Serge Aurier is a statistician’s dream. Boasting an action-packed style of play and deployed in one of modern football’s most action-packed positions, practically the 45-cap Ivory Coast international’s every performance is greeted with a dose of numerical goodness hinting at a vibrant display.

This weekend was no different, as Aurier started Tottenham’s 1-1 draw with Southampton at St. Mary’s. Before being taken off in the 71st minute, the former PSG man won the most aerial duels, made the second-most interceptions, the second-most tackles and the second-most chances of any Tottenham player.

And yet, statistics can never tell the full story. While Aurier’s returns on Sunday highlighted the dynamism he offers Tottenham down the right flank, they didn’t represent how erratic his game can be as well, and how that often has a knack of costing his side dearly.

The most obvious example is the red card he received against West Ham during his Premier League debut, a dismissal that could well have cost his side the match. Against Southampton on Sunday, meanwhile, Saints’ opening goal was a direct consequence of Aurier’s positional error; as he pushed up tight on Dusan Tadic, an unchecked Ryan Bertrand galloped free on the overlap and slotted a ball across goal that Davinson Sanchez turned into his own net.

It was a split-second mistake, but that’s how fine the margins are in the Premier League. And while Aurier continues to be an impressive asset for Spurs, his all-action style does tend to cause problems as well as solve them. In many ways, Spurs saw the best and the worst of the 25-year-old against Southampton. So, Spurs fans, do you see Aurier or Kieran Trippier as your club’s best right-back option? Let us know by voting below…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]

According to reports in the Daily Mail, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is increasingly confident that midfielder Jack Wilshere will sign a new contract worth £80,000-a-week before the summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the England international’s current deal with the north London outfit is due to run out at the end of June, but because of his injury problems in the past the Daily Mail says the Gunners are only willing to offer a new contract that would see him take a £20,000-a-week pay cut from his current £100,000-a-week wage, but would also include performance-related add-ons.

However, they are running out of time to convince the 26-year-old to stay at the Emirates as he can of course leave for nothing at the end of the season, while he is free to negotiate with clubs from abroad now.

The Daily Mail adds that while the midfielder’s representatives are pushing for a better deal with a higher salary, Arsenal are confident that an agreement will soon be reached between the two parties.

How has Wilshere done this season?

Following his loan spell with Bournemouth last term and the fact that he struggled to get much game time in the Premier League early on in this campaign, it seemed as though the 26-year-old would be on his way out of the Emirates.

However, things have turned more in his favour in recent weeks and months and he has made 24 appearances in all competitions in total, with 14 of those coming in the top flight even though he didn’t start for the first time until the 0-0 draw against Arsenal in December.

The midfielder has scored two goals and provided a further five assists in total, while according to WhoScored.com he has made 23 key passes across 20 outings in the Premier League and the Europa League, while he has successfully completed 57 of the 78 dribbles he has attempted.

How much of a boost would it be if he signed?

It would be a huge boost.

The 26-year-old is loved by the supporters and there was never any doubt about his ability, it was solely his injury record that had put his future at the Emirates into doubt.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Wenger will be desperate to see the midfielder do well if he does put pen to paper on a new contract, and he has the ability to be a key first-team player for Arsenal for many years to come because of the quality he has and the fact that he loves the club.

[ad_pod ]

The first silverware of the season is on offer on Sunday as Arsenal and Manchester City square off in the Carabao Cup final.

While most of Pep Guardiola’s team seems set in stone, the sheer depth of attacking options has left the Spaniard with a selection headache ahead of Sunday’s clash. Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling are all likely to start, so that just leaves one attacking spot left to fill.

Leroy Sané, who started last time out against Wigan, would have been the clear first choice earlier in the season, but an injury to the German speedster against Cardiff opened the door for Bernardo Silva to make his mark on the first team.

Silva has scored or assisted in six of his last ten games in all competitions, and is tailor-made for a Pep Guardiola team. The Portuguese midfielder, valued at £36million by Transfermarkt, had a slow start to his City career but has made up for lost time with some superb performances.

The nine-cap winger endured a similar start to life under Pep Guardiola, who clearly has no problem taking his time to bed players in. Like Silva, the 22 year-old Sané has since proved his worth with his electrifying pace and clinical finishing.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

So, Manchester City fans, who should Pep Guardiola opt for on Sunday? Let us know by voting below…

Eight points clear of the drop zone, and having enjoyed a two week-long layoff during which time they took in a warm weather training trip to Dubai, Everton head into Saturday’s game at Watford knowing they have some breathing room if anything were to go wrong.

And it’s a good thing that they do, as the Toffees are currently braving an eight-man injury list that includes the club’s veteran full backs Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines and a potentially season-ending blow to centre-back Eliaquim Mangala.

Here is a full report on these three players, according to Premier Injuries:

Eliaquim Mangala

When was he injured?: Only two games into his loan spell from Manchester City, Mangala sustained a knee injury during the club’s training trip to Dubai.

Potential injury return date: None given at the moment but likely next season.

Will he be missed?: Not that there’s ever a good time to be injured, but if the City loanee could have picked a time to go down, it would have been now. With Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman all coming back from injuries in the next week or so, Allardyce should be able to cope with his loss.

What the manager said: “The injuries this week were a blow, with Mangala in particular – that looks like it could be long-term, which is a great shame for him and for us because I think he was a very good addition to the squad.”

Seamus Coleman

When was he injured?: Coleman sustained a thigh injury in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on February 10th, but it is said to not be related to the double leg break which had kept him out for most of 2017.

Potential injury return date: None given but Allardyce says that he will be fit ‘very quickly’.

Will he be missed?: Should he not be available for this weekend’s game against Watford, Allardyce may be forced to resort to the three-man defence which was run so ragged by Arsenal in the February 3rd defeat. If he can get both Coleman and Baines back, however, the Toffees will hopefully see a performance more reminiscent of their 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace in their last league game.

What the manager said: “Seamus has a (thigh) muscle injury and will have a scan tomorrow,” Allardyce said. “It is not related to the broken leg he suffered.”

Leighton Baines

When was he injured?: Baines has been out since the November 26th trip to Southampton where he sustained a calf injury, but took part in full training sessions during the training camp in Dubai.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Potential injury return date:  8/03/18

Will he be missed?: Despite his age, Baines is still one of Everton’s best players and his experience at full-back is a godsend for the youngsters in the starting lineup like Mason Holgate.

What the manager said: “He is running and we would expect by Watford he will be clear of the injuries.”

Everton will look to boost their chances of finishing the season in seventh position when they face Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.

The Clarets currently lie in that spot and are without a Premier League win since December 12th after surrendering a 1-0 goal lead late on to draw 1-1 with Southampton in Lancashire last weekend, but the Toffees failed to take advantage as they were beaten 1-0 by Watford at Vicarage Road.

The result left the Merseyside outfit in ninth position and three points behind their opponents on Saturday, and it certainly won’t be an easy task to take all three points back south.

While Sam Allardyce’s men have a decent record at home so far in 2018, they have lost five straight matches on the road in all competitions, and haven’t tasted success on their travels since they beat Newcastle United 1-0 in December.

The former England boss will know that his side can’t afford to slip up again this weekend if they are to keep alive their chances of ending the campaign in seventh, and they will certainly take some solace from Burnley’s poor form in recent months.

The 63-year-old made two enforced changes because of injury against the Hornets but otherwise stuck with the same XI that had beaten Crystal Palace 3-1 previously. Following the below-par display from a number of players last weekend, however, he may well be considering making more alterations against the Clarets.

Here is how Everton must line up against Burnley on Saturday, ahead of Jordan Pickford in goal…

Defence

Allardyce was forced into two changes in his backline for the trip to Watford with Seamus Coleman and January addition Eliaquim Mangala both missing out through injury, and the duo were replaced by Jonjoe Kenny and Ashley Williams.

With Mangala definitely out and Coleman a major doubt, those two are likely to continue but there may well be a change at left-back with Leighton Baines potentially making his return after injury.

Cuco Martina has been a reliable performer in Baines’ absence but he struggled against former Toffee Gerard Deulofeu last weekend, and Allardyce should prefer to have a specialist left-back in the form of the 33-year-old on the pitch from the start at Turf Moor.

Midfield

Allardyce has tried a 4-3-3 system from the start of Everton’s last two away matches and with that formation clearly not having the required effect, he should look to change things up at Turf Moor.

A 4-4-1-1 system may be better against the Clarets and would also match up to the one that Sean Dyche usually uses. It would allow the 63-year-old to play both Theo Walcott and Yannick Bolasie on the wings, with Morgan Schneiderlin returning alongside Idrissa Gueye.

Bringing the Frenchman in for Wayne Rooney, who was disappointing against Watford, and Tom Davies should make the Merseyside outfit more solid defensively. The Toffees also have the wingers in Walcott and Bolasie to provide real threat from the flanks and help their team pick up a vital three points.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Attack

Gylfi Sigurdsson has been playing on the left side of a front three for Everton in recent weeks but he would probably prefer to play a more central role, and he would get that opportunity in a 4-4-1-1 system.

The Iceland international would have something of a free role behind Oumar Niasse up top, and it would potentially allow him to be more influential and have a bigger impact on the pitch for his team. That can only be a good thing for the Merseyside outfit in their quest to turn their poor away run around.

Do you agree, Toffees fans? Let us know below.

Everton fans are showing the love for fan favourite Seamus Coleman after the Irishman spoke about his return from injury.

Seamus Coleman spoke to Everton’s official YouTube channel this week and needless to say the fans are absolutely loving it.

The 29 year-old Irishman broke his leg on international duty last year after a horror tackle from Wales’ Neil Taylor. He returned to action in the 2-1 win over Leicester at the end of January, and has been gradually building towards full fitness.

Coleman was signed for a remarkable £60,000 back in 2009, and has gone on to make 251 appearances for the Blues, adding 24 goals and 25 assists in that time. There’s no doubt he was a big miss for Everton this year, and the 29 year-old says he was humbled by the support on his return.

“That night in particular (against Leicester), to come out and know every Evertonian in this stadium was really happy to see me back, it is a very humbling feeling,” Coleman said.

Everton fans adore Coleman for his tireless effort and of course his ability, but his understanding of the club and the fans is what really makes him special.

“It just goes to show that if you do things the right way, work hard, be professional, give your all to the cause, that you will get that love back and I definitely felt that.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Everton fans have been showing their support for the Irishman on Twitter as well, and some of the best reactions can be found below.

[ad_pod ]

Manchester United revealed on Monday that Scott McTominay had been forced to withdraw from the Scotland squad through injury.

The 21-year-old made his Scotland debut against Costa Rica on Friday night, but the midfielder will not face Hungary on Tuesday after being forced to pull out of the squad.

The extent of the McTominay’s injury is currently unclear, but it does appear that he will struggle to be fit for United’s Premier League clash with Welsh outfit Swansea City this weekend.

[ad_pod ]

McTominay has developed into a key player for the Red Devils in recent weeks, with his impressive form seeing Jose Mourinho select the midfielder on a regular basis.

United posted the news on their official Twitter account on Monday morning, and the club’s supporters, who recently compared McTominay to Michael Carrick, were left furious that one of their first-team stars had picked up an injury during the international break.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

With the summer transfer window just around the corner, fans of football clubs up and down the country are debating on which players should be recruited.

West Ham United have had a difficult few months, and they are not quite out of danger just yet in the Premier League.

Mathematically, the Hammers are still vulnerable to relegation, but they managed to extend the gap to five points over the weekend with a 3-0 victory over Southampton.

David Moyes’s side have seven games left to ensure their safety, and some supporters feel that the job is almost done.

[ad_pod ]

The club have a difficult run-in, though, as they will face Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City, with only the game against Pep Guardiola’s side at home.

Since the start of February, the team have picked up just two victories in the league, coming against Watford and the Saints.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Despite the team not being safe just yet, some supporters have already turned their attention to the club’s potential transfer activity.

The discussion was had on Reddit.

Comment from discussion Given we now have a 93% chance of being in the PL next season, let’s talk this summer and transfers, r/Hammers..Comment from discussion Given we now have a 93% chance of being in the PL next season, let’s talk this summer and transfers, r/Hammers..Comment from discussion Given we now have a 93% chance of being in the PL next season, let’s talk this summer and transfers, r/Hammers..Comment from discussion Given we now have a 93% chance of being in the PL next season, let’s talk this summer and transfers, r/Hammers..Comment from discussion Given we now have a 93% chance of being in the PL next season, let’s talk this summer and transfers, r/Hammers..Comment from discussion Given we now have a 93% chance of being in the PL next season, let’s talk this summer and transfers, r/Hammers..Comment from discussion Given we now have a 93% chance of being in the PL next season, let’s talk this summer and transfers, r/Hammers..Comment from discussion Given we now have a 93% chance of being in the PL next season, let’s talk this summer and transfers, r/Hammers..

Everton fans have been discussing this weekend’s massive clash with neighbours Liverpool, and it doesn’t seem like they’re too confident.

The Toffees welcome Liverpool to Goodison Park this weekend with the two clubs enduring contrasting fortunes.

Everton’s 3-1 loss to Manchester City encapsulated everything that has gone wrong since Sam Allardyce took over, with the side displaying little attacking intent and even more worryingly showing little heart or pride.

Liverpool’s weekend was in a way also representative of their season, as their new-found grit and ability to grind out results was on display in their comeback win against struggling Crystal Palace.

[ad_pod ]

In the past, any separation between the sides in the league table has always gone out the window on derby day, but the Goodison faithful aren’t feeling too confident going into this weekend’s clash.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Liverpool came out on top in the recent FA Cup fixture courtesy of a Virgil van Dijk header, but Allardyce showed how capable he is of frustrating the Reds in the 1-1 league draw at Anfield.

Everton fans aren’t expecting much from this Saturday’s clash though, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Pep Guardiola made no room for Sergio Aguero in his innovative Manchester City side that was tasked with overturning the 3-0 deficit from the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Liverpool.

The exclusion of the Argentine – valued at £67.5m by Transfermarkt – on a night when goals were the main priority for City raised a few eyebrows and Aguero is also a cult figure among the fans.

It didn’t pay off, of course, as Liverpool won out at the Etihad Stadium and that has left Guardiola staring down the barrel of four straight defeats when he takes his side to Wembley to face Tottenham on Saturday night.

That’s why we asked Manchester City fans whether Aguero should be brought back into the starting eleven for the trip to face Mauricio Pochettino’s side and the result was fairly conclusive.

76 per cent of City supporters want the prolific frontman starting up top and you can check out the full results of the poll below…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]