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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… 

Everton face a difficult trip to Bournemouth on Sunday and if they are to get anything from the match they will need their forwards to get the better of Nathan Ake.

Everton stuttered at first this season with a draw against Palace and a defeat to Villa, but have found some goalscoring form in their last two matches – Richarlison bagging three in wins over Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup and Wolves in the Premier League.

The Brazilian could fancy his chances this weekend too, as Bournemouth’s defence has a habit of losing concentration, conceding eight goals already this season.

One defender who has stood out, though, is Ake, a player whom the Toffees had their eye on in summer. The move didn’t materialise due to his club’s £75m asking price, but his all-round play suggests he could have been a good signing for the Toffees.

He is accomplished in dealing with different types of threats as the above statistics show and should, therefore, make life difficult for Everton’s attackers, whomever they choose to field.

Should he come up against the pace of Moise Kean and Richarlison, he should be able to handle the task given his pace and anticipation, as highlighted by his average of 3.5 interceptions and 1.5 tackles per game.

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He is adept in both boxes, too, and could be key from set-pieces. Ake managed four goals for his side in the Premier League last season, and his average of 3.3 clearances per game underlines his positioning and ability to get rid of danger. If he can win a few more aerial duels than this season’s average on Sunday, then he’ll be a real challenge for the Toffees to get past.

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Although it is not exactly where he wants to be, Unai Emery will be hoping his Arsenal side have a good run in the Europa League this term.

The Gunners will kick off their European campaign against Eintracht Frankfurt at the Commerzbank Arena in what should be an interesting match-up, what with the German giants having reached the semi-finals of last year’s tournament, and the north Londoners finishing as runners-up.

The former Sevilla boss is likely to rotate his squad, regardless, so here we look at how the Gunners could line up against the Bundesliga outfit.

Emery has a history of swapping his goalkeepers between the league and the cup competitions.

Last season, Petr Cech started in 16 of the 20 cup matches the Gunners played in, whilst Bernd Leno was selected more often than not in the English top flight. With the 124-time Czech Republic international having retired at the end of the past campaign, Emiliano Martinez is now Arsenal’s number two. Thus, the chances are high that he will be chosen between the sticks.

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Although Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney are back in full training, it is still surely too early to start them. As such, Sead Kolasinac and Ainsley Maitland-Niles should keep their places at full-back.

Rob Holding is also close to full fitness but, once again, it would be a big risk to select him. Sokratis and David Luiz have both struggled this term, averaging 6.55 and 6.37 respectively in their WhoScored ratings, and the former, having played a game more, could be dropped to the bench. Calum Chambers is the only other centre-back who is fully fit, and could, therefore, enter the fray.

Joe Willock and Lucas Torreira should be named in midfield, having sat out the draw with Watford, with Dani Ceballos the only one of the previous midfield trio to keep his place.

In a 4-3-3 formation, Nicolas Pepe and Reiss Nelson should start on the flanks. The latter has not played from the beginning since August 17th, making him one of the fresher bodies in the squad, and a lack of realistic alternatives – only Maitland-Niles can really play there apart from Pepe and he is starting at right-back – should give the former another chance to prove himself.

Alexandre Lacazette’s injury, which will keep him out of the side until October, leaves Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the only striker currently at his manager’s disposal. Whether Emery would like to rest him or not, he has little choice but to give him the nod on Thursday.

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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…

Jamie Carragher has been speaking about previous encounters between Liverpool and Chelsea, and believes Luis Suarez’s actions in the 2013 clash ended up costing his team the title.

What did he say?

The event the former Reds player is referring to is of course the match when Suarez bit Branislav Ivanovic, and action which resulted in an eight-match ban, causing the Urugyuan to miss Liverpool’s opening five games of the following season.

Of those games, Liverpool dropped points against Southampton and Swansea, opponents Carragher claims Liverpool could and probably would have been beaten with Suarez in the side, so the striker cost them the title, given they lost it by only two points.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Carragher said: “Suarez was banned for five or six games. Liverpool lost the league, I think, on goal difference.

“If Suarez is playing, they probably win both of them, but let’s be conservative, you beat Southampton at home – you don’t realise at the time, [but] looking back now, and the season he had the next year … I think if he’d been playing in those games it would’ve been different.”

Whilst Carragher is incorrect about the points gap, Suarez was the standout player that season, as evidenced by him winning the Players’ Player of the Year and the Football Writers’ Player of the Year, and any team would have missed a player of his quality.

Quality throughout

Given his record, it is harsh for Carragher to suggest Suarez cost Liverpool the title, as they wouldn’t have been in the position to win it without him in the team, and it is a somewhat controversial reflection on a player who scored 82 goals in 133 appearances for the club.

Now, Liverpool are better placed under Jurgen Klopp.

There are key players in all areas of the squad, and even with one of the front three unavailable the team wouldn’t be too severely affected due to the quality of the others.

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Liverpool lacked that in 2013/14. Steven Gerrard, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling all played major roles, but they lacked the dynamism of Suarez, who won many games of his own and finished the season with 31 Premier League goals in 33 matches.

He also contributed 17 assists, and therefore the Reds were more dependent on him for goals than they are on any current player, even Mo Salah.

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Liverpool have confirmed that Naby Keita is back in full training, but not all fans are pleased with the news.

For many, his constant injuries have caused frustration and the news of his latest return doesn’t fill them with hope that he will be fit for long, whilst others simply believe he hasn’t played to a high enough standard since joining.

The Guinea international arrived last summer with big expectations due to his £48m transfer fee and the fact that the Reds were willing to wait a year until he joined.

However, he has started only 22 games since and would likely find himself as a back-up option even if fit, given the number of games Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson have played since the beginning of last season.

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With Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Adam Lallana also returning from injury he faces serious competition for a place in the side, and the League Cup clash against MK Dons, which could have provided him with a starting chance, may come too soon.

Here are some of the reactions from Liverpool fans, as many have just about had enough of waiting for him to come good…

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West Ham United will look to bounce back from Carabao Cup humiliation when they face Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

Irons boss Manuel Pellegrini decided to make wholesale changes to his team when they faced League One outfit Oxford United on Wednesday, but it completely backfired as a largely second-string side were thrashed 4-0 by Karl Robinson’s men.

The result was even more surprising the Hammers went into the clash on the back of taking seven points from a possible nine in the Premier League, keeping three successive clean sheets in the process.

We expect Pellegrini to ring the changes again for the trip to the south coast, as the fringe players failed to take their opportunity to impress.

Here is our predicted West Ham XI…

Following such a poor display against Oxford, the West Ham starting XI pretty much picks itself following the 2-0 win against Manchester United last weekend – give or take one or two positions.

Lukasz Fabianski lines up in goal behind Ryan Fredericks, Angelo Ogbonna and Issa Diop in defence, with Aaron Cresswell getting the nod over Arthur Masuaku after his promising display and goal against the Red Devils.

In midfield, Declan Rice and Mark Noble both return to the team-sheet with Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko starting on the left and right wing respectively.

We have a feeling Pellegrini might switch things up with the third central position however.

There appears to be three players vying for the position after the Chilean confirmed on Friday that Manuel Lanzini is back in training after injury, but we don’t expect him to be risked from the start against the Cherries.

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That leaves Jack Wilshere and Pablo Fornals – neither of whom covered themselves in much praise on Wednesday – to fight it out for the remaining midfield spot.

We have a feeling that the Chilean could opt for the former, who of course knows Bournemouth well having played for them previously, and then use the former Arsenal man’s Spanish teammate – who still appears to be adapting to English football – from the bench.

Last but not least, Sebastien Haller is once again the focal point of the attack.

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 Sky Sports about his weekly Premier League predictions, former Arsenal man Charlie Nicholas has hinted that Marco Silva could be sacked after the fixture against Burnley on Saturday.

What did he say?

Nicholas has alluded to the fact the Toffees could be in the bottom three come the international break. This two-week hiatus from the Premier League could perhaps give the Everton owners a lot of time to ponder Silva’s future and the pundit certainly believes he will be gone should they lose at Turf Moor.

He told Sky Sports: “I never know what Marco Silva wants to achieve. When you have as many attacking options as he does, and it isn’t working, you have to try something different.

“There is no rhythm to Everton, no understanding and if things pan out how I see them at Burnley, Silva could be very fortunate to still be in his seat by the international break, with Everton potentially in the bottom three.”

Nicholas also stated he believes Silva will indeed lose to Burnley this weekend, which will all but close the door on his reign as Everton boss. The Scot said: “I do not go against Burnley often, and this is still the same scenario.

“Burnley are mid-table and only won two of their opening seven matches, but they are on the verge of going into the top half and have posed a threat in every game, with Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood are getting the goals again. It is an old fashioned partnership but when one scores, the other has a day off!

“They are back to being solid defensively, so I do not see trouble for them this year, and I expect them to win this game.”

The inevitable doomsday

If Silva fails to win and those below them succeed in victory, it will indeed place the Toffees in the drop zone, eight games into the season. This defeat would prove to be a worse start to the campaign than the 2017-18 season, where Sam Allardyce came to the rescue after Ronald Koeman left the club in the relegation zone following the 5-2 home defeat to Arsenal.

Regardless of the outcome, the former Watford man is under extreme pressure. Farhad Moshiri made it clear once he bought into the club in 2016 that his intentions were to take the Toffees to the Champions League. However, five managers in and it seems like once again the owner is back to square one.

Not only is Silva yet to guarantee European football, the club are in a worse place than when they sacked Roberto Martinez for finishing 12th and reaching two domestic cup semi-finals in that season.

Silva cannot afford to lose this one, and even if he leaves Turf Moor with all three points, there is still the lingering feeling the axe is coming.

Carroll explained that he was buzzing for the midfielder after his goal against Man United, and you can understand why.

The striker knows better than most what it’s like to earn the adulation of the fans at St James’ Park and how much that means for a local lad who has always supported the club.

You can see just how happy Carroll was for Longstaff in his Instagram post, as the smile on his face tells the whole story as he celebrates alongside his teammate.

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…

Sky Sports pundit Darren Bent has stated that he is unconvinced by Jordan Pickford’s command of the penalty area, after the Everton goalkeeper’s string of shaky performances.

What’s he said?

Pickford was once known for his commanding presence in the area, as he did not allow his tender age to prevent him from reacting fast to danger and displaying an authority over his centre-halves.

The Washington-born shot stopper’s fearless nature saw Pickford lauded in his early days as an Everton player, but the England number one’s days as a goalkeeper who is admired by many have dwindled, with Bent now suggesting his lack of communication has become a hindrance.

Bent has suggested that Pickford’s failure to adequately communicate with Yerry Mina and Michael Keane has been a key factor in why the Toffees currently sit inside the bottom three of the Premier League standings, as no player on the blue side of Stanley Park feel confident with him in between the sticks.

The ex-Aston Villa and Sunderland striker feels Pickford, who is valued at £36m by Transfermarkt, still tries to take command of the area, but his success at doing so is not to the same extent as it once was, with Everton shipping 13 goals in eight league games and losing five of their last six top-flight encounters.

Speaking with Football Insider, he said:

“I think he tries to [take command of the area], but that comes from uncertainty between the two centre-halves – the people in front of you – and himself.

“Balls are flying in the box left, right and centre and no one’s going and attacking it. No one’s putting their head on it, and then when your goalkeeper doesn’t come and get it, that puts that seed of doubt in everybody’s head.

“Every set play you’re like: ‘Oh god, here we go again, what’s going to happen now?'”

One part of a larger puzzle

Pickford no longer possessing the same command of his area, particularly at dead-ball situations, is just one part of a larger puzzle Marco Silva needs to solve for Everton to turn their fortunes around. Teams will see the Blues’ struggles to defend set-pieces as an easy way to score, should their current record continue for much longer.

The accepted grace period of Silva’s arrival last season has now wavered, but Everton have allowed more goals scored from set-pieces than any other Premier League side since the start of the 2018/19 campaign with 21 (WhoScored), five of which have come this term.

Part of the issue has stemmed from players not tracking runs in Silva’s preferred zonal marking system, with opponents able to break free at the back post to attempt an unimpeded effort on goal.

Pickford regaining his confidence to take control of Everton’s backline will not prevent that, but it will help deal with the ball when it’s initially crossed in.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Sheyi Ojo joined Rangers on a season-long loan in the summer and Football Insider report that the Scottish club are interested in making the move permanent.

What’s the story?

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard appears to be a big admirer of the Reds winger having signed him on loan for the second season running.

He is 22 years of age now but has only made 13 appearances for Liverpool, and therefore looks unlikely to break into Jurgen Klopp’s first-team plans, which means the club could look to offload him.

Watch a Liverpool fan discover the internet and get a nasty surprise in the video below…

Ojo has scored five goals and assisted four in 17 games for the Glasgow outfit this term, including a brilliant strike to earn his side a 1-0 vicotry over Feyenoord in the Europa League group stage.

As a result, he has been an important player for the former Liverpool captain, so could replicate the path of Ryan Kent by making the permanent switch from Anfield to Ibrox.

Time to part ways

Liverpool have not had much success in recent years in terms of academy players breaking into the first-team, but it has proved a fruitful avenue of income, with a few joining other big clubs.

Kent is an example of that, as is Jordon Ibe, and with Ojo some way below the standard set by Sadio Mane or even Xherdan Shaqiri, it is unlikely he will be of any use to the Anfield outfit.

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With that in mind, Klopp will likely give a green light for his sale, and may have given his admission already with the club said to be open to offers.

With players such as Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones coming through there is no shortage of young talent at the club, and by selling Ojo it provides them with a clearer pathway to the first-team, so the importance of their development could lead Liverpool to accept an offer from Rangers.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

It’s been almost impossible to criticise anything Marcelo Bielsa has done during his time as Leeds United manager.

The Whites have gone from rotting in mid-table to being genuine promotion contenders under the Argentine, but there is one decision he keeps making over and over that he needs to rethink.

Of course, we’re talking about the Argentine’s tendency to allow a number of his senior players to appear for the U23 side.

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Pablo Hernandez was the latest player to step down to U23 level as he worked on recovering from an injury problem, but he didn’t last too long in that game as he picked up another knock that has forced him to miss at least two games of first-team football.

The Spaniard is undoubtedly one of the Whites’ most important players as he’s won the club’s Player of the Year award twice in a row, therefore being without him for two games is a huge loss.

Fortunately, Leeds managed to overcome Birmingham on Saturday, but they may not be as lucky against playoff contenders Preston on Tuesday evening.

For all of Bielsa’s good qualities, he’s never been great at managing a squad. The famed ‘burnout’ effect that his teams often go through is well documented, and injuries played a huge part in the Whites’ failure to seal promotion in 2018/19 – they had amassed 31 by the time April came around.

Playing senior players in the U23s after they’ve been out with an injury can be a good thing on some occasions. If an inexperienced player such as Jamie Shackleton or Ben White had suffered an injury, a spell with the U23s to help them recover their match sharpness may be just what the doctor ordered.

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

However, sticking a 34-year-old midfielder with over a decade of senior experience with Carlos Corberan’s side seems like a bit of a pointless endeavour, especially after he got injured just 24 hours before a league outing.

If Bielsa is to continue this policy of sending his senior players to the U23s he needs to be a bit more savvy about when to do it as there can be no doubts about the fact that he’s misjudged this one.