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Loads of Newcastle fans have been running the rule over Monday evening’s defeat to Arsenal, and they think they’ve noticed a problem on the left side of their team.

Monday night went about as bad as it possibly could have for Newcastle and the travelling Toon Army, and we’re not just talking about the ridiculous scheduling that forced them to travel to London on a weekday.

The Magpies have been in terrific form recently, more so at home of course, but the lynchpin of their turnaround has been their fight and cohesiveness, neither of which shone through at the Emirates.

Arsenal had a goal disallowed early on, but quickly made up for it when Aaron Ramsey danced into the box and squeezed his effort past Martin Dubravka.

Alexandre Lacazette doubled the lead with a lovely goal, with a little help from his partner in crime Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, before the Gunners had another one chalked off.

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….

Rafael Benitez’s front three were hardly involved at all, and fans think in Miguel Almiron’s case that is the fault of Matt Ritchie.

It sounds ridiculous, but more than a few fans have noticed the Scotsman’s tendency to ignore Almiron’s lung-busting runs and turn and play backwards instead.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans suspect an internal problem plaguing their left flank…

أكد وليد صلاح الدين قائد الأهلي الأسبق على مساندته وتشجيعه لفريق الزمالك خلال مواجهة الرجاء المغربي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويواجه الزمالك منافسه الرجاء في إياب نصف نهائي البطولة القارية يوم 1 من نوفمبر المقبل، ليتأهل أحدهما لملاقاة الأهلي بالمباراة النهائية.

وقال وليد صلاح الدين في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورت”: “بالتأكيد سأشجع الزمالك أمام الرجاء المغربي وأختلف مع الزملاء الذين لا يشجعون الأبيض”.

وأكمل: “أنا لا أختلف في ذلك، يجب مساندة الزمالك في إفريقيا من مشجعي الأهلي ومساندة الأخير أيضًا من مشجعي الأبيض”.

طالع أيضًا | مدرب الأهلي: صالح جمعة سيشارك في مباراة طلائع الجيش

واختتم: “نريد النهائي مصري هذا شرف كبير أن نتسيد إفريقيا، وأتمنى التوفيق لـ بيراميدز أيضا ويفوز على نهضة بركان ويتوج بالكونفدرالية”.

يذكر، أن بيراميدز سيلتقي أمام نظيره نهضة بركان مساء اليوم في نهائي بطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

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Leeds United fans are struggling to agree with each other about the selection headache presented to Marcelo Bielsa after Kemar Roofe was cleared to return to first-team action.

Fans have been calling for Patrick Bamford’s head after his poor performance and penalty miss against Millwall this weekend, and with Roofe cleared to return from injury before the next game Leeds fans are speculating that Bamford might not get another sniff at the first team this season.

Roofe has been one of Leeds’ most important players this season netting 14 Championship goals as the Whites battle it out for spot in the top two.

Bamford himself has shown flashes of brilliance with a brace against West Brom a particular highlight of his Leeds career.

Leeds fans have been at odds about which striker should get the nod on Twitter after Roofe was cleared to return to full training following his knee injury, which saw him miss over a month of action.

Here’s a look at how Leeds fans reacted to news of Roofe’s potential return on Twitter…

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Left out in the cold during Fulham’s dismal Premier League season, Stefan Johansen is quietly going under the radar at West Brom during his loan spell.

The air has been far from positive at the Hawthorns over the past month. The sacking of Darren Moore has been preceded by a managerial circus, which after target Alex Neil signed a new deal with Preston still looks as though it’ll never end.

However, amid the chaos, Johansen has been one of the best players under caretaker James Shan. Bringing the Norway captain in has proved to be a shrewd bit of business and despite Dwight Gayle grabbing all the headlines for his hat-trick last weekend, Johansen also played very well.

It was a performance that in some ways was equally deserving of praise, looking assured and composed in midfield alongside Baggies skipper Chris Brunt.

Both of those aforementioned players claimed an assist during the game. Brunt’s was mesmeric but there was something about Johansen’s performance that deserved more appreciation.

West Brom’s performance saw a barrage on the Preston goal and Johansen played a large part in that with numerous shots on goal.

He was hugely influential at both ends of the pitch, picking two key passes as the willing Jay Rodriguez and Gayle proved a constant threat.

Johansen wasn’t just good in the final third, as he had an impact defensively too, making one interception.

It was a performance that typified the 28-year-old’s recent displays. He was one of few players who were able to take credit from the Baggies’ awful 3-2 defeat against Bristol City last Tuesday. In what was a shambolic performance he offered a slight sense of control.

That was an aspect of his game that once against stood out against Preston, boasting the third-best pass success percentage on his team.

If West Brom are to achieve promotion this season, then he will be key.

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Sky Sports pundit Danny Murphy has praised the impact of Lucas Moura on Tottenham Hotspur after his cameo against Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

The Brazil international replaced Harry Kane after the Spurs striker sustained a potentially serious ankle injury at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What’s he said?

Lucas came on in the 58th-minute following Kane’s injury.

Per WhoScored, the former PSG attacker completed two dribbles after coming on, made one tackle and, despite his diminutive frame, won two aerial duels.

And Murphy was impressed with the forward, who last completed 90 minutes in the Premier League in December, in the 5-0 win over AFC Bournemouth.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ The Debate podcast (08:33), he said: “I actually think Lucas Moura deserved credit.

“He was great when he came on. He’s a talented player.”

Deserves a chance

Lucas has been something of a bit-part player this season.

Clearly talented on the ball and blessed with genuinely explosive pace, he has completed 90 minutes just nine times in all-competitions this season.

He has been a European super-sub before, coming off the bench to score the equaliser in the brave 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the Camp Nou that sealed Spurs’ qualification to the knockout stages.

With Kane surely set for a lengthy period on the sidelines, giving Lucas a chance makes all the sense in the world for Pochettino.

Pairing him with Son Heung-Min up front allows for a greater degree of tactical flexibility and could bamboozle opposition defences both at home and abroad.

The time, surely, is now.

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Arsenal will look to maintain their place in the Champions League qualification spots on Sunday when they face Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Going into the weekend the fourth-place Gunners are only above London rivals Chelsea on goal difference, with Manchester United two points further back.

The north London outfit’s manager Unai Emery spoke to the press (13:44) prior to the trip to Merseyside, and these are two most important things the Spaniard said.

Granit Xhaka injury update

After scoring against Manchester United and then for his country during the international break, the Switzerland international missed the clash against Newcastle United on Monday through injury.

Judging by Emery’s latest update, it seems unlikely that he will be in the starting XI on Sunday.

The 47-year-old said: “We are waiting on tomorrow’s training, some players – Xhaka, Koscielny – didn’t train with us today. They are working with the physios.”

The fact the man that is becoming more and more of a vital player for Arsenal missed training two days before the match is hardy promising, and others may well need to step up to the plate again at Goodison Park.

Poor away form

The former Sevilla boss was also asked why his team’s results on the road have been nowhere near as good as they have been at home in the Premier League, a fair point considering they have taken 44 points on their own patch compared to 19 on their travels.

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

Emery said: “We don’t set up differently. In all my career I did the same but not for me, I also watched other teams. Usually every team gets more points at home than away. Every team.

“After is how we can take our best performance and results away. It’s our challenge. The last matches in the Premier League: Huddersfield, Tottenham. We had good performances. Good results.

“The first is we need to feel our moment now, getting better. Above all, being competitive at home. We want to be the same away.”

No explanation perhaps, but it is telling that Emery hints that he almost doesn’t believe in his team to be as good away from home as they are at the Emirates.

That attitude needs to change if Arsenal want to challenge the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool for the Premier League title in the coming years.

Steven Gerrard will certainly want Ryan Kent back at Ibrox for their title challenge next season! It’s easy to see why though, and Liverpool’s decision on the youngster will define the Gers chances of winning their first major trophy since their liquidation.

Gerrard told the Scottish Sun he’d spoken to Liverpool about the possibility of them allowing his to return to Rangers, whether that be a loan or permanently. Indeed, the 22-year-old has made 21 starts and scored six goals in a real breakthrough year for the youngster.

If the winger chooses to return, it’d be ideal for Gerrard on two fronts. First of all, he’s proven this season that he can perform under the pressure of playing for such a big club. It’s clear he’s bedded himself into the team well and next season he’ll only improve with the rest of the squad.

The Englishman coming back would also mean Gerrard doesn’t have to spend money replacing him in the summer. Cash may be relatively tight, but Gerrard knows he has to upgrade some of his starting 11 in other areas to have a chance of beating Celtic to the title next season.

There’s no guarantee a new player would fit in or even be as successful as Kent has and could be at the club. That’ll worry Gerrard and, if he decides to stay it could be a choice that the fans look back on as a turning point in this Gerrard revolution.

There’s limited resources at the club, so when they find a gem like Kent, they need to keep him as long as possible. If he signs, that’s one huge step towards a title challenge. If he doesn’t, it’s one huge step backwards. It’s time to pull a few strings, Gerrard!

Rangers fans, who do you see starting on the left wing next season? Join the discussion by commenting below.

[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.