Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that he is not quite satisfied with Christian Eriksen.
The 24-year-old has had influential moments this season, having made 26 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists.
The Denmark international was a crucial part of Tottenham’s triumph over Chelsea earlier this week as he made both of Dele Alli’s goals in the 2-0 victory.
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The result could be a significant one in Spurs’ season as they managed to end Chelsea’s winning run, preventing the West London outfit from setting a new Premier League record of 12 victories on the bounce.
With regards to Eriksen in particular, Pochettino believes that the midfielder needs to step up to another level, according to Sky Sports.
“He’s a very talented player and we’re very happy with him, but he’s another player that can improve. In the last few months he’s improved a lot. We need to push him to try to get another level.”
Eriksen joined the club from Ajax in 2013, and was one of a handful of first-team players who penned new long-term contracts before the start of the season in September.
As it stands, Tottenham are third in the table, seven points behind league leaders Chelsea.
Kevin Stewart didn’t really impress for Liverpool against Plymouth, with the 23-year-old criticised on social media, but it seems the young lad is intent on securing more regular playing opportunities on Merseyside.
One of many young players given an opportunity an Anfield for Saturday’s 0-0 draw with League Two Plymouth Argyle, forcing the Reds to face a replay in a few weeks time, Jurgen Klopp rates Stewart highly and hasn’t been afraid to give youngsters an opportunity this term.
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Ahead of the match, where Stewart completed the full ninety minutes, he told The Liverpool Echo he’s not happy with being a bit-part member of the squad and wants to prove himself further.
“I’m not someone who just going to settle with playing every now and again. I’ve got to accept that’s where I am at the minute but no disrespect to other teams I’m at Liverpool and it’s a massive club and I’m competing for spots with top international players.”
“I don’t need to pressure myself that I’m not there at the minute because it’s not an easy thing.”
Having not performed to a high standard at the weekend, Stewart definitely needs to improve if he’s to force his way into the first-team frame but he should get further opportunities in the coming weeks with the League Cup semi-final against Southampton and FA Cup replay.
As reported by The Sun, Yaya Toure has rejected mega-money from China in an attempt to prolong his career at Manchester City.
What’s the story?
Yaya Toure is in his 7th season at Manchester City and now he’s back in Pep Guardiola’s plans, he’s intent on remaining a Citizen for the foreseeable future.
The Sun say that Toure has rejected an eye-watering £22m annual salary to remain at the Etihad this January.
That’s just one of a number of offers rejected by the Ivorian star over the last 12 months, with Chinese clubs intent on bringing him to Asia.
The paper reckon he’s hoping to be offered a new contract by Guardiola now that the Spaniard is selecting him more often.
His agent Dimitri Seluk, quoted by The Sun, said: “Yaya wants to play at the highest level. He’s happy at Manchester City and likes football more than money.”
Britain Football Soccer – Crystal Palace v Manchester City – Premier League – Selhurst Park – 19/11/16Manchester City’s Yaya Toure celebrates scoring their second goal Reuters / Hannah McKayLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for
Does he have a future at City?
Toure has made just 12 appearances for City this season but he’s been a key fixture in the side since early December and doesn’t look like being dropped anytime soon.
He’s again starting to look like the player that made him a City icon, notching up two goals and an assist in his last 5 matches.
At 33 years old, there question marks about his long-term future but we reckon he’s worth the offer of another 12 month deal when his current deal expires in the summer.
He’s showing commitment by rejecting money from China and an eagerness to show that City is the club he wants to represent.
A Yaya Toure in full flight is a scary prospect for the opposition and if Guardiola can tap into that again, who’s to say the midfielder doesn’t have an bright future in Manchester?
Manchester City managed to build on their excellent FA Cup win on the weekend with another demolition of a Premier League side on Wednesday night.
This time West Ham United were the victims with Pep Guardiola’s side demonstrating their season isn’t quite as a dead, as pundits had predicted after poor results against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.
Pep Guardiola relied on youth to guide his side through the match with Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and new signing Gabriel Jesus all starting at the London Stadium.
Before the match the Citizens boss warned these players that they had to perform now and couldn’t lean on the comfort of learning the game if they wanted regular first-team action and boy did they deliver. All three were superb in an attacking performance of the highest quality.
Benching Sergio Aguero for Jesus was a controversial move, but it paid off and now the young striker deserves another chance to show what he can do.
Here are THREE reasons why Gabriel must start Sunday’s home match vs. Swansea…
He’s no long-term project
It’s clear that, despite being the tender age of 19, that Gabriel Jesus is ready to come in and make a massive impact on the Premier League.
There were some who wondered whether he’d be a long-term project at City or a player for the here and now. Those questions have been answered. He became the first Manchester City player to score AND assist in his first Premier League start for the club, eclipsing even the likes of Sergio Aguero.
Having already scored 21 goals for Palmeiras in 2016 before his arrival in England, he’s a player in red hot form and given his age has the chance to become better with every passing week.
Is he the man to ensure that Man City qualify for the Champions League?
He suits Guardiola’s system
Britain Soccer Football – Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur – Premier League – Etihad Stadium – 21/1/17 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola with Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus after the match Reuters / Andrew Yates Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your ac
We’re not saying here that Gabriel is a better player than Aguero, that’s plainly a ridiculous comparison given the stage he is at in his career. What can be said, though, is that he fits into Guardiola’s attacking system much more naturally.
Aguero is a natural goalscorer, almost a classic poacher, someone who can make goals from nothing by himself or latch onto mistakes and punish teams in a clinical fashion.
Gabriel appears to be more of a team player, someone who can compliment Guardiola’s onrushing attacking midfielders. That was evident when he set-up Kevin De Bruyne for Manchester City’s opener on Wednesday night.
His movement is exceptional, his reading of his teammates already at a near psychic level. That he’s slotted into Guardiola’s set-up so seamlessly, so early in his career at the Etihad bodes very well for the weeks and months to come.
Aguero isn’t getting it done
Sergio Aguero will go down as a Manchester City legend, there’s no doubt about it, but even legends go through sticky spells.
The Argentinian striker has only scored one Premier League goal since November and has failed to find the net in big matches against Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.
As harsh as it is, there’s no room for starting on reputation alone in the Premier League, it’s all about current form.
It’s true he’s scored his usual plentiful amount of goals this season but they’ve mostly come in the early stages of the season and now Guardiola must make the call to bench him for another week or two and give Gabriel the room to breathe and bed himself in.
Who knows? With the right attitude, it could be a motivating factor for Aguero and he could come back into the fold better than ever.
Although it wasn’t the result Norwich fans had hoped for, the Carrow Road faithful were treated to a cracking Championship contest last night, ending 2-2 following a late comeback from Newcastle United.
The second-tier pace-setters opened the scoring in the first minute through Ayoze Perez but found themselves behind just 16 minutes later as Jacob Murphy and Cameron Jerome quickly made it 2-1.
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Unfortunately, however, the Canaries couldn’t hold on as Jamaal Lascelles found the net with the game drawing to a close.
Nonetheless, Alex Neil will be pleased with a point against a side nailed on for promotion this season and crucial to that result was January loan signing Mitchel Dijks.
As our infographic shows, the Ajax ace made massive contributions at both ends of the pitch, completing four clearances, three interceptions and two tackles whilst notching up two created chances, four crosses and five dribbles – the last three statistics being the most of any Norwich player.
The former Netherlands U21 is on loan at Carrow Road until the end of the season, but his performance last night suggested Neil will be keen to make the deal permanent.
As reported in an exclusive by The Sun, Manchester City have made Monaco star Kylian Mbappe their number one target this summer after a series of impressive performances in Ligue 1.
What’s the story?
With Manchester City quite managing to sustain a title challenge this year, Pep Guardiola is on the hunt for significant reinforcements this summer and has targeted a player that could reviatalise their attack.
The Sun reckon Guardiola is interested in Monaco’s teenage forward Mbappe, a player attracting attention as one of the best young players in Europe right now.
However, they face a battle to land their man despite being able to match the £50m valuation. Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid are all said to be keen in the report.
Football Soccer – Montpellier v Monaco – French Ligue 1 – Mosson stadium, Montpellier, France – 7/2/2017 – Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe Lottin reacts after scoring. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
Is he that good?
Despite being the tender age of 18, Mbappe is already showing the kind of form that could make him a star at one of Europe’s top clubs.
City will know all about him of course, he was one of the players who found the net at the Etihad in the first leg of their Last 16 clash last week. That was just one of five goals in his last five matches.
It’s no surprise he’s attracting the attention of Europe’s top clubs and whoever is lucky enough to land him will likely have a potentially world class teenager on their hands.
Harry Kane has enjoyed another impressive campaign and is one of the leading scorers in the Premier League with 17 goals- taking his overall tally for Spurs in the league to an impressive 66 goals in 106 appearances.Rated highly by English fans, Kane has a long way to go if he is to prove himself amongst Europe’s elite but the latest statistics show that he is one of the most prolific strikers in Europe’s top-five leagues; boasting a conversion rate of 27%, the highest of any Premier League player.
That puts him behind only Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette, Monaco’s Falcao, Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani and Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas- whilst he finds himself ahead of household names Luis Suarez, Gonzalo Higuain and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
With Spurs pushing for a top-four finish in the Premier League and eyeing success in the FA Cup, where they face Millwall in the quarter-finals next weekend, the Lilywhites will certainly be boosted by these numbers and Kane is on course to hit 20 for the season in the league.
Romelu Lukaku’s agent met with Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward at the Lowry Hotel on Thursday following reports that the Belgian striker will not sign a new deal at Everton, according to the Daily Star.
What’s the latest?
There is plenty of speculation surrounding Lukaku’s long-term future after it was widely reported that he had rejected a new £140,000-a-week contract from Everton.
The striker still has two years remaining on his current deal, but his recent questioning of the club’s ambition and failure to sign top players has led to suggestions that he is heading towards the exit door.
One club that has been heavily linked to Lukaku is United, and those rumours intensified when the player’s agent Mino Raiola was spotted at the Red Devils’ team hotel on Thursday.
According to the Daily Star, Raiola met with United chief Woodward for three hours before the latter left the venue at around 2pm.
What does it mean?
There is obviously a chance that the pair were discussing Lukaku’s future, but there is no concrete evidence to suggest that was the case.
In the Daily Star’s report, it is mentioned that the pair are close friends after working on a number of transfer deals together.
In addition, Raiola is the agent of a handful of United players, including Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
The duo could have been discussing the future of Ibrahimovic, who is yet to trigger the one-year extension on his deal.
The point is, the Lukaku link is pure speculation due to the timing of the meeting between Raiola and Woodward.
It will certainly not be the last time that the Belgian international is named as a potential target for United, though.
Everton manager Ronald Koeman is not best pleased with his midfielder James McCarthy after he aggravated a hamstring injury while on international duty with the Republic of Ireland, reports The Telegraph.
What’s the problem?
Despite missing Everton’s last two games with a hamstring problem, McCarthy declared himself fit for the recent international matches.
Unfortunately for the midfielder, his injury flared up and was forced out of The Green Army’s lineup minutes before Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Wales, which ended in a goalless draw.
Everton do not have the best relationship with the Irish coaching staff due to similar issues in the past, but now The Telegraph claims that Koeman is unhappy with McCarthy’s decision-making.
What could this mean for his Everton future?
Well, injury problems have restricted the midfielder to just seven Premier League starts and five appearances off the bench.
In fact, McCarthy has played a full 90 minutes on just two occasions this season, so he may not be a huge miss if moved on.
In January, Daily Mail reported that Newcastle United had a £16m bid rejected by the Toffees, but there is no indication as yet that the Magpies will try to sign him at the end of the season.
Due to his constant injury problems, it is difficult to rely on McCarthy, particularly when there are other injuries hampering the midfield.
The Irishman joined Everton from Wigan Athletic in 2013, and it may be time for both parties to say their goodbyes.
Newcastle United moved a step closer to securing an instant return to the Premier League on Saturday, and they will look to take another big leap to the top flight when they host Burton Albion at St James’ Park tonight.
The Magpies went ten points clear of third-placed Huddersfield Town at the weekend as they beat Wigan Athletic 2-1 on Tyneside, while the Terriers lost 1-0 at home to the Brewers.
That gap was closed to eight points as Reading picked up all three points against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night, but Rafa Benitez’s men can extend that advantage to eleven points with a victory over Nigel Clough’s men.
The midweek clash will be the Toon’s 40th Championship match in what has been a long and arduous campaign, and Benitez may be tempted to make some changes to his starting line-up in order to keep his team fresh for the crucial run-in.
Here are THREE Newcastle players that must be given a rare start against Burton…
Chancel Mbemba
After making 35 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle last season and at times looking comfortable as a Premier League defender, most Magpies supporters would have expected the 22-year-old to be their first-choice centre-back in the Championship.
It hasn’t quite been the case though and the DR Congo international has made just seven outings in England’s second tier, with his last league appearance coming in November.
The decision by Rafa Benitez to drop the former Anderlecht man came after he put in something of a horror show in a home defeat to Wolves, and he has been just an unused substitute since.
Jesus Gamez
The 31-year-old defender only moved to St James’ Park from Atletico Madrid last summer, but injuries and the form of other players have restricted him to just six appearances in all competitions.
He made just his second start for the club in last month’s 0-0 draw against Reading and he has been a regular member of the matchday squad since then, coming off of the substitutes’ bench in the defeat to Fulham.
After such a frustrating campaign, the Spaniard will hope that he is given an opportunity at right-back under the floodlights.
Aleksandar Mitrovic
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The 22-year-old has been more of a first-team regular than the first two names on our list this season under Rafa Benitez, but he has made just six Championship appearances since the start of the year.
The Serbia international has only scored one league goal since October and has fallen behind top goalscorer Dwight Gayle and summer signing Daryl Murphy in the pecking order in recent months.
While the writing may already be on the wall for the striker if the club is promoted, he will hope to get a rare opportunity to prove his worth when Burton visit St James’ Park.