Leeds United returned to winning ways on Wednesday evening with a massive 2-1 win over Swansea City at Elland Road, a game which saw Kalvin Phillips thrive once again in his natural holding midfield role.
The injury crisis at Leeds this season has forced Phillips to compromise and adapt. Marcelo Bielsa has often deployed the 23-year-old in central defence to deputise in the absence of the likes of Gaetano Berardi and Liam Cooper, but the latter’s return has paved the way for him to seamlessly slot back into the pivot role.
Blending defensive solidity with technical prowess, Phillips has established himself as a vital cog in Bielsa’s free-flowing machine, and the supporters are delighted to see him back in his preferred role.
Alongside Mateusz Klich, Phillips bossed proceedings on Wednesday night and showed the supporters exactly what they were missing during his brief stint in defence, and the quality of his performance drew esteemed praise on Twitter.
The superlatives were exhausted, recycled and rampant on social media, with some fans going as far to suggest that an England call up could be in the offing.
His form in the Championship ought to be noted by Gareth Southgate, but his claims of earning an international call up and putting himself in contention for Euro 2020 will be far more legitimate if he’s plying his trade in the top-flight next season…
Here’s what the Leeds fans had to say about Phillips’ performance on Wednesday:
Crystal Palace star Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been identified as a summer transfer target by Manchester United, who have reportedly drawn up a shortlist including the full-back, Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic according to talkSPORT.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Eagles’ academy graduate has not put a foot wrong since breaking into the first team at the start of 2018, going on to make the right-back berth his own ahead of former first choice Joel Ward.
As a result, a number of clubs have taken a shine to the England Under-21 international, including the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and now the Red Devils.
The 21-year-old is arguably the best defender in Europe right now, even earning the nickname of ‘The Spider’ as a result of his uncanny ability to use his long legs to wrap around the opponent and win the ball back.
Palace must tie him down to a new contract
Wan-Bissaka currently has three years left on the contract that he signed in April of last year, but given his rise in the game since then, it is imperative that Palace lock him into a monster new deal.
The aforementioned clubs who have taken an interest in him are giants of the game, and all possess the financial power to turn the youngster’s head.
Additionally, Wan-Bissaka is allegedly earning just £15,000-a-week right now, which is well below what he deserves – to compare, second-choice right-back Ward earns £35,000-a-week.
One would assume that Wan-Bissaka’s agent will be pressing the club to offer his client a much improved contract, and could easily point to the fact that a number of heavyweights in the game could easily offer him a significant rise on his current salary.
The south London-based side have a real gem on their hands and arguably one of Europe’s best young players right now, so they must tie him down as soon as possible to avoid losing him in the summer.
Jed Steer currently has the gloves for Aston Villa.
Indeed, the 26-year-old has started Villa’s last three Championship matches, keeping back-to-back clean sheets in the wins over Derby County and Birmingham City.
Lovre Kalinic was signed in January from Gent, but his form was not the best in the early stages of the year and Steer is currently the individual between the sticks.
The 26-year-old actually spent the first half of this season on loan at Charlton Athletic in League One, but it is funny how quickly things can change.
The goalkeeper was one of a number of Villa players to take to social media in the aftermath of Sunday’s huge 1-0 win over Birmingham City in the Championship.
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And the Villa fans were out in force to lavish praise on the former England Under-19 international, who made four saves in the derby, according to WhoScored.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Newcastle face Huddersfield at the weekend in what will be a must-win clash for the Magpies as they look to avoid relegation – the Terries are surely resigned to their fate already – and Rafa Benitez’s side may have gotten themselves on the right track just in time.
Benitez’s experimentation with a 5-4-1 has seen the standard of performances from the St James’ Park outfit sky-rocket in recent weeks, with a shock win over Manchester City epitomising their improvement.
The January arrivals of Miguel Almiron and Antonio Barreca significantly boost the Magpies’ chances of securing Premier League football for another season and as Matt Ritchie said, they know that getting a point if they cannot get all three at this stage of the season is vital.
Every player will have to be on top form and step up in the coming months, but who has already taken huge strides this season? Who has fallen off? Read on to find out who is hot and who is not at Newcastle…
Most improved: Isaac Hayden
Soccer Football – Premier League – Newcastle United v Manchester United – St James’ Park, Newcastle, Britain – January 2, 2019 Manchester United’s Paul Pogba in action with Newcastle United’s Mohamed Diame and Isaac Hayden Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player pub
Isaac Hayden’s Newcastle career has been revived this season and the Englishman is excelling in Benitez’s new system. Playing alongside academy product Sean Longstaff at the base of midfield, Hayden has impressed even Pep Guardiola, who admitted his title-winning side could not deal with the pair.
Despite reports of a potential exit, the 23-year-old has not let his calibre of showing slip, instead going from strength to strength from week to week.
A bit-part player for the first half of the season, Hayden has done a complete heel turn and is now a fixture in the starting XI – he has played the full 90 minutes in six of his seven appearances since the new year. His performances put him on the radar of Aston Villa in January, but a deal never materialised – could they or other clubs come in for him in the summer if his desire to leave doesn’t lessen?
Far removed: Kenedy
Soccer Football – Premier League – Newcastle United v Fulham – St James’ Park, Newcastle, Britain – December 22, 2018 Newcastle United’s Kenedy receives instructions from manager Rafael Benitez before being substituted on Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publi
Kenedy’s impressive showings on loan from Chelsea last season earned him a second temporary stint at St James’ Park for the 18/19 season but, unfortunately, the Brazilian has cut a moody, disinterested figure this time round.
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The 23-year-old has chalked up just one goal and one assist in 20 appearances this season – the resurgence of Christian Atsu and the arrival of the aforementioned Almiron will make minutes hard to come by for Kenedy if he doesn’t pick his feet up soon.
With Hayden’s importance increasing as the season rolls on, Kennedy’s has decreased dramatically and he has played just 32 minutes of football since the start of the year. Based on this form, it’s highly unlikely he will be back on Tyneside for a third consecutive year.
Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has the perfect opportunity to make amends for his previous display at Old Trafford when his team face Manchester United at ‘The Theatre of Dreams’ on Sunday.
On the chalkboard
The 20-year-old has established himself as the Merseyside outfit’s first-choice right-back, but question marks were certainly raised over the England international following his outing in the 2-1 defeat against the Red Devils in March 2018, when Jurgen Klopp’s men found themselves 2-0 down after 25 minutes.
Marcus Rashford scored twice from the left-hand side and gave Alexander-Arnold a torrid time as Jose Mourinho’s men ran out victors, and the youngster will surely be keen to improve on that performance this time around.
The stakes are high this term with the Reds well in the title race and the hosts enjoying a rejuvenation period since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer succeeded Mourinho, and the Liverpool right-back should be in good shape having made his first start since his return from injury against Bayern Munich in midweek.
Can he succeed?
He certainly can, and he will feel much more confident against Rashford, Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and others than he may have done previously.
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While Alexander-Arnold will once again be in for a tough afternoon at Old Trafford given the form United are currently in, there is no doubt that he has matured and improved just under 12 months after that nervous showing.
As well as being strong from a defensive point of view, as he showed by helping his side keep a clean sheet in the Champions League on Tuesday, he can also give Luke Shaw something to think about from an attacking point of view as well.
Bournemouth visit Huddersfield this weekend in a clash that represents a brilliant opportunity to get back on track having had a miserable month of results. Unfortunately, the Cherries will have to get the win without one of their senior players, who will be out for a while.
What’s the news?
Well, speaking ahead of Saturday’s game, Eddie Howe said:
“Unfortunately, Steve Cook will be out. He had a long-standing groin problem and had an injection that has become infected. He’ll be out for between five and six weeks.”
Ouch. It certainly doesn’t sound pleasant for the 27-year-old and, while some fans were surely more concerned with the positive news that Callum Wilson has returned to training, it will surely prove to be a massive blow for Bournemouth in the coming weeks.
Rotten Cherries
A woeful run of form has seen the south coast outfit concede 11 goals in their four matches in February and they showed no semblance of defensive organisation – Cook’s absence will hurt them more as he is a leader in the backline.
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If there was ever a bad time for Bournemouth to start falling off, having had a fantastic start to the season, it’s now. Their remaining run of fixtures looks relatively easy but we all know that even the teams at the bottom of the pile can hurt you.
The Terriers are surely sunk now but that doesn’t mean they won’t pose a challenge to the Cherries, particularly in the absence of an important defender.
The Vitality Stadium would have surely been hoping for a resurrection of form starting this weekend, although Cook’s ruling out makes the task of fixing their awful defensive record of late much harder.
West Ham United fans certainly have something to look forward to when it comes down to the future of the club and the young talent that they have available to them. The likes of Declan Rice and Grady Diagana have both made real impressions, whilst the likes of Nathan Trott and Ben Johnson could make an impact in the first-team soon.
However, it appears the club are keen to add further talent to their youth ranks and could be about to raid a Bundesliga side’s academy for one of their rising stars.
What’s the News?
According to a report by Turkish-Football, West Ham have been keeping tabs on Mainz 05’s Erkan Eyibil.
It is claimed the 17-year-old has been dubbed as the ‘New Mesut Ozil’ by some sections of the Turkish media and his performances would make it hard to disagree with the nickname bestowed upon him.
Eyibil has been sensational for the Under-19 side this season, having registered 12 goals and five assists in his 18 matches this season for the Bundesliga outfit, which has also led to interest from Newcastle United.
The teenager, who can represent both Germany and Turkey at international level – which seemingly makes the Ozil comparison easier to make – has just one year left on his contract and is yet to commit to a new deal.
The Verdict:
West Ham have had a knack of picking up some talented youngsters over the past few years and Eyibil could just be one of the latest to join them at the London Stadium.
The 17-year-old, who can play as an attacking midfielder or out in a wide position, is believed to be rated as one of Germany’s brightest prospects and is already thought to be close to earning a place in the country’s senior National Team.
And, with a manager like Pellegrini, there is no doubt that the teenager could develop further and truly show why he has been dubbed as the ‘New Mesut Ozil’.
Although he would be unlikely to play in the first-team straight away, he would be able to bring the added creativity the club have been lacking from the central midfield areas at times this season, whilst his eye for goal would surely be something West Ham would look to take advantage of in the future.
With the player having just one year left on his present contract, Mainz could be prepared to allow him to leave for a cut-price fee and if he turns out to be anything like the Arsenal man he has been compared to, it could be a real bargain coup for the Hammers.
West Ham fans, what do you make of Eyibil? Do you think the club should look to sign him in the summer? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us.
Liverpool’s title hunt looks like going right down to the wire as both the Reds and rivals Manchester City won in midweek.
With Spurs falling away, it is now more than likely nothing more than a two horse race in the hunt for the Premier League’s biggest prize.
Both Liverpool and City have been outstanding with their form in the main, and both will be worthy winners come May when a new champion is crowned.
For Liverpool though, a title will meanmore than many other trophies they can compete for, and they’ll be hoping to continue their success for years to come if they do indeed wrap up that first Premier League title.
However, to ensure they do remain at the top of their game, we here in the Tavern feel it’s imperative they keep adding to the squad, and one man we feel would be a superb addition is AC Milan defender Alession Romagnoli.
The Italian centre half has become one of the most consistent defensive performers in Europe, and at just 24, arguably has his best years ahead of him.
Valued at some £50m by Transfermarkt, the classy central defender would be the perfect partner for the ever impressive Virgil Van Dijk as the Reds look to secure a successful future built from the back.
Romagnoli is a class act too. A player who is excellent on the ball as well as being dominant in the air and the tackle when needed, he really could be what a team like Liverpool could do with.
While Van Dijk is world class centre back in his own right, adding someone like Romagnoli can only further strengthen Liverpool’s future trophy hopes.
[ad_pod ]BBC Radio Solent journalist Adam Blackmore has reported via his official Twitter account that Ralph Hasenhuttl expects Southampton striker Danny Ings to be out of action until the clash against Tottenham Hotspur, meaning he will miss the club’s next three Premier League fixtures.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the 26-year-old has suffered from his fair share of injury issues over the last few years, and it has been no difference since he arrived at St Mary’s from Liverpool last summer.
He picked up his latest hamstring issue during the 1-1 draw against Burnley at Turf Moor at the start of the month, which saw him miss the 2-1 defeat at home to Cardiff City last time out.
Blackmore now reports that the Austrian manager believes he will be without the centre-forward until the clash against Spurs on March 9, meaning he will be sidelined against Arsenal this weekend, Fulham and Manchester United.
Bad news?
It certainly is.
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Southampton need their best players on the pitch in their battle against relegation, and it is a bitter blow that they won’t have Ings available over the course of the next couple of weeks – and especially in the monumental game with the Cottagers on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old is the south coast outfit’s top scorer in the Premier League this term with seven goals, and his absence could potentially move them a step closer to the Championship with Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse the only other players looking like scoring on a semi-regular basis right now.