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According to our recent poll, the majority of Everton fans want Theo Walcott to be dropped for the visit of Brighton to Goodison Park on Saturday.

Walcott showed a number of the bad habits that have plagued his career during the 2-1 loss to Manchester United last weekend, and it’s clear that Everton fans feel they have better options waiting in the wings.

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The 29-year-old former Arsenal man started the season brilliantly, netting twice and providing one assist in his first three games for the Toffees but, not for the first time in his career, he has failed to kick on.

Everton are now ninth in the Premier League under new boss Marco Silva, but players such as Ademola Lookman, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Cenk Tosun could all come in to replace Walcott in the forward line.

Brighton have had strong start to the season and could go ahead of the Merseysiders with a win on Saturday, but 83 per cent of Everton fans want Walcott to be dropped. Check out the full results of our poll below.

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According to The Mirror, West Ham United are considering an approach for former Arsenal and Manchester City attacker Samir Nasri.

What’s the story?

Nasri has served an 18-month suspension after breaking doping laws for receiving an intravenous drip in 2016.

The 31-year-old is now on the lookout for a new club, and according to The Mirror, West Ham are considering an approach for the Frenchman.

Nasri has been without a club since mutually terminating his contract with Antalyaspor in January, but is now looking for a route back into the game.

The 31-year-old spent three years with Arsenal between 2008 and 2011, before joining Manchester City, where he made over 170 appearances.

Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini is said to be eyeing a reunion with Nasri, but West Ham should swerve a move for the attacker.

Why should West Ham forget Nasri?

There is absolutely no question that Nasri is a talented footballer. To be honest, that has never been in doubt. His reputation has been damaged over the last year, however, and the swoop would be more trouble than its worth.

Nasri managed 27 goals in his 125 appearances for Arsenal, but aside from a strong 2013-14 campaign, where he managed 11 goals in all competitions, the attacker found it difficult to show his best form for Man City.

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He spent the 2016-17 season on loan at Sevilla, scoring three times in 30 appearances ahead of a move to Antalyaspor, which lasted just five months.

Pellegrini knows Nasri’s qualities having worked with him at the Etihad Stadium, but it would take a fair few months for the Frenchman to get himself match fit, and Manuel Lanzini will be closer to a return at that point.

Nasri is a talented player, but West Ham would be better off looking elsewhere.

According to The Express, Arsenal are planning a January swoop for wantaway Barcelona man Ousmane Dembélé. 

The deal would see the Frenchman team up again with Arsenal’s head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, after the pair were together at German giants Borussia Dortmund.

With the Catalan club seeking to recoup the £135m they paid for the winger in 2017, that would obviously mean The Gunners will need to fork over a huge amount of cash. This will therefore have permutations with regards to FIFA fair play regulations, as the club have spent a considerable amount of money of the past few seasons.

If Arsenal need to be wise in how they spend their money, there are certainly more pressing matters that they need to address, and the main one is their defence. The club have either an ageing defence, or some players that have not quite won over the fans. For example, in the left-back position, Nacho Monreal is now 32 years old, while his rival Sead Kolašinac is persona non grata at The Emirates. But it doesn’t stop there.

While Hector Bellerin has a firm grip on the right-back position, Stephan Lichtsteiner is now 34, and not yet established at the club. Likewise, Laurent Koscielny is now 33, and already has people doubting his future after his achilles injury, and Sokratis Papastathopoulos is now 30. The Gunners are not very far away from being very depleted when it comes to their defence.

In the likes of Rob Holding and Calum Chambers (on loan at Fulham) the club do have young talent in their defence, but there is the feeling that they will need to bolster it more if they are ever going to compete with the likes of Man City and Chelsea.

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The majority of the Birmingham fans that answered our recent poll think that striker Lukas Jutkiewicz is worth between £4m-£6m based on his current goalscoring form.

The 29-year-old has netted nine goals and provided three assists for the Blues so far this season and has helped his side to 12th in the Championship under the guidance of Garry Monk.

Birmingham paid Burnley just £1m for his signature in January 2017, after the Englishman had spent the first half of the season on loan at St Andrew’s with Gary Rowett as boss.

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Last year, Jutkiewicz only managed six goals in all competitions for the Blues, but he has started this campaign in fantastic form and is developing a strong strike partnership with 22-year-old Che Adams, who scored a hat-trick as Monk’s side drew 3-3 with Hull on the weekend.

Check out the full results of our poll below, where a majority 26 per cent of Birmingham fans felt that Jutkiewicz is now worth between £4m-£6m, and 45% of those that took part feel he is worth at least £6m.

After holding a comfortable 2-0 lead early into the first half, Belgium ended up on the receiving end of a 5-2 defeat to Switzerland on Sunday in the UEFA Nations League.

It was a game where Roberto Martinez’s men defended atrociously with Celtic centre-half Dedryck Boyata having since come out to make it clear his side’s collapse was unacceptable.

The Breakdown

“I won’t be sleeping very well for many days now,” Boyata was quoted saying by the Daily Record. “At 2-0 up, it should have been a time for us to control the game – instead the opposite happened.

“Many of our players were below their best against Switzerland and I have to include myself in that. It wasn’t a lack of motivation and we didn’t underestimate them. We just had a very bad night defensively. It’s time for me to go back to basics and take it from there.

“After such a great World Cup, to come down to a level of performance like that wasn’t good enough and we will have to seriously analyse what went wrong.”

With Vincent Kompany and Toby Alderweireld having also lined up in defence on the day while a goalkeeper of Thibaut Courtois’ calibre was between the sticks, singling out Boyata would be extremely unfair.

That being said, as mentioned by the Belgian himself, his defending was not up to the required standard and he must now use what took place at the Swissporarena as a learning curve.

Overall, Boyata has been in decent form for Celtic this season and has been a key figure in the team under manager Brendan Rodgers.

But with the 27-year-old likely to seek a new challenge come next summer when his contract expires, performances such as the one against Switzerland can not become a frequent thing during this campaign if he wishes to make that real step up by the end of it.

Aston Villa could be looking to improve their chances of qualifying for the Premier League next season by making a shock move for the out of sorts Ashley Cole.

Cole, 37, was named as one of eight players who were released by LA Galaxy on Monday after the club failed to qualify for the playoff stages of the MLS.

And now, according to the Daily Mirror, are some Championship clubs looking to pounce on the former England international’s situation and offer him a deal in January.

Villa are said to be one of those teams who believe Cole could add value to their squad and might reap rewards from the experience he could add to Dean Smith’s setup.

Cole, arguably one of the most renowned left-backs in Premier League history, spent seven years at Arsenal, before moving across London to rivals Chelsea where he completed another eight seasons; most notably winning the Champions League with the Blues in 2012.

After two very unsatisfactory seasons at Italian outfit Roma, Cole decided to move to America in 2016, where he signed for LA Galaxy.

Before being left out of the club’s squad for 2019, Cole captained the Galaxy in the past season, but not with a great deal of success.

A move to Villa would certainly make for an interesting headline but having played with assistant coach John Terry for so many years at Chelsea, the management might feel Cole could give the team a bit of a boost when they continue their push for a spot in the playoffs towards the end of the season.

Villa narrowly missed out on promotion last season after losing to Fulham in the playoffs final and have shown in recent matches that they are hoping to correct that feat this time around.

Smith’s men have gathered some good momentum to finish the year with a bang, thumping Derby County 3-0 before the international break and beating rivals Birmingham City in the Second City Derby on Sunday.

New Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is yet to even officially take charge of the club, but the agent to Manolo Gabbiadini is on his way to England seeking answers to his client’s future, per an interview to RMC Sport.

What’s he said?

Gabbiadini’s representative Silvio Pagliari told RMC Sport that Southampton’s change in management has put him on edge, as he no longer has certainties his client is not for sale.

“Southampton changed coach, so we have to see what happens … A week ago it was unstoppable [not for sale], today we do not know,” Pagliari explained. “I will go to England because in these moments we need clarity even to then think about the transfer market.

“I do not even name [possible destinations] because as I said before, for Gabbiadini to remain in the Premier League would still be important, we have some offers, even from Italy, we will see what will happen”.

As Pagliari alludes to, Gabbiadini had already been linked with multiple moves back to Italy, with Fiorentina said to be keen with the striker on the Saints’ fringes, while Sampdoria considered bringing the 27-year-old back to a club he spent two seasons at previously.

If a move is to occur, Southampton could be looking for a figure in the region of £10million, going by Transfermarkt’s current valuation.

Would he fit Hasenhuttl’s side?

By definition, Gabbiadini is not the ideal striker for Hasenhuttl’s masterplan on how the game should be played. The Austrian idolises the gegenpressing tactic of rushing the opposition from the first line of attack.

That said, the Italian is actually perfect to help Southampton in its rebuilding phase for the striker does not present a limited option, especially when compared to Charlie Austin, who has shown he no longer has the legs for the Premier League.

The Atalanta product alongside a pacey, hound-like forward in Danny Ings or Shane Long would be the perfect partnership, as neither are gifted with a lethal touch in front of goal or a regular clean bill of health.

Playmaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Arsenal are facing a shortage at centre-back following news that Rob Holding will miss the rest of the season with an injury.

The youngster was stretched off during the 2-2 draw with Manchester United last week and scans revealed Holding had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament. The news will come as a massive blow to Unai Emery as Holding had developed into a key player for the Gunners this season, making 14 appearances in all competitions under the Spaniard.

Holding joins Laurent Koscielny, Shkodran Mustafi and Konstantinos Mavropanos on the treatment table at the Emirates leaving Emery with a huge selection dilemma in defence. Due to their injury problems, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the former PSG boss target a new defender during the upcoming January transfer window.

The ideal addition to his squad could be former Barcelona defender – Marc Bartra. Valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, the Spaniard is back in La Liga with Real Betis after struggling to adapt to life in Germany with Borussia Dortmund. Despite his dreadful spell in the Bundesliga, Bartra has quickly rediscovered his best form in his homeland, scooping Betis’ Player of the Year award last season despite joining mid-way through the campaign. The 27-year-old’s impressive performances have continued into the new season which should make Arsenal take notice.

Bartra is an excellent defender who would add some stability to the Arsenal back four, averaging an incredible 2.7 tackles per game in La Liga. The defender also reads the game expertly, averaging 1.9 interceptions per game, as well as being a massive threat in the air, winning 2.3 aerial duels on average in Spain. As well as his defensive prowess, the Spain international also excels with the ball at his feet, completing 90% of his passes this season, meaning he would have no issue slotting into Emery’s system at the Emirates (WhoScored).

Landing Bartra in January could give the Gunners the boost they need to secure a return to the Champions League at the end of the season.

Arsenal fans, thoughts?

The first week in December always sees the first set of midweek Premier League fixtures as the festive period starts.

With many teams still in European competition playing nine games over the festive period, points are at a premium.

Man City and Liverpool managed to rotate their squads and come through tough tests at Watford and Burnley respectively, while United and Arsenal played out a 2-2 draw.

You know the scores but what about all the moments you missed, on a goals galore two days of Premier League action?

Sane’s Chested Goal

Leroy Sane’s recent return to the starting line-up has reminded all why he was awarded PFA young player of the year last season.

The German made it three goals in as many games on Tuesday night by chesting in Riyadh Mahrez’s cross.

His awareness to see that he needed just the slightest of touches past Ben Foster was brilliant.

4/7 For Fabianski

Lukas Fabianski has faced his fair share of penalties in his Premier League career, so it’s a good thing he’s pretty good at saving them.

The West Ham stopper’s first half save from Joe Ralls’ attempt was his fourth save in his last seven.

Scare For City

Thanks to Riyadh Mahrez’s goal, the Premier League leaders looked comfortable at Vicarage Road as they went into the dying moments of the game.

But a late goal from Abdoulaye Doucouré put the jitters into City and Pep Guardiola brought on Aymeric Laporte to sure things up defensively.

Doucouré’s goal was just the seventh goal City have conceded all season.

Ederson No Look Pass

While 2-0 up City were comfortable all over the pitch, including goalkeeper Ederson who completed two ‘no-look’ passes to his defenders.

Mahrez Skill

Riyadh Mahrez looked like he was in his element on the right as Pep Guardiola left out Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero.

The Algerian terrorised Watford defender Jose Holebas in the first half and produced an outrageous piece of skill that saw Holebas yellow carded, purely because he had no option but to make the foul.

Duffy Headbutt

Brighton defender Shane Duffy has had a brilliant start to the season, but a moment of madness saw him see red in the M23 derby with Crystal Palace.

The Irishman was judged to have headbutted Palace defender Patrick Van Aanholt and will serve a three-match ban.

Fellaini Tries To Get Hair Back

You would think the newly trimmed Marouane Fellaini would be know that the pulling of hair is a foul.

The Manchester United midfielder was caught not just pulling but yanking Mattéo Guendouzi’s hair, maybe a case of jealousy?

Arsenal boss, Unai Emery responded:

“I think the best thing is that he cuts his hair before the next match, then the problem is finished,” Arsenal’s manager said. “Just as Fellaini did. I have not told him that to his face, though. I respect a lot the players; their hair and their hair colour.”

Record Breaking Night

The first midweek fixtures of the Premier League season produced a record breaking night as all 20 teams scored.

According to statisticians OptaJoe, it was the first Premier League matchday since November 27th-28th 2010 in which all 20 Premier League teams scored.

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Reigning Scottish champions Celtic slumped to a shock 2-0 defeat at the hands of Hibernian on Sunday, as goals from Vykintas Slivka and Florian Kamberi sealed the Bhoys’ fate.

Brendan Rodgers will now be left to pick through the wreckage of what marked a second consecutive defeat for his side after their midweek Europa League loss against Red Bull Salzburg.

On the chalkboard

Slivka put the hosts ahead with less than a minute on the clock. That set the tone for the rest of the match, as the Hoops failed to ever really get up to speed with the pace of the game.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below...

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers now top the Premiership table and Rodgers may soon begin to feel some pressure building if his side can’t reassert their dominance over the division again soon. In order for that to happen, though, the former Liverpool boss must identify the flaws in his current system.

One thing that must change, as became clear at Easter Road on Sunday, is that the involvement of Jozo Simunovic must be reconsidered.

Time to end the experiment 

The 24-year-old was turned and twisted up far too easily for the first goal, and generally never looked comfortable in dealing with the Hibs attackers. 

The Croatian was in and out of the side at the start of the season, but has now started each of the club’s last four games in all competitions. In that time, Rodgers’ outfit have recorded just the single victory – the 5-1 mauling of Kilmarnock. Whilst it’s unfair to suggest that this uncharacteristically poor run of form for Celtic is wholly Simunovic’s fault, the defender has hardly improved the Bhoys at the back.

After Sunday, his latest underwhelming display, Rodgers must opt to abandon this Simunovic experiment now.