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West Ham United know that four points from their final two matches of the 2020/21 Premier League season will secure them a place in Europe, and there won’t be a better time to pick up three of them than this evening.

The Irons head north to face former manager Sam Allardyce and his already-relegated West Brom side at the Hawthorns.

David Moyes will certainly need to see an improvement, with his side faltering in recent weeks having won just one of their last five matches in the top-flight.

In that run, the Hammers have struggled to find the goalscoring touch that saw them mount a serious challenge at the top-four, so some changes in attack would not come as a surprise.

One name that should be facing an axe from Moyes’ starting XI is Jarrod Bowen, who hugely disappointed in the draw over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Not only did he struggle to make much of an impact, recording only ten passes in 64 minutes on the pitch but he also failed to provide an accurate cross for Michail Antonio, couldn’t manage a successful dribble and did not register a single shot, as per SofaScore.

The 24-year-old dynamo usually averages just shy of one dribble each outing, as well as 1.5 shots per game, so evidently, he was way below his best on the south coast on Saturday night.

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His replacement, Said Benrahma, came on and bagged the vital equaliser, only further proving why a switch on the wing could be an easy decision to make right now.

Bowen, who is currently valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, has now gone four straight league games without a goal contribution, which will come as a major concern considering he scored three and assisted two in the four games prior to this barren spell.

He should be doing a lot better, especially as he’s amongst Moyes’ highest-earners on a reported £60k-per-week.

Earlier in the campaign, Bowen drew glowing praise from many across football – Gabby Agbonlahor described him as “quality” and “outstanding” to Football Insider, whilst Gary Neville told Sky Sports (21st December, 19:56) that he is “brilliant to watch.”

However, there have been lingering concerns about one aspect of his game, as Kevin Phillips suggested to Football Insider.

“In possession, he’s great. But ultimately out of possession, you’ve got to know your positions, you’ve got to know when to press, you’ve got to know where to show someone and where not to show them,” he said. “If you don’t get it quite right at this level, you get punished. It’s no surprise because he’s more of an offensive player, defending’s not his main duty. But we all know that nowadays you’ve got to be able to do both.”

Bowen has underperformed in recent matches and failed to make a point during his 64 minutes against Brighton.

Moyes must show no mercy and ruthlessly axe him from his starting XI tonight.

AND in other news, Sullivan must seal bargain West Ham swoop for 11-goal beast who’s “like Didier Drogba”…

With Liverpool only signing Ibrahima Konate during the previous summer transfer window, it seems as though the Merseyside club have their eye on signing another young talent from another of Europe’s big clubs in the near future.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by El Nacional (via Liverpool.com) that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is a fan of Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde and that the Merseyside club could be interested in making a transfer move for the player in the future.

After working his way through the youth ranks at Real Madrid, Valverde eventually made his senior debut for the club back in October 2018 during a 2-1 win over Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League.

Since then, the 23-year-old, who is currently valued at £58.5m according to Transfermarkt, making him their second most valuable player, has made a total of 114 appearances for the Spanish club across all competitions, chipping in with five goals and seven assists in the process.

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So far this season, Valverde, who has been described as a “phenomenal” player by teammate Casemiro in the past, has made 12 appearances for Carlo Ancelotti’s side across La Liga and the Champions League, predominantly playing as a central-midfielder but also as a right-midfielder and right-back on occasion, highlighting his versatility.

This is why he could prove himself to be a perfect heir for current Reds midfielder James Milner given the Englishman’s advanced age and the fact that he’s played in almost every position across the midfield and defence during his time at Liverpool.

Additionally, with Valverde racking up an average of 1.7 tackles per game in La Liga this season, this could make him a good defensive replacement for Milner who has an average of two tackles per game in the Premier League in his latest campaign with the Reds.

However, with Valverde’s current contract not set to expire until the summer of 2027, and the fact that fellow Real Madrid midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are both over the age of 30, it seems as though the club see Valverde as a long-term player for them and may not be interested in selling the player, which could make it a difficult deal to secure for Liverpool if they are interested in making a move for him.

Although, it still would be worth exploring the possibility of signing Valverde this summer, especially if Milner ends up leaving the club when his contract expires at the end of June.

In other news: FSG could seal perfect Salah heir at Liverpool with “unpredictable” £63m-rated machine – opinion

Liverpool fans were livid with the performance of Jordan Henderson during their 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

The Reds were in action in Madrid in the Champions League, and they picked up an important three points away from home in a thrilling encounter.

Going 2-0 up early on thanks to goals from Naby Keita and Mohamed Salah, a brilliant brace from Antoine Griezmann levelled things up. The France international was then sent off, however, and Salah grabbed the winner to given Jurgen Klopp’s men the victory.

Captain Henderson started in the middle of the park, but he did not put in his best display. He won the ball back in just one duel in his entire 90 minutes on the pitch (SofaScore), and lacked the usual leadership and composure we have become used to seeing from him, surrendering possession ten times.

The fans were from happy with the performance of the England midfielder, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Henderson below

“Henderson was horrible and was worse than Keita In fact.”

Credit: @ninawiththe9

“Henderson was atrocious. he should’ve been cutting off the line of pass to griezmann but was caught behind the ball. As a no.6 for the game he didn’t recognise his role and was all over the place and poor in possession.”

Credit: @i98NDK

“Both goals came from the right side, are you not gonna say anything about TAA? What can you say about Milner and Henderson who were equally shambolic. As for the defining game for his career at LFC, not your call, you are not Jurgen.”

Credit: @LNdzabe

“Henderson has been garbage and Milner is an old man. Both should be replaced down the line.”

Credit: @AlucardKing7

“Henderson should never have gotten a contract”

Credit: @LFCShafic

“He was overplayed. Guy played all of his international team games and the game at Watford. Henderson was also very poor.”

Credit: @TemnoLFC

In other news, these were Liverpool’s best three players against Atletico.

Rangers’ official Twitter channel has informed supporters of four changes to their 2022 fixture schedule.

Their clash with Hearts at Ibrox has been moved to 4pm on Sunday 6 February and will be broadcast live by Sky Sports.

Two further matches have been rescheduled later in the month as a result of the Gers’ progression to the Europa League knockout stages. Rangers finished second in their group, earning the right to play one of the Champions League group stage’s third-place teams for a place in the round of 16.

In last week’s draw, they learned that they would face Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, with the ties scheduled for 17 and 24 February.

Which games have been moved because of Rangers’ Europa League progress?

Their meetings with Dundee United and Motherwell have been shifted to midday and 3pm on the following Sundays, 20 and 27 February respectively.

However, most Rangers fans will probably be focusing on the clash with arch-rivals Celtic, with whom they may well battle for the title. The Hoops are now due to make the trip across Glasgow for a midday kick-off on Sunday 3 April.

While the European-enforced changes are understandable, some supporters were far from pleased with the Hearts clash in early February being moved to a 4pm Sunday kick-off amid fears that it could “cause chaos” in terms of travel to and from the match.

Rangers fans react to club’s fixture news

“Despise games being on a Sunday! That’s more games I’ll be missing. Saturday at 3, the way it’s meant to be!”

Credit: @Cassells777

“4pm on Sunday should be a crime”

Credit: @Innes1960

“4pm on a Sunday is horrible!”

Credit: @gazzagkl

“Time to scrap the TV deal”

Credit: @Robert39630284

“4 o’clock on a Sunday?? Na, I’m fighting.”

Credit: @ljt10x

“That 4pm game will cause chaos if Subway pulls its usual 6pm closure.”

Credit: @ibroxrocks

In other news, Noel Whelan has reacted to a ‘devastating’ blow for Rangers 

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former manager and current director of football Barry Fry believes this summer could be the final chance Harry Kane has to leave Tottenham.

Kane, who is Tottenham’s third-highest goalscorer of all time, is currently being linked with a move away from White Hart Lane, speculation that will worry Spurs fans.

Fortunately for the north London club, the striker’s contract runs until 2024, so they are under no immediate pressure to sell their star player, and Fry thinks he would like to stay at White Hart Lane for the rest of his career.

The Peterborough director of football, however, believes an exit is still a possibility, highlighting this summer’s transfer window as his best shot of securing a move. He told FFC:

“I think Harry’s about 27 now, so it’s a vital stage in his career, whether he is going to sign a contract that will keep him at Tottenham for life, which I think he’d really want to do. But I think this summer is probably the last [chance] he’d probably get to [move to] a big club.”

Discussing Kane’s future further, Fry added: “I think if they do win a trophy this year, then that will help enormously for him to sign a long-term contract at Tottenham.”

Now 27, it is not hard to see why Kane would contemplate leaving Tottenham before the start of next season. Spurs have not put in a serious challenge for the Premier League title since 2017 and have gone from competing in the Champions League final to getting knocked out of the Europa League.

That being said, getting the England captain out of White Hart Lane will surely be no easy feat, while chasing down Jimmy Greaves’ record may also be at the back of his mind.

Carlo Ancelotti has landed a welcome boost after Iceland confirmed that Everton midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson will sit out the March international break.

Sigurdsson has been given permission to miss his country’s World Cup qualifiers with Germany, Armenia and Liechtenstein as he and his wife are expecting their first child.

The 31-year-old had been named in Arnar Vidarsson’s 25-man squad last week, but he will not join up with Strakarnir Okkar and no replacement is expected to be named to face Germany.

Sigurdsson had played the full 90 minutes in four of Iceland’s last five international fixtures, only missing November’s 4-0 defeat to England when omitted from the matchday group at Wembley.

Ancelotti has frequently called on Sigurdsson to play a role in Everton’s push for European football, with the £13.5m-rated maestro only failing to feature in one of his side’s last 23 fixtures across all competitions.

The sole game that the former Swansea City playmaker failed to feature in at any stage came in the Toffees’ 2-1 defeat at home to Burnley this month, having sustained an ankle knock during the defeat to Chelsea earlier that week.

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Sigurdsson returned to the Blues’ starting line-up for Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final loss to Manchester City at Goodison Park, after resuming training in the days preceding the tie.

He is now set for a period of rest after withdrawing from the Iceland squad, which will come as a welcome boost for Ancelotti and Everton ahead of hosting Crystal Palace on April 5th.

The Toffees have a tough April on the schedule, with the Eagles’ visit to Merseyside followed by a trip to relegation-threatened Brighton & Hove Albion and clashes with European contenders Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.

Ancelotti will no doubt be glad to hear that Sigurdsson will not be joining the Iceland squad for their three World Cup qualifiers in the space of six days, as the break in fixtures will allow the 78-cap international a chance to rest his ankle and recharge the batteries.

Sigurdsson has occupied a key role in the Italian’s plans for much of the campaign, with minutes given in all but two Premier League games, and will be expected to remain a pivotal presence at Goodison Park in the final months of the season.

Only Lucas Digne has provided more assists (6) in the top-flight this term than Sigurdsson (4), too, while the £100,000-per-week midfielder additionally ranks third behind the Frenchman (1.5) and James Rodriguez (1.7) for average key passes a game (1.1), per WhoScored.

That could remain ever-important after the international break, with Rodriguez missing Everton’s last four Premier League games and the FA Cup tie with Manchester City due to a calf injury.

Ancelotti hopes to have the Colombian back for Crystal Palace’s trip to Goodison Park, though it remains to be seen if the ex-Real Madrid star will be passed fit.

“James is out but he will start to train with the team next week,” Ancelotti said last Friday.

“In the international break, we have time to recover some players. James is one of those and maybe [Jean-Philippe] Gbamin.”

AND in other news, Everton are monitoring a £17m ace dubbed the next Erling Haaland…

Journalist Ryan Taylor has now dropped some Newcastle United transfer news on Hugo Ekitike.

The Lowdown: January bid

A reported £33m deal for Ekitike to move to St. James’ Park from Reims fell through on deadline day in the January transfer window, so Chris Wood from Burnley was the only striker brought in to boost Eddie Howe’s forward ranks.

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However, given recent links to the likes of Victor Osimhen and Arnaud Kalimuendo, it is clear that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) would like to bring in another forward to the North East in the summer, with Wood only finding the back of the net twice for the Magpies.

The Latest: Ekitike update

Taking to Twitter, Taylor has shared that the Tyneside outfit have now been ‘told’ that they can sign Ekitike this summer, following comments from Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot:

“Newcastle have been told they can sign Hugo Ekitike this summer after January deadline day deal collapsed. #NUFC

“Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot: ‘Hugo will be allowed to go & he’s probably going to leave.’ Also interest from West Ham, Wolves, Fulham.”

The Verdict: Exciting

The summer window is shaping up to be an exciting one for the Toon Army, and more so given this update on Ekitike.

Described as a ‘very special‘ player earlier on this season by Reims manager Oscar Garcia, the French teenager has a big future ahead of him, and many in France even go as far as to claim that he could be the ‘next Mbappe‘.

Like the now PSG superstar did at AS Monaco, Ekitike has burst onto the scene, with ten goals and four assists in 24 games in total over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt), and at just 19 years of age, he could be a real coup for the Magpies.

In other news, find out which NUFC target is ‘definitely an upgrade on Ciaran Clark’ here!

Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri excelled at a potentially ideal time for West Ham United by hitting a hat-trick against Cadiz CF on Saturday, only to then deal the Irons a huge blow.

Reports by the Daily Star earlier in the week suggested that Hammers were preparing a new offer worth up to £32m, including add-ons, with the hope of signing the 23-year-old forward this month, after seeing a £27m bid knocked back earlier in the January transfer window.

Yet Sevilla, who signed the Morocco international for just €20m (£18m), are said to be relaxed as they demand no less than €40m (£35.5m) outright to release the man who fired them up to third in the La Liga table with a Man of the Match showing in Saturday’s 3-0 win.

En-Nesyri’s hat-trick at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium was his second in the space of only two weeks, after firing home thrice in a 3-2 win at home to Real Sociedad. He now has 12 goals in 19 games, more than any other player in the Spanish top-flight.

It was not only his goals that saw En-Nesyri stand out against Cadiz this weekend, as he dictated the flow of Sevilla’s attacking gameplan to warrant a match-high 10 out of 10 rating from WhoScored.

It was his best match rating of the season so far, having offered a game-high five shots – three more than anyone else – of which four were directed on target. He also provided two key balls from 14 accurate passes, which SofaScore deemed to have created two big chances for Sevilla to find the back of Jeremias Ledesma’s net as they awarded him a 9.8/10 rating.

En-Nesyri has now created five clear-cut chances for Sevilla to score in La Liga fixtures this term but remains without an assist, despite offering four times his average key passes a game (0.5). No forward in La Liga has created a higher number of chances where there is a reasonable expectation of a teammate scoring without a shot being converted.

He also moved his successful dribbles a match average to 0.4 after successfully driving play forward with the ball at his feet on two of his six attempts against Cadiz – only four attackers across Spain’s top-flight offer two or more successful dribbles a game. One of those four attackers is Sevilla winger Suso, who attempted (8) dribbles against Cadiz.

En-Nesyri also contested more offensive aerial duels (3) than any of his teammates on Saturday, while attempting one defensive aerial contest further saw the €50,000-per-week (£44.5k-p/w) marksman match his season average of two or more duels won a game with a 51% success rate.

En-Nesyri even confirmed after the match that he had been suffering with sight issues after the foul he drew late in the first-half that led to his second goal.

But for as good a performance as En-Nesyri produced, maybe at a high enough level for West Ham to match Sevilla’s demands for a winter sale, he went on to perhaps deal a huge blow to the Irons’ hope of securing a transfer this month.

“Nothing has changed, all this comes with work and concentration. Now we are going for more, for now, I’m staying at Sevilla, I’m going nowhere,” he told Movistar+, via quotes by Estadio Deportivo. “I want to finish the year here. It’s a great club and I want to be here.”

En-Nesyri’s declaration will likely be seen as a huge blow at West Ham as the club searches for a new striker to replace Sebastien Haller.

After all, the Moroccan’s match-winning performance against Cadiz saw En-Nesyri offer more shots (2.2, Michail Antonio) and key passes (1.5, Aaron Cresswell) than any Irons player offers per game in the Premier League, of those to have featured on more than five occasions, per WhoScored.

Moyes should be looking to do all he can to convince En-Nesyri to have a swift change of heart before the window slams shut, as well as urging West Ham co-owner and Chairman David Sullivan to present the extra millions needed for a transfer, as he looks to be player who could be a very useful addition to the Hammers.

AND in other news, West Ham consider January bid for “phenomenal” striker boasting 15 goals in 19 games.

Some Liverpool supporters have been mocking Gary Neville after the Reds finished third in the Premier League following his reaction of surprise at their achievement.

The Reds knew that a win would all but guarantee a top-four finish on Sunday, as Crystal Palace made the trip to Anfield with 10,000 fans present at the stadium. Jurgen Klopp’s men got the job done in professional fashion thanks to two goals from Sadio Mane in either half, and they even ended up in third place when all was said and done.

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Considering that Liverpool looked dead and buried in March, having lost six league games in a row at home, it was a great effort by Klopp and his players to bounce back and finish best of the rest behind the two Manchester clubs.

Neville’s dislike for the Reds is well-known, given his previous with Manchester United down the years, as characterised by one particularly dramatic celebration at Old Trafford in a game between the two teams.

On Sunday, the Sky Sports pundit revealed his shock at finding out live on air that Liverpool had actually finished third ahead of Chelsea and Leicester City, much to the hilarity of those around him.

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Liverpool fans mock Neville

These Reds fans took to Twitter to mock the former United defender, with whom they have had a few run-ins over the years.

“This is quite a treat”

Credit @matthewsbunch

“You know he was actually dying inside!”

Credit @mrsocialmisfit1

“love this”

Credit @GavRiceRef

“Tears in his eyes”

Credit @SoLockedIn

” ‘Worst title defence in Premier League history’ and they’ve finished one place below Man United in their ‘best season post-Fergie’ with Rhys Williams and Nat Phillips in defence as well as Trent Alexander-Arnold who ‘can’t defend’. “

Credit @Mal_TQ

“That’s why he ruined Valencia”

Credit @Gin20151512

In other news, some Liverpool fans are desperate for the Reds to sign a prolific midfielder this summer. Find out who it is here.

Liverpool fans were delighted with the performance of Sadio Mane during the first half of their match with Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Reds are in a battle with Chelsea and Leicester City to qualify for the Champions League on the final day of the Premier League season. A win will be enough for them to reach Europe’s premier club competition, and the Reds are leading after the first 45 minutes thanks to Mane’s goal.

29-year-old Mane was selected by Jurgen Klopp to feature in the starting XI, and he looked back to his best against the Eagles. Although he has nine goals and eight assists this term (Transfermarkt), it has been one of his worst seasons at the club – with him at his best, it is hard to see Liverpool being in the position they are currently in. However, his goal could be vital for the Reds in making the Champions League.

The fans were happy with the Senegal international, and the fans took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Mane below

“Mane loving the supporters being back, he’s got his mojo back”

Credit: @busterkelly

“Missed seeing Mane like this, he’s actually back to his best”

Credit: @YJAMJ1

“Omo only Mane and Thiago has sense on this pitch”

Credit: @M_borlarjorko

“Mane been the best player on the pitch so far.”

Credit: @fate_champ

“As stressed out as I am I must say Mané is balling rn”

Credit: @Auxanooo

“Mane is playing so well, could have something to do with the fans return to the stadium.”

Credit: @Chuka_emordi

In other news, Liverpool fans don’t want to sign this man.