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Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Tottenham captain Gary Mabbutt has backed his old side to overcome the challenge of Dinamo Zagreb before securing a positive result against Arsenal in the north London derby.

Jose Mourinho’s side take on the Croatian outfit in the first leg of their last-16 Europa League tie then follow that up with a trip to the Emirates to face their rivals in a big week for the club.

And Mabbutt, who rates the squad Mourinho has at disposal very highly, is confident they can pick up some good results.

Discussing the upcoming fixtures in an exclusive interview with FFC, Mabbutt said:

“Don’t even look at the form book at the moment.

“I would look at his players and the group of players and the way those players are playing as individuals and as a team, the confidence within the squad, the camaraderie within the squad, and I think we have all of those. So, you know, I’d be going into these games with confidence that we can get two positive results.”

Indeed, the north London club have certainly been performing of late after a difficult period, with Gareth Bale being one player who has really stepped up during this resurgence.

The Welshman was on fire in that recent 4-1 victory against Crystal Palace, managing to grab two goals for himself. And he was joined by a usual suspect in Harry Kane, who was also able to find the back of the net on two occasions.

If both players can carry this sort of form into the games against Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal, then there is a good chance that Mourinho will get the results he wants from these two important fixtures.

Gylfi Sigurdsson emerged as Carlo Ancelotti’s real hero as Everton beat Southampton 1-0 on Monday night to edge closer to the Champions League positions.

The Iceland international was given the nod to open the action at Goodison Park in favour of star summer signing James Rodriguez, who failed to make the matchday squad due to a minor knock.

Rodriguez had registered his fourth assist of the Premier League season at Anfield, as the Colombian’s perfectly weighted pass found Richarlison to open the scoring against Liverpool inside the third minute of the Merseyside derby.

Sigurdsson wasted little time in filling Rodriguez’s boots at home to Southampton, with the £16m-rated playmaker feeding the ball through to Richarlison to net his third goal in as many top-flight fixtures.

It is the Brazilian’s best run in front of the net all term, having previously failed to score in successive league ties since hitting home against Crystal Palace and Arsenal in February 2020.

Richarlison struck his fifth goal of the Premier League season and 11th in all competitions after rounding Fraser Foster inside the ninth minute, having been found by Sigurdsson with an inch-perfect pass through the Southampton backline.

Everton are now level on 43 points with sixth-placed Liverpool and could move inside the top-four of the Premier League standings with a win over relegation-threatened West Bromwich Albion on Thursday night, during what is the Blues’ game in hand.

The Toffees often struggled to establish any momentum during Monday night’s win over the Saints, yet Sigurdsson regularly found pockets of space to operate in and prove a creative force.

No player for either side offered close to the level of creativity that Sigurdsson provided, with the 31-year-old delivering four of Everton’s five key passes. His efforts further accounted for double the tally offered by the visiting outfit (2), per WhoScored.

Rodriguez has only provided more than three key passes in two Premier League fixtures since making his Toffees debut at Tottenham Hotspur in September, with five in the north London affair and an additional five registered in defeat to Leeds United in November.

With two of Sigurdsson’s four key passes also leading to big chances created, the £100,000-per-week maestro was additionally named as SofaScore’s Man of the Match with an eight out of 10 rating – no other Everton player created a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Rodriguez last achieved a SofaScore match rating above Sigurdsson’s 8/10 during a Premier League fixture in November’s 1-0 defeat to Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites, when the 29-year-old was awarded an 8.1 rating.

Sigurdsson making sure Everton were not left wanting more without Rodriguez on the field ensured he emerged as Ancelotti’s real hero, and not goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The England number one was called on to produce a string of strong saves in the second half as Southampton sought to salvage a draw, denying the likes of Jannik Vestergaard to the misery of Danny Ings who kicked the post in frustration.

AND in other news, Everton are tracking a prolific 15-goal winger backed to reach another level…

Many Sheffield Wednesday fans have flooded to a tweet by Dom Howson following the loss in the Championship to Millwall on Saturday.

Massimo Luongo was missing from the squad from the match and he provided an update on why this was the case.

The journalist tweeted: ‘Neil Thompson on Massimo Luongo’s absence’ and linked the post to an article in which manager Neil Thompson explained that the player had ‘tweaked his thigh on Thursday in training.’

Thompson provided more information as he said: ‘Hopefully it is not too bad. We will have to reassess him this week and see where he goes with that.’

Luongo already missed nine games when he was out for 41 days earlier this season (Transfermarkt) and this latest update has seen many Owls fans grow frustrated at the player. One fan said ‘He’s made of glass’.

The 28-year-old Australian midfielder has managed twelve appearances in the division this season (two of these from the bench). His stats from these games emphasise that he has a key defensive influence. He has managed 2.4 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.3 clearances a game this campaign (WhoScored). These stats show that he loves to get stuck in and this is exactly what the Owls need in a relegation battle, so it is understandable to see fans frustrated by his injuries.

Here is what they said following the update:

“Aka almen abdi”

Credit: @vaughan_22

“Constantly injured but it doesn’t matter because he once played a load of games for QPR”

Credit: @stevenowls

“He’s made of glass”

Credit: @stevie1953

“Stop making excuses for everything”

Credit: @Ian83845067

“Get rid waste of space”

Credit: @LeeThom73693642

“More importantly, what about the teams absence in the second half???”

Credit: @SteveFoshFisher

In other news, fans were discussing midfielder Izzy Brown. Have a read why here!

Former Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton has been praising Anwar El Ghazi for his recent performances at the Midlands club through the December period.

What Hutton had to say about El Ghazi

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton said: “I’ve played with him and played against him. In training, he can be unstoppable. In games, I’m watching him thinking, do that, take them on, go forward. You’re urging him to do it because you know he can do it.

There’s been question marks hanging over him for a while now, he’s been getting a bit of stick from fans. But I think he showed what kind of character he is in the Wolves game when he stepped up for the penalty. That’s where it’s turned for him. He’s definitely a confidence player. He’s the type of guy that sometimes needs the arm around him, and that’s just his personality, that’s the way he is.

In his recent form, he’s been absolutely outstanding. I hope he keeps with it because there’s no reason he can’t. He’s got five in five, he’s playing in a strong team, they’re attacking, they’re going forward, and they are playing to his strengths. So I think he can keep it up as long as he wants to.”

The winger has turned things around at Villa

It has been a remarkable turnaround for El Ghazi, who has scored five goals in his eight Premier League appearances so far this season (Transfermarkt). These goals have come in his last six games and before the first of these in December, the attacker hadn’t scored in the division since January 12th 2020.

El Ghazi has been a great attacking threat and has been a handful for defences as he has managed an average of three shots, 1.3 key passes and 1.9 successful dribbles per game (WhoScored).

It truly is magnificent to see how much a goal can help a player’s form and confidence, and it is understandable to see why Hutton praises El Ghazi’s play so much following his recent run of form.

In other news, two defenders could leave Aston Villa in 2021, find out more here!

Sheffield Wednesday are among the teams chasing a loan move for Jarrad Branthwaite this month, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Owls are said to be one of several Championship sides lining up a temporary spell for the promising Everton centre-back, as per the ECHO.

The 18-year-old is thought to be open to the idea of a short stint away from his parent club to gain some valuable first-team minutes under his belt after a frustrating campaign.

League rivals Blackburn Rovers are the only other side mentioned in the report.

Shades of Michael Hector

With the Toffees teen down the pecking order, behind the likes of Michael Keane, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey, a move to Hillsborough Stadium would certainly prove beneficial.

In recent weeks, Wednesday have suffered injuries to their backline, notably Chey Dunkley and Julian Borner, whilst last season’s Player of the Year, Dominic Iorfa, has been ruled out for the entire season.

The Owls have even lost central defensive loanee Aden Flint back to parent club Cardiff City, so there is a need for additions at the back.

Since his debut last season, Branthwaite has been restricted to a total of only five senior appearances and requires game time, and Wednesday know all too well how loans like this can turn out as Michael Hector was a massive hit in south Yorkshire only two seasons ago.

Many fans wanted his return after a successful loan spell from Chelsea, though he went on to sign for Fulham for £8m.

And the two bear some similarities – both are at least 6 foot 4 inches in height and have pacey attributes despite their towering presence.

Indeed, Branthwaite has been dubbed one of the fastest players at Goodison Park (Sky Sports, via the News and Star) whilst Hector was lauded for his speed by the Premier League’s official website after transforming Fulham’s backline.

The teenager’s former manager at Carlisle has previously waxed lyrical over his potential, claiming: “The truth is, I think he has got everything. He can pass the ball almost equally as good with both feet. He’s a terrific footballer.”

Considering he’s only on a reported £15k-per-week, he could fit into the Owls’ wage bill nicely as Flint was thought to be on the same amount and he’s no longer at the club.

Dejphon Chansiri must swoop for Branthwaite before one of their rivals get to him this month.

AND in other news, How Sheffield Wednesday could look under managerial front-runner Paul Cook…

Manchester City return to Premier League action on Boxing Day with a home game against Steve Bruce’s Newcastle United.

City were in fine form in midweek, as they comfortably beat Arsenal 4-1 at the Emirates to secure their spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, despite Guardiola making a lot of changes to his side.

However, despite the impressive performance, we feel it’s likely he will pick a side similar to the one that saw off Southampton in City’s last Premier League fixture, although on current form, Guardiola may opt to rest some of his key players against the goal-shy Toon.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects the Spanish manager to line his side up at the Etihad, with eight changes from the starting team that beat Arsenal…

Ederson reclaims his place in goal after Zak Steffen earned a rare start against the Gunners, with the Brazilian no doubt hoping to improve on his excellent clean sheet record from so far this season.

There are three changes in defence, with Benjamin Mendy replacing Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back, as this match should allow the Frenchman to push forward a lot, whilst John Stones should return at centre-back, despite Aymeric Laporte’s goal in midweek.

Kyle Walker replaces Joao Cancelo at right-back, with the Englishman still clearly an important part of Guardiola’s side, with the Spanish manager having heavily praised him earlier in the season, saying:

“It was an incredible signing for Man City. I want to thank the club for bringing him here.”

Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne return in midfield, in place of Fernandinho and Phil Foden, who are perhaps both unfortunate to miss out after impressive performances, although Guardiola will surely want to rotate as much as possible over Christmas to try and avoid injuries.

Finally, in attack, Gabriel Jesus keeps his place after breaking his goal-scoring duck at the Emirates, whilst Ferran Torres and Raheem Sterling replace Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva on the wings.

And, in other news… Man City can save millions on Aguero replacement with prolific academy striker impressing in training 

Tottenham Hotspur have relinquished their place atop the Premier League table as they were beaten by defending champions Liverpool at Anfield this evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side had plenty of chances to win the game at 1-1 through Harry Kane and Steven Bergwijn, who both should have done better in front of goal.

Heung-min Son cancelled out Mo Salah’s fortuitous opener before half-time but Roberto Firmino popped up with a header beating Toby Alderweireld in injury time.

Indeed plenty of Spurs fans watching from home were desperate to see the Dutch dynamo hooked off earlier than he was, but arguably, another player cost them a result in Merseyside.

Kane was uncharacteristically lightweight and wasteful, missing two sitters during the second half.

The 27-year-old was graded as SofaScore’s second-worst player (6.4) having lost four duels (33% won) and possession ten times as well as firing four shots off-target, via SofaScore.

He had scored nine and assisted ten in the Premier League prior to kick-off this evening but his blank this time actually cost them the win, if not at the very least, a point.

Kane also made just 12 passes at an accuracy rate of 71%, failing to register a single key pass nor could he manage a successful dribble either.

A vast difference to his usual mean of 1.8 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game, as per WhoScored.

football.london lambasted Bergwijn in their post-match ratings but perhaps their attention should be averted to the England captain as he badly let Mourinho down with his missed opportunities.

The Express were more scathing over Kane, giving him a five out of ten – “Anthony Taylor likely touched the ball more times than the England captain, who had one glorious chance from a corner but completely fluffed his header.”

Valued at a whopping £108m by Transfermarkt, the 6 foot 2 powerhouse must be doing better.

As we say, it was so unlike Kane but still, a horrible night to forget.

AND in other news, £64m-rated Spurs sensation has become Mourinho’s incredible sacrificial lamb…

With just one year left on his current contract, it doesn’t look like there’s a future at Elland Road for outcast Barry Douglas.

The 31-year-old – who is currently on loan with Blackburn Rovers – has failed to make an impact on the club he joined just two years ago. Douglas missed 20 games on his debut Leeds season through a plethora of injures, including suspension, injury and simply falling down Marcelo Bielsa’s pecking order.

Before he headed out on loan, he had an even less impressive 2019/20 campaign, missing 31 matches and being limited to as little as just one minute cameo appearances. Even for Blackburn he has been left on the shelf, featuring just twice for his loan club so far.

A disappointing signing for Leeds

According to Sky Sports, the Whites forked out £3million for Douglas, who is currently on a £10,000 per week contract. For a club not known for splashing the cash, this will be an infuriating situation for Nick Hammond and Andrea Radrizzani. Given the current financial impact of coronavirus too, Leeds aren’t in a position to be wasting money.

It was a suspicious decision to send Douglas out on loan during his final 12 months under current terms. The left-back will now be able to leave the club for free next summer, unless Blackburn opt to make his stay permanent. However, they cannot rely on the Rovers to make such a deal happen. Should Douglas leave as a free agent, it will essentially be a total of more than £4million, taking into account his transfer fee and salary.

Phil Hay recently claimed that the club are looking to give the veteran an extension in order to avoid his deal running out next year. No talks have come to fruition yet, meaning they must act fast if they want to salvage a fraction of what they initially paid for the Elland Road flop.

In other news, Leif Davis could make huge statement with performance against Nicolas Pepe…

After easing to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Dundalk in the Europa League on Thursday night, Arsenal return to Premier League action when they renew their rivalry with Manchester United.

The Gunners are in the midst of a difficult patch in the top-flight, falling to defeats to the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Leicester in a short few weeks, leaving them stumbling.

And with United seemingly flying at the moment after a couple of huge Champions League victories, including over PSG and RB Leipzig, things look ominous for Mikel Arteta’s side when they travel to Old Trafford on Sunday.

Below is a look at the line-up Arteta may put out as he seeks for a momentum-boosting win in the Premier League.

After dropping out for summer signing Runar Runarsson in midweek, Bernd Leno will surely reclaim his number one spot in between the sticks.

In front of the German, the Arsenal boss may revert back to a five-man defence in order to give his team more security, and having rested a few of his key first-team stars on Thursday, will surely all return at the weekend.

That could see Kieran Tierney, Gabriel, Hector Bellerin and Bukayo Saka come in, with Shkodran Mustafi keeping his place from the game against Dundalk.

With Granit Xhaka surprisingly named as a starter in the clash against the Irish high-flyers, the Swiss star may be the man to drop out against United, with Thomas Partey and Dani Ceballos holding down the midfield.

And further forward, Arteta could make the huge call of giving Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the nod up front, with a returning Willian and Nicolas Pepe flanking him on either side.

Predicted XI: Leno; Bellerin, Mustafi, Gabriel, Tierney, Saka; Partey, Ceballos; Pepe, Aubameyang, Willian.

Glasgow Rangers have completed the signing of Aaron Cervantes from Orange County SC.

Cervantes joins the Rangers academy

The Ibrox outfit have a partnership with the American side and they have made use of it with this signing. The 18-year-old goalkeeper, who has already represented the United States in their squad for the Under-17 World Cup last year, will join the Glasgow club’s youth set-up.

Speaking about the deal, ‘Gers academy head Craig Mulholland said:

“We are delighted to welcome Aaron to Rangers and have enjoyed watching his excellent progress with our partners at Orange County.

“He has been exposed at an early age to first team football and will now continue this with a loan in Europe as part of this creative agreement.”

European loan to continue Cervantes’ development

Despite his young age, Cervantes has already experienced first team football. He has made 18 appearances for Orange County whilst he also played in the the Four Nations Tournament and the Sportchain Cup as part of the USA’s under-17 side, both in 2018 (as per rangers.co.uk).

Between the sticks, Steven Gerrard already has plenty of choice. Allan McGregor and Jon McLaughlin are the first-choice options, with Andy Firth as a further back-up. That is not even including Robby McCrorie, who is currently on loan at Livingston.

As such, a short-team spell away from Ibrox would be the best thing for Cervantes. Hopefully, he can prove Ross Wilson and everyone at Rangers were right to take him to Scotland.

‘Gers fans, do you see Cervantes as a long-term successor to McGregor in nets for the first team? Let us know what you think by commenting below!