Arsenal fans came up with a brutal 'half our f*cking team' scored chant to mock Burnley fans as the five-star Gunners ran riot at Turf Moor.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Everton’s hunt for European football took a huge boost last weekend.
The Toffees bounced back from a crushing defeat to Aston Villa by defeating an in-form West Ham side 1-0.
Carlo Ancelotti admitted that securing Champions League football was essentially impossible but they are still very much in the race to secure a spot in the Europa or Europa Conference League.
It would be a deserved return to continental action for a team who have looked rejuvenated under the Italian coach.
Unfortunately, their hopes of beating Villa on Thursday night when the two sides meet again has taken a big blow.
[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-everton-transfer-news-lukaku-leao-bissouma-berge-antony” title=”Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]
That’s because they will be without the services of Yerry Mina when they travel to the Midlands.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti said: “Yerry had a problem on his adductor. It is not a big problem. He tried to train yesterday but he was a little bit uncomfortable. I hope to recover him for the game against Sheffield United.”
The manager added: “Even if he does not play on Sunday, I think he can play in the last two games of the season. He has a really small problem.”
Mina was hauled off just after the hour mark of Everton’s win over the Hammers last time out but they were able to see through the game with a clean sheet.
Having him missing on this occasion will be a huge blow, though.
After all, it could leave Ancelotti with the gutting decision to play Mason Holgate again. The young centre-back endured a torrid afternoon when the Toffees last faced Villa just over a week ago.
Holgate was robbed of possession by Ollie Watkins after turning back towards his own goal which ultimately resulted in the opening strike of the match.
Thus, if the Englishman returns to the starting XI on Thursday evening, he will have to put in a much-improved performance.
Fortunately, Watkins will be suspended on Thursday but with this incredibly tall frame, Mina will be a more difficult proposition for Villa’s attack to deal with.
One of Everton’s primary goals this summer is to sign a central defender.
After Mason Holgate’s inept display against Aston Villa last weekend you can certainly understand why.
He inexplicably turned towards his own goal and then lost it as Ollie Watkins raced towards the area before sticking the ball beyond Jordan Pickford.
It was a wake-up call for Carlo Ancelotti that if the Toffees are to have any chance of being back among Europe’s elite, they need improvement.
Everton have already been linked with Kalidou Koulibaly but another defender based in Italy could be a viable option too; Merih Demiral.
The Juventus centre-back could set Ancelotti and Marcel Brands back €30m (£26m) this summer but he’d add plenty of assurance to their backline.
A dominant figure, the centre-half has been recognised as an “absolute beast” by scout Jacek Kulig.
Everton’s defence hasn’t been filled with the most awe-inspiring players in recent years and it feels like a long time since Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott were in charge of proceedings at Goodison Park.
That said, Demiral could evoke memories of Lescott if he pens terms in Merseyside this summer.
[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-everton-transfer-news-coutinho-ancelotti-hawng-sarr” title=”Read the latest Everton transfer news!”]
First and foremost, they are both superb when it comes to playing out from the back. Calm and composed in possession of the ball, the Turk has registered a pass success rate of 93.2% for Juventus this term.
Lescott may not have reached the same dizzy heights but he was still impressive in this regard, regularly completing over 85% of his passes after his move to Manchester City.
Their reading of the game is also incredibly similar. Demiral has enough pace that it doesn’t cause himself a problem but more often than not, he stops the source of the attack before it’s even occurred.
This is incredibly similar to Lescott, a defender who won 1.9 interceptions per match throughout his career. Everton’s transfer target, meanwhile, has won 1.7 per game during 2020/21.
The former Toffee was a brick wall during the early stages of his career and also used his 6 foot 3 frame and stocky build to bustle opponents to one side.
The ex-England international was aggressive and consistently on the front foot, a style of play that bears great similarity to Demiral; he also stands at 6 foot 3.
If Everton are ever going to qualify for Europe, they need more consistency at the back. Luckily, that’s something the 23-year-old would bring to Goodison.
Carlo Ancelotti's side missed their main man as they were forced to settle for a point.
For the first time, Real Madrid missed Jude Bellingham. Los Blancos have coped without him before – winning each of the games he has sat out. But this time, the Englishman's attacking impetus was vital. And Carlo Ancelotti's side looked short on ideas without it, struggling their way to a 1-1 draw with a brave Rayo Vallecano side.
Los Blancos took the lead early, Federico Valverde providing an inch-perfect cross to Joselu – who finished a well-constructed counter. Rayo were handed a lifeline by an Eduardo Camavinga handball inside the box. Raul de Tomas smashed the ensuing penalty into the net. Madrid almost scored a second on the brink of half-time, when Valverde cracked a volley off the post.
But Los Blancos offered little else, and Rayo looked more likely to score after the break. Aurelien Tchouameni prevented a certain Rayo goal early in the second half, chasing down Alvaro Garcia and preventing his effort with a clever lunge. Late Madrid changes added some attacking thrust. Toni Kroos turned in a classy cameo, and forced a neat save from a free-kick.
Still, it wasn't enough, and Ancelotti's side were forced to settle for a frustrating point.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Vallecas…
Chelsea have reportedly earmarked Brentford's Ivan Toney as their number one striker target, with Paris Saint-Germain tracking Victor Osimhen.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
After a disastrous Women's World Cup under Vlatko Andonovski, U.S. Soccer's move to appoint the Chelsea boss makes a lot of sense
Saturday November 4 was a standard day at the office for Chelsea and Emma Hayes. Coming up against an Aston Villa side that took the Women’s Super League by storm last season, the Blues were ruthless in a 6-0 thrashing that took the Blues to the table’s summit. Fran Kirby was outstanding as she continued her comeback, Niamh Charles maintained her impressive early season form and Chelsea kept its unbeaten start to the season intact. And then, just over 30 minutes after the full-time whistle had blown, the news broke.
“Chelsea FC can today confirm that highly decorated Chelsea Women’s manager Emma Hayes OBE will depart the club at the end of the season to pursue a new opportunity outside of the WSL and club football,” a statement read. It sent social media into an absolute frenzy. That wasn’t the end of it, either.
Within minutes, there was more, with report after report after report all-but-confirming that her next destination will be the biggest job in the women’s game: Head coach of the United States women’s national team.
Hayes has been in charge of Chelsea for almost 12 years now. She has fought for investment in this team, won every honor on offer domestically and turned the Blues into the dominant force in English women’s football. She loves the club and she loves the job. Many have wondered for a while, then, what could possibly turn her head. What would be a worthy next chapter? What could possibly follow this one?
It looks like the answer to those questions is the USWNT. For a programme in disarray after its earliest World Cup exit in history this summer, this is a huge boost. One of the most successful and well-respected coaches in the sport is on her way, with her appointment finally being confirmed on Tuesday. So is this the dream appointment it appears?
Sunderland have been dealt a huge injury blow ahead of their League One play-off run-in.
In a statement posted on the club website, Lee Johnson confirmed that the on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers defender, Dion Sanderson, has been ruled out for around six weeks due to a back injury, meaning the 21-year-old looks set to miss the remainder of the Black Cats’ campaign.
Speaking to SAFC.com, Johnson said: “Dion will be out for six weeks. He’s a good personality and a great kid first and foremost, but the bit that most impressed me was how he stepped up in the leadership and communications skills areas, which shows he has a bright future. It’s a big blow.”
Following their loss to Blackpool on Tuesday evening, Sunderland’s next two league fixtures against Plymouth Argyle and Northampton Town have pretty much become must-win games for Johnson’s side, as the Black Cats now sit in fourth place in the League One standings, a mere four points above Oxford United in seventh. If they fail to win one of the games, they could easily find themselves missing out on the play-offs altogether.
As such, the news of a serious injury to a player Johnson dubbed a “Rolls-Royce” will have undoubtedly come as a huge blow for the 39-year-old, not only because the Wolves loanee has highly impressed over his 26 League One appearances for the club – averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.92 – but also because of the fact that three of the club’s other centre-backs – Arbenit Xhemajli, Jordan Willis and Tom Flanagan – are also sidelined due to injury.
This means that Johnson will have to persevere with playing Luke O’Nien out of position in the centre of defence, in addition to playing central midfielder Max Power at right-back, for the foreseeable future, something which would not appear to bode overly well for what remains of Sunderland’s season – as the club are now winless in their last seven fixtures.
However, on a slightly brighter note, Johnson did suggest that right-back Conor McLaughlin could be available for the Northampton game, while also hinting that Flanagan could also be back for the club’s potential play-off fixtures – if they can manage to hold on to their top-six spot.
Still, losing Sanderson ahead of such crucial games is a huge blow, one that Johnson will be gutted about.
In other news: Lost possession 22 times: Johnson surely furious with shocking £5k-p/w Sunderland ace – opinion
Glasgow Rangers fans love a video shared on the club’s Twitter page as they urge fans to renew their season tickets ahead of the new campaign.
This season has been a wonderful one for the Gers so far. They have already sewn up the Scottish Premiership title – they lead the table by 20 points (BBC) – and are just three matches away from going the whole league term unbeaten. Not only that, they are also into the Scottish Cup quarter-finals after knocking out Celtic in the previous round, meaning they are in with a chance of a domestic double.
Unfortunately, supporters have been unable to attend matches throughout the term due to the coronavirus pandemic – however, that didn’t stop the club selling out their season tickets (via The Daily Record). To convince fans to do the same ahead of the new season, the club released a rather emotional video.
It was shared on their official Twitter account, and it delighted the fans. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.
“Ooh Mr. Rangers. That is filthy.”
Credit: @Richard56830486
“Wow!! Talk about tugging on your heart strings!!!”
Credit: @ECMcElhatton
“Goosebumps watching that”
Credit: @papatam57
“Mr @RangersFC, that put a massive lump in my throat! Love this club!”
Credit: @EnsomVargr
“This is absolutely brilliant, well done to all involved”
Credit: @charliearchibal
“Oh hwg 10 in a row”
Credit: @sagahansenOF
In other news, Rangers fans react to this man’s comments.
The legendary striker is finally in charge of a club going places and now is the time to prove he is a great coach and not just a big name
Some of the best coaches, both from the past and present, were brilliant footballers in their day. Take Johan Cruyff, Pep Guardiola, Diego Simeone, Didier Deschamps, Carlo Ancelotti or Zinedine Zidane. Yet from Diego Maradona and John Barnes through to Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard or Andrea Pirlo, there is also a wealth of evidence to show that top footballers do not always make top coaches.
Owners and directors, however, continue to trust former greats with masterminding their teams despite having scarce or unconvincing track records in the dugout. Birmingham City are the latest club to put their eggs in the basket of one of the best players of the modern era after hiring Wayne Rooney.
Rooney's predecessor, John Eustace, had made a strong start to the season and taken the Blues to sixth position in the Championship, with realistic hopes of qualifying for the play-offs. In his last two outings as manager, he had overseen big wins over Huddersfield Town and local rivals West Brom.
Eustace's reward was to be booted out of his job and replaced by Rooney, whose D.C. United had just finished ninth in their MLS Eastern Conference and failed to make the play-offs. His two-year stint in charge of Derby County, meanwhile, ultimately ended in relegation, albeit in very challenging circumstances.
Rooney's appointment will undoubtedly further raise the global profile of Birmingham, whose new American owners, which include NFL legend Tom Brady, have huge ambitions. But hiring him is also a huge gamble. Rooney has so far built his coaching reputation on fighting fires and damage limitation. Now his task is to lead Birmingham back to the Premier League for the first time in 13 years. Falling below the sixth place Eustace had achieved and missing out on the play-offs would be seen as a huge failure.
So how good a coach is Rooney and is he likely to fall into the category of Cruyff and Zidane, or Henry and Lampard?
Mario Balotelli says new recruits at AC Milan, such as Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah, need to do more to support the efforts of Rafael Leao.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below