All posts by h79snht.top

For the first time this season, Liverpool were on the losing end in the Premier League on Saturday.

Their 3-0 defeat against Watford was not a close affair either. The Reds may have managed 71% possession, but had just one shot on target to their opponents’ five. After the match, few could have argued that Nigel Pearson’s side didn’t deserve their victory.

In the grand scheme of things, this does little to alter the course of this year’s title. Liverpool are still 22 points clear at the top of the table, and need just four more wins to secure their status as champions. This loss, though, does prevent them from going the season unbeaten, which looked well on the cards after they had won 26 of their first 27 games, drawing the other one.

Watch Liverpool Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Whilst they have been incredibly difficult to beat this term, there have been some issues defensively. In the first 15 matches of the campaign, they were able to keep just two clean sheets – and that was with the presence of the mighty Virgil van Dijk at centre-back, arguably the best defender in the world after coming second only to Lionel Messi in the race for the Ballon d’Or.

It was only when £31.5m-valued Joe Gomez – as per Transfermarkt – came into the side that there was an upturn in the Reds’ defensive performance. In 11 games with the England international alongside the 28-year-old, Klopp’s side kept nine clean sheets, conceding on just two occasions – they won every single game in the league in the process as well.

However, the former Charlton man was missing at Vicarage Road, meaning that Dejan Lovren came into the team to replace him. The Croatian has been out of the action for a while, with this being his first league appearance of the year. It is no coincidence that Gomez’s absence led to the Reds conceding three goals for the first time this season in the competition.

Van Dijk may be arguably seen as Liverpool’s key defensive component, and there is no doubting that he is a wonderful player in that position. But the results show that Gomez arguably deserves to be placed on the pedestal with him, if not slightly above.

His absence was felt dearly this weekend and, with Atletico Madrid to come in the Champions League next week, Klopp must be crossing his fingers that the 23-year-old returns as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, this Liverpool target with “incredible technique” has received rave reviews.

The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas has revealed what lets Michail Antonio down.

Thomas was writing his comments in a post-match Q&A session following West Ham’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, a result which leaves them still very much in danger of relegation – the Hammers sit 16th with 27 points to their name, and are only out of the bottom three on goal difference.

David Moyes’ side weren’t in terrible form at the Emirates, having more shots than the Gunners and also more corners than Mikel Arteta’s men – however, Alexandre Lacazette popped up in the final stages of the game to secure the three points.

Despite the team’s display, Thomas has singled out Antonio for one thing lacking from his game.

What did he say?

Thomas wrote: “Antonio needs to convert those chances. We all know he’s a threat going forward but it’s his inconsistency in front of goal that lets him down. Let me know your thoughts.”

Could’ve been the match winner

Thomas is right – Antonio does need to convert his chances as he could easily be the difference between survival and relegation, such is his effectiveness going forward.

The former Nottingham Forest man was one of the Irons’ most involved players in an attacking sense on Saturday, taking three shots at Bernd Leno’s goal – however, only one was on target, and it really should’ve been buried.

Antonio – rated at £10.8m on Transfermarkt – also stuck a brilliant chance wide of the post in the first-half when he was just a matter of yards away from the net.

Premier League Inflation: You won’t believe how much these famous transfers would cost today…

It was a game that was truly there for the taking, and while the 29-year-old wasn’t the main reason for the defeat by any means, he certainly had the best chances to score for his side – he must start taking them if West Ham are to avoid the drop.

In other news, this West Ham man’s career at the London Stadium should be put out of its misery…

Leeds United could sign a player they once missed out on next season, should they secure promotion to the top-flight, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

What’s he said?

The Whites are on the verge of clinching that elusive return to the Premier League after a 16-year absence, considering they sit top of the Championship table with a seven-point cushion to the playoff positions.

Marcelo Bielsa only boosted his squad with two new additions in January, signing Ian Poveda and Jean-Kevin Augustin – the latter on loan – but did miss out on a player they were keen on in Brazilian starlet Yan Couto.

The 17-year-old joined Manchester City in a £13.6m move earlier this year, although speaking in a recent Q&A on The Athletic, Hay suggested that United could land him on loan if they do go up.

He said:

Elite-linked talent

Hay was told that Leeds were courting the U17 World Cup winner before the Premier League champions came in for him and snatched him from Coritiba.

Pep Guardiola’s team even snagged him from La Liga giants Barcelona, who Diario AS reported had in fact signed for the Spanish outfit in January, but earlier this month, City confirmed the deal.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Even though the west Yorkshiremen have potentially missed out on a generational talent, it’s suggested that they could indeed still have his services albeit on a temporary basis in the top-flight next term.

The Manchester side clearly feel that Bielsa is an ideal manager to help kickstart Couto’s development in the English game, as he’s worked wonders with Jack Harrison, who has directly contributed to 12 goals this season.

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

The teenager is clearly set for big things having become a regular presence on the international stage already, landing 13 caps for Brazil U17s while the Guardian named him as one of the top 60 best young talents in world football for 2019.

Couto has been likened to both Dani Alves and Rafinha, so maybe Leeds can get a taste of his potential in the Premier League next season.

And in other news, Ornstein update shows what Leeds should do with Berardi…

With just nine games left this season, it looks as though Leeds United may finally find their way back to the promised land – the Premier League.

Thy currently top the Championship by one point from West Bromwich Albion but, more importantly, they are now seven points clear of Fulham in third place, meaning that they are in a strong position to get promoted automatically.

The EFL delay until April 30th at the very earliest, though, has thrown the whole situation into uncertainty.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Whilst they will not want to plan too far ahead into the future considering they were also within touching distance of going up last season, they will have an eye on their summer planning.

One of those who could be making a permanent move to Elland Road is Jack Harrison – he is currently on loan with the Whites, but he wants to stay in Yorkshire and could be available for a fee just under £10m.

Here are three reasons why Leeds must get a deal over the line…

Consistency

The Manchester City loanee’s performances last year were a little erratic – in 42 appearances in all competitions, he managed four goals and four assists – and there were few who seemed eager to have return for a second spell.

This season, though, there has been a significant improvement – he has five goals and seven assists already, and has featured in every single league match to date. The difference in his WhoScored ratings say it all – last term, he averaged 6.61 in the Championship, and that number is now at 7.04 this season.

Bargain fee

Given he has been an ever-present in the league for Marcelo Bielsa this term, it is clear that Harrison is an important member of the squad. Leeds, therefore, must look to keep him – fortunately, he won’t set them back an absurd amount either.

With a potential transfer fee of just under £10m, he could well be a bargain. That would be considerably less than other signings made when they were in the Premier League before, such as Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Keane – even though transfer prices have rocketed since the 2000s – and he would come even cheaper than Helder Costa, who will cost £15m.

Settled

Perhaps the most important thing is that he is now settled in at the club.

This is his second loan spell with Leeds from the Citizens – Bielsa and his teammates have now had over 18 months to get used to him, and that is beginning to show with the improvement in his performances.

Having solidity and reliability in the top tier, should they get promoted, would be absolutely vital to their survival amongst the elite.

That is just one of the reasons why Victor Orta should look to secure his long-term signature.

Tottenham’s squad between 2010 and 2012 was full of talent.

Gareth Bale and Luka Modric are just two of the names that come to mind, but Rafael van der Vaart was pretty handy as well. In 77 games, he managed 28 goals and 18 assists and, overall, he was a joy to watch – and he was a real bargain as well.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Here, we walk you through his Spurs career with the help of five pictures.

Van der Vaart signs for Spurs

19 goals and 16 assists in the 2007/08 season for Hamburg saw Real Madrid make their move for the Netherlands international, with him costing them £13.5m. However, he failed to really make the grade at the Santiago Bernabeu, although he did manage 12 goals in 73 matches. It looked as though he was moving to Bayern Munich for £18m, but that fell through, leaving Harry Redknapp with the chance to sign him for just £8m. Already with 83 Netherlands caps at the time, he already looked like a bargain.

Arsenal nemesis

The former Ajax youth product was particularly a nemesis for Tottenham’s fierce rivals Arsenal. He only played against them four times, but he managed to score as many times.

The picture above is taken from his brace against the Gunners in their 3-3 draw in 2011, by which point he had already scored once before against them.

He also netted in Spurs’ 2-1 win during the 2011/12 campaign – his record against the Emirates outfit for Spurs stands at two wins, one draw and one defeat, not a bad return.

Partnership with Peter Crouch

Peter Crouch is a Premier League legend in his own right, managing over 100 goals in the top flight. He proved to be valuable to van der Vaart, as well. They played 31 times together during his time there, and eight of the 37-year-old’s assists were for the 6ft 7in colossus – that means that 44.4% of all of van der Vaart’s assists were for the former England international.

Crouch also created two of the midfielder’s goals as well – they worked well together.

February 2012, £22.5m valuation

It was in February of 2012 when his Transfermarkt value was at its highest – at the time, he was worth £22.5m. Only during a six-month spell at Los Merengues was that number higher.

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

In all fairness, it wasn’t his best month – he only played one game, and even that was a 5-2 loss against Arsenal – but his displays beforehand saw him earn such a high valuation.

Trophyless

Whilst he was a talent for Tottenham on the pitch, he was unable to lead Spurs to any silverware. They were knocked out of the 2010/11 Champions League by Real Madrid, were unable to make it out of the group stages in the 2011/12 Europa League, and couldn’t progress further than the third round in the League Cup.

The 2012 FA Cup was the closest they got, when they reached the semi-finals, but it wasn’t to be then either – they were hammered 5-1 by Chelsea at Wembley, with the picture above taken from that humiliation.

Leeds United fans have been debating Andrea Radrizzani’s response amidst the latest takeover talk sweeping the west Yorkshire outfit.

According to 90min, PSG owners, the QSI group, still remain keen on adding Leeds to their portfolio as they believe the club has enormous potential.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

And the Whites chairman spoke out for the first time about the reports earlier this week in an exclusive interview with Gianluca Di Marzio, where he admits his “desire” to doing something in this sense.

United are on the verge of ending a 16-year absence from top-flight football at Elland Road as Marcelo Bielsa has steered his side to the top of the Championship standings with only nine games remaining.

Leeds hold a seven-point cushion to the playoff positions so everything is firmly in their control for the time being.

If they do earn indeed promotion, then adding someone of Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s financial clout could transform the club tenfold in the Premier League.

Here’s how fans have reacted to the Italian’s claim…

AND in other news, One Leeds star has been ransacking Leeds dry for 13.5m…

A lot of Crystal Palace fans have reacted to the latest transfer rumour surrounding Alexander Sorloth, as Premier League side Liverpool, who recently won the Champions League, are apparently the latest club to be interested in the striker, according to Fanatik,via CPFC NEWS HQ.

It is rumoured he could go for around £22 million, with the article mentioning that Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Sevilla are also some of the big clubs interested.

During his career in South London, the Norwegian has yet to score since he joined the Eagles in January 2018, per Transfermarkt. However he has found his form, or arguably his level, whilst he has been loaned out to Turkish side Trabzonspor in the Super Lig, where he has scored 19 goals and provided six assists this campaign, via WhoScored.

He has a two year loan at the club, so it will be interesting to see whether he can continue this fine form abroad, however for now, it seems like the 24 year old, via WhoScored, will continue to be linked to big clubs across Europe whilst he keeps on scoring.

Unfortunately for Palace, they will not receive any big fee for Sorloth if Liverpool do buy as Trabzonspor can trigger a €6m clause to sign him permanently before probably selling him straight on for an immediate profit.

Plenty of fans seem to be bemused by the rumours given his poor record at Selhurst Park, as one replied to CPFC NEWS HQ mocking the link to Liverpool as he said: “This is just a troll account now”

Here is what Palace fans had to say about the striker:

Palace fans, do you think Sorloth could become a great striker? Comment below!

Glasgow Rangers’ fight for justice appears to have seen cracks emerge across the whole of Scottish football.

Unless you don’t know by now, this is how it stands at the moment – the Gers have accused the SPFL of corruption, and have produced a 200-page dossier to prove as much. They have sent this to all of the other 41 clubs in the top four tiers of the country’s footballing pyramid, and the clubs will vote at the Emergency General Meeting on Tuesday to see if an independent investigation should be called.

It seems that there are plenty of questions being asked of many different clubs, one of which is Dunfermline. Inverness have accused Ross McArthur, the club’s chairman, of bullying, with leaked WhatsApp messages appearing to confirm as much. However, McArthur has now said that not only did he do so as “Dunfermline Athletic FC Chairman and NOT as an SPFL Board Member”, he has also added that “it most certainly wasn’t a threat, simply a potential consequence of their action not to back the SPFL resolution currently put in front of them.”

As you can imagine, this has not gone down well with the Gers supporters – one fan even called it “laughable”. They have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

أكد مدرب آرسنال مايكل أرتيتا، أن فريقه في حاجة إلى المزيد من التحسن، رغم فوزهم في مباراة اليوم أمام وست هام في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وفاز الجانرز بهدفين مقابل هدف في الجولة الثانية في ملعب الإمارات، وجاء هدف الانتصار في الدقيقة 85، بفضل اللاعب الشاب إيدي نكيتياه. أهداف آرسنال ووست هام

وقال أرتيتا، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي” العالمية: “أنا سعيد بالنقاط الثلاث، لقد تحدثت قبل المباراة عن مدى صعوبة الطريقة التي يلعب بها وست هام”.

وأضاف: “لقد جعلنا الأمر أكثر صعوبة في الدقائق الـ15 الأولى بكمية الكرات التي قدمناها والمساحات المفتوحة التي أعطيناهم للركض فيها، أنا سعيد لأننا وجدنا اللحظة المناسبة وواصلنا المنافسة والإيمان بأنفسنا، مع زخم جيد في آخر 25 دقيقة”.

وواصل: “لقد خلقنا العديد من المواقف الأخرى، لكننا منحنا الخصم الكثير من الفرص في الثلث الأخير، كنا محظوظين بعض الشيء بالتأكيد لكننا وجدنا طريقة للفوز، هذه هي العقلية التي أريدها، في النهاية إنها ثلاث نقاط، هناك الكثير من الأشياء للتحسين”.

وتابع: “نكيتياه؟ يستطيع فعل ذلك كل أسبوع، إنه جائع ولديه كفاءة عالية في تسجيل الأهداف”.

Steven Gerrard was a busy man in January, bolstering his Rangers side’s depth as they try to keep up their fight for the Scottish Premiership.

The Gers have brought in Jermain Defoe, Steven Davis, Glen Kamara, Andrew Firth and Matt Polster to add to the quality that Gerrard has at his disposal.

Jordan Rossiter was the only main departure, as he left to move to Bury on loan which should allow him to get more first-team game time.

As with every squad, there are players who cannot feature as often as they maybe would like to and with that being said, here are two Rangers players who must have been frustrated to not get a move away…

Wes Foderingham

Due to the form of Allan McGregor, Foderingham has not really had a look in this season. The latter has made six appearances across this season, most recently starring in a 0-0 draw with St. Johnstone as a result of McGregor’s two-game ban for violent conduct, meaning he is also set to start against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup fifth-round replay too.

The Express had reported that Foderingham was on Leeds United’s radar for the January transfer window, but that move did not materialise.

If McGregor returns to a starting role upon his ban ending after the Kilmarnock game, Foderingham must be frustrated he was not able to leave in favour of regular game time elsewhere for the remainder of the campaign.

Kyle Lafferty

Lafferty may have only joined Rangers in the summer but given Alfredo Morelos’ form and Defoe’s arrival, he could be forgiven if he wanted to move on not too long after arriving.

The 31-year-old has started just 12 of his 32 appearances for the Gers this season and as Rangers play their best football in the predominantly used 4-3-3 system, that means when both are fit Lafferty will be the third choice and his game time will suffer as a result of that.

If he is after playing as regularly as possible and if he still struggles for frequent starts, he could be frustrated at the lack of opportunities he receives.