Axel Tuanzebe has revealed that he could make his Aston Villa return in the club’s home Championship fixture against Blackburn Rovers on March 30.
What’s the update?
Tuanzebe told Villa’s official website:
“It’s really good to be back. I’m at a stage where I’m building my fitness in order to be ready for the Blackburn game.
“When you’re out with a bone injury there’s not a lot you can do but rest. It’s been a long process of healing. But I’m back in full training now and doing my extras – doing everything I can to be ready to play.
“The Blackburn game gives me the chance to build up the lungs and the legs and get ready for the run of games that the Championship requires. It’s great to be back around the lads and I’m ready to go again for a big finish to the season.”
Tuanzebe has been unavailable for selection since picking up a foot injury during Villa’s 2-2 draw with Stoke City in the Championship on December 15.
The 21-year-old was sent back to his parent club Manchester United to recover, but he returned to Villa earlier this month.
The centre-back has revealed that he could be ready for Villa’s next game with Blackburn, although it remains to be seen whether head coach Dean Smith throws the England Under-21 international straight back into action.
How big of a boost is it for Villa?
Huge. Absolutely massive. Tuanzebe had a shaky start to the campaign, but was switched to central defence upon Smith’s arrival as head coach.
Between the start of October and middle of December, the on-loan Man United ace was excellent for Villa.
Injuries to the likes of Tommy Elphick and James Chester means that Kortney Hause has recently been moved from left-back to central defence to play alongside Tyrone Mings.
But the thought of Mings – who has been excellent since arriving from Bournemouth – operating alongside a fit and hungry Tuanzebe will be very exciting for the Villa fans.
A brilliant run of form has seen Villa move into the playoff positions in the Championship and the return of Tuanzebe is a monumental boost.
Reports in Turkey claim Newcastle are interested in signing the new Ozil – Mainz 05 wonderkid Erkan Eyibil.
What’s the story?
According to Turkish Football, Eyibil is attracting interest from “a growing number of clubs” with Newcastle and West Ham both keeping tabs on the teenager.
At 17, he is yet to make an appearance for Mainz’s senior side, but has scored nine goals and added four assists this season for the Under-19 side.
The report says the Turkish press have dubbed the diminutive playmaker as the “new Ozil” due to his vision and guile, but should the Magpies make a summer swoop?
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Savvy business
Newcastle have been heavily criticised for their transfer business under Mike Ashley, and rightly so, but signing Eyibil before the big clubs jump in would be a sign of improvement.
The Mainz starlet scored a hat-trick in a 6-1 win last weekend, taking his total tally across all Mainz youth teams to 38 goals, as well as a remarkable 31 assists.
He has shot through the youth ranks of the German national team, making appearances for the Under-15s, Under-16s, Under-17s and Under-18s in the last few years, racking up three goals along the way.
Even if the youngster does not feature in the first team immediately, penning such a talented player to a long-term deal would be a stroke of genius from Ashley and the club, and could eventually land them a huge profit if he moves on to the bigger and better things that he seems destined for.
To buy or not to buy is the question on everyone’s lips at Goodison Park.
From Marcel Brands right through to the supporters, the question of whether Andre Gomes is worth the 40 million euro (£34.1m) fee Barcelona could receive, per Marca, for the popular midfielder is a conundrum which splits the mind in two.
And the international break has added a fresh dynamic to consider in the equation in the shape of Sheffield United loanee Kieran Dowell.
On the chalkboard
The 21-year-old midfielder festered in Everton’s reserves for the first half of the season before he was sent to Bramall Lane in January.
An attacking midfielder by trade, Dowell has made a steady impact in 10 appearances for Chris Wilder’s promotion-chasing side, but his call-up to the England Under-21 side provided a fresh challenge for the budding Premier League talent.
Aidy Boothroyd opted to start Dowell at the base of his midfield against Poland and Tuesday night’s defeat against Germany saw him lying deep once again alongside Tom Davies.
Defensively he was a tad suspect in unfamiliar territory, but that was to be expected given his lack of experience.
In possession, however, Everton’s academy product was technically accomplished and showcased glimpses of his potential to operate in a deeper-lying role at club level.
Take a gamble
Dowell is not ready to immediately step into the side to replace Gomes, but the fact the Toffees faithful are not unanimously convinced by the Portugal international’s credentials suggests it’s a gamble not worth taking.
Rather than spending the best part of £34 million on the Barcelona playmaker, Silva should mould Dowell into a number 8 or number 6 to fill the creative void in midfield.
It’s a huge gamble which is unlikely to garner impressive short-term results as Dowell hasn’t made a single Premier League appearance since 2016.
But glimpses from his performances with both the Blades and the Three Lions suggest there is an untapped talent in waiting if Silva utilises him properly, one who could save the club tens of millions in the transfer market.
The next big thing to emerge at Goodison could be right under Brands’ nose.
As Europe’s most competitive and ferocious competition, the Premier League has always attracted the world’s top talent. In turn, the pitches of England’s top-flight have long been graced by some the greatest foreign goal scorers to ever play the game.
We’ve become accustomed to seeing the very best in England and that shows no sign of slowing down as money continues to dominate the beautiful game.
The list of the league’s top foreign scorers features plenty of familiar names, but it’s where certain players – such as Didier Drogba – land that might surprise you.
Here are the top-25 foreign scorers in Premier League history…
25. Olivier Giroud – 77 goals
The French striker emerged as a goal machine for Arsenal following his arrival from HSC Montpellier in the summer of 2012, and by the time of his move to Chelsea in January 2018, his 73 league goals placed him as the club’s fifth-highest Premier League scorer of all-time.
Giroud has scored only four league goals for the Blues in just over a full season at Stamford Bridge, but has contributed well as a cup striker, scoring nine goals in Europa League games alone this campaign.
With 77 league goals over seven seasons spent in England, Giroud stands as one of the greatest foreign scorers in Premier League history.
24. Gary Speed – 81 goals
Speed’s 16-year Premier League career featured 534 appearances for Leeds, Everton, Newcastle and Bolton, and scored a goal every six and a half matches.
Though he never eclipsed more than 10 in a single season, Speed and his 81 Premier League goals rank him among the top non-English scorers of all-time.
23. Craig Bellamy – 81 goals
The winger from Wales spent 12 seasons in the Premier League with Coventry City, Newcastle, Liverpool, West Ham, Manchester City and Cardiff City, scoring the majority of his league goals for the Magpies before retiring in 2014.
The Wales international scored 81 goals during his time in the Premier League, tied with Gary Speed for second-most by any Welshman.
22. Eden Hazard – 82 goals
Chelsea’s dazzling midfielder has asserted himself as one of the Premier League’s elite all-around talents during his seven seasons in England, and while his knack for finding the back of the net makes up only a portion of his dominance, it has become a crucial skill for Hazard.
The Belgian has tallied an average of nearly 12 goals per season in the top-flight and notched a career high 16 in 2016-17, a number he appears poised to approach once again this term.
With 82 goals and counting, Hazard remains one of the top foreign goal scorers the Premier League has ever seen.
21. Louis Saha – 84 goals
Saha spent 13 seasons in the Premier League with Newcastle, Fulham, Everton, Tottenham, Sunderland and most prominently Manchester United between 2001-2013.
The French forward won two league titles and a Champions League during his time at Old Trafford and left the Premier League in 2013 with 288 appearances to his name.
Saha scored 84 league goals during his career in England, more than all but two other Frenchmen.
20. Carlos Tevez – 84 goals
The Argentinian striker averaged 12 league goals a season over his seven years spent in England with West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City.
Tevez’s most productive years came with City from 2009-11, when he netted 23 and 20 goals respectively in consecutive seasons.
Tevez’s post-Premier League years have included time in Italy, Argentina and China, but even six years removed from his final match in England, his 84 league goals keep him among the top foreign scorers in league history.
19. Cristiano Ronaldo – 84 goals
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner spent six seasons at Old Trafford and made his mark on England before leaving for Real Madrid in 2009.
Ronaldo brought home three league titles and his first Champions League victory with Manchester United, and his 31 goals scored in the league in 2007-2008 remains the club record for most in a 38-match season.
His legacy cemented by numbers and achievements racked up in Spain and now Italy, Ronaldo – and his 84 Premier League goals – still holds a place in Premier League history, too.
18. Fernando Torres – 85 goals
The Spanish striker hit the ground running with 24 goals in his first Premier League seasons and the scoring kept coming from there.
Torres netted 56 league goals over his first three seasons in England with Liverpool, and later took home a Champions League title with Chelsea in 2012.
Torres’ scoring productivity faded during the latter half of his time in England, but few have had a more successful first three seasons in the league when the Spaniard scored 66 percent of his 85 Premier League goals.
17. Dennis Bergkamp – 87 goals
Football – FA Cup – Fourth Round – Arsenal v Middlesbrough – 24/1/04 Dennis Bergkamp scores the 1st goal for Arsenal Mandatory Credit : Action Images / Alex Morton Livepic
The 1993 Ballon d’Or runner-up played a vital role in Arsenal’s resurgence as a club in the mid-1990s and helped deliver the club three league titles and four FA Cups during his 11 seasons in England.
Bergkamp never scored more than 16 league goals in a single season for the Gunners, but his creativity on the pitch and the lethal combination he would later form with Thierry Henry elevated the club to its greatest heights.
The Dutchman retired following the 2005-2006 season and left Arsenal with 87 leagues goals.
16. Mark Viduka – 92 goals
The Australian forward spent nine seasons in the Premier League with Leeds, Newcastle and Middlesbrough, establishing himself as one of the top talents to ever come to the Premier League from down under.
Viduka left the Premier League in 2009 with 92 league goals.
Eddie Howe would have been pleased with the business Bournemouth were able to do in the January transfer window, bringing in both Dominic Solanke and Nathaniel Clyne from Liverpool.
With the latter having only arrived at the Vitality Stadium on loan, though, the Cherries boss could soon find himself without him with another Premier League club now said to be interested in his services.
The Breakdown
According to Goal, West Ham are keen on signing Clyne permanently in the summer with Liverpool said to be willing to do business at around £15m.
With Pablo Zabaleta possibly set to leave the London Stadium at the end of season, it makes sense that the east London outfit are interested in the Liverpool loanee.
However, with Clyne starting to rediscover some of the form he showed a few seasons ago, Bournemouth would be silly to let West Ham win the race for his signature.
Before his move to Anfield and a host of injuries, Clyne, who is valued at £13.5 million (by Transfermarkt), was easily one of the leading right-backs in the Premier League.
On his day, there were few wingers who could get past him. At 28, he may struggle to reach that level again.
Still, under Howe at Bournemouth, the England international is finally managing to find some consistency.
And if he keeps it up, the Cherries will find it hard to spot a better right-back in the transfer market this summer.
Bournemouth fans, do you want to see Clyne remain at the Vitality Stadium amid West Ham’s interest? Join the discussion by commenting below.
Watford pulled off one of the comebacks of the season against Wolves at the weekend and the Hornets’ progression to the FA Cup final, where they will meet Manchester City, has put stars in Jose Holebas’ eyes.
The 6 ft Greek has been a fixture in the starting XI for a while now and epitomised the drive to succeed which was so evident in Watford’s fight back from two-down at Wembley Stadium as he spoke about their ambitions for the rest of the season:
“We know what we want and we know what we have to do for it.
“If you win the cup you can achieve something in your career, and we can go to Europe, so it means a lot.”
Indeed, Javi Gracia’s side are one big game away from an unprecedented FA Cup success and are just six games away from finishing seventh if they can continue their fantastic form as we near the end of the campaign.
The 34-year-old might be well into his twilight years now but he can still dream – those fantasies are close to becoming a reality though and Holebas is desperate to finish off the term on a high.
Wolves Fan TV place the blame for Wolves’ FA Cup semi-final collapse on John Ruddy in the video below…
Arsenal visit on Monday and Watford will be hoping to claim a crucial result that could see them leapfrog their competition into the coveted 7th spot depending on other results. Holebas, for one, is surely looking forward to the fixture.
Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to defend David de Gea, after a Liverpool fan raised a comparison to Alisson Becker.
The tweet stated that, after the Brazilian international recorded his 18th Premier League clean sheet of the season with his shutout against Chelsea, he had equalled De Gea’s highest tally already in just his first campaign in England, still with games to spare.
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De Gea has recorded just seven clean sheets in the league this season, which is well below the amount expected from arguably the best goalkeeper in the world.
However, he has been behind an unsettled backline for most of the current campaign, and has not been helped by the managerial situation that saw Jose Mourinho sacked and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought in as his replacement.
As a result, United fans have leapt to the Spaniard’s defence on Twitter, citing a whole host of reasons as to why Alisson has already amassed such a high amount of clean sheets…
An injury at any stage of the season to your club’s talisman is far from ideal but when it occurs during the culmination of a fascinating automatic promotion battle, it could end up being disastrous.
Unfortunately for Sheffield United, this has been the case as the implications of their draw with Millwall go much further than simply dropping two points at Bramall Lane. During their clash with the Lions, Billy Sharp was forced off with a hamstring injury (via the Star), an issue which could have a profound impact on the club’s hopes of securing a top-two finish which would guarantee Premier League football next season.
If the 33-year-old is ruled out for the rest of the campaign, it could quite easily end up derailing the Blades’ season at the worst possible time.
If they let it.
Instead of reflecting on a situation which is out of their hands, United must instead maintain the belief which has put them in a great position to secure a return to the top flight after 12 years away.
Indeed, without the presence of Sharp, Chris Wilder’s side will be missing one of their main weapons in an attacking sense yet it could provide the club’s other strikers with the opportunity to become heroes in their own right. In the form of David McGoldrick, Scott Hogan and Gary Madine, United have players who at their very best are capable of producing the moments of magic that are needed in this situation.
With just four games left to play in what has been a remarkable season in the Championship, it would not be at all surprising if the Blades can overcome the adversity surrounding Sharp’s injury to usurp Leeds United in May. Although they are currently three points behind Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites, four wins from their last four will put an incredible amount of pressure on their Yorkshire rivals who still have to face an Aston Villa side who are flying under Dean Smith.
What do you think Blades fans? How worried are you about Sharp’s injury? Can you still achieve promotion in his absence? Let us know below.
Sunderland’s main fanzine Roker Report have asked the fan base why Sunderland have drawn so many games this season.
Sunderland have drawn 18 matches so far this campaign but only lost three, and it is this failure to turn draws into wins that leaves them sitting in fourth in the table with automatic promotion now out of their hands.
And some fans are blaming the fact they never seem to find the second goal as the main reason for why they have drawn so many, with one claiming “we score one and then sit off and defend” while another said “we go ahead then don’t push on and try to finish teams off.”
Whether that’s a fault of the manager’s tactics once they go a goal up or an issue with the players only time will tell.
Other fans though blame the defence – Jack Ross has tried a lot of centre-back combinations this season and has not found one that has really solved the problem, with Jimmy Dunne and Alim Ozturk the current pairing of choice.
One fan said the heart of the back four has been the major issue while another blamed the fact that they never stick with one consistent pairing back there.
Either way, with the least defeats in the league it is these draws that have likely cost automatic promotion, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
Manchester City fans have taken to Twitter to ridicule Liverpool fans, after a short rallying cry emerged on the forum ‘Red and White Kop’, encouraging the Reds fanbase to get themselves down to City’s game against Leicester and ‘show how much they want it’.
The post is practically a call for all Liverpool fans to spend their bank holiday Monday travelling to the streets surrounding the Etihad Stadium, where Leicester will play City, and cause a stir in the hope that it will distract their title rivals from getting a result.
Somewhat of a rivalry has emerged between Jurgen Klopp’s side and Pep Guardiola’s Citizens as they go head to head in one of, if not the most exciting title races in Premier League history.
Who would win out of Man Utd’s treble winners and Man City today? Fans discuss in the video below…
With just two games to go, Liverpool sit just a point behind City, who have to beat Leicester and Brighton to successfully defend their crown and record back-to-back titles.
In Liverpool’s case, they must beat Newcastle and Wolves, and hope that City drop points along the way to be in with a shot at winning their first ever Premier League title.
As you may know, the title race has done some weird things to the Liverpool fans, and the City supporters on Twitter haven’t held back in ridiculing them for this one…