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Gunners midfielder Mesut Ozil hails Matteo Guendouzi as a “brilliant” player, as he earmarks the Frenchman as the best young talent at Arsenal. Guendouzi arrived at the Emirates Stadium in the summer from FC Lorient, in a move costing the club £7.2million.

At just 19, the defensive-minded player would not have been expected to make an instant impact under Unai Emery but immediately showed on the club’s pre-season tour what he can bring to the Spaniard’s side, earning seven Premier League appearances since in which he has started five.

The midfielder has regularly demonstrated his determination to win the ball off the opposition as well as his stunning range of passing ability for his young age. These displays have certainly caught the attention of Arsenal’s superstars, with Ozil a big fan.

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In a Q&A session the German international held on Wednesday night via Twitter, the 30-year-old was asked who he believes is the best young talent at Arsenal and opted for the Frenchman over the likes of first team regular Alex Iwobi or Reiss Nelson, who at 18 is starting and scoring in the Bundesliga on loan for Hoffenheim.

The World Cup winner’s answer certainly delighted these fans.

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Bournemouth continued their fantastic start to the Premier League season with a comfortable 3-0 victory against Fulham at the weekend.

Calum Wilson opened the scoring after just 14 minutes, confidently dispatching a penalty after he was fouled by Timothy Fosu-Mensah. Things went from bad to worse for Fulham with Kevin McDonald receiving his marching orders, and David Brooks added insult to injury after the interval with a cool finish. A late second from Wilson ensured the Cherries left with all three points to go just six points behind league leaders Liverpool.

Eddie Howe’s side have been the surprise package of the season so far, delighting their fans with some fantastic performances. The arrival of Brooks, in particular, has been pleasing; the playmaker has made an instant impact since joining from Sheffield United in the summer. Bournemouth should continue their trend of poaching stars from the lower division and move for Leeds United full-back – Tom Pearce.

Valued at just £225k by Transfermarkt, the youngster was tipped for a bright future with the Whites but has failed to make his way into Marcelo Bielsa’s plans so far this season. Pearce has been restricted to just 72 minutes of Championship football under the Argentine’s leadership. Bournemouth should look to take advantage and bring the 20-year-old to the Vitality Stadium in January.

The left-back was in action for England’s U20 side last week and could prove to be an excellent long-term option in the back four. The defender will undoubtedly be tempted to leave the Championship side after watching Brooks develop into a key player for the Premier League side. Howe has a reputation for bringing the best out of young players, as he has done with another former White in the shape of Lewis Cook, and Pearce could flourish under his guidance.

If Leeds are ready to part ways with the academy graduate, Bournemouth should be first in line.

Bournemouth fans, thoughts?

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Loads of Rangers fans have been running the rule over Wednesday’s disappointing draw, and they’re not happy with summer signing Lassana Coulibaly.

Steven Gerrard certainly used the loan market to his advantage this summer, and the loan move for Coulibaly looked to be particularly shrewd.

There is very little chance the Gers could have afforded such a highly rated prospect on a permanent deal, and the 22 year-old was dominant earlier in the season.

The young midfielder isn’t the most technically gifted player in the world, but his work rate and drive from midfield is exactly what fans love to see, and he was superb in the Europa League qualifying run.

His form has dipped slightly in recent weeks though, and he was really poor in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock.

The all-action summer signing was his usual self when it came to breaking up play and getting stuck in, but his lack of ability on the ball is starting to hurt the team.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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A hamstring injury to veteran Petr Cech saw summer signing Bernd Leno come into the Arsenal starting XI a few weeks ago. Since then the 26-year-old shot-stopper has largely impressed between the sticks. 

However, since stepping into the first team at the Emirates Stadium, a major flaw in the 6-cap Germany international’s game has emerged. Leno struggles to deal with crosses delivered into his area, a weakness that opponents will soon begin to target.

Against Liverpool, last time out, his mishandling of a Sadio Mane delivery led to James Milner’s opening goal. A warning had come even before that, though, when he came out to claim a high cross and was caught in no man’s land, leaving Virgil van Dijk to head against the post.

Cech, on the other hand, has no such difficulties in negotiating crosses into the box. However, the 36-year-old has already proven himself to be far less adept with the ball at his feet.

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Considering that Unai Emery is trying to develop a side capable of playing the ball out from the back, the Spanish manager ought to persist with his younger acquisition and hope that his ability to deal with crosses develops with further Premier League experience.

What do you think, Arsenal fans – who ought to be the Gunners’ first choice goalkeeper at this time?

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Rangers boss Steven Gerrard should once again raid the Liverpool youth setup in January to secure a loan move for talented midfielder Curtis Jones.

What’s the situation?

The Express recently reported that although Rangers announced losses of £14m recently, there will be funds available for Gerrard to add to his squad in the winter transfer window, and the Liverpool legend is looking for a creative player and a midfielder, of which Jones is both.

The Gers made 15 signings over the summer, but Gerrard was critical of his side after their Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Aberdeen, claiming that they didn’t have enough quality to compete for trophies.

Two of those summer signings were loan deals from the Liverpool youth sides, with Ryan Kent and Ovie Ejaria making the move to Glasgow having worked under Gerrard at Liverpool, as Jones did in his time with the U18 squad.

Injection of creativity

Jones could be the perfect man for Gerrard to bring in then to inject some fresh legs and new ideas into his side after what is sure to be a busy and competitive Christmas period.

The 17-year-old was hugely impressive on Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States in the summer, which led many to speculate whether the Scouser would be given a chance in the first team this year.

The wealth of talent at Anfield though means the creative central midfielder has been limited to appearances for the U23 side and in the UEFA Youth League, where he has scored twice in four matches, but a move north of the border would allow him to experience competitive senior football at a high-level for the first time.

So, Rangers fans, would you like to see Gerrard make a loan move for Jones in the winter transfer window, or should he look away from his former club? Have your say by voting in the poll below.

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Mark Hughes may be in the market for a new centre-back as ex-Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen seeks a Premier League return, per reports in Mundo Deportivo.

What’s the word?

The report emerging from Spain suggests that Vermaelen is looking to return to England and has instructed his representatives to sound out potential suitors.

The Catalan newspaper mentions Southampton and Watford but does not confirm whether either have been in direct contact with the defender’s agent yet, although they do note their previous interest in the 33-year-old.

Vermaelen’s contract at the Camp Nou is up in the summer and he no longer has the backing of the board following further injuries – previous technical secretary Robert Fernandez had wanted to extend the deal of the one-time Champions League winner by a further year.

Barcelona signed the 70-cap Belgium international back in 2014 from Arsenal, where he was club captain for two years but spent more than 400 days out injured – a theme that continued in Catalunya and while on loan to Roma.

In the five years since the defender left Arsenal, Vermaelen has amassed just 66 appearances – a season-high of 20 set twice, in 2015-16 and 2017-18.

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The La Liga centre-back who Hughes should target

Instead of bringing an injury prone defender to St Mary’s Stadium, Hughes should inquire into the signing of Deportivo Alaves centre-back Guillermo Maripan.

The 24-year-old Chilean has been an integral part of the Basque club’s rise into the Champions League positions after finishing 14th last year.

In nine games – only once a substitute – the 6ft 4in defender has amassed 19 tackles and 20 interceptions, helping his side to one of the best defensive records in La Liga – conceding fewer goals than Real Madrid and Barcelona.

While Transfermarkt value the Universidad Catolica product at £2.25million, Alaves would likely look to make more given his importance alongside Victor Laguardia.

Vermaelen, even at a cut-price, would not be the answer Southampton needs to turn results around, and the ageing defender’s injury history should set alarm bells ringing at St Mary’s Stadium if the 33-year-old’s agent rings.

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With the news that Liverpool are looking to loan out Dominic Solanke, according to The Sun, newly appointed Fulham boss Claudio Ranieri should be looking to tie up a deal for the England U21 striker to aid his side’s relegation battle.

What’s the word, then? 

Well, Solanke has made just six starts since arriving at Anfield last summer, managing to score just a solitary goal in his time on Merseyside. Recently, however, in an environment that he has so often thrived in, the 21-year-old scored a match-winning double for England Under-21’s against Italy U21’s in impressive fashion.

With Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and even Divock Origi ahead of him in the Reds’ pecking order, the former Chelsea forward looks to have no future at the club and should be desperate for a move away to save his stagnating career.

Where would he fit in at Fulham? 

The Premier League’s basement side have only managed to score eleven goals in 12 appearances this season as a collective – only four sides have hit less. £22m man Aleksander Mitrovic has been responsible for five of those whilst others struggle to help him shoulder the burden.

Whilst on paper, Solanke doesn’t appear to be a player who will come straight in and sort things out, his presence alone could fire up the Serbian forward and help him find his best form yet again.

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Andre Schurrle has pitched in with four goals, although he often starts in wide positions. If the Liverpool forward arrives at Craven Cottage, he will offers a physical presence up top alongside Mitrovic, as well as a clever forward’s brain where his runs and pace will help stretch defences.

Should they get him, they will be getting a player who is still yet to truly fulfil the potential that many saw in him as a youngster whilst with the Blues, under a boss in Ranieri who is extremely encouraging and positive.

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In the likes of Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Aaron Ramsey, amongst others, Arsenal boast a wealth of attacking talent that most other clubs in the world would be envious of.

The quality of these individuals is unquestionable, their usefulness to the Gunners ought to be examined by Unai Emery though.

On the chalkboard

Without balance and cohesion, Arsenal’s attacking contingent will resemble less of a unit and more of a collection of individuals. As things stand, since taking over at the Emirates Stadium in the summer, Emery has yet to strike this balance.

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Against Bournemouth on Sunday, Ramsey and Ozil were benched, whilst Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi were deployed in support of Aubameyang. Despite grinding out a victory, the Gunners failed to perform fluidly in attack and all too often the individuals in their frontline looked to be operating on different wavelengths.

This is exemplified by the fact that only the Armenian managed to achieve a pass accuracy rating of above 80%. 

It is not only with this trio that issues have arisen. With Aubameyang forced onto the left flank to accommodate Lacazette centrally, the 29-year-old former Borussia Dortmund man has been stifled. It has proved difficult, too, for Ozil to be integrated into the side without leaving the team defensively vulnerable. Ramsey, for his part, has been little more than a bit-part player in the Premier League so far.

Deadwood out

It is vital that Emery discovers a functional and expressive configuration of his attacking talents soon. He may also have to countenance thinning his ranks in order to maintain squad harmony and discipline. 

With Ramsey and Danny Welbeck’s contracts set to expire at the end of the season, and Mkhitaryan failing to perform, those ought be the ones that make way in order to allow for Emery to restructure his forward ranks in his image.

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Having started just four Premier League games for Liverpool since arriving from Monaco in a £44m deal back in the summer, many fans have been left in the lurch regarding why the Brazilian was brought to Anfield. However, his performance in the Merseyside derby has made his position crystal clear…

A platform for the attackers to build from

In previous years, Liverpool have had some fantastic attacking players who have thrived consistently, such as Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho. However, the defence has ultimately let them down at the end of the day due to their own incompetence as well as a lack of protection.

The Reds have so often in recent years been described as a ‘Ferrari at the top end of the pitch, and a Vauxhall Corsa at the back’. With Fabinho on the pitch, however, he is the engine in a team looking more like the famous sports car than the aforementioned inferior mode of transport right now.

Against arch-rivals Everton, the former Real Madrid midfielder made six tackles and covered 11.4kms – both stats more than any of his teammates managed. He also had 99 touches and made 87 passes with a completion rate of 87.4% – it is strikingly obvious that he excels at winning the ball, and successfully laying it off to a teammate.

A player that every top side needs

Every successful side in football has had a midfield destroyer such as the Brazilian international. Manchester United had Roy Keane. Arsenal had Patrick Vieira. Nowadays, Manchester City have Fernandinho and Chelsea have N’Golo Kante; apart from the departed Lucas Leiva, the Reds haven’t really had a crunching midfielder in the middle for years, but Fabinho is that and so much more.

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It is fair enough of Jurgen Klopp to bed the 25-year-old in slowly – he did the same with Andy Robertson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain last season. Liverpool have done extremely well to stay just two points off the Citizens with their secret weapon kept in reserve.

Pep Guardiola’s side should be wary on the impact Fabinho will have on the side after Christmas. A fully fit, motivated and fresh defensive midfielder keen to do the dirty work for his teammates will make the fearsome three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane even more potent.

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reflecting on the week’s action, and they’re delighted with the resurgence of James Milner.

Milner had an excellent start to the season, but the Reds’ veteran midfielder had been poor since recovering from a hamstring injury.

That was until Wednesday night, when the versatile star quite literally did a bit of everything in the win over Burnley.

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The 32 year-old scored the Reds’ first goal with a sweetly struck ball from the edge of the box, before moving to left back where he was both more creative and more defensively solid than Alberto Moreno.

Milner made three key passes, whipped in nine crosses and best of all his move back to left-back just calmed everything down when Moreno looked to be losing his way.

After a difficult run of form and a really poor performance in Paris, the Anfield cult hero bounced back in brilliant style on Wednesday, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…