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Aston Villa face Everton tonight to begin the third gameweek of the 2019/20 Premier League campaign and it won’t just be fans of either club in attendance at Villa Park.

The Daily Mail have revealed that the England management team of Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland will also be there to have a watchful eye on the performances from Jack Grealish and Tyrone Mings.

England’s squad announcement for their Euro 2020 qualification fixtures against Bulgaria and Kosovo comes next week and it’s clear to see the boss wants to get one final look-in before it is revealed.

It could be a reward for their fine performances over the last 12 months as Villa won promotion back to the top-flight via the playoffs.

Grealish won seven man of the match awards, scored six goals and provided seven assists last season (as per WhoScored) whilst Mings’ introduction to the team during the second half of the season helped spark a historic ten-game winning run.

Find out which Premier League stadium has been ranked the worst in the video below…

Some Villa fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

One believed that both Mings and Grealish were ready for an England call-up with another suggesting Tom Heaton is also deserving of a spot.

A further member of the Villans faithful claimed Mings alongside Harry Maguire at the back would be a solid pairing whilst one said Grealish ‘100%’ should be called up for England.

You can read the best of the reaction below:

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The game against Real Betis last weekend was huge for Barcelona in so many ways.

Firstly, it was their maiden game at the Camp Nou in the new 2019/20 La Liga season, and on top of that, it was also their first victory and the first three points in the new campaign.

But regardless of that, it also represented something much bigger for their young 16-year-old prodigy, Ansu Fati.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The youngster made his senior team debut against Real Betis in front of the roaring Camp Nou crowd, and if the latest social media activity is any indication, it seems that he’s quickly become a fan favourite.

Many Barcelona fans have already taken to Twitter to support Fati and call for him to be given a chance this weekend when the Catalans play Osasuna away from home.

Below, you can see a collection of tweets showing how the fans feel about this highly talented young prospect of La Masia.

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Manchester United are facing an injury crisis ahead of their clash against Southampton this weekend.

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BBC Sport report that the Red Devils will be without five of their players at St Mary’s, including striker Anthony Martial and full-back Luke Shaw, who are ruled out with respective thigh and hamstring injuries. Defensive trio Diogo Dalot, Eric Bailly and Timothy Fosu-Mensah are also out.

It leaves manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with somewhat of a selection headache, with the Norwegian potentially set to hand 17-year-old Mason Greenwood his first Premier League start in place of the absent Martial. Marcus Rashford should lead the line, with Greenwood possibly playing alongside him in attack after coming on as a substitute during last weekend’s 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.

In defence, 34-year-old utility man Ashley Young is predicted to replace the injured Shaw, having also come off the bench against the Eagles at Old Trafford.

Jesse Lingard could be dropped after a poor start to the season where he has failed to register a single goal, assist or key pass so far, per WhoScored – Juan Mata may well be drafted in as the England international’s replacement on the south coast.

Although United are missing a couple of key players, Southampton are also thin on the ground heading into this weekend’s duel. The Saints are missing both of their goalscorers against Brighton – Nathan Redmond and Moussa Djenepo – so will not be at maximum strength either.

With this in mind, United will still surely fancy their chances against a side who are still very much finding their feet this term after picking up their first points of the campaign last weekend.

United fans, do you fancy your chances against Southampton without Martial and Shaw? Let us know by commenting below…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

In a Manchester United Q&A on The Athletic, journalist Laurie Whitwell has revealed he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side go back in for a striker this January.

What did he say?

The Red Devils sold Romelu Lukaku to Serie A giants Inter, before giving the green-light for Alexis Sanchez to also join the Nerazzurri on a season-long loan.

Despite being light on options up front, United failed to sign a replacement, and have just Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood as strikers at the club.

Now, Whitwell has suggested the Red Devils could revisit their interest in a striker they originally pursued in the summer transfer window.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said: “Martial will definitely be given a proper run. He has wanted the role since being pushed out by Zlatan and Lukaku. But there was certainly a striker Ole wanted in the summer, but United couldn’t get. Who that is I don’t know but I wouldn’t be surprised if they go for it again in January, albeit that is a difficult month to do business.”

Priority number one

Make no mistake about it, United’s number one priority in the January transfer window should be looking to secure a first-choice striker. Lukaku and Sanchez’s struggles last season have masked the fact the duo were proven Premier League goal-scorers over several years.

Rashford and Martial on the other hand have shown little sign so far that they can score goals on a consistent basis for the side. Aside from the pair, United’s reliance on a 17-year-old Greenwood to act as the club’s third-choice option up front speaks of either incredible trust or ridiculous delusion.

The teenager has no doubt caught the eye with his performances in pre-season, but it is certainly asking a lot to expect him to deliver the goods at Premier League level at such a young age. If Solskjaer did have a target in mind this summer, he must simply do whatever it takes to sign him in January.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Darren Bent has suggested that Liverpool’s Joe Gomez is currently one of the best defenders in the England squad.

What did he say?

Gomez has just seven caps to his name but has impressed Gareth Southgate before and if injury didn’t rule him out of the World Cup, and for much of last season, it is possible that he would be the first pick at centre-back alongside Harry Maguire.

He started the Reds’ opening three games of the season but has since been overlooked by Jurgen Klopp in favour of Joel Matip, and the same happened against Bulgaria on Saturday, which Bent believes is a mistake.

The former England striker is impressed with he attributes of the 23-year-old and believes he offers more than the other defenders at Southgate’s disposal.

Speaking to GameDay Verdict on talkSport [07/09/2019, 9:15 pm], he said: “If you look at the defenders, you’d probably have Maguire and Gomez [for Kosovo] because I really like Gomez, he’s a real top-quality defender. Before he had that injury he was a big powerhouse and a big powerful presence.

“It doesn’t surprise me that eventually, it’ll be him and Van Dijk, week in and week out at Liverpool. He’s that good.”

The former Charlton man is also adept with the ball at his feet, and has a calmness when under pressure from the forwards, and with Southgate clearly a fan it is possible that he was only looking to try out a player more untested, such as Michael Keane.

Regular starter?

At the moment, Harry Maguire seems to be the only centre-back who has nailed down a starting position in the England side, with other potential partners suffering from injury or a lack of game time.

That is the case for John Stones, his partner at the World Cup who only started 20 league games for Manchester City last season, and for Gomez whose injuries ruled him out for large parts too.

Despite his limited appearances at international level, the Liverpool defender still has more experience than the likes of Keane and Tyrone Mings, who was also called up, and therefore if he can stay injury-free it will likely be between him and Stones for a first-team place.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Both offer Southgate the ability to play out from the back but as Bent alludes to, Gomez is more powerful, and quicker than the other options in the Three Lions squad, which gives him an advantage.

If he can get back to performing for Liverpool on a consistent basis he should feature for England more, and perhaps become a permanent fixture in the starting XI.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness

It has been confirmed that Divock Origi is set for a short spell on the sidelines and that could provide the perfect opportunity for Rhian Brewster to stake a claim for a first-team place.

What’s the latest?

The Belgian was handed just his third start of the season for Saturday’s visit of Newcastle, starting once again on the left-wing, but had a minimal impact before being forced off through injury, making only 5 passes in his 37 minutes on the pitch.

It will be a blow for the 24-year-old, who has found starting opportunities hard to come by since returning from a loan spell at Wolfsburg at the end of the 2017/18 campaign.

He has made a valuable contribution over the last few months though, scoring important goals against Barcelona and Tottenham in the Champions League, but now looks like he will be on the treatment table for a “short spell” with an ankle injury.

His absence has prompted Jurgen Klopp to call up Brewster to the matchday squad for the trip to Napoli, and it could be a great chance for the youngster to show what he is all about.

Making a good impression

Brewster is yet to make his debut for the Reds but the 2017 U17 World Cup top scorer has impressed at youth level for both club and country.

This season he has two goals in four games whilst impressing academy manager Neil Critchley, and the 19-year-old will be hoping to do the same with Klopp.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He has previously featured in the matchday squad for important European fixtures against Barcelona and Tottenham, but he will hope to go one better this time around by getting onto the pitch.

The involvement of Brewster is positive for the academy, as it shows they will be considered if they’re good enough and show the right attitude, with Klopp offering a pathway to players like Trent Alexander-Arnold further evidence of that.

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Tottenham Hotspur looked to have had a reasonably successful summer transfer deadline day having signed Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham and agreed a season-long loan deal with an option to buy for Giovani Lo Celso, but the decision to bring in the latter is looking increasingly naïve.

The Argentina international said in his first interview on Spurs’ official website when he joined that Mauricio Pochettino had targeted him and wanted to bring him to north London, presumably to strengthen his midfield options.

However, given their issues on the road so far this season – they have conceded twice in all of their Premier League and Champions League fixtures on their travels – they appear to be having problems when it comes to shielding the backline.

Of the 121 matches in his career where Transfermarkt have recorded his position, Lo Celso has only played as a defensive midfielder on 19 occasions, with the large majority coming either in central midfield or even further forward in a more attacking role.

That suggests he too isn’t the answer to the issues Tottenham are having right now, where the likes of Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and fellow new boy Tanguy Ndombele aren’t providing that required protection.

Pochettino obviously felt as though they could bridge the gap, but he has been proved completely wrong.

He also seemingly decided he couldn’t rely on a player who could fill the role in Eric Dier seeing as he is yet to play a single minute of football in either the Premier League or the Champions League in 2019/20, but surely he knew that was the case while the transfer window was open?

Victor Wanyama even came on ahead of the England international against Leicester City at the weekend. This was despite the fact Spurs came close to offloading the Kenya international to Club Brugge, and he put in an awful display and was partly at fault for both of the goals the north London side conceded at the King Power Stadium during his short cameo on the pitch.

So if Wanyama and Dier aren’t the answer, then Pochettino has been left without a specialist defensive midfielder he can rely on.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The decision to sign Lo Celso – who is more similar to Winks, Ndombele, Sissoko, Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela and Dele Alli then he is to Wanyama and Dier – is confusing then.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but Tottenham and Pochettino should have made signing a top-class DM a priority moving towards deadline day, because they are paying the price for not having one away from home as things stand.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by Goal (entry 08:30), Manuel Pellegrini has admitted he recognises Declan Rice’s valuation could increase if he continues to impress this season.

What did he say?

Rice played 34 times in the Premier League last year, and in recent weeks talk of him joining Manchester United has surfaced. It’s been discussed by Gary Neville, albeit sharing his concerns over a potential move, Owen Hargreaves and former Leeds star Noel Whelan.

Now, Pellegrini has hinted that if the England international keeps on producing for the Hammers, his value will inevitably increase.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said: “His value will depend on what happens this season but his mind is not thinking about that. At the beginning of last season he has a low contract, because he was coming as a young player and he continued working and he didn’t make any trouble with that contract.

“After that he improved and now he’s not thinking about money.”

Game-changer

Such is the money that gets bandied around nowadays – £50m for Aaron Wan-Bisssaka being a prime example – West Ham could no doubt command a high fee if they wanted to sell Rice.

Nevertheless, as United have shown with their captures of both Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire in particular, the Red Devils are seemingly willing to pay over-the-odds to get the players they want.

The allure of playing for the Manchester side and their likely involvement in European football means it will undoubtedly be difficult for Pellegrini to persuade Rice into staying if reports surrounding a move to United materialise.

Speaking earlier this month to FourFourTwo (as quoted by The Manchester Evening News), the midfielder admitted a switch to Old Trafford wouldn’t faze him at all.

“Don’t get me wrong, I think I’ve got the ability to play for a club like that. But it’s all about the timing and I don’t think the timing is right for me at all. I’ve still got so much to learn.”

Now into his third successive season of playing consistent first-team football with West Ham in the Premier League, Rice may feel next summer could be the perfect “time” for him to seek pastures new. And if that is indeed the case, then Pellegrini’s assessment of the 20-year-old’s rising valuation could net the Hammers a real game-changing amount of money.

The sum is always bigger than the individual parts. And if the London side could collect a cheque upwards of the £90m being cited by Noel Whelan, then they could be set for a hugely profitable few years.

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Rangers have started this season well and will be looking to continue in that manner as they aim to finally release the grip Celtic have on the domestic game in Scotland.

Steven Gerrard’s men enjoyed a productive summer transfer window and that has translated into good starts both in the league and on the European stage, a loss in the Old Firm derby being their only defeat of the campaign so far.

The plan, now, will be for the Gers to turn those starts into a more sustained challenge and with a 4-0 away win over St Johnstone being their most recent result, many will think they are capable of doing so.

Indeed, this is the most together a Rangers side has looked for some time and that was demonstrated again at the weekend with this clip that the club shared on social media recently:

Despite being four goals to the good, the away side were determined to keep a clean sheet against the Saints and midfielder Steven Davis was clearly in no mood for a late consolation goal to be given away.

This kind of desire – though the game was already won – could well end up being the difference in this season’s title race.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Real Madrid hosted Club Brugge at the Santiago Bernabeu in their mid-week Champions League clash and were held to an embarrassing 2-2 draw by their visitors.

But it was a half-time substitute who ended up saving the day.

Snapshot

Just like their opener in the European competition against PSG, the follow-up game proved to be another disappointment for Los Blancos.

Even though they were most likely expected to get the job done without too much trouble, Real dropped the ball completely, going 2-0 down before the first 45 minutes were even over.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

That made for a rather stressful second half as Zinedine Zidane’s troops looked to find a way back into the game.

And sure, with the efforts of Casemiro and captain Sergio Ramos, they clawed back and rescued a point.

But it was actually Alphonse Areola who pulled his weight and made sure Real exited Santiago Bernabeu without a chastening defeat.

Super-sub

Zidane revealed in the post-match press-conference that Thibaut Courtois had to be substituted due to some sort of discomfort. The Belgian simply couldn’t continue and the coach was forced to make the change.

But it was still a brilliant move and exactly what the doctor had ordered for the Galacticos.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Courtois conceded some sloppy goals in the first half, that much was even acknowledge by Zidane himself who called the first goal “a joke”, while Areola came in and made a brilliant save, making sure Real Madrid didn’t go 3-0 down.

If that had happened, it would likely have been game over for Los Blancos. But the loanee from PSG performed when he was called into action and this should already be posing some serious questions to the big boss on the sidelines.

Areola ended the game with one save from inside the box, 92% passing accuracy and with a total of 18 touches.

And even though Real conceded two, none rattled the inside of the net while the Frenchman was on the pitch, meaning he already has two clean sheets to his name in the two games he played so far for his new club across all competitions.

Courtois appeared to be turning a corner after back-to-back clean sheets having previously gone without one since February, but the contrasting fortunes of both goalkeepers on Tuesday night should really have Zidane thinking about who continues between the sticks for Real Madrid going forward.