Alderweireld sets Spurs lofty points target as Premier League comes to a close

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Toby Alderweireld believes that Tottenham Hotspur need to win all four of their remaining matches to guarantee qualification to the Champions League, per The Mirror.

What’s the word?

Spurs lost to Manchester City on Saturday but were boosted in their pursuit to qualify for the competition by other results 24 hours later.

Both Manchester United and Arsenal lost on Sunday with Spurs safely ensconced in third, one point clear of the Gunners and three ahead of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side. Chelsea can potentially move above them on Monday night if they beat Burnley, but the north London outfit will have a game in hand on Maurizio Sarri’s team.

Alderweireld and his team-mates face Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday before games against West Ham United, AFC Bournemouth and Everton – they also face Ajax over two legs in the Champions League semi-final – and the Belgian is of the belief that only maximum points will be enough.

Speaking to The Mirror, the 30-year-old said: “Tuesday, we know the pressure is on us.

“We have to get three points, so we have to win all our remaining games in the Premier League. We want to get top four and the Champions League as well. We’ll try to get top four, because it’s important to be in the Champions League next year.

“Last season we were close, so I think we have to do the things that we’re doing now, try to improve and try to close the gap.

“But if you see the last four years how stable we are, always top four, always close, so I think just working hard we will close the gap.”

A major end to the season needed

Spurs cannot afford to take their foot off the gas.

Of course, they face a number of difficult games before the end of the season in the Premier League and they will also play Ajax over two legs in Europe.

If form takes a dip domestically, Tottenham may have to win the Champions League to be in it next season.

Alderweireld, then, is right to remind his team-mates of the battle they face.

Spurs fans had better hope they are listening.

The Verdict: Should Spurs swoop for Aarons to replace Trippier?

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Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Norwich City star Max Aarons, according to BBC journalist David Ornstein per Five Live.

The right-back helped Daniel Farke’s men to promotion from the Championship and will be playing Premier League football next term.

It remains to be seen, however, if that will be for Spurs or for the Canaries; Ornstein claims that Mauricio Pochettino’s men could swoop if either Kieran Trippier or Serge Aurier leave the club.

The Sun report that Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed his side’s interest in the England international.

Should Spurs bring in Aarons as a replacement, then, if the 28-year-old leaves?

Football FanCast writers give their verdicts below!

Billy Meyers

“Definitely. Kieran Trippier has had a woeful season and should certainly not be first-choice for Spurs next season. Max Aarons won the Championship Young Player of the Year award this year and is a huge prospect; imagine what Mauricio Pochettino could do if he gets his hands on him. Luke Shaw rose to prominence under the Argentine’s tutelage, and Aarons could be the next English prodigy to flourish.”

Jack Saville

“Aarons has been a revelation at Norwich this season and he’s the type of player who ticks all of Pochettino’s boxes. He is bursting with potential, English, brilliant on the overlap and comfortable within an expansive system. I think it’s too soon for him to immediately step into the starting XI given his lack of Premier League experience, but with a few months to settle, he could easily replace Trippier at right-back. The England international has had a torrid season and Aarons could be a real breath of fresh air in his place next season.”

Matt Dawson

“Aarons would be a fabulous signing for Tottenham. Tripper has been terrible this term and therefore if the club are serious about challenging, they need a replacement. The Norwich man is far from the finished product but he’d be a statement signing if Spurs were to capture him over some of the other top clubs. Pochettino has worked wonders with young English talent before. It’s now time for him to replicate that again.”

Pundit View: Phil Hay says Izzy Brown won’t play again this season

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Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Phil Hay has claimed that Izzy Brown will not play for Leeds United again before the end of the season, via the Inside Elland Road podcast.

Brown has endured an injury-plagued season at Elland Road appearing only once in the Championship for the Whites this season.

What’s been said then?

Hay has been very frank with his prediction on Brown’s future, he believes that the Chelsea loanee will not get another chance to impress at Elland Road.

Speaking on the Inside Elland Road podcast Hay said:

“It does seem strange that with a few games to go you’ve got Phillips getting 45 minutes for the 23s. It’s how Bielsa likes to keep them sharp but there are so few games left you’d think it would be a case of battening down the hatches. Instead you had others involved, you had Berardi, Izzy Brown, who I am convinced is not going to play again. There just seems no way back for him.”

What a waste

This season has to be written off as an absolute waste for both parties as Brown hasn’t developed at all at Leeds, whilst Marcelo Bielsa hasn’t gotten anything worthwhile from the deal.

The 23-year-old will return to Chelsea having lost a year of his career on the treatment table and rotting in the Under 23s.

Although Hay’s synopsis is realistic and it is unlikely that Brown will feature for Leeds again this term, it may not be a wise move for the Argentine to leave him out of his plans altogether.

Brown is the only member of the Leeds squad to be promoted through the Championship play-offs already, and that experience may prove to be invaluable should the Yorkshire outfit be faced with that particular lottery.

The midfielder certainly would’ve offered something to the squad had he been able to stay fit for a sustained period, but his spell in Yorkshire will leave a lot of Whites fans asking; what if?

فيديو | إنجلترا تهزم أيرلندا بثلاثية وديًا

فاز المنتخب الإنجليزي على نظيره الأيرلندي وديًا بثلاثية نظيفة، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم الخميس على ملعب “ويمبلي” وديًا، ضمن استعدادات منتخب الأسود الثلاثة لدوري الأمم الأوروبية. شاهد أهداف مباراة إنجلترا وأيرلندا

وانتهى الشوط الأول من المباراة بتقدم أصحاب الأرض، بثنائية نظيفة، الهدف الأول سجّله هاري ماجواير في الدقيقة 18، وفي الدقيقة 31 سجّل جادون سانشو الهدف الثاني.

وفي الشوط الثاني من المباراة، تمكن مهاجم إيفرتون دومينيك كالفيرت ليوين من إحراز الهدف الثالث لـ إنجلترا في الدقيقة 56 من علامة الجزاء.

إنجلترا تستعد لخوض مباراتين الأسبوع المُقبل بمواجهة بلجيكا وآيسلندا في دوري الأمم الأوروبية.

No thanks! Liverpool fans wouldn’t want Wilfried Zaha at Anfield

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to reveal that they wouldn’t want to see Wilfried Zaha arrive at Anfield.

The 26-year-old Ivory Coast international appears to be on the market this summer after stating his intention to play in the Champions League, although Crystal Palace have said that they want £80m for their talisman.

Chelsea fans were giving it large at Anfield on Sunday. Watch their afternoon get slowly ruined in the video below…

Zaha dazzled the Emirates on Sunday as he and the Eagles pulled off a shock 3-2 victory over Arsenal, where the mercurial forward managed to get on the scoresheet and provide a constant threat throughout.

When of player of his calibre becomes available, any top club would be silly not to take a look at him, but Liverpool fans aren’t sold on the idea of seeing the Palace No.11 arrive on Merseyside.

He would undoubtedly offer something to a side lacking quality depth on the wings behind Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, but that factor hasn’t been enough to sway the Liverpool fanbase on Twitter who remain unconvinced…

West Brom: Ageing Gareth Barry shouldn’t be risked

As their biggest test this season lies await against bitter rivals Aston Villa, Jimmy Shan obviously needs to get his combination spot on to move ahead to the play-off final.

Thankfully, he has a variety of options to choose from to win bragging rights in the Midlands derby and take one step closer to the Premier League.

In the next few days, he’ll need his best players to turn up big time to resist the upcoming storm. During this crucial period, lacklustre performances cannot be tolerated. With that in mind, and regardless of how experienced he is, Gareth Barry cannot be played in the crunch games ahead.

The 38-year-old’s been a loyal servant for the Baggies but has declined heavily in the past few months. Despite having made 24 appearances, he’s proven to be a very error-prone midfielder who’s struggled in the fast-paced game.

Barry’s tended to often give away possession, unable to track marauding midfielders or stop attacks in and around his side’s final third. He’s picked up 8 yellow cards in the Championship, itself proving how callous the former Villa star’s become. Indeed, he’s shaky against mobile attacks, making him prone to causing fatal errors for the Baggies.

Up against a side who play in a system such as the vibrant and attacking one Dean Smith has become rather famous for, it’s pretty much a death wish. Experience might be a factor in top-level football but far too much of it can be a bad thing, as it would be in this case.

The Baggies should go with their strongest teams with energetic young players, taking the game to Villa. Barry will probably end up being humiliated Jack Grealish and co, bringing more consequences to sink Jimmy Shan’s aspirations for promotion.

West Brom fans, do you want Barry to be involved against Villa? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Leeds fans identify problem position

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Leeds United fans on Twitter have highlighted the striker position as the area the team needed to improve on to make the next step.

The Whites have relied on Patrick Bamford and Kemar Roofe to lead their line this season and despite the pair netting 23 league goals between them, Leeds fans aren’t satisfied with the output of their attackers.

Leeds average 16.8 shots per game in the league yet they have scored just 70 goals so far this campaign which is only good enough to make them the fifth highest scorers in the division.

Elland Road has seen some prolific strikers in recent seasons with fans using the likes of Chris Wood and Jermaine Beckford as examples of the type of front-man they have been missing.

Other fans have been envious of their rivals strike forces, wishing they had the likes of Teemu Pukki or Tammy Abraham.

Leeds supporters have been quick to criticise Patrick Bamford’s performances this season despite the forward’s impressive minutes to goal ratio which has him scoring on average every 141 minutes.

Here’s what Leeds fans have been saying on Twitter…

Fuel to the fire: Leeds fans rally around after Andrea Radrizzani’s defiant tweet

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Leeds United fans have rallied around and are getting behind their team after Andrea Radrizzani posted a defiant tweet against the EFL.

The Italian fired back after it was announced that Conor Hourihane wouldn’t be punished after he seemingly punched Mateusz Klich during Sunday’s game. Radrizzani posted: “Speechless!! …Nothing will stop us.”

The statement “Nothing will stop us” has seemingly united the fanbase who have now given backing to the owner and the team, willing them on to win promotion to the Premier League.

Sunday’s altercation may have severely affected Leeds’ playoff chances after Anwar El Ghazi’s red card was rescinded and Patrick Bamford instead received a two-game ban.

The Whites now head into the playoffs without the striker, whilst Aston Villa can continue their momentum with a fully available squad.

Supporters now have an extra incentive to get into the Premier League in order to get away from the EFL, an establishment that the Elland Road faithful have often taken issue with.

Here’s what Leeds fans have been saying on Twitter…

Resurgent Jozo Simunovic proves Dedryick Boyata’s absence won’t be felt

When a player leaves Celtic, there is usually someone to fill in the void immediately.

As is the case with their centre-defensive shape, where Dedryck Boyata’s set to leave a hole in. Thankfully for Neil Lennon, another defensive hero is right there to take up the mantle.

Towering centre-back Jozo Simunovic is finally repaying the trust Celtic put in him when they signed him up for roughly £6.75m four years ago.

Donning the jersey of Billy McNeil, the 6’3’ defender has displayed shades of the Celtic legends with his rock-solid nature. Since the Old Firm derby, Simunovic’s started six successive games in all competitions. The Hoops have kept 6 consecutive clean-sheets thanks to his heroics, where he’s neutralized attacking threat with his strong defender.

A powerful figure who is brilliant aerially and organized against mobile threats, he’s helped keeps things tidy at the back. Moreover, Simunovic’s proved his complete skills by scoring two goals in consecutive games. Boyata might’ve been a vital cog in their defence, yet Simunovic is already making fans forget about him.

Just when it seemed like the Hoops would have to shell out finances to sign Boyata’s potential replacement, Simunovic’s emphatic performances saved them millions. The big Croatian is there to stay at Parkhead, having already created an unbreakable bond with Kristoffer Ajer to help protect the Hoops from sharks vying to sink them underneath.

Celtic fans, do you think Simunovic can be better than Boyata? Join the discussion by commenting below…

The Verdict: Would Tierney signing for Leicester mean the end of Chilwell?

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According to The Scottish Sun, Leicester are interested in Kieran Tierney, a player who has been showing impressive strides in recent years for Celtic.

The 21-year-old is a phenomenal young player and is highly thought of in the SPFL, but he could now be about to make a big move to the Premier League.

Leicester could face competition from the likes of Arsenal, however, whilst Napoli are another club planning to make a swoop for the left-back, per The Scottish Sun.

With a possible pursuit for Tierney, it could spell the end of Ben Chilwell’s time at the club, with the England international previously attracting the interest of Manchester City.

With this in mind, Football FanCast writers have given their verdicts on what a move would mean for Leicester and their own promising full-back. Here’s what they said.

Billy Meyers:

“I don’t think it would necessarily spell the end of Ben Chilwell’s time at Leicester if Kieran Tierney came in. Of course, it would be weird if the Scotsman arrived and wasn’t first choice, but Leicester have serious ambitions of making the Europa League, and with that, they will need a big squad. At a club like that, and with an exciting manager in Brendan Rodgers, a bit of competition wouldn’t go amiss.”

Jack Saville:

“I’m struggling to envisage a scenario whereby Tierney is brought in as anything other than a replacement for Chilwell. If Leicester find themselves bidding for Celtic’s crown jewel this summer there’s no doubt it will be in preparation for a colossal setback. The only silver lining for Rodgers is that Leicester would surely receive an eyewatering fee for their academy product.”

Harry Elnaugh:

“Unless Rodgers is going to make some drastic changes to his team and play Tierney as a third centre-back, where he has played for Scotland, then yes. Having earned plenty of admirers for his exploits this season, Leicester signing Tierney would be an insult to Chilwell. There’s surely no way that the Celtic man arrives unless Chilwell is as good as gone.”

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