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Southampton midfielder Stuart Armstrong dazzled in the UEFA Nations League for Scotland on Tuesday night, raising questions amongst Saints fans on why Mark Hughes will not select him.

The 26-year-old moved to the south coast outfit from Celtic in the summer for £7m, but has struggled for game time at St Mary’s Stadium.

Armstrong has been restricted to just eight Premier League outings and one EFL Cup appearance so far this season, yet retained his place in Alex McLeish’s side for the country’s vital fixtures against Albania and Israel – securing promotion to League B.

Check out Playmaker FC’s Joe Street’s unfiltered take on Wayne Rooney’s England legacy in the video below…

Against Israel, he played on the right-hand side of a three-man midfield and produced a total of 40 passes – only Callum McGregor and Andrew Robertson saw the ball more often for Scotland.

Armstrong also took his side’s joint-second most shots, firstly driving through from the halfway line before his effort ricocheted to James Forrest to equalise.

Southampton face Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday, and will be in need of all three points if they are to avoid ending the weekend in the relegation zone.

These Saints fans certainly enjoyed their midfielder performing on the international stage ahead of what may be a vital six-pointer in their season…

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to their win over Watford, and it’s fair to say they’re not too happy with the performance of Jordan Henderson.

Liverpool grabbed all three points in a difficult encounter at Vicarage Road on Saturday, as the Reds continue to keep pace with Manchester City.

Watford looked to have taken an early lead when Gerard Deulofeu raced through on goal, but the Spaniard was correctly ruled to be offside.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Playmaker FC…

Mohamed Salah finally gave the Reds a breakthrough when he buried Sadio Mane’s low cross in the second half, and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s beautiful free kick wrapped the game up before Roberto Firmino grabbed one late on.

Henderson was sent off for a second yellow card with the score at 2-0 though, just moments after receiving his last warning from referee Jon Moss.

Fans can’t believe the naivety of their captain, and they are actually celebrating the fact that he is now suspended for the Merseyside derby.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, look away now Jordan…

Arsenal supporters have been making a lot of noise in recent times after seeing their side emerge victorious in the North London derby on Sunday.

Unai Emery’s men went into their clash with bitter rivals Tottenham unbeaten in their previous 18 matches in all competitions, which included eight wins and three draws in their preceding 11 league games. And the Gunners preserved their excellent unbeaten streak with a 4-2 success over Mauricio Pochettino’s side at the Emirates Stadium, with a brace from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as well as strikes from Alexandre Lacazette and Lucas Torreira inspiring the Gunners to their best result of the season to date.

As such, there have been many thrilled Arsenal fans up and down the country in recent times, several of whom have been heaping praise on the majestic Aubameyang for his two goals on Sunday, the second of which was an absolute beauty to wrestle control away from Pochettino’s Spurs.

The Gabon international is now the Premier League’s top goal-scorer with ten goals so far this term to underline just how influential and vital he has been to the Gunners, but it was the exploits of midfielder Torreira who played an even bigger part in their superb success on Sunday.

The Uruguay international made the move to the Emirates Stadium during the summer after impressing at Italian outfit Sampdoria, and he has since been an absolute revelation in providing Arsenal with the defensive midfielder they have so clearly needed for many a year.

And Sunday was another example of the 22-year-old’s brilliance as he ran the show against Tottenham, touching the ball 68 times to demonstrate his busy involvement in the middle of the park (as per WhoScored), while he finished the game with a very impressive 90% pass success rate to underline just how efficient he was with the ball at his feet.

Thus, it’s pretty evident that Torreira has ability on the ball, but it is off it in which he has really proven his worth to Emery’s side so far this season, and that was none-more-so evident than his combative and commanding performance in the midfield against Pochettino’s side on Sunday.

The 22-year-old completed all three tackles he attempted over the course of the 90 minutes to thwart Tottenham’s advances in that area of the field, while he also made one block, one interception, and indeed one clearance to emphasise his fine reading of the game – he was in the right place at the right time to sense danger, and then deal with it.

Add in his relentless work-rate and appetite for winning the ball back, and the Uruguayan is already proving to be a fan favourite at the Emirates Stadium – and he’s only endeared himself even more after starring, and indeed netting, in a North London derby.

So while Aubameyang’s brace was obviously crucial in Arsenal’s win, it was the midfield masterclass provided by Torreira which inspired Emery’s men to victory over Tottenham on Sunday.

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

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, Liverpool are interested in a move for midfielder Pascal Gross. The 27-year-old currently plays his football at fellow Premier League outfit Brighton & Hove Albion and has done so since leaving Ingolstadt in 2017, with his fine form for the Seagulls seemingly attracting the interest of Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.

And that’s because the Merseyside giants, currently sat top of the Premier League table, are keen on a reported £15 million move for the ex-Germany youth international, a move which could prove to be Klopp’s shrewdest yet since taking over at Anfield.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Liverpool manager has spent a huge amount of money in the last 12 months or so to turn his team into genuine challengers for major honours, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson making big-money moves to Anfield to shore up the defensive ranks – it cost the club £142 million (as per BBC) to lure the duo to the red half of Merseyside.

Add in moves for the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Naby Keita in years gone by, and the Reds have certainly backed Klopp to really take the club forward and back to the summit of English and European football – but the Liverpool boss has certainly found some bargains as well.

Be it the £13.5 million needed to land Xherdan Shaqiri during the summer, or indeed the lowly £8.1 million (as per Transfermarkt) to sign Andrew Robertson from Hull City in 2017, it hasn’t all been about the big-money signings – in fact, Robertson is arguably one of the first names on the teamsheet.

And with the Reds clearly in need of greater creativity and flair in the midfield, Brighton’s Gross is another which could be added to the list of Klopp’s shrewdest Liverpool signings.

The 27-year-old has excelled since his move to Chris Hughton’s Brighton back in 2017, netting seven goals and laying on eight assists for the South Coast outfit last term in his first season in the Premier League, helping the Seagulls stave off the threat of relegation.

And while he hasn’t quite hit those heights so far this term, scoring once in eight league appearances, he earned a move to Brighton as a result of his fine form in Germany with Ingolstadt, for whom he scored on 17 occasions but also laid on 40 assists in just 165 appearances.

And with Klopp reportedly an admirer of the former Germany youth international, he could be the man to aid the creative aspect of Liverpool’s midfield, be it as a natural central midfielder or indeed a number ten, the latter role Roberto Firmino has played to varying degrees of effect so far this term.

And for just £15 million, given everything he gave to Brighton last season, it appears on the surface to be an absolute steal, and one that could prove to be Klopp’s shrewdest since taking over at Anfield in October 2015.

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

After the signing of Lucas Digne in the summer, Leighton Baines has gone on to lose his starting spot in the Everton team to the French left-back.

Manager Marco Silva, however, has not ruled out the possibility of finding a new role in the side for the 34-year-old.

The Breakdown

When put to him that former Everton boss Roberto Martinez believed Baines was capable of emulating Bayern Munich legend Philip Lahm by becoming a midfielder after years of playing in defence, Silva told the Liverpool Echo: “It is possible. When Roberto told you that, what I can tell you is that you are talking about a player with fantastic individual qualities.

“His passing, his last decision, his crossing is amazing and it could be. To be honest, it is not something I have spoken to him about but it could be something that happens in the future.”

Technically, £7.2m-rated (Transfermarkt) Baines certainly has the tools to play higher up the pitch, which is something Silva appears to be considering going forward.

However, looking at what the Portuguese coach has at his disposal, using Baines anywhere other than left-back seems unnecessary.

In this moment of time, the Toffees are blessed with options in midfield and out wide after a very productive summer transfer window.

With that in mind and considering how well Digne has played since his arrival from Barcelona, Baines’ Everton career looks all but over despite Silva’s recent comments.

Everton boss Marco Silva would add the final piece to his puzzle if he manages to sign a proper and outright striker to compliment wingers Bernard and Richarlison.

And the manager only has to keep an eye on the La Liga to find his target. Sevilla striker André Silva is taking the Spanish league by storm and would be a great fit for the current Everton team.

Currently on loan from Italian outfit AC Milan, Silva is proving to be quite a threat in front of goal in a Sevilla team that has caused for a lot of surprises so far this season.

Pablo Machin’s charges have had an excellent first half of their campaign and are currently in second spot in the La Liga, only three points behind leaders Barcelona.

And the 31-cap Portuguese international has been at the heart of Sevilla’s brilliant rise in the league with nine goals and two assists in all competitions so far.

The fact that the 23-year-old is on-loan at the Spanish club might make negotiations easier from an Evertonian pespective, although AC Milan’s embarrassing exit from the Europa League last week might tempt them to recall some of their loan players in January.

Nonetheless, could the prospect of playing in the Premier League and for an exciting, up-and-coming team like Everton trigger Silva to make a move?

Slotting into Marco Silva’s setup would finally give the Merseyside club the upfront force they have been crying for all season. Apart from someone like Richarlison, who has scored most of the goals for the club, have Everton struggled to find a proper centre-forward that could lead the line of attack.

Players like Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have both been guilty of inconsistency this season, while former Arsenal player Theo Walcott hasn’t quite provided the cutting edge on the right-wing that the Toffee fans were hoping for. Silva, on the other hand, really could give them a new dimension.

According to a report by The Telegraph, Nottingham Forest are reportedly on the verge of sacking manager Aitor Karanka as the Spaniard as failed to meet expectations, and fans of arch-rivals Derby County have been quick to react on Twitter.

The Telegraph report that the former Middlesbrough boss was under strict instructions to lead the Reds to a play-off position by the turn of the year following a big summer of spending, but the 3-3 draw with Norwich City on Boxing Day left them three points adrift of the top six – Frank Lampard’s men are in the final spot ironically.

The collapse from a 3-0 lead with 15 minutes left to play continued a poor sequence of results for Karanka including surprise home defeats against Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers, and he now appears to be on the brink.

Derby supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the story, and while you may have expected them to be laughing at their arch-enemies, instead they were disbelieving of the rumour.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Playmaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

West Ham kicked off their January dealings in style as Manuel Pellegrini was reunited with former Manchester City colleague Samir Nasri – who became a Hammer on the day that his doping ban ended – but, with a slew of injuries to key midfielders, the east London outfit must not stop there and get their transfer window business done and dusted early with the signing of Besiktas’ Gary Medel.

What’s the word?

Well, Turkish media outlet Milliyet have reported that Chilean Pellegrini is keen on a move for the 31-year-old and that a deal is close to being agreed, with Besiktas set to green-light the transfer soon.

Milliyet also add that the switch would take place for a fee of around £6.5m – the Super Lig outfit are struggling financially and are willing to let the key man go in order to ease the pressure.

With Carlos Sanchez, Jack Wilshere and Ryan Fredericks – to name but a few – sidelined through injury, signing Medel could be an extremely shrewd bit of business and one that gives West Ham further options in both defence and midfield.

Second chance

Having played for Cardiff in 2013/14, the versatile enforcer has already had a taste of Premier League football, albeit ill-fated as he could do nothing to stop his side from being relegated to the Championship – he was subsequently pinched by Inter Milan, where he plied his trade for three years before upping sticks to Besiktas in 2017.

The diminutive hard-man is a force to be reckoned with at right-back or at the base of midfield and can bring a wealth of experience to the Irons’ ranks – he has been playing in the Europa League this season, where he completes an impressive 3.8 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game on average.

Given his numbers and the small sum being mentioned in exchange for his services, we think the tough-tackler would be an ideal number 6 but what do you think, West Ham fans? Would you like to see Medel follow Samir Nasri to the London Stadium in the coming weeks or do you think there are better options? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”365933″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts West Ham’s Best Month Ever & A Premier League First”]

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Being a young striker playing for the same team as Sergio Aguero has it’s pros and cons, there is no doubt; for a player looking to develop his game and emulate the Argentine’s goal-scoring prowess, there are few better hitmen around to draw from, while equally, it is a struggle to push the former Athletico Madrid man out of the starting XI and that makes minutes hard-earned.

This is exactly the situation that Gabriel Jesus has been in since his arrival from Palmeiras in 2017 – the Brazilian was tipped as one of the hottest young prospects from his country and his 13 goals and four assists in his debut season for ‘Big Green‘ were enough to secure a £29m move to the Premier League.

While he has hardly flopped, the 21-year-old has not been afforded an extended run in the first XI to be able to truly show what he is capable of simply due to the fact that Aguero is one of the few players Pep Guardiola may feel is indispensable.

As the silverware-hungry City battle on multiple fronts to secure as many trophies as they can, Jesus will find most of his opportunities in the domestic cups and was given the nod on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup clash with Burton Albion.

The League One minnows presumably came to the Etihad Stadium with the plan to frustrate the hosts and perhaps grab an away goal on the break but the Cityzens were merciless and never took their foot off the gas as they stormed to an unbelievable 9-0 victory.

Jesus doubled his side’s lead in the 30th minute after Kevin de Bruyne had found the breakthrough early on and, from there, it went absolutely goal-crazy in Manchester.

The number 33 found the net again four minutes later; scored his hat-trick goal in the second half and then bagged a fourth to round off a terrific performance which was undoubtedly his best to date.

In a game where City almost reached double figures, you would be forgiven for thinking that they squandered chances along the way but this was not the case for Jesus – the forward took 6 shots on goal and four of those beat the ‘keeper, who had about as miserable an evening as it gets.

A key feature of Guardiola’s style is that goals and assists must be able to come from every single player – even Ederson, the goalkeeper, was purchased for his ability to find a killer, long pass – and Jesus was no exception as he completed an impressive 4 key passes and linked up with his teammates well. He got an assist, to boot, which meant that he had a hand in five of City’s nine.

At just 5-foot-9, Jesus isn’t exactly the most physical of strikers and can’t be expected to win too much in the air – should it ever leave the turf – although he won 2 aerial duels against the Brewers and scored a header, rising high above his man to power the ball into the corner.

Which big 6 club needs to do the most business in January? Check out what the Playmaker FC squad think in the video above…

After he grabbed four goals and teed up another in the midweek game, Guardiola would surely be mad not to start the Sao Paulo-born star against Wolves on Monday, however it would also be a gamble to leave out Aguero.

Perhaps, therefore, the answer for the Spaniard is to stray away from his favoured 4-3-3 and play with two up top; we know that they will still, most likely, be at their sparkling best regardless of shape but it would certainly be exciting to see Aguero partner Jesus.

If the latter can produce even half as good a performance as he did in the cup, Wolves will be ripped to shreds – what do you think, Manchester City fans? Who should Pep place his faith in for upcoming matches, Aguero or Jesus? Or both, as we’ve suggested? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

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RB Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff has revealed that Timo Werner will be sold at the end of the season unless he signs a new contract with the Bundesliga club.

Indeed, Werner’s current deal with Leipzig will expire in June 2020 and the German outfit will sell this summer if new terms cannot be agreed.

The 22-year-old has scored 13 times in 21 appearances for Leipzig this season, including 11 in 17 Bundesliga appearances in the first half of the campaign.

The Germany international has 55 goals in 98 matches since arriving at Leipzig, meanwhile, and has also chipped in with 20 assists.

Europe’s biggest clubs will be monitoring developments and there will be a huge scramble for Werner if he becomes available at the end of the season.

With that in mind, we put the question to the Liverpool fans – do you want your club to move for the goal machine in this summer’s transfer window?

Have your say down below and look out for the published results…