Arsenal fans have been waking up to some strange news this morning. The transfer window closed last Thursday, yet the rumours and links continue to go on, even though we’re now months away from any kind of deal being able to materialise. This latest story comes courtesy of Sky Sports News and it’s linking Arsenal with Matthias Ginter.

Tottenham and Arsenal are both linked with a swoop for the Borussia Monchengladbach defender, and whilst he may look like a bright prospect on paper, the Gunners are keen to see their North London rivals beat them to this one. Ginter is a player who came to prominence as a young player around the time Germany won the World Cup.

The 25-year-old was apart of the successful German squad after impressing with Freiberg, and in that same summer, he made a move to Borussia Dortmund, where things didn’t quite work out. He lasted three years in Dortmund before making the move to Monchengladbach, and now it looks like he could be making yet another move with the links to both of the Premier League’s North London clubs.

You can read the Gunners’ thoughts on the Ginter links here:

The Gunners aren’t keen on a move for Ginter and would rather give this one a miss as they look ahead to what they’re desperate will be a successful summer window.

Manchester City’s 0-1 win away at Bournemouth was dominant but perhaps didn’t tell the whole story of just how much they need the international break to keep their quadruple dreams alive.

More injuries to Kevin De Bruyne and John Stones added to the growing injury list of Benjamin Mendy, Aymeric Laporte, Fernandinho, Fabian Delph and Gabriel Jesus. Aside from that, the performances in the Carabao Cup Final against Chelsea and then against West Ham last week were well below par.

It seems only a matter of time before something gives.

City have played 25 games in 93 days averaging a game just over every three days, and no matter how strong people claim their squad to be, no team can cope with that for a season and play to their highest ability. Guardiola surely knows City are on the ropes yet are still capable of winning every single trophy on offer to an English side, but fatigue and injuries will play a massive part.

Before the international break in two weeks, City have a home game against Watford in the Premier League, a crucial Champions League round of 16 second-leg at home to Schalke then a trip to Swansea in the FA Cup. If they can win all of those games, it could mean more than just progression in the cups and keeping the pressure on Liverpool.

The break gives Laporte and Fernandinho time to recover ahead of the final run-in as well as a week for the whole squad to take a collective breath after a tumultuous period of football. Going into that break having won every game in the last two weeks proves City can indeed cope with an injury crisis, and it can give them the mentality that says ‘if we got through that, we can get through this’.

Liverpool have a lighter fixture schedule and so injuries have been kinder to them, so it’s an uphill battle for Guardiola’s men to win as many trophies as possible, but how many do you think they’ll win?

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Tottenham suffered their seventh league defeat of the season on Saturday, and Mauricio Pochettino needs to ditch two players who are massively struggling when the Lilywhites visit Chelsea on Wednesday.

On the chalkboard

Spurs missed a golden opportunity to gain ground on Manchester City and Liverpool on Saturday, falling to a 2-1 defeat at Burnley.

The Clarets have not lost in the league since Boxing Day, and they showed exactly why in the first half, stopping their guests from getting anything going with a stern defensive display.

Chris Wood then nodded the hosts in front with a second half header, though Harry Kane was able to equalise from a tight angle.

Ashley Barnes ultimately decided the match with one of the easiest goals he’ll ever score, and Mauricio Pochettino must now be ruthless with his players after perhaps their worst performance of the season.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

Stopping Hazard

Unfortunately, the first player that needs to miss out when Spurs visit Chelsea on Wednesday is Juan Foyth.

The 21 year-old has shown real character to bounce back from his shocking display in the 3-2 win at Wolves, but his lack of experience and maturity was on full display at Turf Moor.

Davinson Sanchez may be a bit rash at times, but the beastly Colombian international will have a far better chance of stopping the irresistible Eden Hazard than Foyth, who looks like an accident waiting to happen at the moment.

Extra protection

The next man that needs a rest is surely Moussa Sissoko, who had a run of fantastic form earlier this season, finally proving why the club shelled out £30m for him back in 2016.

The 29 year-old’s performances have dipped a little bit in recent weeks though, and he was back to his old self against Burnley – flying all over the pitch with plenty of effort but offering nothing of any quality or substance.

With Chelsea sure to be absolutely desperate for three points, Victor Wanyama might be the best choice to replace the Frenchman, offering that extra bit of defensive security in front of the three centre backs.

The Kenyan international has been in the squad for the last three Premier League games and played for ten minutes against Leicester, so if he is not ready now then he never will be.

So, Spurs fans, do you think Foyth and Sissoko should lose out? What other changes would you make for the trip to Chelsea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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Luciano Narsingh made his first Swansea City appearance of the season in their 2-1 defeat at Leeds United in the Championship on Wednesday night.

A 2017 arrival from PSV Eindhoven, Narsingh scored once in 18 Premier League appearances for Swansea during the 2017-18 campaign.

The 28-year-old has not been in the plans of Swansea boss Graham Potter this season, but he did appear as a second-half substitute against Leeds.

There is absolutely no question that the winger – a 16-time Netherlands international – has a lot of talent and Swansea need to find a way to get him fit and firing for the final months of the campaign.

It is safe to say that the Swansea fans were delighted to see Narsingh back in action on Wednesday night.

And a number have called on head coach Potter to hand the attacker more minutes between now and the end of the season.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the club’s fans can be seen below:

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The Steel City derby ended in stalemate on Monday night as Sheffield United failed to break down their bitter rivals Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

The Blades did much of the attacking, but Steve Bruce’s Owls held firm throughout. The result dents Sheffield United’s title hopes too, with Chris Wilder’s side having missed this chance to really close the gap on Leeds United and Norwich City.

Did Chris Wilder get it wrong in the Steel City derby? Check out the thoughts of Ingood Nick below…

The home side produced a very disciplined and determined performance to keep the Blades at bay. United’s strike-force, featuring Billy Sharp, Gary Madine and substitute David McGoldrick, struggled to find space and create chances. The Owls defenders deserve great credit for this, especially 26-year-old Michael Hector.

The 6’4” Chelsea loanee was a giant at the back for the hosts on Monday. Performances like that should convince Wednesday to sign the 22-cap Jamaica international permanently this summer.

After the match, plenty of Wednesday fans took to Twitter to praise Hector’s display…

Jordan Pickford. A man who is far from the calming presence you want your keeper to be. Whether he’s goading the Newcastle fans before making a match-losing error, or having ‘Get the rave on’ stitched into his boots (yes, really), the England international is proving to be far too erratic for his teammates to rely on him right now.

It has been a while now since he has endured a spell out of the firing line – the Sunderland academy graduate has started 81 consecutive Premier League games over the course of the last three seasons with the Black Cats and now with the Toffees.

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In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Whilst that is obviously good news in terms of him being able to develop his obvious potential, it hasn’t really allowed him to take a step back and analyse the things that he could perhaps be doing better with – being England’s number one on the way to a World Cup semi-final won’t have helped that either.

Against the Magpies last time out, Pickford gave away a stupid penalty which he then saved, only to goad the home support after and again throughout the game.

The 25-year-old then bundled the ball into the path of Ayoze Perez for Newcastle’s equaliser – Everton were 2-0 up – before the Tynesiders went on to win 3-2.

He looked visibly distracted by the back-and-forth goading that he had instigated with the St James’ Park faithful, and that isn’t the first mistake he has made this season – his last-gasp blunder at Anfield against Liverpool also backs up the fact that he allows himself to get caught up in raucous atmospheres.

Maarten Stekelenburg represents a solid back-up option for Marco Silva and one the club seemingly trust having offered him a new contract back in the summer, and the Dutchman should be drafted in for the last eight games of the season in order to bring Pickford back to reality a bit.

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Tottenham have been handed a huge boost ahead of their epic Champions League showdown against Borussia Dortmund, as Harry Kane is in line to return for the second leg.

So what’s the word?

While he certainly will not be available for selection on Wednesday night, Kane should be fit for the trip to Signal Iduna Park in three weeks, reports The Telegraph.

In fact, the report claims Kane’s recovery from an ankle injury sustained last month has been “remarkable”, and he is even eyeing a return in the trip to Burnley.

The Lilywhites take on the Clarets at Turf Moor on February 23, before facing both Chelsea and Arsenal within the following week.

Then comes the trip to Germany for the second leg, by which time Kane is expected to be fully fit.

The Telegraph’s report also claims Dele Alli should be fit for the Champions League decider.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas which Arsenal players would get into the Tottenham team ahead of the North London Derby – Check out the video below…

What’s the impact?

Well, not much needs saying on the boost Kane and Alli’s returns will bring in terms of individual performance, as both players’ qualities are unquestionable.

However, what may fly under the radar is the flexibility that their returns will offer Mauricio Pochettino, especially in the trip to Dortmund, where just one goal could decide the path of the rest of the season.

European away ties are unlike anything else, and soaking up pressure and playing on the counter-attack is now a real possibility for Pochettino against a Dortmund side that do tend to leave themselves exposed when they pour numbers forward.

With Kane up front, Alli and Heung-min Son just behind him and Christian Eriksen pinging balls from deep in a 4-3-3 formation, Spurs have all the tools to drop a counter-attacking master-class in the second leg to secure progression to the quarter-finals.

It can often take a while for a new signing to assimilate to his new surroundings. Met with a new club, new teammates, and a new culture; it’s rarely just a case of feeling comfortable immediately. However, in the case of Virgil van Dijk, the transition was seamless.

Following his move to Liverpool from Southampton, van Dijk didn’t need any time to adjust, with the Dutchman immediately looking settled on Merseyside. Both on the field and off of it, he has displayed maturity and ability, and very quickly he’s made his transfer fee look like a steal on the part of Liverpool.

Reds will be enjoying every second of their time with van Dijk at the heart of the defence, and it seems that if the 27-year-old gets his wish, they’ll be able to enjoy him for a long while yet.

Van Dijk has recently been involved in an interview with BBC Sport, and he’s revealed exactly what he hopes will come of his time at Liverpool.

Asked how he would like to be remembered at Anfield, he said: ‘As a legend of Liverpool. I want to achieve amazing things here. We have a fantastic squad, we have everything, we have all the tools.’

He continued: ‘When you play for this club, you’ll always be welcome as you’ve been part of the family. It’s one of the reasons I definitely wanted to play for the club.’

It seems as though the defender wants to enjoy a long and fruitful career at Anfield, and that’s fantastic news for the club.

Of course, van Dijk was never going to come to Liverpool and move on quickly. It was immediately clear that he was the sort of player that Jurgen Klopp would look to build around. However, top players often have dreams of playing for teams like Real Madrid and Barcelona, and this can often require them to use clubs as stepping stones to reach a higher goal.

However, in the case of van Dijk, it looks like he’s already achieved his dream of playing for his ideal club; and now it’s all about maximising his time there.

Certainly, van Dijk is well on the way to earning the legendary status that he craves. He’s been one of the signings of the decade, and no single recruit at Anfield has made such an unbelievable impact in recent memory – even Mohammed Salah.

Of course, nothing will improve his legacy more than by helping lead Liverpool’s charge to the Premier League title. Trophies have been preciously few and far between at Anfield in recent years; and so if this Liverpool squad manage to bring some silverware to the club, they’ll earn their place in the history books at Anfield. And van Dijk’s name will be up in lights at the top, given his influence.

Thoughts?

حقق فريق أولمبياكوس الفوز على ضيفه بانيتوليكوس، بهدفين دون رد، في المباراة التي جمعتهما مساء اليوم السبت.

واستقبل أولمبياكوس، بانيتوليكوس على ملعب “كارايسكاكيس”، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة من عمر الدوري اليوناني.

وسجل الدولي المغربي يوسف العربي هدف أولمبياكوس الأول في الدقيقة 48 من زمن المباراة.

وشارك لاعبنا أحمد حسن كوكا، في المباراة كبديل ليوسف العربي في الدقيقة 70.

وصنع كوكا الهدف الثاني لفريقه، والذي سجله كافو في الدقيقة 86 من عمر اللقاء

وارتفع رصيد أولمبياكوس إلى 6 نقاط، في صدارة الدوري اليوناني، بينما احتل بانيتوليكوس المركز الثالث عشر دون رصيد من النقاط. 

[ad_pod ]Leeds could be handed a big fitness boost in the next couple of weeks, as Phil Hay has delivered an update on the condition of Jack Clarke.Leeds have had horrific luck with injuries this season, made even worse by the fact that Marcelo Bielsa’s squad was relatively thin to begin with.Clarke became the latest man on the injury list at Middlesbrough, as the youngster was stretchered from the Leeds sideline during the 1-1 draw at the Riverside.Clarke was taken to hospital for tests, and it is now understood that he was suffering from a virus.According to The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Phil Hay, the teenager will do indoor gym work this week and return to outdoor training next week, though not yet with the first team.

A boost before the Baggies

While Clarke still has plenty of recovery time in front of him, the fact that he is looking to shake it off and return as quickly as possible is fantastic news for Bielsa.

Kemar Roofe is out with a knee injury and Pablo Hernandez will turn 34 in April and has played a lot of games this season, so depth is absolutely crucial as the Whites look to keep pace with the teams around them.

Clarke’s ability to beat a defender and whip in a dangerous cross is matched by very few wingers in the Championship, and while next Tuesday’s clash against QPR may come too soon, he is surely eyeing the hugely important fixtue at the start of next month.

Leeds welcome West Brom to Elland Road on March 1 in a match that could ultimately decide who goes up automatically and who endures the play-off gauntlet, and Clarke’s potential return will be giving the Baggies’ full-backs nightmares.