It has been quite the breakthrough season for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The 19-year-old will jet off to this summer’s World Cup with England after more than likely starting the Champions League final for Liverpool against Real Madrid, where he will be detailed with stopping Cristiano Ronaldo among others.
His progress has been staggering and he is well worth his Three Lions call-up but teenager has been exposed slightly intermittently throughout the season, notably against Marcus Rashford and Wilfried Zaha on the Reds’ trips to Manchester United and Crystal Palace respectively.
That’s why we asked you whether Jurgen Klopp should bring Nathaniel Clyne in from the cold for his added experience against the Spanish giants in Kiev, but the response has been resounding in support of Alexander-Arnold.
In this instance, going for the older man in Clyne would be the risk as 79 per cent of Reds supporters want to see the lad who is one of their own take to the field from the off as Liverpool go in pursuit of their sixth Champions League win.
Check out the full results of the poll below…
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Arsenal vs Liverpool rarely disappoints in terms of entertainment. Their 51 Premier League meetings to date have produced an impressive 141 goals, and we’ve seen just five scoreless draws during that time. With Arsene Wenger and Jurgen Klopp at the respective helms too, their meeting at the Emirates Stadium on Friday night looks set to continue that tradition as both managers prioritise offensive flair over defensive organisation.
But if there’s one lingering concern, it’s how the match may not be decided by a moment of quality befitting of such an iconic fixture – rather, refereeing decisions. In some instances, that’s largely inevitable; the margins are so fine in the Premier League and the officials are often forced into making calls that inevitably have a significant impact on the scoreline. The real frustration comes though, when a referee is simply being too proactive in laying down the letter of the law.
Aged 46, Martin Atkinson is amongst the most experienced referees in the Premier League, now amid his 13th season in the top flight, and clearly knows when the whistle is needed and when he should allow the game to flow. Tellingly, he ranks lowly for both yellow cards and penalties per match so far this season – hinting he won’t make one huge decision that decides Friday’s contest.
But there’s one refereeing return from this term that particularly stands out – he’s issued the seventh-most fouls per match of the 18 referees to work in the English top flight throughout 2017/18. The statistics suggest that benefits Liverpool far more than it does Arsenal; despite their reputation of being a bit of a soft touch, the north Londoners have actually committed the joint-fifth most fouls of any Premier League side this season, whereas Klopp’s boys rank a lowly 15th and even average 0.4 fouls per match less away from home.
Accordingly, while Arsenal may find themselves suffering Atkinson’s whistle-happy wrath, Liverpool’s cleaner game could give them a distinct advantage. And the danger to Arsenal only becomes more obvious when considering the potency Liverpool boast from dead ball situations through Philippe Coutinho, unquestionably one of the best free kick takers in the business at the moment. If Arsenal give away too many fouls in dangerous areas, the Brazilian will eventually punish them.
On top of that, in another bad omen for Arsenal fans, 50% of the matches Atkinson has officiated this season have ended in away wins.
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One of the few saving graces for Arsenal in this absolute mess of a transfer window/preseason is that Olivier Giroud is scoring for fun, albeit against inferior opposition. The Frenchman looks sharp, lively and well past that “period of acclimatisation” to English football. It’s still early doors, but it is a somewhat uplifting fallback for the club and its supporters.
The problem is it would be very Arsenal to look to the short term and the tunnel vision of having a fit and firing striker in Giroud. Arsene Wenger has a knack for falling in love with his players all over again and neglecting the obvious need for strengthening. Giroud, as good as he has been and could be this season, is not the primary answer for the question of challenging for the Premier League title. Money still absolutely needs to be spent.
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Here’s an interesting statistic: Olivier Giroud arrived in England from France at the age of 25 and scored 17 in all competitions. Didier Drogba transferred from Marseille to Chelsea at the age of 26 and scored one less in his debut season. Now I’m not going to fully suggest that Giroud is on the path to replicating the form of Drogba in English football, but I also don’t want to dismiss the possibility. The size, potential power and scoring prowess is very similar between both players. Giroud, after all, is only 26 and can still do great things in the Premier League for Arsenal. His shooting accuracy came into question last season as he wasted many good opportunities over the course of the campaign. But let’s not forget that Luis Suarez also had a similarly frustrating time in front of goal two seasons ago.
But as I wrote earlier in the summer, I don’t believe Arsenal need to spend big on a striker, though a good player is still a must; the club need to do better than, say, Bafe Gomis. Let’s not totally put it past Wenger to pull something out of the hat. The Eduardo signing happened with absolutely no media coverage or sparks of obvious interest. The player clearly caught Wenger’s eye the prior season when Arsenal met Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League qualifier, and also impressed against England. Had it not been for that injury, the £7.5 million investment could have turned out to be a phenomenal piece of business. And as Wenger said last week, the club are looking for “quality,” and obviously that isn’t always represented accurately in the price of the transfer.
The hope among Arsenal supporters is that Giroud follows in the footsteps of his close friend Laurent Koscielny, making the switch from Ligue 1 to the Premier League and carving out a reputation as one of the league’s finest in his position. It’s not beyond the forward. He’s an international who has a league title under his belt; there is something impressive about lowly Montpellier forcing one final uprising against the spending power of France’s dominant forces.
For now though, the club simply can’t rest on what they have. Doesn’t competition force an upturn in performances as well as morale? There’s no doubt that Gonzalo Higuain could have been an incredible boon for the club, but efforts have to be focused elsewhere, especially with the latest reports of Suarez looking to remain at Liverpool “for now.”
Big money doesn’t have to be spent, and even though the club have backed themselves into a corner by suggesting that big fees and big wages can be spent this summer, a striker with a reputation and a history of scoring is of greater priority than the fee his club commands.
Will Giroud’s form this pre-season save Arsenal millions in the transfer market?
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Fulham have announced the signing of Giorgios Karagounis on a one-year deal.
The Greek veteran midfielder has spent most of his career with Panathinaikos, but has also played for Benfica and Inter Milan, whilst internationally he has represented his nation over 100 times.
Martin Jol is glad to have Karagounis in his contingent and feels the experienced man will add quality to his midfield.
“Giorgos Karagounis has a wealth of club and international experience and I’m happy that he’s joined us for this season,” he told the Cottagers’ official website.
“He’s been an influential player for his club sides and is a renowned player in world football as he’s about to become the most-capped player for Greece. He brings many certain qualities to our squad.”
Karagounis is excited by the chance to play in England and is looking forward to getting started with his new team.
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“I’m delighted to have signed for Fulham Football Club and I am excited by a new challenge in England and the Barclays Premier League,” he expressed.
“I’m looking forward to working under Martin Jol and playing alongside some fantastic players at this club.”
As reported by The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur are one of the teams interested in signing Norwich City midfielder James Maddison this summer.
What’s the story?
Spurs will need a strong transfer window if they’re to continue progressing under Mauricio Pochettino and possibly challenge for the Premier League title next season.
While signing established talent should be a big priority, it’s also important for the club to secure the future of younger players who have yet to make their mark at the elite level.
One such player is James Maddison.
The Sun report that Tottenham are one of six Premier League sides chasing his signature this summer after a recent injury proved to be less severe than first feared.
The paper say he could cost as much as £25m.
Should Tottenham go all out to sign him?
It’s difficult enough to step up from the Championship to the Premier League, never mind moving to that next level at one of the division’s top six sides, so wherever Maddison ends up, he’ll have plenty of learning to do.
His season in the second-tier has been absolutely stunning, so he has as much chance as any young midfielder in the country to perform consistently for a side like Spurs.
With 15 goals and eight assists, he’s show he can contribute massively over the course of a long league seasons and appears ready to play against a higher standard of opposition.
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Can Tottenham offer him the first team football he needs? There’s a good chance given Pochettino’s faith in youth English talent previously and ending up at Spurs could well be the best thing for the player’s development in comparison to a side like Man City.
Arsenal’s pre-season has been almost ideal, with the Gunners seemingly having no cobwebs to shake off and swiping aside all comers ahead of the new campaign.
With the Asia Trophy and Emirates Cup accolades in the bag ahead of last weekend’s Community Shield, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s first-half strike ensured momentum is firmly with the Gunners ahead of the resumption of competitive action.
Although bragging rights against a London neighbour and the winning of a piece of silverware are both key benefits to the 1-0 victory, the removal of a supposed hex between the clubs could well be the most important thing.
Ahead of the meeting at Wembley, Jose Mourinho possessed an imposing personal track record against equivalent Arsene Wenger, with the French manager never having beating the Portuguese during their mutual time as Premier League chiefs.
With the ill-feeling between the pair and Mourinho’s constant desire to stoke the flames with inflammatory comments in the press, Wenger will surely have longed for the victory that little bit more and the win would have tasted just that little bit sweeter.
In the aftermath of the game, the press have once more touted the Gunners as worthy title challengers, with the North London outfit hitting their stride at the right time and seemingly set to be a force to be reckoned with in 2015-16.
Regardless of this, most of the Emirates Stadium faithful will take the praise and heightened expectations with a pinch of salt – they, and Arsenal, have been here before.
Since the memorable Invincibles team of 2003-04, Wenger and the Gunners have been close to retaining the Premier League title but for one reason or another have ben pipped at the post by a competitor.
Even last season, when the North Londoners were unplayable in prolonged periods of the campaign, a lack of consistency and the inability to grind out results when it really mattered cost them the crown.
There is no doubting that Arsenal’s track record against English football’s biggest teams has improved over the last 12 months, with memories of the heavy defeats against Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool from the season prior starting to fade.
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Beating the Blues and their outspoken leader Mourinho is certainly the next step in Arsenal’s evolution from nearly-men to champions but there is still a lot to prove for the Gunners.
Talk of Arsenal’s title credentials being increased is natural, the return of Alexis Sanchez will make the team stronger and on their day they arguably play the best football in the English game.
However, despite Mourinho no longer having a hex over him after the weekend’s result, Arsene Wenger will know that Chelsea are still the team to beat if Arsenal are to become 2015-16 champions.
I’m absolutely certain I’m missing something here: strive all season to land a top four place; talk up the importance of the Champions League and all its benefits; target Ashley Williams from Swansea as one of your prime summer signings.
Arsenal will probably suggest that there is method to the madness, but I can’t see it. I can’t see the sense in swapping out a very good defender in Thomas Vermaelen – a full international, a player with plenty of experience in the Champions League and one who is in the prime of his career – for Ashley Williams. Some may want to argue that Vermaelen is not a “very good defender,” but I simply won’t listen. I’ve mentioned it many times in the past and will continue to do so here: it just equates to short-term memory in football fans.
It’s a matter of progress. Sure, Williams looked good in the Swansea team. Hey, Wigan have a whole squad-worth of players who are FA Cup winners, why don’t Arsenal go ahead and pick a few of them up, too? Again, I’m probably missing the point here.
Doesn’t football have a lot to do with image and the one you create for yourself and then in turn how the rest of the football world looks at you? What I’m taking from this is that Arsenal are once again preparing to sell their captain and key player – because Vermaelen can still be a key player in a season consisting of 50-plus games – and then bringing in a player with two years’ worth of experience in the Premier League, not to mention the complete lack of evidence as to whether he’s capable of the step up to a Champions League team and one with aspirations of league titles.
The other side of the argument is that this could be an ideal signing for Arsenal provided other elements of this summer fall into place. This isn’t solely to campaign that Vermaelen should remain at Arsenal – although I do think he should – but rather one that highlights the regressive nature of possibly swapping one for the other. If Williams comes in as the team’s fourth choice centre-back and offers backup alongside Vermaelen, then it can be chalked up as a good summer signing.
I also don’t want to hear the absolute absurdity of an argument that suggests Williams will become anxious, unsettled or complacent without regular first-team football. What makes him better than Laurent Koscielny or Per Mertesacker? The League Cup is a no-go in that debate. The truth is he isn’t better. If there were problems with either of the first-choice pairing at Arsenal, you’d hope the club would have some sense to target someone other than the Swansea centre-back. But he can be a good squad member, relieving others when injuries or fixtures pile up – and it will happen. Barcelona, and Arsenal in previous years, are good examples of the need for depth. Williams can serve a purpose, yet only as an addition and not a replacement.
Furthermore, I wouldn’t want to insinuate that Williams is a poor signing because he doesn’t have that big-name-player tag. That really shouldn’t matter on the whole. Yes, this summer does need to be one that appeases the fans and marks a transition from one era into another, but it can still be a notable summer with low-profile names coming in. The biggest point to take from any of this is whether the signings are good enough. How do they match up when compared with teams who should be on equal footing around Europe? Are they going to take the club to the next level?
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There will be a better understanding of this potential signing come September, as well as his status in the squad. The concern, however, is that Arsenal are moving backwards instead of forwards, or sideways at best. Last summer and the year before and so on, it was about the club replacing rather than supplementing. You can see where ‘squad’ players can come in and offer more than what’s currently available in the team, but based on what can be made from stories heading into this summer, the signing of Ashley Williams could be another move that offers little to the club in the bigger picture.
Juventus are already eyeing up January reinforcements and have identified Manchester United’s Nani and Arsenal’s Theo Walcott as possible transfer targets according to Mirror Football.
The Serie A champions were busy in the off-season in strengthening their squad but it is believed that the Bianconeri will dip into the market at the start of 2013 also.
United attacker Nani was rumoured to be on his way out of Old Trafford this summer after contract negotiations were not positive, and Zenit St Petersburg were close to agreeing a deal to bring the Portugal international to Russia.
Meanwhile, Walcott is in the last year of his contract at Arsenal and has spurned a new five-year deal from the Emirates Stadium club.
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The England international will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club in January, and Arsene Wenger may be tempted to sell the star should it becomes clear that he will not prolong his stay in north London.
According to ESPN FC, Javier Hernandez is preparing to leave West Ham United at the end of the season following a disappointing 2017-18 campaign.
What’s the story?
West Ham beat a number of clubs to Hernandez’s signature last summer, with the Mexican moving to the London Stadium off the back of scoring 39 times in two seasons at Bayer Leverkusen.
The striker managed 37 Premier League goals during his time at Manchester United, and it would be fair to say that the West Ham fans were excited about his arrival.
Hernandez has found it difficult to hold down a regular spot this term, however, and according to ESPN FC, he will seek a move away from the club in this summer’s transfer window.
There will certainly not be a shortage of interest in the former Real Madrid striker, who has a record of 49 goals in 100 appearances for the Mexico national team.
Should West Ham fight to keep him?
Hernandez has actually scored eight times in 28 Premier League appearances for West Ham this season, which is far from a disastrous record. When considering that the forward has struggled for starts, his total of goals is not too bad at all.
The West Ham fans would not have been pleased to see the 29-year-old walking around the pitch, however, when he came off the bench against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.
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There is no question that Hernandez, who is valued at £16.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk, is an excellent goalscorer, but his face just does not seem to fit at West Ham, which is a surprise when considering how popular he was at United.
Hernandez actively looked to leave the Hammers in January before ultimately remaining at the club, but it would be best for both parties if they were to part ways at the end of the season.
With Robin van Persie slowly succumbing to age and Radamel Falcao looking like anything but a £55million striker this season, Manchester United’s strike-force is expected to undergo a bit of a reshuffle this summer.
Indeed, RVP has been linked with a move to Premier League retirement home Serie A, where running is widely discouraged, and the Red Devils are unlikely to make Falcao’s loan move permanent, having netted just four times for his adoptive club across all competitions.
Unfortunately, however, United’s priority pick to fill the void, Edinson Cavani, appears to be on the verge of agreeing a summer move to Juventus – as The Daily Mail revealed last week – and currently, world-class centre-forwards of the Uruguay international’s mould aren’t in copious supply.
But fear not Red Devils fans, for Football Fancast is here to help. Using our god-given powers of transfer know-how, we’ve come up with FIVE potential alternatives to the Juve-bound PSG star.
Can one of these strikers prove equally effective at Old Trafford?
CHRISTIAN BENTEKE
Just when Christian Benteke appeared on the verge of plunging into the realms of mediocrity, he’s re-emerged as one of the most formidable target men the Premier League has to offer.
Indeed, the Belgium international has been on fire since Tim Sherwood took Aston Villa’s managerial reins from Paul Lambert in February, bagging eleven goals in his last ten appearances in all competitions to bring his Villains total to 48 goals in 97 appearances.
Powerful, tall, aggressive and blessed with an imperious leap, the 23-year-old would be perfect for the direct style of football Louis van Gaal has tried to implement at Old Trafford.
Sherwood has admitted Benteke could force a move away from Villa Park this summer, leading the tabloids to value him at around £30million.
But if there’s one criticism of Benteke, it’s that he’s not a natural suitor to the stylish, technically demanding football United fans crave. Him and Marouane Fellaini in the same team might be deemed a tad too attritional.
Carlos Bacca
Perhaps not a first-class centre-forward but certainly a first-rate second-class centre-forward, Sevilla star Carlos Bacca will be available for just £21.3million this summer through a release clause.
And although the Colombian international isn’t considered to be in the same company as Luis Suarez or Robert Lewandowski, he’s been in absolutely lethal form for the Spanish outfit over the last two campaigns, netting 46 goals in 104 appearances.
That fired Sevilla to last term’s Europa League title, whilst this season they’re just three points shy of qualifying for the Champions League in La Liga.
Speedy, direct, stocky in frame and unorthodox in style, the 28 year-old seems like a good fit for the Premier League. He could certainly keep the Red Devils ticking over for a season or two, but probably isn’t a long-term option.
Harry Kane
We’ve only seen a single season’s worth of superlative football from Harry Kane but what a season it has been.
The 21 year-old has emerged from the peripheries of Tottenham’s squad to become the Premier League’s top-scoring Englishman – his 20-goal haul only surpassed throughout the division by Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero.
But more than simply his goals, it’s Kane’s infectious enthusiasm and all-round contribution that truly stands out. He’s got a bit of everything about him; power and pace, hold-up play, cute little link-ups with Christian Eriksen, imperious ability in the air and perhaps most impressively of all, an absolutely phenomenal work-rate.
If Louis van Gaal wants to sign a United striker for the next decade, then Kane seems as wise a gamble as any. But the chances of Spurs cashing in this summer, for anything less than an astronomical fee, are rather unlikely.
Gonzalo Higuain
Louis van Gaal likes his ‘multi-purpose’ footballers and Gonzalo Higuain certainly falls into that category.
The 27 year-old’s predominant strength remains goalscoring, boasting a career return of 212 goals in 447 appearances throughout his prolific spells with River Plate, Real Madrid, Napoli and the Argentina national team.
But he’s also a smart link-up player who has often featured out wide for his respective clubs, perhaps epitomised best by his impressive haul of eleven assists for Albiceleste and 15 during his last two Serie A campaigns.
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The former Los Blancos forward looks set to leave the Naples outfit this summer following their failure to qualify for the Champions League and The Metro believe he could be available for around £29million.
That’s a fair price for such a proven and versatile centre-forward, but Arsenal and Liverpool are considered his likeliest suitors.
KARIM BENZEMA
Should rumours of Real Madrid’s intentions to sell Karim Benzema prove true, as claimed by The Express, Manchester United should be biting their hand off.
The France international is one of the best front-men Europe has to offer and he’s almost purpose built for Premier League football, blessed with fantastic height, power, strength and aggression – which is why Sir Alex Ferguson tried to bring him to Old Trafford back in summer 2009.
Furthermore and perhaps most importantly, after spending the last six years in Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow, the 27 year-old still has a point to prove if he’s to be remembered as one of his generation’s greatest strikers.
His rumoured £40million price-tag, for a player in his peak years with four terms remaining on his current contract, represents fantastic value for money.
He’d be my first choice of Cavani alternative – but admittedly, any transfer rumour involving Real Madrid always comes with an element of serious doubt.