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What a night for Liverpool at Anfield.

The Reds smashed their city rivals Everton 5-2, and went back to eight points clear at the top of the Premier League once again after Leicester’s earlier win. Not only that, Jurgen Klopp’s team have now gone 32 games unbeaten, which is the most in the club’s history.

This clash saw Xherdan Shaqiri’s first start of the season, and the Switzerland international was on fire. He scored his first goal of the campaign, and also picked up a WhoScored rating of 7.63.

The club’s supporters were delighted with his display, and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

After a significant period away from the action – he missed eight matches due to a calf injury – the former Bayern Munich man was on top form against Everton and deserves all the praise he gets.

This display has convinced some fans that he needs more time on the pitch.

Whilst it was a very positive showing from the 28-year-old, it is hard to see how he would get a regular place in the starting XI. He has the unfortunate problem of playing in the same position as Mohamed Salah, who has won the last two Premier League Golden Boots.

Much harder than you’d think… Can you name Liverpool’s top scorers for each of these 25 seasons?

This was the first time Shaqiri has been on the field since September 22nd against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and there was one thing that didn’t go unnoticed by the Liverpool supporters.

Maybe he is getting his do ready for a potential title celebration?

In other news, Liverpool fans react to one former owner’s controversial comments.

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

On Tuesday, Liverpool will play their vital Champions League match against RB Salzburg. In this clash, one battle in particular could decide the final outcome.

On the chalkboard

Once again, Liverpool will need to get a result on the final matchday of the group stage to qualify for the next round of the European competition. Last season, they did what was required and beat Napoli at Anfield. This time, they will travel to Austria needing at least a draw. Whilst they are not as good an outfit as the Serie A club, Salzburg did cause the Reds plenty of problems earlier on the season as they valiantly lost 4-3.

Salzburg have been particular dangerous in front of goal in Europe, scoring 16 goals in five matches in the group to date – Jurgen Klopp’s team have managed just 11. As such, there is one duel that will be intriguing to watch.

Lovren vs Hee-Chan

Ever since Joel Matip picked up an injury, Dejan Lovren has been an ever-present at the heart of the defence. He has actually done rather well this season, picking up an average WhoScored rating of 7.22 in the Premier League. In Europe, that number has also been above seven.

However, the reasons why Liverpool fans have slammed him in the past have not been eradicated. Against Everton, he was arguably at fault for both of the goals, and the Merseyside outfit have kept just two clean sheets in the 11 matches he has played a part in this term. Such carelessness at the Red Bull Arena will leave the Reds in a world of trouble.

Much of the focus in the build-up to this match has been – and will continue to be on – teenage sensation Erling Haaland. That is understandable – he has scored 28 goals in 21 matches after all. But whilst he is one of Jesse Marsch’s danger men, there is another player than Liverpool will need to keep their eye on.

This term, 23-year-old Hwang He-Chan has been on fire as well. He has not been able to match Haaland’s prolific streak in front of goal, but has still chipped in with nine goals. However, it is in terms of providing where he has proven his worth, picking up 14 assists in all competitions, including three in the Champions League.

With 2.8 key passes per match, he is in the top 10 in the whole tournament to date. It is vital, therefore, that Lovren does not allow the South Korea international to link up with his 19-year-old strike partner too often in the match. Salzburg have played with two strikers in every single match this term to date, which means that the two have built up a good understanding already.

Real Reds will get full marks: Take the ultimate Liverpool quiz below…

Having scored eight goals from just 14 shots in the Champions League, Liverpool cannot allow Haaland to get the ball in good areas. To avoid this from happening, Lovren must stop £4.05m-rated Hwang – as per Transfermarkt – from having a strong influence on proceedings.

In other news, Liverpool fans react to David Maddock’s quotes on their potential new sponsorship deal.

Leeds United will see their club captain Liam Cooper return for this Saturday’s clash against Fulham, manager Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed.

Cooper has been out since the suffering an injury in the 4-0 win over Middlesbrough a few weeks back, however, he is now fit to return to action.

In other news, Leeds will have to wait until next week to see the return of duo Tyler Roberts and Jamie Shackleton despite the fact the pair have recovered from injuries.

Leeds head into this weekend’s fixtures two points off the top of the Championship, but, 12 points clear of Scott Parker’s side.

The return of Cooper will be a much-needed boost for the Whites, especially after they imploded at home to Cardiff City last week. After taking a 3-0 lead, Marcelo Bielsa’s side then went on to draw 3-3 as the Bluebirds made a stunning comeback.

Defensive performances weren’t the greatest from some of the Leeds backline, who had just one tackle between the two centre-backs (via WhoScored).

The Yorkshire side will be up against Aleksandar Mitrovic this weekend, a player greatly known for his physical approach to forward play.

Mitrovic wins exactly four aerial challenges per game in the Championship this campaign, showing his dominance in the air.

Cooper tops the Leeds players for the most aerial challenges won per game (4.4), showing his suitability to start on Saturday.

Mitrovic’s physicality is one huge reason why Cooper should be brought back into the squad to face Fulham on Saturday. After conceding a header from a set-piece last Saturday, Cooper proves a simple choice if the Whites are looking to get back on track.

Leeds fans, what are your thoughts on bringing Cooper back to the starting XI? Let us know below!

According to Sky Sports, Tottenham defender Danny Rose is set to stay at Newcastle United for the rest of the season as talks continue between the two clubs. 

Earlier this year, The Northern Echo reported Spurs boss Jose Mourinho is adamant that Rose will not be a part of his future plans and it appears his time in North London is finally coming to an end.

Rose made just five appearances for the Portuguese before leaving Tottenham for Newcastle United on an initial short-term loan until the end of the season. His loan spell is due to finish in June and the Magpies do not have the option to buy the Englishman.

He is set to enter the final 12 months of his contract with his parent club and Newcastle are keen to keep him at St James’ Park.

The 29-year-old is currently training with Steve Bruce’s squad ahead of the Premier League’s return later this month and he is keen to remain in Tyneside.

Although the veteran has fallen out of favour with Mourinho, he is clearly still a top-class player. Indeed, Rose has put in a string of defensive shifts in the Premier League for Bruce’s side, making 1.4 tackles per game, completing 1.2 clearances on average, with a pass accuracy rate of 77.7% (WhoScored).

While the England international has previously voiced his concerns about a summer restart, he has still turned up for work at Darsley Park in anticipation of a busy schedule for the Black and Whites, which is surely an indication he is determined to fight for a place with the Geordies.

Furthermore, it is difficult to imagine him returning to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as he would be below the likes of Ben Davies, Ryan Sessegnon and Japhet Tanganga in the pecking order.

Therefore, it is in the best interests of all parties involved for Rose to remain at Newcastle for the remainder of the season.

Tottenham fans, do you think the board should sell Danny Rose in the summer? Join the discussion in the comments below!

Key information about Hampden Park

Hampden Park was built in 1903 and is now the official home of the Scottish national team and also Queen’s Park FC who play their football down in League Two. The ground is located in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow in Scotland and is something of a Wembley for Scottish people.

Currently, Hampden Park has a capacity of 51,866 but that number has fluctuated dramatically over the years. It is also surrounded by a running track and has a pitch size of 105m x 70m with natural grass on the surface and undersoil heating installed.

The record attendance stands at an incredible 149,547 for the clash between Scotland and England from 17 April 1937.

A history of Hampden Park

Needless to say, Hampden Park is one of the most historic stadiums out there, host to many iconic moments, huge championships and even bigger clashes. The stadium was built in 1903 but historically speaking, there have been three Hampden Park grounds over the course of the years gone by.

Queen’s Park FC, the oldest club in Scotland, have played at the first Hampden Park since 1873 and have resided there for the following ten years. The second one opened in 1884 and was merely 150 yards away from the first one. It was around that time that Hampden Park first became the regular host of the Scottish Cup Final alongside the Celtic Park.

In the late 1890s, the club wanted to expand further and since the landlords refused to give them more land, they embarked on a search for a different area where they could erect the third stadium. After they finally secured the land from Henry Erskine Gordon, it took them three years to construct it – with the disaster at Ibrox happening in-between. which also influenced the changes made to the wooden terraces – and it was finally ready in 1903.

When it officially opened on 31 October, it was the biggest stadium in the world with a capacity in excess of 100,000, which would then be surpassed by Maracana in 1950. The first game played was between Queen’s Park FC and Celtic, with the home team winning 1-0.

There were, of course, numerous changes made to the ground over the years and in 1937, when they also constructed a new North Stand, they recorded their biggest attendance which stood at 149,547 for the international clash between Scotland and England. Around that time, Hampden Park would actually have an official capacity of 183,724 but that number was decreased to 150,000 during actual games.

Over the following years, Hampden Park would host many high-profile events, such as European Cup finals and the Cup Winners’ Cup final, but in the 1980s, questions were raised over its future. The ground needed a revamp so it finally got one with the works starting in 1991 and finishing in 1999, transforming it into an all-seater along the way.

Hampden Park hosted its first Champions League final in 2002 when Real Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 and five years later, in 2007, also the UEFA Cup final between Sevilla and Espanyol, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Before the outbreak, it was also chosen as one of the venues for Euro 2020, which will now be moved to next year instead.

Tickets to watch Scotland at Hampden Park

All the tickets to watch Scotland play at Hampden Park can be found on the national team’s official website. Along the regular tickets, they also offer a membership which can grant you discounts. The membership for adults costs £50.

Related links

https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/ – Official website of the Scottish FA

https://tickets.scottishfa.co.uk/PagesPublic/Home/home.aspx – Scottish FA Ticket Office

Chelsea could be closing in on a deal with Juventus who are interested in taking Jorginho off their hands this summer. 

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), the 28-year-old is no longer viewed as a first choice option for Frank Lampard and the Italian giants are hawking his situation. Juventus are reportedly thinking ‘seriously’ about making an official move for the midfielder.

A report from June stated Jorginho is ‘willing to leave’ the London outfit in search of pastures new. Since the Premier League restarted, the Italy international hasn’t played a single minute of football under Lampard.

Calciomercato have reported that Jorginho would command a fee of about €50million (£44.5m) with three years still left on his current contract. However, due to the current financial climate, Juventus could chisel the asking price down to a more affordable amount.

With Ross Barkley performing well since the restart and Mason Mount a favoured choice of Lampard’s, it seems there’s no room for Jorginho in the current Chelsea midfield. Particularly with the heightened interest in Bundesliga star Kai Havertz.

The Blues are looking to make a move happen to bring the German ace to Stamford Bridge, with Roman Abramovich himself getting in touch with Havertz to convince him to sign (via Express). However, Bayer Leverkusen aren’t budging on his mammoth £90m asking price so Lampard and Co will need to find the funds from somewhere.

Offloading Jorginho – who hasn’t made much of an impact this season – would essentially be easy money towards a transfer target they really want. The 28-year-old has made just six goal contributions in the Premier League this season (via Transfermarkt), but it seems that ex-Blues manager Maurizio Sarri could be willing to pay a decent fee to take him back to Italy.

Lampard seems to be transitioning this Chelsea side into what fans will hope is a title-challenging team, the addition of Kai Havertz along with Timo Werner would really boost their chances of silverware next season. The club should do what they can to raise the funds and make a move for Leverkusen’s star happen.

What’s your take, Blues? Should Chelsea keep or sell Jorginho this summer? Have your say in the comments below!

Glasgow Rangers enjoyed a good week in France.

The Gers won the Veolia Trophy, a pre-season tournament, thanks to 2-0 victories against both Lyon and Nice. Whilst it may have only been a warm-up competition, it is still positive for the club that they beat two good sides so easily, and they can now look forward to their first league game of the season, which comes against Aberdeen on August 1st at Pittodrie.

Steven Gerrard spoke after the match on Saturday against Nice about the whole experience, and it is fair to say that it was an interesting one. Kai Kennedy’s future at the club is in doubt after he reportedly refused to sign a new contract, and Gerrard appeared to take aim at the 18-year-old when he criticised certain “egos” in the academy and said that those who aren’t committed can leave.

This has attracted the attention of the Gers supporters, and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

Tottenham Hotspur have enquired about Barcelona defender Emerson, according to Spanish website Diario de Sevilla.  

The one-time Brazil international is halfway through a two-year loan spell at La Liga side Real Betis, having joined Barcelona from Atletico Mineiro last year before being immediately shipped out to Betis.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho wants to strengthen the right-back position, so it’s hardly surprising to see that the Lilywhites have been linked to several right-backs in recent days, after reports revealed that Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters could both be on their way out the door.

The Spanish publication claims Spurs have entered into negotiations with Barca to sort out a deal in the summer, amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, although it seems as though Stefano Pioli’s Milan have set their sights on signing Aurier instead.

Emerson played 33 games in the Spanish top flight last term, scoring three goals, supplying six assists, registering 2.2 tackles and 1.4 clearances on average per game (via WhoScored).

The versatile 21-year-old is in high demand already as several clubs are circling so Spurs chairman Daniel Levy may have to act quickly in order to avoid a bidding war in the summer.

He is currently valued at £22.5m via Transfermarkt and if Levy can get him for about that figure, he may turn out to be an absolute bargain.

Mourinho often allows Aurier to find acres of space on the right flank, as the 60-cap Ivory Coast international scored one goal and provided five assists last season. Despite his young age, Emerson had a hand in nine goals in the league, showing he is a suitable candidate for the role.

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

According to Argentinian journalist Luis Fregossi, Leeds are ready to activate the release clause of Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez.

What’s the word?

Having secured their return to the Premier League, Marcelo Bielsa’s side will no doubt be looking to spend heavily as they try and beat the drop in their first season back in the top-flight.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…



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And Fregossi claims that the Whites could pay the €36m (£32.5m) release clause of Uruguay international Nandez. He further suggests that the relationship between Bielsa and the player’s representative “will be key to the negotiation”.

Signing their own N’Golo Kante

Standing at just 5 foot 7, Nandez is in the N’Golo Kante mould of midfielders. Small but covers the ground well, the Uruguayan has been the undisputed at both club and international level.

In the Serie A last season, he averaged an impressive 1.7 tackles per game, whilst boasting a pass accuracy of almost 80%. Similar to Leeds hero David Batty, Nandez is a tough-tackling midfield dynamo, who does all the nitty and gritty stuff well, before passing it on those who are perhaps more talented in the attacking areas.

His all-action approach makes him a manager’s dream, and it’s something his agent, Pablo Bentancur, feels also endears him into the hearts of supporters too. He said: “Nandez is certainly a great player. The fans always like him because he leaves the last drop of sweat on the pitch.”

One of the big questions surrounding players coming from abroad, is whether they can handle the so-called ‘pace and intensity’ of English football. Nandez’s style of play appears to make him the perfect fit for Leeds’ return to the top-flight next season.

West Ham United have not been that active in the transfer window, but the latest reports suggest that this might be about to change as Sky Sports are reporting, via West Ham Gossip, that the club are interested in Brighton left-back Bernardo.

The defender, who used to play for Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, has made 43 appearances for Brighton, picking up one assist and keeping six clean sheets, per Transfermarkt, and despite the fact that the club are linked with the possible signing, a lot of the fan base are not happy.

It is probably fair due to the fact that the £4.32m-valued Brazilian only made 14 appearances in the Premier League last season, highlighting that Brighton only really see him as a squad player and not a regular starter.

At the moment the club only have an interest in the player, and haven’t made a bid, but with starting left-back Aaron Cresswell 30, the club do need to look for a replacement to come in soon.

Here is what fans said following the news:

West Ham fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Comment below!