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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Tottenham Hotspur drew with Arsenal at the weekend and one has to wonder why Lucas Moura was not involved.

Snapshot

Spurs took a 2-0 lead against the Gunners, with goals from Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane placing Mauricio Pochettino’s men in a commanding position at The Emirates.

Arsenal pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time through Alexandre Lacazette, though, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang then equalised in the 71st minute.

Spurs struggled to gain control of the ball in the second half, with the Gunners dominating the majority of possession until Giovani Lo Celso was introduced in place of Son Heung-min.

There was a clear substitution that could have been made by Pochettino, though, and he opted against it.

Off the bench

Lucas did not play a single minute against the Gunners, having played the entire 90 in the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United.

That was very clearly a game that was not set up for the Brazilian; the Magpies set up with a low block and he had little space in which to operate.

Arsenal, though, continually looked to push their backline up the pitch and Spurs were able to take advantage in the first half; both of their goals came from a counter-attack.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Bringing on Lucas, particularly for a player like Christian Eriksen, whose influence waned throughout the game, could have stretched the Gunners and added in some genuine threat for the visitors.

As it was, the two biggest chances of the second half fell to Moussa Sissoko; obviously, he missed both of them.

Having Lucas on the pitch could have seen one of those chances taken, particularly if it fell to the player who scored a hat-trick from three half-decent chances against Ajax in the Champions League last season.

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When a Twitter account linked to Football London news on Tottenham Hotspur posted about the club’s reported interest in striker Vedat Muriqi on Tuesday night, it was gate-crashed by loads of Fenerbahce fans with some outrageous demands.

Turkish media outlet Sabah reported earlier this week that the north London outfit were keeping tabs on the 25-year-old, who only signed for the Istanbul giants this summer, and had scouted him during Kosovo’s 2-1 win against the Czech Republic at the weekend.

The centre-forward’s reputation likely went up even further given his display in his nation’s 5-3 defeat against England at St Mary’s on Tuesday, when he scored one and assisted two on a crazy night on the south coast.

Fenerbahce supporters responded to the post about Spurs’ interest following the final whistle of that game, and they weren’t afraid to offer some quite ridiculous proposals should Mauricio Pochettino want to sign him – including needing €200m as well as giving them Son Heung-Min and Harry Kane as part of the deal!

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Alim Ozturk has enjoyed an impressive start to his second season as a Black Cat, but his performance at Accrington Stanley on Saturday was worrying to say the least.

The Turkish defender has become a bit of a fan favourite for his no-nonsense style of defending, perhaps due to the sheer amount of flimsy performances the Sunderland faithful witnessed from the likes of Tom Flanagan and Jack Baldwin last term.

And while the 6 foot 3 beast has indeed helped the defence with his physicality and imposing style of play, his lack of ball-playing ability reared its ugly head in the win at the Crown Ground.

Ozturk registered by far the lowest rating (SofaScore) in the Sunderland side with a measly 6.2 out of 10, and it was thanks mainly to his poor play on the ball.

He completed a truly horrific 55% of his passes, and lost possession 17 times. Now, while five players on the pitch did lose the ball more than him, a centre-back is the last person you want carelessly giving the ball away.

His positioning was poor for Accrington’s goal, as Jordan Clark ghosted into the space behind him and finished well, and he also nearly played goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin into trouble on one occasion with a slack pass.

Unlike in other games this season, when the 26 year-old’s defensive work has made up for his not-so-impressive abilities on the ball, he did little to help his team in that aspect either.

The Black Cats defender made no tackles, won just three of nine duels, contributed no blocks, one interception and two clearances.

His timely intervention to head the ball clear after the hosts had hit the crossbar was important, but overall this was a poor display from a player who has otherwise looked extremely promising this year.

A home clash with Rotherham comes next, and after the Millers got their confidence up by putting six past whipping boys Bolton this weekend, Ozturk will have to play better than he did on Saturday.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Wolves host Chelsea later this afternoon in their first match since the international break took main priority.

It possibly came at the worst time for Nuno Santo’s men having already played ten competitive matches, stretching to Armenia and back as well as heading to China before the season fully got underway.

Signs of fatigue were always going to creep in as Everton handed them their first defeat of the season last time out.

Now Chelsea come to town, a side who are still trying to find their feet under new boss Frank Lampard.

Just two points separate both teams at this early stage in the season, but what will prove to be the difference later on?

On the Chalkboard

Chelsea will be sweating on the fitness of Emerson Palmieri, who has quickly cemented himself as the number one option at left-back this season with a string of impressive performances.

He currently carries the highest average rating of anyone in the Blues side at 7.57, so he will be a huge miss if absent.

Have you heard the strangest chant in the Premier League yet? Hear it in the video below…

That means one of Maurizio Sarri’s favourites should come back into the fray – Marcos Alonso, who played 39 games last season.

He’s not exactly a popular figure amongst fans at Stamford Bridge and has found himself somewhat of an outcast since Lampard took charge.

His opposite number is likely to be the reborn Adama Traore, who is having a remarkable season in a new right wing-back role.

The 23-year-old’s explosive pace, power and trickery has the potential to leave the Spaniard in all sorts of knots and this is where the game could be won or lost.

Chelsea have the second leakiest defence in the Premier League having conceded nine goals from their four matches this season.

Nullifying the threat from Traore will undoubtedly stop that from being more.

The winger-turned-defender is averaging 2.7 dribbles per game and is fouled for the same number per match, via WhoScored.

Alonso was dribbled past 0.8 times last season and also conceded 0.9 fouls as an average per game, so that could suggest that Wolves’ wide man could garner some success.

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They are both very similar in the aerial battle while Traore will have to do better with his crossing in order to beat the left-back, as the graphic above per WhoScored demonstrates.

His form in the Europa League has produced three assists so if he can translate that into the league then he’s going to be a significant danger.

The battle between these two fellow countrymen could well be the defining factor this afternoon, especially if you consider Alonso may be off the pace after playing second fiddle.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

West Brom’s game against Huddersfield Town was the tale of two lengthy halves as Slaven Bilic’s men ran out 4-2 winners at the Hawthorns on Sunday afternoon.

The home side extended their unbeaten start to the Championship season and at the same time condemned Danny Cowley’s new team to an eighth game without a victory.

The league’s basement boys took the lead twice in the first half to give the Baggies a scare, but the introduction of West Ham loanee Grady Diangana at half-time was enough to inspire yet another comeback.

No team has picked up more points from a losing position than West Brom, and as we have previously highlighted here, they are flirting with fire by doing so.

The 21-year-old’s impact in the second half turned the game on its head as Albion hit three goals without reply with Diangana assisting two of them.

His whipped cross was met by right-back Darnell Furlong to level the game on the 70th minute before setting up Matty Phillips’ second of the match just four minutes later. He somehow beat four of the Huddersfield defence to tee up the Scot on the edge of the box.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Diangana’s devastating display only highlights the potential at which Bilic’s attack can play with when everyone is on their game.

The winger also recorded five successful dribbles and two key passes, as well as a 93.3% passing accuracy, per WhoScored. That was the highest in the squad of anyone to play more than a single pass.

The Terriers may have leaked more goals than any other side barring Stoke in the Championship this season, but that shouldn’t play down just how lethal West Brom were.

Just think of how many goals they are going to score when £4m summer signing Charlie Austin starts to find his feet. His record in this league is excellent, scoring 68 goals in 137 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

Diangana can be a big part of that, provided they keep hold of him past the January transfer window as West Ham have a recall clause. He could well stay in the west Midlands considering the Hammers are in such great form, sitting inside the top five in the Premier League.

[ad_pod ]At first glance, Ruben Neves’ tweet after Wolves’ Carabao Cup game on Wednesday night is a bit strange.Indeed, The Portuguese midfielder called it a ‘special night’.We’re sure that Neves wasn’t dreaming of the day he could play against the mighty Reading in such a competition as the Carabao Cup while he was captaining Porto in the Champions League as an 18-year-old. So what made the night so special?

Due to the fact Connor Coady’s incredible run of consecutive games came to an end on Wednesday evening, this was Neves’ first chance to captain Wolves.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It just goes to show how much that accolade means to him, as it turned what could have been a drab Carabao Cup game into an occasion he will cherish.

The fact that wearing the armband means so much to Neves is a fantastic sign, and if Coady left Molineux in the near future the former Porto man is surely a candidate to replace him as skipper.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

John Salako has been speaking to talkSPORT about his former club Crystal Palace – more specifically Christian Benteke – and he has some pretty damning words for the Belgian.

Salako – who made 66 appearances for the Eagles – hasn’t held back in his criticism of the former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker, amid what is a tough time for the 6 foot 3 forward.

Benteke has managed to score just four goals in his last 57 games in all competitions, netting just once last term.

That is a pretty terrible record, and Salako has echoed that sentiment and more.

What did he say?

Salako told talkSPORT: “There is talk of Benteke getting a new contract and I am just flabbergasted!

“What has happened over the last two or three years of him at Palace – and I don’t like digging him out – he’s been awful. I really feel for the lad to a point because he just can’t do it. It’s like he’s got his boots on the wrong feet.

“He just can’t do anything right; it’s amazing.”

Hard to disagree

Whatever has happened to Benteke, either physically or mentally, is standing out on the pitch like a sore thumb.

He looks tedious when making runs in the box. He looks visibly nervous when in on goal given the undoubted criticism he will receive if he misses – at the end of the day though, it is hard to defend him given the finances invested into his services.

Palace spent £27m on the 28-year-old, and have been paying him £120k-a-week since 2016.

For what is supposed to be an elite forward, four goals in 57 is awful as Salako states, and it is hard to disagree with the 50-year-old’s comments.

On the topic of a potential new contract for Benteke, Salako also has every right to be flabbergasted.

If Benteke’s form is what it takes to earn a new deal, then why would any player even bother?

Rewarding him for such pitiful form surely spike an upturn in goalscoring results following the renewal – it would be akin to giving a dog a treat for leaving a mess on the carpet.

You simply can’t argue with Salako’s comments.

Everton have had a torrid start to this Premier League season.Indeed, the Toffees sit 18th in the table after eight games, and it’s fair to say that things are looking bleak for the Merseyside club.Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

They’re not scoring enough (six) while shipping far too many (13), which is a pretty bad combination if you ask us.

Turning around the fortunes of a football club can be a mammoth task, but Andre Gomes believes that the secret to getting Everton back on track is rather simple.

The Portuguese midfielder believes that the squad must work harder in order to achieve what they want.

Gomes may be right about this one too – the Goodison Park outfit still have most of the same group of players that ended the 2018/19 season so strongly,Âbeating both Arsenal and Manchester United towards the end of the campaign.

Whether or not the players begin to work harder and pick up points remains to be seen, but one player who certainly has the right attitude towards the situation is Gomes.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Wolves pulled off one of the shocks of last weekend by defeating Manchester City to nil at the Etihad Stadium, leaving Pep Guardiola’s side some eight points of league leaders Liverpool at this early stage of the season.

Adama Traore netted a brace in the final ten minutes to stun the reigning champions, meaning the west Midlands club have now won three on the bounce in all competitions.

The injury to Diogo Jota has presented itself with opportunities for some of the fringe players amongst Nuno Santo’s squad, last week saw Pedro Neto take his chance, but the winger was surprisingly not named in the 18 that travelled.

That meant the Portuguese boss handed a rare start to Patrick Cutrone.

On the Chalkboard

However, the £16m summer arrival failed to take that opportunity with both hands as he put in an underwhelming showing despite Wolves snatching all three points.

Even though Cutrone was coming up against City, they had the rather calamitous Nicolas Otamendi partnering midfielder Fernandinho in defence, so there was a perfect opportunity to showcase his goalscoring exploits.

In his 68 minutes, the Italian failed to record a shot on target, lost possession nine times, won less than 50% of his duels, and conceded two fouls, per SofaScore.

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One issue was how close the 21-year-old was playing to his strike partner Raul Jimenez, who by contrast had a superb game, which included assisting both Traore goals.

WhoScored’s player position map shows something incredibly alarming.

The pair were almost on each other’s toes, which isn’t going to reap many rewards when trying to counter-attack, especially with the size of the gap between midfield and the front two.

His heat map, per SofaScore, shows another problem as Cutrone very rarely managed to get inside the box, and his presence defensively can’t have helped his cause too much, whether he was instructed to do that or not against a Guardiola team remains to be seen.

He needs to do much, much better if he is to cement his place alongside the Mexican in Jota’s absence, at this rate, the 22-year-old is going to walk straight back into the starting XI.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Ansu Fati is by now one of the most popular 16-year-olds in the world of football.

A name that just months ago was relatively unknown to the general public is now on everyone’s lips when trying to list the most talented youngsters on the current stage.

And sure, Fati’s meteoric rise is truly an impressive feat – in the first couple of appearances, the La Masia prodigy has managed to break multiple records, shattering them one by one, goal by goal and is now showing no signs of stopping.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

His biggest reward, however, is yet to arrive but is possibly on its way.

Mundo Deportivo recently broke a story stating Barcelona are aiming to offer the crown jewel of their academy a new and improved contract that would see his release clause drastically improved and more importantly, it would tie him down with the Blaugrana’s first team.

This might not come as a surprise to many.

After all, we’re talking about the record-breaking kid himself and besides, his performances with the Catalan giant, regardless of their still low figure, have been more than proof enough he can tango with the best of them.

In just five games in La Liga this season, the young winger has already scored twice and assisted a further goal in the process, practically bullying opponents he should not be playing against at this stage of his career.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

But is this really the way Barcelona should be approaching his situation?

Sure, he has enormous potential and everyone can see that already but let’s not forget we’re talking about a 16-year-old kid that’s never even played for Barca B before.

In fact, he would be skipping a whole level by jumping straight towards the senior team, a feat not even the great Lionel Messi did back in the day.

But there’s a reason why these levels exist in the first place – Fati needs regular football, week in, week out and what happens when the occasion gets to the 16-year-old kid or when other players are picked ahead of him?

That is bound to happen as it would be ridiculous to expect him to be a regular in the starting XI at this point already.

He can have all the talent in the world and the right mentality, which he crucially seems to have, but if the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann are sometimes struggling to get into this squad, does a kid at the beginning of his tale really stand a chance of cementing his place just like that?

This is by no means belittling his potential.

After all, we’ve already seen how devastating he can be when unleashed but it’s also unlikely that Barcelona will turn to a 16-year-old when the going gets tough.

Such a big club depending on a newly promoted and inexperienced player doesn’t really seem like a solid plan, regardless of the talent the player in question may or may not possess.

And even if he does become their ace up their sleeve, that still means that he can be counted on from the bench at best, considering the heavy competition in the Catalans’ squad.

For those reasons, if he is starved of continuity going forward because Barca rushed into their big decision, it might negatively impact his development.

This is a huge step in his career and Blaugrana have to make sure they are doing the right thing.