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Chelsea will play host to Championship side Barnsley this evening in a bid to progress into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. 

After losing to title rivals Liverpool in their last Premier League fixture, the Blues will be hoping to get back to winning ways. However, Frank Lampard may have a headache when it comes to selecting his squad.

New signings Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell could be available for selection as well as Christian Pulisic, who has been sorely missed in their attack.

Transfer Tavern has predicted how the west Londoners could line up against Barnsley tonight…

A huge defensive shift could be on the cards after Chelsea’s loss to Liverpool. A major Kepa Arrizabalaga error which led to Sadio Mane’s second goal could be enough to see him dropped. Willy Caballero may be called upon once again to fill in, with every defender except Reece James also left out following Sunday’s defeat.

Fikayo Tomori came on after Andreas Christensen was given his marching orders on Sunday. He put in a solid defensive shift and could be one of Lampard’s first choices. His 97% passing rate and two tackles should be enough to warrant a start alongside summer arrival Silva (via Sofascore).

Chilwell could also be ready to make his Chelsea debut as he is reportedly heading in the right direction with his fitness (via premierinjuries.com).

With Pulisic also looking ready to return, he could finally join Timo Werner in attack. However, Kai Havertz has failed to impress and Lampard may not want to risk another quiet game from him. Callum Hudson-Odoi could come into the team to support Werner on the wing, with Mason Mount returning to midfield.

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The Blues won’t want to underestimate Barnsley but will hope by fielding an equally strong attack and defence that they can get the job done.

How do you think Chelsea will line up this evening? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Manchester United edged closer to the top four as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side defeated their local rivals at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Devils beat Manchester City 2-0 to move to within three points of Chelsea with Anthony Martial and Scott McTominay both getting their names on the scoresheet.

But supporters were far from thrilled with what they saw from winger Daniel James as he squandered numerous chances which would have had United win with a much healthier advantage.

Here’s what fans have been saying on social media…

The Welsh winger was slammed across the board with him being labelled as “garbage” as well as a “waste” while one supporter wanted him sold in the summer even if he doubted the club making such a decision.

Another fan believed if Mason Greenwood had started, then the scoreline would have been one or two goals better off.

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Per SofaScore, James failed to score from two shots, had a dribble success rate of just 50% and managed just eight passes from 32 touches of the ball.

It was hardly a good afternoon for the 22-year-old.

Which is why others have scorned his decision-making qualities…

One member of the Old Trafford faithful likened it to a boiled potato while another claimed he had “no IQ”.

His speed was the only attributed noted in a positive light and James was even lambasted as “criminal.”

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There were a couple of comparisons made to United players past and present – James reminded a further fan of Lee Sharpe with one more suggesting he would rather have Marcus Rashford on one leg than the summer signing.

How well do you really know the Premier League’s greatest ever manager? Find out below…

And in other news, Man Utd fans drool over Vidic-like display after derby win…

Former Rangers defender Alan Hutton has commended the club’s decision to award a new contract to teenage prodigy Nathan Patterson, who he described as “definitely one for the future”.

The Light Blues’ official website rangers.co.uk confirmed last week that the 18-year-old right-back signed a new deal at the club that will keep him at Ibrox until 2022.

Hutton feels that the teenager has massive potential and he has even backed him to rival senior right-back James Tavernier for a place in Steven Gerrard’s first team next season.

Speaking about Patterson to Football Insider, Hutton said: “They speak very highly of him, all through the coaching staff at Ibrox. He’s definitely one for the future.

“It’s great to tie him down, young prospect, very highly rated, a lot of teams were interested in him so for Rangers to tie him down on a longer contract is brilliant for the club and for him.

“It’s definitely a place he can thrive, come through to push Tavernier next season because he’ll be young and hungry.”

Hutton’s delight at Patterson committing his future to Rangers is understandable given the promise that the 18-year-old has shown at youth team level in recent months.

He has shone in the Light Blues’ UEFA Youth League run, starting all four games in the competition so far. He scored what proved to be an ultimately crucial away goal in the 3-3 draw away to Young Boys in the first round and set up a goal in the 2-1 win away to Slovan Bratislava in their most recent game in the tournament. [via TransferMarkt]

He has also started three matches in Rangers’ Scottish Challenge Cup run this term, with Graeme Murty’s team keeping a clean sheet in the competition on every occasion that Patterson has been in the side. [via TransferMarkt]

It hasn’t just been Hutton who has lauded the youngster, either. Murty said that he “has all the characteristics you would ascribe to an elite-level full-back” (as per Football Insider), while ex-Gers player Peter Lovenkrands said that the teenager reminds him of none other than Hutton (Football Insider).

Hutton also correctly alludes to interest in Patterson from other clubs, with Football Insider reporting last month that recently-crowned Club World Cup winners Liverpool were keeping tabs on the teenage prospect.

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For Rangers to be able to convince the youngster to commit his future to the club is a significant feather in their cap in the context of Liverpool’s interest and the loss of another promising youngster in Billy Gilmour to Chelsea two years ago (as per The Scotsman).

Whether Patterson will manage to fulfil Hutton’s prediction of challenging Tavernier for a first-team berth next season remains to be seen, but it’s not too hard to see why the former Rangers right-back has such high hopes for the newly-committed and precocious Rangers right-back.

Rangers fans, do you agree with Hutton’s take on Patterson? Can you see him pushing Tavernier for a place in the team next season? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

It was just written in the stars, wasn’t it? The moment Gareth Southgate took the decision to drop the forever young Jesse Lingard from his England squad, the writing was on the wall for the Three Lions.

The Manchester United man has been in shocking form for a number of months now, and has produced just one assist in nine appearances across all competitions this season.

It was therefore no surprise to see Southgate leave the 26-year-old out from his latest England squad, but on Friday night against the Czech Republic, that decision rather back-fired somewhat.

The Three Lions slipped to a surprising 2-1 loss in their EURO 2020 qualifying clash, and United fans subsequently flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the matter.

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Many Red Devils supporters insisted the result wasn’t a coincidence, and that they knew that was exactly what was going to happen.

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Some fans of the Manchester side had a comical reaction to the whole situation, and one fan in particular remarked “no Lingard, no party”.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

West Brom’s pre-season preparations continued with a 4-0 win over Scunthorpe on Saturday afternoon as the Baggies put a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Villarreal a week previous behind them.

Albion weren’t at their best in the first half, failing to score, but words from new manager Slaven Bilic over the interval clearly worked a treat.

Matt Phillips, Filip Krovinovic and Hal Robson-Kanu were all on the score sheet in the second period.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

On the chalkboard

After West Brom’s loss against Villarreal, Bilic admitted that he wanted to play with two strikers in the upcoming season.

The arrival of Kenneth Zohore should help with that but once again, the boss played Oliver Burke as the main striker.

Beside him were Phillips and Kyle Edwards as the Croatian opted for a 4-3-3 formation.

And it was the former who shone, scoring twice as he put himself firmly to the forefront of Bilic’s mind.

The Scot scored either side of Krovinovic’s first goal for the club, guiding home a Conor Townsend cross before then finding the net with his head.

Phillips was in brilliant form throughout the first half of last season but an injury led to a troubled end to the campaign, failing to ever replicate the performances he showed previously.

Jimmy Shan started to play him in midfield but it was back in a more familiar role of on the flanks that he showed what he was capable of against Scunthorpe.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

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The 28-year-old scored five goals whilst also claiming seven assists in 2018/19, but none of those goal contributions came after the New Year period.

He initially picked up an ankle injury in January with West Brom hoping for a February return but he then suffered a further setback in April.

It has been a bitterly disappointing 2019 so far for Phillips but in pre-season, he’s showing glimpses of getting back to his best.

For an Albion team who lacked much creativity after Harvey Barnes returned to Leicester, this should be hugely encouraging for Bilic and the Baggies.

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Tottenham Hotspur lost ground in the race to qualify for the Champions League on Saturday, as they lost 1-0 to AFC Bournemouth.

And fans were left disappointed with the performance of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris at the Vitality Stadium.

Spurs went down to 10 men in the first half, as Heung-Min Son lashed out at Jefferson Lerma by pushing him to the ground and was shown a red card.

Juan Foyth was introduced as a half-time substitute and was dismissed just minutes after coming on, reducing Tottenham to nine men.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side did their best to earn a hard-fought point in the second half but their resistance was ultimately broken in injury time, as Nathan Ake headed home from a corner.

Fans, though, were disappointed with the performance of their captain, first for seemingly abdicating his responsibility as a skipper, as his team-mates lost their heads, and then failing to save Ake’s header.

The France international was left rooted to his line as the Dutchman saw the net ripple.

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Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Arsenal are facing a midfield crisis following reports that Paris Saint Germain are interested (as per the Express) in poaching their French wonderkid Matteo Guendouzi after only one year in the Premier League.

Having already lost Ramsey, who recently signed a five-year deal with Juventus, and Mesut Ozil desperately out-of-favour, ill, missing or injured, Unai Emery simply cannot afford to lose the talents of young Frenchman Guendouzi.

The midfield ace was only signed from Ligue 2 outfit Lorient at the beginning of this campaign but following a string of quality performances have become the subject of “big team” attention. And quite rightly so.

This isn’t the first time PSG have expressed interest in signing the player either. Apparently, before his move to move to north London, Guendouzi had the option to make his move to the French capital.

“It is true that PSG were very interested, like other teams, there were a lot of discussions, but for me the best decision I could make was to join Arsenal,” he admitted to Canal Football Club ( via GFFN ).

Would he do it again now he’s a far more developed player?

If he did make the move, Arsenal should look at signing this man…

This wouldn’t be the first time Emery has tried to bring in the Argentine, having already failed in the summer and January transfer windows due to a lack of funds according to the Mirror.

But it seems with Arsenal’s midfield options shrinking and their future European status in doubt the boardroom will be willing to part with the reported £17m it will cost to secure his services.

Despite his age (31 when they have the option to buy) we think Banega would be a quality acquisition.

Firstly, it would likely spark the end of the Ozil saga and introduce a far more positive environment conducive to success. You’d also have to say that there’s every chance Arsenal would have more of a player in the Sevilla man. Whilst Ozil has really let him form dip recently, in more ways than one, Banega is starting at the top level of Spanish football.

It’s a no brainer.

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Secondly, Emery would have a player he’s very familiar with, having already combined at Valencia and Sevilla. The in-depth knowledge of the midfielder’s skillset, traits and abilities will surely help him finetune his tactics.

Finally, should Guendouzi move back to France, Banega is versatile enough to operate in the centre of midfield and perform a very similar role. He’s a dogged in his defensive efforts, much like the Frenchman, and has supremely better passing and technical ability as an experienced player.

Would you be willing to exchange prodigy Guendouzi for an ageing but experienced Banega?

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La Gazzetta dello Sport recently reported, via Calciomercato, that Inter Milan have taken the decision to sell Gabriel Barbosa in the January transfer window.

Barbosa, commonly known as Gabigol, joined the Serie A club as a highly-rated young attacking prospect in 2016. However, the 4-cap Brazil international has failed to kick on since his arrival at the San Siro and is currently on loan back at the club where his career began, Santos.

The Playmaker FC squad decided to wind-up some unsuspecting Brazil fans at the Emirates on Saturday night. Watch the hilarious results in the video below…

Inter appear to have now given up on the 22-year-old, and are ready to cash in on the forward who has demonstrated impressive form since his return to the Brazilian domestic division, netting 26 times in 52 appearances.

The youngster remains a player with huge potential, and Everton would be wise to offer him a second chance to prove his worth at the highest level. 

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Goodison Park would be the perfect stage for Gabigol to begin rebuilding his career upon. Marco Silva has already worked wonders with one young Brazilian in Richarlison, and if he could get Gabigol back to his best too then he would add some serious firepower to the Toffees’ strike-force.

Everton fans certainly seem keen on a move for Barbosa. 87% of those who took part in our poll voted in favour of signing the outcast striker. See the full results below.

Oumar Niasse is not a crucial part of Marco Silva’s Everton team but he has scored some crucial goals in the past.

The striker is on the fringes of the first team, but in his two years at the club he has been unable to grab a regular spot in the lineup.

After fighting his way back into contention after not receiving a squad number under former manager Ronald Koeman, Niasse has become a favourite among the Everton fanbase.

The forward has scored nine goals in 34 outings for the Merseyside outfit, but he has proven in the past that he can make an impact off the bench.

Reports are emerging from Turkey suggesting that Everton may not have Niasse to call upon for much longer.

According to Fanatik, Galatasaray will move for the attacker if they fail to land number one target Anthony Modeste.

On Reddit, some Everton fans have been having their say on the rumours, and plenty are keen for Niasse to stay put.

Comment from discussion Please don’t take our lord and savior Kind Niasse.Comment from discussion Please don’t take our lord and savior Kind Niasse.Comment from discussion Please don’t take our lord and savior Kind Niasse.Comment from discussion Please don’t take our lord and savior Kind Niasse.Comment from discussion Please don’t take our lord and savior Kind Niasse.Comment from discussion Please don’t take our lord and savior Kind Niasse.Comment from discussion Please don’t take our lord and savior Kind Niasse.Comment from discussion Please don’t take our lord and savior Kind Niasse.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”285457″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Theatre Of Screams & The Serb As Good As Salah”]

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According to reports in The Sun, Newcastle United and Southampton are among the Premier League clubs targeting a move for £20m-rated Burnley attacker Johann Berg Gudmundsson.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun says that the Magpies, Saints and top flight rivals Leicester City are all targeting a move for the Iceland international following an impressive campaign for Burnley, who lie seventh in the standings.

The Sun says that Toon boss Rafa Benitez is a big fan of the former Charlton winger, while their south coast Premier League rivals – whom they beat 3-0 at St James’ Park on Saturday to boost their survival bid – are also long-term admirers of the 27-year-old.

The report adds that while Gudmundsson only has one year left on his contract at Turf Moor, the Lancashire outfit are able to trigger an extension by a further 12 months.

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How good has Gudmundsson been this season?

The winger, who primarily plays on the right but is able to play on the opposite flank too, has scored two goals and provided a further six assists in 29 top flight appearances so far this term, helping Sean Dyche’s men to be just five points adrift of Arsenal.

According to WhoScored.com, the 63-cap Iceland international has made 49 key passes in those 29 Premier League outings during the current campaign, while he has successfully completed 30 of the 57 dribbles he has attempted.

Would he be a good signing for Newcastle or Southampton?

He certainly could be, yes.

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The 27-year-old has shown the quality he can bring from wide areas and that is something that Saints need help with especially after another disappointing campaign in terms of creativity and goals.

Benitez also likes to play with wingers and would feel that Gudmundsson would provide some competition for Matt Ritchie, who came under criticism from some of his own fans earlier this year, on the right, but it remains to be seen whether either club is willing to spend £20m on him, even if they both secure their Premier League status for at least another year.