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Manchester United Fans Criticise ‘Woeful’ Midfielder For Poor Display vs. Liverpool

Oli Price-Bates January 15, 2017

Manchester United snatched a late draw against Liverpool in a game which truly lacked quality throughout.

Despite the millions of pounds of talent on display, both teams failed to conjure up much inspiration in the final third and it was a scrappy game. Manchester United had a £90million midfielder in their team, but he failed to make any sort of difference and in fact was perhaps one of the worst players on the field on the day.

The hugely poor moment for him was when he handballed inside the area to gift Liverpool a 1st half advantage. After that he did very little to redeem himself with passes going astray frequently.

Pogba completed just 72% of his passes and was dispossessed 3 times. He received a 5.6 match rating on WhoScored, less than any other player on the pitch. Offensively he offered nothing, completing just 1 dribble, 0 key passes and making 0 shots. Defensively he failed to make an interception and completed just 1 tackle. The Frenchman normally prides himself on being effective at both ends of the pitch, but he was shockingly bad defensively and offensively today - certainly an afternoon to forget for the world record transfer signing.

Here’s some reaction to the players performance against Liverpool.

In my opinion, Pogba once again proved that he is in no way worth the £90million Manchester United paid for him. He’s a very good midfielder, don’t get me wrong, but his valuation was ludicrous and considering the amount of bad press the likes of Mesut Ozil have received for bad performances, Pogba deserves every bit of criticism he will get for this lacklustre showing.

Many have suggested Pogba should focus on his football rather than his off the field promotion, and I certainly agree there. The Frenchman spends a lot of time with Adidas and on social media to create more revenue for him and his brand, fair play to him, but the fans just want him to be the best he can on the football pitch, and with all that other activity it cannot be helping him perform his best on the pitch.

To be honest I think Pogba is a good player, maybe even a great player. But after moving for such a large amount of money, he will always be compared to that £90million price tag, and for that amount of money you need to be making the difference in nearly every game, especially big games like today against Liverpool.

Fans On Twitter Praise ‘Magnificent’ Everton Midfielder In 4-0 Man City Victory

Patrick Ribeiro January 15, 2017

There was a strong sense of intrigue surrounding the auto-claimed ‘Super Sunday,’ as two of Liverpool’s and Manchester’s biggest names split to fight for their cities in a two-part special of Premier League football.

Liverpool’s trip to Old Trafford will have undoubtedly held the majority of the limelight this Sunday, but Everton’s welcoming of Manchester City, as two of Barcelona’s greats in Pep Guardiola and Ronald Koeman went head-to-head, promised to be equally as entertaining.

The narratives continued, as John Stones returned to Goodison Park for the first time since his £47 million summer move to Man City, meanwhile a big performance on his Everton debut from ex-Man United man Morgan Schneiderlin would’ve been a great way for fans of the Red Devils to kick off proceedings.

One name denied the Frenchman of that privilege, however, as Everton stormed to a shock 4-0 win over City, somewhat thanks to a certain Tom Davies at the tender age of 18.

As Belgian duo Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas powered the Toffees to a 2-0 lead, young Davies looked untouchable in the middle of the park and Koeman’s decision to keep the midfielder on ahead of the likes of Gareth Barry was further accentuated in the 79th minute.

Having turned Yaya Toure and Gael Clichy in a unique moment of individual brilliance, Davies was on hand to combine with Lukaku before dinking the ball past Claudio Bravo to score his first goal in only his third start for the Evertonians, leaving Goodison Park, as well as social media, in awe.

New signing Ademola Lookman will also take his fair share of plaudits for a well-taken finish in Everton’s first goal, immortalising his eagerly-anticipated debut following a £7.5 million transfer that saw him swap Charlton Athletic for life in the Premier League.

Lookman joins a strong nucleus of young stars at Koeman’s disposal, more prominently the likes of Mason Holgate and ex-Sheffield United man Dominic Calvert-Lewin, as well as the new man of the moment, Davies.

The latter will be news to many neutrals, but he is a player who the Merseysiders have kept tabs on for sometime after making his debut under Roberto Martinez in April 2016.

In his first start, with Martinez already confirmed as parting company with Everton, Davies collected somewhat low-key plaudits with an assist in his Man of the Match performance.

The midfielder had since seen his involvement limited to just seven appearances for the club in all competitions this season, but after a masterclass versus Guardiola’s men, complete with a goal, we might well begin to see a little more of Goodison Park’s new hero.

‘He Can’t Defend’ Fans On Twitter Criticise Manchester City Defender After Everton Horror Show

Oli Price-Bates January 15, 2017

Manchester City put in perhaps their worse performance of the season as they fell to a heavy 4-0 defeat against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon.

It was another shambolic defensive display from City and Pep Guardiola, and that’s something we have said far too much this season. The club have now conceded 26 goals in 21 league games, no other team in the top 7 of the league have conceded as many, in fact, 16th placed Middlesborough have conceded less.

So who is at fault? One player to be heavily criticised today is John Stones. The man who left Everton for Manchester City in the summer returned to the lineup and put in a pretty dreadful performance.

City, as usual, played out from the back and whilst they started the game looking relatively comfortable with that style of play, they were punished for their expansive style by a lethal Everton team that took pretty much every chance they had. There was far too much space between central defenders Nicolas Otamendi and Stones and it was made all too easy for the hosts.

Another worrying performance from Stones has left many questioning his large price tag and it puts Pep in a real dilemma. The club clearly need to improve defensively, but having spent around £90million on Otamendi and Stones, they cannot afford to just dispose of their current options.

There’s no obvious statistics to highlight Stones’ poor performance, but if you were watching the game it was clear for all to see that he seriously struggled. This will be a worry not just for Manchester City and Pep, but for England and the national team, who seemed to be preparing to build their future defence around young Stones.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the player’s performance.

To be honest, I’ve never been the biggest fan of John Stones. I think the £50million Manchester City paid for him is absolutely horrific. He’s really not worth anything close to that amount of money.

Let’s not pretend that Stones was the only bad performer in that Manchester City team today. Pep’s men were second best all over the pitch and the defending across the back 5 was simply shambolic.

It’s hard to simply suggest that Stones should not play out from the back etc. but that is the style of play of Guardiola and of Stones. It’s why the player cost so much money and it’s why the club were so insistent on bringing in Pep. City must now focus on trying to perfect their unique style of play, but Pep, for the first time in his career, may actually need to adapt his approach slightly, or the English game will simply swallow him up.

‘He Was Unplayable’ Arsenal Midfielder Praised After Mesmerising Performance vs. Swansea

Oli Price-Bates January 15, 2017

Arsenal put in an impressive 2nd half display to make light work of Swansea on Saturday afternoon. The Gunners attacking play was scintillating in the second period, and they have Alex Iwobi to thank for much of that.

Although he will not be attributed with a goal, both own goals came from his shots, the first of which was on target so it seems harsh to take the goal away from him. Here’s some of the best reaction to the Nigerian international’s performance on Twitter.

Iwobi has been hot and cold this season but against Swansea we saw him with one of his best displays in an Arsenal shirt to date. He moved around the pitch with confidence and often looked a level above the players around him. His majestic display has seen many fans refer to his performance as ‘unplayable’.

Iwobi is also comfortable playing in the number 10 role and you can see his creative attributes. Making 2 key passes, and 36 passes overall with an 89% accuracy. An area he is often criticised for is his defensive contribution, but with 2 tackles and 1 interception, we saw an improved defensive performance from him on Saturday.

Here’s some of the best reaction to the Nigerian international’s performance on Twitter.

My thoughts on Iwobi are what I said at the start of the season. Don’t get carried away with him, he’s still 20 and very raw, but what a talent he is. It’s great that he has come through the ranks and is playing as well as he is. He still lacks consistency and because he sets the bar so high, I feel he gets too much criticism when he struggles in matches. This is unfair on such a young player, especially when there are usually other, more senior players like Walcott or even Oxlade-Chamberlain, who have also performed poorly.

Hopefully Alex has a long and successful career at Arsenal ahead of him. If he can produce performances like he did yesterday more regularly then he will cement his place in the starting eleven.

Nobody would have anticipated him being as important to this team as he now is. With no obvious natural back up to Ozil, Iwobi is the most likely to replace the German there when he is unavailable. He could also be regarded as the clubs first choice left winger, especially when Alexis Sanchez is occupying the centre forward position.

‘He Was On Fire Today’ Chelsea Fans Rave Over Midfielder’s Performance vs. Leicester

Oli Price-Bates January 14, 2017

Chelsea returned to winning ways and in convincing fashion on Saturday evening with a comfortable 3-1 win over Leicester City.

Last season’s Champions continued to struggle and put in a very poor performance as Claudio Ranieri attempted to match the league leaders 3 at the back formation. But it didn’t work at all, and Chelsea took control of the game with left-back Marcos Alonso with two of the goals.

Alonso has not had too much praise since he joined Chelsea in the summer, with many suggesting that he was one of the weak links in the team, a team that has been incredibly strong, to be fair.

Playing on the left-hand side of the midfield 4, Alonso showed that he has plenty to offer in attack against Leicester, scoring two goals and putting in a very accomplished all-round performance.

Alonso won 4 aerial duels, 3 interceptions, 2 tackles and made 2 clearances, showing that he also put in a near flawless defensive display. Playing as a left wing back, you could forgive Alonso for not being too involved in the game, but he was completely the opposite, wanting to play his part in every phase of the play, making a huge 104 touches, only Matic (112) made more on the pitch. No Leicester player made more than 62.

Here’s how some fans reacted to Alonso’s performance on Twitter.

Ake was recalled from his loan spell at Bournemouth and he was reportedly going to be an alternative to Alonso - as well as being an option at central defence. Alonso’s best performance in a Chelsea came a few days after Ake was recalled, perhaps showing that competition for places really does bring out the best in players!

It was, of course a brilliant performance from Alonso on the night, but he will need to deliver these kind of performances more regularly if he is to justify his hefty price tag and keep the ever-improving Nathan Ake out of the side.

Arsenal Fans React On Twitter To ‘Stroppy’ Alexis Sanchez After Swansea Substitution

Patrick Ribeiro January 14, 2017

We’re all used to seeing Alexis Sanchez hitting the headlines in an Arsenal shirt, but the Chilean, as has become a habit of late, will be sure to find himself in the spotlight for reasons other than his goal-scoring traits.

As the Gunners stormed to a 4-0 lead versus Swansea City this Saturday at the Liberty Stadium, courtesy of another Olivier Giroud goal, two own goals and a strike from Sanchez himself, the ex-Barcelona man drew in the attention of a camera or two in the latter stages of the game.

In a clear attempt to tot up the minutes given to the recently-injured Danny Welbeck, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger selected Sanchez as the star to make way for the English forward, much to the 28-year-old’s displeasure.

The winger, known for his admirable work ethic, was later spotted seated away from the rest of the substitutes’ bench, visibly upset, with his head facing down on numerous occasions.

Sanchez’s reaction, which added a bittersweet taste to what had otherwise been a generally successful venture to South Wales, didn’t go unnoticed amongst the Arsenal fan base on social media over the Chilean’s repeated offence.

Sanchez is, of course, no stranger to snubbing a rest, more recently playing through a concerning hamstring injury in the last international break with Chile in late November, before returning to North London to do the same.

The forward’s complaints seem to extend beyond being given time off, however, as previous episodes exemplify.

Sanchez was left speechless and deep in thought as Arsenal slumped to a 2-1 defeat away to Manchester City in December, whereas many other fans were on hand to spot his less than accommodating attitude towards teammates throughout the festive period.

He was again very vocal when Arsenal took on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium this month, demonstrating to be in no mood to settle for the Gunners’ 3-3 draw after going 3-0 down in the 58th minute, throwing away his gloves in rage at full time.

Although ultimately inconclusive, Sanchez’s recent behaviour is sure to worry some of the Arsenal faithful, as the much-adored star nears the final year of his contract with the London outfit.

With less than 18 months left on his current deal, reports of interest from Italy, like-minded Premier League clubs and, somewhat unsurprisingly, China has emerged, therefore the deep-lying hope will be that his head hasn’t been turned by the unavoidable details threatening a prolonged stay at the Emirates.

Liverpool Fans Claim This Player Was ‘The Only Positive’ From The Plymouth Game

Oli Price-Bates January 8, 2017

Whilst a goalless draw against Plymouth was far from what Liverpool will have wanted, there were some positives to be taken, with some youngsters performing particularly well on the afternoon.

Jurgen Klopp made a lot of changes to his side, allowing his youngsters a chance to impress against the visitors, a League 2 side. One youngster was also a player returning from a long-term injury.

Making his first appearance for Liverpool in over 400 days, Joe Gomez put in a solid display for the Reds in their stalemate against Plymouth Argyle.

Since joining the club, Gomez has proven to be one of several exciting young talents. Before sustaining a nasty ACL injury that ruled him out for over a year, the ex-Charlton defender caught the eye of Brendan Rodgers and several fans with his solid, no nonsense style of defending.

The youngster’s ability to play with the ball makes him an ideal fit for Jurgen Klopp’ side and the German seems to have some faith in him with Lucas Leiva rumoured to be heading for the exit door in January. With Liverpool lacking an array of defensive cover, Gomez could see himself gain more chances in the second half of the season.

While not being tested often against Plymouth, Gomez proved to be a calming figure at the back, showing confidence to roam forward with the ball and help the Reds continue to tick over. Clearly it wasn’t the hardest game he will ever play, but given his time on the side-lines, it was a pleasing performance and perhaps a sign of what is to come.

With Lucas looking increasingly likely to move on in January and Mamadou Sakho out of favour at the club, the path is certainly clear for Joe Gomez to establish himself at Liverpool and force his way into Klopp’s first team plans.

The manager has faith in Gomez and if he can regain the form he showed before his injury nightmare, there’s little reason to suggest the defender can’t be a success at Anfield.

Although Gomez didn’t have a lot to do, he won more aerial duels than any other Liverpool player (4) and made a huge 76 touches. He also made 2 interceptions and blocked 1 shot. Gomez tried his best to help Liverpool attack well, completing 83.3% of his passes and being accurate with 3 of his 6 attempted long balls.

The good thing for Gomez is that despite his long injury, he is still just 19. Under Klopp he has a great chance of developing into a top level defender. Today was just the first step in a long journey for him in fulfilling his potential, I’m confident that under Klopp and in this system, he can do just that.

Here’s some more reaction to how Gomez performed on Sunday afternoon.

 

Fans On Twitter Label Arsenal Man ‘So Underrated’ After Preston Performance

Oli Price-Bates January 7, 2017

Not all heroes wear capes, but perhaps Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud ought to look into that the next time he’s feeling inventive with his celebrations.

The Gunners came from a goal down versus Preston North End to win 2-1, courtesy of Giroud’s 89th minute finish, and thus secure their spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Arsenal’s victory sees them top up on Arsène Wenger’s proud record of never losing in the third round of the FA Cup, going 21 for 21, as the north Londoners boast an equally respectable feat of losing just once versus lower league opposition (Blackburn Rovers, 2013).

It could all have been so different for the Premier League outfit, however, as ex-Aston Villa trainee Callum Robinson put Preston 1-0 up within the first 10 minutes of the game.

The Lilywhites continued their search for a second and came close to doing so too on various occasions, more notably through Jordan Hugill and Paul Gallagher throughout the first half, as the Gunners edged closer to following Bournemouth, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion out of the tournament.

After a half largely dominated by the Championship side, Aaron Ramsey prepared to make Simon Grayson’s side pay for all the missed opportunities, as the Welshman returned to the scoresheet for the first time since his back-heeled goal against Tottenham Hotspur in March of last season with a well struck shot in the 46th minute.

But the headlines were reserved for one man and one man only, as Giroud pounced on a subtle heel flick from Lucas Perez to give Arsenal an 11th hour lead and clock up his fair share of attention on social media.

The marmite-esque striker has developed a healthy habit of coming up with clutch moments in recent weeks, with his strike versus Preston increasing his overall tally for the season to nine goals in 18 appearances.

After scoring for a fourth consecutive game, four out of six of Giroud’s goals have all come no earlier than the 86th minute of the game, subsequently earning Arsenal an additional five points in the league and propelling their name into the hat for the draw of the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Prior to that, Arsenal’s number 12 also came up with the goods against Sunderland back in October, scoring a brace within minutes of hopping off the bench to take the Gunners from a 1-1 draw to a 3-1 lead at the Stadium of Light.

The Frenchman’s red-hot form is now sure to continue giving Wenger a selection headache, with Alexis Sanchez also excelling as a centre forward role prior to the festive period.

Manchester United Fans Say Midfielder ‘Needs To Play Every Game’ After Great Performance vs. Reading

Oli Price-Bates January 7, 2017

It was a comfortable afternoon for Manchester United as they made light work of Championship high-flyers Reading by winning 4-0 at Old Trafford in Saturday’s early kick-off.

There were several standout performers for Manchester United on the day, but one player who received lots of praise from the fans post-match was Anthony Martial, a player who has been used sparingly under Jose Mourinho.

A fans favourite since he signed, many have been bemused as to why he has not played more often, but this performance will have surely done his chances no harm. Originally a striker, Martial has been pushed out to the left wing at United and it looks as if that will be his long term position. He will be competing with Marcus Rashford, a player with similar attributes, strengths and weaknesses and also a player who can play in both his positions.

The only personal issue perhaps for Martial is that even though he scored and played very well, his teammate and competitor for his position, Rashford, scored a brace and continued to impress his manager. Mourinho publicly praised Rashford’s contributions post-match.

Martial took 4 shots, 3 of which hit the target. He was also creative, making 3 key passes. The other aspect to Martial’s game is his physicality, he managed to win 3 aerial duels.

He got on the scoresheet, but that was not Martial’s only contribution. The Frenchman was a menace for the Reading defence all afternoon and certainly will have made Jose Mourinho consider playing him more frequently.

Here’s some of the fans reaction to Martial’s performance.

Manchester United spent an awful lot of money on Martial, and they cannot forget that. Mourinho needs to ensure he maximises the potential of a player with a huge amount of it. A run out in the FA Cup is nice, but Martial deserves more than that. He has surely earned a regular place in the team, perhaps not from what he’s done under Mourinho (has he had a chance?) but what he did in his first season at the club. What worries me is whether he is going to be given that game time that he deserves at a club that continues to look for external improvements. Henrikh Mkhitaryan was signed in the summer and Antoine Griezmann is reportedly being lined up. If they’ve got the money, you can’t criticise the club for spending it, however when they have young talent like Martial and Rashford, surely developing that duo would be a better idea that continuing to invest?

That’s the view of me, not a United fan. I’d love to hear what United fans think about this, should both Rashford and Martial be featuring more regularly?

‘He Must Be Drunk’ Arsenal Fans Slam This Man Following Out Of Character Display At Bournemouth

Fresh Football January 4, 2017

Arsenal somehow managed to rescue a point at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday night against Bournemouth, despite being 3-0 down with just twenty minutes to go.

Right-back Hector Bellerin was at fault for the first goal when Charlie Daniels picked up the ball just inside the box. The Bournemouth man Bellerin with ease before finishing under the body of Petr Cech to fire the hosts into the lead.

Eddie Howe’s side were two goals to the good just a few minutes later. Ryan Fraser surged into the Arsenal box before Granot Xhaka carelessly bundled the midfielder over. Michael Oliver pointed straight to the spot. It was Callum Wilson who stepped up to give the home side a two goal lead.

The Cherries were in dreamland on the other side of half-time. Ryan Fraser beat Hector Bellerin to the ball, although there were suspicions of a foul, Fraser burst into the box and finished under Cech to put Bournemouth three up.

Things couldn’t have got much worse for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger as they looked to be heading for their third straight away league defeat. However, they were given a lifeline with twenty minutes to go. Olivier Giroud flicked the ball on for Alexis Sanchez to nod in at the back pots. It was game on again at the Vitality.

Just five minutes later, Lucas Perez scored a stunner to close the deficit to one. Giroud was the creator again, laying the ball off to the striker, who powered an excellent shot into the corner from a difficult angle past Artur Boruc.

Bournemouth looked as if they were going to see the game out, but it was Man of the Match Giroud that rescued Arsenal a point. The ball was hoisted into the box and the Frenchman rose the highest, turning his header into the back of the net to give the Gunners the unlikeliest of points.

Hector Bellerin had a terrible game, one of his worst in an Arsenal shirt. He was at fault for the first, and arguably the third too. There have been suggestions that the right-back is still struggling with a previous ankle injury, but that takes nothing away from how awful his display at Bournemouth was.

Despite crossing the ball three times, Bellerin won 0% of his tackles, 0% of his aerial duels and didn’t complete a single take on. Here is how Arsenal fans reacted on Twitter to Bellerin’s terrible display.

The fans have suggested that Hector must have been drunk, but Wenger has since confirmed that the Spaniard was one of a number of players to be playing the game with slight knocks.

‘Oustanding’ Liverpool Fans Heap Praise On Defender After His Performance vs. Everton

Leanne LFC December 20, 2016

When news of Joel Matip’s ankle injury was reported, Liverpool fans were left to question who could fill his role. Dejan Lovren has always seemed like a player with a mistake in him, while Lucas Leiva is more of a makeshift centre back.

Few would have foreseen fellow summer signing Ragnar Klavan having such a positive impact on the side in recent weeks and that was the case once again against Everton. Winning 100% of his tackles while also registering 7 clearances and 3 interceptions, Klavan kept Lukaku largely at bay for the entirety of the ninety minutes.

As a result, Everton found it hard to muster up any real attacking threat on Simon Mignolet’s goal. His performance built upon his impressive display against Middlesbrough as the Reds recorded back to back clean sheets.

The 31-year-old has been the reliable figure at the back for Liverpool, using his experience to help nullify attacking threats. Furthermore, his confidence on the ball has seen him fit comfortably into Klopp’s system. The Estonian managed a passing accuracy of 88% at Goodison Park, illustrating his composure in possession.

Not much was known of Klavan when he moved to the Premier League, but the defender’s recent performances in the absence of Jurgen Klopp’s first choice centre back illustrates the quality he possesses.

In response, Liverpool fans have been quick to praise Klavan, with their fears over the defence in the absence of Matip well and truly eased by the centre-half’s emergence.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Klavan’s performance. Do you agree with these thoughts?

In his first Merseyside Derby, Klavan rose wonderfully to the occasion and produced exactly what was needed of him. Timely interceptions and incisive blocks were key to ensuring Mignolet was never called into severe action, thus the plaudits for the Estonian are warranted.

Not to mention a crucial tackle against Lukaku that prevented Everton from taking the lead in the first half. Jamie Redknapp certainly believes that the veteran has what it takes, stating that he “might be just what they need at centre-back.”

Having only finished higher than sixth place in the Premier League once in the last seven years, Jurgen Klopp will know the importance of keeping Liverpool’s back line tight.

Klavan’s no-nonsense style have given a much bigger sense of control to the defence and based on current performances, he could find himself partnering Matip in the near future.

Disgraceful: This Arsenal Midfielder Has Had A Shocking Season, And Needs A Wake Up Call

Fresh Football December 18, 2016

Mesut Ozil has put in a run of poor performances for Arsenal recently, and must improve dramatically if Arsenal are to make a push to try and catch Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table.

The Gunners sit 4th going into Christmas after a toothless performance at Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, missing their opportunity to maintain their place in 2nd and widen the gap between themselves and Pep Guardiola’s side.

Mesut Ozil has been poor over the last few games, and has seemed to have disappeared a lot on the football pitch. On Tuesday night, Ozil was involved heavily in the Arsenal attack in the first fifteen or twenty minutes at Goodison Park against Everton. However, as soon as the game turned physical and the Toffees started to a put in some strong tackles, we saw very little of the German playmaker.

Ozil did find himself with space for a shot just inside the Everton box in the second half, but failed to take his chance as he fired his shot over the crossbar, a chance that he probably should have buried. The German created one chance in the first half, but when Everton drew level, Ozil didn’t create a any chances. He didn’t complete a take-on either in the whole match.

The 28-year-old’s display against Manchester City was just as poor. He was shrugged off the ball too easily, and failed to create chances for the Gunners in what was a gutless display at the Etihad Stadium. He was found walking in the midfield too many times, his work-rate was awful.

The German international did create one chance, didn’t have a single shot, nor did he have a single shot, or make a single tackle. The same happened at Old Trafford a month ago. Manchester United played a very physical game, and rather unsurprisingly, Ozil disappeared once again.

Costing Arsenal a hefty £42.5m a few seasons ago, Ozil needs to become that big game player for the Gunners, something that he has failed to do in his time at the Emirates, especially this season. When the rest of the team isn’t playing well, Ozil needs to step up and make things happen. Maybe a spell out of the side would actually have a good effect on the German.

The problem that Arsene Wenger faces is that Ozil is one of those undroppable players, and the French manager probably fears the reaction and stick he will face if he were to drop Ozil. However, Wenger needs to step up and make the big decision in my opinion, and give Ozil the wake-up call that he needs. The 28-year-old has provided just two assists this season, the same amount as Tottenham flop Moussa Sissoko. He needs to become more involved, and fast if Arsenal are to push for the Premier League title this season.

‘Never Hated A Player More’ Arsenal Defender Comes Under Strong Criticism After Manchester City Nightmare

Chris Baker December 18, 2016

Arsenal travelled to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon in a bid to close the gap on first-placed Chelsea, a gap which has extended to nine points after the Gunners dropped points against Everton mid-week.

Unfortunately for Arsene Wenger’s men, they conceded to consecutive defeats in the space of a week as their title hopes took a massive dent with the Gunners sitting in fourth place, nine points off top and looking very vulnerable.

Most Arsenal players carried on their abysmal form from Goodison Park but one player in particular was on the receiving end of some strong criticism, that being Brazilian defender Gabriel Paulista, who was atrocious against Manchester City as he showed why Arsenal miss Mustafi so much.

Gabriel, who arrived at the North Londoners in 2015, has failed to cement himself a place in the starting lineup for nearly two years and today showed exactly why, he was abysmal in possession, for someone playing in a team managed by Arsene Wenger you would be very surprised by how Gabriel was playing, he was constantly going long for Alexis Sanchez, just for Arsenal to concede possession and be put under more pressure.

Gabriel lacked the technical ability to string a few passes on the surface, he was not able to pass through to our midfield to help build up play from the back and was extremely wasteful with the ball, he would either go sideways or over the midfield, and straight to City defenders, this cost Arsenal crucially today and the signs are really showing why Mustafi is so key to this team.

As a central defender you have to be much more aware and more disciplined than Gabriel was, he can often be quite rash in his defensive duties and can be caught out of position very often.

Gabriel made just two tackles this afternoon, one more than Olivier Giroud who was subbed on in the latter stages of the game, that just shows what kind of defensive performance Gabriel has against Manchester City.

The Brazilian always looks very uncomfortable with the ball too, he looks like he does not know what to do with it, or has a lack of confidence in himself, to which he results to just giving the ball away or play wayward passes, something which will anger Arsene Wenger.

For some humour, Gabriel nearly caused Hector Bellerin to score an own goal after the Brazilian hoofed the ball at Bellerin’s face and it took quick reactions from Petr Cech to save the shot, no it is not that funny really, is it? But if you don’t laugh you will cry. That moment of madness just shows what kind of performance Gabriel had today.

It is really frustrating to watch, this is twice in one week we have taken a look at Arsenal players to cost the Gunners a vital points and ground in the title race. Each and every player should want to win and end this disastrous drought of having no Premier League in so many years, but they don’t, and to be honest, it’s frustrating and a disgrace for the Arsenal faithful.

It is certainly a performance to forget for Gabriel, it was embarrassing. We look at how Twitter reacted to his performance, and as expected some fans are really not happy.

As you can see, Arsenal fans were less than impressed with Gabriel’s performance and were quite ruthless on his overall display. Some people find strong criticism unfair and uncalled for, and sometimes it may be, but for Arsenal, they are desperate to end their title run, games like today will pay divalent on their title charge and it really does feel as if the Gunners will go another season without the grandest prize of them all.

Arsenal fans are calling for Rob Holding to start over Gabriel, and to be honest, I have to agree. The youngster has been immense whenever he plays in an Arsenal shirt and has bags of potential to fill and a lot more ability about himself.

The Gunners bottled two tough away days in the space of a week, they’re nine points off top, playing some woeful football and sitting here writing this I feel that’s another season down drain, and it’s only December.

‘Incredible’ Twitter Heaps Praise On Manchester United Man After Performance vs. West Brom

Patrick Ribeiro December 17, 2016

All talk was reserved for one man in particular, as Manchester United continued to brush up their fortunes with a 2-0 victory away to Premier League high-flyers West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns this Saturday.

As Wayne Rooney continues to set his sights on Bobby Charlton’s historic 249-goal haul for the Red Devils, denied the feat on the night by the crossbar, it was Man United’s other veteran in attack, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, that hogged the plaudits with his renewed stream of goals.

The Swede gave José Mourinho’s reviving side the lead as early as the 5th minute with a well-taken header from Jesse Lingard’s cross, whereas Ibrahimovic was on hand to double the dosage in the second half and ease any lingering worries that existed concerning a potential banana skin that was the trip to 7th placed West Brom.

Of the two shots taken by Ibrahimovic, all ended up in the back of the net in what was a Man of the Match performance, whereas the brace bagged tonight sees the target man hit his 34th goal in 33 league games throughout 2016.

Just the one goal was enough, however, for the 35-year-old’s name to dominate the reactions emerging from United’s evening in the West Midlands.

Ibrahimovic was widely expected to struggle in the Premier League when arriving at Old Trafford, in particular due to his age, but the striker’s first goal of the night told a very different story, taking him to double figures in the Premier League and pushing his total for the season to 15.

In response, United fans and loyal ‘Ibra’ backers were on hand to outline the former Paris-Saint Germain star’s good work, without a doubt aimed at those branding him a flop.

Ibrahimovic, a champion in Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands, has always had the question mark hanging over his head around these alleys of Europe over whether he could replicate his success in front of goal in the popular goldfish that is Premier League.

Now testing his capabilities at the ripe old age of 35, the odds weren’t as favourable as the man himself might like to think, but the striker has always strived to discard such claims that he’s “finished” at the highest level.

Even as recently as today, the well-preserved Ibrahimovic was keen to outline that he feels fresh in the prospect of being handed a rest in coming games.

“In football, sometimes you have to listen to everybody around you, but in my mind I’m a 20-year-old boy,” the Man United number 9 said. “I’m fresh and I’ll keep going, as long as the team needs me.”

A repeat of Ibrahimovic’s current goal scoring exploits in 2016 certainly wouldn’t go amiss in United’s bid to climb back up the Premier League.

He Made The Difference: Manchester United Fans Druel Over ‘Immense’ Midfielder’s Performance vs. Crystal Palace

Oli Price-Bates December 14, 2016

Manchester United continued their mini-resurgence with a hard-fought 2-1 win away at Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. Whilst Jose Mourinho’s men were not at their best, there was one player that really helped them get the 3 points.

Paul Pogba was absolutely immense for Manchester United on the night, scoring the first and assisting the second goal, but those were not his only contributions in what was a near faultless performance. Pogba won 100% of his tackles, 6 aerial duels, 4 take ons and managed 4 shots, with one crucially giving United the lead.

Pogba is effective both offensively and defensively and he showed that against Palace, making 4 key passes, 6 clearances, 2 interceptions and 2 tackles.

Pogba was involved heavily in the build-up for United, completing a huge 93 passes with a fairly impressive 82.8% accuracy rate. The Frenchman has never been the neatest in possession and he wasn’t again on Wednesday, but he is a different and unique breed of midfielder. Combining defensive & technical ability with athleticism, he completed 4 of his 5 attempted long balls and 1/1 through ball. Despite playing centrally, Pogba still managed to attempt 2 crosses - highlighting how he was involved all over the pitch and central to everything United did.

To be honest it is about time that Pogba produced such a dominating, match-winning performance. Costing the club £90million, his influence this season has been limited to date and the club certainly need him to make the difference in games like these more regularly. Mourinho will also surely want to see the club’s record signing produce performances like these in the big matches against their title rivals.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Pogba’s performance. Do you agree with these thoughts?

I must admit, Pogba’s performance on Wednesday night was excellent. He finally produced a performance that justifies the price that United have paid for him. Whilst I think he has been good for United since signing, he has been great, enough of the time. Like any player that moves from a foreign league, there is a settling in period and Pogba is not immune to that. It may be the case now that he has fully settled and is ready to step up and produce more World Class performances like he did on Wednesday night.

That’s the key thing: when you pay so much for a player you need them to win you points, making the difference in games where you don’t play brilliantly. Mourinho may say otherwise, but United were far from brilliant against Crystal Palace and without Pogba on the pitch I severely doubt that they would’ve picked up all three points.

Arsenal Fans Claim This Midfielder Put In No Effort In Shameful Performance vs. Everton

Chris Baker December 14, 2016

Arsenal travelled to Goodison Park on Tuesday evening in a bid to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League since the opening day of the season.

The Gunners only defeat prior to the match was against Liverpool, the Toffees rivals, but they fell to a crushing defeat to Ronald Koeman’s men to make it 2-0 to Merseyside over the North Londoners.

It was a poor performance all round, but one player in particular who was on the receiving end of strong criticism was Arsenal’s German World Cup winner Mesut Ozil, who was lethargic, pathetic, and out-fought all game in a shambolic display.

Playing in his favourite number 10 role, Arsenal expect to be able to rely on their most creative player to carve out chances and take the game by the scruff of the neck, but when the going gets tough, Ozil seems to disappear, quite literally. Ozil, who can of course produce moments of artistic magic is still a wonderful player, but when he has the attitude of ‘can’t be bothered’ it really does rub off on others.

Unlike Alexis Sanchez, who has had better nights but still he ran his socks off up until the final whistle and still showed great character for the team, Ozil was Slowly walking about, not tracking back, letting the game run away from him and quite simply being a shadow of what he possesses in a very lazy performance.

The Arsenal man is not immune to criticism, however wonderful he may be, for Everton’s winning goal, Mesut Ozil found himself in the penalty box defending the corner (no, that is not a typo) and although he should not be there in the first place, he should still be man enough to challenge Williams for the ball. Instead, Ozil ducked and turned his back on the ball as he cowardly pulled himself out of any contact.

Honestly, that’s a total disgrace, for a club who want to put an end to their disastrous title drought, to have a player duck from the ball which turned out to be the winner is not good enough, what mentality is that giving off? He should want to throw every limb he has into that challenge, instead he let his man have all the time in the world before casually walking back to the halfway line.

Ozil is first name on the team sheet each week, without a doubt, he is crucial for Arsenal and is key for their title charge, but when the going gets tough, he must get tougher, he could have showed some sort of heart and character to try and win that ball in the box, but he did nothing which has cost his team the points.

To put the cherry on top of such a disappointing performance, Ozil had the opportunity to put the Gunners ahead when the ball was dragged back into his path, but unfortunately he blasted the ball over, he could have certainly scored.It is really frustrating to watch when someone of his

It is really frustrating to watch when someone of his qualitiy is playing with such attitude, all is not bad for Ozil though, he did still manage to create one chance against Everton and ended the game with 81% passing accuracy, which isn’t great for his standards but still far from woeful.

It is certainly a performance to forget for Ozil, it was dire. We look at how Twitter reacted to his performance, and as expected some fans are really not happy.

As you can see, Arsenal fans were less than impressed with the Germans performance yesterday and rightly so, they’re desperate to end their title drought and know losses like yesterday could play divalent in the title run. Yes, the criticism may be deemed unfair as he is a glorious player, but no player is immune to it, and he really must take a long hard look at himself after yesterday’s display.

To top of his performance, he didn’t even go over to thank the Arsenal faithful after the match and headed straight down the tunnel, maybe he felt embarrassed after the defeat but there is never any excuse not to thank the fans that look up to you.

Walcott has also come under strong criticism for his performance, if you can call it that, in the 2-1 defeat against Everton.

Arsenal are in an excellent position, they have only suffered two defeats this season which could have both been avoided, Arsenal need Mesut Ozil to step up and help them reach maximum heights this season.

Up next is Manchester City away for the Gunners, he could certainly put this performance behind him if he was to help his side take all three points and put a real marker down.

Arsenal Fans Label This Midfielder ‘A Disgrace’ After Terrible Everton Performance

Oli Price-Bates December 13, 2016

Arsenal’s long Premier League unbeaten run came to an end on Tuesday night as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Goodison Park, and there were some very poor performances from a number of Arsenal players on the night.

One player in particular to pick up criticism was Theo Walcott. The Englishman has been in improved form this season but he still lacks consistency and that was particularly evident in this fixture where he literally failed to turn up.

Playing on the right wing, Walcott just couldn’t get into the game and was removed with around 20 minutes to go.

Walcott had an extremely quiet night, completing just 14 passes with a 71.4% accuracy rate. He was also at fault for allowing Baines to cross the ball for Coleman’s first half equaliser. Although he raced to close down Baines, Theo was weak in the tackle and that allowed Baines the space to swing in a delightful cross and spark Everton’s resurgence into the game.

Unfortunately for Walcott, the bad statistics do not end there… Offensively he completed 0 dribbles, 0 through balls, 0 key passes and 0 shots on target. It truly was like he wasn’t even there.

Here’s some of the reaction to Theo’s performance on Twitter.

Personally I have never been Theo’s biggest fan. His form this season was very good at the start, but it has faded and when he goes missing like he did on Tuesday night, it makes it extremely difficult for Arsenal to win games, it’s like playing with one less player. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t the only one. Mesut Ozil was very poor, as was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but after more than 10 years at the club, you would expect better from Walcott and he is running out of lifelines. The likes of Iwobi, Lucas Perez and Danny Welbeck (when fit again) will surely be pushing to take his place if he is to put in more performances like he did against Everton.

It continues to be a problem for Arsenal that very few players are consistent. There also seems to be an overwhelming effect on the team when one player is missing - in today’s case it was Skhodran Mustafi. The German helps dictate the way Arsenal play from the back, therefore having a big influence at both ends of the field. Arsenal certainly missed his authority in defensive areas for the two goals they conceded. Sadly, the Gunners have at least 3 more games before their summer signing will return to fitness. Wenger needs to find a solution and by Sunday.

He Made The Difference: Everton Fans Label This Man ‘Incredible’ In 2-1 Win Over Arsenal

Oli Price-Bates December 13, 2016

Everton managed an important 2-1 win at home to Arsenal on Tuesday night, and there were much-improved performances from a host of Everton players.

With 1 win in the last 8 games before this fixture, it looked like it was going to be another grim evening for Everton when Alexis Sanchez saw his free-kick deflected to give the Gunners an early lead in the game.

But Everton responded extremely well and one players performance that particularly caught the eye was that of the much maligned Ross Barkley. Barkley has come under a lot of criticism this season, with Ronald Koeman himself even publicly shaming the midfielder for his lack of effort.

But he was trusted from the start for this fixture and he did not disappoint. Up against the defensive figures of Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin, Barkley produced a dominating performance on the night to respond to his managers criticism.

He was influential throughout, helping his side create sustained pressure in the Arsenal half and picking up Lukaku knock-downs regularly. He also bagged the assist for the Ashley Williams winner.

Barkley made 73 touches in the 90 minutes, which is a lot for any player against Arsenal. This stat shows how he was involved more than usual - he was made 3 key passes, highlighting his ability to be creative.

More impressive statistics from his performance include 3 dribbles completed, 5/9 long balls and 77.1% pass accuracy. Defensively he made 2 tackles and 1 clearance to highlight how he can be effective at both ends of the pitch. If he can perform like this against Arsenal, a team with great midfielders, then there is certainly hope that he can continue to improve and realise his huge potential at Everton.


Here’s how people reacted on Twitter to the Englishman’s performance.

In my opinion, aged 23 now is the time for Barkley to really stand up and prove himself. He needs to become more than just potential and to do that he needs to be producing these kind of performances on a consistent basis, proving both his fitness and his quality.

‘By Far The Worst In The League’ Liverpool Fans Have Had Enough Of This Summer Signing Already

Oli Price-Bates December 11, 2016

Liverpool’s goalkeeper has once again come under severe criticism for a below-par display against West Ham United on Sunday night.

Liverpool took an early lead through Adam Lallana and it looked as if it would be another straightforward win for the home side, especially considering they were playing against a Hammers side that has been severely lacking confidence and results of late.

But despite Liverpool’s good start to the season, one player who is severely lacking in confidence for them is Loris Karius. The summer signing was viewed as a solution to the problematic Simon Mignolet. But so far, the 23-year-old has offered no real improvement to the Belgian - with errors aplenty in recent weeks.

Last weekend Liverpool played Bournemouth and lost late on with Karius blamed for at least two of the 4 goals. Against West Ham, he was again arguably at fault for both of the Hammers 1st half goals. Playing as a goalkeeper, it is unforgiving when you make a mistake, but Liverpool cannot afford to have a goalkeeper in place that is costing them points each week.

Origi’s goal early in the second half saw Liverpool equalise but they could not find a 3rd goal and ultimately, Karius’ mistakes have cost Liverpool the three points on the day. Jurgen Klopp may need to consider given Mignolet his place back in the eleven, but he is just as much of a problem player it seems. Perhaps Klopp will have to again look to the transfer market to find a more experienced keeper that will at least solve this huge problem in the short term, because at this moment in time, Karius is not performing at a high enough level to be a goalkeeper of a team that wants to win the league.

As you might expect, the reaction to Karius’ performance has caused a lot of frustration on social media, especially from Liverpool fans. It seems some have already given up on their summer signing, despite his young age and the fact he has played very few games in England. Here’s a sample of the reaction on Twitter to the summer signings performance.

Is it time to give up on Karius? No, not in my opinion. He’s a young keeper with ability and he proved that in the Bundesliga, where he was comfortable. He’s only 23 and adapting to a new league and the new amount of pressure and expectation makes it very hard. Unlike players playing in other positions, goalkeepers cannot afford to have a settling in period, if they make a mistake it can cost their team 3 points per mistake, and that is disastrous for the team, especially with Liverpool chasing the title.

‘Best Ever Performance In A Manchester United Shirt’ Fans Heap Praise Onto Defender After Display vs. Tottenham

Fresh Football December 11, 2016

Manchester United managed to overcome their recent poor form late on in games to see out a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, courtesy of a goal from Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the first period.

Embed from Getty Images

Spurs started the game the better of the two after a shaky start, but it was Harry Kane, Spurs’ saviour since he returned from injury who was at fault for the goal. He gave the ball away sloppily in midfield before Ander Herrera played Mkhitaryan through, who finished convincingly to score his first Premier League goal.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men missed a golden opportunity to equalise just after the break. Christian Eriksen swung a good ball towards the back post, where Victor Wanyama had sneaked in, but he failed to trouble David De Gea with his header.

Paul Pogba could have fired Manchester United two goals to the good on two separate occasions within a couple of minutes of each other. First of all, his free-kick rattled the woodwork, before he found himself with space for a shot just inside the box, but his effort was straight at Hugo Lloris.

Spurs failed to create any decent chances throughout the game, and much of that can be down to Harry Kane being so ineffective up front. Marcos Rojo was the man tasked with keeping the Englishman quiet for the ninety minutes, and he did an outstanding job.

Although he won just 33% of his tackles and 40% of his aerial duels, Rojo denied Kane of any sort of half-chance for the whole game. He made an impressive 16 clearances, 4 blocks and a further 4 interceptions. Here is how United fans reacted to Rojo’s outstanding display.

We all thought that United being without both Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly would be a huge problem for the Red Devils. However, Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones have really stepped up in the last few weeks. Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling will be back in the fold soon, and it will be interesting to see if Mourinho sticks with Jones and Rojo at the back or puts Bailly and Smalling back in.

‘The Team Evolves Around Him’ Arsenal Midfielder Praised On Twitter After Stoke Performance

Oli Price-Bates December 11, 2016

Arsenal moved to the top of the league on Saturday night after beating Stoke, and there was one player that the fans were talking about a lot after the game…

Arsenal’s £30million summer signing Granit Xhaka was selected alongside Francis Coquelin in the heart of the Gunners midfield as they looked to combat the physical threat offered by Stoke City. The defensive base

Although Xhaka gave away a controversial penalty, the Swiss international put in a brilliant all-round performance to help Arsenal to what was in the end, a comfortable 3-1 home win against an on form Stoke City side.

Xhaka’s statistics on the day were incredibly impressive. He completed 100% of his take ons and highlighted his ability to dictate the game from deep, completing 77 passes with an 88% accuracy rate. He also showed his physical and defensive ability, winning 4 aerial duels, 3 tackles and making 2 clearances.

What was impressive about Xhaka’s performance on the day was that he did not only make short passes to keep things ticking along, but he also showed good ability to create chances from deep, switching up his passing play with longer passes that created 2 clear chances. He attempted a huge 10 long balls with 6 of them being accurate.

The ability to be such an all-round midfielder has made Xhaka the hub of the Arsenal team. He seems to be the man to dictate possession and lead by example. With Santi Cazorla out injured for a few months, it was extremely important for Arsenal to find someone that was capable of this - Xhaka being able to do so will ensure that the Spaniard is not missed as much as many may have thought originally.

Here’s some reaction on Twitter to the Swiss international’s performance.

… and some reaction from Xhaka himself…

Personally, I am over the moon with the signing of Xhaka. He has settled very quickly and looks better with every game. I think he has curbed his aggression somewhat and filtered it into the right kind of aggression that’s needed on the pitch. Arsenal needed a midfielder that could both dictate the game through good on the ball ability and also physically dominate. In Coquelin Arsenal have a physical but not technical midfielder and Cazorla is technical not physical, but Xhaka beautifully combines both. He’s a man with a tonne of experience already, but it is easy to forget that he is only 24 and his leadership skills and overall ability will continue to grow in the next 5 years. Arsenal have made a top class signing.

‘Most Overrated Player I’ve Ever Seen’ Fans Rip Into Manchester City Man Following Horrific Performance vs Leicester

Fresh Football December 11, 2016

Manchester City’s Premier League title bid took a huge blow on Saturday evening when they paid a visit to the King Power Stadium, where they were beaten 4-2 at the hands of Premier League Champions.

Through a mixture of Leicester brilliance and Manchester City’s shambolic defending, Pep Guardiola’s men found themselves 3-0 down within the first twenty minutes of the game. Jamie Vardy ended his scoring drought early on in the piece to fire the Foxes ahead before Andy King doubled Leicester’s lead a few minutes later.

Vardy bagged his second of the game twenty minutes in before Manchester City started to take control of the game, enjoying more than three-quarters of possession in the first period. City continued to dominate beyond the break, but it was Leicester who scored the fourth goal of the game. Vardy bagged his hat-trick as John Stones’ backpass was a weak one, the Englishman took full advantage, his shot creeping over the line.

Aleksander Kolarov scored a delightful free-kick to make it 4-1 which in fact was City’s first shot on target of the game, and Nolito bagged another consolation goal as the game finished 4-2.

It was yet another shambolic performance from the City defence, and big money signing John Stones, who received a lot of criticism for his latest showing. Despite making three clearances and three interceptions, the Englishman failed to win a tackle or an aerial duel.

It is more than fair to say that Stones has not lived up to his reputation following a high profile £47.5m move to Manchester City, and he has been ripped apart on Twitter following his latest horrific display.

Manchester City’s title hopes have taken a huge hit following this defeat at Leicester, and if Spurs win at Old Trafford they could drop out the top four as well as potentially dropping seven points off top spot. If they are to make a surge to the top of the table again, their defence will have to improve, and players like Stone will have to step up and improve.

‘What A Talent’ Arsenal Fans Excited By Youngsters Performance vs. Basel

Chris Baker December 7, 2016

Arsenal traveled to St. Jakob-Park on Tuesday evening to face FC Basel - a side that traditionally does well against English opposition. The Gunners traveled in high spirits after their 5-1 victory over West Ham United on Saturday and knew a win would give them a chance of finishing top of the group.

PSG slipped up at home to Ludogorets managing just a point at the Parc Des Princes which ensured the Gunners topped their group after a comfortable 4-1 win, remaining unbeaten in the Champions League group stages with the last time Arsene Wenger’s men managing that they went all the way to the final.

Although all 11 Arsenal players were good, there was one performer that impressed many, that man being England u-21 international Rob Holding, who was making his Champions League debut.

Holding was given the nod ahead of Shkodran Mustafi who was rightly rested ahead of a busy Christmas period, and the young gun did not disappoint in an influential performance.

Partnered next to Laurent Koscielny, Holding was winning balls in the air, challenging for the ball and being a real rock at the back in a very impressive display. Holding managed three tackles on his European debut which was the joint best amongst other players.

As well as being impressive in tackles, Holding was also exceptional at reading the game, his professionalism and awareness for someone so premature in his career is prodigious with the Arsenal youngster making three interceptions and five clearances.

Another trait which Holding possesses with large amounts of confidence is his passing. It is as if he has already inherited the Arsenal DNA in which he patrols the ball and oozes confidence. The centre-back made 69 passes against Basel managing a 92.8% pass completion which just shows how comfortable he is on the ball.

His understanding with Koscielny was remarkable, they formed an excellent partnership this evening and Holding did not look out of place at all. Whilst dealing with his defensive duties with his French teammate, he also managed one key pass and had one shot on the offensive side of his performance.

The performance was excellent, Arsene Wenger will be delighted with his summer signing and the heaps of praise the youngster is receiving is fully deserved. We take a look at how Twitter reacted to his performance, with some fans very, very impressed.

It already seems as if Holding has won the hearts of many Gunners fans after his immense debut performance in the Champions League. Arsenal signed the talented defender for just £2 million in the summer which in this day and age is an absolute bargain as Arsene Wenger seems to have found another gem. This was certainly a performance of intent and with such high quality it may give Arsene Wenger a selection headache over a busy Christmas period, but the good news is he knows he can trust his squad players to make an impact for the team. At just 21-years-old he is already showing signs of becoming a great defender, and in the future, he could certainly become a very important player for Arsenal, and who knows, maybe for England.

This Manchester United Defender Excelled vs. Everton - But Time To Go For Fellaini?

Ben Emmott December 5, 2016

Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park on Sunday as Marouane Fellaini gave away a late penalty. Two players caught the eye for United on the day, but both for very different reasons.

Marcus Rojo supplied the first big talking point of the game after lunging into a 50/50 challenge with Idrissa Gueye, but was only shown a yellow card by referee Michael Oliver, much to the anger of the Everton players. The first half was dominated by controversial decisions as United players would argue Gareth Barry should have been sent off for two bookings.

After 42 minutes of sloppy play from both sides, the deadlock was finally broken. Anthony Martial supplied a perfect ball for Zlatan Ibrahimovic to chase and lob the ball over the stranded, Stekelenburg. The goal was given by goal line technology after the attempt hit the bar, post and then creeped over the line.

The first piece of action of the second half took place on the 53rd minute when Kevin Mirallas skipped past Rojo with ease and forced a good save from David De Gea, who would have been trying to forget his mid-week slip up against West Ham.

Ander Herrera hit the post with a great effort after some good work from Mkhitaryan on only his second league start for the club.

On the 85th minute, Marouane Fellaini was substituted on, and on the 87th minute, the same man gave away a penalty. The Belgian once again proving why he isn’t up to standards for a side like Manchester United. Leighton Baines kept his nerve and placed the penalty in the bottom corner, which proved to be the final goal in the game.

Phil Jones, hopefully back for good

When Phil Jones joined the club, Sir Alex Ferguson labelled the young man as a future captain of club and country, but the Englishman has been plagued with injury and hasn’t been able to live up to his potential. Back from injury, the centre-back has been extremely impressive and there was no change today. Jones kept Romelu Lukaku quiet for the whole game and made sure he didn’t win anything in the air, which is a tough task against such a physical player. The ex-Blackburn Rovers player was a brick wall and made sure David De Gea was protected. Jones had the confidence to play it out from the back to Michael Carrick instead of hitting it up the field and giving it away.

When managing Chelsea, Mourinho mentored John Terry into the player that he is today and if he can stay fit, I don’t think there is any doubt that he can reach the former England captain’s level.

How long can Fellaini hold onto his Utd Career?

Manchester United fans will not be wanting to see any more of Marouane Fellaini for a good few weeks, that’s if he can survive the January transfer window. The Belgian has never been in the good books of the fans ever since he joined the club and he simply isn’t helping himself. He doesn’t have the quality of the players around him and it sticks out like a sore thumb.

Mourinho put his belief in the midfielder to keep the ball for the final few minutes and add an extra man to the defensive duties, but another stupid mistake led to another draw. Surely it’s time up for Fellaini?

‘He Is Dire’ Liverpool Fans Have Had Enough Of This Defender After Bournemouth Collapse

Leanne LFC December 5, 2016

A second half capitulation from Liverpool ensured the Reds missed their chance of going second in the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp’s side were two goals to the good on separate occasions but defensive cracks and increased pressure from Bournemouth saw three points fall out of their grasp.

Dejan Lovren’s performance was rather questionable, with Joel Matip’s ankle injury highlighting the weak links in defence. The Cameroonian, who joined Liverpool in the summer on a free transfer, has become a pivotal part of Jurgen Klopp’s side - evident by the fact that the two losses sustained this season were without Matip.

In his absence, Lovren looked there for the taking. The Reds have lost twice this season, both of which Joel Matip didn’t feature in and it was all too familiar a story at the Vitality. Giving away the ball in his own half, the Croatian put his side under pressure, leading to James Milner conceding a penalty that instigated Bournemouth’s fight back. Rather than showing his experience and leading by example, Lovren, like many of his teammates, lost his head. Liverpool paid the price for failing to wrap up the game. A chance not taken.

Here’s how some fans on Twitter reacted to Lovren’s performance:

So far this season, Liverpool have been relatively solid at the back, with the defensive partnership of Matip and Lovren proving successful. However, what became apparent today in Matip’s absence was the fragility of the ex-Southampton defender. Despite being an experienced figure within the side, an error never seemed too far away from Lovren’s game.

On the back of such deflating defeats, fans often go into panic mode, as has been the case with the calling for several players to get the axe after throwing away a 2-0 lead. It would be silly to write off Lovren after just one game but he does find himself under pressure. A sustained absence from Matip could spell real trouble for Liverpool.

There has also been concern for summer signing Loris Karius. The goalkeeper was another guilty of a poor performance in this fixture. Liverpool need to hope this is a one-off performance from him, with Simon Mignolet proving to be similarly poor in recent years. What’s good for Karius is that he is only 23 and has plenty of time to adapt to English football and improved as a goalkeeper, Lovren, at 27, should now be in the prime of his career and now in his 4th season of English football, he has few excuses.

‘Pocketted Pogba’ Twitter Reacts To Everton Midfielder’s Masterclass In Manchester United Draw

Chris Baker December 5, 2016

Manchester United failed to close a three point gap on the top four this afternoon after drawing 1-1 with Everton at Goodison Park. With Liverpool and Manchester City both dropping points before their clash with the Toffees the Red Devils knew they could close a gap on their rivals but failed to do so again in another draw for Jose Mourinho’s men.

The result leaves Manchester United way away from the top four as any hope for Champions League football keeps slipping away with United continuously dropping points, but the point for Everton, which was certainly deserved will be a relief for Ronald Koeman after losing last week at the St Mary’s Stadium and keeps them within touching distance of United in sixth place.

One man in particular shone for the home side in their well battled draw, that man being summer signing Idrissa Gueye, who was absolutely immense in central midfield helping his side keep the likes of Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba very quiet during the game.

The arrival of the former Aston Villa man went under the radar in the summer but he has been exceptional thus far this season, he has found his feet extremely well in Koeman’s system whilst delivering supreme performances on a consistent basis in recent weeks.

In yet again another excellent performance, he helped his side extremely well defensively winning five tackles during the 90 minutes, more than any other player on the pitch and provided the midfield engine in the middle of the park.

When the impressive Gueye was not helping his side defensively he was pushing forward trying to help his team get something from the game, which evidently paid off with the Senegalese man winning the penalty in the closing stages, after receiving the ball and brushing past Marouane Fellaini after the Belgian brought him down for a stone wall penalty.

The midfielder was at the heart of everything for the Toffees and was oozing confidence, he had a total of 69 touches in the match making 37 completed passes which is impressive in itself.

Gueye was majestic yet again and was involved in a total of 16 duels this afternoon, managing to win an extremely impressive 75% which shows the dominance he possessed, making two interceptions too.

For someone to keep up such high tempo in their play and keep up high stamina levels as Gueye did was impeccable, he was bursting forward showing initiative whilst proving to be a nuisance for United, a player that just would not give them a sniff of the ball.

As expected, there has been humongous praise for Gueye on twitter, with some totally overjoyed with their Man of the Match, so we take a look at how people responded to Everton’s summer signing today.

As you can see, the Everton faithful are over the moon with his performance today and some already want him to be awarded the player of the season. Gueye has been influential for Koeman this season and he is repaying the faith he showed to bring him to Merseyside in the summer, if Everton’s dream of European football is to become a reality, they will be relying on this man to stay fit and firing in that midfield.

‘Would Struggle In The Championship’ West Ham Fans Furious With Defender Following Arsenal Defeat

Fresh Football December 4, 2016

West Ham put in an absolutely terrible performance at the London Stadium as Arsenal tore them apart to emphatically take all three points in a thumping 5-1 win.

A devastating performance from Alexis Sanchez, who scored a hat-trick and assisted the first goal along with goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mesut Ozil sent a statement out to the rest of the Premier League on Saturday evening.

For West Ham, on the other hand, they have not won in the Premier League since the 22nd October when they stumbled over the line against Sunderland at the London Stadium. Slaven Bilic has been under increasing pressure in the last few weeks as his West Ham side move ever closer to the drop zone.

It was a terrible defensive performance from the West Ham defence, conceding five goals, and West Ham fans were very critical of centre-back Angelo Ogbonna in the crushing defeat.

Although he won 100% of his aerial duels, the centre-back wasn’t up against one of the tallest players in the world in Alexis Sanchez. Ogbonna made five clearances and just one block in the 5-1 defeat, and here is how West Ham fans reacted to his performance.

It has been well-documented that West Ham have not offered enough going forward and that their strikers have not performed, but if the Hammers are to make a charge up the table, then their defensive record will have to improve after conceding five in midweek, three against Spurs, and another five here.

If West Ham are to move up the table, they will need to perform better in the big games. Their 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford last week was a step in the right direction. However, when competing against the big teams, as a centre-back, you need to keep the main man quiet. Ogbonna did very little to try and nullify the effect of Alexis Sanchez, and this is something that must change for the centre-back if West Ham are to compete with the big boys.

Fans Label This Liverpool Man ‘Embarrassing’ Following Crushing Bournemouth Defeat

Fresh Football December 4, 2016

Liverpool fell to a disappointing 4-3 defeat at the hands of Bournemouth, missing their opportunity to go second in the Premier League table, despite being two goals to the good on two separate occasions.

Jurgen Klopp’s side started the game extremely strongly, and their good work paid off when a long ball over the top sent Sadio Mane in behind, who finished well. Bournemouth keeper Artur Boruc rushed off his line to meet Divock Origi a couple of minutes later, but the Liverpool attacker rounded the goalkeeper and produced a fantastic finish.

Bournemouth’s response after the break was solid, and they had the opportunity to get back into the game when Ryan Fraser was brought down in the box by James Milner. Callum Wilson stepped up to score his second in two games. However, Liverpool restored their two-goal lead with an excellent strike from Emre Can.

With fifteen minutes to go, Bournemouth were back in the game again. Substitute Ryan Fraser was there after Benik Afobe couldn’t get his shot away to fire a great finish into the corner past Karius. The hosts were soon level, and it was Steve Cook who produced a quality goal. He produced a quality first touch before hammering a shot into the back of the net.

Eddie Howe’s side then won the game in added time, when Karius couldn’t hold a low shot, and Nathan Ake was there to pounce and hand Bournemouth the three points.

Liverpool keeper Loris Karius has received a lot of criticism following the defeat, and it is true that he could have prevented certainly Bournemouth’s winner and possibly their second. The goalkeeper was successful with just 65% of his passes, made four saves and didn’t claim the ball once in what was a disappointing performance. Here is how Liverpool fans reacted to his terrible showing.

Jurgen Klopp’s men missed a brilliant opportunity to go second in the Premier League and stay just one point behind league leaders Chelsea. They should have wrapped up the game at either 2-0 or 3-1, but stupidly let Bournemouth back into the game, and paid the full price here.

Arsenal Fans Delighted With This Man’s Amazing Display vs. West Ham

Fresh Football December 3, 2016

Arsenal put in an outstanding performance at the London Stadium on Saturday evening, making light work of West Ham, brushing their London rivals aside, winning 5-1 in a completely dominant display.

Alexis Sanchez took full advantage of a defensive error from West Ham to give Arsenal the lead in the first half, laying the ball across to Mesut Ozil, who was left with the easiest of tap-ins.

Arsenal continued to dominate proceedings going into the second half, and Alexis Sanchez managed to double the Gunners’ lead in the 72nd minute, and then scoring Arsenal’s third on the 80th. West Ham managed to pull a goal back through Andy Caroll, but this was quickly cancelled out by an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain goal to put the Gunners 4-1 up.

It was a beautiful performance from the Chilean and you don’t need statistics to show you that, but here’s some anyway. Crucially he scored 3 goals and made 1 assist. He had 5 shots, 4 of them on target and 3 goals. He was also very creative, making 5 key passes on the night. He completed 3 dribbles, 2/2 long balls and 47 passes in total.

Sanchez completed the Arsenal rout with just four minutes of normal time to go, with an exquisite chip over the goalkeeper. Here is how the Arsenal fans on Twitter reacted to the Chilean’s performance.

Although West Ham are not in the best of form, the 5-1 win sends a real statement out to the rest of the Premier League. Sanchez has been a key figure for the Gunners this season, and you can certainly question where the Gunners would be without him. As long as he plays well, the team plays well and Arsenal will need him to stay fit, as the Premier League title is within their reach, especially following this emphatic win.

Chelsea Player Hailed As ‘Best Defender In The World’ On Twitter After Manchester City Match

Oli Price-Bates December 3, 2016

Chelsea fought back from 1-nil down to win a stunning and eventful top of the table clash against Manchester City.

The game and result surely makes Chelsea title favourites after back to back wins against title rivals. In the 3-4-3 formation, they have been phenomenal and one player this new formation has got the best out of is David Luiz. The Brazilian defender re-signed for Chelsea this summer for a lot of money, and his return was met with much scepticism from fans around the world with his defending often coming under criticism.

But Luiz has looked a world class defender in Conte’s new formation. He is a relaxed defender that can control possession from deep. You would have to think that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola would love to have him in his defence, especially after his quality performance on Saturday that saw Manchester City frustrated for most of the 90 minutes.

Luiz, like all of the Chelsea team at the moment just exudes confidence on the pitch. No matter the opposition, the scoreline or situation – he looks like he won’t make an error. An important factor

Here’s some statistics from his performance on the day. Defensively Luiz was majestic, making 6 clearances and 2 interceptions. It was perhaps his range of passing that impressed most, though, attempting a huge 13 long balls, with 7 of them being accurate. He kept the ball on the ground and completed 34 passes.

There’s been high praise on Twitter for Luiz, with some dubbing him the man of the match on the day, the signing of the summer and even the best defender in the world!

I must say that when Luiz re-signed for Chelsea I was very sceptical and thought that Conte had wasted a lot of money. Let’s be honest, Luiz wasn’t even Chelsea’s first choice. It was widely reported that Chelsea originally wanted to sign other defensive targets ahead of Luiz, who was the last resort as the transfer deadline loomed. Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly was the subject of strong interest from Chelsea in the summer, and whilst he would still be a fine addition to the team, Luiz has surely surpassed even his biggest fans expectations during the start of his second spell at the club.

As far as calls for him being the best defender in the world go, they are far too early. I think it could be right to say that he is the best defender in the league at the moment, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves on the back of 10 or so games. If Luiz wants to be the best defender in the world, he must continue at this level for the next few seasons.