine form so far this season, already having racked up nine goals and eight assists in all competitions. The 23-year-old’s pace, movement and inspired ability to combine with his teammates in the final third makes him a huge threat to Chelsea’s goal.

In order to try and limit Sterling’s capacity to wreak havoc, Alonso may have to temper his own attacking instincts somewhat. The Spaniard is not the most defensively minded of full-backs, but if he fails to stick diligently to his task then the Blues will almost certainly be punished for it.

However, even if Alonso is able to effectively nullify the 47-cap England man, the likes of Leroy Sane, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva will all be on hand to take Sterling’s place. 

Olivier Giroud is set for a starring role in the new Spiderman and it’s easy to see why! Check out the video below to find out more…

The Key Dynamic – Possession vs a different kind of possession

Both Manchester City and Chelsea love to keep the ball. They are the only two Premier League sides to have averaged over 60% possession per match so far this season – Guardiola’s men have averaged 64.3% of the ball per game, whilst Chelsea’s figure stands at 63%.

Neither side, then, will be happy ceding dominion of the ball to the opposition. That is not to say, though, that both teams use the ball in the same way once they’re in control of it.

Manchester City are much more fluid in their manoeuvrings of the ball, and of themselves off it. In advanced ares, players interchange their positions rapidly and seek to create confusion amongst the opposition ranks. Equally, with so many creative forces in their team, they’re never over-reliant upon a single playmaker. This makes them especially hard to defend against, as everyone is a threat and they’re all moving constantly.

Chelsea, on the other hand, take a far more structured approach. They also tend to funnel all of their play through Jorginho, who orchestrates attacking moves from the base of the midfield. The Blues are also more reliant upon moments of solo brilliance – hence such an attacking burden being placed on the individual ability of Eden Hazard. 

The Deciding Factor – Removing Chelsea’s lynchpin 

As previously mentioned, Chelsea play their game through Jorginho. When it works, this system can be very effective. It can also be Chelsea’s undoing though, as both West Ham and Tottenham have proved so far this season, when they took measures to pay special attention to Jorginho in order to dramatically reduce his ability to dictate the game. In these situations, Chelsea failed to contrive alternative methods of creating regular chances.

With the Italy international systematically removed from the game, Sarri’s side struggle to muster a great deal of attacking threat. However, such a targeted approach, based upon stopping the opposition doing what they do, rather than focusing upon his team’s own strengths, is hardly Guardiola’s style.

The Spanish coach prefers to play the game on his own terms. More often than not, this philosophy works out well for him. However, not taking steps to shut down Jorginho opens the door for him to hurt City.

The Impact Subs – Olivier Giroud vs Riyad Mahrez

There is a chance that both Olivier Giroud and Mahrez will be included in Chelsea and Manchester City’s starting XIs respectively. The recent poor form of Alvaro Morata could see Sarri give the Frenchman the nod, whilst Mahrez’s goal against Watford last time out could see him retain his place in Guardiola’s first team.

However, assuming both return to the bench for this weekend’s big game, then they could both feasibly play the role of game-changers.

Having an impact from the bench is Giroud’s speciality these days. The 32-year-old is second on the all-time list of Premier League substitute goal-scorers – behind only Jermain Defoe. The World Cup winner’s aerial presence, hold up skill, and ability to link play with his attacking teammates makes him an ideal target man, and also offers Sarri a method of adding some variation to his side’s approach play. 

Mahrez, meanwhile, is simply a player of such wondrous talent that he is capable of producing something spectacular at times when those around him may be struggling. Tired Chelsea defenders, run ragged by the likes of Sane and Sterling, must dread the prospect of a fresh Mahrez being introduced to the fray in the game’s latter stages. 

Chelsea will be looking for some big new signings in the next couple of transfer windows as they look to replace some of their ageing stars.

The future of Eden Hazard remains up in the air, while the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Gary Cahill, and others are coming to the end of their time with the Blues.

Manager Mauro Sarri will no doubt have his eye on a fair few new players, and we at the Tavern think that the Blues need to make sure they add a brand new central midfield player to the ranks above all else.

With that in mind, we believe signing Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar would be the perfect move for the Blues.

The 20-year-0ld ace has been in superb form for the French side this term, drawing plenty of plaudits along the way, and he would be a brilliant signing both in the short and long term for Chelsea.

Valued at some £31.5m by Transfermarkt, Aouar looks to have all the ability in the world to go on and become one of the finest midfield players in world football, and moving to a club like Chelsea might be the perfect move.

Aouar oozes class on the ball, and can seemingly do it all in the middle of the park, while also being capable of playing in a much more advanced role.

Lyon know they have a player on their hands, and it won’t be long until the big guns come circling, which is why we think Chelsea need to act now to secure one of the finest talents in Europe.

Chelsea fans, what do you think? Would Aouar improve your squad? Let us know in the comments!

During the peak of Danny Rose’s career it would not have been out of place to label him as one of the world’s best full-backs. 

When Rose announced himself to the Tottenham supporters by volleying home a stunning long-range strike at White Hart Lane a feeling of expectation suddenly manifested itself in north London.

Only a player of exceptional quality could execute such an outrageous strike on his full debut, right? Well, that is far from a universal rule but the premonitions eventually came to fruition.

However, a lengthy lay off from football following a serious knee injury derailed his flourishing career at the beginning of 2017, and nearly two years later he is only just rediscovering the form which made him the undisputed first-choice left-back for club and country before his setback.

Rose has openly revealed his struggle with mental health away from the field, particularly during his extended lay off from football, and the problems he endured both physically and mentally were clearly impacting his performances shortly after he returned from injury.

Since the start of the current campaign, however, Rose has produced a series of performances matching the immense quality we have come to expect from the 28-year-old.

His man of the match showing at the Nou Camp last week was a particular highlight, and it seems that Mauricio Pochettino provided some inspirational words to facilitate his upturn in form.

According to the London Evening Standard, Rose spoke to Pochettino between the World Cup and the opening game of the season against Newcastle, and his words had a telling impact on the marauding full–back.

“After the World Cup, I called the manager and we spoke. We spoke for an hour before the first game at Newcastle and we spoke for an hour after that.

“The one main thing that stuck out from what he said to me was: ‘Danny — stop wasting time’. So yeah, I’m not wasting any more time.

“I’ve got my head down again and I’m doing okay at the minute. I’m trying to get back to where I was a couple of years ago.”

Only Rose will know exactly what Pochettino was referring to in terms of time wasted, but it’s fair to infer from the above quote that Rose has adapted his attitude to training in light of the conversation.

His labour on the training ground is now bearing fruit on the field of play, and that can only be positive news for Spurs in their pursuit of a first trophy under Pochettino’s tutelage.

When Rose is on song there is no question that he is vastly superior to Ben Davies, and his timely return to form could yet be a game-changer in Tottenham’s season.

Tottenham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Loads of West Ham fans have been reacting to the weekend’s huge news, as Declan Rice has signed a new contract with the club.

Rice has finally signed a new contract that will keep him at the London Stadium until 2024, the Hammers have confirmed.

The versatile 19 year-old’s original deal expired at the end of this season, meaning he could have negotiated a pre-contract agreement with other clubs as soon as January 1.

Check out the video below to see Playmaker FC’s American Soccer Fan give his take on all six ‘field goals’ in West Ham v Burnley…

The new contract for Rice was no doubt at the top of Manuel Pellegrini’s January shopping list though, as the teenager has become one of the most crucial components of the Chilean’s new-look side.

The Hammers have won four of their last five games, and Rice has played the full 90 minutes in all them, while starting 16 of the 19 league matches so far this campaign.

After all the stick the West Ham owners got last season, the arrival of Pellegrini and the huge summer spend has got fans back onside, and this may just turn out to be their greatest coup yet if Rice keeps developing at such an impressive rate.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

West Ham United received a late Christmas present shortly before the New Year as the club confirmed Declan Rice had agreed to sign a new contract with the club, but that decision has not prevented them from expressing an interest in central midfield players this month. 

Indeed, with Jack Wilshere continuing to prove his unreliability with regards to his fitness, Manuel Lanzini still pushing for an eagerly anticipated return and Carlos Sanchez also sidelined, Manuel Pellegrini is on the hunt for a new central midfielder.

Besiktas’ Gary Medel has been widely touted as a potential January signing for the Hammers, but a recent report from the Daily Mail claims they are also considering a move for Everton’s James McCarthy.

The report reveals West Ham are interested in a loan deal for the 41-cap Republic of Ireland international, but they will face competition from Fulham and West Brom in the race for his signature.

In terms of ability, functionality and Premier League experience, McCarthy ticks all the boxes. His energy in the middle of the park would add a new dimension to Pellegrini’s midfield and reduce the strain on the club’s limited resources in that area, but there is plenty of reason to suggest a deal is ill-advised at this moment in time.

McCarthy has not completed 90 minutes of Premier League football since December 12th 2016, with various injury problems, including a double leg-break most recently, leaving him sidelined for the most part in the two years which have followed.

His lack of first-team football is clearly a huge concern worth bearing in mind for any interested party, and until he has built up his match sharpness once again, West Ham would be wise to consider alternative options.

When the summer window arrives McCarthy may well have been given ample playing time to re-establish himself and prove his fitness, and six months down the line he should represent a markedly more appealing transfer prospect.

West Ham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

According to Sky Sports, Sheffield Wednesday striker Gary Hooper is wanted by MLS outfits DC United and Vancouver Whitecaps, as well as clubs in China. 

The 30-year-old is yet to feature for The Owls this season due to injury, and the club have paid the price so far in his absence as they currently sit in 16th place in the league.

Former Celtic man Hooper has been replaced at Hillsborough this season by either Steven Fletcher or Atdhe Nuhiu, with the former managing four goals in the league, and the latter managing only two. This poor return from these two strikers goes a long way in explaining why Wednesday have struggled so far this season, as they have relied largely on wide men Lucas João and Adam Reach to find the back of the net.

Fortunately for The Owls, Hooper is due to return soon after surgery on his groin in November. But that does not mean that they should not contemplate an offer for the former Premier League striker. Hooper has been ravaged by injuries this season, and it is unclear whether he will be able to work his way back to his best form. By that time, Wednesday may have paid the price. On the other hand, MLS and Chinese sides would be willing to pay a relatively sizeable amount for Hooper. The Owls could use that money to bring in another striker that is perhaps in better form than Hooper.

Steve Bruce will want a squad that he can trust when he takes over in February, and the sale of Hooper may facilitate the opportunity to bring in a player that can provide more than him.