Liverpool will be hoping the return of captain Steven Gerrard can inspire them to victory against Fulham on Wednesday.
Gerrard will come straight back into the Liverpool first team for Wednesday’s Premier League encounter at Anfield after serving a three-game suspension for his straight red card against Manchester United in the FA Cup.
The Reds enter the match against Mark Hughes’ side on a high after a resounding 3-0 win at Wolves on Saturday, which snapped a four-game winless run and moved them up to 11th on the Premier League table.
And manager Kenny Dalglish believes Gerrard’s return could inspire the Reds to another surge up the table.
“Your captain being available after missing three games will be a fantastic lift for everybody,” Dalglish said.
“We had a great result and performance at Molineux on Saturday and we’ve got a very difficult game coming up against Fulham on Wednesday, so for us to have Steven back on the back of the performance and result we got at the weekend is a great boost for everybody.”
Liverpool’s form this season has been patchy at best, with encouraging wins too often followed by disappointing losses against lower-ranked sides.
A leaky defence will be a major concern for Dalglish, with Liverpool keeping just seven clean sheets in 23 league matches this season.
On the other hand, they come up against one of the worst attacks in the Premier League on Wednesday, with only four sides having scored less goals than Mark Hughes’ men this season.
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With Bobby Zamora out with a broken leg, much of the goal-scoring responsibility has fallen to American midfielder Clint Dempsey, who has eight goals for the season, including a double in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Stoke.
Worryingly for Hughes, none of his recognised strikers have scored more than two goals for the campaign.
Wednesday’s match will be the first time the two sides have met this season, with the corresponding fixture lat year ending in a 0-0 draw.
Liverpool are planning to offer Loris Karius a new contract, according to The Sun.
What’s the word?
It was not that long ago when the 24-year-old was deemed surplus to requirements as he struggled for game time.
However, since the turn of the year, Karius has been Jurgen Klopp’s number one and Simon Mignolet has dropped down the pecking order.
As a reward for his performances in between the sticks, Liverpool intend to offer him fresh terms and a pay rise on his £50,000-a-week contract, according to The Sun.
Since becoming first choice, Karius, whose current deal expires in 2021, has kept nine clean sheets in 17 matches in all competitions, and he has been in between the sticks for every Champions League game en route to the semi-finals.
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The Sun reports that the manager is still keeping an eye out for a new goalkeeper this summer and is interested in Stoke City’s Jack Butland and Roma stopper Alisson.
Will Karius be demoted next season?
There is no denying that the German has improved due to a run of games as number one, but if a top-class goalkeeper becomes available in the summer, then he will be second string.
Liverpool have proven this season that they are capable of being a force to be reckoned with due to their attacking qualities.
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Mohamed Salah, who according to our poll is expected to clinch the Premier League Golden Boot, has been in stellar form this season with 40 goals in all competitions.
Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane have also been key to a number of Liverpool victories, while the defence has tightened up due to the January arrival of Virgil van Dijk.
Even though Karius is in decent form, a proven goalkeeper could be the difference between the Reds fighting for top four or challenging for titles next season.
As Millwall approach their biggest match of the season and perhaps since promotion back to the Championship in 2010, the general feeling amongst the fans is that manager Ian Holloway might be approaching the end of his time at the club. Millwall are currently 22nd, three points behind Rotherham and the two teams meet at the New York Stadium on Saturday, in a match that could go a long way in determining both club’s immediate futures.
A defeat for Millwall would be disastrous and a six-point gap could prove too steep a gap to overturn. It could also cost Holloway his job as fans were becoming increasingly frustrated with their boss after the disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, midweek.
With no home win in their last ten at the Den – the last coming in a 1-0 win over Cardiff in October – and Holloway seemingly unable to get the best out of his players, the Millwall boss has struggled since taking over in January 2014. The Lions managed to stay up last season by four points but he hasn’t been able to kick-start their Championship stay which other than their first season back, has been quite a struggle. Holloway has led his side to just 14 wins in 59 matches at a win percentage of under 24, where the club’s home form has been a real cause for concern.
Holloway is a manager who has a great track record in this league, since first arriving after leading QPR to promotion in 2004. After successful spells at QPR and Plymouth, Holloway joined Leicester where he was in charge when the Foxes were relegated to League One for the first time in the clubs history. Despite this, he took charge of Blackpool in 2009 and led them to an incredible promotion campaign in his first year as boss.
He couldn’t stop Blackpool from relegation in their first season in the Premier League, but won over a lot of people due to their gutsy performances throughout the campaign. After a heartbreaking play-off final defeat to Cardiff in 2012, Holloway left to join Crystal Palace where once again he led a side to the promised land and at the first time of asking. He decided to leave in October 2013 but since taking over at the Den, things haven’t quite gone as planned and he hasn’t been able to take them to the next level.
Whilst Millwall aren’t necessarily going to be a club that will challenge for promotion every season, they have shown they belong at this level. The team are usually hard to beat at home but under Holloway have an extremely poor record at the Den, which has left many fans calling for the manager’s head.
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Holloway has led two teams to promotion to the Premier League but has been in this situation before where he couldn’t save Leicester from relegation. A manager who has achieved great success in the Football League, his time at Millwall clearly hasn’t worked out and it might be the time for both parties to go their separate ways. The Rotherham clash on Saturday is one in which the whole season rests on and could potentially be Ian Holloway’s last in his feckless reign as Millwall manager.
Ex Arsenal winger Marc Overmars believes that if the Gunners fail to beat rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, their season will be over.
Arsenal will fall seven points behind their neighbours with defeat at White Hart Lane and could be five points adrift of the Champions League places if Chelsea also pick up three points today.
The Gunners also have a tough task to overturn Bayern Munich’s 3-1 advantage when they travel to Germany in their last 16 second leg of the Champions League later this month leaving Arsene Wenger another season without a trophy.
A home defeat to Blackburn in the FA Cup was a large number of Arsenal fans’ final straw with Wenger who is now as unpopular as ever in the red side of North London.
Overmars won a number of medals in his time at Highbury under Wenger and the Dutchman believes the Arsenal fans must stick with the manager and the board.
“Sunday is crucial for them,” Overmars told talkSPORT.
“At this moment in the Premier League, it is very difficult for Arsenal. They have to win the match. If they don’t, the season is over.”
“They have to keep faith in Mr Wenger and the board.”
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“The problem is football has changed a lot in the last ten years. With all clubs having private investors or owners, it makes it more difficult.”
Kevin Mirallas’ loan spell with Olympiakos has gone from bad to worse, and it doesn’t seem like Everton fans are going to welcome the Belgian back with open arms.
Olympiakos president Evangelos Marinakis has fined his side €400,000 and ordered them to go on holiday, after they drew 1-1 with Levandiakos.
Mirallas played 86 minutes in the draw, and the 30 year-old has not exactly found his best form since the loan move to Greece.
The Belgian winger has yet to find the net since his return to the club Everton signed him from back in 2012, and the Greek champions are reportedly not interested in taking him on a permanent deal this summer.
There hasn’t been much to cheer about at Goodison Park this season, as many of last summer’s big money signings have had troubles with form, fitness and injuries. Still, we don’t think there will be too many fans queuing up to bring Mirallas back.
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The 30 year-old scored 29 league goals in 151 appearances for Everton, but fans grew tired of his inconsistency.
Some of the best Twitter reactions to Mirallas’ awful loan spell can be found below…
It’s getting to that time of year when leaked images of next season’s shirts start doing the rounds on social media.
Earlier on we covered Man United’s latest leaked shirt, made by adidas, which is truly awful. But have Liverpool outdone their rivals already with their leaked kits for next season?
It had been revealed their Liverpool’s current kit manufacturer Warrior is being ‘wound up’ by parent company New Balance, which means the Reds will have to done the New Balance logo on their shirts from next season until the contract expires.
That news was revealed quite some time ago, although it seemed to have slipped the radar, presumably because Liverpool fans weren’t particularly prepared to shout from the rooftops about it. And it’s no wonder of the below images are the real deal.
The below images are apparently going to be Liverpool’s kits as of next season and, as expected, Liverpool fans are absolutely fuming about it…
Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes is the target of a number of European clubs, and could leave White Hart Lane this month, according to reports from Sky Sports.
The Brazilian has been limited to a handful of Capital One Cup matches this term, after falling down the pecking order under manager Andre Villas-Boas
This has led to reports that he could be sold, with Italian giants AC Milan believed to be interested.
As well as the San Siro club, there are multiple interested parties from Holland, where the stopper played before moving to London.
Gomes has reportedly declared his willingness to leave this month as he looks to get his career back on track.
It is thought that Spurs would be willing to allow the 31-year-old to move on, with Hugo Lloris and Brad Friedel firmly established as first and second choices.
AC Milan are thought to see the shot-stopper as an ideal recruit as they look to rebuild after selling a number of top players in recent times.
They are reportedly keen on Newcastle’s Tim Krul, but Gomes would certainly be a more cost-effective option.
The former PSV Eindhoven man arrived in North London during 2008, establishing himself as a favourite of the club’s supporters.
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However, a series of shaky displays saw him lose his place in the starting XI in recent times.
Everton fans are fed up with the links to Manchester United “rejects” after Chris Smalling became the latest centre back linked to the Toffees.
If every transfer rumour came true, Everton would be able to field a team of centre backs next season, as just about every central defender in England has been named as a target for the Toffees in the last few weeks.
There’s no smoke without fire though, and Sam Allardyce is certainly on the lookout for reinforcements in the heart of defence.
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Michael Keane has shown promise at times but has been largely underwhelming, Ashley Williams has completely lost the fans, and Phil Jagielka will be 36 by the start of next season.
Fans have been discussing the links to several players this morning, after the Mirror claimed both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are targets for Everton.
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Jones has once again had an injury hit season, and Smalling hasn’t exactly impressed at Old Trafford either. Reports suggest Jose Mourinho will look to move both players on this summer, but Everton fans are having none of it.
Plenty of fans have suggested Leicester’s Harry Maguire, while many others are just praying it’s not another United reject. Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
The fixtures are starting to come thick and fast in the Premier League as we edge ever closer to the Christmas schedule; a much maligned period of the season for players and managers championing the benefits of a winter break, yet wholeheartedly embraced by fans who are able to enjoy a flurry of football before the year comes to a close. This list does not include Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who is somewhat of an anglophile when it comes to such traditions.
As well as a full round of fixtures this weekend, all 20 teams are also in action in midweek, giving us plenty to look forward to; focusing on Saturday and Sunday’s matches, here are FIVE things in particular you should watch out for:
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1. Southampton’s top four credentials put to the test
August 19th 2012, and Southampton faced Manchester City at the Etihad in their first game back in the Premier League since gaining promotion from the Championship. Although City went into the game as champions – having clinched their first Premier League title just three months previously – the Saints still gave them an almighty run for their money, and were it not for two late goals from Edin Dzeko and Samir Nasri, they may very well have taken all three points.
Since that game two years ago, Southampton have never looked back – while their eighth placed finish under Mauricio Pochettino last season was certainly impressive, their form under Ronald Koeman this campaign has been stunning. The South Coast side currently lie in second place in the league and come up against City once again this weekend, who are two points and one position below them. With Graziano Pelle scoring for fun and Dusan Tadic excelling as a creative playmaker, many are tipping the Saints to finish in the top four at the end of the season. Win against City, and they’d do their chances no harm.
2. Europa League hangover at White Hart Lane
Everton and Tottenham Hotspur were both in action in the Europa League on Thursday, and the two sides meet at White Hart Lane over the weekend. The infamous ‘European hangover’ is often the bane of teams competing in the continent’s secondary club competition, and coping with the demands of the Premier League and the Europa League has been especially hard for the Toffees and the Lilywhites this season – they have both won only once in the league after playing in Europe.
They will at least be grateful that they are facing opposition who are equally as fatigued as they are. Expect quality and intensity to be at a premium in North London on Sunday afternoon.
3. Burnley with a perfect chance to push on
At the start of the month, the general consensus was that Burnley were more or less dead and buried already, nailed on for the drop after failing to win any of their ten opening league games. However, back-to-back victories over Hull City and Stoke City has seen hope return to Turf Moor, and another three points this weekend could see them climb out of the relegation zone.
In Aston Villa, they could not face better opponents to continue their revival; Paul Lambert’s men are the lowest scorers in the top flight with just six goals, and confidence is clearly low after a winless run stretching back to September. Clarets boss Sean Dyche will be counting on Danny Ings – whose brace secured victory over Stoke last weekend – to carry on where he left off; points will be precious for Burnley throughout the campaign, and gaining all three against Villa would be much welcomed.
4. QPR v Leicester – a relegation six-pointer?
Another bottom-of-the-table clash is taking place this weekend at Loftus Road, where QPR – currently propping up the league with eight points – take on Leicester City, languishing in 18th place and seemingly in freefall. Although Rangers boss Harry Redknapp has described the tie as a game they “need to win”, this is perhaps more relevant to the Foxes than the London side.
QPR may be in last place, but their performances of late have been encouraging, and they possess a squad which is surely good enough to break away from the bottom and secure survival. Leicester, meanwhile, are in a worrying run of form – they have not won since September, and have found the net just twice in their last seven games. This drought has coincided with main striker Leandro Ulloa hitting a bad patch, which shows just how dependent the Foxes are on the Argentinian to provide them with goals. Leicester boss Nigel Pearson needs to get Ulloa back to goalscoring ways – and quick – otherwise his side could be in serious trouble.
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5. Intriguing reunions at Upton Park
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West Ham United versus Newcastle United promises to be an compelling match for a number of reasons. Not only are both teams led by managers who were under intense pressure before the season and have gone on to oversee impressive starts to their respective campaigns, but the two men in question – Sam Allardyce and Alan Pardew – were also in charge of the opposition at some earlier point in their managerial careers.
Pardew enjoyed a degree of success at West Ham, guiding them to the FA Cup final in 2006, while Allardyce’s tenure at Newcastle was an unhappy one, getting sacked in January 2008 for a series of poor results after just seven months in the job. Although the Upton Park faithful have slowly but surely warmed to Allardyce, largely due to the Hammers’ lofty league position, the Toon Army remain hostile towards Alan Pardew, even though his side are level on points with fourth-placed Manchester United.
It will be interesting to see if the 53 year-old receives a friendlier reception from the home end than from his own supporters on Saturday. What’s more, the added intrigue of West Ham’s Kevin Nolan and Andy Carroll facing their former club – especially the latter, who was born and bred on Tyneside and was once a fan favourite at Newcastle – should make this game a corker.
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Young Malaga ace Isco is now also a target for Chelsea who are set to join Premier League rivals Manchester City in a chase to trigger the Spaniards buy out clause, the Mirror reports.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder is believed to be growing frustrated at the La Liga side who currently sit fourth in the table, and Premier League clubs have been alerted by a £17million buy out clause in his contract.
Malaga are reluctant to let go of a player who is expected by many to eventually become a regular in the Spanish national side, and it is reported that they are looking to tie Isco down to a new contract with a revised release clause in the region of £30million.
It was believed that City were the front runners for the players signature, however Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic has expressed his interest in bringing him to Stamford Bridge as he continues to push Chelsea in the direction of adopting a philosophy of playing attractive football with flair.
Isco came to the fore last season following his move from Valencia as he helped his Malaga side finish in a Champions Leage place, scoring five goals in 32 league appearances along the way.
He was nearly sold to Tottenham in the summer to ease the clubs financial situation, however they have now balanced the books and are keen to hold onto their player who has helped them into the knockout stages of this years Champions League.
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Manchester City will remain hopeful that they can beat new competition for the players services, and bring him to the Etihad.