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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 

Newcastle United ace Isaac Hayden is now reportedly keen on a move away to a rival in the Premier League before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Hayden out?

There have been a number of reports throughout the window so far linking Hayden with a move away from St. James’ Park.

The North East club have not started the 2021/22 season off well, losing both of their opening games in the top flight and thus leaving themselves in the relegation zone, which may persuade the central midfield player to want to seek a new challenge before the window shuts.

The Latest: Head turned

As per Football Insider, Watford have now ‘set their sights’ on signing Hayden, and it is understood that he is ‘keen’ on a move to Vicarage Road.

A source from the Hornets has told the news outlet that they are interested in signing Hayden before the window closes, and a move to them has reportedly appeared to have turned his head.

The Verdict: Keep

The Tyneside club must avoid selling Hayden in this window, especially to a rival in the Premier League.

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Dubbed ‘outstanding’ by Magpies legend Alan Shearer after a very impressive performance in their 3-2 home win against Southampton in the division back in February, the Englishman was such a key player for them last term, winning no fewer than 5.5 of his duels per game in the top flight, as well as averaging 2.2 tackles, 1.9 clearances and 1.8 interceptions per match (Sofascore).

Nonetheless, with less than a week to go, it would be difficult for Steve Bruce’s team to find a suitable replacement for him.

In other news, find out which ‘amazing talent’ Fabrizio Romano says NUFC are now eyeing here!

The Daily Record’s Mark Pirie believes that Celtic will look to use Reo Hatate in the attacking third, with a January move looking likely.

The Lowdown: Agreement reached

The 24-year-old, who currently plays for Kawasaki Frontale, could well be Celtic’s first signing of 2022, with the Hoops reportedly reaching an agreement with the J1 League outfit for the versatile ace.

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His current contract expires at the end of January, but it seems as if Celtic will fork out a fee in order to bring him to Scotland as soon as possible.

Hatate can play in a number of positions all over the pitch, although Pirie has made a claim on what he thinks Ange Postecoglou may have in store for the 24-year-old.

The Latest: Pirie’s claim

Pirie shared a story on Sunday morning, looking at Celtic’s January state of play. One player of discussion was Hatate, with the reporter believing that it looks ‘increasingly likely’ that he will be deployed in the attacking third of the pitch with left-back Greg Taylor now back from injury.

He added that out of all of Celtic’s targets, a move for Hatate could be the one which is finalised before the Glasgow derby with Rangers on January 2.

The Verdict: Mr Versatile

Hatate can play as a left-back, central midfielder, attacking midfielder or as a winger, so his versatility could prove to be a big hit with both Postecoglou and the Hoops faithful.

At this moment in time, he may well be required in an attacking role, as Pirie mentions, especially with the number of injuries to Celtic’s attacking stars. When they return, he could provide cover for the likes of Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Tom Rogic in midfield, while also being on standby to replace Taylor at left-back if needed.

Overall, Hatate could turn out to be an extremely shrewd signing by Postecoglou, and he’ll be looking to continue his trophy-winning habit over in Scotland, should the transfer officially go through.

In other news: Nicholson makes Celtic move on the day of Hampden Park final to sign speedster with ‘great feet’

Tottenham Hotspur cannot train ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Brighton and Hove Albion, putting the game in serious doubt…

What’s the word?

That’s according to ever-reliable football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, who revealed late on Wednesday evening that the club had further positive cases at Hotspur Way, resulting in a complete shutdown of the training ground.

It means Antonio Conte’s already-depleted squad cannot face Stade Rennes in their final Europa Conference League group game this evening and now, it appears as if postponing Sunday’s encounter at the Amex Stadium will be a mere formality at this stage.

Big blow

Spurs have been hit by a flurry of positive cases in recent days and the number keeps increasing as each day passes by.

The Italian head coach revealed in his pre-game press conference that eight players and five members of staff were absent and that another player had tested positive by the end of training, as relayed by football.london.

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“I think this is a serious problem, and it’s a pity because during the press conference I’d like to talk about football and the next game and not about Covid,” he told reporters.

“But the situation is serious. Every day we are having positives. Today one player and one member of staff. I think the worst is we don’t know and we continue to have contact with people that the day before weren’t negative. For sure this is not a good situation. We have a training session to prepare for the game against Rennes, but it’s very difficult.”

Not only do the north London outfit have the Burnley postponement to fit in but they will now have to slot a rearranged encounter with Rennes in before December 31st, which may be tricky with the Ligue 1 outfit due on winter break by Christmas day, and then there is likely to be another game to manoeuvre with this weekend’s clash against the Seagulls likely to be called off in due course.

This deals Conte another blow as his tenure in N17 has been ever so stop-start since taking over a month ago, having also had to contend with numerous injuries and the international break, too.

It also means that Spurs will have a substantial backlog of fixtures heading into 2022 and that could harm their chances of breaking into the top six, let alone the top four, and that’s got to be troubling news for the Lilywhites faithful, who will now not get to witness their team in the near future.

AND in other news, Spurs may have just signed their next Danny Rose…

Pundit Jamie O’Hara believes that West Ham United could be dragged into a relegation battle in 2021/22, should they choose not to dive further into the transfer market [METRO].

Enjoying a fantastic campaign last time out, West Ham United managed to finish in sixth place and successfully qualified for the Europa League group stage against all odds.

However, their lack of transfer activity has become a concern for fans and pundits alike.

Barely scratching the surface, the Irons have added Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris St-Germain, alongside completing a permanent deal for previous loanee defender Craig Dawson [Transfermarkt].

Speaking to TalkSPORT, relayed by Metro, O’Hara issued a damning verdict on where he believes their trajectory lies this season, stating:

“If they don’t get some players in quickly and strengthen that squad, West Ham are going to be fighting relegation. They’ve got the Europa League as well, they haven’t got a squad, it’s not big enough.”

In light of these comments, no wonder loads of West Ham United diehards took to social media to vent their disgust at the former Tottenham man’s claims.

West Ham United fans react:

Replying to popular West Ham fan outlet Uber West Ham, here is what some fans had to say about O’Hara’s comments:

“Think on this. O’Hara was sacked from Billericay. He thinks the Moon landings didn’t happen. Doesn’t know who Stalin, Chairman Mao or Genghis Khan were. Yet we are supposed to give his views on football credence? PS: He said the same last year.”

Credit: @Hammers54

“The same jamie ohara that said declan was bang average?”

Credit: @AdamEpsly

“He works for talk sport. They just get former professional footballers looking for media careers to say outrageous stuff”

Credit: @benrahmaww”More drivel by football “genius” Jamie O’Hara. Hilarious.”Credit: @DX7Dreams”He predicted West Ham to finish 19th last year. The bloke is a clown”Credit: @CStevens2109″Who cares”Credit: @RichardWatts1In other news, West Ham United plot a move for a Ligue 1 ace.

Southampton have often been known as a selling club given their great recruitment and academy system, but they will be desperate to keep hold of their captain James Ward-Prowse.

However, former Newcastle United defender Steve Howey believes it will take at least £60 million for the Saints to consider selling him.

It has been a hectic 2020 for Southampton as they have seen their star players all linked with a move away from the south coast with Ward-Prowse, Danny Ings and Jannik Vestergaard all tipped to leave this summer.

Ward-Prowse was not a guarantee to start under former manager Mauricio Pellegrino but since Ralph Hasenhuttl arrived, he has instilled confidence in the midfielder handing him the captain’s armband and he has not missed a single minute of Premier League football for two seasons.

When you look at reports suggesting that Aston Villa would demand £45 million for John McGinn who has only had one season in the Premier League, Howey delivered a stern verdict when asked if £30-35 million would be a fair price for Southampton to accept for Ward-Prowse, telling Football FanCast exclusively:

“I think they’d want a lot more than that. I think you’d be looking at double that for him.”

It was the £35,000-per-week midfielder’s best season for the Saints as he found the net eight times and registered seven assists, with the majority of them coming from dead-ball situations as he is undoubtedly on penalties, free kicks and corners.

If the Saints don’t look to make obvious improvements to their side this summer, players such as Ings and Ward-Prowse may feel like they have to move on for the good of their careers to try and win trophies.

Rangers face Motherwell at Ibrox in the Premiership today as they attempt to bounce back from a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Ligue 1 side Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The loss ended a run of six games without defeat in all competitions, with Steven Gerrard’s team having won five of their last six going into the match.

They now come up against a strong Motherwell outfit who have started the season well. Graham Alexander has led his men to three wins, one draw and one defeat in five league matches thus far.

Gerrard lined up with Joe Aribo out on the right wing against Lyon and the change in personnel did not work in his favour. The former Charlton man gave away possession 12 times, lost seven of his 10 ground duels and only completed one key pass all game.

This is why the Rangers head coach must now drop Aribo in order to unleash ex-Leeds forward Kemar Roofe on Motherwell.

The 28-year-old has already scored two goals from two starts in the Premiership this season and netted 14 goals from 18 starts last term. This shows that he is a proven goalscorer at this level and is a player who can be relied upon in front of goal.

Aside from being a threat with the ball, Gerrard also once said that Roofe is a handful for opponents to deal with when fit due to his exceptional work rate out of possession.

The manager said: “Touch wood he stays fit and if he does then he will be a real handful at this level. He works his socks off, he does everything out of possession that you ask of him, he is clever and bright and he can create and score. He has got the mentality that I really like.”

This shows how the £26k-per-week attacker can be a match-winner for Rangers. He can hassle defenders and force turnovers with his work rate, whilst also providing a regular supply of goals, as shown by his league record for the club. At the end of the day, goals win you games and Roofe has shown that he can score them regularly in the Premiership – making him a potential match-winner for the Gers.

Gerrard must now unleash him against Motherwell and demote Aribo to the bench if he is not going to move him back into central midfield. Hopefully Roofe will be able to showcase his quality and help the Gers to the three points today.

AND in other news, Premier League side are eyeing up swoop for 28y/o Rangers beast

Nottingham Forest are in talks to bring Facundo Ferreyra to the City Ground.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Cesar Luis Merlo, with the South American journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Forest have entered into negotiations with the 30-year-old centre-forward, who left LaLiga side Celta de Vigo earlier this summer.

Luis Merlo continued by stating that both parties are keen to find a quick resolution to the discussions, however, an agreement regarding the terms of the player’s contract is not close to being reached at present.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Facundo Ferreyra is in negotiations with Nottingham Forest of the second division of England. Both parties welcome the opportunity, but the deal is not yet close to being closed.”

Major coup

Considering how hard Forest pushed to bring a new centre-forward into the club during the closing stages of the summer transfer window, seeing moves for Josh Maja, Yuma Suzuki and M’Bala Nzola all fall through, should the Reds go on to secure the signing of Ferreyra on a free transfer it would undoubtedly be a major coup for the Championship side.

While the striker did not enjoy much game time with Celta de Vigo last term, starting just two LaLiga games over the course of the season, the 30-year-old has nevertheless proven in his career that he is a forward who boasts a clear eye for goal.

Indeed, during his time with Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, the £1.8m-rated man enjoyed two remarkable campaigns, scoring 19 goals and providing two assists over 25 appearances in the Premier Liga and Europa League back in 2016/17, as well as bagging 30 goals and five assists over 42 appearances in the Premier Liga, Champions League, Ukrainian Cup and Ukrainian Super Cup in 2017/18.

As such, should the player Peter Beardsley once dubbed an “outstanding” talent go on to agree a switch to Forest, and subsequently be able to refind this form in the Championship, it would undoubtedly provide Chris Hughton’s side with a huge boost to their chances of getting off of the foot of the second tier table, and subsequently help them mount a push towards the top half of the league.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped a major update on Leeds United’s pursuit of Club Brugge starlet Noa Lang in this summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports from The Telegraph, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been been watching the 21-year-old, although they are set to face intense competition to try and land him.

Romano has now revealed via his official Twitter account that Leeds are indeed interested in the £19.8m-rated Lang, adding that while the Belgian champions will continue trying to offer him a new deal, the Whites want to commence transfer talks.

The journalist declared: “Leeds are interested in signing Noa Lang from Club Brugge – the Belgian club will try to keep him offering a new contract but Leeds want to open talks.”

Exciting talent for Bielsa

Called a “phenomenon” by Belgian journalist Peter Vandenbempt, the winger made history when he became the first player in 60 years to mark his debut with a hat-trick for Ajax, a feat which prompted manager Erik ten Hag to rave about him after that game.

The 51-year-old said: “He showed (his talent) today and I am very happy with that. Noa shows (his ability) it during training and during the reserve matches. And today he has also clearly shown it at the highest level too.”

Able to play anywhere across the frontline, Lang has shown he has a real eye for goal in his loan spell at Brugge last season (he is due to become their player outright on 1 July), scoring 17 goals and providing a further 11 assists in just 37 games, including netting in the Champions League against Zenit St Petersburg.

Just like Raphinha, Lang is an excitingly direct dribbler, averaging 1.4 dribbles per game in the Belgian top flight, a figure which ranks him just outside the top ten in the entire division.

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Given that he is only 21, Lang could be the kind of long-term project who thrives under Bielsa and proves to become a real superstar at Elland Road as the years progress.

With the volume of goals and assists that Lang delivered last season, and with him still being very much in the infancy of his career, a move for the youngster would surely have Leeds fans buzzing at the thought of him shining at Elland Road if they can land his signature.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has dropped a major Leeds United update…

Manchester United have an exceptional talent on their hands in Alejandro Garnacho.

It’s been a tough decade for the Red Devils, but class is permanent and is clearly embedded into the roots of the club – as can be seen with their academy product portfolio.

Despite the emerging talents of youth players such as Hannibal Mejbri, Shola Shoretire, Anthony Elanga and Charlie McNeill – there is a bigger buzz around former Atletico Madrid prospect; Alejandro Garnacho.

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The Manchester United youngster has achieved a cool 18 goal returns (12 goals, six assists) in 30 appearances that span from the U18s to the U23s in Premier League 2.

Despite not making a first-team appearance for the Red Devils, the 17-year-old was called up to the Argentina national team last month in what looked to be a bid to get the starlet to secure allegiance – with Garnacho also able to play for Spain having been born in Madrid and growing up there.

Garnacho was described by the Spanish media (via Playmakerstats.com) as the “jewel in the crown” of Atletico Madrid’s academy, though, that was until Manchester United beat several top European outfits to his signature.

The youngster has also been described as “rampant” by Manchester United themselves, after a performance against Stoke City in which he bagged a hat-trick in the U18s’ 6-1 win.

With his record healthy, his reputation growing, and the fact that he is 17-years-old plying his trade with the U23’s – the main hype around the starlet is his adoration and subsequent comparison to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Taking to Instagram, Garnacho has already stated: “Greatest of all times… @Cristiano” after the great Portuguese gave the youngster the match ball after hitting a hat-trick against Norwich City.

The United starlet has also been seen emulating Ronaldo’s “Siuu” celebration after netting in the academy whilst his deal with Nike is yet another resemblance of the famous attacker.

The fact that Garnacho has trained with both Lionel Messi and Ronaldo at the age of 17-years-old is incredible but he has earned the right to do so with his performances for the youth set-up.

His goal in the FA Youth Cup win over Wolverhampton Wanderers served as a fantastic example of his prowess as a player.

Ten Hag could instantly impress the fanbase by utilising the youngster in what looks to be a major rebuild for the club.

In other news: Ten Hag’s first blow: Romano relays big update that will leave MUFC supporters gutted…