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Everton defender Yerry Mina must start every remaining game for the Toffees this season after his colossal performance against Chelsea, but also because of the uncertainty over the future of loan star Kurt Zouma.

What’s the story so far?

Well, since signing from Barcelona back in the summer for a huge £27m fee, Mina has made just 14 appearances as a result of injury issues and a struggle to dislodge Kurt Zouma and Michael Keane from the starting eleven – 11 of those 14 games have been starts.

To spend such a fee on one player, the Toffees need to be starting the Colombian international when he is available for selection. As we saw against Chelsea on Sunday, a game that he was only playing in as Zouma was ineligible to face his parent side, Mina can be very, very good.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

His composure on the ball and dominant physical skills make him an ideal modern-day centre-back, and one that should be trusted more by Marco Silva.

Should be favoured over Zouma anyway

French international Zouma is set to return to Chelsea in the summer at the expiry of his loan deal, and with the Blues set to be under a transfer ban for the next two windows, one would assume that it will be unlikely for the Toffees to get him back.

So, as a result of that, Everton are simply nurturing Chelsea’s 24-year-old player and aiding his development, all whilst their own 24-year-old sits on the bench.

The Merseysiders are being foolish with their treatment of Mina, as he is unlikely to get to grips with English football and adapt whilst out of the side – Everton would be better placed throwing the South American defender into the team even if he does make a mistake or two, for it would benefit them more in the long term.

Zouma isn’t Everton’s player, and it feels unlikely that they’ll be able to get him back, so Silva must start putting his own first in the final few games of the season.

The chips were down for Unai Emery against Bate Borisov and in an attempt to break them, he decided to shake things up, introducing Mesut Ozil into the fray.

In only his second appearance in 2019, the Arsenal talisman proved his ability with a commendable performance in the final third.

Despite obviously not being completely fit for action after appearing for the first time in almost a month, the German’s majestic touch and clinical instincts in the final third were persisting. Right from the get-go, he created space for himself in the final third and always served as a viable option to pass to.

Rather than trying to go for glory himself, he distributed possession really well from midfield to attack, allowing his wingers to run forward. Ozil created a few glaring chances, especially in the second half when his clever through-ball wasn’t capitalized well by Pierre Emerick Aubameyang.

The German gave a very disciplined performance, rarely losing possession and recording an 89% passing accuracy from more than 80 passes! He also attempted and succeeded two dribbles (stats via Fotmob), while his off the ball movement to drag away players was also glaring at multiple opportunities.

On another day, Ozil could’ve had a goal or assist. One of his shots swung closely over the post and he showed signs of his old self as the game progressed. If not anything, he proved to be ready to immerse back into Arsenal’s starting lineup to help them achieve the Europa League success.

With Bournemouth up tonight, Emery must allow the German to roam free if he’s going to keep his team in the race for Champions League qualification.

تسبب لاعب وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي آرسنال، محمد النني، في حيرة لمدربه الحالي في الجانرز، ميكل أرتيتا، قبل مباراة وست هام يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويستعد آرسنال لخوض ثاني لقاءاته الرسمية في البطولة مساء اليوم، السبت، في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءًا بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب “الآمارات”.

وأفادت صحيفة “ديلي إكسبريس” البريطانية بأن تألق النني كان مفاجئًا للجميع أمام فولهام في المباراة الأولى في الدوري الإنجليزي وعلى رأسهم أرتيتا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. طرابزون التركي: لا نستطيع تحمل راتب محمد النني

وقدم النني مباراة فنية رائعة في وسط الملعب بجانب جرانيت شاكا، وهو ما يضع أرتيتا في حيرة لأن في الموسم الماضي كان الإسباني يعتمد بشكل كبير على، داني سيبايوس، بجانب السويسري.

وتشير الصحيفة إلى أن وجود سيبايوس سيمنح وسط نادي آرسنال لمسة إبداعية أكثر من النني في حالة مشاركته، وربما يكون ميزة إضافية لكتيبة أرتيتا في مواجهة ديفيد مويس.

فهل يستغنى أرتيتا عن النني أم سيبايوس في مواجهة اليوم؟، خاصة بعد نجاح آرسنال في التوصل لاتفاق مع ريال مدريد لاستمرار الأخير على سبيل الإعارة لمدة موسم آخر.

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left gushing over their former midfielder Ryan Mason after he posted a throwback image to Twitter over the weekend.

With the United Kingdom stuck inside under lockdown, a little trend has emerged on social media whereby fans, players and whoever else that likes the sport of football get involved by uploading an image without any caption or context. Here’s what the 28-year-old put up:

The Spurs academy graduate enjoyed an eight-year spell amongst the first-team setup before leaving for Hull City, but his career would then be devastatingly cut short after he suffered a skull fracture in a match with Chelsea in 2017.

He’s clearly still adored by those in north London as loads of supporters replied to his tweet.

Here’s what has been said…

Mason played 70 times for the Lilywhites where he managed to find the net four times and also provided four assists, per Transfermarkt.

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

He was lauded as everything from a Spurs “legend” to the “boss” while one supporter credited his role in kickstarting the Mauricio Pochettino revolution in north London.

Given the current circumstances sweeping the nation, some others offered up warm words to stay safe during this time…

There were plenty missing his exploits at the Lane, too. One further member of the Spurs faithful claimed he would love to have Mason in their midfield now, suggesting that he was quality on the ball and always worked his socks off.

However, it’s hard to see many central midfielders getting in the squad currently due to the vast range of options at Jose Mourinho’s disposal.

Who on earth is that?!?! Can you name all of these obscure January signings?

AND in other news, Spurs should look to sign this “outstanding natural talent” in the summer…

The North London rivalry has always been a good one to watch from afar and even though neither Tottenham Hotspur nor Arsenal have been at their best this season, that still didn’t take anything away from their classic encounters down the years.

Still, it seems that the power is slightly shifting towards Spurs as BBC have crunched the numbers and discovered that Daniel Levy’s outfit have managed to tally a better point average in the last decade.

Tottenham have 1.854 per game while the Gunners’ count stands at 1.852.

Of course, by the looks of it, the difference truly is minimal but it was enough for many of the fans to poke fun at their arch-rivals, stating they are in the mud and in decline.

You can see some of their comments down below:

But some of the fans were more realistic and they were also quick to point out that despite being better in the average point tally, Spurs actually have no trophies to show for during that period of time.

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

Their rivals, however, did pick up a couple of them along the way, which is what matters the most at the end of the day.

One fan even called it a pointless statistic but it’s a small victory nonetheless.

Let’s see if Jose Mourinho can be the one to break this curse and finally land Spurs some silverware.

Meanwhile, many Spurs fans reacted to one of their players finally penning a new contract…

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Loads of Newcastle fans have been giving their verdict on Monday’s momentous win at Turf Moor, and they’re full of praise for summer signing Federico Fernandez.

Newcastle grabbed their third win on the bounce on Monday, winning 2-1 at Burnley courtesy of an own goal and a deft finish from Ciaran Clark.

The Magpies had to fight for it though, as the home side heaped tons of pressure on in the second half.

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Rafael Benitez surprised the Clarets by selecting a back three, and Fernandez’s performance in the middle of that three was sensational.

The 29-year-old seemed like a panic signing to many fans this summer, but he has proved his worth already, winning five aerial duels and making a whopping ten clearances in Monday’s win.

It was also his strike that was deflected over Joe Hart to open the scoring, and it’s not hard to see why Swansea fans loved the Argentine international so much.

Newcastle have become infamous for underwhelming transfer business under the leadership of Mike Ashley, but the £6m move for Fernandez is looking like a stroke of genius from the club.

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

Aston Villa have missed out on re-signing John Terry after The Guardian reported that the Chelsea legend is on the verge of joining Spartak Moscow.

What’s the word?

On Friday, Terry hinted in an interview with the Daily Mail that he was open to moving back to Villa Park as he claimed that he had “unfinished business” there.

However, The Guardian – as well as a range of other media publications – reported over the weekend that Terry is on the verge of signing a two-year contract at Russian outfit Spartak.

The centre-back spent last season on loan at Villa after joining from Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer of 2017.

When his one-year deal expired Terry was released from the Midlands club, but with Steve Bruce on the hunt for a defender, reuniting with the experienced star made sense.

How much of a blow is this?

At the age of 37, Terry is in the latter stages of his career so it is no major surprise that he has opted for a lucrative move.

It is likely that this will be the defender’s final contract before he calls time on a successful career, that has included five Premier League title wins.

From Villa’s perspective, it is disappointing that Terry is no longer available to scoop up, but they should have done more to convince him to stay on at the end of last season.

Granted, the club have gone through some financial turmoil, but the former England captain’s performances at the back last season warranted him another contract.

Villa are stretched thin at the back, so it is important now for Bruce not to dwell on missed opportunities but focus on what he can do to strengthen the defensive line.

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According to reports in The Sun on Sunday, West Ham United are ready to make a move £5m-rated Hadjuk Split midfielder Hamza Barry, but they could face competition for his signature from Premier League rivals Everton and Watford.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun on Sunday says that new Irons boss David Moyes is to be handed £30m to spend in the January transfer window in order to try and help the team in their relegation battle, and he is looking at Barry along with some of the east London outfit’s top flight rivals.

How has Barry done this season?

The 23-year-old central midfielder has been an impressive performer for Hadjuk Split this term, scoring one goal and providing a further five assists in 19 appearances in all competitions.

The versatile Gambia international, who has played in central attacking midfield, central midfield, defensive midfield and on either wing, has a contract with the Croatian outfit until 2020 but The Sun on Sunday says he could be available for £5m.

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Would he be a good signing for West Ham?

It’s difficult to say.

While it seems clear that the Irons need reinforcements in the middle of the park with the likes of Cheikhou Kouyate, Pedro Obiang and Mark Noble underperforming this season, whether Barry would be the answer to their problems remains to be seen.

While he has proven to be a decent enough player in the Croatian league, it would be a huge step up to perform consistently well in the Premier League for a team that could be struggling towards the wrong end of the table.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, West Ham have been linked with Bournemouth’s Harry Arter already this month and he would certainly be a more experienced and less risky addition than Barry because of his time in the English top flight.

While Barry could be a potential summer addition if the Irons stay up, they should look for players that are guaranteed to make an impact in the New Year for what could be a huge second-half of the campaign.

As reported by The Daily Mail, Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur are both interested in the signature of Ipswich Town teeanger Kundai Benyu this summer.

What’s the story?

Celtic fans have seen a number of teenage stars light up the Scottish Premiership this season including Moussa Dembele, Patrick Roberts and Kieran Tierney. Now Brendan Rodgers and his staff are chasing another that can make an impact North of the border.

The Mail reckon both the Hoops and Tottenham Hotspur have shown an interest in the 19 year old midfielder, whose contract runs out at Ipswich Town this summer.  The two clubs have scouted him while on loan at Aldershot Town in the National League.

Due to cross-border rules, the compensation fee Celtic would have to pay would be significantly less than any English team vying for his services.

Why all the fuss?

Benyu has impressed on loan at Aldershot this season, making 23 appearances and playing a key role in their attempt to get promoted, a bid which ultimately ended in the play-offs against Tranmere Rovers.

The Mail say he ended up there due to a fall-out with Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy but having worked hard and held a place in the team on loan, it’s clear he’s willing to progress and develop as a player.

Celtic is one of the best places in Europe to enhance your skills as a young player right now. A top class coach in Brendan Rodgers, fantastic facilities at Lennoxtown and the opportunity of first team football both in the Scottish Premiership and UEFA Champions League.

For a 19 year old looking to prove himself it’s the perfect home, compared to potentially being lost in vast, elite squads at top English Premier League clubs like Tottenham Hotspur.

Is Benyu the next teenager to make an impression at Celtic Park?

According to reports from Mirror Football, West Ham are preparing a £1.5million transfer bid for Millwall’s highly-rated defender Mahlon Romeo.

Who?

A good question. Romeo – at least, not in Shakespearean terms – is hardly a household name. But the 21-year-old is rapidly establishing himself at The Den, making 16 appearances already this season, and boasts some pedigree, having spent much of his youth career at Arsenal before leaving in 2012 in search of first-team football.

That led to a move to Gillingham, a short loan switch to Dover Athletic and subsequently a transfer to Millwall in summer 2015. He became a regular for the Lions in the second half of last season and has now cemented his place in their starting XI – also picking up seven caps for Antigua and Barbuda in the process.

What’s the word, then?

According to Mirror Football, Romeo’s increasing importance in South London hasn’t gone unnoticed by Millwall’s bitter rivals West Ham. Hammers scouts reportedly ran the rule over the full-back during their 2-1 win over Fleetwood last weekend – the third time they’ve watched him in action so far this season.

Do West Ham need a right-back?

Most definitely. The fact Havard Nordtveit, Sam Byram, Michail Antonio and Alvaro Arbeloa have all played at right-back already this season tells all about how much of a problem position it’s become for the Hammers – undoubtedly an underlying influence on them conceding the second-most goals of any Premier League side after whipping-boys-in-waiting, Hull City.

Whether Romeo’s ready to come in and fill the void, however, remains another question that only Bilic can truly answer. But the likelihood is that Romeo’s being targeted as a long-term addition rather than a quick fix – suggesting a move to the London Stadium could well come at the end of the season rather than January.

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