Arsenal fans react to Unai Emery’s experiment with David Luiz in holding midfield

It may not have lasted long, but you can’t fault Unai Emery for not trying something different on Thursday night.

The Gunners have endured a miserable season so far, finding themselves in eighth in the Premier League table after 13 games. And with reports suggesting he is on the brink of losing his job, Emery threw caution to the wind.

The Spaniard employed David Luiz in the holding midfield position against Eintracht Frankfurt, and it certainly seemed like an intriguing proposition. The Brazilian covered the ground well and hurled himself into challenges, and as per Sofascore, made two tackles, won three duels and completed two long balls.

Sadly for both the Gunners boss and Luiz himself, his time in that new role lasted just 31 minutes, with the former Chelsea man forced off with an injury.

Having seen Emery’s use of the 32-year-old, Arsenal fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the decision.

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Many supporters of the north London side hailed their under-fire manager for the “masterstroke”, with one fan in particular claiming that it is the “best thing Emery has come up with this season”.

Check out some of the reaction of Arsenal fans below:

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans are fuming with links to Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo.

Three moments in Everton history that riled the fanbase

Everton have had little luck of the past few seasons, finishing outside the top six in the Premier League and suffering defeat in cup competitions.

But what specific moments have really had the Toffees fans’ blood boiling? Here’s a look at just three fume-inducing moments from over the years…

Romelu Lukaku’s FA Cup penalty miss

The Belgian striker was hit-and-miss during his Everton career, amassing a very impressive 87 goals but not always sitting well with the fans.

One moment in particular that had the Toffees raging was during their FA Cup semi-final clash against Manchester United. A Marouane Fellaini goal had United in front when Everton were given a golden opportunity to get themselves back in the game and potentially go on to win – a penalty.

Up stepped Lukaku, firing in a low ball in which David de Gea seemed to save with no trouble at all. Everton went on to lose the match 2-1, something which the fans are still furious over to this day.

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Ross Barkley’s move to Chelsea

Losing a homegrown player always sparks a lot of emotions across the fanbase, usually a mix of disappointment and the odd well wish. However, Barkley’s departure really didn’t go down well with the majority of Everton fans, who still can’t forgive him.

The Merseyside local made his move to Chelsea in 2018 – a great deal for the player but a very costly loss to the club, but not a loss of talent. Barkley was offered a £30m deal from the London side in January, but he instead left Goodison just before his contract expired in the summer, selling for half the price.

Fans were furious and bitterly disappointed in the 26-year-old for not making the initial move despite rejecting a new Everton contract. The club lost out on £15m which could have been put towards strengthening the squad.

James Beattie’s eighth-minute red card

In a game that was viewed as a must-win for the Toffees, a player in the worst position imaginable was given his marching orders less than ten minutes into the fixture. Striker Beattie was shown a straight red card after he was seen to have head-butted Chelsea’s William Gallas.

The London side went on to win by a slim 1-0 scoreline and as a result of his actions, Beattie was ruled out of Everton’s huge FA Cup fifth-round clash against Man United. The Toffees fell to their Northern rivals 2-0, which the suspended striker likely could have helped prevent.

Fans were naturally massively frustrated with his unnecessary sending off and it’s a moment many Toffees look back on and still roll their eyes.

Spurs fans discuss an update on transfer target Andre Onana

With Hugo Lloris set to turn 34 at the end of this year, and having endured an indifferent campaign in the Premier League, it’s no surprise to hear Tottenham being linked with a potential move for a new goalkeeper.

Lloris has made his fair share of clangers over the past couple of campaigns both in the top-flight and in Europe too – he was roundly criticised by Spurs fans for his role in the club’s exit to RB Leipzig in the Champions League earlier this season.

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Ajax shot-stopper Andre Onana has been one man who has been linked with a switch to north London, and the Dutch side’s manager, Erik ten Hag, has admitted that things were agreed last summer whereby the Cameroon international could leave this summer.

He said: “Andre is very important to us, of course we do not want to lose him. It is true that agreements were made last year (for Onana to leave in 2020) if the right club and price comes up.”

After hearing the update on their rumoured transfer target, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

One Spurs fan in particular even suggested that they would take Espen Baardsen over Onana – the American shot-stopper was part of the Spurs side back in the late 1990s.

Judging by the reaction of many of these Spurs fans, it’s clear Onana isn’t considered the most popular of potential new signings to replace Lloris.

The 24-year-old is still relatively young for a goalkeeper, and has plenty of experience of playing in European football’s elite competition with Ajax.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs do end up pulling the trigger on a move for Onana.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans discuss their interest in this Serie A ace.

Celtic: Fans get emotional over footage of packed Parkhead at night

Footage posted by Lisbon Lion on Twitter has got a lot of Celtic fans anticipating the prospect of returning to Celtic Park.

The video shows Paradise under the lights, with a great pre-match light show before kick-off as thousands of fans inside the stadium sing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. It is a great clip to highlight the Hoops’ home support at its finest and it gave one Celtic fan “goosebumps” when watching it.

With fans across the globe not being able to watch their team play as football is currently postponed, it is videos like these that get supporters eager for a return to action. The Celts will likely be even more excited than most to return to their ground as there will surely be a celebration to savour as they were awarded their ninth Premiership title in a row this week by the SPFL, via STVnews.

As well as winning the title, it means that they will advance to the qualifiers of the Champions League, a competition in which they hope to reach the group stage this time after dropping into the Europa League this campaign, per Transfermarkt.

Here is what these Celtic fans had to say after seeing the video:

Celtic fans, is your ground one of the best in Europe? Comment below with your views!

Leeds fans react over Gaetano Berardi latest

Leeds United centre-back Gaetano Berardi’s future is in limbo and it’s only been made more complicated by any potential extension to the Championship season.

The 31-year-old is out of contract this summer but director of football Victor Orta is expecting him – and others – to be available for selection should the campaign run into July.

LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross relayed an interview the Spaniard did with Guillem Balague in a recent article and fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

Berardi is certainly a divisive figure at Elland Road and these comments have only increased divide tenfold – many would like to see him stay next term whilst others still believe he’s a liability.

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The Swiss defender has played 17 times in the Championship this term, keeping a clean sheet in 11 of those matches as backup to skipper Liam Cooper and loan star Ben White.

It remains to be seen if Marcelo Bielsa will keep hold of him when his contract does expire.

Here’s how fans have been reacting…

AND in other news, Leeds fans react as Phil Hay relays key EFL news

Leeds United: Nathan Jones’ arrival at Luton could prompt uncertainty for Eunan O’Kane

Nathan Jones’ arrival at Luton Town is set to see Leeds United loanee Eunan O’Kane face an uncertain future.

Football Insider were amongst the first to break the news that Jones was in advanced talks with Luton to take charge for a second time during his managerial career. That news has now been confirmed by the Championship relegation strugglers, with Jones arriving to take over in time for a potential return to the 2019/20 season.

The Welshman’s arrival could see O’Kane’s future at the club grow uncertain, having been signed in January on an 18-month loan by former boss Graeme Jones. The Republic of Ireland international was looking to reignite his career on loan with Luton, although it remains unclear if he will feature regularly under the Hatters’ new boss.

A source close to Football Insider representing Leeds said that the Yorkshire club are not expecting O’Kane to return before the end of his deal.

The midfielder, who suffered a double leg fracture in October 2018, has not played a competitive game since, meaning an absence of 20 months from football, and it seemd likely that Nathan Jones would opt for those players who have featured regularly this season, leaving O’Kane potentially without game-time for another few months.

Having suffered an injury of such magnitude, it is hard for any player to get themselves back up to speed, and the 29-year-old may be better sitting down with Jones as soon as possible to discuss his first team chances at Kenilworth Road – something which could also have a bearing on his future at promotion-chasing Leeds.

Do you think O’Kane can reignite his career, Leeds fans? Let us know in the comments section below…

Manchester United: Borussia Dortmund have not received any offers for Jadon Sancho

Manchester United have been chasing Jadon Sancho for a number of months now, with no signs of it ending anytime soon.

The Red Devils have been linked to Sancho for several years, stemming back to Jose Mourinho’s time in charge at Old Trafford.

Sancho has informed Borussia Dortmund he wants to return to England, via ESPN. Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made it clear that the Englishman is his top transfer target.

However, according to German publication kicker, as relayed by @utdreport, Dortmund have not received any offers for the winger so far.

Former BVB star Sebastian Kehl, who is now the club’s player licence director, revealed “we assume that Jadon will play for us in the coming season.”

Reports have insisted Man United are leading the race to sign the 20-year-old but this no longer appears to be the case.

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Indeed, United have started drafting a list of alternatives in the event they cannot sign the Englishman in the summer.

Sancho, who is Dortmund’s top scorer this season, has scored 17 goals and 16 assists in the Bundesliga at the time of writing, although Lucien Favre’s side have missed out on the coveted title.

As it stands, the Bundesliga challengers are refusing to budge on their £115m valuation.

Ed Woodward has previously admitted it is unrealistic to expect the board to splash the cash in the transfer market, in light of the current economic climate.

Clubs across the country are facing financial repercussions as a result of the pandemic, and it seems United are unwilling to meet Dortmund’s colossal asking price.

United fans, do you think the board will sign Jadon Sancho in the summer? Let us know down below!

Chelsea: Antonio Conte could hand Blues huge transfer boost with N’Golo Kante deal

Antonio Conte looks set to raid his former club Chelsea as he sets his sights on bringing N’Golo Kante to Italy.

According to Sport Medisaset (via Evening Standard), the ex-Blues boss is trying to convince the Inter Milan board to fund the Frenchman’s €8m (£7.2m) annual wages. The midfielder reportedly views his time at Stamford Bridge as coming to a close and could be exiting the club this summer.

Despite spending four years in west London and helping Chelsea to Premier League and FA Cup success, Kante looks set to part ways with the Blues. According to an earlier report from The Times, Frank Lampard is willing to let a number of players go in order to fund his lavish transfer shopping list. Chief on that list, of course, is top target Kai Havertz.

Kante’s current Transfermarkt value is £72m, so Inter must be willing to pay a fee in that region if they want to secure his signature. However, there are doubts that the Serie A side will be able to fund his high wages, which break down to about £138,000 per week.

If Inter Milan want to sign Kante, they must act fact as the France international is reportedly a long-time target of Real Madrid (via Daily Mail).

Offloading the 29-year-old will be bittersweet for Chelsea fans as they will lose an incredible talent who has been named PFA Player of the Year, but they could be one step closer to signing Havertz if Kante is sold.

Lampard has a clear vision with where he wants his side to go and he knows the business that he must do in order to get there. The sale of Kante will line the Blues’ pockets with the necessary funds to continue their exciting transition into what promises to be a thrilling 2020/21 season.

Do you think Chelsea should keep or sell Kante, Blues? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Burnley: Clarets demand £50m for Leicester target James Tarkowski

Burnley have insisted that they will not sell James Tarkowski for anything less than £50m in the summer transfer window.

That is according to a report from the Daily Mail, which also claimed that Leicester are set to reignite their interest in the centre-back after courting him last summer.

The Daily Mail added that the Clarets don’t intend to negotiate the release clause in the 27-year-old’s contract, believing that they would have great difficulty in buying a replacement of the same quality if he were to be sold.

Tarkowski’s importance to the Burnley cause is illustrated by him playing every single minute for the Clarets in the Premier League last season – a feat matched only by goalkeeper Nick Pope – with his performances of such a lofty standard that Sean Dyche hinted that the defender would merit an England call-up (as per Sky Sports).

The 27-year-old had the highest WhoScored average match rating of any Burnley player in the 2019/20 campaign along with winning more headers (5.2) and making more interceptions (1.7), blocks (1.2) and clearances (5.3) per game than any of his team-mates.

The Clarets’ £50m price tag on their defensive talisman comes in an era which has seen other Premier League centre-backs command colossal transfer fees. John Stones cost Manchester City £47.5m from Everton in 2016 while Manchester United paid £80m to Leicester last year to make Harry Maguire the world’s most expensive defender.

In the 2019/20 Premier League, Tarkowski (a £3.6m acquisition from Brentford in 2016) won more headers per game than the Manchester-based duo (Maguire 4.6, Stones 2.8) and also had more successful tackles per game, with Magurie and Stones winning one each on average. The Burnley man also surpassed his England colleagues for clearances (Maguire 4.1, Stones 1.9) and blocks (Maguire 0.6, Stones 0.2) per game.

Based on Tarkowski’s 2019/20 statistics in comparison to the highly-priced Maguire and Stones, it’s not hard to see why Burnley feel that he is worth £50m.

Also, Dyche does not have the greatest of depth at centre-back. Ben Gibson is essentially frozen out while Jimmy Dunne and Bobby Thomas have no senior experience, leaving Ben Mee and Kevin Long as the only viable alternatives to Tarkowski.

He is simply too important to the Turf Moor cause for Burnley to part with him easily, so they are quite right to insist on £50m at a minimum for the 27-year-old. If anything, that price perhaps undervalues him.

Burnley fans, what would you consider a fair price for Tarkowski, or is he simply indispensable to the Clarets? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

Tottenham Hotspur: Ivan Perisic considering move to Spurs amid interest from Manchester United

Ivan Perisic is now considering a move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to FC Inter News.

Tottenham have held talks with his representatives over a possible move ahead of the 2020/21 Premier League season.

He has spent the past season on loan at Bayern Munich, winning the Bundesliga in the process. The German giants have told Perisic he will not be offered a permanent deal and he is now weighing up his options.

Spurs are firmly in the race to sign him in the summer, although they will face a nervous wait for him to make up his mind, as he has been constantly linked to Manchester United.

Recent reports revealed his agent is in discussions with Spurs to sort out a deal.

While he may be past his prime, Jose Mourinho is interested in adding seasoned veterans to the squad, as Tottenham are favourites to sign Chelsea star Willian on a free transfer this summer.

After arriving at the Allianz Arena last year, the Croatian scored four goals and supplied three assists in the Bundesliga this season, taking 1.9 shots per game (via WhoScored).

The 31-year-old made the most of his opportunities from the bench and would have had to have settled for second place behind Bayern’s new signing Leroy Sane, although the report claims he would be happy to do it all over again.

The veteran may have suffered from an ankle injury which ruled him out of several games but he didn’t allow this to affect his performances.

Perisic could become a valuable asset for Spurs as he should be able to provide cover for Mourinho’s options out wide. Steven Bergwijn and Son Heung-min recovered from setbacks in time for the Premier League restart, which gave the Lilywhites a boost, as they had limped to several poor results in their absence.

He also has bags of experience at the top levels of the game, as he played and scored in a World Cup final, which could prove useful, as he may be able to act as a mentor to some of the younger members of the squad.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Ivan Perisic in the summer? Let us know down below!

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