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Newcastle visit West Ham on Saturday where they will be hoping they can continue their excellent run of form. There will be a number of key battles in various areas of the pitch but all eyes will surely be on two of the best up and coming English talents in the Premier League.

On the chalkboard

The Magpies, rejuvenated by the January arrival of Miguel Almiron, have hit two past their opponents without reply in their last two games and Rafa Benitez seems to have discovered a winning formula at St James’ Park.

A big part of the success of the Spaniard’s 5-4-1 is the incredible form of Sean Longstaff, who has impressed in holding-midfield since breaking through from the academy.

West Ham have an all-action midfielder of their own, though, in Declan Rice – the 20-year-old has excelled since being deployed further afield this season and has attracted interest from some of the Premier League big boys.

Both men will be essential in providing defensive security for their respective teams, but Longstaff will be hoping he can put in a performance to match, or better, that of Rice.

Keown knows

BT Sport pundit Martin Keown waxed lyrical about 21-year-old Longstaff after he scored his first goal for the Tyneside outfit on Tuesday, comparing the starlet to Michael Carrick and also saying that we should be talking about him more, as opposed to Rice…

“Rice that plays for West Ham. We have often talked about him. I think this fella is maybe better. He’s technically better, the way he strikes the ball.”

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No doubt the former Arsenal defender will be watching closely again on Saturday, as will the Newcastle and West Ham fans who have applauded and slammed Keown since he made those comments, respectively.

Longstaff will be tasked with tackling the likes of Felipe Anderson and Marko Arnautovic, providing the latter returns to fitness that is, in what is surely one of his biggest tests to date in black and white.

The clash at London Stadium may well be an England audition for both, but the pressure is on Longstaff to prove that Keown knows what he’s on about.

According to a recent report from Sky Sports’ Transfer Blog (January 31, 2.11pm), Tottenham opted against moving for striker Michy Batshuayi on Deadline Day. The Belgium international currently plays his football at Premier League giants Chelsea and has done so since leaving Marseille back in 2016, although struggles for regular game time, alongside a testing stint on loan at Valencia, had called his immediate future into question.

And a recent report from Sky Sports suggests that Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs were given the chance to sign the £27 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt), only to opt against doing so – a decision they could seriously live to regret.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the injury to Harry Kane last month has left the North Londoners clinically short in the final third of the pitch, what with Fernando Llorente and Vincent Janssen the only out-and-out strikers at Pochettino’s disposal.

Yes, Son Heung-min has done a fine job deputising in the main striker’s role in the past to suggest that he could do a job there, but doing so would see Spurs lose his creativity and attacking endeavours slightly further back – and while Llorente netted against Watford in the week, neither he nor Janssen have proven up to the task of leading the Tottenham line.

And with Spurs having already bowed out of two competitions since Kane’s injury against Chelsea last month, and facing further testing matches in the league and Champions League in February, adding a striker during January would have made complete sense, not least someone as prolific and predatory in the final third as Batshuayi.

Yes, the 25-year-old may well have struggled on loan at Spanish outfit Valencia in the first half of the season, netting just once in 15 league matches for La Liga club, but that shouldn’t detract from the forward’s remarkable strike rate at Chelsea, as well as the bags of goals he scored for Marseille and Borussia Dortmund in times gone by.

Batshuayi, despite being an irregular starter at Stamford Bridge in his first two seasons at the club, has still managed 19 goals in just 53 appearances for the Blues following his move from Marseille back in 2016 – and such were his struggles for starts, that equates to a goal every 93 minutes.

And with 33 goals in just 78 games for Marseille, thus earning himself a move to Chelsea two-and-a-half years ago, alongside nine goals in only 14 games for Dortmund last season, it’s pretty clear that, when on the field, Batshuayi more often than not makes an impact.

And in a Tottenham team with the likes of Son, Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli, and Lucas Moura just behind, he’d get ample opportunities to score – just look at the chances Llorente had against Watford on Wednesday night.

Clearly then, the 25-year-old would have been the ideal man for Spurs to lead the line in Kane’s absence, and he’d even provide the perfect deputy for the Englishman when he returns from injury – it’s a deal that made sense on many levels.

Yet Pochettino’s men opted against moving for the Belgian star in the last knockings of the transfer window, a decision they could seriously live to regret in the second half of the season.

Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Tottenham Hotspur dismantled Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Wednesday evening in a fixture which will live long in the memory of the stunned supporters.

What’s the word?

Even in the absence of club talisman and chief goal scoring machine Harry Kane, Mauricio Pochettino’s side delivered a European masterclass against the Bundesliga league leaders.

With Son Heung-min continuing to operate in a more central role in attack, Spurs were clinical and decisive at the key moments.

It was a team performance which has been brewing beneath the surface for some time, but individually Son was completely exceptional.

Harry Kane who? The South Korea international’s reputation has rapidly been snowballing this season, with murmurs of potential candidacy for the player of the year award beginning to slip into the British media.

Those claims have certainly been enhanced by his latest showing, and the glowing verdict on his performance delivered by BBC Sport journalist, Phil McNulty, suggests he now sits within an elite bracket alongside some of Europe’s best, per BBC.

‘And in Son, Spurs have a remarkably consistent attacking operator of the highest class, tireless, dangerous, intelligent and never frightened of running the hard yards.

‘Son has also made Borussia Dortmund his personal playthings. He scored five in five games against them when he was with Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen in Germany and now has four in five games for Spurs in Europe. They must be sick of the sight of the South Korean.

‘He is the man keeping Spurs going in an attacking context in the absence of their big hitter and with Kane now on the brink of a return after his latest ankle problems, Son’s contribution cannot be praised highly enough.’

Striker conundrum solved once and for all?

The feeling around Spurs when Kane suffered his injury was one of complete dejection and panic. How would Spurs cope in his absence? Calls for Daniel Levy to get his chequebook out and sign a new attacker were rife but the notoriously transfer-shy club stayed true to form.

Everyone knew that Son was capable of filling in at centre-forward but his temporary absence due to international duty deprived Pochettino of a solid option.

But even then it seemed that the former Bayer Leverkusen man was not considered a long-term answer. His performances in recent weeks, though, have surely changed that perception for good.

Son is just as effective if not more so when deployed through the middle, and his clinical finish to open the scoring showcased the type of composure and lethal instinct which is reserved for the very best strikers in world football.

As McNulty has summed up perfectly ‘he is remarkably consistent attacking operator of the highest class’, so why bother signing a new centre-forward when Pochettino has two of the very best at his disposal?

أفادت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، أن نادي برشلونة تلقى عرضًا رسميًا لضم الشاب بيدري جونزاليس، من أحد الأندية الهولندية خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

صاحب الـ17 عامًا انتقل إلى برشلونة في صيف 2019 قادمًا من لاس بالماس، ولكن استمر مع الفريق الكناري لمدة موسم على سبيل الإعارة.

طالع أيضًا.. لليوم الثاني.. غياب سيميدو عن تدريبات برشلونة تمهيدًا للرحيل

صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، أفادت بأن بيدري لديه عرض رسمي من نادي أيندهوفن الهولندي، للتعاقد مع اللاعب على سبيل الإعارة حتى نهاية الموسم.

بيدري شارك في مباريات برشلونة الودية قبل بداية الموسم، ويرى اللاعب بأن الفرصة ستتاح له في الموسم المقبل، رغم أن مكانه يتواجد به العديد من اللاعبين.

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer extended his unbeaten record as Manchester United to ten games with a narrow win against Leicester last weekend.

Marcus Rashford’s strike in the ninth minute was enough to secure all three points for the Red Devils to keep their assault on the Premier League top four going. The youngster has been reinvigorated under the Norwegian’s tutelage, scoring his tenth goal of the season against the Foxes. His revival and United’s excellent form will have definitely boosted Solskjaer’s chances of landing the job permanently.

Despite Rashford flourishing, once again Alexis Sanchez struggled to make an impact in the United attack. Starting on the left wing, the Chilean cut an isolated figure and didn’t influence the game at all. He was eventually substituted after just 67 minutes after failing to register a single shot.

To take United’s attack to a new level, the Red Devils should look to replace the former Arsenal man with Lille sensation Nicolas Pepe in the summer. Valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, the Ivorian has burst on the scene in Ligue 1, emerging as one of Europe’s top prospects. His magnificent form means that Pepe has been tipped for a massive move to one of the world’s biggest clubs in the near future.

The 23-year-old has been a revelation in front of goal, finding the back of the net an incredible 16 times in 23 league appearances this season. As well as his goalscoring exploits, Pepe has also contributed a remarkable ten assists for his team-mates. Still developing and improving, the youngster would flourish in a squad of United’s quality under a manager like Solksjaer.

It would take a mammoth fee to lure him from France, but Pepe’s arrival could transform United into title contenders once again.

Manchester United fans, thoughts?

[ad_pod ]Manchester United have undergone a huge transformation since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the helm in December, with emphatic results changing from a rarity to an expectation at Old Trafford – as it should be – although the stalemate with Liverpool is surely one of their best yet.If not for an Alisson masterclass, the hosts could have stolen all three points from the league leaders – they kept the Reds’ lethal front three, albeit somewhat broken by the injury sustained by Roberto Firmino in the first half, at bay.A huge part of that was the well-rounded performance of Ashley Young, whose showing has gone under the radar due to Luke Shaw’s domination of Mohamed Salah on the opposite flank.The versatile defender was essential to his side’s creation and even outclassed Paul Pogba in that department, completing a team-high three key passes, owing to his roots as a winger. Also completing an interception and a tackle, the number 18 did his bit in defence as well.The 33-year-old may have been subject to criticism on social media for his showing, especially after a shaky opening to the game, but the stats don’t lie and they indicate that there was far more to his game than perceived.

While he may be well into his twilight years now, the former Aston Villa man will remain, at least, a useful squad player for United as they look to develop the likes of Shaw and Diogo Dalot into consistent starters – his experience in the dressing room is almost unrivalled too and that will surely prove invaluable to the 13-time Premier League champions.

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Of course, his sloppy distribution could have cost his side – the 39-cap international had a passing success rate of just 66% – and it might have done against more clinical opposition, but mistakes are more than likely when playing against a high-pressing Liverpool team.

Young was an effective presence against Liverpool – some of the criticism has been unjustified.

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As reported by The Mirror, Arsenal boss Unai Emery will have just £40m to spend on reinforcements in the summer after a cash-strapped January window in which Financial Fair Play restrictions limit their spending.

In this day and age, that transfer kitty will get you no more than one top-class player if that, so the north London club need to be shrewd with their transfer dealings if Unai Emery is to amend the Gunners’ problems and stay within his budget.

Arsenal are in desperate need of defenders, as Stephan Lichtsteiner is the wrong side of 35 and has looked well out of his depth this season, whilst Shkodran Mustafi and Nacho Monreal need replacing.

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In midfield, Arsenal could also be very light come the summer as Aaron Ramsey is set to join Juventus, whilst the out-of-favour Mesut Ozil could depart.

In light of this, Football Fancast take a look at how Emery can make his £40m go as far as possible…

Sign Adrien Rabiot on a free transfer

The France international is soon to be out of contract in Paris, and has attracted interest from a number of top clubs such as Barcelona, Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Liverpool as well as Arsenal.

Rabiot has reportedly rejected a new contract with the Parisians, and would be an excellent signing to offset the loss of Ramsey and the potential loss of Ozil.

The 23-year-old is a classy operator in the middle of the park, and if the Gunners could beat the aforementioned clubs to his signature, it would send out a real statement of intent.

Sign Alejandro Grimaldo 

With Nacho Monreal set to turn 33 at the end of February, and Sead Kolasinac still looking slightly unconvincing albeit improved, Arsenal should look to the market for a dependable left-back – even Granit Xhaka has had to play in the position at times this season.

As reported by Mundo Deportivo, the Gunners are interested in Benfica left-back Alejandro Grimaldo – Emery should spend the bulk of his budget on the Spaniard, who Transfermarkt value at £25.2million.

Sign Fernando Calero 

With the remaining £15m or so, Emery should look to sign a centre-back. One name that has already been mentioned in association with the Gunners is Real Valladolid defender Fernando Calero, who was the subject of interest in January – the Spaniard has a €11m (£9.63m) release clause.

The centre-back was also of interest to Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla, but remained at Valladolid. However, he is almost certainly going to be under the transfer spotlight yet again in the summer.

With Sokratis and Laurent Koscielny 30 and 33 years of age respectively, a move for 23-year-old Calero for that price would be excellent business.

The loss to West Ham United not only had immediate repercussions, but also future ones for Newcastle United. Just when things are seemingly going well, there’s always something. The life of a Toon supporter, right? 

Coming into the game in high-flying form, they left with a bitter loss and another injury added to their tally. Sean Longstaff limped off in the second-half and faces time on the sidelines.

The bright young midfielder’s been a revelation in the Toon’s revival after the New Year, giving some commendable performances to help Newcastle regain their best form. With Benitez’s side lacking bite in midfield and Jonjo Shelvey’s absence, Longstaff provided just that in helping them take control of games.

In his nine appearances so far, Longstaff already has a 76% tackling success on top of having made 10 interceptions and 46 ball recoveries (stats via Premier League). He also displayed his clinical edge with a sublime goal against Burnley and a tough-tackling attitude throughout, which makes him a fan-favourite.

However, his injury now disrupts the rhythm and winning shape Benitez had created after tons of hard work. While Mohamed Diame and Sung-Yeung Ki are there to fill in his void, they don’t seem to fit into Benitez’s system that well. The Spaniard thrived on the youthful exuberance of his midfielders, with Longstaff’s energy and willingness to work proving indispensable.

With Longstaff’s injury, Benitez needs to go back to the drawing board and churn out new plans. As tricky fixtures come thick and fast, only time will tell whether the Magpies can survive without their wily youngster.

Newcastle fans, do you think Longstaff’s absence can be problematic? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

أكد أحمد حسام ميدو نجم ومدرب الزمالك الأسبق، أن مدافع الأبيض طارق حامد رفض عرض مغري للانتقال إلى بيراميدز.

ويقدم طارق حامد مستوى جيد مع الزمالك في خط الوسط الأبيض هذا الموسم، ليصبح احد أهم لاعبي الفريق في الفترة الأخيرة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. المقاولون: عماد النحاس يرفض العمل في جهاز الأهلي.. وتراجعنا عن إيقاف مستحقات الفريق

وقال ميدو خلال تقديمه برنامجه “أوضة اللبس” المُذاع عبر قناة “النهار”: “هناك نماذج للاعبين أوفياء لناديهم وعلى رأسهم طارق حامد”.

تابع: “طارق حامد رفض عرض مغري من بيراميدز من قبل، مقابل البقاء في الزمالك”.

وواصل: “الوفاء أصبح عملة نادرة، ولكن هناك لاعبين مازالوا يتمسكون بأنديتهم، حسني عبد ربه كان مثالا أيضًا للوفاء بسبب حبه لنادي الإسماعيلي”.

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Southampton face a major battle to stay in the Premier League.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men lost a seemingly must-win encounter at the weekend as they went down 2-1 to fellow strugglers Cardiff City at St Mary’s, and have subsequently dropped into the relegation zone, with 12 games of the season left.

Southampton’s run-in: Arsenal (A), Fulham (H), Manchester United (A), Tottenham Hotspur (H), Watford (A), Brighton & Hove Albion (A), Liverpool (H), Wolves (H), Newcastle United (A), Bournemouth (H), West Ham United (A), Huddersfield Town (H).

Southampton’s run-in is tough.

Games against Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham are unlikely to bear any fruit, while a visit of a Liverpool team fighting for the Premier League title is unlikely to see any points added to the board.

The key games, then, are against Fulham, Newcastle and Huddersfield.

Claudio Ranieri’s team are 19th, seven points behind Southampton and eight adrift of Cardiff. A win over the Cottagers could all but consign them to relegation and would be a major boost to the Saints.

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Rafael Benitez’s side, too, are in danger and sit 16th, just one point clear of the bottom three. A draw seems likely, but do not count out the Saints.

Finally, doomed Huddersfield are sure to be down by the time they visit St Mary’s but Saints may still need three points – expect them to pick them up there.

Predicted points: 12 – Southampton finish on 36 points

Wins over Fulham, Bournemouth and Huddersfield plus draws with Watford, Brighton and Newcastle would see Southampton end the season on 36 points.

That falls short of the mythical 40-point mark that is said to guarantee safety but will surely see them clear of both Huddersfield and Fulham.

Cardiff and Newcastle are just a point clear, while Burnley, Brighton and Crystal Palace are three points above the relegation zone.

It remains to be seen, then, if 36 points will be enough. It was last year when they amassed the same total, but if it isn’t this time around then Saints may well have to take a major scalp between now and the end of the season to guarantee survival.