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Liverpool produced a near-perfect display to see off Leicester City 3-0 at Anfield on Sunday night and although Andy Robertson will pick up a lot of plaudits for his part in the win, the Scottish international’s display wasn’t as good as you might think.

Although he picked up an 8/10 rating for his performance from SofaScore after contributing an assist for Diogo Jota’s goal in the first half, as well as helping Jurgen Klopp’s side to a clean sheet, his passing was sloppy throughout the 90 minutes.

As per SofaScore, the former Hull City man lost possession 24 times the night, which was the most of any Liverpool player on the pitch.

The 26-year-old also won just four out of eight of his ground duels and had a pass success rate of just 77%, with 15 of his 65 attempted passes going astray, whilst he was also dribbled past by Leicester players on two occasions during the game.

Although he was impressive at times going forward, playing three key passes during the game, he also struggled to find the mark with his long balls, with only one out of seven attempted long balls finding their mark.

His crossing was also arguably not as consistent as usual, as only four out of 11 of his crosses were accurate against the Foxes.

Fortunately for Klopp, Leicester were unable to make the most of the Scottish defender’s sloppy passing on the evening, although this may be a cause for concern in the future if teams are able to capitalise on his slack passing.

The Scotsman earned a lot of praise from former Liverpool left-back Fabio Aurelio earlier this year, with the Brazilian suggesting that:

“He’s kind of the complete player because physically he’s well capable of going forward and going back he defends very well.

“He’s quick, so his one-v-one is good and defensively that’s very important in the scheme Klopp plays. He goes forward very easily.

“One thing that calls my attention is that he’s always improving, he’s not comfortable in his situation being first choice. You will see that in every game he plays as his last one, so that’s courage.

“The two full-backs of Liverpool right now are unbelievable. We can contest in any kind of way.” (per Liverpool FC)

Overall though, it was another solid display from the left-back, who continues his impressive start to the 2020/21 Premier League season, with his season average rating now standing at a solid 6.79/10 (per WhoScored).

It will be interesting to see if Robertson is rested for Liverpool’s next game, as they face Atalanta at home in the Champions League, with summer signing Kostas Tsimikas perhaps pushing for a starting spot after recovering from injury.

It seems to be no secret that Aston Villa are keen to bolster their attacking ranks this summer but who will Dean Smith manage to clinch before the start of the new campaign?

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Midlands outfit have ramped up their interest in relegated Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson, who has been on Dean Smith’s shortlist for quite some time.

It’s claimed that Villa have struggled to make much progress in their pursuit of Brentford sensation Ollie Watkins, so they may now be turning their attention to the England international instead.

The Bees are holding out for £25m whilst Smith has initially valued his former star at £18m meanwhile the Cherries are reluctant to sell their striker and have slapped a £30m price tag on his head.

Watkins alternative?

It is no wonder that Smith wants to add a new forward to Villa after their lack of goals in the Premier League nearly cost them relegation. They survived on the final day, so a repeat of that mustn’t be allowed to happen.

Villa’s strikers, Wesley and Mbwana Samatta, combined for just six of their 49 league goals this season while skipper Jack Grealish topped the charts with eight.

Obviously, there will be perfect familiarity between Smith and Watkins should they manage to clinch the 24-year-old, but if that can’t happen, then a move should absolutely be made for Wilson.

The 28-year-old has bagged at least eight goals in each of the last three seasons in the PL, including this term despite the Cherries being relegated to the Championship.

Sacked Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe described Wilson as a “real menace his pace, his energy and his movement” when he bagged a hat-trick against West Ham in their maiden top-flight bow whilst David Luiz believes the Englishman is a “top no.9 with power and great movement.”

Therefore, Wilson really isn’t a bad alternative whatsoever. At least he’d arrive at Villa Park with way more experience at this level than most.

AND in other news, How Aston Villa’s XI may look after summer transfers…

After an exhilarating first weekend of Premier League football, the beautiful game returns to our screens again on Saturday, with plenty of exciting fixtures ready and raring to be played out.

This weekend hosts some great fixtures, with some even better storylines – such as Chelsea vs Liverpool, both of which have had active transfer windows, with the Reds announcing the signing of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich this week – one of the signings of the summer.

As per last week, today we are going to take a look at the fixtures ahead of us this game week, with clubs looking to continue their impressive starts to the league from last weekend, and others still looking for that first win of the season. So without further ado, here are my predictions for this weekend via the great interactive game Premier Picks – which allows you to predict all of the Premier League games each game week to earn points, earning points for each correct prediction!

Make sure you put your predictions in each week to be in with the chance of winning £500 at the end of the season.

Everton 3-0 West Brom

After a fantastic start to the season with a 1-0 win over Tottenham, the Toffees will be looking to continue their great start against the Baggies at Goodison Park. Dominic Calvert-Lewin will be looking to continue his good form after netting the winner in that opening day victory, against a West Brom side that saw defeat on an opening day with a 3-0 defeat to Leicester.

And I can see the same scoreline playing out in this one. Slaven Bilic and his side had a tough evening against the Foxes, and after Everton’s new-look midfield showed an impressive display in North London, West Brom may have a tough afternoon on their hands.

Leeds 2-0 Fulham

Fulham’s opening game against Arsenal saw the Cottagers suffer a tough 3-0 defeat. Leeds themselves saw their first game also ending in defeat – but look they very strong throughout, putting three goals past last season’s champions Liverpool, but losing 4-3 in the 88th minute to a penalty.

That being said, the Whites have a strong side, and will be favourites over a weaker Fulham side at Elland Road.

Manchester United 2-1 Crystal Palace

The Eagles got off to a flying start (pardon the pun), with a 1-0 victory of Southampton, thanks to a goal from Wilfried Zaha, giving Palace their first three points of the season.

This will be Manchester United’s first game of this campaign, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be looking for a strong performance and three points to kick off their season in a positive manner.

I can see them doing so, but only by the skin of their teeth. The club still hasn’t invested in the defence this summer, and this is something that will need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

The Gunners had a great start to their season with a 3-0 victory over new boys Fulham – which even saw a debut goal for Brazilian defender Gabriel.

The Hammers, on the other hand, had a tough time of it, losing 2-0 to an impressive Newcastle performance, and it will be difficult for David Moyes’ men to bounce back in North London.

After a few failed transfer windows with money wasted, they have struggled to add to the squad with any player of merit this window, and could struggle this season, as they will against Arsenal this weekend.

Southampton 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Both sides faced a poor start to their seasons in the opening games, with the Saints losing out to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, and Spurs seeing themselves fall to a 1-0 defeat to a rampant Everton side under Carlo Ancelotti.

Ralph Hassenhuttl and his team will be looking for a quick bounce back this weekend, with the Austrian’s work starting to pay off for the club, and Danny Ings hopefully returning to his goalscoring form from last season.

Tottenham, on the other hand, has made some incredible new additions to their squad since the defeat to the Toffees, with Gareth Bale expected to return this weekend, and bringing fellow Madridista left-back Sergio Reguilon with him. Despite the impact singings, they likely won’t be ready for the game on Sunday – with it ending in a 1-1 draw.

Newcastle United 1-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

The Magpies found themselves the 2-0 victors over a poor West Ham side in their opening game of the season, with debut goals for Callum Wilson and Jeff Hendricks, who optimised a strong Newcastle performance to give them their best Premier League start in eight years.

Brighton found themselves losing 3-1 to a strong Chelsea side, but there were positives to be picked up – and with that being said, I actually feel the Seagulls could come out on top during this game, with Newcastle’s form often dipping from time to time, struggling to find momentum.

This will likely lead to slim pickings, but a 2-1 victory at the end of the game for Graham Potter and his side.

Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool

There’s been a lot of 2-1 predictions so far, and here’s another one. The Reds narrowly beat new boys Leeds last weekend in a thrilling 4-3 victory, but the defending champions still showed their quality throughout, despite some strange defensive errors from Virgil van Dijk.

Chelsea also started with a victory, but they are simply no match for Jurgen Klopp’s side, even on a bad day – and I see the Reds coming out victors again against the Blues with a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.

It will be interesting to see if we will get our first glimpses of Thiago in action for Liverpool this weekend, too.

Leicester City 2-0 Burnley

The Foxes had a great opening to their season, winning 3-0 against a poor West Brom side – with two opening day goals for fox in the box Jamie Vardy, as well as a debut goal for Timothy Castagne.

Burnley, however, will be playing their first game of the season with a similar squad to last term – and will be hoping to improve on their 10th place finish from the last campaign.

Overall I see Leicester being too strong for Sean Dyche’s side, with them coming out with a 2-0 victory at home, and making it six points from six available at the end of the weekend.

Aston Villa 1-1 Sheffield United

Aston Villa will be opening up their 2020/21 campaign this weekend against a Sheffield United side that lost 2-0 to a strong Wolves performance at Bramall Lane – and Dean Smith will be hoping that the Villans get off to a strong start after the singings of Ollie Watkins, Matty Cash and Emiliano Martinez, as well as securing captain Jack Grealish on a new five-year contract.

Sheffield had a strong defensive record last season and will be wanting to right the wrongs of their defeat last week, which will make for a tight game that will end in a 1-1 draw.

Wolves 1-3 Manchester City

Pep Guardiola and his side will be kicking off their season this weekend against Wolves at the Molineux. Man City will be hoping to make their way back to the top of the perch, after losing out on the title last season to an incredible Liverpool side.

New signings such as Ferran Torres and Nathan Aké could make their debuts, and I can’t see Wolves coming out of this game with many positives, despite the Citizens finishing as victors with a 3-1 win.

Well, those are our predictions, now you do yours! You can make your predictions here and set up a mini-league to challenge all of your mates along the way, good luck!

Tottenham are holding talks with Southampton to sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer. 

Jose Mourinho has identified Hojbjerg as his top target to transform the side that he inherited from Mauricio Pochettino.

Hojbjerg has made it clear he wants to leave Southampton as he is looking for a new challenge. He will be out of contract next year and this summer could be the last chance for Ralph Hasenhuttl to cash in on his former captain.

According to Football Insider, Spurs are negotiating with the Saints over a possible move, with Tottenham confident that they can complete a deal for the Dane this summer. The Saints were demanding £35m for the ex-Bayern Munich ace but he could be available for a cut-price deal worth £20m as they are eager to get rid of him as soon as possible.

Although Daniel Levy is infamously tight-fisted, the club believe that they will be able to reach an agreement with Southampton in a matter of weeks.

Hojbjerg was stripped of the captain’s armband after refusing to sign a new deal with the Saints and a move is surely in the interests of both parties involved.

Spurs have borrowed a huge sum of money from the Bank of England, as Levy has taken out a £175m loan to cover the costs of these uncertain times. However, the club have held early discussions with his agent Pini Zahavi to sort out conditions of the contract.

Everything seems to be working in Tottenham’s favour, as Zahavi has a strong relationship with Mourinho, which should in theory smooth things over.

As it stands, Spurs should easily be able to afford the asking price, as they splashed the cash to sign Tanguy Ndombele last year. However, clubs are working under extreme conditions, so fans will have to wait and see what deals can be made before the transfer window closes.

Tottenham fans, should Daniel Levy sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer? Let us know down below!

A number of Liverpool fans have vented their unhappiness over an update from Fabrizio Romano on the potential transfer of Thiago Alcantara to Anfield.

Writing for The Guardian, the journalist reported that the Reds are keen on the Bayern Munich midfielder but have told the German champions that they are unwilling to pay their asking price of €30m (£27.2m), from which Bayern are not wavering. The update was later shared on Twitter by @LFCTransferRoom.

Romano added in The Guardian that Thiago is keen to join Liverpool as he admires Jurgen Klopp’s style of play, with the Premier League champions waiting to see if Bayern will soften their stance on the 29-year-old Spain international.

Earlier this week, the journalist tweeted (via @FabrizioRomano) that personal terms would not be an impediment to the potential transfer but the Anfield club are reluctant to spend €30m (£27.2m) on him now when they can sign him for free in January, as he is into the final year of his contract at the Allianz Arena.

Liverpool’s reported issues with Bayern’s asking price has infuriated quite a few of their fans on Twitter. One supporter has urged the club to “pile the pressure on FSG”, with the Reds investing little more than £20m on new signings since June 2019, while one Kopite fears “another Werner moment” after the Merseysiders lost out to Chelsea in the transfer race for long-time target Timo Werner.

Check out some of the feedback from the Anfield faithful below:

Liverpool fans, are you frustrated by the club’s reported reluctance to meet Bayern’s asking price for Thiago? Comment below with your views!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks is very much the mantra tied to Kiko Casilla.

The Spaniard has been an ever-present star this season, seemingly swatting away his doubters and becoming one of the most assured in the Championship.

Before Leeds’ 3-3 draw against Cardiff, they had a better defensive record than anyone in the top four divisions in England. They also had a better defence than anyone in the top five leagues in Europe.

It was a testament to the hard work done behind the scenes by Marcelo Bielsa and his faith in the stopper had been vindicated.

Casilla could have left for Sevilla in the summer, but Leeds chose to move on Bailey Peacock-Farrell instead.

Since that moment, he’s been pivotal in Leeds picking up points a host of points. An excellent display against Sheffield Wednesday, making four saves and three high claims, was memorable.

But more recently, his stop to deny Elias Kachunga at Huddersfield was also top drawer. However, he was anything but assured against Cardiff.

For the first time this season, Casilla was exposed. The Real Madrid man was back to his old tricks and the fallibilities that we saw so often in his debut campaign in England were on display.

He made a vital error, coming to punch a cross and failing to gather it. He didn’t do enough to alter the flight of the ball and Lee Tomlin found the back of the net.

It was a moment the goalkeeper will be keen to forget but it might not be so easy for an individual that arguably cost the team promotion last season.

During the playoffs, a moment of miscommunication with Liam Cooper led to Derby scoring in what was a calamitous display.

A true test for any Leeds fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

Casilla has been much-improved this term but this was a timely reminder of his ability to crumble and wilt when his team need him most.

If anyone is capable of denying Leeds promotion, it is themselves, and in particular, their goalkeeper.

It was done in the final months of last season and could happen again if they aren’t careful.

This was a rare poor performance from the Spaniard in 2019/20 and he will have to bounce back quickly.

More mistakes like the one he made on Saturday could come back to haunt Leeds. They may be ten points clear of third but there is still a considerable amount of football to be played.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has provided an update on the fitness of Adam Forshaw…

According to Football Insider, Leeds are keen to exploit Reading’s financial issues by trying to sign John Swift this summer.

What’s the word?

Reports last year suggested that the Whites were interested in making a move for the midfielder, but a deal failed to materialise.

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

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Now, Football Insider claim that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have reignited their interest in the 25-year-old, and that a source has told them “that the club are confident it will take far less than the £7m asking price of 2019 to seal a deal”.

The report further adds that Readings financial problems, and the fact that Swift only has two years remaining on his contract, may make it “opportune” for them to cash in, and are braced for some summer bids.

Difference-maker

Despite missing out on his signature last year, it’s no surprise to see that Leeds are seemingly back in for Swift this time around.

The midfielder has been in fine form for Reading, scoring five goals and providing a further 11 assists across all competitions, and in fact, speaking back in February of this year, Bielsa raved about his talents.

He said: “Swift is a great player, I value him a lot.He is a player who appears suddenly in attack and the same in transition between defence and attack, but especially when he passes from the defence to the attack.”

The current England manager Gareth Southgate even tipped him to become a star back in 2016 – he worked with Swift when he was in charge of the U21s. He said: “John has done himself a favour leaving Chelsea. He’s got a great future ahead of him.”

With both Bielsa and Southgate talking him up, Swift certainly comes with a lot of credentials. And as a midfielder who can both score and create, could give Leeds an added dimension if they earn promotion to the Premier League for next season.

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

Steve Bruce seems to have found the right balance in his starting line-up but Newcastle would benefit significantly if Jonjo Shelvey was given greater license to roam forward.

On the chalkboard

The Magpies settled on a five-at-the-back system last term and it has worked better for Bruce than the more expansive style he set out with against Arsenal and Norwich earlier in the season.

However, he has now put all of his eggs in one basket and seems unwilling to diverge despite now having an organised defence and warning signs that the team need to be more ambitious.

Shelvey has shown how effective he can be in attack several times in this campaign alone, primarily when he scored against Manchester City. However, he is restricted under Bruce because of the defensive responsibilities and restrictions he is placed under.

It is simply not part of his game. Throughout his career, indiscipline has led to numerous yellow and red cards, while in 2019/20 his tackling and interception has been found out, with just one and 1.1 per game in each respective department.

Contrast that to midfield partner Isaac Hayden, who has averaged 2.9 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game.

A football legend: Can you get over 80% on this Gazza quiz? Find out now…

License to roam

Shelvey has always displayed a knack for spraying passes and scoring long-range goals. His technical ability and confidence allow him to pull these off on a consistent basis, and the Magpies could duly benefit if he was able to do such things more often.

With the current set-up in place those opportunities are rare, though he has still managed to tally three league goals so far in 2019/20.

He has also managed 1.3 key passes and 4.1 long balls per game, but if allowed to venture forward – with Hayden covering in midfield – then he could be a real danger to the opposition.

He could provide some much-needed support for Joelinton and act as an anchor in the opposition’s half for the wingers to pick out and make runs off – subsequently giving Newcastle a lot more options.

That would reduce the pressure on Allan Saint-Maximin to make as many dribbles as he has this campaign, averaging 4.3 per game, and goals should flow once Shelvey and the forward players build an understanding.

Steve Bruce has another option at his disposal to increase Newcastle’s effectiveness going forward, and bringing the best out of this 22-year-old could prove pivotal.

Tottenham Hotspur didn’t really have that much to play for apart from their pride on Wednesday night when they travelled to Germany to face Bayern Munich.

They already have their ticket for the round of 16 in the Champions League and they will be heading to the knockout stages as the second-placed team behind their Bavarian rivals.

Still, Jose Mourinho’s team couldn’t scrape anything from their last group stage clash as they were beaten by the Germans once more.

The fans were also pretty quick to scapegoat the players they felt were culpable for putting in poor displays, and Eric Dier was definitely one of those in the firing line.

Of course, some of the fans do seem to still like him as a person but it seems that his abilities have deteriorated in the years gone by, and now many of them feel he’s simply not good enough at this level.

Some were even calling for the club to sell him while the others dubbed him as the “worst player in the squad”.

Of course, it is definitely not easy playing against Bayern but his 64% passing accuracy, along with just one tackle and two interceptions, do suggest he was not really on top of his game.

Many of the fans were, of course, quick to notice that.

Elsewhere, Southampton’s reported target had a brilliant showing in the Champions League…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by The Manchester Evening News, Manchester United winger Daniel James has pinpointed exactly how they beat Brighton on Sunday afternoon.

What did he say?

The Red Devils eased past Graham Potter’s side 3-1 in the Premier League, and they looked as menacing going forward as they have been all season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men racked up 21 shots on goal, with 11 of them finding the target. And, according to James, a key part of their victory came down to how the forwards interchanged with one another, and worked hard off the ball to win it back.

He said: “The gaffer at the start of the season… it was about moulding us as a team. As the weeks have gone by, the interplay… We played at Norwich and played at Chelsea, that interplay, creating chances going forward.

“That high press obviously is a big thing for us. Winning the ball high up and going on the counter and that’s how we got our goals (against Brighton). We’ve just got to take every game in our stride and believe we can win every game because we’ve got the ability to do so.”

Playing to your strengths

Make no mistake about it, United have shown that they are a devastating team on the break since Solskjaer took charge. The Marcus Rashford winner against Tottenham last season, or the 4-0 drubbing of Chelsea in the opening game of the Premier League campaign this time around, are just two examples of how the Red Devils are as dangerous as they come when the opposition loses the ball.

Against Brighton on Sunday, United looked fast and decisive going forward, not allowing the Seagulls to even breathe inside their own half. In games where they have looked to dominate the ball and simply try and create chances when teams are defending their own areas, they have looked woefully out of ideas. In that disappointing 1-0 defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park, Solskjaer’s side had just three shots on target over the course of the 90 minutes.

James’ insight into how they beat Brighton should act as another reminder to the United boss that the club should simply look to play to their strengths.