According to a recent report from The Daily Star, Arsenal and Tottenham are keeping tabs on defender Eric Bailly. The 24-year-old currently plays his football at Premier League giants Manchester United and has done so since 2016, although he appears to have fallen down the pecking order under Jose Mourinho in recent times despite making a reasonably encouraging start to life at Old Trafford.

And reports suggest that Unai Emery’s Arsenal and Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham are interested in a move for the centre back in the near future, and while moving to Spurs may well be of interest to Bailly, he should forget about them and instead join their North London rivals Arsenal.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Pochettino’s Tottenham are reasonably well-stocked in the centre back department with the likes of Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, and Davinson Sanchez, all of whom have proven to be very adept and accomplished Premier League defenders during their respective times at the club.

Add in Eric Dier and Juan Foyth, and Spurs boss Pochettino has plenty of options to choose from in the centre back department, and as such it’s difficult to see Bailly breaking into his starting eleven on a regular basis, even more so given the Argentine has often utilised a back four as opposed to a back three this term.

Yet the opposite appears to be true at the Emirates Stadium under Emery, with the centre back ranks remaining something of a concern despite the summer arrival of Sokratis from Borussia Dortmund.

The Greece international has looked pretty solid in the early stages of his Gunners career to suggest that the North London giants may have finally found a suitable partner for Laurent Koscielny, but with the Frenchman himself having just turned 33, it remains to be seen how much longer he has left at the top level.

And outside of that duo, there are question marks over the capabilities of Rob Holding and Shkodran Mustafi, certainly the latter who has wholly unconvinced in recent times, thus suggesting that further reinforcements are needed in that area of the pitch – there’s a reason Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes that Emery’s men will get a hiding in the not-too-distant future.

Thus, there appears to be a greater opportunity of regular first team football at Arsenal than at Tottenham at present, which will surely be of interest to Bailly given that is likely one of the reasons why he is not overly satisfied with life at Manchester United.

Add in the effect that Bailly could have on an Arsenal team seemingly on the up under new boss Emery, having won their last nine matches in a row, and it’s a project which could well appeal to the Ivory Coast international as he seeks to progress his career.

Thus, while there are clearly benefits of joining Tottenham, the chance of more regular first team football appears more presentable at Emery’s Arsenal, which is why Bailly should seek to choose them over their North London rivals.

Arsenal and Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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According to reports in The Mirror, West Ham United are targeting an ambitious move for Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud during the January transfer window.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Mirror report that the east London outfit have a long-standing interest in the France international, and they are ready to move for him again in the New Year as Manuel Pellegrini looks to boost his attacking options.

The Mirror says that the Irons made an enquiry for the centre-forward before he left Arsenal for Chelsea during the January transfer window, but he eventually decided to go to Stamford Bridge.

The report adds that with his contract with the Blues due to expire at the end of the campaign and with nothing on the table right now, West Ham are monitoring the situation.

What happens if they get him?

It seems unlikely that Pellegrini will go away from his preferred 4-3-3 formation that has worked so well in recent weeks following a dreadful beginning to the campaign.

If the Irons do sign Giroud he has to start, and with the attack they have they will need the solid three-man base in the middle of the park meaning the Frenchman would be flanked by two wide players in the same system.

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Of course, that could controversially see Marko Arnautovic return to being a wide player even though he has probably been their best and most important player since switching to a striker role around a year ago when David Moyes took charge.

However, Giroud is hugely experienced and has plenty of quality – as shown when he spearheaded France’s attack as they won the World Cup this summer – and he would be an even better signing for West Ham than his potential new Austrian teammate.

Manchester United have had a poor week on the pitch after conceding a late equaliser against Chelsea and losing in the Champions League to Juventus, but attacking duo Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard were recently spotted putting any worries behind them with lunch in the village of Hale.

The United and England teammates parked their cars next to each other and wore matching caps as they enjoyed their time off from the circus that United are becoming under Portuguese boss Jose Mourinho.

The pair were both in their custom black sports utility vehicle’s, with Rashford driving a Range Rover and Lingard, who owns a number of high-end cars, in a £185,000 Bentley Bentayga.

Lingard is currently sidelined with a groin injury whereas Rashford started in the 1-0 loss to Juventus at Old Trafford, but both will be hoping they can chow down on the Toffees as they take on Everton this Sunday after their midweek lunch-date.

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[ad_pod ]West Ham United got back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon with an utterly dominant 4-2 thrashing of Burnley at the London Stadium. Goals from Marko Arnautovic and Javier Hernandez, coming either side of a Felipe Anderson brace, were enough to secure a much-needed three points for the Hammers.Anderson came into the match under some pressure from the Irons fans as he has failed to show consistently good form since his £40 million arrival from Lazio in the summer. However, Manuel Pellegrini retained his faith in the attacking midfielder and was rewarded with a fine performance from the Brazilian.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”326259″ player=”12034″ title=”Liverpool Or Chelsea For The Title Forget it!”]The 25-year-old has certainly got a lot of Hammers fans back on his side with his impressive display and they will all be hoping that his career in east London can now kick on from here.After the thumping win against Burnley, many West Ham fans took to Twitter to celebrate Anderson’s much improved performance…

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Newcastle United secured their first win of the Premier League campaign so far with a hard fought victory over in-form Watford at St James’ Park. Substitute Ayoze Perez’s 65th minute header beat Ben Foster and proved enough to earn the Magpies a 1-0 win and lift them off the bottom of the league table.

Perez began the game on the bench after a string of poor performances. Some boos could even be heard coming from the home fans when Rafa Benitez introduced the 25-year-old Spaniard onto the pitch.

In the celebrations after his goal Perez put his finger in his ears, likely in reference to the booing that accompanied his entrance. 

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Despite his apparent unpopularity with the Newcastle fans though, the St James’ faithful will be delighted with his match-winning contribution and ecstatic to see their side finally get three points on the board.

After the match, plenty of Newcastle fans took to Twitter to react to Perez’s exploits…

Everton earned an excellent point away to Chelsea in the English Premier League on Sunday, holding the Blues to a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Having beaten Brighton & Hove Albion last week at Goodison Park, the Toffees headed into yesterday’s encounter full of confidence that they could frustrate Maurizio Sarri’s side and did exactly that, with a towering defence performance keeping world class talents like Eden Hazard quiet all afternoon.

One of the top performers was centre-back Michael Keane, who appears to have completely turned around fans’ perception of him as an unreliable defender.

There’s no doubt he’s had a slow start to this Everton career but if he can keep producing resolute performances like Sunday’s then he will no doubt become a fan favourite in time.

Any criticism of him has dried up, with many now amazed at his recent form.

These Everton supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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Newcastle fans were absolutely stunned by Salomon Rondon on Saturday, as the powerful Venezuelan put on a truly elite striker’s display.

When Rafael Benitez sold Aleksandar Mitrovic this summer, Newcastle fans were concerned that the gaffer had dumped the exact type of centre forward he was looking for.

Benitez wanted a target man who can work the channels and hold the ball up, but Mitrovic only does the latter of those two things.

Rondon was brought in at the last second, and the 29 year-old has had to wait for his opportunity after picking up an injury earlier in the campaign.

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He was back with a bang on Saturday though, scoring both goals as the Magpies romped past Bournemouth to put themselves four places clear of the relegation zone.

Rondon showed his striker’s instincts early on, staying alive in the box after his first shot was saved and burying the rebound.

He then slammed in one of the best headers of the season, meeting Kenedy’s sublime cross at full speed and planting it in the top corner.

It wasn’t just his goals that Rafa brought him in for though, as the experienced front man won a whopping eight aerial duels and drew four fouls.

This is exactly the type of play you need from a striker in a match that Bournemouth dominated periods of, and he even did his defensive duties with four clearances.

He could have probably bagged a hat trick as he fired in a remarkable eight shots, and he also showed his surprisingly good feet for such a powerful player by completing one take-on.

This was the best centre forward’s performance on Tyneside since a certain Match of the Day pundit was sprinting around St James’ Park with one arm raised, and Rafa’s move to dump Mitrovic and sign Rondon could now be the difference in keeping the Magpies up.

So, Newcastle fans, how impressed were you by Rondon on Saturday? Do you fancy your chances to go on a run after the international break? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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West Ham United should swoop for Crystal Palace right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka as an eventual replacement for Pablo Zabaleta.

What’s the word?

At the moment, Manuel Pellegrini has a problem in the right-back position due to a recent injury.

Ryan Fredericks, who moved to the London Stadium from Fulham in the summer, is expected to be on the sidelines for three months with an injury.

Zabaleta is the only first-team choice available, and even though he has been impressive this season, the Hammers will need to start looking at replacements for the 33-year-old.

One player who they should keep a close eye on is Crystal Palace’s Wan-Bissaka.

Why him?

The 20-year-old has only been attracting attention since February 2018 when he made his senior debut.

The Croydon-born right-back has impressed with his pace on the attack, and he is not scared of a tackle.

Wan-Bissaka still has plenty to learn, but he has the quality to play regularly in the Premier League, and perhaps he should be considering a move.

Check out the harsh words the Playmaker FC squad had to say about Wayne Rooney’s England career in the video below

It is not fair to discount Fredericks, but he would have fierce competition if the Palace youngster was to join Pellegrini’s ranks.

Wan-Bissaka’s contract does not expire until the summer of 2022, which means that the Eagles would be allowed to demand a significant sum.

Despite this, he is certainly a player that West Ham should keep an eye on in preparation for Zabaleta’s eventual retirement.

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Aston Villa defender James Chester is in a late rush to prove his fitness as Dean Smith prepares his side for the 127th Second City derby, per reports on the Express & Star.

What’s the word?

The 29-year-old has featured in 16 of the claret and blue outfit’s 17 Championship games so far this season – missing only the trip to Millwall through suspension.

Doubts rose over his inclusion in the Birmingham derby after he was forced off in the 50th minute of Wales’ 2-1 defeat to Denmark last Friday.

Villa medical staff have since examined the Manchester United product at Bodymoor Heath upon his return, but no decision will be made until the game is near to give Chester the best chance of featuring.

Across the 35-cap Wales international’s season, Chester has recorded a total of 15 interceptions, an attempted tackle every 73.9 and leads the club by some way with 111 clearances.

The Playmaker FC squad decided to wind-up some unsuspecting Brazil fans at the Emirates on Saturday night. Watch the hilarious results in the video below…

Who could step in?

When Chester was ruled out of the Millwall trip, thanks to a red card against Preston North End, Smith called on Alan Hutton to partner Axel Tuanzebe in the centre.

Once again, the 47-year-old head coach may be forced to play the right-back in the centre as there is not a clear stand-in for the 29-year-old. But with left-back Neil Taylor’s involvement also in doubt, Smith could be left with the prospect of being forced to deploy the 50-cap Scotland international on the left instead – Hutton has previously played there nine times this season.

That would leave just one viable alternative to Chester in the centre alongside the on-loan Manchester United defender, Mile Jedinak.

The 34-year-old Australian, who has come under criticism from Villa fans on Twitter when he has played at the heart of the backline, has featured more as a central defender this season than he has in his natural defensive midfield role – eight games to one – and averages 1.8 tackles, 2.3 interceptions and 7.3 clearances per game.

How should Smith tackle Chester’s potential absence? Let us know below…

Following their superb 4-2 win in the Second City Derby, Villa face a tough match against Nottingham Forest tonight.

Villa remain three points off Forest and are currently on a three-game winning streak. Tonight they face a Forest side who is unbeaten in their last five games and are one of the better away sides in the league.

Aitor Karanka’s side have only lost one game away from home this season and will present a tough test for Dean Smith’s side.

At the weekend, Smith lost both Henri Lansbury and Albert Adomah to injury but in what will come as some great news for the Villa boss, John McGinn could return to the side tonight according to Sky Sports.

The Breakdown

Signed from Hibernian over the summer, McGinn has been one of the better players at the club. The central midfielder has played 15 games in the league and has scored two goals while also grabbing four assists.

Although Glenn Whelan and Conor Hourihane were solid at the weekend, neither has the ability of McGinn who is an essential cog in the midfield.

If he is available tonight, it will be the first time he has played since the international break and will be key in stepping in to make sure Smith isn’t left short staffed at the position.

Losing Adomah is a blow for Smith as the winger terrorised Birmingham’s defence and Lansbury was just starting to hit form but if McGinn can play, Smith has one of his best players back.

Thoughts Villa fans?