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“Words cannot describe it. I was just running around smiling.”

An entire nation mimicked Jack Wilshere’s Cheshire cat smile as he made his first senior appearance after an incredible 524 days on the sidelines. The young midfielder lifted the spirits of the Arsenal faithful still reeling from back-to-back defeats and although he failed to personally conjure the vital breakthrough, his mere presence was enough to overshadow an otherwise uninspiring performance.

Arsene Wenger has overseen a vast renovation during Wilshere’s 18 month exile, with the player himself highlighting the surreal feeling of playing alongside Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla instead of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. The 20-year-old summed it up perfectly with the phrase “a new team and a new me” but is this an Arsenal side that has improved in his absence?

There’s no denying the individual brilliance of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, a midfield pairing capable of unlocking any defence. The same goes for Robin van Persie, who is providing a devastating weekly reminder of his prolific nature in front of goal. However, as their value continued to inflate during their time at Arsenal, so did their ego and Wenger was forced to sell his prize assets for the sake of the team.

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Herein lies the silver lining for Arsenal, every individual currently at the club is committed to the manager and their quest to obtain silverware. Even Theo Walcott continues to reiterate his desire to play at the Emirates, even if he does only want to do so in one position and for a significant pay rise. The team no longer has a recognisable world-class player, on the surface that’s a negative but there still remains a squad of gifted yet selfless individuals.

It won’t take long for Wilshere and Arteta to form a budding partnership. They are like two peas in a pod, experts in the art of possession football with an eye for goal and surprising tenacity in their tackles. Cazorla on the other hand is an upgrade on Samir Nasri, slightly better in every area of the pitch but won’t go missing in those pressure cooker situations.

However, such is the attacking nature of this formidable trio that they are unlikely to all play together in games where Arsenal will not be expected to dominant. Step forward Abou Diaby, who has emerged in the wake of Alex Song’s departure, brushed aside all previous misconceptions and earmarked himself as a box-to-box midfielder that could one day emulate Yaya Toure.

Diaby’s new status as Mr Dependable will encourage Wilshere to once again roam forward and perhaps help fulfil his potential as Arsenal’s recognised ‘number 10’. Even if the duo struggle for fitness, they can form the perfect rotation policy. Diaby can be ushered in for the physical encounters whereas Wilshere can build his confidence against teams who will allow Arsenal the majority of possession.

In the Gunners defence, both Carl Jenkinson and Per Mertesacker have evolved from troubled rabbits gazing into the opposition’s headlights to two of most reliable defenders in the country. Jenkinson in particular has gone from Sunday League hopeful to potential England international, which should worry everyone considering the unforeseen potential undoubtedly lurking in the club’s academy.

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Wilshere may have completed all 33 passes that he attempted in the first half on Saturday but question marks will still remain over whether he can ever reach the same heights. However, fans need only glance at his team-mate Aaron Ramsey for evidence that players can in fact improve and mature after suffering a severe injury. The former Wales captain has struggled under the pressure of Wilshere’s absence and will surely benefit from sharing the spotlight once more.

The return of Arsenal’s prodigal son is a welcome boost for a team that have looked particularly impotent of late. He may not be physically ready to hoist his beloved club back into title contention but with fixtures against Manchester United and the North London derby on the horizon, his homecoming may just help ignite an Arsenal side that continues to bubble under the surface.

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West Ham United have held talks with Manchester United regarding an unnamed player amid claims that there is an interest in goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, according to club insider ExWHUEmployee.

What’s the word?

A recent report from Sky Sports claimed that the Red Devils are keen on signing Marko Arnautovic from the Hammers, but it appears that the story is way off the mark.

According to reliable insider ExWHUEmployee, there has been no contact or bid from United regarding the Austrian.

In an exclusive column for thewesthamway.co.uk, the club source explained that talks have been held between both parties, but for an unnamed player.

ExWHUEmployee went on to say that the Hammers are interested in United keeper Johnstone, while Luke Shaw could be available, as could Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford, but only on loan.

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Out of those potential targets, Johnstone seems the most likely to secure, and the goalkeeping position is certainly an area that the East London outfit need to address.

Joe Hart spent last season on loan at the club from Manchester City, but returned in the summer, while Adrian’s long-term future at the London Stadium remains uncertain.

Is Johnstone good enough?

Despite Hart’s pedigree, he struggled to hold down a regular place in the first team over the course of the season, which proves that a ‘big name’ does not always deliver.

Johnstone has been at United since 2009 as he developed through the academy, but he has not made a single first-team appearances for the Red Devils.

The 25-year-old spent the last season-and-a-half on loan at Aston Villa, where he impressed and helped the team reach the playoff final in May.

The Midlands outfit were unable to get over the line as they suffered defeat to Fulham, which means that Johnstone is unlikely to move to Villa Park permanently.

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In 48 outings during the 2017-18 campaign, the Preston-born stopper conceded 42 goals and kept 22 clean sheets.

West Ham do not have the financial clout to swoop for a world-class keeper, but Johnstone has proven consistency at a competitive level.

Given that he is unlikely to break the bank, it is worth the Hammers cutting a deal.

At the moment, there seems to be no stopping Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane, who is in the form of his life.The 24-year-old has gone from strength to strength since claiming back-to-back Golden Boot awards in the previous two seasons.Kane ended 2017 as the calendar year’s top scorer across Europe having bettered Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona hero Lionel Messi, both of whom have won five Ballon d’Ors each.This season, the Tottenham star has scored 30 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions and is one strike away from taking his Premier League tally to 100.At the weekend, Kane saved the club’s blushes by scoring an equaliser that prevented League Two side Newport County from reaching the fifth round of the FA Cup, although the Welsh club did earn a replay at Wembley.Former Spurs player Graham Roberts was watching the action and on Twitter, he tipped Kane to break Clive Allen’s record.The former forward scored 49 goals in 54 appearances during the 1986-87 campaign, which is the best figure at Tottenham during a single season.

Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann feels that Raheem Sterling is a must pick for England boss Roy Hodgson ahead of the World Cup.

The 19-year-old winger has established himself as a key member of the Reds’ first-team since the turn of the year, and is widely thought of as one of the Premier League’s best young players.

Despite his age, Sterling has already been capped by Three Lions chief Roy Hodgson, and his recent displays have prompted calls for him to make the final 23-man squad heading into the summer tournament.

Hamann – who spent a large chunk of his career in England representing Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester City and MK Dons – believes that Sterling has been one of the Merseysiders’ best players in recent months, and that he can play a big role for his nation in Brazil:

“What Sterling has done in the last three or four months has been unbelievable. He has been Liverpool’s best player.” He is quoted by the Daily Star.

“What a joy he is to watch, particularly the way he takes on people with his pace, his guile and his trickery.

“He is a really outstanding talent and has come on really well this year and you can make the argument that he is the best winger in the Premier League at the moment.

“You get a buzz when he gets the ball. His pace and his body strength, decision-making and overall game is absolutely outstanding.

“He can be the star for England in Brazil – I believe that 100 per cent. He is very hard to stop because he is not only quick, he is very tricky.

“He has a very good eye for a pass. He has played some really good through balls to Daniel Sturridge and that is an aspect of his game which shows just how good he is.

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“He could be a tremendous player, not only for Liverpool for England. You have to have high hopes for a player like him at both club and country level.”

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Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert will face his former club Norwich for the first time on Saturday lunchtime, with both clubs in desperate need of Premier League points.

Lambert was visibly disappointed with his teams latest display at Craven Cottage, a game which saw them lose 1-0 to a late goal from a set piece.

Whereas Chris Hughton has been enjoying his best week since taking the job at Carrow Road, after Grant Holt’s goal was enough to earn his first win in charge, surprisingly over Arsenal last Saturday.

It was Holt’s second Premier League goal of the season, as he looks to build on his tally of an impressive 15 last season.

Holt will be confident of giving his former manager more grief, with Villa really struggling defensively. Lambert has seen his side concede 13 goals in their opening eight matches.

Norwich have an even worse record however, conceding a total of seventeen so far.

Darren Bent is expected to start up top with Gabby Agbonlahor, after the pair started in the defeat at Craven Cottage, meaning summer signing Christian Benteke will be on the bench.

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Prediction: Aston Villa 2-2 Norwich 

Juventus are in the box seat to sign Douglas Costa, according to the Sun, but Manchester United have a healthy interest if the Italian giants pass up the opportunity to land the Brazilian who will be heading to Russia next month for the World Cup.

The 27-year-old flier could well be the upgrade that United need on the right flank as their current options are all awkward fits in that position.

Juan Mata will never be a winger, he is a converted number 10 and it is bizarre that Jose Mourinho persists with him in that position, while Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez all have the pace to play out there but prefer drifting in from the left.

The current best fit is Jesse Lingard but a lot of his best work this season has come from a number 10 position and Gareth Southgate looks set to use him in the centre of the park in England’s World Cup campaign.

That’s why we asked you whether Costa would be a good signing for United this summer and the response was fairly conclusive; 82 per cent of Reds fans want him at the club.

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According to the printed version of The Mirror on Tuesday (page 47), Leeds United have made an £8m move to sign Preston North End striker Jorgan Hugill before the January transfer window slams shut on Wednesday.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the printed version of The Mirror says that the Yorkshire club – along with Championship rivals Bristol City and Reading – are ready to step up their interest in the 25-year-old centre-forward, whose contract at Deepdale is due to run out in 2019.

Hugill had a transfer request rejected during the summer, and it appears as though he could leave the Lancashire outfit before the close of play on Wednesday, with The Sun reporting that Premier League side Crystal Palace are also keen.

How has Hugill done this season?

It has been another impressive campaign for the 25-year-old, who has scored 10 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions for North End, averaging a Championship goal ever 283 minutes.

The attacker has netted 30 goals in 114 matches for Preston in total since joining them from Port Vale in 2014.

According to WhoScored.com, Hugill’s main strength is his ability to win the ball in the air as a lone centre-forward, and he has won 155 of the 371 of the aerial duels he has contested.

Would he be a good signing for Leeds?

It’s difficult to say.

While Hugill is useful in the air and has proven that he can be an effective target man, he perhaps isn’t the prolific goalscorer the Yorkshire outfit may be looking for if they are hoping to finally replace Chris Wood.

The positive is that he has plenty of Championship experience and has proven that he can find the net at this level, but you would have to worry whether he would be good enough in the long-term – especially if the Whites do gain promotion back to the Premier League, even if he is a target for Crystal Palace.

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Spending £8m – and his valuation could be even higher than that given Preston don’t want to lose him – on him would certainly be a risk, but if the club think it is the right move then they should do everything to get it done.

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Arsene Wenger was full of praise for Lukas Podolski following the German international’s two-goal performance in the FA Cup against Coventry. The Arsenal manager hailed the forward as a “natural finisher” and praised his shooting accuracy and technique in front of goal – traits not too common in Arsenal’s otherwise ornate midfield and attack.

His two goals in Arsenal’s 4-0 win on Friday night was the perfect riposte from Podolski, who from those on the outside looking in appeared to be snubbed in the team’s 2-1 win against Aston Villa a week earlier.

It shouldn’t have sparked discussion but it did. Podolski was left on the bench and overlooked altogether in the match at Villa Park. For the conspiracy theorists, something was afoot; Arsene Wenger had possibly gone cold on the German international and didn’t fancy upsetting the balance of his team, even if it was to the sacrifice of the team’s most clinical forward.

There are parallels that can be found with Juan Mata. The Spaniard, Chelsea’s best player by some distance over the past two seasons, was cast aside by Jose Mourinho, who favoured players who would work for him at both ends of the pitch. What is curious is that Mourinho found ways to compensate for Cristiano Ronaldo but failed to replicate that with Mata. But that’s a well-trodden path and one without need of further exploration.

Podolski, similarly, has had his defensive efforts questioned. The former Bayern striker plays better from the left in Arsenal’s system than he does through the middle as a lone striker, and yet his perceived lack of defensive effort sees him overlooked; a difficult case to come to terms with due to the player’s record since arriving at Arsenal: 21 goals and 11 assists in 50 appearances. Think how those numbers would be swelled had Podolski not missed such large parts of this season due to injury (and assuming Wenger used him regularly).

But there have been rumours linking Podolski away from the club. Last summer, Schalke spoke of their interest in the 28-year-old, with that old snippet rising from the ashes amid talk of Julian Draxler’s proposed switch to north London.

Wenger may not fancy Podolski for one reason or another, but he has to find a way to come to terms with his flaws, if we’re calling it that, in certain areas of the pitch. That means strengthening the midfield with players like Mathieu Flamini or Mikel Arteta covering on that left side. It means changing Kieran Gibbs or Nacho Monreal’s instructions when Podolski is on the field.

Quite plainly, you don’t get rid of a forward, in his prime, who is the most capable in the Arsenal team of converting the myriad chances the midfield create. In light of the club’s search for further attacking options via the market, allowing Podolski to leave would be a careless mistake.

It’s not just that Podolski adds variance and directness to Arsenal’s game, he’s also incredibly well liked by the club’s supporters. Arsenal have already done a good job of wiping the slate clean with what have been five or six barren years; underestimating the contribution and value of Podolski would rightly raise questions as to the reasoning behind the holding onto of substandard players for years, as well as the perennially injured Abou Diaby, and allowing the matter of tactical inflexibility to force the discard of one of the team’s most dangerous in front of goal.

Arsenal need another centre-forward, that’s the way the story is being told. What is actually more accurate is that Arsenal need more goals. Though it is of course a risk, Nicklas Bendtner can stand in for Olivier Giroud when the Frenchman is in need of a rest. The gamble is whether Giroud stays injury-free from now until the end of the season – a risk every team faces.

If it means playing Bendtner through the middle to accommodate the absence of Giroud – or bringing in a veteran striker on loan till the end of the season – then so be it. Podolski is the source of goals Arsenal currently need to fuel their title push¸ whether playing through the middle or from the left

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Losing Podolski now or in the near future will only weaken the team’s pursuit of silverware. Another prolific goal scorer may come in during the summer, but the German international adds depth. In the modern market, it is exceptionally difficult to find players of Podolski’s class in front of goal.

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Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas hopes Tottenham’s stunning victory at Old Trafford will be the turning point for their season, and lead to a series of victories reports The Evening Standard.

The Portugese coach endured a difficult start to his Tottenham career, being booed off twice at White Hart Lane in a series of three games without a win.

However Spurs have turned it around since, and have been on a run of three consecutive Premier League victories, which culminated with their first win at Old Trafford since 1989 on Saturday.

AVB is hoping Saturday’s result will spark a run of victories for his side, and help to improve their home form which has been their achilles heel so far this season.

“It doesn’t stop here,” Villas-Boas told Spurs TV Online.

“The emotions we were living (after the United win) are very inspiring and results are also good to build confidence.

“That confidence is good for us as we approach our next couple of games.

“We have two games at home now, and we have to improve our home form to make sure that this becomes a sequence for us.”

Before Premier League action resumes, Tottenham travel to Athens to take on Panathanikos in their second Europa League group match.

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Villas-Boas has already enjoyed success in the competition with previous club Porto, and is hoping to do the same with his new employers.

“We have won two straight away games so to it would be nice to make it three against Panathinaikos,” Villas-Boas added.

“It is very important for us to get that win to put us back on track in the group phase of the Europa League and then we are back to the Premier League so (a win) would be is good for everybody.”

According to reports in the Liverpool Echo, Everton’s plan to appoint Marco Silva as their new manager is set to drag into another week, and Toffees fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.

Having sacked Sam Allardyce last Wednesday the club and the Goodison Park faithful would have been hoping to quickly have his successor in place, in order for them to get their summer preparations underway.

However, it is taking more time than the Merseyside outfit may have expected it to as the Liverpool Echo report they remain in talks with Watford over a compensation package for the 40-year-old star, who stands at 5ft 11in tall, which is frustrating for everyone involved considering the likes of West Ham United and Arsenal already have their new bosses in place.

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Everton supporters, who will view new director of football Marcel Brands as an instant hero if he completes an audacious £70m summer deal, took to social media to give their thoughts on the wait for Silva, and while one simply said “typical Everton”, another speculated “maybe we’re going in for someone else instead”.

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Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…