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Pundit Paul Merson has predicted a 1-1 draw in Sunday’s Premier League clash between Everton and Manchester United at Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

Merson told Sky Sports:

“Could you get anymore different with Everton? One minute they are ripping apart Arsenal and beating West Ham away, then all of a sudden, against a Fulham side that have not scored two goals in a game since day one, and they cannot keep a clean sheet against them.

“It is a bad attitude there – you cannot look at the manager, you have to look at the players. Man United are a million miles off. They need to win the game or they are out of the Champions League, but I don’t think they will get it – they are well short at the moment.

“Some of their results have been very fortunate. For me, the unbeaten run was covering over the cracks.”

Sunday’s clash is huge for both teams. Indeed, Everton will enter the match off the back of a hugely disappointing 2-0 defeat against Fulham last weekend.

United, meanwhile, beat West Ham United in the Premier League last weekend, but suffered a 3-0 defeat at Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night.

Everton are very much in the battle for seventh, whilst United will be desperate to secure all three points as they chase a top-four position.

Merson has blamed a ‘bad attitude’ on Everton losing at Fulham last weekend, but the pundit has also claimed that United ‘are a million miles off’, ultimately predicting a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park this weekend.

Is Merson right to favour the draw?

There has been a winner – United – in each of the last three Premier League meetings between the two teams, including a 2-1 home victory at Old Trafford earlier this season.

The Red Devils also triumphed 2-0 in the corresponding clash last term, but the pair did play out back-to-back draws between December 2016 and April 2017.

They are the only two draws in the last 14 meetings between the two teams in all competitions, though, which is perhaps a touch surprising.

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Everton have struggled in their recent clashes with United, but the Toffees have beaten Chelsea and Arsenal in their last two home league fixtures.

The Merseyside outfit are capable of big results on home soil, but have also lost to Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Goodison this year and the draw looks about right heading into this weekend’s clash.

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Mauricio Pochettino’s English has come a long way since he arrived at Southampton in 2013.

The Argentine relied on a translator until he felt he was able to fluently respond to questions in front of the media, and he has now established himself as something of a favourite in the British press.

Passionate, tongue-in-cheek and refreshingly honest answers have become the norm, but Tottenham’s manager can occasionally throw up some bizarre comments as well.

And his latest press conference discussing his side’s motivation for the rest of the season has left some fans in a state of confusion and, for some, huge concern.

The 47-year-old essentially claimed that Spurs’ motivation is wavering, with the squad stretched to its bare bones at times and still fighting on two fronts.

In response to his comments, plenty of fans were struggling to sympathise with his sentiments and suggested that there is absolutely no excuse not to feel motivated with the top-four hanging in the balance.

And the Lilywhites faithful will certainly be hoping their club are at their fighting best when they take on Bournemouth on Saturday lunchtime.

Here’s what the fans had to say in response to Pochettino’s admission…

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Fenerbahce reportedly want to sign Alfredo Morelos this summer.

What’s the story?

According to Takvim (via Sport Witness): “Fenerbahce Manager Ersun Yanal has made Rangers striker Morelos his main target ahead of the summer transfer window.”

The report claims the Turkish giants have had scouts in attendance to watch the Colombian on several occasions this season and are now ready to make an offer.

Fenerbahce sporting director Damien Comolli, who was at Liverpool during the same period as Steven Gerrard, will soon begin talks with the Gers and Morelos, the report claims.

Humiliation

Quite simply, if the Gers allow this to happen then Gerrard would be well within his rights to walk out the exit door.

With 29 goals and 11 assists this season, it is almost inevitable that big clubs will come calling for Morelos this summer, but losing him to a league that is barely even an upgrade for the player would be humiliating.

If King and the club are happy to let their best players move to Turkey, then the ambition shown by bringing Gerrard to Ibrox was completely pointless, and the gaffer may as well give up trying to change the mentality of the club back to a winning one.

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For the Gers to really climb back to the pinnacle of Scottish football, with the goal after that of course to make some noise in Europe, then the only acceptable sale of Morelos should be to a Premier League club for a ridiculous sum of money.

King cannot let this happen.

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West Ham United fans have lauded Matthew Taylor after the former Hammer announced that he will retire at the end of the season via his official Twitter account.

Taylor spent three years at Upton Park between 2011 and 2014, helping the side win promotion back to the Premier League in the 2011-12 season.

A versatile player who can play in midfield, on the left wing and at left-back, Taylor is currently playing for Swindon Town, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

He announced on Tuesday that, upon the expiration of that deal, he would hang up his boots, after a career that has spanned seven clubs and 20 years.

Taylor began his career at Luton Town before making a move to Portsmouth, where he spent six years. Following that, moves to Bolton, the Hammers, Burnley, Northampton Town and Swindon followed.

And Irons fans have wished Taylor the best of luck in his retirement, with many holding fond memories of his time in east London.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

The English football system is a cruel and unforgiving machine that chews up and spits out prospective talent at an industrious rate, something former Arsenal and Leeds player Sanchez Watt will know all about.

Look away prospective footballers and hopeful parents: children at football academies are apparently more likely to ‘get hit by a meteorite’ than make it as professionals, according to Michael Calvin, author of No Hunger in Paradise: The Players. The Journey. The dream” (via Business Insider).

Even then, when the few have passed through the incomprehensible challenges of achieving football stardom, they might find themselves diving through the football leagues quicker than they can boast “I made it!”

Sanchez Watt may not have uttered these words, but he has certainly experienced an immeasurable fall from grace since graduating from Arsenal’s youth system, first swapping the Emirates for Elland Road and now settling at sixth tier Hamel Hempstead’s Vauxhall Road.

We think it is fair to say that Sanchez Watt has actually done very little to be remembered in West Yorkshire other than being painfully average during his short and uneventful residency – however, sometimes this is enough; sometimes all it takes is for a player to be that dry and disappointing that they will be etched into the minds of all those who watched them play.

Watt spent two seasons on loan at Elland Road between 2009 and 2011 from Arsenal, helping the side secure League One promotion and Championship consolidation.

In 1.992’ minutes of football he provided a bang average one goal and six assists for Leeds United (statistics provided by Transfermarkt) – but that is not what makes the once described ‘whizzkid’ by the Daily Mail an interesting case – not by a long shot.

Rather Sanchez Watt is just one of the few names we can actually recall who are a part of the much larger and widespread systemic phenomenon of former prospects being unceremoniously disposed of like spent commodities.

Following a stint at Leeds, Watt was put through the misery of a further three loans at Sheffield Wednesday, Crawley Town, and Colchester United before being released at the end of his contract – like a child would forget about its former favourite toy.

Two seasons later Watt would find himself playing in India for Kerala Blasters, not as a player who was trying to squeeze out a last few paycheques, but as one who was desperately trying to revive his career.

Just a year later he was back in the melee of the football league, first for Crawley Town, then Billericay Town, a club renowned for recruiting Premier League ‘has-beens’ like Jamie O’Hara, Paul Konchesky and Jermaine Pennant.

But even this graveyard stage showed to be a fruitless proving ground and he has since been loaned off to sixth-tier Hemel Hempstead, and though a distant desire of the football league may sit lonely in his mind, Watt surely knows the dream is over now.

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Sheffield United picked up a huge win in the Championship on Saturday, with Kieran Dowell scoring the only goal of the match in a 1-0 win away to West Bromwich Albion.

The Blades currently sit second in the table, just two points off leaders Norwich City, although third-placed Leeds United do have a game in hand.

It was a huge performance from the visitors at the Hawthorns and the type of result that showed their credentials.

Dowell grabbed the headlines with his goal, but it would be fair to say that the Sheffield United fans were delighted with what they saw from defender Enda Stevens during the 90 minutes.

According to WhoScored, Stevens – a 2017 arrival on a free transfer – won three headers and made three tackles against the Baggies.

Sheffield United’s official Twitter account drew attention to Stevens after the match, which led to a host of the club’s supporters revealing their views on the 28-year-old.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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West Ham United take on Premier League leaders Liverpool at the London Stadium on Monday night. 

Both sides will be heading into the clash hoping to bounce back from disappointing results last time out. The Hammers fell to a 3-0 defeat to Wolves, whilst Jurgen Klopp’s men failed to take three points from Leicester City and extend their lead at the top to seven points.

The Reds will be the favourites heading in Monday night’s encounter, but the Irons have already produced some impressive performances at home against ‘big six’ opponents this season – including wins over Arsenal and Manchester United and a hard-fought draw against Chelsea – so we should be in for an exciting game.

So, will West Ham add another scalp to their list, or will Liverpool get back to winning ways and maintain their advantage in the race for the title?

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 8pm kick-off…

What History Tells Us

Liverpool have certainly had the most joy out of this contest in the Premier League era. Their tally of 27 wins over West Ham dwarfs their opponent’s count of nine victories. 

The Reds’ aggressive and attacking style of play has generally reaped rewards against the east London club too, as they have racked up an impressive 85 goals in this fixture. West Ham, meanwhile, have only mustered 40. However, the likes of Felipe Anderson and Marko Arnautovic have the capacity to add to that number on Monday should the visitors show any signs of complacency. 

All in all though, there aren’t many positives for Manuel Pellegrini to take from his side’s head-to-head record, but West Ham have repeatedly upset the odds this season and he will believe in their ability to do so again in front of their own fans on Monday.

Key Battle – Felipe Anderson vs Sadio Mane

Both attackers primarily play on the left flank, and both are absolutely instrumental to their respective team’s forward approach, whilst they are also relied upon to produce end product. Both have also been in fine form so far this season.

Anderson has been integral to the Hammers’ attacking play this season. Since his summer arrival from Lazio, the Brazilian has quickly settled into the pace of the Premier League and has shown his class and skill on a number of occasions. 

His average output of 1.7 shots, 1.9 dribbles and 1.8 key passes per game demonstrates how vital he is to the Irons’ attack and how many methods he has of hurting his opponents in the final third. His return of eight goals and two assists makes him one of West Ham’s most prolific men so far this season and he will be key to their chances of success against Liverpool.

Mane forms part of Liverpool’s astonishingly effective attacking contingent alongside Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. This trio are able to combine effectively with one another, and their cohesion is central to Liverpool’s current success.

All three are capable of scoring and assisting goals, and the stats suggest that Mane is chipping in with his fair share. His average of 2.4 shots, 1.7 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per Premier League game this season is evidence of just what a potent attacking threat the Senegal international is. With ten goals and one assist already under his belt so far this season, the 26-year-old will be keen to add to his tally on Monday.

Both Anderson and Mane can win games for their teams, but Mane’s teammates may be better equipped to playing him into goalscoring positions on a regular basis, which could make all the difference. 

Ref in Focus – Kevin Friend 

Kevin Friend’s influence on this match could go a long way towards determining its result. Out of the 18 officials to have taken charge of a Premier League game this season before the weekend, none had average more penalty awards per game that Friend’s figure of 0.5. Should either side on Monday give him any reason to point to the spot, then Friend is unlikely to hesitate.

What’s more, out of the 18, the 47-year-old ranked in the top five in terms of fouls per game, fouls per tackle and yellow cards per game, averaging 22.25, 0.66 and 3.63, respectively. 

This could lead to a rather disjointed game, with plenty of set-pieces, which is likely to suit the home side more than Klopp’s free-flowing outfit.

Team News

The Hammers have a huge injury list, with talented stars such as Jack Wilshere, Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko certain not to be available for Monday’s game. What’s more, plenty of Pellegrini’s alternative options may not be fully fit either, such as Samir Nasri and Lucas Perez.

Arnautovic may be fit to lead the line for the home side, whilst club captain Mark Noble and talented teenager Declan Rice will almost certainly be tasked with anchoring the midfield. 

The Reds ought to look to test Noble’s mobility and the likely presence of Angelo Ogbonna and Pablo Zabaleta’s ageing legs in the Hammers’ defence ought to encourage Liverpool’s pacy, dynamic attackers.

Liverpool aren’t without defensive losses of their own though. The absences of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez ought to mean that James Milner, returning from suspension, slots in at right-back. What’s more, without Dejan Lovren available for selection, Joel Matip will likely deputise, which immediately makes the Reds’ rearguard a less solid unit.

Having sat out the disappointing draw against Leicester, Klopp will likely reintroduce Fabinho into the middle of the park, to ensure that the Reds don’t lose the physical battle to Noble and Rice. Overall then, that’s two changes from the side that drew with the Foxes last time out. 

Leeds United finally look as though they may be able to reach their objective and get themselves back into the Premier League – when football eventually returns, at least.

It is a long time since they dropped out of the top flight – 16 years to be exact – but they are now well on their way to climbing back up to where they likely feel they belong. They are currently seven points clear of third place as they top the Championship table, and with just nine games left, it is within touching distance.

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There was a wobble – they won just two matches during an 11-match spell – but they now look to have steadied the ship. The club’s supporters seem generally happy with the side’s displays overall, but there is one man who continues to irk sections of the fanbase, namely Patrick Bamford.

The 26-year-old is their top goalscorer with 13 strikes, but that has not stopped the fans from continually lambasting him since last season. As such, Marcelo Bielsa could very well be looking for a new striker in the summer.

If he listens to Phil Hay, Aleksandar Mitrovic could well be in his crosshair. During a recent Q&A on The Athletic, Hay was asked which player he would cherry-pick from the Championship for the Elland Road outfit and he mentioned the Serbia international.

The former Newcastle man would, quite clearly, be an improvement on Bamford.

In two less appearances this term, he has managed 10 more goals – he has 23 in the second tier so far – and the difference doesn’t stop there. He has also averaged more key passes with 1.1 compared to 0.6, and he has also made far more use of the shots he has had – he averages 2.7 per game compared to the Leeds man’s three, per SofaScore.

All strikers will miss chances, but there is a discrepancy between the two here once again. Mitrovic has squandered just 12 big opportunities compared to Bamford’s 25. He has also won more fouls per game, as well, leading with 1.5 compared to one.

The former Nottingham Forest man has the edge in terms of possession lost – he has squandered the ball 7.4 times per match in comparison with 14.7 – but considering he has averaged 17.4 less touches per match, that is simply a consequence of his involvement.

And then, as the final kicker, he has also averaged 1.1 offsides per game, compared to just 0.4 from Fulham’s powerhouse.

There really is no comparison between the two, and it makes total sense why Hay would like Leeds to take the 25-year-old to Yorkshire.

Of course, acquiring his services may be easier said than done – the Cottagers paid £22m for his initial services, and he signed a new contract just last summer, meaning that he would likely cost a pretty penny, but this is the kind of signing Bielsa should be targeting if they do confirm their promotion.

Getting to the Premier League is one thing – staying there is another.

Leeds are set to play against Premier League opposition in a competitive game for the first time since Marcelo Bielsa’s appointment on Monday evening as they travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal in the FA Cup.

The Whites have been knocking on the door of the top-flight since the Argentine arrived, despite their squad containing a similar core of players to the team that finished 13th the season before the 64-year-old took charge at Elland Road.

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Of course, despite their commanding league position in the Championship, there are some questions around the Premier League credentials of some of United’s players, but this could be a chance to test them.

If the Whites go up, they’ll have money to spend as the cash windfall from the top-flight’s TV deal is incredibly lucrative, but Bielsa may want to use this match as an opportunity to have a look at which players need replacing if Leeds go up.

The likes of Kalvin Phillips and Kiko Casilla probably don’t need this type of test as they’ve shown enough to cement a starting spot in the Premier League, with Casilla winning three Champions Leagues and Phillips being the subject of £40m interest from top sides.

However, players such as Luke Ayling, Liam Cooper and Mateusz Klich might be players Bielsa wants to see feature against one of the best the country has to offer.

The three aforementioned names have all been brilliant for Leeds over the past two seasons. Cooper was named in the PFA team of the Year while Ayling contributed to eight goals in 2018/19. Klich, meanwhile, took his tally to 19.

However, they’ve rarely, if ever, had the chance to play against talent of Arsenal’s calibre.

There’s every chance that these Championship veterans could flop once they get to the big leagues, and Bielsa has a chance of seeing that on Monday rather than finding out the hard way in August.

In other news, Phil Hay has provided a negative update on Leeds’ pursuit of Che Adams.

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been giving their verdict on the future of Marko Grujic, as Jurgen Klopp’s first Liverpool signing is excelling on loan in the Bundesliga.

The move for Grujic has been almost completely forgotten about by many Liverpool fans, as the Serbian international has played just eight times in the Premier League, most of those as a substitute.

Klopp and his ex-partner in crime Zeljko Buvac were big fans of the 22 year-old though, and he is now showing exactly why with Hertha Berlin.

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The tough-tackling youngster was brilliant for Cardiff City last season, and his loan spell in the Bundesliga in working absolute wonders.

He is winning 3.4 aerial duels and 2.1 tackles per game, while also averaging 1.9 shots, 0.9 key passes and 1.9 successful dribbles per game.

He capped off an incredible performance with the winning goal in a 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, prompting his manager to call him the best midfielder the club has had for two decades.

“I’ve been at Hertha for 22 years,” said the boss after the win over Frankfurt. “This isn’t meant as an insult to anyone else, but Marko is by far the best midfielder I’ve seen in my time at the club.”

Fans are excited to see what Klopp can get out of the youngster when he returns to Anfield, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…