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In the end, Arsenal got the job done, but it wasn’t anywhere near plain sailing for Mikel Arteta’s side on Thursday night.

With the whole Mesut Ozil saga dominating the pre-match headlines, it would have been no surprise to see the Gunners go into the Europa League clash against Rapid Vienna with their attentions elsewhere.

And so it proved to be. A howler from Bernd Leno – who looked nervy all game with his distribution – saw the Austrian side take the lead, before goals from David Luiz and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got their European journey off to a winning start.

But whilst Leno may be the man to come in for some criticism after gifting a goal to the opposition with a poor pass from inside the penalty area, it’s Sead Kolasinac who boss Arteta should really be ruthless with.

The Bosnian looked all set to leave the Emirates in the summer transfer window, but a deal to join Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen collapsed in the final few days, with the left-back ending up staying.

On the basis of Thursday night’s performance, the Gunners really should have done everything to have gotten him out the door at the Emirates.

Playing once again on the left-hand side of a back-three, Kolasinac was tasked with dovetailing with Bukayo Saka, but was often caught in no-man’s land between giving him support and staying further back for protection.

More often than not, the duo just got in each other’s way, and it was so revealing that when Hector Bellerin came on in the second-half, most of Arsenal’s attacks came down the right-hand side – the winning goal of course coming via some neat build-up play involving the Spaniard.

As per Sofascore, Kolasinac lost possession 16 times over the course of the game, whilst he made just one interception and no tackles whatsoever.

Whenever he had the ball at his feet, the Bosnian looked uncomfortable, and often took too many touches to either play it down the line or come back inside with it.

When January comes around, Arteta and Arsenal must show the door to him.

According to ESPN, Leicester striker Islam Slimani has been offered to Tottenham this summer.

What’s the word?

One of the big talking points during the January transfer window earlier this year, was how Spurs could provide Harry Kane with some much-needed back-up.

The England international’s injury exposed the lack of depth in the striking department, and there were talks of the club bringing in Olivier Giroud. That deal failed to materialise, but according to ESPN, the club are still keen on bringing in a new centre-forward.

Can you name every one of Spurs’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…



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They claim that Foxes ace Slimani, who has been on loan at AS Monaco, has been offered to Jose Mourinho’s side, whilst former Spurs man Fernando Llorente is also considered an option.

Steer clear

Whilst Slimani enjoyed a relatively decent season with Monaco – he bagged nine goals in 19 games across all competitions – his time in England with both Leicester and Newcastle suggest that he simply isn’t the man to provide competition for Kane.

In 39 games in the Premier League, he managed to find the back of the net just eight times, meaning that he scored one goal every 4.8 games. Compare that to ex-Spurs ace Roman Pavlyuchenko, who netted 21 times in 78 games in the competition – an average of one every 3.7.

Plain and simple, Slimani was a major flop in the Premier League, and at the age of 32, it’s difficult to see how he gets any better. And with him also reportedly earning around £80k-per-week as per his contract with Leicester, that’s the kind of number Spurs could desperately do without in these testing times.

In our Transfers that shook the club feature, Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at deals that had many may not have seen coming and the impact that they had during their time by using statistical data and pundit remarks.

August 2020 marks the 23-year anniversary of when Sheffield Wednesday made one of their most high profile signings in their history. Indeed, back in the eighth month of 1997, the Owls broke their transfer record to bring Italian superstar Paolo Di Canio to Hillsborough for a fee of £4 million (Sheffield Star).

Joining from Scottish giants Celtic, the Rome-born forward was already a huge name in the game having racked up over 300 appearances for some if the biggest clubs in Italian football including AC Milan, Juventus and Napoli.

However, on top of that he was also something of a controversial figure. Indeed, during his time in Glasgow he had been involved in an ill-tempered match against fierce rivals Rangers where he had behaved aggressively towards a rival player and made gestures towards the opposition bench. He received a yellow card in the match and was also given a retrospective one as well by the referee having being called into his office post-match (The Scotsman).

At the end of the 96/97 campaign, Di Canio demanded a wage rise from Celtic and when they rejected this, he refused to join up with the squad for their pre-season tour of the Netherlands and was ultimately sold to Wednesday who were a top flight outfit at the time.

It is fair to say that he put the controversy north of the border behind him as he set Hillsborough alight in his first full campaign with the South Yorkshire outfit. In 35 Premier League appearances he managed to net 12 goals and provided two assists, earning him great favour with the Owls faithful. On top of that, he had also formed a magnificent partnership with his compatriot Benito Carbone.

He picked up where he left off in the 98/99 season and started like a house on fire, netting three goals in five appearances as the season got underway.

However, his fiery temperament then caught up with him and he once again became embroiled in controversy when the Owls took on Arsenal at Hillsborough in September 1998. In this game, the Italian infamously pushed referee Paul Alcock which led to an 11-match ban and £10,000 fine being handed to him.

That ended up being Di Canio’s last ever appearance for Sheffield Wednesday, meaning he finished with 15 league goals in 41 appearances. After his ban he was sold to West Ham United for £1.5m, meaning the Owls actually ended up making a loss on the player despite his excellent form prior to that fateful game against the Gunners.

He may have only been in Sheffield for one-and-a-half seasons, but it was certainly a memorable period for Wednesday fans. They saw both the good and the bad of a player who, whilst flawed, has often been described as one of the most talented players to ever pull on the famous blue and white stripes.

Owls fans, what are your memories of Paolo Di Canio at Hillsborough? Let us know in the comments below…

Tottenham fans were left concerned with Harry Kane after his performance in their 1-1 draw against Manchester United on Friday.

Kane, who was making his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury against Southampton on New Year’s Day, which forced him to miss almost three months of action, looked out of sorts against the Red Devils – with his 36 touches the fewest of any outfield player that played the full 90 minutes.

The England skipper understandably looked short of fitness given so long without competitive football and could only muster up one registered shot during the match, and that was a disappointing strike from a long-range free-kick that was easily blocked.

Kane has been Tottenham’s talisman for a number of seasons now and despite missing a large chunk of the campaign, is still the club’s top goalscorer with 17 goals, but will have to improve dramatically if he wants to add to that tally against West Ham on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old remains highly popular amongst the Spurs faithful, but they were far from happy with his showing against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.

Many took to Twitter to express their frustration towards Kane and you can see the best below…

And even this Man United fan wasn’t impressed with Kane’s performance…

Manchester United have finally moved one step closer to offloading Alexis Sanchez as Inter Milan are set to sign the Red Devils flop. 

United are ready to get rid of Sanchez as his transfer has turned out to be underwhelming. Ed Woodward has made some major mistakes over the years but signing Sanchez has to be near the top of the list.

The club had high hopes for the Chilean after they beat Manchester City to his signature but those feelings quickly dissipated after he arrived at Old Trafford from Arsenal in 2018.

Sanchez, who turns 32 in December, has only found the back of the net five times in 45 appearances for the Red Devils. His performances have struggled to justify his colossal wages which are reportedly worth £400,000-a-week.

Although he has struggled with multiple injuries and a slump in form, that doesn’t hide the fact he has failed to live up to expectations so far.

According to Goal, Inter boss Antonio Conte is considering making his loan move permanent as they are considering a €20m (£18m) cut-price deal.

Sanchez starred as the Nerazzurri romped to a 6-0 win over Serie A strugglers Brescia at San Siro earlier this week. He scored and set up other goals as Conte’s side moved closer to a place in the Champions League.

However, United are prepared to cut their losses, as he has fallen out of favour with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

It is unlikely that Solskjaer will be particularly bothered, as the Norwegian has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal.

United fans, do you think the board should sell Alexis Sanchez in the summer? Let us know down below!

Having joined from Bolton back in January 2009, Kevin Nolan stayed put at St James’ Park despite Newcastle’s relegation from the Premier League.

The Englishman promptly became a key reason behind why the Magpies lifted the Championship trophy to earn promotion back to the top-flight, scoring an impressive 17 goals in the league during the 2009/2010 campaign.

If Nolan’s status as one of the club’s more prominent heroes in recent memory was still in doubt, then a stunning hat-trick in a 5-1 mauling of rivals Sunderland certainly made sure he is still remembered fondly.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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The former Bolton man was the epitome of a goal-scoring midfielder, chipping in with big goals in big games, and also leaving everything on the pitch.

Since his departure, the Magpies haven’t really had someone similar in terms of either quality or consistency. But with reports in recent days suggesting that Steve Bruce is targeting a swoop for Aston Villa ace John McGinn, the Tyneside club could finally find the heir to Nolan’s throne.

Before the ankle injury he picked up in late December, McGinn was a key performer for the Villans, scoring against the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal, and providing assists against Liverpool and Everton – the 25-year-old was the picture of consistency just like Nolan, playing the full 90 minutes in Dean Smith’s side’s first 17 Premier League games.

In an analysis of the midfielder’s style of play, Adrian Clarke claimed that he is a “throwback”, who “works hard, tackles, creates, runs with the ball and provides a goal threat”. It’s no surprise therefore that McGinn ranks amongst the top three for dribbles completed, fouls won, shots, chances created, tackles won and duels won at Villa this season.

And when news emerged of Newcastle’s interest in McGinn, former Leeds ace Noel Whelan suggested that he “would do very well there”, calling the midfielder “fantastic”.

Bringing in McGinn this summer – a man who also has an impressive record of seven goals in just 21 games for Scotland – could land the Magpies their Nolan successor. With claims that Newcastle are finally set to be released from their Mike Ashley shackles, Bruce could really kick-start a revolution on Tyneside with a move for the Villa man.

Everton are keeping tabs on Newcastle United midfielder Matty Longstaff, according to Football Insider.

What does the report say?

Carlo Ancelotti is looking to strengthen his Everton squad this summer and 20-year-old midfielder Longstaff appears to be an option.

Since his first-team debut earlier this season the youngster has made seven Premier League appearances, scoring twice.

According to Football Insider, his contract is due to expire this summer and talks over a new deal at St. James’ Park have stalled.

As a result, Everton are keeping a close eye on the talks along with a “legion” of clubs from around Europe.

Alongside his brother Sean, Matty has been impressive in midfield for the Magpies this season but has not yet been tied down to a long-term deal.

Risk free

Longstaff has impressed since his debut in 2019 and really announced himself with a goal at Old Trafford in December.

However, it looks as though the club have dropped the ball in the negotiations with him and with clubs circling, they are in danger of losing him.

With the current talks ongoing with regards to the club’s ownership there remains the chance that a deal is done, but if it does not transpire, the 20-year-old would represent a risk-free move for Everton, who will be getting a promising youngster for nothing.

Former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher has insisted that Mauricio Pochettino will be back in the Premier League “sooner rather than later”.On Tuesday night, it was announced that Tottenham Hotspur had sacked Pochettino as head coach with immediate effect.The Argentine had been in charge of the London club since 2014, and heÂleaves with a win record of just over 54% from 293 matches at the helm.Perhaps his finest achievement was leading Spurs to last season’s Champions League final, where they actually played well in a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.For now, Pochettino is without a job.However, Carragher has insisted that the “brilliant manager” will not be out of the English game for too long.That said, the pundit has also claimed that he felt a change was coming due to the fact that the “project” at the club “had run its course”.It will be fascinating to see Pochettino’s next move.Carragher’s reaction in the aftermath of the announcement can be seen below…

Tottenham Hotspur fans have been drooling over the latest news coming out of their camp during this time off as reports suggest manager Jose Mourinho is going to hand a popular figure more of an opportunity upon the Premier League’s return.

According to Football Insider, the Portuguese boss is planning on handing teenage midfielder Oliver Skipp a prominent role amongst the first-team setup – when, should and if domestic action gets back underway.

It’s claimed that the 19-year-old has made a major impression on Mourinho since he took the reins back in November and is now set to be a key member of the senior fold.

He has also been offered fresh terms with his current contract due to expire next summer.

Supporters in north London are besotted by this latest update, here’s how they have been reacting…

There were plenty of glowing endorsements for the young Englishman, including “bright talent” and the “best” to ever come through the academy, but none are as important as what Mourinho has lauded in the past, he said: “Phenomenal. Very, very good. Very, very good, solid performance” after their FA Cup exit to Norwich City earlier this month.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Spurs discussion going on in the Vital Tottenham Forum! Click here to get involved!

Many others on Tottenham Way believe Skipp is a far better option than Harry Winks, despite only featuring eight times this season compared to the 24-year-old’s 33 appearances.

One supporter went as far as suggesting that the younger midfielder was above Winks by a mile and another said he brings so much more to the team.

There were even huge comparisons made to former Lilywhites midfielder Scott Parker as many could draw similarities to the now-Fulham boss and Skipp.

While one member of the Spurs faithful could see the starlet being a solid defensive midfield option, one that could give Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele more freedom further afield.

It’s been reported that Mourinho is chasing a player who can fulfil such a role this summer, so might he have the cheapest and best option right under his nose?

There’s only one way to find out, and that’s through regular game time – with Spurs’ season effectively over, now is very much the perfect time to do so.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

AND in other news, would signing this Bundesliga star be a big Levy mistake or a perfect Eriksen replacement?

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

Southampton parted ways with a number of expensive flops back in the summer, albeit only temporarily.

£15m centre-back Wesley Hoedt was shipped off to Belgian side Royal Antwerp on a season-long loan.

£10m glovesman Fraser Forster returned to Celtic on a season-long loan too.

£18.1m midfielder Mario Lemina left to join Galatasaray on loan, while another man who cost £0.9m more that that re-joined La Liga side Leganes on a temporary deal – Guido Carrillo.

The striker – who Southampton signed from Monaco for a club-record £19m back in January 2018 – spent last season on loan at Leganes, where he scored six goals in 32 league appearances. A goal every 5.3 games, on average.

For some reason, the Spanish side decided to take the Argentine – who hasn’t scored a goal for the Saints in ten appearances – back on loan for the 2019/20 campaign, and Carrillo is proving just why we recently referred to him as one of the worst signings in Southampton’s recent history.

The 28-year-old is yet to score in seven appearances, with just a single assist to show for his efforts.

Additionally, the man who signed him for both Leganes and Southampton – former Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino – was sacked with the Spanish side sat bottom of La Liga. They have just one win from 11 games.

Carrillo didn’t even have a shot on target in his last outing against Mallorca, before spending the entire 90 minutes on the bench for the next game against Real Madrid as Leganes lost 5-0 – on the basis of the 6 foot 2 man’s season so far, it was probably the right decision to sideline him.

He really isn’t doing anything to catch Ralph Hasenhuttl’s attention, despite the Saints’ own goalscoring struggles back on the south coast – the former RB Leipzig boss’ side are the third-lowest scorers in the Premier League with nine goals in ten games.

Even so, Hasenhuttl would, presumably, much rather not have Carrillo on his hands right now.