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Everton welcomed Manchester City to Goodison Park on Wednesday evening and with it their former defensive enforcer John Stones.

Plenty of Premier League clubs have been forced to offload their top players to Man City in the past decade and Everton suffered that fate in 2016.

Stones, widely regarded as England’s most promising defender at the time, swapped Merseyside for Manchester as Pep Guardiola began a defensive reshuffle.

His transfer was understandably placed under some scrutiny throughout the British media, but it was difficult for the Toffees faithful to be disappointed over the decision.

While Raheem Sterling has cut something of a satanic figure on the red half of Merseyside, Stones remains a relatively popular one amongst the blue half, and he enhanced his popularity by waving towards the Gwladys Street end at Goodison Park as he left the field of play on Wednesday.

In response to the video, most Everton fans took a pragmatic view on Stones’ decision to leave the club and recognised that he was handed an offer he simply couldn’t refuse.

If the Twitter reaction is anything to go by, it seems that the supporters are willing the 24-year-old defender to succeed at City and always knew he was destined for a huge future in the game.

Here’s what a handful of Everton fans have had to say about Stones after watching the short clip…

West Bromwich Albion are still in with a great chance of securing an automatic promotion place as they currently find themselves just six points off second place with a game in hand. 

The Baggies managed to secure a valuable point against Nottingham Forest last time out, thanks to a controversial penalty which was converted by Jay Rodriguez.

One thing that may be playing on supporters’ minds is Salomon Rondon’s future, as he continues to impress in the Premier League at Newcastle United. Interestingly, Rafa Benitez indicated that the South American is playing his way towards a permanent move back in December, so a permanent summer switch could be in the offing.

Therefore, it’s vital that Darren Moore takes a look at who can potentially replace the forward.

Oliver Burke is a name that springs to mind with his loan deal set to expire in the summer, and Moore has insisted that he will be returning (as per the Express & Star) to the Hawthorns at the end of the season, despite the player being keen (as per the Scotsman) to extend his stay beyond the summer.

So, it’s exciting times for the Baggies as they look set to have him in their ranks for next season.

The youngster has been a joy to watch since moving to Scotland last month as he’s managed to find the back of the net three times and has produced two assists in eight appearances. He was never able to live up to expectations during his time at the Hawthorns, but Moore will definitely be looking to benefit from his progression at Celtic.

Burke has operated at the pinnacle of the attack for the Hoops and it has served him well up until this point, so the Baggies should look to deploy him in that specific role if he stays in the summer. It’s clear to see that he knows how to score and create chances for his teammates, so he could be a real asset for the Baggies in years to come as he has plenty of potential and all the ingredients to develop into a star.

West Bromwich Albion fans – thoughts?

Portsmouth’s record in the league since the turn of the year has been quite frankly embarrassing and things need to be addressed as quickly as possible.

Having performed so well in the first half of the season, it’s amazing to see how downhill Portsmouth have gone but yet still remain in contention for promotion into the Championship.

As they currently sit third in League One, the automatic spaces are still viable but if that fails, their spot within the play-off places will still likely be in-tact.

It’s not as if crucial players were sold in January either. Portsmouth managed to retain all their stars, only for their performance levels to drop significantly since the turn of the year.

Whether they get promoted or not, Pompey need to make some drastic changes to their squad and the first step could be to lure Everton’s Beni Baningime to Fratton Park.

Baningime, (who is valued at £2.2 million on Transfermarkt) has recently joined Wigan on-loan as he bids to lend a hand to a team trying to save themselves from relegation.

Having made eight Premier League appearances, the 20-year-old may have had aspirations of kicking-on with the first team this season but Marco Silva wasn’t having any of it.

The midfielder hadn’t featured for the first-team, hence the move to Championship side Wigan to get some much-needed game-time.

As an academy product, hope still remains high that Beni Baningime can be a hit in the Premier League and a move to Portsmouth could see the central-midfielder realise his potential and perform to the best of his ability.

The two could form a good relationship and Portsmouth would certainly benefit from adding another quality midfielder to their ranks.

Do you agree… Let us know!

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Spurs host Arsenal on Saturday where they will be hoping to make a big improvement on performance standards having lost to both Burnley and Chelsea in their last two games, but it seems they may have to take on their bitter rivals without Jan Vertonghen and Harry Winks.

The pair have been two of Spurs’ most consistent players this season but both are doubts for the north London derby due to injuries and will be assessed ahead of the 12:30pm kick-off.

Winks has been the Lilywhites’ breakout star of the 18/19 season and the 23-year-old has filled the void left by Moussa Dembele capably, while Vertonghen has been typically solid at the heart of defence or at left-wing-back – see his man of the match performance versus Dortmund.

Who have been the biggest title race bottlers? Liverpool? Spurs? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

The duo may join Dele Alli (late stages of rehab) and Eric Dier (rebuilding fitness after illness) on the sidelines and Spurs fans on Twitter were, once again, cursing their luck ahead of the highly-anticipated clash…

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Leeds United left-back Ezgjan Alioski produced one of his finest performances of the season last time out against West Brom at Elland Road. The 27-year-old contributed a relentless, aggressive and determined display, and was rewarded for his efforts with a late goal.

Marcelo Bielsa will certainly be delighted by what he saw from the Macedonian. Alioski’s stamina, commitment and pressing ability were so good in fact that former Leeds and England defender Danny Mills has compared the Whites man with a Premier League star.

What he said

Speaking on the LS11 podcast, as quoted by HITC, Mills said of Alioski’s defensive contribution: “I think the way that Leeds play, on the front foot, especially at Elland Road, you can get away with it to a certain extent. If you get promoted, I’d be a little concerned with him in that position. Defensively, you probably need a bit more nous to deal with higher quality players week-in, week-out.”

Are fans being priced out of the Championship as well as the Premier League? The angry Bolton fan in the video below certainly believes so…

Mills continued, comparing Alioski’s situation with that of versatile veteran James Milner at Liverpool: “I think he’s done a great job at the moment. I think it has a shelf-life, a little bit like James Milner at Liverpool. He did brilliantly at left-back for a while, but it’s not really his position.”

Defending as required

Whilst Mills is congratulating Alioski on his efforts so far, he is warning Bielsa that playing the 25-cap Macedonia international at full-back will not be a long-term solution.

Alioski’s original position is in a more advanced role, and he certainly makes for an extremely attack-minded left-back. However, he should be given credit for only attacking when he can get away with it. He rarely commits beyond what he can recover should Leeds lose the ball. Fortunately, Alioski can recover his defensive position very quickly due to his pace and tireless engine.

It seems harsh from Mills to decide that Alioski couldn’t cope defensively at a higher level. All the Macedonian has demonstrated so far is that he is capable of defending just as much as he needs to, and that this doesn’t impede his ability to contribute in the final third.

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Jonjo Shelvey must step up for Newcastle United in the coming weeks following the news that Sean Longstaff is expected to miss the remainder of the 2018-19 campaign.

Longstaff has been in excellent form the Magpies since making the breakthrough into the first team, but the Premier League club have confirmed that the 21-year-old is set to miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.

The Chalkboard

Whilst Longstaff has been starring for Newcastle, Shelvey has been watching on.

The 27-year-old has only made 11 Premier League appearances this season, playing just once in 2019 – 37 minutes of the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on January 2.

A thigh injury has kept Shelvey on the sidelines, but he turned out for Newcastle’s Under-23 side against Fulham last week and is seemingly nearing a return to fitness.

It has not been the season that Shelvey would have hoped for, but Longstaff’s loss could be his gain as there is now a position open in the middle of midfield.

Other players will be in the mix and whilst it is unlikely that the 6ft ace will be ready to face Everton on Saturday, he could play a key role between now and the end of the season.

What can Shelvey bring to Newcastle?

Having turned 27 last month, Shelvey should be in the prime of his career.

A six-time England international, the midfielder was impressive for Newcastle last season – scoring twice in 32 appearances in all competitions.

Boasting a wonderful range of passing and the ability to unlock defences, the former Charlton Athletic youngster has attributes that others can only dream of.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

It has been a frustrating period for Shelvey, but his form in the early weeks of the campaign was not exactly terrific – boasting just one assist in 11 league appearances.

Strongly linked with a move to West Ham United, it is probably now or never for Shelvey when it comes to his Newcastle career, but whether he is ready to contribute remains to be seen.

Thank the sweet Lord for Patrick Bamford. Not many thought his ninth-minute opener would be Leeds’ only goal of the game, but he made sure his side had something to hang on to, and hang on they did.

Marcelo Bielsa isn’t known for grinding out results, but his men did just that as Bristol forced their backs against the wall for the final 15 minutes, despite the Whites dominating the whole game before that. This Leeds side has been criticised for not finishing enough chances and they would have faced the same complaints again had Bamford not netted early on.

He’s been injured for much of this season, but out of his 14 appearances, he’s made eight starts, scoring seven goals. That’s not a bad return considering players usually take time to get into their rhythm after an injury. He was taken off after 57 minutes following a collision with a post, but the signs in his return were promising.

Fellow forward Kemar Roofe is going through treatment of his own, and so Bamford will be needed for Tuesday’s trip to Reading. He’s got the opportunity to get some minutes back under his belt and prove to the manager just why he should start when he’s available to. The 25-year-old certainly has the ability to be the finisher Leeds need to take them to automatic promotion.

It’s getting to the stage of the season where Leeds usually falter and resign themselves to another year in the Championship, but this season could be so much different, and the fans feel it. The players need to start putting games to bed earlier to avoid the nerves and pressure mounting.

Bamford could be key to doing that, so Leeds will hope he can keep his fitness up and launch them back to the Premier League.

Leeds fans, how important do you feel Patrick Bamford will turn out to be in your club’s promotion push? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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There’s something about an academy starlet that gets fans excited. With Nottingham Forest’s Arvin Appiah, that is no different.

The young forward was called up to England’s U19s squad last week but has only featured once in the league this season for Forest, something which has left supporters of the Reds a little puzzled.

Following comments made by manager Martin O’Neill about the 18-year-old, there is a demand that he now gets more game time.

O’Neill’s words about the attacker were full of positives so the frustration over his lack of game time from fans seems justified. In response to the manager’s statements, two individuals shared similar opinions, claiming that the club should be giving him minutes in preparation for next season.

The reasoning behind this is a lack of goals in the team, according to one fan. Another said he should be included more often because of Lewis Grabban’s injury whilst there was a suggestion that Appiah is better than Ben Osborn.

The question was also asked as to why is he not playing for Forest if he’s good enough to be called up for England U19s.

Appiah already has one goal for the club this term, scoring off the bench against Burton in the Carabao Cup. Since then, he’s found opportunities hard to come by.

Here’s the best of the reaction to O’Neill’s remarks.

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The international break has gifted the Southampton squad a chance to get some casual minutes under their belts, with many of those who haven’t been called up to their national teams featuring in a friendly versus QPR on Wednesday.

The game, which the Saints won 3-2, gave run outs to Nathan Redmond, Charlie Austin and Yan Valery to name but a few. However, the real talking point was the rare sight of Fraser Forster – the former Celtic man hasn’t featured for the first team all season, with Angus Gunn stealing the gloves.

Between the sticks for the Saints, the 31-year-old let in two against Championship opposition, but that didn’t matter one bit to the St Mary’s Stadium faithful who were largely pleased to see the goalkeeper was even at the club still.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Here’s what they had to say on Twitter, with most simply excited to see him don the gloves again, while another suggested he may yet regain his starting spot…

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According to El Confidencial, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has urged Los Blancos president Florentino Perez to move for Tottenham Hotspur’s Christian Eriksen.

Eriksen will see his current deal with Tottenham expire at the end of next season.

And it does appear that the Denmark international – valued at £76.5m by Transfermarkt – will look to leave his London club.

Real Madrid are expected to spend this summer due to their struggles this season, with El Confidencial claiming that Eriksen is a priority for the Spanish giants.

Eriksen has been a wonderful servant to Spurs since arriving from Ajax in 2013, scoring 63 times and providing 81 assists in 264 appearances in all competitions.

However, a number of the Premier League club’s supporters feel that it is time for the 27-year-old to move on.

Eriksen has scored seven times for Spurs this season, but has lacked consistency and it does appear that his head is already elsewhere.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Tottenham fans can be seen below: