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Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a little bit unfortunate when it comes to individual accolades this year.The Liverpool right-back controversially didn’t make FIFA’s Team of the Year, and he was pipped to the PFA Young Player of the Year award by Raheem Sterling.Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, he’s finally been acknowledged for his personal achievements as he was given a Guinness World Record certificate for one of his incredible feats last season.

Indeed, the 21-year-old is now a record breaker, as he’s been given an award for the most Premier League assists in a single season by a defender.

While we’re not quite sure if that can truly be considered as a ‘world record’, the feat is still impressive nonetheless.

The Liverpool man set up 12 league goals last term, eclipsing two Everton stars as Leighton Baines and Andy Hinchcliffe held the previous record of 11.

With Alexander-Arnold averaging 3.5 key passes per game in the league this season, don’t be surprised if he has to pick up an updated version of this award this time next year after breaking his own record.

In today’s Liverpool roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Reds. Alisson Becker talks about his recovery from injury, Virgil Van Dijk congratulates Lionel Messi, and former left-back John Arne Riise is baffled by the omission of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson in the FIFA World XI.

Alisson on his road to recovery

Report: Alisson is nearing a return to action for Liverpool after injuring himself on the opening weekend against Norwich City. The goalkeeper told liverpoolfc.com: “I’m on a good way, I think we are nearly there. I can go outside to the pitch to do some goalkeeper work and I feel very well. I feel confident and I think now it’s just about getting all my power, all my confidence to come back and do what I love to do.

“The games, the atmosphere at Anfield, the away games, all games when I watch on the TV, I just think how I want to play, I want to be there, I want to help my teammates. I’m looking forward [to being back], I can’t wait anymore!”

Alisson also spoke on his replacement Adrian, saying: “I think the boys are doing very well, all the team [and] Adrian especially.

“He’s a special guy who came late in the season, he just came and shows everyone his value, not just as a player but as a person and that is the more important thing. He is doing very well on the pitch. I have peace to recover in a proper way so it’s better for everyone.”

Verdict: There can be little debate that Alisson has been missed between the sticks for Liverpool. The Reds have conceded eight goals in the first seven games of the season, as opposed to letting in just four in the first seven last campaign.

Despite these statistics, Adrian has performed relatively well in replace of the Brazilian, making a crucial save against Chelsea at the weekend to keep Liverpool in front, and producing an incredible stop in the game against Napoli.

However, despite Adrian’s heroics, there is no doubt Alisson will be a welcomed addition back to the team after winning the UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year and the Men’s Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper trophy thanks to his sublime displays last year as Liverpool conceded just 22 Premier League goals all season.

Van Dijk’s message to Messi

Report: Van Dijk sent a classy message to Lionel Messi, Megan Rapinoe and Alisson after the Dutchman lost out on the Men’s FIFA Best award to the Barcelona man. He said on his Instagram page:

“It’s a great honour to be named in #TheBest XI along with such an incredible group of players. I would like to say a big thank you to all of my teammates at Liverpool, as well as the national team, for all of your continued support. Congratulations too to my #LFC family on their well deserved individual awards! Well done to @alissonbecker on being named the best Goalkeeper in the world and of course to the Boss ? for being Coach of the Year ? Finally, congratulations to @leomessi on winning Men’s Best Player and to @mrapinoe for winning Women’s Best Player!

#FIFAFootballAwards #TheBestAwards”

Verdict: Van Dijk, after helping Liverpool win the Champions League and finish on a record-breaking 97 points for the club in the Premier League, was perhaps unlucky not to win the award. However, Messi did score 51 goals in 50 games and register 22 assists across the board last season – his best return since being involved in 86 goals in 2014-15.

It, of course, just a matter of opinion. Do you prefer to see a defender concede very few goals? Or are you more in favour of a goalscoring machine? In truth, both of them won major trophies, and each was the best player for their respective club in doing so. Of course, this has brought on some controversy, with pundits such as Paul Merson claiming it is ‘an absolute joke’ to choose Messi over Van Dijk, he told The Debate.

Riise fuming at Robertson & Alexander-Arnold omission

Report: Former Liverpool man Riise has taken to Twitter to express his frustration that fellow left-back Robertson was denied a place in the FIFA World XI. The Norweigan tweeted:  “I’m a massive Messi fan, best player ever!! But If @VirgilvDijk didn’t win it this year, a CB will never win it. And how on earth didn’t @andrewrobertso5 and @trentaa98 get voted best LB and RB?”

Verdict: Indeed it seems that most of the football community is in agreement with Riise, with Dejan Lovren and Steven Gerrard just a few to join in on the controversial news, and when you break it down you will struggle to argue otherwise.

As shown by @FootyAccums, Robertson kept 26 clean sheets, as opposed to Marcelo’s six, whilst the Scotland international provided 13 assists as Marcelo bagged just six.

As for Alexander-Arnold, he provided 15 assists in the year, as opposed to Ramos – who actually played centre-back throughout the year – who provided just one and kept 15 clean sheets, as opposed to Alexander-Arnold’s 22.

Furthermore, Real Madrid crashed out at the Round of 16 stages in the Champions League, as Liverpool won the title. The Reds finished second on 97 points, just as Los Blancos finished third on 68 points, and went through three managers in one season as a result of poor performances.

Juan Foyth is expected to start for Argentina tonight in what will be his first appearance of the season, and the news is being met with a mixed reaction from Tottenham fans.

The defender has missed the opening of 2019/20 due to an injury issue, and therefore the international break could allow him to get valuable minutes under his belt as he looks to work his way back into contention with the north London outfit.

Although he is naturally suited to playing in central defence, it looks likely he will start at right-back against Germany, but that could be an advantage to him as it is currently a problem position for Spurs with both Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters coming under criticism from the fans for their performances. If he impresses he could persuade Mauricio Pochettino that he deserves the spot ahead of his teammates.

However, one fan is concerned that his return could cause his injury to recur, whilst others believe the youngster isn’t the answer to the right-back issue regardless of how well he may play tonight.

Here is some of the reaction from the Tottenham fanbase.

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Everton’s defence has had a good start to the season with two clean sheets in four games but some fans are keen to see the return of a centre-back who played for them last season.

Kurt Zouma made 29 Premier League starts for the Toffees last season, and impressed as his side only conceded 32 goals in those matches.

Now, the 24-year-old is featuring regularly for Chelsea after returning to his parent club at the end of last season, but he hasn’t fared as well, with nine goals conceded in four league games.

Last weekend epitomised his mixed fortune, with the Blues taking a two-goal lead before Sheffield United came back to draw – with Zouma scoring a late own goal.

That prompted racial abuse from some sections of social media, and it is possible the defender will seek a move away from the London club in order to avoid a repeat of such vitriol.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

In response, some Everton fans have taken to Twitter to assure the player that he would be welcome back at Goodison, and others are keen to see him back on Merseyside once again, as the following reactions show.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Everton’s forwards have enjoyed mixed success this season but Marco Silva shouldn’t make any changes to his frontline ahead of their clash with Bournemouth.

On the chalkboard

The Toffees began the season slowly in front of goal with three goals in three and that subsequently led to the introduction of two new signings, Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi, who have both made a significant impact.

Whilst Kean is still yet to get off the mark for his new club, a goal for Italy U21s in midweek should give him a confidence boost, and a regular run in the team, alongside the likes of Iwobi and Richarlison, will allow him to find his feet.

Effective pressing

One of the main reasons why Everton’s front three should remain the same is due to the pace it possesses. Other than Gylfi Sigurdsson Everton’s attack is very quick, and that could be as crucial off the ball as in possession.

That is because of the pressing style Silva has deployed this season. According to Opta, via Sky Sports, Everton head the Premier League rankings for teams with the most pressing sequences from the four league games so far, and it has produced results.

Against Wolves, Kean and Iwobi combined effectively and their pace was lethal, causing a mistake in the opposition backline that allowed the ball to fall for Richarlison to bundle home, and it could be used as a weapon once again on Sunday.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Bournemouth are a side who like to play out from the back.

Their main two centre-backs, Nathan Ake and Steve Cook, have averaged 41 and 37 successful passes per game so far this campaign, but if put under pressure it is possible they will be forced into a mistake.

If Kean can get into the right positions he may be able to pounce on an error and break his Everton duck.

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The Southampton revival under Ralph Hasenhuttl continues with the south coast club managing to gain a point from their 1-1 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor last Saturday in a game where they came extremely close to winning. 

A stoppage-time penalty converted by Ashley Barnes ensured the points were shared after Nathan Redmond, who is at the top of his game right now, had given the visitors the lead.

And the 24-year-old has since come in for praise from one of his team-mates as he continues to impress under his new boss.

The Breakdown

Speaking about the form of Redmond, midfielder Stuart Armstrong told the Daily Echo: “I think everyone can see how talented a player he is in training and in games of late. His goal [against Burnley] was fantastic.

“The way he moved the ball and then a quick shot into the corner of the net with so much power, with so little back-lift. He is a very good player to have in our team.”

As mentioned by Armstrong, Redmond is undoubtedly a talented individual, something which has been clear since his days in the Championship with Birmingham City.

However, for whatever reason, it has not quite worked out for the England international at St. Mary’s despite a strong start to life in a Southampton shirt.

At 24, though, there is still plenty of time for Redmond to get things right, which he has been doing in recent weeks, and evolve that talent into something further.

Watching the way Redmond can take the ball past a defender with his pace and dribbling skill, he really should be on course to becoming a serious winger in the Premier League, yet without the numbers to go with it, that did not look like the path the former Norwich City man was heading down.

Rejuvenated under Hasenhuttl, though, Redmond now appears to be going in the right direction again.

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Liverpool only signed one senior player this summer but fans are impressed with the man in question, Adrian.

The goalkeeper has adjusted to life at his new club well considering the circumstances in which he was drafted in to the team’s no.1 spot, and other than a calamitous mistake against Southampton he has barely put a foot wrong.

He had big boots to fill in replacing the injured Champions League Goalkeeper of the Year Alisson, but he has looked assured in organising the defence and his shot-stopping has helped Liverpool conceded only three goals in his four league games.

Adrian was also the hero in the Super Cup, saving a Chelsea penalty in the shoot-out to claim the first piece of silverware in his career.

Many Liverpool fans are impressed with the signing and believe that he could even rival Alisson’s place in the team should he continue his strong start, whilst others suggest he is an upgrade on some of the previous keepers to have played under Jurgen Klopp.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Here are some of the reactions from Liverpool fans to the performances of the Reds’ stand-in keeper.

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Newcastle United have made an enquiry for Aston Villa left-back Matt Targett.

That’s according to 90min, and their update has had a number of Villa fans talking on social media.

Targett has been a regular for Steven Gerrard in recent months, missing just two games under the Villa boss. The 26-year-old signed a new Villa Park contract last year through to 2025 but could now be second choice following Lucas Digne’s arrival.

Targett dropped to the bench against Manchester United last weekend for Digne to make his debut after his move from Everton, and it seems as if Newcastle are keen on the Englishman as a result.

90min revealed on Wednesday that the Magpies have approached Villa over a possible move for Targett, who could now be available to leave the Midlands.

Villa fans react

Both The AVFC Faithful and Total Villa shared the news regarding Targett on Twitter. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with one wanting Allan Saint-Maximin in any deal.

“I’ll drive him up to Scotland myself”

Credit: @BenevolentBarry

“Saint-Max swap deal”

Credit: @charliepowellm1

“No way does Targett get sold. You don’t solve a problem then unsolve it immediately. Summer may be a different matter”

Credit: @TheHolte1874

“Crazy to sell him as we can’t just have Ash. Matt is great backup and would hope he wants to fight for his place rather than go elsewhere!”

Credit: @k1eranw

“No. Targett is ahead of Young on the pecking order for LB by a long shot. It would be silly for him to be sold.”

Credit: @AvfcUncut

“We want a squad now. So he has to stay unless he wants to go.”

Credit: @ch1992_ch

In other news: ‘Give them what they want’ – Many Villa fans flock to transfer update on potential ‘superstar’. 

Darwin Nunez is ‘one to watch’ as Newcastle look to further strengthen their squad, according to The i’s Northern Football Correspondent Mark Douglas. 

The lowdown: Goalscorers wanted

Newcastle, Douglas says, ‘made enquiries’ about Nunez last month, before the transfer window opened.

They’ve already strengthened their striker ranks this month with the £25million signing of Chris Wood from relegation rivals Burnley.

They should also have top scorer Callum Wilson back from injury in around five weeks time.

The Magpies have, however, only managed to net 21 goals in their first 21 Premier League matches, so it makes sense that they would want even more firepower.

Transfermarkt value Nunez, who still has three and half years left on his SL Benfica contract, at £28.8million.

The latest: Surprise!

Sources at St James’ Park have apparently spoken about a ‘potential surprise’ in the final knockings of the window, reports Douglas, aside from the more heavily reported targets like Jesse Lingard and Diego Carlos.

Clubs are expected to lower price tags to more ‘realistic’ territory as it becomes clear that ‘Newcastle’s is the only offer that is likely to materialise’.

Douglas has urged Newcastle fans to keep an eye on Nunez in the final week of trading, suggesting he may be the ‘surprise’ arrival.

The verdict: Perfect signing

Wilson will be 30 next month and Wood is there already, while Nunez is still only 22, so perhaps Newcastle envisage building their attack around the Uruguayan long-term.

And it’s no wonder they like him – his record is magnificent. This season, he’s scored 20 goals in just 25 appearances in all competitions, averaging one every 79 minutes.

Yes, the Primeira Liga may not be the standard as the Premier League (it ranks sixth in UEFA’s coefficient, while the PL is top), but Nunez has also carried his form into the UEFA Champions League.

He bagged a brace in a 3-0 win over FC Barcelona in September and was also on target in a defeat against Group E winners Bayern Munich in November.

Perhaps this is a deal to revisit in the summer, though, because Benfica know that selling a prize asset at this late stage could spark a late scramble for a replacement.

In other news, Newcastle are considering another player who produced a UCL masterclass.

With Steven Gerrard succeeding in turning things around at Aston Villa, his attentions will already be turning towards the January transfer window and the kinds of new signings that he could make to strengthen his squad.

And while the former Liverpool skipper would be right to cast his eye far and wide for those potentially game-changing additions, he might want to look closer to home to see someone who could really get Villa Park rocking: Jaden Philogene-Bidace.

The 19-year-old was in fine form last year for the club’s U23s, scoring five goals in just 14 games at Premier League 2 level, as well as providing three assists – that’s not to mention the superb hat-trick he scored on his England under-19 debut last November either.

His former coach Ahmed Abdulla has raved about his ability as an out-and-out winger, and judging by the coach’s comments, he seems perfectly ready to grab his opportunity in senior football.

Abdulla said: “He can come inside or go on the outside. The model winger. He hugs the touchline and can beat his man. (He’s) Very confident and very light on his feet and skips past tackles, not one of them that gets hit and goes down. He bounces off tackles. He’s very strong and outstanding in one-v-ones.”

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece recently indicated back when Dean Smith was in charge that while the winger is highly-rated, a January loan move could be on the horizon.

He said: “It’s crystal-clear that Philogene-Bidace remains highly thought of at Bodymoor Heath, his challenge now now is to stay patient and be ready when called upon.

“A Championship loan move could well be in the offing in January but, as it stands, Villa have a serious talent on their hands, one who’s primed and ready to make his mark in the Premier League.”

But with injuries and other issues no doubt taking its effect, handing an opportunity to one of the club’s brightest young prospects from the academy could be a sure-fire way to save a lot of money and get the fans excited too.

While much of the talk at Villa has been around Carney Chukwuemeka – which is understandable given his superb performances in the FA Youth Cup last season and recent game-time too – Philogene-Bidace could well be the academy starlet to become the club’s secret weapon heading into the new year.

Meanwhile, Villa have made this man their main target…