If it were up to Philippe Coutinho, the attacker would currently be in Spain preparing for Barcelona’s La Liga clash against Las Palmas this weekend.
The Brazilian desperately tried to force a move to Camp Nou during the summer transfer window, but Liverpool were not playing ball as the Reds refused Coutinho a move.
In fairness to the 25-year-old, he has put his head down over the last couple of weeks – scoring against Leicester City in the Premier League last weekend, before notching against Spartak Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
It remains to be seen whether Coutinho is committed to Liverpool on a long-term basis, but it seems that the Reds have their star player back with them following a difficult period.
On Thursday, Liverpool’s official Twitter account posted a video of Coutinho scoring from various long-range attempts.
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There were some Liverpool fans that took the chance to criticise the team’s defence when responding to the post, but many were quick to hail Coutinho ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United.
In the days leading up to the weekend’s domestic action, plenty of footballers tend to post training pictures on Twitter or messages expressing their excitement for the next game.
Fernando Llorente was one of those players, as he took to social media ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League match away to Huddersfield Town.
The striker’s simple tweet has not quite attracted the kind of response he may have hoped for.
While some Tottenham fans shared his excitement about Saturday’s early kickoff, rival supporters mocked Llorente’s failure to land a regular spot in the team.
The Spaniard joined the North London outfit from Swansea City on transfer deadline-day, but has only started one fixture, which was in the Carabao Cup.
In total, the striker has made five appearances in all competitions, but across the Premier League and Champions League, the former Juventus star has played just 53 minutes.
The ex-Sevilla man was always going to be down the pecking order at Spurs due to Harry Kane cementing the role as first-choice striker.
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Judging from his tweet, Llorente is excited for the upcoming game, but rival fans have pointed out that he is unlikely to play.
Tottenham’s most significant win at Wembley since making it their temporary home in Europe at the start of last season was as relentless as it was thrilling. From the opening few minutes it was abundantly clear that there would be goals and by the quarter-hour mark, onlookers were already privilege to three; Spurs scoring from two doppelganger counter-attacks down the left wing and Borussia Dortmund’s Andriy Yarmolenko netting a delicious curler in between. Late on, Harry Kane would seal the result with a swerving, low strike for Tottenham’s third.
Unquestionably, Dortmund represent Tottenham’s biggest scalp to date at Wembley and provide the most encouraging signs yet that the season-long stint in the national stadium won’t derail the incredible progress the team have made over the last two seasons. It was also Mauricio Pochettino’s most impressive result in Europe since becoming Spurs boss; prior to last night, Spurs’ record at Wembley since the start of last season was one win from seven, while Pochettino’s win rate in continental competitions as Tottenham manager was just 43% – hardly high enough to successfully marauding through the many knockout rounds.
After a pulsating victory against a team that embarrassed Spurs in Europe two seasons ago in a 5-1 aggregate demolition, it was quite clear Tottenham’s players and their manager were glad to have the Wembley hoodoo off their backs – or at the very least, have the evidence to convince people to stop harping on about it. Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane both grimaced when the BT Sport interviewer quizzed them on the Wembley curse post-match and perhaps most tellingly of how not necessarily the record itself but certainly the relentless discussion of it has frustrated the Spurs camp over the last year, Pochettino told reporters; “I hope it will stop the talk.”
“Maybe people will stop talking about hoodoos like they have been for the past year. It’s fantastic not only because of three points. I hope it will stop the talk that has been around the team and the club. It’s massive, massive to start in that way. To get three points. It was so important to get the three points against a fantastic team like Borussia Dortmund, who have unbelievable players. It’s massive for our confidence. It’s massive to avenge everyone. It’s true that the game was so tough and they dominated the game. But we were very clinical and it was important we found a way to win.”
And yet, Tottenham’s valiant victory at Wembley didn’t follow the template of a typical Tottenham match; the 3-4-3 became much more of a 5-4-1, Spurs focused their energies on hitting Dortmund’s disorganised defence on the counter and the Lilywhites finished up with just 32% possession. It’s difficult to remember an occasion in which Pochettino’s Tottenham had so little of the ball, let alone an occasion in which they actually won. Last season, Spurs averaged the third-most of any Premier League side at 57.4%.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with finding a new way of winning, especially when the old one becomes dogged by a temporary abode. It’s rather telling of how difficult Tottenham have found it playing in their more recognised, energetic, ball-retaining style at home this season that they lost to Chelsea and drew to Burnley before trouncing Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park last weekend. The problem, however, is whether that way seemingly more suitable to Wembley’s large pitch, more distant stands and less-charged atmosphere can actually be applied to the rest of Tottenham’s home outings this season.
For starters, last night’s Dortmund side was a pale imitation of the one that reached the Champions League final under Jurgen Klopp in 2013 and even the Thomas Tuchel outfit Spurs came unstuck against in the 2015/16 Europa League. The Black and Yellows may be top of the Bundesliga table on goal difference but the quality has steadily drained out of the side over the last four years and more pertinent to last night’s fixture, some key players were absent – Marc Bartra, Marco Reus and Marcel Schmelzer to name a few. In fact, Dortmund’s injury list is nine men deep at this moment in time. Dortmund aren’t the fearsome proposition they once were in Europe, but they were particularly weakened last night.
Perhaps more instrumental in the defeat was Peter Bosz’s regardless insistence to employ a high line, something Tottenham appeared particularly set up to exploit and eventually played a hand in all three of their goals which were created by attacking the space behind the ever-pressing backline. Some teams will feel more tempted to employ similar tactics at Wembley this season than they would have at White Hart Lane last term simply because it still feels as much like a neutral venue as it does Tottenham’s home, especially in Europe and especially Real Madrid.
But on the whole, Tottenham won’t face that kind of line domestically every fortnight. In fact, as Chelsea and Burnley have already proved, most teams will come to Wembley packing out their own box and waiting to hit Spurs on the counter instead. Playing like the away team won’t work when Swansea, Barnsley and Bournemouth come to town in Tottenham’s next three Wembley outings. Last night’s performance was a fantastic performance from the Lilywhites, but the dynamics of the match were largely unique to the opposition.
Of course, as Pochettino himself alluded to, the psychological effects of the performance and result could have more impact than the tactics used. Whether it plagued the minds of his players or not, last night surely made Wembley feel a little more like home – shared memories are an essential part of tying communities together in any aspect of society. Footballers and fan bases in a new stadium are no different.
Yet, as the Lilywhites prepare to face a Swansea side that have conceded just two Premier League goals this season barring a final ten-minute capitulation against Manchester United and will take a particularly pragmatic approach into Saturday’s game, Tottenham still face the same question – can their way of playing be successful at Wembley, especially when there’s ten men behind the ball? Last night’s win may have raised confidence and left Tottenham fans feeling more acquainted with their season-long home, but it hasn’t found a solution to the most fundamental dilemma Spurs face at home this term.
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A watershed moment or a false dawn? The answer comes this Saturday.
Having represented Brazil during the recent international break, Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho is ‘fit and healthy’ to take to the field, according to Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.
Coutinho returned to Liverpool on Thursday, and it would have been an interesting first day back for the attacker, who desperately tried to engineer a move to Barcelona in the summer.
Liverpool held firm when it came to Barcelona bidding in excess of £100m for Coutinho, however, and the 25-year-old will now remain at Anfield until at least the January transfer window.
It is thought that the attacker, who has only just overcome a back injury, will be on the bench for Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Manchester City this weekend as Klopp eases him back into the first-team picture.
There are a number of Liverpool supporters that are finding it difficult to forgive Coutinho, but the majority are just pleased to have the Brazil international back in the squad.
Football has a short memory, and if Coutinho comes off the bench to score the winner against Man City this weekend, it seems that all will be forgiven when it comes to his conduct during the summer.
Everton came away from the Etihad Stadium yesterday evening with a massive point that owed everything to Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the tip of attack.
The youngster showed his quality earlier in the summer by netting the winning goal for England U20s in the World Cup final and appears to have taken that confidence into the new season, highlighted by a performance beyond his years against arguably the Premier League’s top side in Manchester City.
Indeed, Everton set up to spoil the party and hit the Citizens on the counter, which hinged on Calvert-Lewin’s ability to not only lead the line and bring Wayne Rooney into the game but also provide the pace to push back the likes of Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones and Vincent Kompany.
That’s exactly what the 6 foot 1 forward did; in addition to creating four chances, one of which supplied Rooney for Everton’s goal in the first half, Calvert-Lewin won two fouls, two aerial duels and completed two dribbles to give his side a vital foothold in the final third.
It was an exceptional performance from a youngster who appears to have an incredibly bright future at Goodison Park. But was he your Man of the Match? Let us know by voting below…
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According to reports in The Telegraph, Manchester United are on the verge of completing a £40m deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic.
The Telegraph says that a fee was agreed with Chelsea on Saturday, with the Serbia international travelling up to Manchester to complete a medical on Sunday.
The 28-year-old, who turns 29 on Tuesday, will be reunited with Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho following their spell together at Stamford Bridge, and will become their third arrival of the summer after Victor Lindelof and Romelu Lukaku.
An exit for Matic had been on the cards since he was left home from the Blues’ pre-season tour of Asia in order to secure a move away from the Premier League holders, and it seems as though his transfer to Old Trafford is all but done.
Man United supporters were quick to have their say on the imminent arrival of Matic via social media, and they were divided with their opinions.
While some believe that he will be an excellent addition to the midfield, others “would have preferred Fabinho” with the Monaco star also being linked with a move to the Red Devils.
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Everton supporters did not have the most enjoyable evening watching the team stagger their way to a 1-0 win in the Europa League on Thursday, but they were impressed with some of the new signings.
One in particular was Michael Keane, who started the first leg of the third qualifying round against MFK Ruzomberok at Goodison Park.
The England international was selected by manager Ronald Koeman to marshall the defence alongside Ashley Williams.
Keane was consistently solid for Burnley last season, and Everton fans will be hoping that the 24-year-old continues that trend for the 2017-18 campaign.
Even though it was only his first competitive performance, fans are feeling confident in Keane’s ability to slot into the back line.
Fellow new boys Davy Klaassen, Cuco Martina, Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez all featured across the 90 minutes.
The Merseyside outfit have spent more than £100m on new faces this summer as they attempt to challenge the top four.
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As reported by The Evening Chronicle, Newcastle United are in talks with Middlesbrough about bringing Adama Traore to St James’ Park this summer.
What’s the story?
With Rafa Benitez looking for players that can make Newcastle a force in the top-flight next season, competition is fierce when trying to find the right calibre of player.
With scouts across the world, Newcastle often make unconventional moves in the transfer market but it seems they’ve cast their eye very close to home.
The Evening Chronicle say they are in contact with Middlesbrough about the possibility of signing Adama Traore this summer. Signed by Boro for £7m last season, say the paper, he seems set on leaving the Riverside after the club were relegated.
What does he offer?
Potential is perhaps the biggest thing Traore offers. Still just 21, he gained a football education at the famous La Masia academy in Barcelona.
Last season he showed great ability in flashes but failed to put together the kind of consistency that could prevent Boro making the drop from the English Premier League.
He completed 135 dribbles in total across the campaign, demonstrating he can beat men one-on-one and if Rafa Benitez can harness that raw ability then Newcastle could have a very fine player on their hands.
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His lack of goals or assists is of course a real problem but with his whole career ahead of him and the ceiling high on his potential then he appears to be a gamble worth taking for Newcastle.
Everton are confident that they will re-sign Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney this summer, reports talkSPORT.
What’s the word?
It is not the first time that Rooney has been linked to his boyhood club, but it seems now that the Toffees feel that a deal will get done.
The 31-year-old’s future at Old Trafford poured into doubt last season after it became clear that he would not be a regular starter under manager Jose Mourinho.
Rooney was in the first XI just 24 times in all competitions, and only 15 of those outings were in the Premier League.
The man himself revealed at the end of the season that he was considering his options, but it has since gone quiet.
Now, talkSPORT sources close to Everton feel that it is “almost inevitable” that Rooney will go back to the club this summer.
A good or bad move?
A few months ago, signing Rooney may have seemed like a fairytale story, and for some fans, that may still be the case.
However, Everton’s swift business in the transfer window so far shows huge ambition.
The Merseyside outfit have spent more than £50m on bringing in goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, midfielder Davy Klaassen, young striker Henry Onyekuru and forward Sandro Ramirez.
If Rooney were to come into the fold, he should not be guaranteed first-team football purely because of his name and link to Everton.
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The Toffees are showing that they intend to push towards the Champions League places, and they will struggle to do that if they put all their hopes in Rooney.
The England international has significantly dropped in form over the years, and despite becoming leading scorer for United and his country last season, he should be handed a bit-part role if he is to join Everton.
Everton have held talks with AC Milan regarding the availability of Carlos Bacca, M’Baye Niang and Gianluca Lapadula, according to the website of Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.
What’s the story?
It is believed that the Toffees are looking to strengthen in plenty of areas on the pitch this summer, and one of those is in attack.
According to Di Marzio’s website, Bacca, Niang and Lapadula were all asked about by Everton officials during a meeting with Milan representatives.
The report states the meeting lasted an hour and 30 minutes, and that “developments” are likely to be made over the coming days.
Bacca scored 14 goals and registered three assists in all competitions for Milan last season, while Niang spent half of the campaign on loan at Watford, netting twice in 16 outings.
Lapadula had limited game time at the San Siro, starting just 12 top-flight games and scoring eight goals in 27 appearances altogether.
Who stands out?
Despite Bacca being in his 30s, he is the attacker that Everton should prioritise if they are to lose Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian international has indicated that he intends to leave Goodison Park this summer.
Earlier this month, the Guardian quoted Lukaku as saying that remaining at Everton “is not really an option”.
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Bacca would be a decent replacement for the striker given his experience and the fact that he has hit double figures in goals for the past three seasons – at Sevilla and Milan.
Compared to the other two forwards at Milan, Bacca is the best option as neither Niang nor Lapadula have managed to show consistency.