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West Brom will be looking to extend their stay at the top of the Championship table with a win over Middlesbrough later this afternoon.

England’s top two flights had to endure a short hiatus from domestic action as international duty took centre stage, but it’s back as we begin to edge closer to the festive period.

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Last time out, the Baggies defeated Cardiff City 4-2 to respond to their first and only defeat of the season, which was dealt by Leeds United just days earlier.

Both Romaine Sawyers and Charlie Austin notched their first goals in the blue and white stripes, so all round, it was a fantastic afternoon at the Hawthorns.

Slaven Bilic now faces a tough decision with team selection ahead of today’s match, but what changes will he make, if any?

We predict that the Croatian will make just one alteration as Ahmed Hegazi comes into the starting line up for the first time this season.

The Egyptian has been out of action following off-season surgery, but on Monday afternoon, he made his long-awaited comeback on the international stage as Egypt defeated Botswana 1-0 in a friendly.

Hegazi played the entire duration of the game, so he could well be fit enough to play this afternoon, especially after featuring for the U23 squad in recent weeks too. He could come in for the so-far ever-present Kyle Bartley.

Bilic has also received another major boost as Grady Diangana has been confirmed as available after being withdrawn through injury against Cardiff.

The West Ham loanee is the Baggies’ joint-top goalscorer with four to his name this campaign.

However, the Croatian will definitely be without both Kieran Gibbs and Kenneth Zohore as the pair have picked up injuries during training over the last two weeks.

That means Nathan Ferguson will continue at left-back with Charlie Austin likely to remain as the sole striker.

The rest of the Albion side will probably stay very much the same as the one that defeated the Bluebirds.

Well, it would be fair to say that the Liverpool fans have a variety of opinions when it comes to Belgium international Divock Origi.

The 24-year-old has only managed one goal in 10 appearances for the Reds this season and struggled to make his mark against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.

Mohamed Salah’s injury had opened the door for Origi to feature in the final third.

But it was a difficult game for the attacker, who lost possession immediately before United went on the counter-attack and ultimately found the back of the net.

Origi’s Champions League heroics last season are remembered by many, and he does still have the support of a number of the Liverpool supporters.

That said, there are also many fans who feel that the Belgian – a 2014 arrival from Lille – is simply not good enough to play an important role for Jurgen Klopp’s side moving forward, while others feel he hasn’t been utilised correctly by the Anfield gaffer.

A selection of the Twitter reaction, which covers a pretty broad range of opinions, is available to view below:

Manchester City will continue the defence of their Carabao Cup crown when they take on Southampton this evening. Both teams come into the game with entirely contrasting forms, with City winning 3-0 at the weekend and the Saints losing in a record-breaking 9-0 humbling at home to Leicester City.

As a result, Pep Guardiola may use this as a chance to try and field some of his younger men and give the likes of Phil Foden and Eric Garcia a chance.

The two clubs will clash at the Etihad tonight and will repeat the fixture this Saturday in the Premier League. The champions will be hoping to get a few goals under their belt against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men before then.

Sergio Aguero has not started City’s last two league games, so the Argentine could come in for Gabriel Jesus against the Saints. Elsewhere, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva have only started five and six Premier League games respectively, so they should come into the starting XI.

Phil Foden may perhaps be the first name on the team sheet, considering these are the type of games in which the teenager is often allowed to flourish. Alongside him, Ilkay Gundogan is expected to start with Fernandinho potentially rested, whilst Rodri is injured.

At the back, youngsters Angelino and Eric Garcia both played against Preston North End in the last round and will most likely come back into the side for this one.

Nicolas Otamendi has found it tough to nail down a starting spot lately, losing out to John Stones and Fernandinho in the past few games. Against Southampton, the Argentine may have a chance to prove his worth to Pep Guardiola.

Another man with a point to prove is Kyle Walker. The Englishman should also be given his chance to retain his spot in the side over Joao Cancelo.

Completing the lineup will most likely be Claudio Bravo to allow Ederson the night off.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Manchester City are seeking the signature of RB Salzburg star Erling Braut Haaland according to new reports from The Guardian.

What’s the word?

Haaland has become one of the most wanted men in Europe this season, after bagging an incredible 22 goals in 15 appearances. Six of those came in the Champions League, which means he currently leads elite forwards such as Robert Lewandowski in the goal scoring charts.

The Guardian states that Salzburg are hoping to sell the striker for €60m (£52m), however, City will face competition from 20 different clubs, including the likes of Barcelona and Manchester United.

Aguero’s successor

Filling the boots of Sergio Aguero will be incredibly tough considering he is way ahead of any goalscorer in the history of the football club. His 243 goals for City put him 66 ahead of Eric Brooks, who held the all-time record for 79 years.

However, one man they should certainly be eyeing up to continue his goal scoring dominance is Haaland. His 22 goals in 15 outings so far is the stuff of dreams for any striker and is unprecedented on the continent right now.

Plus, the Norwegian is only 19 years old, which means he could provide goalscoring mayhem in the Premier League for years to come. Often, players will not hit their peak until their late 20s, and considering Haaland is still deeply embedded in the formative stage of his career, he may break all sorts of records in the future.

City are going to face almighty competition for the striker as he is one of the most coveted wonderkids in world football.

However, the club have been no strangers to splashing the cash down the years, and could easily pay the €60m asking price.

Plus, should Pep Guardiola keep on winning titles at the Etihad, City will have a huge advantage in their bid to persuade him to join over the plethora of other superclubs expressing an interest.

It seems the club may well be eyeing up an ideal replacement for the greatest striker in their history.

Leeds United face yet another tough test this weekend as they host eighth-placed QPR at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Whites have remained in the hunt for the automatic promotion spots, despite putting in some less than impressive performances as of late.

Indeed, the Yorkshire club have failed to find the back of the net more than once in any of their last seven league matches, and they will be hoping to put an end to that run as they come up against the second-worst defence in the division.

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Marcelo Bielsa will have to be savvy in his team selection if he wants to overcome the London club, and here’s the team we think he could go with this weekend.

With QPR looking likely to lineup with Nahki Wells and Jordan Hugill up top it’s probable that Marcelo Bielsa will opt to use his 3-3-1-3 formation.

The back five has just one change from United’s 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

Indeed, Liam Cooper comes in for Ezgjan Alioski as the full-back has been highlighted as a doubt for this game.

Find out what happened when a world-record-holding freestyler attempting skills with the worst pair of boots available on eBay in the video below…

This switch also sees Luke Ayling move out to the right, with Stuart Dallas switching to the left side.

The seemingly undroppable Kalvin Phillips retains his place in the team, while the 3-3-1-3 style seems more suited to Mateusz Klich rather than Tyler Roberts despite some fans crying out for that switch.

It was revealed in Marcelo Bielsa’s press conference that Pablo Hernandez is back from injury, but Patrick Bamford has picked up a problem.

Eddie Nketiah starts in Bamford’s place, and while Hernandez is available for selection he may be eased back into the squad, so the criticised Helder Costa and Jack Harrison keep their spots on the wing.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Aston Villa’s re-arrival in the Premier League has seen the club experience mixed fortunes to sit 16th in the league table, but manager Dean Smith would be wise to enter the January market in a bid to upgrade one particular position in the newly-promoted side’s squad.

The club’s decision to sign Anwar El Ghazi permanently from Lille for £8m in the summer window represented strong value and was just rewards for the winger’s impressive performances in the Championship.

Last season he scored six goals and registered six assists – but the 24-year-old does not represent the calibre of player that Smith will be looking for in transforming Villa into contenders for finishing in the top half of the table, and potentially even higher. 

El Ghazi has scored two goals whilst registering three assists in eight league starts in the current campaign, but the biggest concern regarding the winger’s consistency is best highlighted in an altercation with Tyrone Mings in the 0-0 draw with West Ham.

Mings angrily reacted to El Ghazi’s reluctance to track back and mark his man, squaring up and clashing heads.

The attacking philosophy that Smith is aiming to construct has been pivotal to Villa’s goalscoring success so far this season – with the club having scored more goals than any side in the bottom nine – but the defensive issues the West Midlands’ side are experiencing must be addressed from the entire team, including El Ghazi. He simply doesn’t work hard enough.

The former Lille man has impressed since arriving in B6, last season showed that, but if Villa are aiming to align the quality of their squad with the likes of Jack Grealish and John McGinn, the winger is a player who simply is not up to the standards that the West Midlands’ side will need over the coming seasons to compete and improve.

With owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris reportedly preparing to heavily back the club over the next five years, although El Ghazi has played an important part in the promotion-winning season last year, his position is somewhere that Smith would be wise to upgrade in order to provide greater attacking and defensive balance within Villa’s first-choice XI.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on beIN Sports (as quoted by The Manchester Evening News), former Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong has suggested his old club is now “miles ahead” of Manchester United.

What did he say?

The Red Devils’ last Premier League title triumph remains the campaign in which Sir Alex Ferguson left the club in 2013, with City going on to dominate domestic football ever since. Pep Guardiola’s men have on won back-to-back occasions in the last two seasons, and are looking for the hat-trick this year.

And, according to De Jong, whilst United’s historic profile means they are still a huge club, City have simply over-taken their rivals in most aspects since the departure of Ferguson.

He said: “I think Man City are miles away now. I’m not talking about how big the club is and how it compares to United in the world but if you talk about structure wise, player wise, philosophy wise, I think they are miles ahead.

“I think it all comes down to the fact that since Fergie left, there has been a big gap and people realise how important he was for this club. I think City just took the opportunity and took not just one step but two steps, three steps ahead of them. And it’s still going. As long as United can’t replace things and get any better, City will just go on and move away from them. It’s the same thing with Liverpool.”

Bitter truth

De Jong was known for his crunching, no-nonsense tackles in his playing days (who could forget that karate kick against Xabi Alonso in 2010), and unfortunately for United fans, his similarly brutal verdict on the club’s plight is also hard-hitting. The Red Devils have fallen into a mire since Ferguson’s exit, and the chopping and changing of both managers and players has certainly not helped at all.

Meanwhile at the Etihad, the likes of Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola have simply made the team better year-on-year, whilst there appears to be a long-term philosophy in place. The permanent appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Old Trafford earlier this calendar year perhaps finally represents a sign that the club’s hierarchy have a vision for the future. Whilst City may be “miles ahead” now as De Jong suggests, United will be intent on reducing the distance as soon as possible.

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Gary Lineker took to Twitter on Tuesday night to react to the news that Mauricio Pochettino had been sacked as head coach.Pochettino led Spurs to last season’s Champions League final but results in the early stages of the 2019/20 campaign have been disappointing.A total of just 14 points from 12 matches has left the capital side in 14th position in the Premier League table.And the club have taken decision to sack the Argentine ahead of this weekend’s huge London derby against rivals West Ham United.Shortly after the announcement, Lineker took to social media to blast the club’s decision, insisting that they will not find a better replacement.Lineker knows a thing or two about Spurs having turned out for the club between 1989 and 1992.And the pundit is seemingly finding it difficult to understand why such a call has been made at this stage of the campaign.Here’s a look at the former striker’s message…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Leeds United have been on fire when it comes to sorting out players contracts over the past couple of months.

Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas, Leif Davis, Kalvin Phillips, Mateusz Klich and now Pablo Hernandez have all signed new deals to remain at Elland Road for the foreseeable future.

However, despite the fact Leeds have been great at getting these deals over the line, they’ve not always gone about it the right way.

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For example, the length of Klich’s contract seems just a touch too long, and the same could be said about Dallas and Cooper as four-year deals for players who may be surplus to requirements if Leeds are promoted is a decision that could ultimately backfire.

However, it seems as if the Yorkshire club have got their latest contract extension spot on.

Indeed, handing a new deal to a 34-year-old can be a bit of a tricky one as footballers at that age are prone to a steep decline in the near future, but Hernandez doesn’t seem to be headed that way.

The Spaniard seems to keep getting better and better with age, registering a career-high 24 goal involvements last term and keeping him at the club until 2022 is the perfect strategy.

Of course, this will keep the Spaniard at the club until he is 37, and by that time he might be past his best, but having a player with that much technical ability at your disposal will never be a bad thing.

Hernandez will still be able to do a stellar job this season and next term, whether that be in the Premier League or the Championship, and while his legs may begin to go at the age of 36, his presence on the training ground may be just as valuable as his performances on the pitch at that point.

He’s worked under some of the greatest manager’s in football such as Unai Emery and Vicente Del Bosque, so he’s got valuable experience to pass onto the younger players at the club and that may be vital in the coming years.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Sheffield Wednesday return to Championship action this afternoon as they look to continue to mount a serious playoff challenge.

Garry Monk’s side currently sit in eighth position but have recently been dealt a huge blow off the pitch as the club were charged with financial misconduct over the sale of their Hillsborough stadium to owner Dejphon Chansiri.

The Owls are yet to face punishment so for now, it is business as usual.

On the Chalkboard

The 40-year-old chief is able to call upon a fully-fit squad barring third-choice goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith, which hands him a major boost as they face a trip to league leaders West Bromwich Albion.

Most notable of all, it means central midfielder Massimo Luongo is available for contention for the first time since the Stoke City victory at the end of October.

His month-long absence has actually highlighted just how crucial he has been to Wednesday’s success under Monk.

The Aussie started his first league game since joining the south Yorkshire club in the summer at the start of that month and went on to feature in three straight before injury.

Luongo looked to finally offer the side a box-to-box threat of sorts, and one that could help lessen the reliance on top goalscorer Steven Fletcher.

In those three matches, the 27-year-old scored two winners in 1-0 victories and per WhoScored, amassed seven tackles, three key passes, and four dribbles.

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Wednesday have failed to win since he picked up an injury, so it is fair to suggest that his presence in the midfield has been sorely missed.

Two points achieved from a possible nine just isn’t good enough for a team that has promotion ambitions, and that’s exactly why they have slipped out of contention by three points.

Meanwhile, this former Owls man is lighting up one Premier League academy with his goalscoring form…