England maintained the surprisingly strong start to their World Cup campaign on Sunday by obliterating Panama 6-1, dispensing of the Central American nation in clinical and dominant fashion.
It took just eight minutes to open the scoring as John Stones headed home a Kieran Trippier corner and the centre-half would double his tally just before half-time, latching onto the rebound as Manchester City team-mate Raheem Sterling attempted to apply the finishing touch to an incredibly well-worked free kick routine.
In between, Jesse Lingard won a penalty which Harry Kane calmly converted and the Manchester United star surged on from midfield soon after, this time linking up with Sterling before curling the ball beyond Panama’s helpless goalkeeper from the edge of the box.
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As Kane bagged another from the spot, England went into the interval more than comfortable at five goals up. The second half was far less resounding though, Kane completing his hat-trick by inadvertently deflecting a wayward Ruben Loftus-Cheek shot into the net and Panama unexpectedly ruining Jordan Pickford’s clean sheet with the simplest of goals from a free kick.
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Nonetheless, just as the result confirmed England’s qualification for the knockout stages, the performance has elevated the level of optimism heading into their final group game with Belgium – a shootout for top spot in Group G and a vital chance to show Gareth Southgate’s side can put in a similarly impressive display against considerably superior opposition.
But, England fans, who was your Man of the Match from Sunday’s emphatic win? Was it hat-trick hero Kane, the ever-lively Lingard, brace-bagger Stones or someone else? Let us know by taking below and giving each player involved a performance rating out of ten…
[brid playlist=”4766″ player=”12034″ title=”World Cup 2018″][brid playlist=”4766″ player=”12034″ title=”World Cup 2018″]
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Southampton will look to move out of the Premier League relegation zone when they face Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.
Saints slipped back into the bottom three when they were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool at St Mary’s in their previous top flight encounter earlier this month, combined with other results involving the teams around them going against them.
The south coast bounced back from that disappointing performance by beating West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns for the second time in a fortnight last Saturday, setting up a very winnable FA Cup quarter-final tie against League One outfit Wigan Athletic.
Manager Mauricio Pellegrino brought Nathan Redmond back into the line-up for the clash against the Baggies for his first start since Boxing Day, with goals from Wesley Hoedt and Dusan Tadic giving the visitors a 2-1 win.
Saint will look to build on that victory ahead of their long trip north to face Sean Dyche’s men in Lancashire this weekend, and while Pellegrino may be tempted to stick with the same XI that secured the win against Alan Pardew’s side, the Argentine boss could be asking for trouble unless he makes a couple of alterations.
Here are two changes the 46-year-old must make to his team when they face Burnley…
Oriol Romeu for Nathan Redmond
Romeu was dropped to the substitutes’ bench for the trip to West Bromwich Albion last weekend, but it was probably only because he currently has nine booking to his name this season, and another one will result in a two-match ban.
Mauricio Pellegrino obviously didn’t feel that was worth the risk at the Hawthorns as he opted to bring Redmond back into the starting XI, and Saints benefitted from the more attacking team in the west Midlands.
However, while the Argentine will want go to Burnley and attack on Saturday, he will be also be well aware that his team can’t afford to lose against the Clarets and he must be a little cautious with his selection too.
He should choose to bring Romeu in for Redmond, and then push either Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg or Mario Lemina forward into the role behind the striker, with Dusan Tadic moving to the left wing.
Shane Long for Guido Carrillo
Long missed the trip to his former club West Bromwich Albion with a slight knock, but he should be fit enough to take his place in the Southampton squad this weekend, and should be handed a start by Pellegrino.
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January addition Carrillo has started the south coast outfit’s previous three matches following a substitute appearance against Brighton and Hove Albion on January 31, but he is yet to find the net even though he did produce an assist for Dusan Tadic at the Hawthorns last time out.
While he is decent in the air, so are the Burnley centre-back duo of Kevin Long and Ben Mee, and it may be a more effective tactic to play a quick striker who will cause the pair plenty of problems on the ground.
While Long may not be a regular goalscorer he will do that and is a nuisance for opposition defenders, and he should know his namesake Kevin’s weaknesses well too having played with him for the Republic of Ireland.
The bi-annual circus that is the transfer deadline day has rolled into town once more, with the football world a dizzying flurry of last-minute activity. Jim White, the ubiquitous master of ceremonies and patron saint of deadline day oversees proceedings for the umpteenth time, whisking us off on a whirlwind adventure to the training grounds of the football league to bring us news of the latest comings-and-goings, with the now-mandatory pit-stop at Harry Redknapp’s car window along the way.
One destination which is conspicuously absent from this year’s itinerary, at the time of writing at least, seems to be Arsenal’s London Colney training ground. On the most hectic day of the transfer window Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger appears more concerned with philanthropy than wheeling and dealing, having decided to attend a charity match in Rome organised by Javier Zanetti and the Pope for disadvantaged children in Argentina. While almost every other manager will be sat at his desk, phone glued to ear and dusting off the fax machine (which for some unfathomable reason seems to be the communication device of choice on deadline day, the equivalent of walking into a bike shop and asking for a penny farthing), Wenger seems happy to let the day’s cataclysmically hyperbolic events pass him by. One can almost imagine the Frenchman reacting to news of Falcao’s move to Manchester United, a bona fide deadline day coup, with nothing more than an indifferent Gallic shrug as he basks in the sunshine of Rome in the company of His Holiness and the equally venerable Zanetti.
Admirable though his participation in the charity event may be, one can’t help but feel that Wenger is repeating the same mistake he seems to have made for the past two seasons – a failure to sign a world-class striker. Since Robin van Persie’s departure to Manchester United two years ago, Wenger has obstinately decided to persist with Olivier Giroud as the club’s only recognised – and proven – out-and-out centre forward. Much of the criticism Giroud receives is unwarranted; the 16 league goals he scored last season is a respectable return for a striker who cost a modest £9.6 million. However at 27 years of age Giroud will never be a world-beater and Wenger surely cannot believe that the Gunners can realistically rely on his goals to fire them to the Premier League title. A club with genuine title ambitions need a striker who is expected to score at least 20 goals a season, or at the very least a striking partner who can be trusted to share goalscoring responsibilities. As it stands, Giroud’s competition comes in the form of the hardworking yet ultimately anodyne Yaya Sanogo, whose four goals against Benfica in a pre-season friendly indicate a false dawn rather than the emergence of a genuine goal machine, judging by his early-season performances.
The paucity of Arsenal’s striking options stretches further back than Giroud and Sanogo. The last world-class striker on the Gunners’ books, Robin van Persie, would never have been seriously threatened by the goalscoring exploits of perennial narcissist Nicklas Bendtner. Van Persie’s goals-per-game record in his last few seasons at the Emirates was highly impressive, however his history of injuries meant that Arsenal were constantly flirting with the possibility of losing their only decent forward.
Though Wenger has added world-class attacking talent to his squad this summer in the form of Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean is no striker in the traditional sense, and nor is the recuperating Theo Walcott. The duo will certainly contribute with their fair share of goals, but they are unlikely to become prolific as van Persie was in his Arsenal heyday – neither player has scored more than 20 league goals in one season.
The news that Olivier Giroud is to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to injury leaves the Gunners with no fully-fledged centre forward for the remainder of the calendar year. With Wenger once again refusing to increase his attacking options before the football world is left in a state of transfer paralysis for another four months, this case of déjà-vu may yet be the hardest one for Arsenal fans to swallow.
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Manchester United target Kevin Strootman could be on his way out of PSV after the Dutch club have made a move to replace the midfielder, according to talkSPORT.
Rumours surfaced earlier this year that Sir Alex Ferguson was interested in 22 year old Strootman after impressive displays for both club and country. However, these reports were quashed by PSV, stating that the player is neither ready or available for a move to Old Trafford.
However, reports in Holland are suggesting that the youngster could be on his way to the Premier League after Eindhoven publicised their interest in Elfsborg midfielder Oscar Hiljemark.
While it is thought that the Dutch giants will attempt to rebuff any incoming bids for Strootman this January, a £14 million offer may convince them to part with one of their star players.
Sir Alex Ferguson is keen to bolster his midfield this winter, after choosing to focus on improving other areas of the team over summer. It is thought that Robin Van Persie and Alexander Buttner joining the club, may entice compatriot Strootman to move to Old Trafford.
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AC Milan are also said to be interested in the Dutch star. However, PSV will not entertain any offers until their target, Hiljemark is part of the squad at the Philips Arena.
The absence of Philippe Coutinho was not heavily felt during Liverpool’s campaign last season following the playmaker’s move to January.
Mohamed Salah swiftly became the club’s most important player, and the scintillating attacking performances from the Egyptian alongside Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane overshadowed Coutinho’s exit.
Without the 26-year-old, the Merseyside outfit managed to secure a top-four finish and reach the Champions League final, where they were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid in Kiev.
It is fair to suggest that the fans have not hugely missed the midfielder, but they were reminded of his quality on Sunday evening during Brazil’s opening Group E match against Switzerland.
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The attack-minded star curled the ball into the top corner from outside the box to put Brazil ahead, and Liverpool fans began to reminisce.
The club are yet to buy a replacement for the Brazilian star, but numerous targets have been touted in the media, including Lyon’s Nabil Fekir, whose proposed move to Anfield recently collapsed.
Many clubs go through a period where injury strikes their squad, which can be detrimental to their objectives for the season.
In this case, Aston Villa are currently going through that turmoil and it has occurred at a dangerous period as they try to earn promotion back to the Premier League.
As it stands, Steve Bruce’s side are third in the Championship, four points adrift of the top two after failing to win their last two fixtures.
This weekend, the Midlands outfit will take on Sheffield Wednesday on away soil, but they have received some bad news ahead of the contest.
It appears that Lewis Grabban and Axel Tuanzebe could be added to the growing injury list.
Ahmed Elmohamady, Jack Grealish and Albert Adomah are currently on the treatment table.
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Understandably, fans were left exasperated by the latest injury update, particularly as it seems as though this weekend’s match could come too soon for Grealish and Adomah.
One of the summer’s big transfer sagas appears to have reached its climax a little earlier than expected, with Adam Lallana having completed his long awaited switch from Southampton to Liverpool.
The England international was the subject of numerous offers from the Reds before he jetted off to the World Cup, but the Saints held firm in a bid to keep their captain. However, Lallana is understood to have made it clear last week that he wanted to follow Rickie Lambert to Anfield and now a contract has been sealed.
The 26-year-old is the Merseysiders’ third summer acquisition after the aforementioned striker and German youngster Emre Can, but Brendan Rodgers’ spending is unlikely to stop there. The Northern Irishman is known to be targeting a number of other players as he looks to bolster his squad ahead of a season in the Champions League, and here are six names he may turn to…
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Lazar Markovic
What do Liverpool need? That’s right, more goals! Well Brendan Rodgers seems to think so after targeting Benfica’s talented youngster Markovic. The Serbian winger was one of the stars of the Lisbon side’s run to the Europa League Final last term, and also netted five goals to help them clinch the Portuguese title despite being in competition with a number of stars at the Estadio da Luz.
//www.youtube.com/embed/LagbCkQ0kbc
Able to operate on either flank and known for his ability to cut inside, the 20-year-old appears to be the ideal player for Rodgers’ set-up, and could link well with Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge. Or maybe he could the start of a post-Luis Suarez era at Anfield…
Alexis Sanchez
With Chile now out of the World Cup, the wheels could be set in motion to lure Sanchez to Anfield. The Barcelona attacker was one of the stars of the tournament for his country, with his all energy displays and eye for goal having helped to secure memorable victories before hosts Brazil ended their summer via penalty-kicks.
Despite his impressive showings, Barca are rumoured to be willing to sell the 25-year-old for around £30m, which has attracted the attention of Liverpool. Luis Suarez may be heading in the opposite direction, which could well open up the possibility of a stunning swap deal, and from this video we think he could fill the Uruguayan’s boots.
//www.youtube.com/embed/ACKgX03gTSQ
Dejan Lovren
Among the wealth of attacking names being linked with Liverpool, there is actually a defender being memtioned. Lovren appears to be the Reds’ top target to bolster their backline, with the Croatian having been impressive for Southampton – who are rapidly becoming the Reds’ feeder team.
With 50 goals conceded last season, the Merseysiders know they must tighten up if they are to have any chance of ending their lengthy wait for a league title, and Lovren could be a good long-term successor to Daniel Agger – who looks likely to be leaving before the new season starts. To give Liverpool further encouragement, the silky centre-back is understood to have requested a transfer…
Lovren was also decent against them last season…
//www.youtube.com/embed/aGjXhefrzd0
Divock Origi
19-years-old and one of the World Cup’s stars, there is much attention being directed towards young Origi at the moment. His late strike against Russia helped Belgium make the last 16 in Brazil and has prompted talk that Liverpool, as well as Spurs, are tracking his signature.
//www.youtube.com/embed/mM55i3Ye60M
Reports in France suggest that the Reds have agreed a deal with both Lille and the player, but Origi will not be seen at Anfield for at least 12 months with a loan back to the Ligue 1 side on the cards.
Keylor Navas
Two goalkeepers have really caught the eye at the World Cup, one is Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico, the other Costa Rica’s Navas. To be fair to Liverpool, their scouting of the stopper appears to be a little more thorough than catching his games on the TV, with Brendan Rodgers believed to have been tracking him since the back end of last season.
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Levante are aware that they may be unable to keep their man after his performances in recent weeks, which could well open up the possibility of an £8m deal. With Simon Mignolet having shown signs of struggling last season, Navas could well keep him on his toes, or even steal the starting berth from the Belgian.
He also kept a certain Lionel Messi quiet recently…
//www.youtube.com/embed/aPavztBsCO8
Alberto Moreno
Like the Adam Lallana saga, Moreno’s move to Liverpool appeared to be stalling over a reluctance to match his asking price. Just a few weeks ago the Spaniard was reported to have had his tickets and suitcase ready for a trip to Merseyside for a medical ahead of a £16m move, but this talk was knocked back amid speculation that Sevilla have upped their asking price to around £20m.
//www.youtube.com/embed/KEC_xtCI_Oc
The trail went cold initially, but now Brendan Rodgers’ side are believed to be making fresh overtures towards the talented left-back. With bags of energy and decent attacking ability, Moreno could be the solution to a problem that has been constant for Reds managers since the days of John Arne Riise.
Arsenal star Jack Wilshere is confident that he can handle the expectations of the nation when he next pulls on an England shirt.
The midfielder has been out of action for the last 14 months, spending a frustrating spell on the sidelines.
However, Wilshere made his competitive return against QPR on Saturday his first start for the senior side since May 2011
The England international lasted 60 minutes for his comeback match and is aware that there will already be talk of an international call up.
England take on Sweden in an international friendly on November 14th. He knows the pressures that come with playing for the Three Lions, but he was in buoyant mood when talking about when he next gets the chance to represent his country.
The Gunners ace went on to tell the Independent: “Football is like that, especially with England. You become a better player when you are injured; you become a world beater when you are injured.
“When you come back, there is an expectation, but I can deal with it.”
The player has not lost sight of how difficult it was to be away from the centre stage and playing in Premier League games at the Emirates. He went onto mention how he was just delighted to back and playing in an Arsenal shirt.
“Just for now, I am happy to be back. I am happy to be out there and healthy again. I was just running round smiling – that feeling was amazing,” he added.
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Wilshere is expected to be rested for Arsenal’s midweek Capital One Cup fixture against Reading as Arsene Wenger looks to ease him back into first team action.
Liverpool should not consider making a move for Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech if he becomes available following the acquisition of Bernd Leno from Bayer Leverkusen.
What’s the word?
Unai Emery secured his second summer signing of the window on Tuesday when Leno finalised a move from the Bundesliga.
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In our recent poll, the majority of Arsenal fans expressed a desire for the club to prioritise signing a new keeper, and they got their wish.
Liverpool are also believed to be on the hunt for a new shot-stopper following Loris Karius’s horror show in the Champions League final.
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Numerous names have been linked to the position, but so far, the Reds have not got a deal over the line.
Even though Petr Cech was recently handed the number one jersey for the 2018-19 season, there is an argument that the current first choice will drop down the pecking order now that Leno is in town.
Why shouldn’t Liverpool take advantage?
There is no denying that Cech remains one of the best keepers in the Premier League.
The 36-year-old has a winning mentality having won four league titles at his former club Chelsea.
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However, there were moments of concern last season when he made blunders in between the sticks.
It would not make sense for Liverpool to move for a keeper that Arsenal do not see worthy as first choice – if that indeed becomes the case.
The Reds require a world-class stopper, but they should target a younger figure rather than someone who is nearing the closing stages of his career.
It’s been a difficult season for Ander Herrera, albeit through no real fault of his own. The Spain international emerged as Jose Mourinho’s unlikely midfield general last season, but has found himself further down the pecking order this term – chiefly behind summer signing Nemanja Matic.
However, Herrera produced a fantastic performance against Yeovil in the FA Cup last week, reminding everybody of what he brings to this United side with a gorgeous goal and the most tackles of any Red Devils player.
With that in mind, we asked United fans earlier today whether the 28-year-old deserves to keep his place in the starting XI for the Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur this evening and according to our poll, 66% of Red Devils supporters do think he should start at Wembley tonight.
So, United fans, how would you line up Mourinho’s side to make sure it includes Herrera? Let us know by commenting below…
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