Arsenal fans confident they will win their next six games

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After four games of the season, Arsenal boss Unai Emery can be moderately pleased with his team’s work so far, although he will be well aware plenty of improvement can be made.

The Gunners won their first two fixtures, against Newcastle and Burnley, but then lost to Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield. That was followed by a thrilling 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in a pulsating north London derby.

Following the international break, the former Sevilla boss will be hoping his side can kick on as they stake their claim for a top-four finish, as well as hoping to be successful in the cup competitions.

In their next six games, they face Watford, Aston Villa and Manchester United in the Premier League, Eintracht Frankfurt and Standard Liege in the Europa League, and Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup.

How do football vloggers afford to watch their team week in, week out? Find out in the video below…

Gunners supporters are confident, to say the least, and there is a strong consensus, at least from parts of their fanbase, that they can pick up six consecutive victories.

They have been responding to AFTV’s tweet asking for their thoughts on the run, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

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Man Utd star Harry Maguire silenced the Leicester boo-boys with immense display

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

It was always to be expected. After a protracted transfer saga this summer, Harry Maguire finally clinched his big-money move to Manchester United in the closing stages of the window. The England international established himself as one of the Premier League’s leading centre-halves in his time at Leicester, and you can understand why Foxes fans brought the typical boos to greet their former hero this weekend.

In Maguire’s first meeting with his former club on Saturday, the 26-year-old produced the kind of display that proved exactly why United shelled out a world-record fee for a defender. The away fans were on him from the first whistle, and it would have been so easy for him to be overwhelmed by the occasion. Instead, the 6 foot 4 powerhouse radiated calmness at the back and helped the Red Devils to a relatively comfortable win over the Foxes.

Coming up against former teammate Jamie Vardy, Maguire was faced with the task of marshalling a striker whose biggest strength is the centre-back’s biggest weakness. Pace. The script was very much there to be written for the Leicester striker to burst on to a through ball and leave the United defender for dust. Instead, the Red Devils star organised the side’s back-line and imposed his will.

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The 26-year-old registered two tackles and won four aerial duels, but it was his five clearances that really spoke of the maturity United have bought. Vardy’s notorious relentlessness when it comes to hounding opposition defenders means it will always be a dangerous task to try and play out from the back. Maguire took no such risks over the course of the game, hoofing things into row Z if needed, and bringing the ball out of defence when there was no pressure.

Speaking after the game, Maguire shared his thoughts on his performance against his former club.

“I’m really happy and not just because it was against my old team and the pressure of the game and the people talking about the battles during the game. He (Vardy) is a top player and he has done it in the Premier League for numerous years. I know, on his day, he can terrorise defences. I have seen it playing for Leicester for the past few years. It was really important we got hold of him and vital to nullify him because he is a top player.”

Maguire won more than just the battle on the pitch against his former teammates. He won the battle against the Leicester fans who booed him over the 90 minutes, and vindicated United’s decision to splash the cash.

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Leeds’ Stuart Dallas reveals what he thinks of his teammates in YouTube video

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With the advent of social media, we feel closer to the lives of professional football players than ever before.

With Twitter and Instagram being used by almost every young footballer, we get round the clock coverage of what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with.

However, we rarely get to hear what the players truly think of one another. Fortunately, Leeds United’s YouTube channel have begun to upload interviews with players talking about their teammates, and of course, there were some hilarious results.

Stuart Dallas was the unfortunate interviewee, and he provided some incredible insight into the Leeds United squad.

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Some of the answers were more surprising than others. Pablo Hernandez being the most skilful player and Kalvin Phillips being the hard man of the group will surprise nobody, but learning that Leif Davis is the best singer in the squad is a bit of an eye-opener.

We can imagine Ezgjan Alioski won’t be too pleased about being called the worst trainer, and you can check out the rest of the revelations here.

Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen says he "can’t wait" for Bayern challenge

Tottenham’s Champions League campaign didn’t quite get off to the start they wanted, as the London club drew with Olympiakos in their opening game.Mauricio Pochettino’s men have an opportunity to put that right this week though, as they host Bayern Munich on Tuesday evening.Check out the controversial concept kit every Tottenham fan will want in the video below…There is a great sense of anticipation ahead of the match, and one man who is looking forward to the challenge is Jan Vertonghen.

The Belgian centre-back made it clear that he’s looking forward to taking on the German champions.

It will be a tough test for the former Ajax man, as he will have to keep tabs on the red-hot Robert Lewandowski. The Polish attacker has already netted ten league goals this term in just six appearances.

The fact that Vertonghen is relishing the challenge should be music to the ears of many Spurs supporters, as after a turbulent few weeks for the club, the players’ mentalities will be just as important on Tuesday night as their abilities.

Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane names one positive from Brugge game

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…

Real Madrid slipped once again and threw away valuable points against Club Brugge at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Champions League group stages on Tuesday.

Zinedine Zidane was still able to identify some positives from the game in the post-match press-conference but will that actually be enough for Los Blancos moving forward?

What did he say?

A draw in the Champions League is hardly a disaster and even the best of teams can afford a slip-up or two in the early stages of the competition.

If Real Madrid are going to fluff their lines, it’s still better they do it in the group stage as opposed to suffering blunders once the knockout phase commences. Assuming, of course, that they will progress from the group.

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Zidane, however, tried really hard to identify some positives from the clash that quickly turned sour for the home team.

Apart from the point they still mustered at the end of the night, the French manager also talked about his players’ reaction when they went 2-0 down and how they managed to claw their way back.

Here’s what he said in full: “We weren’t in control of any aspect of the game and the second half was a different story and we changed the complexion of the game.

“What I take away with me is the reaction from the players because they’re the ones who changed the game. That’s what I take away with me, that and the point.”

Is that enough?

Such a big comeback should definitely be commended.

Going 2-0 down and still managing to salvage a point at the end of the day is no small feat, regardless of whether you are Real Madrid or a third-tier club in Spain.

But it still doesn’t change the fact that Zidane’s men allowed themselves to get into that position in the first place.

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

Things were finally looking good – they managed to keep three clean sheets in the last three clashes in La Liga, they are top of the table back in Spain and this game against Club Brugge was supposed to completely turn the tides in their favour and ensure they still have a shot of topping the group.

But all they got, in the end, was a point while group leaders PSG are very close to completely running away with it, having already beaten Real and bested Galatasaray on Tuesday too.

So yes, Zidane has every right to try and extract any positives he can but even a heroic comeback shouldn’t really mask the elephant in the room – Real were poor and despite some signs of life, they are still far from where they need to be.

Brugge proved as much.

Everton’s predicted XI against Burnley

Everton’s worrying form in the Premier League continued last Saturday with a defeat at home to Manchester City. The Toffees now sit in 15th, having conceded an alarming 12 goals, whilst netting just six of their own after seven games.

As Marco Silva has a new injury concern to contend with in Theo Walcott, at least one change is guaranteed ahead of the trip to Burnley.

Marco Silva will be hoping he can rack up the goal count and send his side further up the table, as the team now worryingly sits just two points shy of the drop zone.

Here, we predict his starting XI.

Lucas Digne is all but the first name on the teamsheet at the moment. He won Everton’s Player of the Year last season and the former Barcelona man continues to be vital for his side, providing two assists this campaign.

Elsewhere in the defence, Michael Keane and Yerry Mina have played every minute thus far, and although the pair have let in 12 goals in seven games, they still remain Silva’s best choices.

At right-back, Seamus Coleman has once again proved his worth claiming an assist against City. The Irishman was desperately unfortunate not to bag the goal himself, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin notching his effort when the ball was millimetres from crossing the line.

The centre of the pitch is where much of Silva’s problems have occurred. Injuries to Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin have left the former Watford boss low on numbers, forcing in Morgan Schneiderlin.

The Frenchman has struggled throughout the season registering a 4/10 rating in the defeat to Sheffield United, and a 5/10 against the champions.

Up top, Everton have alarmingly lacked goals so far, scoring just six – the joint-second least amount in the league. Against Burnley, the likes of Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin should keep their spots, having netted two each so far.

On the other flank, Walcott is not expected to start so soon after a head injury, and although he is expected back in training this week, a start for Bernard is a much better option.

Playing just behind Calvert-Lewin this season has been Gylfi Sigurdsson, who has started every league fixture thus far. Despite registering a personal best of 13 goals last season, the Iceland international has so far provided just the one assist, as Alex Iwobi continues to test him for the no.10 spot.

Matt Targett hailed by Aston Villa fans following Norwich rout

Matt Targett made just his second Premier League appearance of the 2019/20 campaign in Aston Villa’s clash with Norwich City on Saturday afternoon.

And the 24-year-old made a huge impression on the Villa fans with his performance in what proved to be a 5-1 win for Dean Smith’s side.

Injury had ruled the defender out of Villa’s four Premier League matches between August 23 and September 22 – he has featured twice in the EFL Cup this term, though, and is now looking to secure a regular role in the league.

According to WhoScored, Targett had a pass success rate of 76% during his 90 minutes on the field, whilst he also set up Conor Hourihane for Villa’s fourth of the match.

Neil Taylor has not really convinced at left-back this season – failing to prove any meaningful contribution in the final third – and Targett could well develop into Smith’s first choice in that area of the field moving forward.

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A selection of the Twitter reaction to his display at Carrow Road can be seen below:

Crystal Palace’s summer signings ranked: Good news for Cahill, not for Camarasa

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

As we find ourselves in the midst of an international break, what better time to reflect on the start of the campaign than now?

In this instance, we’re talking about transfers. Specifically Crystal Palace’s dealings in the market.

The Eagles completed four signings back in the summer when bringing Gary Cahill, James McCarthy, Jordan Ayew and Victor Camarasa to the club, but how have the quartet got on at Selhurst Park since?

Let’s take a look, and also attempt to rank the signings out of 10…

Gary Cahill 

At 33 years of age, you couldn’t have blamed Palace fans for possibly feeling like Cahill’s best days may have been behind him, but the England international has been brilliant for Palace.

He has helped the Eagles to four wins and a draw from his first six Premier League appearances and has also drawn praise from some supporters on Twitter for his performance against Manchester United.

Cahill has also helped the south Londoners to two clean sheets in those six league outings, with Palace conceding just eight goals in eight games as a whole.

Having arrived for free, there can be few complaints about Cahill’s start to life in SE25.

9/10

James McCarthy 

The Irishman has been in the Premier League for many years now with both Wigan and Everton, ensuring that he would most likely be a safe pair of hands for Palace when they signed him back in the summer.

McCarthy has started just one league game but did well against West Ham when doing so as we detailed here.

The former Hamilton man looks like he’ll fit in perfectly at Palace if the early signs are anything to go by, as his energy in midfield and vast Premier League experience suggests he will by no means be a passenger.

For a man who cost under £1m, the infancy of his Palace career suggests McCarthy will be an astute piece of business.

6/10

Jordan Ayew

It seems as if on-loan Jordan Ayew is a completely different player to permanently contracted Jordan Ayew.

Having scored just one league goal while on loan last term, Ayew has scored three in seven so far for Palace this season, including the winning goals against Aston Villa and West Ham.

He has led the line admirably while Christian Benteke continues to misfire and Connor Wickham’s polystyrene knees remain – in truth, he has been the only Palace striker who looks up for it this season.

The former Swansea man looks a man reborn in that No.9 shirt, and like Cahill, there can be few complaints about him.

9/10

Victor Camarasa 

This is a tough one to judge.

The Spaniard joined from Real Betis on a season-long loan, but his only start has come against Colchester in the Carabao Cup – apart from that, he has played just five Premier League minutes.

As a result, we simply can’t give him too high a rating.

In that game against Colchester however, while Palace did eventually lose on penalties, Camarasa was handed the WhoScored Man of the Match award, having taken two shots while also completing three key passes.

2/10

Barcelona might not need Neymar anymore with Ansu Fati’s emergence

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

It seems that the transfer saga of Neymar Junior to Barcelona is not yet at its end.

On the contrary, reports from Mundo Deportivo state that the Brazilian’s name is still very much on Blaugrana’s minds and even though it is highly unlikely they will go for him in January, next summer could see them return for their man.

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But the situation is still difficult, as the same source points out, since PSG are not really planning to let go of their prized possession.

Interestingly enough, however, there might be another twist in this story that could turn the whole operation upside down.

As Mundo Deportivo have also revealed, the recent emergence of Barcelona’s prodigious talent, Ansu Fati, could put the whole Neymar transfer into jeopardy.

It’s a rather straightforward equation – Neymar’s arrival could potentially block Fati’s development and Barcelona obviously have big plans for the crown jewel of La Masia in the future.

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

Not to mention the potential finances the transfer would demand and the fact that not all board members seem to be in unison about the Brazilian’s return to the Catalan capital.

For those reasons, Fati might be Barcelona’s unlikely saviour and could yield them a surprising positive.

Of course, just his talents alone have given the fans a look into the future but seeing how re-signing Neymar doesn’t really make much sense in the first place and from multiple aforementioned angles, Fati’s emergence might save them the trouble.

It’s difficult to say that this will definitely prevent Barcelona from chasing Neymar in the not so distant future but it is already casting doubt over the deal, and that’s a big positive for the Blaugrana.

Leeds have their very own version of Paco Alcacer in Eddie Nketiah

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Leeds United were once again rescued by Eddie Nketiah on Tuesday evening as the striker scored the Whites’ only goal of the game to earn them a point against Preston at Deepdale.

His goal means that he’s now Leeds’ top scorer in all competitions, netting five goals despite playing only 388 minutes for the Yorkshire outfit.

That means that he finds the net every 77.6 minutes for the club, and understandably there have been calls for him to start.

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However, there is an argument to be made that Bielsa is actually using him perfectly.

Nketiah’s strengths lie in his finishing – he’s taken 11 shots in the league and has scored three times.

However, the Arsenal loanee doesn’t have the same abilities as Patrick Bamford when it comes to pressing the backline and linking play between the rest of the team, and if you’ve watched any of Marcelo Bielsa’s teams you know just how important that is to the Argentine.

Nketiah may actually be best utilised when he’s coming off the bench as there is usually more space for his fresher legs to operate in against fatigued defenders.

It’s very reminiscent of the way Borussia Dortmund used Paco Alcacer last season.

The Spaniard was one of the top scorers in the Bundesliga, netting 18 goals throughout the campaign, but he only played 1205 minutes for his team.

Why being the away goalkeeper at Leeds is the toughest job in football in the video below…

Most of his appearances were off the bench, and that was when he was at his most effective as 13 of his 18 goals came during those cameo appearances, while in 11 starts he only netted five times.

Alcacer never worked as well as a starting striker due to the fact he couldn’t manipulate the space as effectively as he could when he was coming off the bench.

Nketiah may very well be the same, his work rate isn’t at the same level as Bamford, and Bielsa’s current system of subbing the Arsenal loanee on late is clearly working as the England U21 star is Leeds’ top scorer in all competitions.

He’s single-handedly won Leeds seven extra points already this term as he netted the winner against Brentford, broke the deadlock late on against Barnsley as well as winning the penalty for the second goal,

This week he even bagged a late equaliser against Preston.

He’s a top striker, but with the way the Argentine wants his Leeds team to operate, the best way to use the 20-year-old may be to continue bringing him off the bench.

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