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They may have left it late, but in the end, Leeds got the job done in their clash against Swansea.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side had to wait until the 89th minute to find an opener, with substitute Pablo Hernandez proving himself to be the hero.

And whilst the Whites picked up all three points and took another step towards clinching automatic promotion this season, one man’s performance certainly left a lot to be desired.

Can you name every one of the Leeds’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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Patrick Bamford has found himself the target of criticism from some Leeds fans this campaign for his performances, and on Sunday afternoon, did little to prove his critics wrong.

Aside from missing a couple of glorious chances, including one from a header, Bamford just couldn’t contribute to the game in any other way either.

In 99 minutes of action, he managed just 14 total touches of the ball, making only eight passes. Whilst playing as the lone man up top can often be a thankless task, the 26-year-old never really found himself involved in the build-up, often looking isolated.

And that frustration seemed to boil over on one too many occasion, committing four fouls. With Swansea lining up in a back-three, Bamford had his work cut out to try and keep them honest, but once again struggled to impose himself.

Out of just the five total duels he contested in the game, he lost every single one of them, and once again showed why the forward may find it difficult at Premier League level to be a reliable goal-scorer for Leeds.

Had it not been for Hernandez, there may have been a real outcry to Bamford’s performance. So even the fact the Whites ended up winning, shouldn’t see Bielsa turning a blind eye to the striker’s struggles once more.

If promotion is secured, the Leeds boss surely needs to be far more ruthless with the misfiring forward. Whether that’s dropping him to the bench for someone else, or even cutting their losses on him, Bielse needs to take stand.

Gabriel Magalhaes has been attracting the attention of clubs around Europe, including Arsenal, and the latest update seems to suggest the Gunners have a big battle on their hands if they want to acquire the player.

Reports from L’Equipe and Made in Dogues claim that the defender, who plays for Ligue 1 side Lille, has five teams available to him after they have all submitted transfer offers. These include Arsenal and fellow Premier League side Everton, as well as Serie A club Napoli.

Despite the offers from the Premier League sides, it seems that Gabriel prefers a move to Italy and will snub Arsenal and Everton in favour of Napoli.

The Lille centre-back has made 30 appearances in all competitions this season, including the Champions League, and has made 1.8 tackles per game and 3.3 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

To be a key part of the Lille team which finished fourth in Ligue 1 whilst battling in the Champions League at the age of 22 emphasises that he has a lot of quality and potential, as does the reported transfer interest from no fewer than five clubs around Europe.

His tackles per game average is better than any of Arsenal’s regular centre-backs, via WhoScored, and with the defence being criticised at times this season, Gabriel could be a good central defender to strengthen the back line.

If they can somehow beat Napoli to his signature, then it should really help Mikel Arteta build a better squad to improve their league position next season.

Gunners fans, do you think Arsenal can land Gabriel or will he go to Napoli? Comment below with your views!

Mike Ashley’s attempts to sell Newcastle United to a Saudi-backed buyer has collapsed after months of controversy and speculation.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and Reuben Brothers announced today that they have officially withdrawn from the process to purchase Newcastle United in a deal that was reportedly worth £300m.

A statement, published by Sky Sports, read: “With a deep appreciation for the Newcastle community and the significance of its football club, we have come to the decision to withdraw our interest in acquiring Newcastle United Football Club.

“We do so with regret, as we were excited and fully committed to invest in the great city of Newcastle and believe we could have returned the club to the position of its history, tradition and fans’ merit.

“Ultimately, during the unforeseeably prolonged process, the commercial agreement between the Investment Group and the Club’s owners expired and our investment thesis could not be sustained, particularly with no clarity as to the circumstances under which the next season will start and the new norms that will arise for matches, training and other activities.”

It was widely believed that, had the takeover been completed, the Magpies would’ve have become the richest club in world football and will have been handed the perfect chance to compete with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City for honours in the not too distant future, but those dreams appear to be over.

We always knew that Manchester United’s chase of Jadon Sancho would likely turn into a summer saga. And a summer saga it’s really turning out to be. Borussia Dortmund are still adamant on the youngster not being let go for anything south of £100m while the Red Devils don’t want to offer more than £80m.

However, according to a new report from the Daily Mirror, both Real Madrid and Barcelona might enter the race to sign Sancho next summer if Man United don’t pull the trigger in the ongoing transfer window.

Of course, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer understands that this could very well be a ploy to force his hand and pressure them either into bidding for the young star now or simply luring them into making a forced decision.

It’s quite a risky business considering that the alternative could be much worse. If the La Liga giants truly are contemplating an approach next summer and Man United also decide to wait that long, they might enter a bidding war that could easily escalate into something they can’t afford.

The Premier League giants usually have the funds for such exploits but the outside circumstances regarding the recent outbreak have impacted everyone’s finances, Man United included.

For that reason, they can’t afford to go into bidding wars and they can also not afford to splash the cash for Sancho now. At the moment, they are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Verdict

Slowly but surely, Man United’s chase of Sancho is starting to become too big of a hassle for the English side. Yes, he may be a generational talent and one of the best players of the immediate future but he simply seems unattainable right now.

However, the same could be said for Barcelona and Real. Neither of them have gone through lockdown unscathed and it’s unlikely they have heaps of money just lying around. But Solskjaer has to ensure he’s not bullied into a deal he can’t afford.

Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips has predicted big things for the club’s newly-signed under-23 player Will Harris.

The Black Cats’ academy teams had a disastrous 2019/20 season which saw both the under-18 and under-23 sides fail to record a single victory in their respective league campaigns.

Following such poor performances, Paul Reid left his role as academy manager, prompting concern and mounting speculation over the future of the Wearside club’s Tier 1 academy status.

Numerous player exits amplified such concerns, but three new faces have bolstered the underage ranks since in Sam Wilding, Bobby Beaumont and Vinnie Steels, whilst Kenton Richardson has also signed.

Following those additions to Sunderland’s youth ranks, a fifth arrival was also confirmed as Harris put pen to paper on a one-year deal with Sunderland after leaving Burnley last month when his contract expired.

The 19-year-old striker joins the Black Cats after a three-year spell with the Clarets which included loan spells with non-league sides Colne FC and Warrington Town.

Touching on his arrival at the Stadium of Light, Phillips has predicted big things for the youngster, telling Football Insider: “There is definitely a chance for him to make an impact on that first team next season.

“If that was me I would be looking to get him involved with the first team straight away, maybe get him into training a couple of times a week and bleed him in gently.

“You do not want to put too much pressure on him but he could turn out to be one of these young players who is eager to impress, especially if he is a local lad. He will work hard and know better than anyone that if you start doing well at that football club you become a bit of a hero.

“He could go under the radar, a bit like when I first went there. Anything is possible and he might be a good back up option for Phil Parkinson.” 

These are big words from Phillips and could hand Sunderland first team manager Phil Parkinson some food for thought.

With a lack of consistent scorers in the senior Black Cats squad, Harris could well take his chance at that level if he is given it, and that would be a delight for Parkinson and the club’s fans who may be crying out for a reliable source of goals.

Do you think Harris could make an impact at Sunderland? Let us know your views in the comments section below…

Many Aston Villa fans have reacted to a transfer report that claims £20m should be enough for the club to sign Josh King from Bournemouth this summer.

With the likes of Wesley, Mbwana Samatta and Keinan Davis having all struggled to find consistent goalscoring form last season, Villa manager Dean Smith has been busy enhancing his attacking options.

The completion of a £28m move for Ollie Watkins from Brentford earlier this week has added a renewed goal threat, whilst interest in King has been maintained. The Norwegian, who was linked with a £16m move to Villa Park, has reportedly been the subject of a rejected bid in that region from the Midlands outfit.

During his time in the Premier League with Bournemouth, who were relegated last season, King secured 161 appearances in which he netted 48 goals and supplied 15 assists. It is now being reported that a bid in the region of £20m could be enough to tempt the Cherries to sell.

The report also claims that Fulham are interested in the striker as they look to improve their squad ahead of their Premier League return.

Reacting to the report via Twitter account @AVFC_News, these Villa fans gave their opinions on the club’s interest in King, who one supporter feels would be a “perfect fit” for Smith’s team:

Do you think King would be a good signing for Villa? Let us know in the comments section below…

After signing him for a reported £24m last summer from Villareal, it’s fair to say Pablo Fornals hasn’t exactly enjoyed the greatest of times at West Ham.

The Spain international has struggled to replicate the kind of form that convinced the Hammers to shell out decent money for him, picking up just three goals and five assists in 41 games across all competitions.

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And against Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday evening, he was virtually anonymous. As per Sofascore, he didn’t have a single shot on goal, had just 42 touches, and lost possession nine times.

And following the game, West Ham fans took to Twitter to share their reactions about Fornals’ display.

A couple of West Ham fans slammed Fornals for simply “just running around”, with one supporter insisting that when he does have the ball, he just gets caught on it too easily.

Until Moyes makes the decision to use a system that can have Fornals operating as a number ten or in a more central position, it’s difficult to see how the Hammers will ever get the best out of their talented Spaniard.

Playing him on the left flank as he did once again against Arsenal is setting him up to fail, and if Moyes opts to stick with this three-at-the-back formation for the foreseeable future, then Fornals’ struggles looks set to continue.

Mateusz Bogusz has long been seen as one of the next big things at Leeds United.

Fans have been calling for him to get a first-team opportunity for what seems like an eternity now, and while their prayers were slightly answered last year as he made his league debut against Charlton Athletic, it looks as though the 19-year-old is set to take a step backwards in his quest towards becoming a first-team star at Elland Road.

Indeed, it appears as though Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta have decided he is to leave on a temporary basis, with Football Insider reporting that Bogusz will be sent out on loan for the 2020/21 season. While getting some experience in senior football lower down the pyramid may end up being a good thing, you have to wonder about whether or not this would have happened if the Whites weren’t promoted.

Being a Premier League side means you have the funds to strengthen, and Leeds have done exactly that in Bogusz’s positions, bringing in Spain international Rodrigo who has featured predominantly as a number 10 so far this season, while also being on the hunt for another central midfielder.

Marcelo Bielsa has done a great chance of giving young players a chance at Leeds with the likes of Jack Clarke and Jamie Shackleton racking up plenty of appearances over the past two seasons, and it seemed logical for Bogusz to be the next in line for that type of opportunity.

The 19-year-old was the recipient of some big praise from Mateusz Klich last year, with his teammate stating that he has a ‘big future’, and while that may still be the case, he won’t get the chance to showcase his talents at Elland Road this season.

In a way, this shows one downside of getting promoted to the Premier League in that the division is much too competitive for a club like Leeds to consistently give their youngsters a chance, which may end up slowing their paths to becoming first-team stars.

After an incredible week of Premier League football, which produced some of the strangest and most surprising results we have seen for some years – it had led to some incredible points tally’s in Fantasy Premier League for gameweek 4.

There were some big scores at the weekend, with a total of 41 goals scored during GW4 – but what did that mean for Fantasy Premier League users? With so many high scoring games, it means there will be some big points totals for players in FPL.

Here, we’re going to take a look at the biggest earners of GW4 by each position – so without further ado, let’s take a look at the highest point scorers from this weekend…

Alex McCarthy – 9 points

The Southampton goalkeeper was the highest earner of any other player in his position this weekend, totaling 9 points after the Saints’ 2-0 victory over West Brom.

McCarthy received the standard 4 points for the clean sheet during the game, as well as an extra point for making three saves during the game – on top of the obligatory 2 points for playing the minimum amount of minutes.

McCarthy also received a bonus two points at the end of the game for his performance, which made him the highest-earning goalkeeper for GW4.

Ben Chilwell – 18 points

Chelsea returned to winning ways at the weekend, with Ben Chilwell finally making his debut for the Blues, and what a debut it was. A goal, assist, and a clean sheet meant Chilwell racked up 18 points on his Premier League debut – his goal earned him 6 points towards his final total, and 3 points from the assist.

His clean sheet earned him another 4 points, as well as the obligatory minutes points, on top of this Chilwell managed the max bonus points at full time with 3, taking his total to 18 points at the end of the game – making him the highest point scorer of all defenders in GW4.

Jack Grealish – 24 points

Jack Grealish and his Aston Villa side were on fine form this weekend, with an astonishing 7-2 victory of Premier League champions Liverpool, with Grealish involved in give of the goals, with 2 goals himself and three assists.

His two goals against the Reds earned him 10 points, with a further 9 points from his three assists. Grealish earned himself the standard 2 points for playing the minimum amount of minutes, as well as earning the maximum 3 bonus points for his stellar performance against Jurgen Klopp’s side, making him the highest-earning midfielder in FPL for GW4.

Ollie Watkins – 19 points

The new boy finally netted his first Premier League goals for Aston Villa, and what a way it was to do so. Watkins scored a hattrick earning himself 12 points for the effort.

As well as receiving the standard 2 points for playing the minimum amount of minutes, Watkins gained himself an extra three points for his assist, and a bonus two points awarded to him at the end of the game, with Villa’s 7-2 routing of Liverpool and his goals included, making him the highest-earning forward in FPL this weekend with 19 points in total – a fine tally for his first goals in the Premier League.

Manchester United will want to make it two wins out of two in the Champions League when they welcome RB Leipzig to Old Trafford on Wednesday evening.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side stunned Paris Saint-Germain in a 2-1 win at the Parc des Princes last week, thanks to a late winner from Marcus Rashford, before United drew a blank with Chelsea at home over the weekend.

The Red Devils are in the middle of a difficult run of fixtures, as they face Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal on Sunday, so Solskjaer will have lots to think about when he picks his side to greet Julian Nagelsmann’s high-flying Leipzig.

Here, Football FanCast has taken a look at how Solskjaer could set his side up for the contest, which sees him make three changes to the team that drew with Chelsea.

Eric Bailly and Jesse Lingard remain absent due to injury, although Anthony Martial is available for selection as he serves a domestic suspension.

Solskjaer switched back to his favourite 4-2-3-1 formation against Frank Lampard’s side and it’s unlikely he will want to mess around with his preferred system with so much still at stake in the Champions League group stages.

The back four managed to keep the Blues at bay, so Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof will most likely line-up in front of the club’s first choice goalkeeper David de Gea, with Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka keeping their places on the opposite flanks.

Scott McTominay and Fred arguably outshone N’Golo Kante, so Fred may receive a well-earned rest with Sunday’s game against Arsenal in the back of Solskjaer’s mind, which would see Paul Pogba take his place in the starting line-up.

On the other hand, Daniel James has once again struggled for consistency this season, as his bright start to the season in the 4-1 win over Newcastle at St James’ Park has been overshadowed by his poor performance against the Blues. In The Times, Tony Cascarino described him as being in ‘woefully poor form’. This could give Solskjaer the chance to test Mason Greenwood’s mettle, as he came off the bench against Chelsea.

Edinson Cavani came so close to scoring on his debut with his very first touch of the ball but we fully expect to see Martial leading the line once more. However, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the former Paris Saint-Germain striker make a substitute appearance at some point in the second half.

AND in other news, Donny van de Beek is proving to be a huge waste of money after latest Manchester United snub…