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Liverpool fans are concerned with the lack of form of Joe Gomez and believe he needs to improve quickly if the team is to cope without Joel Matip.

The Cameroon international has been ruled out for up to six weeks and Gomez could be in line to start against Arsenal on Wednesday, possibly alongside Dejan Lovren as Virgil van Dijk is also a doubt with a dead leg.

That could fill some supporters with worry, as the Croatian has failed to impress recently, too. The Reds have only kept three clean sheets from 17 games this term as well, which suggests it is an area of the team that requires improvement.

Gomez impressed last season prior to his long-term injury, and his form was rewarded with multiple call-ups to the England squad.

However, he has struggled since his return, and was at fault for some of the goals conceded in a disappointing display against RB Salzburg.

As a result, some of the Anfield faithful are worried about his current situation, and have taken a firm stance in their view of the player, as the following reactions show…

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… 

Following a 1-1 draw with Derby, Jack Harrison was torn into by Leeds supporters.

A defeat against Charlton then led to further criticism for the promising winger who can seemingly do no right at Elland Road.

The 22-year-old is someone who’s been praised by Pep Guardiola in the past, a footballer that’s spent time alongside the watchful eyes of Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo at New York City.

Three colossal figures in the world of football, it doesn’t appear as though they’ve had too much of an effect on Harrison.

Under Marcelo Bielsa, he’s been handed extra trust – something that’s seen him fail to miss a single league game this term.

He’s started in every single one despite the fact he’s rarely produced the goods.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Prior to Leeds’ win over West Brom on Tuesday evening, the Manchester City loanee hadn’t been involved in a goal since the opening weekend.

Before the clash with Charlton, he’d mustered just one accurate cross from a possible 31 – failing to find a single man with five deliveries into the box against Derby.

At FFC we’ve banged the drum quite heavily over Harrison’s lack of chance creation but he’s now slowly starting to find his feet and is gradually improving in terms of his end product.

Harrison wasn’t spectacular against the Baggies this week but he was impressive, showing great persistence in what he did as he made a statement about his ability to perform when it matters.

This was evident for the goal as the winger took multiple touches inside the penalty area as he held the ball up well.

He waited for Gjanni Alioski to advance forward before feeding him for his first assist of the campaign.

That will undoubtedly serve as a huge weight off his shoulders.

Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…

As well as his assist, he managed three key passes – one of which was an accurate cross. It’s that area that Harrison has struggled in significantly in 2019/20 but a degree of improvement has been seen in his last two outings.

Versus Charlton he managed two accurate deliveries of the ball which were his first since early August when Leeds beat Nottingham Forest.

This certainly bodes well for Harrison who was at risk of potentially losing his place to Helder Costa before Pablo Hernandez was sidelined.

England’s Euro 2020 qualifying win over Bulgaria was marred by the shocking acts of racism which saw the game halted on two occasions, with the officials nearly abandoning the whole match.

Gareth Southgate’s men made a statement through their football as they eased to a 6-0 victory in Sofia amongst what was a shamefully toxic atmosphere.

Marcus Rashford, Ross Barkley, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane all contributed to the scoreline as the Three Lions went three points clear in Group A.

The issue of racism was clear to see in the lead up to the game as several sections of the Vasil Levski Stadium had been closed off after incidents back in June, but that wasn’t enough to stop the inexcusable abuse that ensued.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings was one player targeted by the home crowd in what should have been one of the most momentous occasions in his career in earning his first England cap, but instead it will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

The 26-year-old handled himself professionally and gave an impressive interview post-match considering everything he had to deal with throughout the 90 minutes.

Several of the B6 faithful have taken to social media to throw support behind their newly-capped England international.

One supporter said the centre-back did himself, Villa, and the country proud as he was a hero that ‘stood tall’ in the face of racial abuse, while another claimed he had become a ‘national treasure’.

Others labelled him an ‘inspiration’ and a ‘Rolls-Royce’ of a player with a further fan naming him the best player on the pitch on Monday evening.

Here’s more of the reaction:

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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…

Speaking to the Talking Shutt Podcast this week, Managing Director of Leeds Angus Kinnear has given his thoughts on Kalvin Phillips, detailing what fee it might have taken to replace the midfielder if he left.

What’s he said?

Kalvin Phillips’ potential future away from Elland Road was well documented over the summer.

The Whites had £14m interest from Aston Villa for the 23-year-old while Wolves and Bournemouth were also in the running for his signature.

However, he didn’t actually move away and instead, put pen to paper on a brand new contract worth a reported £40k a week.

There was a strong chance he could leave but if he had done, what would it have taken to replace him? Appearing on episode 71 of the Talking Shutt Podcast, Kinnear had the answer. He said:

“If we get £20m for Kalvin, what does it take to replace him? We thought the answer was £30m. That’s the reality.”

Nigh on impossible to replace

The difficulty for Leeds this season would have been even finding someone to replace him, let alone convincing a £30m player to walk through the door and join a Championship side. That probably suggests why they turned down an offer of £27m including add-ons for his services.

Phillips has completed the most tackles per game in the Championship of anyone this season – a staggering rate of 4.6 each outing.

On top of that, the academy graduate only commits 1.3 fouls every match which is considerably less than the next best tackler in the division, Kevin Stewart. He’s made 4.1 tackles but a huge 3.1 fouls every match, per WhoScored.

That emphasises the fantastic job Phillips is doing and why it would have been so hard to go out and find a like-for-like substitute in the window.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The same podcast also discussed at length why they thought the holding player was essentially Premier League ready, thus giving weight to Kinnear’s comments.

The inflated state of the market dictates that players leave for higher sums of money so the reality of the situation is that Leeds would have found life difficult in finding someone to make up for his absence.

Fortunately for the west Yorkshire club, he’s stuck around and could do for the foreseeable future if they achieve promotion.

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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…

Since signing on a season-long loan from West Brom back in the summer, Jonathan Leko has failed to set The Valley alight with his lacklustre performances.

The 20-year-old had been playing in a two-man attack alongside Lyle Taylor before the Montserrat international picked up an injury, where Leko managed to score just one goal – even that sole strike came courtesy of a wicked deflection.

How has he done so far?

He’s still a very young player, one who is also still in fairly new surroundings in south London, but Leko has failed to deliver the goods so far this season.

The 6-foot forward has scored one goal and recorded two assists in eight Championship appearances this term, which is acceptable for a player of his age, although there are worrying signs in other departments.

Leko has averaged 3.6 unsuccessful touches per game in the league, while also finding himself dispossessed 2.4 times on average – some Charlton fans were also unhappy with his contribution in the 2-0 loss to Wigan.

Position change didn’t see any improvement

In the most recent outing against Leeds, Lee Bowyer moved Leko out onto the right-wing – as per WhoScored – with Macauley Bonne as a lone striker, but the on-loan forward was still ineffective.

He had no shots on goal, while also continuing his trend of unsuccessful touches by having five to his name against Leeds.

Leko was also dispossessed three times, and didn’t complete a single key pass – he was practically non-existent, and Bowyer should definitely take note of his showing and consider it when contemplating whether to use Leko on the right flank again.

He almost certainly shouldn’t based off the display on Saturday.

It is admirable from Bowyer to put Leko in a new position to see if there could be any improvement, but sadly, there was none – the England Under-20 international must find some sort of rhythm soon, or he could potentially find himself out of the XI.

Kyle Lafferty has had a bit of a tough time on his return to Ibrox this season. The 31-year-old striker had bagged just four goals before yesterday, with his most recent goal coming against Cowdenbeath in the Scottish Cup in January, and before that his most recent Scottish Premier League goal coming all the way back in late September.

There has been no doubting that Alfredo Morelos is Steven Gerrard’s number one choice up front, and the January signing of Jermain Defoe has only pished Lafferty further down the pecking order. However, when the Northern Irishman came on and scored yesterday it would have given him the much-needed confidence boost that he’s been needing for a while.

The Bluenoses will hope he can put together some kind of run of form now and if he can kick on and grab some goals between now and the end of the season then it will be a welcomed bonus that would relieve some of the goalscoring burden that is so often put on Morelos. However, it won’t be easy to string together goalscoring form, and if it is to happen then the big man will need more than cameo appearances from the bench.

You can read the Gers’ reaction to Lafferty’s strike here:

The Bluenoses loved seeing their big man score and will hope there are few more to come from Lafferty this season.

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Joe Willock is clearly a part of Unai Emery’s plans for this term and beyond.

The 20-year-old has started three of the first four games this campaign, and there has now been another exciting development in regards to his future.

Arsenal have confirmed that the midfielder has signed a new contract with the club.

Whilst the exact length of the deal has not been revealed, it is said to be long-term in nature.

Gunners fans, as a result, should be seeing a lot more of Willock, who has been with the team since the age of four, in the coming months.

How do football vloggers afford to watch their team week in, week out? Find out in the video below…

There has been plenty of reaction from Arsenal fans, and they seem to be delighted by the north London outfit’s move to tie Willock down.

Loads of supporters have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

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Everton are another side who are interested in Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.

The Toffees have been name-checked with a late interest in the Brazilian by Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol (January 28th), relayed by HITC, which has caught the attention of a number of Villa fans on social media.

Luiz has been a player in demand during the final days of the January window, with both Arsenal and Tottenham keen on the 23-year-old’s services.

Villa are poised to open talks with Luiz over a new contract, though, with the central midfielder having 18 months remaining on his current deal.

According to Solhekol on Sky Sports’ live Transfer Show, Everton have shown an interest in Luiz, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tanguy Ndombele, with the Toffees hunting midfielders after injuries to Fabian Delph and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

However, since that update, they now look set to sign Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek on loan, so it remains to be seen where that leaves their interest in the Villa man.

Villa fans react

Total Villa relayed the links regarding Everton and Luiz on Twitter. This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with many surprised at the rumour.

“Luiz to Everton!? If this had been last summer per Carlo going to Madrid I could have understood it. Not now.”

Credit: @TalkTrinity

“Imagine leaving Villa for that at the minute”

Credit: @DaveHin55518309

“I guess he’s missing El-Ghazi”

Credit: @Jelly31807434

“EVERTON HAHAHAHAHAHA”

Credit: @KishinJay

“We’d be nuts to let him go”

Credit: @chrisw333

“Everton couldn’t afford Luiz & why would he want a relegation scrap”

Credit: @Villaste1

In other news: Villa now keen on ‘special’ centre-back after Calum Chambers; he can also play in midfield. 

Reliable journalist Tim Spiers believes Wolves youngster Theo Corbeanu has a big future in the game, following some impressive loan spells away from Molineux.

The Lowdown: Corbeanu shining on loan

The 19-year-old is a highly thought-of figure at Wolves but he has been shipped out on loan in recent seasons, in order to enjoy more minutes elsewhere.

Corbeanu did well at Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the campaign, chipping in with two goals and assists apiece in six League One starts, before heading off to MK Dons.

He has also scored once in his first five games there, not to mention netting twice in six caps for Canada.

The Latest: Spiers excited about youngster

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Spiers waxed lyrical over Corbeanu, as he plugged an article written for The Athletic:

“They’re singing his name in the stands and waving Canada flags. Promotion with MK Dons and a World Cup with his country? Things are happening for Theo Corbeanu.”

The Verdict: One for the future

It is great to see Corbeanu thriving so much elsewhere, as he looks to eventually reach his potential and become a key figure for Wolves.

At 19, he is already showing he can produce end product in a tough, physical League One, and he has been hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Under-23s manager James Collins.

A move back to Wolves this summer could make sense, although if Bruno Lage feels another loan move would be beneficial for his development, that would be a more shrewd decision.

Staying put at Molineux and getting no minutes is of no benefit to anyone.

In other news, Spiers has also made a fresh claim regarding two Wolves players. Find out who they are here.

Aston Villa are keen on signing Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma, according to Sky Sports.

As to be expected, a number of Villa fans have been giving their thoughts to the news on social media.

The Midlands club have already finalised their first marquee addition of the January transfer window by agreeing on a loan deal with Barcelona for Philippe Coutinho.

Steven Gerrard and Johan Lange now appear to be turning their attention to a holding midfielder, with Marvelous Nakamba recently undergoing knee surgery.

Bissouma has just 18 months remaining on his contract with the Seagulls, with Villa seemingly willing to take advantage of that situation this month. The 25-year-old has been with Brighton since 2018 and has made 111 appearances for the club, 15 of which have come in the current campaign.

The Mali international is renowned for his effective distribution of the ball and his tough-tackling nature. No player who has started a top-flight match for Villa this season can better his 88.8% passing success rate, while his match average of 3.6 tackles is well clear of anyone in Gerrard’s squad (John McGinn leads the way with 2.7 per game).

Villa fans react

Well-known Twitter feed @villareport shared Sky Sports’ claim regarding Villa’s interest in Bissouma on the social media website.

Here is what these supporters had to say in reply, with many buzzing over the development and one describing a potential deal as ‘huge’.

“OH MY, STEVIE IS GOING CRAZY.”

Credit: @Jack_Hurley_R

“If we get him, wow”

Credit: @GW_94

“We are huge, man”

Credit: @TommmForddd

“Incredible if we pull this off as well”

Credit: @jack_gatehouse

“PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Would have a bigger impact on the team overall than Coutinho”

Credit: @trading2b3

“DON GERRARD WHAT IS GOING ON”

Credit: @Finleysurrell1

In other news: ‘Oh my god’ – Many Villa fans erupt at who West Ham now want to sign