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The Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football show last year sparked controversy across the country – so who are the best crossers in Premier League history?

Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville spoke on the show about the excellent crossing ability of Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, ranking him highly alongside the likes of David Beckham and Steven Gerrard.

Since the launch of the Premier League in 1992, 1000’s of crosses have been attempted by multiple players – some more successful than others.

Whether it be a last-minute launch into the box in the desperate hope of clinching a point or a hair-raising set-piece delivery, crossing remains one of the most powerful components for an attacking team.

But who gets our vote? Here are our rankings for the best crossers in Premier League history from worst to best…

15. Steward Downing

His end-product in terms of scoring goals was disappointing, but Downing has a wand of a left foot.

The 35-year-old has delivered over 2,718 crosses in the Premier League since 2006 – more than any other player.

14. Chris Brunt

Another left-footed magician. Brunt has often been subject to controversial moments in his career but his crossing ability is outstanding.

The 34-year-old has been at West Bromwich Albion since 2007; fans at the Hawthorns have witnessed his wizardry on countless occasions, whether that be from set-pieces or open play.

13. Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool’s exciting right-back hasn’t spent too long in the Premier League so far, but what an outstanding crosser he already is at such a young age.

The 20-year-old registered 12 assists in 29 Premier League appearances last season. For a full-back, they are outstanding figures and this is just the start.

12. Gylfi Sigurdsson

The Icelandic playmaker oozes class and what he can produce, especially from free-kicks, is extremely rare.

Sigurdsson opts for the ‘whip’ technique when crossing, regularly causing mayhem in the opposition box. I certainly wouldn’t want to defend his crosses, that’s for sure.

11. Cesc Fabregas

Eden Hazard revealed Fabregas’ nickname is ‘The Master’ and it’s not difficult to see why.

The Spain midfielder inherits unique intelligence and creativity; although his crossing does not belong in the mesmerising category, he finds passes and crosses that 99% of players never see.

10. Sebastian Larsson

Another player who produced magic from nothing. The Sweden midfielder has delivered 1,495 Premier League crosses since 2006 and if you were a striker waiting for the perfect ball into the box, Larsson was the player to provide that.

Whether it’s a free-kick, corner or open play, the 34-year-old was a constant threat and achieves a deserved 10th-place ranking.

9. Aleksandar Kolarov

When Kolarov’s name is mentioned, every person immediately thinks of his outrageous left foot.

The versatile Serbian full-back – who also operates on the left flank due to his crossing ability – was an extremely valuable asset to Manchester City. Players like him arrive once in a blue moon (ironic) and his crossing quality should not be overlooked.

8. Morten Gamst Pedersen

The Norwegian obtained similar characteristics to the aforementioned Kolarov. Pace, power and accuracy – three components to make a tasty delivery.

Pedersen is remembered for his magical left foot during his spell at Blackburn Rovers, completing 1,355 crosses in the Premier League since 2006.

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Um dos grandes nomes do Botafogo na temporada, o atacante Luiz Henrique aproveitou a sexta-feira (30) para se aproximar ainda mais da história do Glorioso. Em visita a General Severiano, o jogador foi recebido pelo presidente Durcesio Mello e ainda ganhou uma camisa do time de basquete do clube.

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Luiz Henrique também visitou o túnel do tempo, conhecendo a história do Botafogo, além de ter acompanhado o treino do time sub-19 do basquete alvinegro. O Pantera também tirou fotos com torcedores e visitou a loja do clube.

O camisa 7 já atuou em 37 partidas com a camisa do Botafogo, marcando sete gols e dando quatro assistências.

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Newcastle’s official Twitter account posted a throwback of the club’s 3-2 victory over Feyenoord which took them through to the second phase of the Champions League group stage in 2002, and it has provoked a reaction.

Fans yearn for a return to those days but know it won’t happen with Mike Ashley still at the helm, and that has led to criticism of his lack of ambition.

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Their viewpoint is understandable given the Magpies had Bobby Robson in the dugout at that time as well as players like Alan Shearer and Gary Speed, whom the current squad just don’t compare to.

Since Ashley took over in 2007 Newcastle have finished inside the top half of the Premier League three times, with two relegations in that time underlining the fact they are no longer a team which can even think about the Champions League.

That has led one fan to call his tenure “unforgivable”, with many others finding fault with Ashley’s time in charge.

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…

With Eddie Nketiah picking up an injury that will apparently see him out of action for three weeks it seemed as if it would be time for Ryan Edmondson to get an opportunity in the first-team.

However, one former Leeds United player believes that the teenager isn’t trusted by Marcelo Bielsa, and he also states that he should be looking for a way out of the club in January.

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What’s been said then?

Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan gave his view on Edmondson’s current situation.

“I would think he’s almost certain to go on loan in January if he remains out of the squad. He will want to go on loan, as he will feel ready for senior football.

“He’s been banging in the goals for the Under-23s, but there comes a time when you out-grow that level and need to play against professionals.

“Edmondson doesn’t seem to be making any headway and it’s telling he wasn’t even on the bench against QPR when Eddie Nketiah pulled out. Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t trust him.”

We mastered the trick in the video below in 8 attempts… could you do better?

Absolutely right

Whelan has hit the nail on the head with this one.

If Edmondson isn’t at a level where Bielsa feels he can trust him yet, then he must go and prove himself out on loan.

He’s done pretty much all he can to make his case with the U23s as he netted 20 goals for the youth team last season, but if the Argentine still doesn’t want to use him after that, it seems that getting some senior experience elsewhere is the right thing to do.

It might seem harsh given the 18-year-old scored a hat-trick for the senior side in pre-season against Tadcaster Albion. However, if he can’t get into the squad even when there’s just one fit centre-forward, it’s a damning indictment of how much Bielsa doesn’t rate him.

A successful loan spell could be exactly what the teenager needs to show Bielsa that he can trust him.

Even that might not be enough, however.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Andre Gomes suffered a horrific injury in the 1-1 draw to Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend, and the Portugal international will now be set for an awfully long period on the sidelines.

On the chalkboard

It has been a nightmare start for Everton this season, with the club sat in 17th and just one point clear of the relegation spots. However, in the midst of such dreadful displays, Gomes has been one of Everton’s better players and certainly helped the team stay out of the drop zone.

During the 26-year-old’s three game absence Everton lost every league game. In fact, all three of the Toffees’ league victories this season arrived when Gomes started and played the full 90 minutes, which underlines his importance to the side.

Now, with his brutal injury, one man is going to need to step up for many months, and that man must be Tom Davies.

Door opens for Davies

Davies – valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt – has struggled to nail down a starting spot this season, starting just three times in the league. However, he has proven he can be a creative output for Marco Silva. In the win over West Ham United a few weeks back, the Englishman made 34 passes – only Gomes had more with 37.

In the game against Spurs, despite the 1-1 result, Davies was a shining light at times for the Toffees. He made four tackles in the game and his defence-splitting pass into the path of Theo Walcott in the second half showcased his creative talent. The 22-year-old also played four long balls against the Lilywhites and won seven out of nine ground duels.

The lack of natural creativity from other central midfielders, such as Fabian Delph and Morgan Schneiderlin, is only going to up the importance of Davies.

The academy graduate is going to need to play plenty more passes akin to the one he played into Walcott against Spurs because in Gomes’ absence there are not many others who can.

The Portuguese man’s tough break could lead into a truly defining period in Davies’ career.

Nottingham Forest returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory at Luton Town on Saturday afternoon, meaning they moved back into a playoff position.

Lewis Grabban latched onto Tiago Silva’s through ball just before half-time to coolly slot past the Hatters’ goalkeeper before Sammy Ameobi fired home from Joe Lolley’s cross to double their advantage.

The home side pulled one back through Callum McManaman as he curled one round an out-stretched Brice Samba.

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Sabri Lamouchi’s men had lost both of their last two matches, and couldn’t play last weekend due to adverse weather conditions causing a waterlogged pitch, so it was a perfect response to kickstart November.

The 47-year-old opted for Yuri Ribeiro over Jack Robinson at left-back, and his decision paid off, as seen with the reaction from the City Ground faithful on social media following the game.

One supporter called him an ‘unbelievable’ player who needs to be starting games week in week out, while another labelled him the ‘Portugal Gareth Bale.’

A further member of the visiting crowd stated that the 22-year-old really stood out in the Forest XI with one more believing he was ‘absolutely class.’

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Everton fans have been debating on Twitter who they would like to see start up top for the Toffees against Burnley, with both Moise Kean and Dominic Calvert-Lewin splitting the opinion.Both strikers have had tough starts to the campaign, with Kean failing to score and looking unlikely to do so for his new side, averaging just 1.3 shots per game. The former Juventus man has started only two league games for Everton and has seemingly struggled to adapt to life in English football, registering a 6.19 rating thus far.As for Calvert-Lewin, despite scoring against Manchester City last week, the Englishman’s overall record for the Toffees is quite alarming. Since making his debut back in 2016, the 22-year-old has scored only 21 times in 101 appearances for the senior squad.This season, Calvert-Lewin has two goals already, but if he continues on this poor goals to game ratio, Marco Silva may be tempted to draft in Kean instead, or even delve into the market come January.Considering the team only has six goals so far in the Premier League, perhaps it’s time for a change and maybe even start the two of them.And with their toothless record infront of goal firmly at the forefront of Everton’s problems, it’s perhaps little surprise that plenty of Everton fans want to see Calvert-Lewin and Kean start together for the first time this season.Here’s what the fans have had to say…

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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…

Real Madrid proved many wrong with their impressive display against Sevilla, as they won 1-0 in Andalusia.

The build-up to the game was definitely not in their favour.

In the four seasons prior to the weekend’s match-up, they had lost every away league game they played in Sevilla but their triumph at the weekend has now moved them joint-top of the table, alongside Athletic Bilbao. They are second due to goal difference.

Of course, this was their first clean sheet in the ongoing 2019/20 La Liga season, and no one contributed to it as much as Daniel Carvajal did.

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The 27-year-old defender couldn’t contain Angel Di Maria last week when Real Madrid lost 3-0 to PSG in the Champions League.

However, he redeemed himself on Sunday; Carvajal registered three tackles, four interceptions and four clearances on the night, completely shutting down Sevilla’s left flank and making it his own.

But that wasn’t everything he did. According to Whoscored’s ranking system, the Spaniard was awarded the Man of the Match award with a total rating of 8.11. Apart from his obvious defensive contribution, Carvajal also registered one assist, one key pass and 87.5% passing accuracy, completely dominating the game.

Not to mention that his assist ended up being the game-winning one, with Karim Benzema on the end of it to score the only goal of the encounter.

Carvajal’s gigantic performance, then, proved critical as Real ended the week in a far better position than they started.

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…

Even though the momentum was very much on their side and the points theirs to drop, Real Madrid managed to do exactly that.

After a great streak of three consecutive clean sheets in La Liga and what seemed like a clear shift in the tides, Los Blancos were finally looking like mounting a big comeback.

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But somehow, the Whites managed to follow up their disastrous Champions League opener at Parc des Princes, when they lost 3-0 to PSG, with a 2-2 draw with Club Brugge at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

It’s not really a sight many are used to but after two games played, Zinedine Zidane’s troops sit bottom of the group with just a point under their belts.

And sure, the Galacticos came back from two goals down to secure that point, which might prove vital in the future, but getting yourself in such a situation in the first place is exactly where the problem lies.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Zidane surely doesn’t have too many positives to take away from that match but if he had to highlight one thing, then it should definitely be Toni Kroos.

Seeing their German general dictate the tempo of the games and control all proceedings on the pitch is nothing particularly new – in fact, we’ve already highlighted two majestic performances from him since the start of the new campaign – but in a season that has been nothing if not a bit underwhelming, Kroos has been perhaps the only shining light.

Against Brugge, the 29-year-old star registered an assist for his trouble but seeing how he managed a total of eight key passes, that figure should have been even higher. He also recorded 92.9% passing accuracy and had three shots on goal throughout the game.

It’s safe to say that he was carrying Los Blancos once again and the numbers really prove it.

But his defensive contribution should also not be disregarded as Kroos registered three tackles and one interception, pulling his weight on the night and then some.

The problem is, however, that he is often the only one dropping masterclasses left, right and centre and until the whole team starts doing the same, Real might continue to struggle.