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[ad_pod ]This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…ÂArsenal threw away a two-goal lead as Watford came from behind to salvage a point at home.The Hornets put up 31 shots against Unai Emery’s error-prone backline and probably were more worthy of the points despite looking down and out at half-time.Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored an 11-minute brace, but that was to be for nothing as Sokratis handed Tom Cleverley an easy chance to get one back before David Luiz conceded a penalty less than ten minutes from time to give Roberto Pereyra a much-deserved equaliser.The Gunners have been fired at more than any other side in the top five European leagues – having already faced 96 shots this season.

So maybe the problem wasn’t Shkodran Mustafi after all?

Sokratis’ performance was particularly a standout, for all the wrong reasons.

Aside from his one error leading to a goal, he lost possession six times and managed to win just half of his aerial duels.

WhoScored gave the 31-year-old the worst rating of anyone on the pitch, substitutes included, with a lowly 5.31.

Last season, Mustafi was singled out for several of Arsenal’s defensive problems, leading him to be booed on multiple occasions.

The German World Cup winner has since been frozen out of Emery’s starting lineup and even matchday squad as a result, but this latest showing from Sokratis highlights how the problem lies much deeper than merely with one player.

How do football vloggers afford to watch their team week in, week out? Find out in the video below…

Spare a thought for defender Calum Chambers, who went on loan to Fulham last season and, despite relegation, was one of their better players, which duly earned him a chance in pre-season.

He came in on the opening day against Newcastle United and kept a clean sheet, but was dropped and they’ve conceded in every game since.

Sokratis managed just one blocked shot and zero interceptions despite the onslaught the home side launched with their 31 shots – a rather feeble effort from a centre-back.

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According to Football Insider, Doncaster Rovers are in talks with Aston Villa over a potential loan move for 21-year-old attacker Callum O’Hare.

O’Hare has made nine first-team appearances for Villa but could find it difficult to secure regular action this season following the club’s promotion to the Premier League.

Football Insider have claimed that Villa have high hopes for the attacker and are keen to tie him to a new contract before any possible loan exit.

And it does appear that the England Under-20 international will be leaving Villa Park on a short-term deal.

O’Hare actually spent the second half of last season on loan with Carlisle United in League Two – scoring three times and providing three assists in 16 appearances for the club.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Villa fans have been on social media offering their views on the latest speculation.

And a selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:

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If Ravel Morrison’s story in football has taught us anything, it’s that talent can only go so far if you don’t have the right attitude.

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The former Manchester United youth academy product was once claimed by Rio Ferdinand as the most talented player former Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson saw during his time at the club (per JOE), but as we all know, the now 26-year-old midfielder never lived up to the promise he once possessed with the Premier League giants.

After spells across the world in countries such as Italy, Mexico and Sweden, Morrison returns to the Premier League for the 2019/20 season with Sheffield United (per BBC Sport), signing a one-year deal with the Blades as Chris Wilder aims to impress in his first season in charge in the top-flight, and for Ingood Nick of Two-Footed Talk in the video below, the signing of the former United youth player could be the playmaker’s last chance of achieving his once obvious potential.

Morrison is one of seven players to join Sheffield United this summer, with the Blades recently bringing back goalkeeper Dean Henderson from Manchester United on loan for a second season, while Ben Osborn has also been signed from Nottingham Forest for an undisclosed fee (per BBC Sport).

Sheffield United fans, will Morrison be a success at the club? Let us know!

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

According to the Liverpool Echo, Everton are in talks with Under-23 goalkeeper Joao Virginia over a new contract, whilst he has also joined Reading on a season-long loan deal.

What’s the word, then?

Well, tying Virginia down to fresh terms won’t be the first move the Toffees have made in securing the future of their young stars this summer, not by any means.

The Merseysiders have already been successful in getting as many as eight precocious young talents to commit their future to the club since the end of last season.

Thogden challenged himself to DM 100 footballers on Instagram. Find out who replied in the video below…

Everton have managed to get Ellis Simms, Einar Iversen, Mackenzie Hunt, Korede Adedoyin, Kieran Phillips, Nicolas Hansen, Joe Anderson and Manasse Mampala to put pen to paper on fresh deals, highlighting their intentions to focus on youth and back their young talent.

Clearly back their youngsters to make the grade

After David Unsworth’s incredible success with the Under-23 side in the 2018/19 campaign, the Toffees are clearly backing their young players to make it.

They were crowned Premier League 2 champions last season, where a number of burgeoning youngsters such as Lewis Gibson and Virginia put their names in the limelight.

In the Under-18’s, Simms hit a quite ridiculous 37 goals in just 29 games, which has attracted interest from German champions Bayern Munich.

We already know what the Goodison Park academy is capable of. It has been home to some excellent talents in previous years such as Wayne Rooney, Jack Rodwell and Ross Barkley, all of whom have gone on to play for England.

However, a true star hasn’t really emerged into the first-team since Barkley – there has evidently been an emphasis on rewarding a number of young players for their efforts in the shape of new contracts though, something that the Toffees wouldn’t do if they weren’t backing the majority of them to make the grade.

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Last summer was all about Jack Grealish. Would he stay or would he go?

Ultimately, the creative midfielder would stay at Aston Villa, but it didn’t come without its fair share of speculation as the 23-year-old found himself at the centre of a saga involving Tottenham.

Spurs bid £25m for him last summer, an offer that was swiftly rejected by the Villans as they stood firm over their prized asset.

Eventually, Grealish would go onto sign a new contract and then as the 2018/19 campaign played out he became the club’s captain.

It’s been quite the rise for the midfielder in recent years. After bursting onto the scene during Villa’s relegation season, he has now never looked more ready to take on the Premier League.

But what if there was a player who was more important to the club than Grealish? It would take quite something for anyone to outmuscle the individual who has supported Villa since he was a boy.

Yet, in John McGinn, they may well already have that. Grealish is the one who’s grown up around the club but his midfield partner from last season became every bit as important.

He may even have become more vital.

But where does all this spawn from? It’s not just based off of a season where he scored nine and assisted seven, however good he was.

The back story here, is Manchester United’s interest in the player.

Whether you believe a report claiming they’re lining up a move is another matter, but that reports of this nature have even surfaced tells you plenty about the quality of the player and why he could be even more important than the beloved Grealish.

It’s essential to state this is not an attack on one of Villa’s best players. The academy graduate is a fabulous footballer and, after scoring six and assisting seven in the Championship last term, could be set to take the Premier League by storm.

However, as McGinn’s future quite possibly lies in slim doubt, there is a debate to be had over who is more indispensable to the club.

Grealish is someone with leadership qualities in this Villa team, something we witnessed last season, but on the field he is the flashy player. There’s nothing wrong with that because he puts in a terrific shift going forward.

But his Scottish midfield partner has more to his game. You only need to look at the fact he can provide good numbers in the final third, whilst still boasting a tackle rate of 2.1 per game.

In many ways, he is the perfect midfield player. Perhaps only his discipline – as 14 yellow cards last season suggests – is his downfall, but this is a man who is every bit as good in front of the back four as he is going forward.

A wonderful dipping volley that crashed in against Sheffield Wednesday in the early stages of last season demonstrated exactly how game-changing he can be.

Yet, rather remarkably, he went unnoticed in the PFA Championship Team of the Year. Grealish was instead the man picked despite missing a part of the season through injury.

Going forward though, McGinn could yet prove to be more crucial.

In the Premier League, we’ve seen what an all-action midfielder can bring you at a variety of clubs. From those who came up last year, you only need to look at Ruben Neves’ impact at Wolves.

He contributed to seven goals whilst boasting a tackle success of 2.1 per outing, the same as Villa’s Scottish midfielder.

In short, the 24-year-old knows how to get the job done. In many senses he is an understated midfielder.

McGinn’s work rate is nothing short of phenomenal and if Villa want to sustain themselves now they’re back in the big time, his attitude, tenacity and ability at both ends of the pitch will be colossal.

A move to Man United seems incredibly unlikely but it does beg the question of who in the Villa side is more paramount to future success.

Grealish may have scored the winner in the Second City derby earlier this year, but it was McGinn who helped turn the tide.

Coming off the bench with just under half an hour to play, he had one shot, made two dribbles and won an aerial duel.

Considering he didn’t have long on the pitch it was a phenomenal effort.

But that sums the Scotland international up. In the long run, he could be worth more to the club than any potential sum of money they take for him.

Villa are reportedly demanding a monumental £50m if United’s interest is legitimate, but keeping themselves in the top-flight is worth even more.

Grealish has been the centre of attention for a while, but Villa now need to make McGinn the figurehead of their plans.

Now that the Premier League fixtures are out it’s time to see how they have affected the betting when it comes to how all 20 teams are going to perform this season.

There are a number of crazy bets for people to choose from including managerial sackings, top four chances, the relegation battle and golden boot winner.

It’s time to look at each team’s fixture list for the upcoming season – which kicks off on August 9 – and what the best bet is for each side.

And we start with Sean Dyche’s Burnley…

Burnley – 11/2 to finish 20th

Burnley dropped like a stone last season from seventh in the 2017/18 campaign to 15th in May.

Sean Dyche continues to work miracles at Turf Moor, but you do wonder just how long he can maintain that level with a squad which on paper looks like one of the weakest in the division.

They also have Arsenal, Wolves and Liverpool in three of their first four games so could be playing catch up from the off.

For Burnley to finish rock bottom next season the odds are 11/2, so £10 returns £65 including stake.

Watford – 15/1 to be relegated

Watford shipped 13 goals in their final three games of last season which included that horrid 6-0 defeat to Man City in the FA Cup Final. How will that affect the psyche of the players heading into this campaign?

They face a tricky run after their opening game against Brighton as they travel to Everton and Newcastle before hosting West Ham. Then the three games straight after the international break are against Arsenal, Man City and Wolves.

If Javi Gracia has a rough start to the season questions will begin to be asked and the Hornets could find themselves in trouble.

A tenner on Watford to go down will return you £65 including stake, a bet which if you look at last season’s end-of-season form is an extremely good price.

West Ham – 12/1 for a top six finish

West Ham had mixed fortunes last season. However, there are a couple of things which Hammers fans can look to for this campaign that may make them believe they can really do something.

Firstly, Manuel Pellegrini’s side started incredibly slowly last year. This season nine of their first 12 games are against either sides they finished above last season or promoted teams, which means they are more than capable of starting much stronger.

And linked with their inability to start well, their first meetings with five of the top six will all be at the London Stadium, a place which saw them win three more times last year than they managed on the road.

The fixtures have fallen kindly for the Hammers to combat the pitfalls they fell into last season and so if you fancy them for a top-six finish they are 12/1 – £10 returns you £130 including stake.

Bournemouth – 7/2 to be relegated

Eddie Howe has reached a point with Bournemouth where they are now a reliable mid-table side. They have finished 16th, 9th, 12th and 14th in their four seasons in the Premier League.

But they have not pushed on since being promoted and it does seem teams who consistently finish mid-table tend to eventually run out of steam and find themselves in trouble.

Five of their final six games this season will be Man Utd, Spurs, Leicester, Man City and Everton so they will need to ensure they are safe before then.

Howe’s men to be relegated is priced at 7/2, so £10 will return you £45 including stake.

Arsenal – 5/4 for a top four-finish

Unai Emery’s first season at Arsenal was a confusing one. It’s difficult to know whether Emery has improved Arsenal or not given they finished the season trophyless and outside the top four.

The 2019/20 campaign will likely make or break the former PSG man at the Emirates and success will almost certainly hinge on Champions League qualification.

Arsenal are 5/4 to finish in the top four, so £10 returns £22.50 including stake – the biggest price for any of the top six.

They are not fancied by the bookies but could just spring a surprise given Chelsea’s transfer ban and the question marks surrounding Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mauricio Pochettino.

Liverpool – 9/4 to win the Premier League

Incredibly, despite making Man City wait to the final day to win the Premier League title, the Reds odds to finally clinch their first league win in over 30 years are quite wide for this campaign at 9/4.

Although it will be extremely tough to prevent Pep Guardiola’s side from a third consecutive triumph, it is not out of the realms of possibility by any stretch and so £10 on Jurgen Klopp’s men returning £32.50 including stake is very good value.

A good run of Everton, Bournemouth, Watford, West Ham, Leicester, Wolves and Sheffield United through the Christmas period could help them build up a healthy lead going into the second half of the season.

Also, Mo Salah is 11/2 to claim the golden boot next season – £10 returns £65 including stake. And who would look past the prolific Egyptian?

Tottenham – 17/10 to finish in the top two

Spurs’ lack of squad depth was exposed in the Premier League towards the end of last season when they limped over the line, pipping Arsenal to the top four by a single point.

Now, not only does it look like they are going to strengthen in the summer, but they also have favourable fixtures from March onwards, with Manchester United and Arsenal at home the only fixtures Spurs have against the top six in their run in.

So, Spurs look best placed to close the gap on Man City and Liverpool this season and are 17/10 to finish in the top two which could be a good punt for those who fancy last season’s Champions League finalists to have another strong campaign.

Man City – 50/1 to go unbeaten

Aside from the Champions League exit in the quarter-finals last season, it was just about as perfect as you can get from Pep Guardiola’s men.

So, it will come as no surprise that they are 4/6 to win a third consecutive Premier League crown.

But what is worth a bet is Manchester City repeating their historic domestic treble of last season. City winning the league, FA Cup and League Cup for a second successive season is 25/1, and given their dominance over the past two years it wouldn’t surprise anybody!

One thing Guardiola may want to achieve that he hasn’t already is to go the entire season unbeaten. You can get odds of 50/1 if you think City can replicate what was achieved by Arsene Wenger’s invincibles.

£10 would return you £510 including stake! The only top six side they face before mid-November is Spurs so they will be sure to come out the blocks fast.

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According to The Mirror, Liverpool would have to make Matthijs de Ligt their highest earner if they are to lure the prodigious centre-back to Anfield this summer ahead of Europe’s top clubs.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Champions League winners appear to be in the race for De Ligt’s signature along with five other elite European clubs – Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain are also vying for the teenager.

The 19-year-old rose to prominence in 2018/19, scoring a winner against Juventus in the Champions League quarter-final as well as a goal against Tottenham in the semi-final, and he looks set to be the next world-class youngster to emerge after Kylian Mbappe.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

United have reportedly offered the Ajax wonderkid £236k-a-week to sign for them, whilst PSG have offered £256k-a-week.

Liverpool would have to offer wages in the region of those figures to be considered as serious candidates.

Would be just be another Alexis Sanchez

It has been well documented that the arrival of Alexis Sanchez at United caused a number of issues.

Apart from the fact he has notched just five goals despite earning a reported £400k-a-week with bonuses, the Chilean’s earnings appears to have caused issues in the dressing room – David de Gea has been demanding a similar wage packet in contract negotiations, whilst Ander Herrera left the club after his demands weren’t met. On the pitch, meanwhile, United have looked like anything but a united bunch for a very long time now.

Liverpool would be risking a similar domino effect if they placed a 19-year-old on better wages than their experienced Champions League winning stars, as questions would surely start to be asked.

Virgil van Dijk earns £150k-a-week whilst Mohamed Salah earns £200k-a-week, and those two – who are key figures in the dressing room – would have a right to be knocking on Jurgen Klopp’s door asking for a pay rise if De Ligt were signed on wages close to £300k-a-week.

The Reds must learn from their arch-rivals’ huge error and avoid risking the dressing room harmony Klopp has helped to create at Anfield.

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Manchester City fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was announced that Bernardo Silva had won the club’s Player of the Year award.

The Portuguese international, who signed from Monaco for a fee of £43m back in the summer of 2017, has become a real fan favourite at the Etihad Stadium.

Are Man City better than Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’? Fans discuss in the video below…

He has drawn rave reviews as a result of his quite ridiculous work rate, combined with some incredible technical ability and tendency to make an impact in the big games.

Silva hit 13 goals and recorded 13 assists in the season just gone, playing a crucial role in City becoming the first English side to win the domestic treble.

To choose a Player of Year from the likes of Raheem Sterling, Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho is an extremely tough job, so the 24-year-old should feel incredibly proud to have picked up the award; it truly is a fantastic achievement.

Let’s see what the City fans on Twitter have been saying about the playmaker’s award…

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Arjen Robben will be available on a free transfer this summer.

Indeed, the 35-year-old is leaving Bayern Munich following the expiration of his contract at the end of June.

Robben joined Bayern from Real Madrid in 2009 and went on to make 309 appearances for the German giants – scoring 144 times and contributing 101 assists.

The Dutchman has won eight Bundesliga titles, five DFB-Pokal crowns and the Champions League during his time at the Allianz Arena.

Meanwhile, the attacker has also lifted league titles with PSV Eindhoven, Chelsea and Real Madrid during a quite wonderful career.

Injuries have harmed Robben in recent seasons but the winger is not hanging up his boots and there will not be a shortage of interest this summer.

A few Everton fans have been on social media discussing a potential move for the 96-time Netherlands international.

However, it seems that the club’s supporters are not interested in a swoop – a selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Leeds United have had their fair share of troubles with the goalkeeping position this season, haven’t they Whites fans?

Having began the year with Jamal Blackman and Bailey Peacock-Farrell as his two main shot-stoppers, Marcelo Bielsa must have been fairly confident that they could provide the necessary levels of performance required to help the club sustain a push for promotion.

However, whereas the former was forced to return to his parent club Chelsea after breaking his leg in November, the latter’s tendency to make mistakes eventually culminated in his Argentine manager taking decisive action in the January transfer window by signing Kiko Casilla from Real Madrid.

Since making his debut for Leeds in a 2-1 victory over Rotherham United, the 32-year-old has been fairly impressive for his new side, keeping five clean sheets in 16 games.

Yet it could be argued that a lack of competition from Peackock-Farrell may be holding back Casilla somewhat as he knows that unless he makes a catastrophic blunder, he will almost certainly be the first name on Bielsa’s team sheet.

Therefore, in order to keep the Spaniard honest next season, the Whites must consider re-igniting their interest in Emiliano Martinez in the summer, a player who they were linked with earlier this year (via the Daily Mail).

With the Argentine keeper’s loan deal with Reading set to expire at the end of the month, reports in the Sun suggest that he is ready to leave Arsenal due to a lack of first-team opportunities at the Emirates.

A commanding presence in goal, Martinez has been one of the main reasons for why the Royals have managed to avoid relegation to the third tier this season.

If the Gunners do indeed put him up for sale when the transfer window reopens in July, Bielsa must do all he can to convince the 26-year-old to relocate to West Yorkshire as he has all the qualities needed to succeed at a higher level.

What do you think Leeds fans? Should Bielsa consider swooping for Martinez in the summer? Or are there other areas that the Argentine needs to prioritise? Let us know below.