After Marko Arnautovic’s unnecessary antics threatened to derail West Ham United’s season in January, it’s no surprise Manuel Pellegrini’s seemingly sidelined him from his plans as of late.

The controversial striker may indeed have his move granted in the summer and, in fact, he probably should do. Yes, there was the new contract but – seriously – this coming summer needs to be where the Hammers can replace him with someone better.

They’ll be looking to get a lethal goal-scorer for the influential Arnautovic and according to reports (via Daily Star), the Hammers are aiming to sign La Liga star Maximiliano Gomez from Celta Vigo. The Uruguayan international’s earned a stellar reputation over the years, taking the Spanish top-flight by storm with his excellent work in the final third.

The 22-year-old is quite a complete striker who has a big influence in his team’s attack.  He’s scored 9 goals and assisted 5 so far this season, becoming a vibrant figure in attack. Not only is Maxi a real predator in the ball, latching onto balls with the utmost vigour, he also possesses a knack for creating chances.

While he’s probably not as skilfull as Arnautovic on the ball, he can definitely get the job done with his finishing ability. West Ham are packed with creative talent in midfield and a deadly goal-scorer like Gomez is exactly what Manuel Pellegrini needs to unlock his side’s utmost potential.

David Gold and David Sullivan will have to pay big to goad him out from Celta Vigo. However, if they want to replace the brilliant Arnautovic, the young Uruguayan is perfect to make sure that the sparks and goals in attack don’t wither away.

Hammers fans, would you mind replacing Arnautovic with Gomez in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Michael Owen believes Manchester United will beat West Ham United this weekend, per BetVictor.

The former Red Devils striker insists that the Hammers will taste yet another defeat against the top six.

What’s he said?

Owen believes the Hammers’ record against one of the best clubs in the Premier League will ultimately hold them back against United.

Of course, West Ham beat this weekend’s opponents at the London Stadium earlier this season, running out 3-1 winners.

However, the club have been in poor form recently, losing to Everton and Chelsea in their two most recent outings, and Owen cannot see the Irons beating Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men this weekend.

Writing in his BetVictor blog, he said: “West Ham improved in the second half at Stamford Bridge on Monday, but they were well beaten by Chelsea and I expect United to keep all three points as they look to continue their push for a Champions League berth.

“The Irons have lost six of their last seven away league games and have lost all four away games played so far this season against “big six” sides by an aggregate of 1-10.”

Particularly poor form

The Hammers have been struggling in recent weeks and never showed any likelihood of beating a Chelsea team that have looked vulnerable at points this term.

One would expect Owen to be right.

United are, of course, smarting from their Champions League loss to Barcelona and will surely be out to bounce back this weekend.

With Pellegrini’s men struggling to put a run of form together, one would expect United to stick a few goals past them and take out their frustration from their encounter with the Catalan giants.

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Everton fans on Twitter have slammed Sam Allardyce and made a mockery of his opinion after he claimed that they are still in need of a striker that will get ’15-20 goals a season’.

The former Toffees boss was speaking to talkSPORT about his former club, after he watched them record a stunning 4-0 victory over Manchester United at Goodison Park.

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…

Marco Silva certainly could do with an out-and-out goalscorer up top, as he has seen his side struggle to break down teams at times this season despite some good performances – the 2-0 loss to Fulham in between wins over Arsenal and United is a great example of that.

However, they do have a number of players on double figures for goals this season, with Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson both finding the back of the net 13 times so far in the current campaign.

To make Allardyce’s comments even less well-received by Everton fans is the fact that he spent huge amounts of the likes of Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun whilst at the club, the obvious question being why he didn’t address the issue during his time at Goodison Park.

Let’s see what the Toffees fans having been saying about the former England boss on Twitter…

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It is hardly a hot take to say that Liverpool’s full-backs are arguably the best in the Premier League, and perhaps in Europe for that matter – that much is startlingly obvious.

Both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson have enjoyed exquisite campaigns so far and, regardless of how anyone else in the team plays, those two always seem to bring their A-game and display unerringly consistent performance levels.

It is obvious that they are excellent at what they do, but just how important are they to the Reds’ chances of success?

Are the media letting Jurgen Klopp off lightly for his lack of silverware? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Whilst the in-form Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah hog the headlines most weeks, Liverpool’s results are a lot worse when Alexander-Arnold isn’t involved in proceedings.

According to Soccerbase, the title challengers have drawn and lost the same numbers of games in 21 matches involving the Englishman as they have in seven without him, highlighting just how much his absence affects results. To put it another way, Liverpool have only won 50% of their fixtures when Alexander-Arnold has been absent this season, compared to 75% when he is in the side.

In the two games the England international missed between the end of January and the start of February against Leicester and West Ham, James Milner had to play at right-back seeing as Nathaniel Clyne had been loaned out to Bournemouth.

Those two games could yet have a major impact on the title race, as Liverpool recorded two disappointing 1-1 draws, throwing away four vital points in the process.

In Robertson’s case, his incredible fitness levels mean that he doesn’t miss many games – he has been absent for just two Premier League games, coming against Burnley and Cardiff. Liverpool got an easy six points from those affairs.

However, the captain of the Scottish national team has racked up 11 assists in all competitions this term. No full-back in Europe can boast a better return of assists other than Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich, who has 12 to his name, although it’s crucial to note that he has appeared in midfield 11 times.

Robertson’s tally of nine Premier League assists – his other two have come in the Champions League – is a Premier League club-record amount for Liverpool, and is also the fourth highest in the league behind Eden Hazard, Ryan Fraser and Christian Eriksen – he also has the same amount as Paul Pogba, Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane.

Robertson aside, no defender in the Premier League has recorded more assists than Alexander-Arnold’s six, whilst, as mentioned, Robertson is way out on his own with nine.

On days when Mane and Salah go missing, such as in the 2-1 win over Tottenham, it is telling that both full-backs were directly involved in the two goals as others struggled to impact the game.

Whilst the aforementioned attackers, who are both on 17 Premier League goals for the season – just two off front-runner Sergio Aguero – dominate the headlines and hoover up most of the plaudits, it is Jurgen Klopp’s two wide defenders who are picking up the pieces when the marquee names go missing.

يشهد جدول مباريات اليوم الأحد 25– 10– 2020 إقامة عدد من المباريات الهامة في الكونفدرالية والدوريات الإنجليزي والإيطالي والإسباني والفرنسي.

ويترقب مشجعو الكرة المصرية مباراة نهائي الكونفدرالية التي تجمع بين بيراميدز ونهضة بركان، في المرة الأولى التي يصعد بها ممثل مصر لنهائي قاري في تاريخه منذ إنشاءه عام 2018 بمسماه الجديد.

وفي الدوري الإنجليزي تتواصل مباريات الجولة الخامسة من المسابقة بعدة مواجهات هامة أبرزها آرسنال والذي يضم في صفوف المصري محمد النني ضد منافسه ليستر سيتي.

كما تستكمل منافسات الجولة السابعة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني بعدد من المباريات القوية.

أما الدوري الإيطالي فتتواصل فيه عجلة الجولة الخامسة من البطولة المحلية، والتي تشهد اليوم ظهور فريقي نابولي ويوفنتوس واللذان يرغبان في مواصلة اللحاق بقمة الدوري في صراع قوي مع ميلان المتصدر.

وفي الدوري الفرنسي هناك قمة نارية تجمع بين فريقي ليون ضد منافسه موناكو ضمن لقاءات الجولة الثامنة من البطولة. مواعيد مباريات اليوم الأحد 25-10-2020 والقنوات الناقلةموعد مباراة بيراميدز ونهضة بركان في نهائي الكونفدرالية

بيراميدز يواجه منافسه نهضة بركان في التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والعاشرة بتوقيت السعودية والثامنة بتوقيت المغرب، على أن تذاع عبر قناة beIN Sports HD 7.

طالع أيضًا.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة بيراميدز ونهضة بركان في نهائي الكونفدرالية

طالع أيضًا.. تشكيل بيراميدز أمام نهضة بركان.. إيريك تراوري يقود خط الهجوم مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإنجليزي اليوم

ساوثهمبتون أمام إيفرتون في تمام الساعة الرابعة عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والخامسة بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 2.

وولفرهامبتون أمام نيو كاسل يونايتد في تمام الساعة السادسة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسابعة والنصف بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 1.

ليستر سيتي أمام آرسنال في تمام الساعة التاسعة والربع مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والعاشرة والربع بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 2. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإسباني اليوم

بلد الوليد أمام ديبورتيفو ألافيس في تمام الساعة الثالثة بتوقيت القاهرة والرابعة بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 3.

فياريال أمام قادش في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسادسة بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 3.

خيتافي أمام غرناطة في تمام الساعة السابعة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والثامنة والنصف بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 3.

هويسكا أمام ريال سوسيداد في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والحادية عشر بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 3. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الإيطالي اليوم

كالياري أمام كروتوني في تمام الساعة الواحدة والنصف ظهرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والثانية والنصف بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 4.

بينفينتو أمام نابولي في تمام الساعة الرابعة عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والخامسة بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 4.

سبيزيا أمام بارما في تمام الساعة الرابعة عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والخامسة بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 5.

فيورنتينا أمام أودينيزي في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والثامنة بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 4.

يوفنتوس أمام هيلاس فيرونا في تمام الساعة العاشرة إلا ربع بتوقيت القاهرة والحادية عشر إلا ربع بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 4. مواعيد مباريات الدوري الفرنسي اليوم

بوردو أمام نيم أوليمبيك في تمام الساعة الرابعة عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والخامسة بتوقيت السعودية، وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 6.

ستاد بريست أمام ستراسبورج في تمام الساعة الرابعة عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والخامسة بتوقيت السعودية.

مينز أمام سانت إيتيان في تمام الساعة الرابعة عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والخامسة بتوقيت السعودية، وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 7.

نيس أمام ليل في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والسابعة بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 6.

ليون أمام موناكو في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة والحادية عشر بتوقيت السعودية وتذاع عبر beIN Sports HD 6.

يمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة على مركز المباريات من هنا

كشف المدرب الهولندي رونالد كومان المدير الفني لنادي برشلونة، كواليس عناقه مع ليونيل ميسي، نجم هجوم الفريق، بعد نهاية مباراة يوفنتوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

برشلونة انتصر خارج قواعده على يوفنتوس، بثنائية نظيفة، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين، مساء أمس، الأربعاء، على ملعب “أليانز ستاديوم”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات لمباريات المجموعة السابعة بدوري الأبطال (طالع تقرير المباراة).

وقال كومان في المؤتمر الصحفي عقب نهاية المباراة: “العناق مع ميسي؟ لم تكن علاقتي مع ليو مُعقدة أبدًا”.

وأضاف: “لقد تحدثنا بوضوح في الاجتماع الذي عقدناه (بداية الموسم)، وعندما عاد ليو فعل كل شيء من أجلنا للفوز بالمباريات”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بونوتشي: ارتكبنا أخطاء سهلت الفوز لـ برشلونة

وواصل: “الشيء الوحيد الذي أخبرت به ميسي، أنه يجب علينا حسم المباراة مبكرًا”.

وبسؤاله ماذا كان ينقص أنطوان جريزمان لإحراز هدف أجاب: “بالنسبة لي فقط الحظ، لم يكن محظوظًا، يُمكنه الاستمرار في العمل، وهدفه سيأتي”.

وعن رأيه في أداء عثمان ديمبلي: “لا أريد التركيز على لاعب بعينه، الفريق بأكمله أظهر إيمانًا وثقة، وعثمان أظهر شخصيته أمام واحد من أقوى الفرق في أوروبا”.

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Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter to react after Florian Lejeune suffered a serious injury in the 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace at St James’ Park.

The issue, which appears to be a damaged cruciate ligament, is not the first severe knee injury that the Frenchman has endured throughout his time on Tyneside.

Has injury cruely robbed Sean Longstaff of a potential England place? The Magpie Channel’s Matty belives he was nailed on in the video below…

Lejeune came into the current season with an injury to his right knee after damaging it in pre-season, and only returned to training back in October – now, however, he looks set for another spell on the sidelines with damage to his other knee.

The extent of his injury remains to be seen, although Magpies boss Rafa Benitez did little to sugarcoat matters when he said that: “It seems bad”.

The former Eibar defender left the pitch on a stretcher to round off a truly miserable day for the club, and many Newcastle fans on Twitter have been sharing their sympathies with the unfortunate 27-year-old…

Liverpool fans kept the title race alive with a 2-0 win away at Cardiff yesterday and it was a win that they had to work hard for. Goals from Gerginio Wijnaldum and James Milner secured it, and they had their scares along the way. One of those scares saw Fabinho withdrawn with a head injury, and the fans are desperate for him to be okay.

The Brazilian defensive midfielder was rested from the start by Jurgen Klopp, as the German gaffer obviously has one eye on the Champions League clash against Barcelona next week. It looked to be a clever decision, but when Fabinho did enter the fray in the second half he lasted just four minutes, clashing heads with Kenneth Zohore and going off in the 75th after entering in the 71st minute.

The fears will be that the ex-Monaco man has suffered a concussion, and if he has then Jurgen Klopp made the correct decision by bringing him off. If he has to miss a couple of days then so be it, but given the research going into head injuries and the recent publicity it’s had, there’s no way the German tactician could justify leaving his midfield enforcer on, especially in a game that they were already winning.

You can read the Reds’ calls for Fabinho to be okay here:

The Kopites are desperate to see Fabinho recover properly and will be desperate for him to make it for Barcelona next Wednesday should he miss the Friday night clash with Huddersfield.

The prospect of securing a return to the Premier League is suddenly becoming very real for everyone involved at Sheffield United.

Monday’s stunning 3-0 victory over Hull City was made even sweeter by Leeds United’s unexpected defeat at Brentford which resulted in the Blades opening up a three-point lead over their automatic promotion challengers with just two games left to play this season.

Having been the underdogs for the entirety of this year’s campaign, United are now the ones being chased by their Yorkshire rivals. Although this is the ideal position to be in at this stage of the year, it can bring with it an expectancy to succeed which has to be dealt with in a proper manner by Chris Wilder and his backroom staff.

Whereas the club’s supporters will be expecting their side to secure the four points to finish in the top two in May, the players cannot afford to get carried away as if they do, there is still a chance that Leeds could launch a dramatic comeback in the next two weeks.

However, it could be argued that under the guidance of Wilder, there is little chance that they will be allowed to rest on their laurels as the 51-year-old has installed a fantastic work ethic at Bramall Lane since taking over in 2016.

With Leeds facing the tough task of having to overcome Aston Villa in Saturday’s early fixture, the outcome of this clash could give the Blades the chance to guarantee promotion when they face Ipswich Town later on in the day.

By securing a victory over the Tractor Boys, United could spark an evening of celebration in Sheffield that not many would have predicted at the start of the campaign.

What do you think Blades fans? Can your side overcome the final hurdle in this fascinating battle for promotion? Or do you believe that there is one more twist in the race for the top two? Let us know below.

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Fernandinho made his return to action against Fulham on Saturday lunchtime and what perfect timing for Manchester City ahead of an intense run of fixtures in April. The Brazilian enforcer has been sidelined since the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea and his presence has been sorely missed.

Much has been made of the lack of reliable alternatives in the incredibly complicated midfield anchor role plays at City, and with the summer transfer window just months away Football FanCast writers have been discussing who Pep Guardiola should target to both ease the short term burden on his shoulders and eventually replace him in the starting XI.

Plenty of names have been touted in the media in recent months, and it seems our writers are divided on this one…

Harry Elnaugh

“I think Declan Rice can certainly play that role well. He is only 20 and so has plenty of room for growth – he is surely the next logical replacement now that Frenkie De Jong has agreed to join Barcelona. The West Ham man is very different in style to the aforementioned Dutchman, but is far more physical and his passing game is surprisingly solid. If Pep Guardiola can teach him the dark arts which have made Fernandinho such a lynchpin in the side then Rice will be a great buy.”

James Beavis

“For me it’s Tanguy Ndombele. The Lyon midfielder has it all and would be a better signing than Declan Rice. Not only does he have the strength and defensive abilities to play a defensively-minded role, but he is also an improvement on Fernandinho when it comes to distributing the ball because of the technical qualities he possesses. If Pep Guardiola wants a defensive midfielder who can dominate at the Etihad for years to come, he needs to open up the chequebook for the 22-year-old.”

Billy Myers

“Manchester City need someone strong in the tackle, extremely fit and also someone who is a composed, effective passer of the ball. For me, the Citizens’ dream Fernandinho replacement should be Declan Rice, a man 13 years younger than the Brazilian midfielder and a player who has an enormous ceiling for improvement – what is scary is that the England international is already one hell of a player. He will cost a fair bit, but he will also help improve the reigning Premier League champions’ homegrown quota.”

Ben Goodwin

“Lucas Torreira. Bit out of left-field this one, but linked names like Saul Niguez and Tanguy Ndombele would be a massive risk for Pep Guardiola, because no matter how well they perform in other leagues there is no guarantee it translates to the Premier League. Torreira meanwhile has excelled in his debut season with Arsenal, and from passing to tackling his stats right across the board are almost identical to Fernandinho’s. The Gunners won’t want to lose him, but they didn’t want to lose Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri or Bacary Sagna either. The champions should test Arsenal’s resolve with a big bid this summer.”