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Manchester United earned another three Premier League points as they overcame Burnley 3-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday.

A brace from Mason Greenwood was added to with a late strike from Edinson Cavani, securing victory for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils despite James Tarkowski briefly giving the hosts a scare.

Greenwood was in exhilarating form throughout the afternoon, giving the Clarets a constant headache and continuing his hot form. He has now scored in each of his last three Premier League games, taking his season haul to nine goals in all competitions.

His strikes were of completely different types as he first scored lethally after an extremely clever dummy from Bruno Fernandes.

Meanwhile, his second strike, a late one with just five minutes of normal time remaining, was a left-footed effort that took a deflection off of Jack Cork and ended up settling into the far corner. The 19-year-old will certainly not be disgruntled by that though.

Away from his two goals, Greenwood, who earns £75k per week at Old Trafford, was a constant threat to Burnley.

He managed to have five shots throughout the game according to WhoScored, managing to get three on target which was more than any other player who took to the pitch.

His threat was not just in his efforts towards the goal though. The forward also produced one key pass and a dribble, whilst also attempting a further cross.

Greenwood was also highly effective in the air for the Red Devils too. He won two aerial duels against the Clarets, only Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba winning more in the entire Manchester United team.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news-from-old-trafford-lingard-de-gea-pogba-bailly-johnstone” title=”The latest Man United transfer rumours and news from Old Trafford…”]

Having hailed Greenwood as “top class” just a few weeks ago, Solskjaer will certainly be thrilled with another excellent performance from the striker as he continued his fantastic form in the Premier League.

AND in more news, read how one of Manchester United’s recent signings has seen his transfer rating tumble at Old Trafford…

Aston Villa, along with Crystal Palace, are thought to be leading the way in the race to sign Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

That’s according to a weekend report from TEAMtalk, which, as to be expected, has had many Villa fans talking on social media.

TEAMtalk claim that Loftus-Cheek, who is currently out on loan with Fulham and has over three years left on his Stamford Bridge deal, is not in the Blues’ long-term plans.

Chelsea have informed interested sides that they would be open to a permanent deal, with Villa keen on a potential summer swoop.

Loftus-Cheek has been a regular in Scott Parker’s side this season, making 29 appearances, scoring just once.

The Cottagers’ chances of signing the attacking midfielder on a full-time basis depends on their Premier League status next season.

Villa fans react

Birmingham Live relayed the story and shared the transfer news on Twitter.

This is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with one picking out the Englishman’s ‘powerful’ nature.

“Oh boy another waste of space , we’ve already got Barkley”

Credit: @r_ecrowley

“Please”

Credit: @etmm05

“Perfect signing personally, I’d sign him and pay whatever Utd and Lingard want as well!”

Credit: @PHolmes89

“Bench upgrade, exactly what we need going forward, for the right price.”

Credit: @jondodd53

“Very good player and powerful but injury prone”

Credit: @villa_vernon

“Decent player, with good strength. Something we can sometimes lack.”

Credit: @duncanlowen

In other news: Villa keen on versatile defender valued at £21.5m, find out more here. 

Sunderland have a real chance to move into the League One automatic promotion spots this weekend.

They will need to see off the challenge of Bristol Rovers first and foremost before hoping that Peterborough suffer defeat.

Their little hiccup against Blackpool in midweek has made the race for promotion even more intense.

The Mackems are one of the most in-form sides in the division, so you’d be hard-pressed to bet against them taking all three points again on Saturday.

They come into this clash having won seven of their last nine matches in League One.

With that in mind, there is surely little room for change in the Black Cats starting XI? That being said, we’re predicting two to be made from the team which drew with Lincoln.

We think that Johnson will continue with the 4-3-3 formation he adopted against Lincoln. That means a trio of Lynden Gooch, Aiden McGeady and Charlie Wyke start in attack.

There is one change in midfield, where the £13,000-per-week Grant Leadbitter drops out. We’ve already labelled the problems with his game in recent weeks, so now feels like a timely occasion to put him back on the bench. Consequently, Josh Scowen starts in the middle of the park.

We’ve also championed the need for Ollie Younger to get more minutes. He started against Rochdale and, with another game against a relegation-threatened side, Johnson should put him in at right-back today.

Conor McLaughlin has only just returned from a hernia operation and should be rested as he continues his comeback trail.

Sunderland are still without a number of players heading into this clash. The match will come too soon for Bailey Wright, while Tom Flanagan remains sidelined.

Also out is Jordan Jones – Johnson gave him a 30% chance of being ready for this match so he is a major doubt.

AND in other news, Forget Willis: SAFC must unleash rarely-seen 21 y/o, Johnson said he’s a “great kid”…

Pundit Kevin Campbell has issued criticism for West Bromwich Albion’s creative midfielder Matheus Pereira.

Campbell believes that while Pereira had a great campaign in the Championship last season, he has endured a rather disappointing Premier League campaign, failing to live up to the hype.

Pereira hasn’t stepped up

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell made it clear that he does rate striker Mbaye Diagne, but the striker isn’t getting enough service from the likes of Pereira. Campbell feels that West Brom’s better players should’ve stepped up in the Premier League, but Pereira hasn’t done that.

He said: “I think the football club expected Pereira to have a hell of a season because he took the Championship by storm. They thought they had a match-winner in him because he can score and create goals.

“Let’s be honest though, he has been pretty disappointing. You need your better players to step up, especially at the top end of the pitch and we haven’t seen him do that.

“There has been flashes here and there but the Premier League is different from Championship, it is where you earn you name. He has not stepped up.

“I really like Mbaye Diagne up front but he does not get enough service. He is battling the whole back four but he does not get any service – that is the problem. If you are going to get him in you have to provide for him.”

The 24-year-old Pereira had joined West Brom on loan from Sporting Lisbon originally, but the move was made permanent in the summer of 2020.

Currently valued at £11.70m, Pereira had impressed in the Championship while contributing to 28 goals in all competitions. In the current season though, he has contributed to just eight Premier League goals.

Pereira hasn’t had a bad season

Pereira has picked up a rating of 6.74 in the Premier League this season and only four West Brom players have picked up better ratings than the Brazilian. He is still the club’s highest goalscorer and the highest assister. He has also played the highest number of key passes per game for the side (as per Whoscored).

With all due respect, there are other players in the team who deserve more criticism than the player leading the way in both goal threat and creativity.

In other news, many West Brom fans are angry at a news about a midfielder – read more here.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former West Ham striker Marlon Harewood believes his old club will have no regrets over selling Sebastien Haller to Ajax.

Haller became West Ham’s record signing after joining the east London club from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £45m deal back in 2019, but failed to make the kind of impact that was expected.

The 26-year-old managed to score just 10 goals in 48 league appearances before departing in January for Ajax, where he is now thriving. There, he has managed to score six goals and provide five assists in only 10 Eredivisie games, showcasing his skill as a striker.

Ultimately, it has been quite the revival by Haller at the Johan Cruijff Arena. Even so, Harewood is certain West Ham will not rue their decision to let him go. He told FFC in an exclusive interview:

“I don’t think they’ll regret selling him. No way, because it just didn’t work out for him at the club. He did try, he is a lovely guy and sometimes it didn’t really work out for him.

“He was lucky to get away and lucky for West Ham to let him go because sometimes you get stuck with players sometimes at clubs [because] of fees, how he is and his wages and stuff. But it was lucky for him and the club to try and give him another club to go and show what he can do.

“I’m happy for him because he’s a top-class player, but it just didn’t work out for him at West Ham.”

Fifth in the Premier League table and only two points behind that final Champions League spot with a game in hand, West Ham are undoubtedly doing just fine without the Ivory Coast international.

Currently, manager David Moyes is blessed with an array of quality attacking options, including Jesse Lingard. The 28-year-old joined on loan from Manchester United in January and has made an instant impact, scoring four goals in his first six games for the club.

David Moyes should urge West Ham United to sign Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier as the London Stadium natives line up potential Lukasz Fabianski replacements.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Irons scouts are keeping tabs on Meslier’s situation at Elland Road with a view to launching a summer swoop for the 21-year-old shot-stopper.

Fabianski, who turns 36 in April, is currently due to become a free agent at the end of the season, with his current £65,000-per-week terms set to expire in June.

The Poland international has held talks with the east London outfit over a new deal, but is yet to reach an agreement to extend his time in claret and blue into a fourth campaign, per Football Insider.

West Ham are confident of retaining Fabianski beyond the current term due to a one-year option included in the deal struck upon his £7m arrival from Swansea City in 2018, but are keen to carry out due diligence by weighing up potential replacements.

Meslier has been identified as a top talent who can develop into an ‘outstanding’ option between the sticks, having impressed the Hammers’ talent spotters with his efforts for Leeds since turning an initial season-long loan into a permanent move for £5m last summer.

The Lorient product has started 25 of Leeds’ 26 Premier League games since the west Yorkshire outfit were promoted to the top flight last year, keeping eight clean sheets – including against Everton during the Whites’ 1-0 win at Goodison Park in November.

West Ham have also been linked with Manchester United’s Dean Henderson, Sheffield United’s Aaron Ramsdale and Bologna FC 1909’s Lukasz Skorupski as potential options to replace Fabianski should he leave the London Stadium.

Should West Ham sign Meslier?

West Ham moving to sign Meslier from Leeds could see Moyes and David Sullivan acquire a long-term number one for the Irons, as the France under-21 international has shown a great deal of promise during his first year in the Premier League.

Only West Bromwich Albion’s Sam Johnstone has made more saves (107) than Meslier (99) in the top flight this term, while the Leeds star’s performances have been at such a level that the £10.8m-rated ace boasts SofaScore’s fifth-best average rating for a goalkeeper at 7.04.

Fabianski, who has made 69 saves – the 16th-most, has averaged a 6.85 rating and has made one-third of the number of successful runs out (3) as Meslier (9) has to date, per SofaScore.

Despite being labelled as a “raw” shot-stopper by former England goalkeeper David James on Sky Sports’ The Football Show (8/1) earlier this season, via Yorkshire Evening Post, Meslier has also been lauded by Ben Foster for his performances behind a Leeds backline which ensures he stays busy.

“I’ve watched a few games of him this season and he doesn’t strike you as a big strong kind of goalie, does he?” Foster said on Sky Sports (13/2, 09:35, via HITC). “He looks sort of skinny and sort of fragile. But honestly, he is flying, some of the saves he’s been making. World-class saves, proper world-class saves.

“His first season in the Premier League as well, he’s been on fire. Leeds, as well with their style of play, he’s going to have stuff to do and he’s going to be busy. He’s pulled out the saves and he’s kept a few clean sheets as well.”

Meslier’s stock will only be expected to continue to rise all the while he excels at Elland Road, so if Moyes wants the £20,000-a-week colossus at the London Stadium, West Ham will have to swoop for his services this summer regardless of Fabianski’s immediate future.

AND in other news, West Ham eye the man responsible for “unbelievable” signings that deliver millions in profit…

There are various rumours surrounding Glasgow Rangers’ targets in the January transfer window, but one consistent theme appears to be that a left-winger is Steven Gerrard’s top priority, which won’t come as much of a surprise to Rangers fans.

Rangers let highly-rated teenager Kai Kennedy leave on loan for Raith Rovers after he put pen to paper on a new deal at Ibrox, Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones have been deemed surplus to requirements, and Ryan Kent’s future is uncertain, according to Football Insider.

However, one of their transfer targets could be a like-for-like replacement for Kent in the form of Anderlecht versatile forward Francis Amuzu.

Reports have emerged over the past week linking the £2.8m-rated Anderlecht winger with a reunion with his former teammate Kemar Roofe this month. Belgian outlet Voetbal24.be claims Gerrard is a big fan of Amuzu, who scored against Charleroi this week.

The 21-year-old has been in decent nick for Vincent Kompany’s side this season, with a goal and an assist in just ten starts in the Jupiler Pro League so far.

It’s easy to see why Gerrard is so keen to sign him too, given his decent return for Anderlecht, as he could add a natural threat on the left-hand side of the pitch and still has room to improve at the age of 21.

Whilst he has largely failed to establish himself as a regular starter under Kompany, his performance levels haven’t dipped in the slightest; he currently averages more shots, key passes and dribbles per game than Barker and Jones. Although Kent’s attacking contributions are superior in almost every area, Amuzu has actually been fouled more times, which shows he can be a real handful for any defence.

If fans still need persuading otherwise, Kompany previously told Voetbal Primeur: “I think Francis can teach our team a lot. I know there is no unanimity about the boy, but as a trainer, I will stay calm about that.

“Francis makes progress and always offers something. The competition will only make him better.”

Signing Amuzu would be an immediate upgrade on the likes of Barker and Jones and give Kent some much-needed competition – against Charleroi, he was rated as the best player on the pitch for both sides by WhoScored in the 3-0 win at Lotto Park. There’s no doubt he could be a fine fit for the 54-time Scottish champions should Kent depart Ibrox in the near future.

AND in other news, Rangers can sign perfect Steven Davis successor in Nnamdi Ofoborh…

Considering how poor Celtic have been this season, the idea of adding nobody to their squad in January seems hard to believe.

Yet, that’s the conclusion we look to be reaching. Despite sitting 23 points behind Rangers in their quest for a tenth SPFL crown in a row, they are seemingly happy with their squad.

If we’re searching for positives then they have at least kept hold of their best players. Kristoffer Ajer is still in Glasgow while the highly sought after Odsonne Edouard remains a Hoop for now.

Though, they do look as though they’ll see Olivier Ntcham walk through the exit door. The Frenchman has been out of Neil Lennon’s plans in recent months and is now being linked with a loan move to Newcastle. If that does materialise, it’s likely there will be an option to buy in the terms.

Celtic arguably needed an extra protective layer in their midfield anyway but if Ntcham leaves, that only becomes even more important.

Fortunately, they have a player on their radar that could fix a number of their problems. That happens to be former Stoke City midfielder Giannelli Imbula.

The 28-year-old is out of contract and available on a free transfer after departing Sochi earlier this season so represents a fantastic option in the market. Not only would he give them more depth, but he’d help to replace Ntcham and also potentially make the Bhoys better defensively.

Celtic have been terrible at the back this season and have shipped 13 more goals than Rangers in the league, despite playing two fewer matches. An eye-watering number of individual errors have plagued their backline but in signing Imbula, it could ensure that the ball doesn’t reach the centre-backs as regularly.

That’s because the Frenchman is a tough-tackling brute in the middle of the park, earning comparisons to one of the greatest box to box midfielders we’ve ever seen. During his time at Stoke, Xherdan Shaqiri only had praise for Imbula, saying: “You can compare him to Patrick Vieira, only Gianelli is all left-footed.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-celtic-transfer-news” title=”Read this week’s Celtic transfer news!”]

At his peak, the midfield general won 2.4 tackles per match for Marseille. With someone like that added to Celtic’s ranks, just imagine the incredible force they’d have with both Imbula and Ismaila Soro.

The Ivorian has very quickly become one of Lennon’s most important players and has won a colossal 3.7 tackles per game in the Europa League. He’s also recorded 1.8 successful challenges per match in the Scottish Premiership.

Only a few days ago, Soro made as many as eight tackles in a Man of the Match display against Hamilton. He may have given more protection to this Celtic team but they are still leaking goals, something emphasised during the 2-1 defeat to St Mirren.

Therefore, signing another defensive midfielder in the shape of Imbula is vital. Celtic recruiter Nick Hammond must get this deal done if Celtic have any desires of improving at the back.

AND in other news, Celtic could have their Frimpong heir in rarely-seen 20 y/o with “excellent pedigree”…

Crystal Palace centre-back Gary Cahill played through the pain barrier on Saturday afternoon but this wasn’t enough to prevent The Eagles from conceding seven goals against Premier League leaders Liverpool at Selhurst Park.

What’s the word?

Despite his best efforts, the Eagles fell behind early on after Sadio Mane set up Takumi Minamino, who slotted home from close range to score his first Premier League goal. Mane doubled Liverpool’s advantage shortly before the break and Roberto Firmino scored finished off a lovely move to further rub salt in the wound just before half-time.

Jordan Henderson scored a screamer just after the restart before Firmino bagged his second of the game and Mo Salah added the extras.

Palace’s chances were few and far between, although Jordan Ayew forced a fine save from Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, but the Eagles were unable to get a foothold on the game.

Speaking in the post-match conference, Roy Hodgson cut a sorry figure as he delivered his verdict on the shocking manner of the defeat. The Palace boss confirmed Cahill has suffered a reoccurrence of the hamstring injury that saw him miss the start of the season, saying:

“That was a bit frustrating because we did ask him on many occasions if his hamstring was ok, but he kept ensuring us it was ok and that he could carry on, but then in the last 10, he felt it even more and, of course, we had to sort of push him up front and labour on with 10 men.

“Again, one of those things I suppose that’s going to happen in a game of football sometimes. There’s so much more for me to ponder and concern myself with and be very, very sad about today than whether Gary should have come off or not.”

Get it done, Eagles

Should Cahill be sidelined for the foreseeable future, it’s highly likely Hodgson will be forced to call Scott Dann into action, which is precisely why Steve Parish must reward him with a new contract as his current deal will run out at the end of the season.

Having started seven out of his nine appearances in the Premier League so far this season, the Liverpudlian was left as an unused substitute on the bench as Jurgen Klopp’s side put the Eagles to the sword.

We’ll be the first to admit that we’ve criticised Dann on occasions, as he was largely at fault for the abysmal display against Newcastle United.

However, given his status as one of the elder statesmen at Selhurst Park, it’s clear Hodgson has a lot of faith in the defender. His reliability at the back could prove useful in the absence of Cahill, who was run ragged by the Reds as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson caused havoc on the wings.

Valued at £2.5m by Transfermarkt, Dann has become an integral part of Hodgson’s side as they’ve cemented their place in the Premier League. Once lauded as a “terrific” true professional by his former manager Alan Pardew, in 16 appearances in the top flight last term, he averaged a staggering 4 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

With the 33-year-old recently linked with the Selhurst Park exit amid interest from Fulham, Parish would be wise to sanction an extension for the veteran, as there’s no doubt he will have a big part to play between now and the winter break.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Burnley boss Sean Dyche tipped to replace Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace…

MatériaMais Notícias

Alecsandro falou grosso no intervalo do jogo entre Palmeiras e Botafogo-SP, na noite deste domingo: disse que a bola não estava chegando até ele e que finalizar só duas vezes em 45 minutos era muito pouco. Na etapa final, bastaram 15 minutos para Lucas cumprir uma “promessa” ao fazer ótimo cruzamento para o camisa 29 marcar de cabeça.

– Me interpretaram em tom de desabafo no intervalo, mas não foi. É que a verdade tem que ser dita, e nós jogamos um primeiro tempo ruim. O Palmeiras não pode dar dois chutes no gol em 45 minutos. A minha cobrança era essa. Antes do jogo, o Lucas me falou que uma bola ele acertaria. Eu falei: “Você está me colocando em xeque, porque se você acertar uma, eu vou ter que fazer o gol” – contou o centroavante, abraçado por todos os companheiros na comemoração, incluindo o goleiro Fernando Prass.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras testa ‘surpresa’ com três zagueiros e Marcelo ganha moralPalmeiras31/01/2016PalmeirasAlecsandro fala grosso, faz gol e ajuda Palmeiras a vencer o BotafogoPalmeiras31/01/2016

Ele valorizou a união do grupo e disse ter recusado três propostas de clubes brasileiros por acreditar que este ano pode ser “muito bonito” para o Palmeiras.

– Um dos motivos de eu estar aqui no Palmeiras foi pelos meus companheiros, tive três propostas do futebol brasileiro, uma financeiramente melhor. Preferi bancar, ficar no Palmeiras, dar a volta por cima, jogar uma Libertadores. Depois desse jogo de hoje, tenho certeza que 2016 vai ser um ano muito bonito – completou.

Nos treinos de pré-temporada, o dono da vaga no comando de ataque era Lucas Barrios. O paraguaio, porém, se recupera de uma inflamação lombar e não foi relacionado para o duelo em Ribeirão Preto. Ele também não disputou a Copa Antel, no Uruguai, para aprimorar a forma física em São Paulo. Na ocasião, Alecsandro também foi titular, mas passou em branco nos dois jogos.