[ad_pod ]Southampton’s gritted their teeth through a difficult clash with Brighton at the weekend but Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s second-half strike proved decisive as the Saints took three points away from the Amex Stadium.The Southampton skipper was quick to praise the man who assisted his goal though – Nathan Redmond – and commended his teammate’s resilience, spirit and quality after the hard-fought victory.

Indeed, the former Norwich man has had a far from straight-forward season but finally looks to be showing what he can do and is proving to be yet another example of a player who has come on leaps and bounds since Ralph Hasenhuttl took Mark Hughes’ place in December.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Bursting forward before releasing Hojbjerg on Saturday, the former Norwich man showed exactly why he is in the starting XI – to bring pace and skill – while his captain finished the move with aplomb.

Redmond has been playing just off the front man in recent weeks – as opposed to out wide – and is proving far more effective in that role. Will the 5 ft 8 forward be able to keep it up for the rest of the season, though? Only time will tell.

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Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to slam Michael Oliver, after the referee sent off Ainsley Maitland-Niles in harsh fashion as the Gunners crashed to a 3-0 defeat against Leicester – they have now conceded three times in their last three matches against Crystal Palace, Wolves and the Foxes.

The Arsenal academy graduate received his first booking for a shoulder-to-shoulder clash with Ben Chilwell, which seemed very soft.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Bhav runs down his Arsenal transfer wish list in the video below…

Maitland-Niles was then given his marching orders for a desperate lunge on James Maddison, which left the England Under-21 star rolling on the floor – replays show that the Arsenal full-back didn’t actually make much contact with the attacking midfielder.

His dismissal set the tempo for the rest of the game and saw Unai Emery’s men concede three second-half goals, leading to yet another loss which has put a huge dent in their top four hopes.

Let’s see what the Arsenal fans on Twitter are saying about Oliver’s refereeing…

فاز آرسنال الإنجليزي على نظيره دوندالك بثلاثية نظيفة، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين مساء اليوم الخميس، على ملعب “الإمارات”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات في الدوري الأوروبي. أهداف مباراة ارسنال ودوندالك

وشهدت المباراة مشاركة لاعب وسط منتخب مصر محمد النني كأساسي، حيث لعب منذ البداية وحتى صافرة النهاية، وارتدى شارة القيادة للمرة الأولى وذلك بعد خروج جرانيت تشاكا في الدقيقة 74.

وانتهى الشوط الأول من المباراة بتقدم الجانرز بهدفين نظيفين، الأول سجّله نيكيتاه في الدقيقة 42.

وقبل نهاية الشوط بدقيقة، تمكن جوزيف ويلوك من إحراز الهدف الثاني للجانرز في الدقيقة 44.

ومع بداية الشوط الثاني من المباراة، تمكن الدولي الفرنسي، نيكولاس بيبي من تسجيل الهدف الثالث لـ آرسنال.

هذا الانتصار رفع رصيد آرسنال للنقطة السادسة، ليتصدر ترتيب المجموعة الثانية، فيما يتذيل دوندالك المجموعة دون نقاط.

The Championship automatic promotion race has been an utterly fascinating watch this season.

At one point in the campaign, four sides were fighting it out yet in recent weeks it has become clear that only one of Leeds United and Sheffield United will accompany runaway leaders Norwich City in the top-two.

Saturday’s results saw yet another shift in the league standings as the Blades’ 1-0 victory over Preston North End ensured they would leapfrog Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites who suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Birmingham City. With a one point lead over their Yorkshire rivals, Chris Wilder’s side are now in pole position with just six games to play and therefore should use the momentum gained at the weekend to push forward.

It is almost certain that there will be even more twists and turns between now and May but the Blades can now control their destiny and arguably have an easier run-in compared to Leeds who still have to face Preston and Aston Villa who are both fighting for a play-off position in the second tier.

In contrast, United only have to face one side who are in contention for a top-six position (Nottingham Forest) and know that if they can replicate their recent form in the league, they should be able to edge out the Whites. Wilder’s side can take another big step to a return to the Premier League on Wednesday when they travel to St Andrew’s to face Birmingham, a day after Leeds play Preston at Deepdale.

Although the results of these two fixtures may not completely settle the promotion race, the prospect of opening a four-point gap with just a handful of games to go this season will be a driving force for the Blades who will be wanting to send a message to their rivals in midweek.

What do think United fans? Is your side now in a great position to secure promotion following the weekend results? Or are you still not willing to get carried away? Let us know below.

قال علاء وحيد المتحدث الرسمي باسم نادي الإسماعيلي، إن سياسة الدراويش اختلفت بشأن ضم صفقات جديدة، مُشيرا إلى أن القلعة الصفراء تتعاقد حاليا مع لاعبين كبار لبناء فريق قوي.

وأعلن الإسماعيلي التعاقد مع الأنجولي آري بابل وأحمد مصطفى القادم من فترة احتراف في فريق جينت البلجيكي، بالإضافة الدولى الجزائري رضوان شريفي لاعب اتحاد العاصمة.

وأضاف علاء وحيد خلال مداخلة ببرنامج “بي أون تايم” عبر شاشة “أون تايم سبورت”: “التونسي فخر الدين بن يوسف من اللاعبين المميزين، وأحب أن أنوه أنه حدث اتصال بين النادي واللاعب وهناك احتمالية لعودته للفريق من جديد، ولكن الأمر سيعود للجنة التعاقدات لأنهم تعاقدوا مع لاعبين في مركزه”.

وكان فخر الدين بن يوسف قد أوضح في وقت سابق حقيقة تقدمه بشكوى ضد النادي الإسماعيلي، وموقفه من العودة إلى صفوف الدراويش. طالع التفاصيل

وبسؤاله عن ما تردد بشأن اقتراب أليو بادجي لاعب النادي الأهلي إلى صفوف الدراويش: “لا يوجد لدي معلومة بشأن ذلك حتى هذه اللحظة، ولكن كل الأمور واردة، لجنة التعاقدات تفتح تواصل مع جميع الأندية ويخبروني بعد أن ينتهوا من إتمام الصفقات”.

يذكر أن الإسماعيلي أنهى مشواره في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز هذا الموسم بالمركز 12 برصيد 41 نقطة.

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Loads of Newcastle fans have been running the rule over the latest transfer news, as reports in Germany claim the Magpies are chasing Nurnberg midfielder Patrick Erras.

According to Bild, Newcastle are “keen” on a move for Erras this summer, but will face plenty of competition for his signature.

Erras will enter the final year of his contract next season, meaning it’s exactly the type of deal Mike Ashley will go for, and the report claims a whole host of English clubs are interested.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Of course, Newcastle will be in need of some midfield reinforcements; Isaac Hayden and Jonjo Shelvey are both likely to depart while Mo Diame’s future is still anyone’s guess.

Diame is depending on a contract extension that is triggered by a certain amount of appearances, while Hayden is expected to repeat his January attempts to leave and Shelvey is wanted by West Ham.

Erras is only 24, but standing at 6 ft 5 he would provide a huge boost in physicality to Newcastle’s midfield.

Plenty of fans have given their verdict on the links though, and they’re getting more and more fed up of Ashley’s bargain hunting…

Junior Supporters’ Player of the Season, Internet Player of the Season, Luton Town Supporters, Trust Player of the Season, it was a very good night for Jack Stacey.

The Hatters’ right-back picked up a hat-trick of awards during the Luton Town’s Supporters’ Trust End of Season award show on Monday night that saw the defender pick up all three of the big accolades on the day, and it certainly has been a season to remember for Stacey.

The full-back has been one of the best players in League One this season, scoring four goals and assisting eight as the Hatters secured promotion to the Championship with a game, and had it not been for the club’s decision to hold on to Stacey at the start of the campaign it is unlikely Luton will be in the position they are now.

The Daily Mail reported last year in the summer transfer window that West Brom were eyeing up a move for Stacey, who saw him as a first-team option at right-back had the defender joined the Baggies, and it has shown that the Hatters keeping hold of their versatile defender has been one of the best transfer decisions they have made in a long time.

Stacey’s impact on the Luton team this season has been a massive, a big reason why the defender picked up so many accolades over the likes of James Collins and James Justin who both also had incredible seasons with the Hatters.

It is unknown where Luton would be had Stacey made the move to West Brom, but it is likely the London side would not be in the jovial mood they are now without their star defender.

Luton fans, how important has Stacey been for the Hatters? Let us know!

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Crystal Palace look certain to have secured Premier League survival for another season and, regardless of whether they should be doing better with the talent they have, it’s another job well done by Roy Hodgson and co.

The Eagles looked to be a in a spot of bother around Christmas time with neither Jordan Ayew or Christian Benteke – Palace’s two main striking options – having found the net, so it was clear that a new hitman was needed in January. Enter Michy Batshuayi.

The Chelsea striker joined Palace on loan on deadline day and was expected to fire the Eagles to safety but while the SE25 outfit have soared away from the drop zone, it has been in little part thanks to the Belgian.

Palace are no strangers to paying out wages that are surely disproportionate to their on-pitch output and Batshuayi threatens to be branded a costly flop if he cannot pull it out the bag with five games of the season remaining, by which time he will have raked in an insane amount for his time at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles were able to beat out the likes of West Ham, who scoffed at the striker’s reported wages, for Batshuayi – presumably because they were willing to meet those demands – but will surely be regretting it to some degree at least now, 594 Premier League minutes later. His stats certainly don’t make for particularly impressive reading, it has to be said:

Michy Batshuayi for Crystal Palace:

9 appearances

2 goals

0.9 dribbles per game

0.2 key passes per game

65.8% passing accuracy

Considering the immense amount of hype preceding his arrival in south London, Batshuayi has yet to show enough to justify the big bucks he is surely being paid nor a permanent swoop in the summer – Palace have already paid an eye-watering amount for a Belgian striker and look how that turned out.

These Palace fans who were drooling over the move on Twitter will surely have changed their tune by now and will take some convincing of his ability before clamouring for his return next season.

There’s some exciting changes happening at Crystal Palace next summer. Find out what in the video below…

He might be a decent striker but Palace needed much better for this move to be worth it.

It is currently looking like another expensive transfer mistake from the Eagles.

It has to be said that he is certainly an upgrade on Benteke but that is hardly saying much.

What do you think, Palace fans? Three months on, has Batshuayi been a good signing? Let us know in the comments below…

Inconsistency has been West Ham United’s problem this season.

Indeed, it’s not like the Hammers don’t have a formidable squad. However, certain personnel aren’t performing to the standards and dragging the whole team down with them.

Be it problems in the back-four or a crisis in the attack, there are many aspects Manuel Pellegrini has to address next season. However, right now, he needs to look upon improving his strikeforce. Indeed, the Chilean is lacking some quality goal-scorers, with the wingers and midfielders being forced to deliver.

It’s not like they lack resources. The Hammers are packed in proven strikers, but nobody is performing as they once did. Marko Arnautovic seemingly isn’t even interested anymore, while Javier Hernandez is no longer the deadly poacher he once was. Andy Carroll’s a joke, while Lucas Perez is too erratic to lead their line.

The Chilean gaffer needs to remove the waste and replace them with clinical striker’s. Edin Dzeko’s in their radar, as he’s the top-class striker to compliment Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini perfectly. However, West Ham need multiple quality goal-scorers to untap the hidden potential of their promising attack.

Along with Dzeko, Maxi Gomez is also one being looked at. The Argentine’s a predator in the box and available relatively cheap. There are tough decisions to be made after this season.

But if Manuel Pellegrini wants to make the Hammers compete for a European spot, they’ll need top-class strikers with the ability to score decisive goals and win matches on their own. If they don’t get them – whoever they may be – the Hammers are in for a bad time of it.

West Ham fans, do you think multiple attacking signings are required in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Arsenal’s season is heading towards being a fairly successful one if they can pick up two wins in their final two games and cement a Champions League place. 

The Gunners, under the management of Unai Emery, have adapted well to life without Arsene Wenger and will be pleased overall with their performances throughout the season.

The Europa League also remains on the cards for the club in terms of winning a trophy, something which would add that something extra to Emery’s first year in charge.

The season has not been without it’s problems though, and there have been some harsh comments and opinions directed at various members of the Gunners squad, in particular, Mesut Ozil, who has often flattered to deceive with his performances in a Gunners shirt this year.

However, Ozil has turned round this week and made it clear he wants to stay with the club rather than move on in the summer, but we here in the Tavern feel he needs to be doing more if he does indeed stay put.

Ozil has enough ability to be the sort of player who is really impacting games, and really should be one of the first names on the team sheet for Emery when he is on form.

Something needs to change though for the German in all honesty, and he needs to quickly get back to his best if he is to aid Arsenal’s cause.

You don’t play for Real Madrid and have the career Ozil has had without being a quality operator, and if Arsenal are to be successful, they need him back to his creative and brilliant best.