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Crystal Palace put in a magnificent performance to secure a 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League on Monday evening.

The Eagles fought back from 1-0 down to take the lead through two thunderous strikes from Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard after dispossessing the home side deep in their own half on both occasions.

However, an injury-time effort from substitute Alexandre Lacazette snatch an undeserved point for the Gunners, meaning Palace have now drawn three consecutive games.

It was a frustrating end to an evening full of promise for Patrick Vieira’s charges, and the French tactician will certainly have taken a lot of positives away from his trip to the Emirates Stadium.

One main encouraging aspect was Benteke bagging his first goal of the season, but it was arguably summer signing Edouard who shone the brightest in north London.

As per SofaScore, the 23-year-old was awarded a match rating of 7.1 out of ten for his eye-catching efforts, the joint second-highest total received by any Palace player.

During his 82 minutes on the pitch, Edouard made a whopping three key passes to his teammates as he continued to cause Arsenal’s defence all kinds of problems, won seven duels and achieved a passing accuracy of 88%.

The former Celtic ace was asked to play out of position by Vieira due to Wilfried Zaha’s enforced absence through injury, but that didn’t stop him from having a huge impact upon proceedings.

His powerful strike in the 73rd-minute was his third Premier League goal of the campaign, and it seemed as though it was going to secure a memorable victory for the capital club until the dying embers of the game.

Edouard will be hoping he can put in another eye-catching performance against Newcastle United next time out and help Palace secure just their second win of the season.

And, in other news…100% dribble success: Palace monster who won 80% duels stole the show v Arsenal 

Celtic’s talks with Tottenham over a permanent move for Cameron Carter-Vickers are thought to be progressing well, according to The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Carter-Vickers starring at Parkhead

The Hoops secured the services of the American defender in the final hours of the summer transfer window, adding an option-to-buy clause to the season-long loan arrangement.

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Since then, the 24-year-old has missed just one Premiership fixture, making 23 appearances in green and white. He has been the best performing centre-back at Parkhead, as per WhoScored, with Ange Postecoglou keen to make his move permanent before the summer.

The Latest: Talks progressing well

The Daily Record’s Robbie Copeland shared a story on Saturday lunchtime, with updates on both Carter-Vickers and rumoured target Zinedine Ferhat.

When it came to the Tottenham loanee, the journalist said that ‘noises coming out of the club suggest talks are progressing well’ regarding Celtic’s chances of striking a permanent deal.

The Verdict: Biggest signing of Postecoglou era?

Should a permanent move for Carter-Vickers prove to be Celtic’s next piece of January business, then it would be the most expensive addition under Postecoglou so far and therefore a major sign of intent from the club.

There is thought to be no wriggle room with Spurs when it comes to the £6m clause for the centre-back, meaning that it would surpass the £4.86m they spent on Kyogo Furuhashi last summer.

It’s good to see that the Hoops are willing to back Postecoglou, and who knows, a record fee under the 56-year-old could yet be broken for a second time this month with a possible £6.5m deal for another loanee in Jota.

In other news: Celtic now after ‘energetic’ international with January business not slowing up; Ange ‘well aware’ of target

Celtic have a handful of games left before they could potentially get their hands on the SPFL trophy.

And, after the significant overhaul that took place at Celtic Park during the summer transfer window, it seems as though a clue has emerged over one potential deal that could be completed this time around.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report by SBI, a Celtic source has revealed that the Bhoys are in advanced talks with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur regarding the permanent transfer of Cameron Carter-Vickers.

The Hoops signed the centre-back on a loan deal from the north London outfit in August of last year.

Since then, the 24-year-old has been a key cog for Ange Postecoglou and his side this season, playing 41 games across all competitions for the Bhoys.

In the SPFL, only Joe Hart and Carl Starfelt have played more minutes than Carter-Vickers, showing just how highly Postecoglou rates him.

The £22k-per-week American has also shown on the pitch why he’s been picked so many times, particularly with his defensive capabilities.

For example, no other Celtic player has been able to rack up a higher average of clearances per league game (4.2) than the Spurs loanee.

Also, with a combined total of 55 tackles and interceptions, the centre-back has undoubtedly contributed a lot to the fact that Celtic have the best defensive record in the league, with just 19 goals conceded.

Postecoglou will be buzzing

His overall performances in the league have earned the defender a rating of 7.36, making him the fourth-highest rated player in Postecoglou’s squad.

Labelled as an “immense” talent by Chris Sutton, it’s easy to see why the Parkhead club would be keen to secure the player down to a permanent deal in the summer.

Moving forward, if the Bhoys were able to seal a deal with Tottenham that would see Carter-Vickers become a permanent Celtic player, this would undoubtedly get their summer business off to a great start – not to mention being something that would leave the manager buzzing.

Indeed, if the Hoops are able to secure the league title and then sign the defender permanently, this would surely delight a lot of fans and give the team a great chance of being successful in their next campaign.

AND in other news: Postecoglou must now unleash £10.5k-p/w Celtic “solider,” he could be a game-changer

Tottenham Hotspur are among the potential suitors for Paulo Dybala this summer as he looks to depart Juventus following the expiry of his contract.

According to Italian journalist Niccolo Ceccarini, Spurs are waiting ‘at the window’ for the Argentinian attacker to make a decision on where his future lies away from the Allianz Stadium.

The Lilywhites’ chances are bolstered by the fact that current sporting director Fabio Paratici was the man to bring Dybala to the Old Lady from Palermo back in 2015.

Atletico Madrid have also been mooted with interest but the 28-year-old will wait until the end of the season to decide.

If Paratici manages to seal the 5 foot 10 forward on a free transfer, then he could well replicate one of his greatest decisions from his time at Juventus.

The Italian supremo has a knack for sealing superstars for absolute bargains – a year into his tenure in Turin, he sealed a ‘deal of the century’ in Andrea Pirlo, signing the 32-year-old for nothing from AC Milan in 2011.

Kingsley Coman was another astute signing who didn’t cost a penny in terms of a transfer fee but perhaps the most renowned is that of Paul Pogba, who Paratici snatched from Manchester United aged just 19.

It was a move which upset Sir Alex Ferguson, though the then-young Frenchman went on to put up outstanding numbers as he provided 34 goals and 40 assists across 178 appearances before returning to Old Trafford.

Dybala could be held in similar regard, should he make the move to N17 this off-season.

Not only would it be a steal, considering that he’s valued in the region of £36m by Transfermarkt, but he would fill a lot of needs for current Spurs manager Antonio Conte.

The Italian lacks depth behind Harry Kane up top, a role that Dybala could easily fulfil, but his versatility also opens up the prospect of him being a no.10 in behind the England talisman.

Once described as “unbelievable” and “breathtaking” by former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey to The Athletic, the Argentina international has delivered 13 goals and six assists in 29 appearances this term, taking his Juventus career total to 161 direct contributions in 283 games.

His playing style has drawn some comparisons to late compatriot Diego Maradona, too.

An average of 1.6 key passes and registered 1.9 dribbles per game across the course of his recorded career on WhoScored suggests he has the ability to play in the hole, just as much as up top, given his goalscoring record.

Therefore, if Paratici can win the race for the wizard’s signature, then he may well stumble upon another Pogba-like transfer masterclass, and that has to be an exciting prospect to those around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

AND in other news, Talks underway: Spurs eye dream Conte signing in £18m prodigy dubbed “the next Mbappe”…

Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool fans have erupted over a fresh transfer claim involving their club and Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

Jurgen Klopp has already been linked to a host of new midfield additions so far this month with the Reds and FSG seemingly setting their sights on a fair few central options.

The likes of Toni Kroos and Jude Bellingham have been mentioned recently given Liverpool’s arguable lack of depth in that area.

Now, sharing some news on who Liverpool are also eyeing, Sport 1 and their reporter Patrik Berger say that the the Anfield side are one of the clubs interested in signing Zakaria from Monchengladbach.

The Swiss ace’s deal is currently set to expire this year as things stand, meaning he can negotiate a pre-contract this month or opt to leave as a free agent in the summer.

Alternatively, Monchengladbach could even sell for a cheap fee, with Sport 1 claiming they could offload for as little as €6-7 million (£5.07m-£5.8m).

Liverpool fans erupt…

Flocking to Twitter, many Liverpool fans have erupted with their takes, with some believing he could be an ‘absolute bargain’ for Klopp.

The powerhouse 6 foot 3 midfielder can play both as a defensive midfield player and a centre-back whilst still being only 25-years-old, leaving little wonder why some supporters feel this way.

Zakaria averages 1.5 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.9 dribbles per game, showing his quality on both sides of the ball.

Find all of their best reactions down below:

“Seems like a no brainer for Liverpool and Klopp….”

Credit: @TheKop_

“€6m-€7m??? This sounds like an absolute bargain?”

Credit: @TomBrownrigg200

“We are crying out for a midfielder. €8m would be a rob. Buy him”

Credit: @JamzLFC786

“Plz”

Credit: @jj___lfc

“Sign him up a beg and let minamino go for 7m”

Credit: @lfanCai

“This is the classic no brainer. Best bang for buck.

sign him already”

Credit: @muootarek

“SIIIUUUUUUU”

Credit: @RitsonLFC

Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to return to winning ways in their next Premier League match against Chelsea, with the opportunity to cement a place in the top four. 

The Lilywhites looked less than convincing at Turf Moore as they conceded a late Ashley Barnes goal, but they’ll be pleased to have Harry Kane back in their ranks.

Interestingly, it appears as if the North London club are eyeing a possible summer raid, as according to Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), Tottenham Hotspur are in the race to sign Tanguy Ndombele.

Indeed, it’s understood that Tottenham, Arsenal and Barcelona are all in the race to sign the midfielder, while Paris Saint-Germain have been following him but most of the attention goes to Juventus.

Spurs still haven’t found a replacement for Mousa Dembele, so perhaps the Lyon midfielder could be the man to fill the current void in the middle of midfield.

There have been no suggestions of a potential price that Spurs may have to pay for him, but he will no doubt attract a big fee with a number of clubs in for him and the potential to become a star.

The 22-year-old has even been compared to Manchester United’s Paul Pogba by Lyon boss Bruno Genesio, according to Tuttosport (via Daily Star), as he stated this:

“I do not like comparisons, but indeed, Ndombele can be a new Pogba,

“He is strong physically and above all technically.

“Tanguy with the first touch manages to jump even three players and when he starts dribbling he is difficult to stop.

“He can play in any position in the midfield.”

THE VERDICT:

Tanguy Ndombele, who is valued at £40.5 million (by Transfermarkt), has established himself as one of the most promising midfielders in Europe this season, so it comes as no surprise that Spurs are taking an interest.

The Frenchman could easily fill the void left by Dembele and he has the potential to become a star in the Premier League, having produced two goals and five assists this season, as well as making great strides on the international stage.

It won’t be easy to land him, though, so Spurs will have to produce some summer magic if they’re to get their man.

Thoughts?

With 31 goals scored in their opening 11 Premier League games of the season, it’s safe to say Liverpool have not had much trouble finding the back of the net, especially with Jurgen Klopp’s side having more shots at goal (215) than any other top-flight side.

Despite their impressive attacking power, it seems as though the Merseyside club are interested in bringing a new goalscoring figure to Anfield.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by El Nacional that Liverpool are weighing up a bid of €40m (£34.2m) to sign Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak.

Since joining the La Liga club back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Borussia Dortmund, the 22-year-old, who is currently valued at £36m according to Transfermarkt, has managed to score 38 goals and provide six assists in 102 appearances for Sociedad across all competitions.

Dream move

So far this season, Isak has scored five goals and provided one assist in 13 appearances across La Liga and the Europa League.

On the international stage, Isak has scored eight times in 29 senior appearances for Sweden, showing that he can be an attacking threat for both club and country.

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During the recent Euro 2020 tournament, football presenter Gary Lineker took to Twitter to call Isak an “exceptional talent” after watching him perform for his nation so impressively over the summer.

Taking all of this into account, it’s not hard to see why Liverpool are apparently keen on adding Isak to their squad.

It’s safe to say that Klopp would love to have a player with Isak’s goalscoring prowess in his side next to the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah who have between them managed to contribute 16 of Liverpool’s 31 league goals. Combine all of those players together and you surely have a triumvirate capable of dominating Europe again.

Considering his tender age, Isak could well be seen as a potential long-term replacement for Liverpool’s current striker Roberto Firmino too. He’s now hit the age of 30 and is set to have his current contract at the Merseyside club expire in 2023.

Moving forward, Liverpool should definitely test the waters with this reported bid for Isak to see if Sociedad would be willing to negotiate a deal that would see the striker join the Merseyside club.

The Swede would add even more strength to their already impressive attacking depth and given the sheer number of positives to this deal, it would be an absolute dream for their owners, FSG, and the team’s supporters.

In other news: Forget Salah: £67.5m-rated beast making 3.3 key passes P/G has been “fabulous” for LFC – opinion

According to a report by Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has come to light involving Inter Milan star Milan Skriniar.

The Lowdown: Skriniar to Spurs saga…

Back in the summer of 2020, Inter’s colossal centre-back was a serious target for then-manager Jose Mourinho and chairman Daniel Levy – with club chief Steve Hitchen even flying out to Italy for negotiations at one point (Alasdair Gold).

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However, it was reported that both Spurs and the Nerazzurri couldn’t agree on a price tag for the player with talks eventually grinding to a halt and the deal collapsing (Fabrizio Romano).

There have been murmurs of Tottenham reigniting their interest since last year but none of which have come to fruition, yet it appears the Lilywhites could now return to the charge.

The Latest: Conte eyeing Skriniar…

As per CDS, via Sport Witness, new Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has now personally put the Slovakia international on his ‘wish list’ for a transfer.

Skriniar was a mainstay under the Italian last season as his Inter side ended Juventus’ stranglehold over the Italian top flight with a Serie A title win.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Despite the great form of Eric Dier, not to mention the summer signing of 2020/2021 Serie A MVP award-winner Cristian Romero, we believe another star central defender would seriously back Conte’s chances of success at N17.

They don’t come more accomplished than Skriniar, either, with only Dier averaging more league clearances per 90 this season than Skriniar out of Tottenham’s current defensive crop (WhoScored).

The Champions League defender has also drawn admiration from Spurs legend Graham Roberts, with the 62-year-old calling Skriniar an ‘absolute banker of a signing’ for the club (This is Futbol).

Also called ‘incredible’ by his former teammate Adam Zilak, signing Skriniar for Conte would certainly be a great move.

In other news: £135,000-per-week man now eyeing move to Spurs after Conte contacted him! Find out more here.

Having sacked manager Lee Johnson this week after a humiliating 6-0 defeat at Bolton, Sunderland fans were looking for a reaction as their side hosted bottom club Doncaster Rovers in today’s League One clash.

The Black Cats are still in the hunt for automatic promotion and would’ve fancied their chances against lowly Rovers, despite being under the interim charge of Mike Dodds and going into the match off the back of a thrashing in Lancashire.

However, the Wearside club’s predicament worsened as they lost 2-1 to the Yorkshire outfit, thus loosening their grip on the automatic promotion places.

It was a poor performance from all involved for Sunderland, but midfielder Elliot Embleton was particularly disappointing.

According to SofaScore, the 22-year-old failed to produce a single key pass or complete either a cross or a long ball, whilst losing 86% of his duels. Moreover, the attacking midfielder made 44 touches whilst losing possession on 19 occasions, an average of losing the ball once every 2.3 touches.

There was little attacking output from any of Sunderland’s forwards, with veteran striker Jermain Defoe making his second Black Cats debut as he came on in the 72nd minute in place of Embleton.

The £5.3k-per week 22-year-old managed just one shot (which hit the woodwork) whilst failing to contribute in helping to defend against Doncaster’s goals, offering no tackles, interceptions, blocks or clearances.

Embleton, a former youth player at the Stadium of Light, has been a regular for the Black Cats this season after returning from his loan spell at Blackpool last term.

The 22-year-old has made 30 appearances in all competitions in the current campaign, scoring four goals and contributing five assists, and he is an integral part of the Sunderland setup.

However, with a new manager set to be appointed in the coming days (at least fans will hope that’s the case), the Englishman’s efforts over the course of the season so far could count for little, and the midfielder will have to prove himself to his new boss, whoever that may be. Performances like his one today won’t support his case of being in the starting XI going forward, and he may well have put a significant dent in Sunderland’s promotion hopes with this insipid display.

In other news: Journalist drops “crucial” Sunderland manager claim which will leave fans elated 

Arsenal are believed to be leading the race to sign Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans this summer with the Belgian potentially available for a cut-price fee.

What’s the latest?

According to the Telegraph, via Football London, Tielemans could leave this summer for just £25m, having been bought for £40m from Monaco in 2019.

The 24-year-old’s contract at the King Power Stadium expires in 2023 which could give clubs swooping for the midfielder’s signature this summer an edge as the Foxes look to cash in on the Belgian.

It has been suggested that, alongside Arsenal, Manchester United are interested in securing the 24-year-old’s signature this summer, however, with the Gunners looking more likely by the week to be able to offer Champions League football next season, Mikel Arteta’s side are the more favourable option.

Tielemans has become a cult hero at the East Midlands club over the past three and a half years, particularly for last season’s stunning goal in the FA Cup final that secured Leicester their first ever FA Cup success.

However, given his contract situation, it seems likely that the 24-year-old will depart this summer.

Arsenal must swoop for Tielemans

With one of the Premier League’s best midfielders outside of the so-called top-six available for just £25m, it’s a no-brainer for Arsenal to swoop.

Described as a “top-class” player by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola last season, Tielemans’ stock has certainly risen since joining Leicester, initially on loan, in January 2019.

Whilst playing for Brendan Rodgers’ side, the Belgian has been involved in Champions League pushes, competed in Europe and won silverware. However, the 24-year-old will undoubtedly be looking to make the next step up in the very near future.

With the north London club fourth in the Premier League whilst also having a three-point advantage over and game in hand on fifth-place Tottenham, Champions League qualification is looking more likely each week.

Arteta will undoubtedly need recruits in the summer to manage both a European campaign and another top-four push next season, and Tielemans could prove to be exactly what Arsenal need.

In terms of midfielders, the Gunners are quite heavily stacked with the likes Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Emile Smith-Rowe, Granit Xhaka, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny all senior midfielders at the Emirates, something that will certainly have to change to accommodate Tielemans.

It appears as though Elneny is set to leave with the Egyptian’s contract expiring in the summer whilst others may have to be moved on in order to ensure the Belgian will have regular playing time north London.

However, there is no doubt that swooping for the 24-year-old would be worthwhile, with the midfielder averaging a 7.18 rating in the league this season, according to SofaScore.

Moreover, the Belgian currently averages 68.3 touches per game as well as creating four big chances and providing 1.3 key passes with a 83% passing accuracy.

With Tielemans suiting a box-to-box role, his efforts at both ends of the pitch this season have been impressive, scoring six goals and averaging two shots per game whilst also making 2.1 tackles, 1.4 clearances and 0.7 interceptions.

Therefore, there is no doubt that the Belgian could recreate the role of Gunners legend Patrick Vieira in the famous red and white, although replicating the Frenchman’s legacy in Islington would be a very tall ask.

Players of Tieleman’s quality will certainly be keen to make the move to Arsenal if Champions League football is secured which will also make qualifying for Europe’s elite competition more likely in seasons to come given the improved personnel available.

AND in other news: Arteta can finally axe £27m-rated “practice dummy” as AFC bid for “sneaky” £13m dynamo