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Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued the extraordinary turnaround of their season – save for the loss to PSG last week – with a 2-0 victory over top-four rivals Chelsea in the FA Cup 5th round, meaning that they progress to a quarter final clash with Wolves.

The win also meant that Solskjaer’s record at the Old Trafford helm extended to 11 victories in 13 games since taking over from Jose Mourinho in December and so the Norwegian’s case for remaining in the role beyond the end of the season grows, while the pressure mounted on his Chelsea counterpart, Maurizio Sarri.

On paper, the Blues have one of the strongest midfield’s in the league – few boast a World Cup winner or a Ballon d’Or nominee and Chelsea have both in N’Golo Kante, but the Frenchman was uncharacteristically dominated in the middle of the park as his side were knocked out of the FA Cup on Monday night.

A huge part of United’s 2019 success has been the incredible form of Paul Pogba, who, against Chelsea, scored and assisted for the ninth and sixth times, respectively, since the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’ took the wheel.

It has long been clear that relieving the former Juventus man of his defensive duties would help him to become the free-roaming, game-controlling, all-conquering midfielder that United thought they were getting when they splashed a then-world-record £89m to bring the number 6 back to Old Trafford in 2016.

However, even with the likes of Nemanja Matic and Fred in the side – both were intended to give Pogba as much attacking freedom as possible – it still didn’t click with Mourinho in charge. Now, though, the whole camp seems a lot more comfortable with what is being asked of them and the 2018 World Cup winner’s teammates seem far more willing to work hard for him, as well as for Solskjaer.

The former striker has done in a matter of weeks what Mourinho failed to do in over two years and that is to get the best out of Pogba, but a huge part of the 25-year-old’s new-found ‘freedom’ can be attributed to the performances of those around him, a transformed Marcus Rashford included.

Rashford’s runs in behind have meant easy assists for Pogba, but the numbers put in by a different player show exactly why the midfielder was allowed to completely boss the Blues on Monday.

Ander Herrera put in an enormous shift alongside the giant Frenchman and his tireless defensive work meant Pogba could get up the field and into dangerous areas to, first, assist, then score.

The former Athletic Bilbao man completed an impressive 6 tackles and 5 interceptions as he made Kante look like Kevin McDonald and, while Pogba stole the headlines, Herrera took as many touches (58) and also got on the end of the number 6’s inch-perfect cross to nod the visitors ahead on the half-hour mark.

Often known for their eye for a pass, Spanish midfielders are rarely recognised for their physical presence but Herrera won the most aerial duels (2) in the United ranks and was only bested by compatriot Marcos Alonso (3) on the pitch.

If the 29-year-old can continue putting in performances like this, Pogba will rule the midfield for years to come.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Neil Lennon has a big puzzle to solve at Celtic and it won’t be easy.

Football Insider revealed on Friday morning that Australian midfielder Tom Rogic could walk through the exit door if his lack of action continues.

On the chalkboard

Rogic’s game time this season has been sporadic to say the least. The Aussie has played on just 15 occasions in the SPFL and in recent months he’s had to settle for cameos from the bench.

From those 15 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, the 27-year-old has amassed just over 500 minutes. In all competitions, his time on the field accounts for 921 minutes.

The attacking midfielder played the full 90 in Celtic’s 3-1 defeat against Copenhagen in Europe but he’s only started once in the league this calendar year.

In that Europa League loss, Rogic was rather disappointing. Per SofaScore, he lost the ball 18 times and registered a pass success of just 65%. Four successful dribbles and two key passes proved there was life in the experienced Australian but it wasn’t enough to help Celtic win.

The dilemma

Rogic staked a claim for a regular spot in the side when he rescued a point for the Hoops on Wednesday night against Livingston.

Superb work from Odsonne Edouard allowed him to wriggle down the left-hand side before laying the ball on a plate for Rogic to slide the ball home.

It was only his second league goal of the campaign and his first since netting against Ross County back in December.

That strike was a timely reminder to Lennon of his qualities as the manager brought him on as a second striker, just behind Edouard in attack. He took up a wonderful position in the penalty area and it’s that attacking instinct that could prove vital to the Bhoys going forward.

He was tricky against Copenhagen nine days ago but doesn’t show his qualities on a consistent enough basis. As a result, he’s reportedly looking for a way out of Glasgow.

Football Insider claimed £8m would be enough to tempt Celtic into selling but Lennon needs to assess whether that would be the right decision.

Given his lack of time, he’s surely expendable, but the fact of the matter is that his goal on Wednesday night has given Lennon some thinking to do.

For away day veterans only: Can you name all of these defunct stadiums?

At the start of the week, that price tag for Rogic would have surely been lapped up gleefully. However, his technical qualities shone through in midweek and showed why the Glaswegians could do with keeping him around.

The dilemma Lennon has on his hands is rather unexpected given the events of the last few days so it’ll be interesting to see how this saga progresses between now and the end of the season. Do they give him more time, or do they ship him on? Only time will tell.

Meanwhile, check out how Celtic can SAVE £10m this summer…

Newcastle fans will be hoping Miguel Almiron can steer the club away from the Premier League relegation zone.

The Paraguay international became the Magpies’ club-record signing after completing a £20m move from Atlanta United in the MLS. Almiron was the stand out performer in the United States and now has the chance to prove himself one the world’s biggest stage. Rafael Benitez will hope the playmaker can have an instant impact at St. James Park.

Indeed, Benitez’s long-term future on Tyneside remains unclear due to disagreements with owner Mike Ashley (revealing comments as per Sky Sports). However, keeping the club in the division would greatly increase the club’s chances of keeping the Spaniard at the helm. If so, he simply must be backed financially during the summer transfer window.

One man Benitez could look to sign is Liverpool wonderkid – Harry Wilson. Valued at just £2.7m by Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old joined Derby County on loan in the summer to link up with Frank Lampard despite an impressive pre-season campaign. The Wales international has proven to be a wonderful signing, scoring 12 goals and registering four assists for the Rams in all competitions so far this season.

Jurgen Klopp will be pleased to see the youngster excelling during his temporary spell away from the club but his future at Anfield. Whilst his form has been terrific, Wilson is unlikely to usurp Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino from the starting line-up. Now approaching his 22nd birthday, first-team football is vital for his development and Liverpool might look to cash in on their academy prospect.

Wilson has a sweet left foot, an eye for goal and excellent dribbling skills that would take Newcastle’s attack to a whole new level if he did decide to depart Merseyside.

Newcastle fans, thoughts?

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Manchester City hitman Sergio Aguero has been enjoying himself in Los Angeles on the international break after being exiled from the Argentina squad following their turbulent World Cup campaign in Russia.

Aguero has hit 11 goals in 15 games so far this season for City as the Premier League champions remain unbeaten. However, this has not been enough for the 30-year-old to earn a call up for his national side.

During the summer tournament, chaos broke out in the Argentina camp as the players revolted against manager Jorge Sampaoli and won only one of four matches, before being knocked out by eventual winners France in the last 16.

Check out the harsh words the Playmaker FC squad had to say about Wayne Rooney’s England career in the video below…

Aguero though has clearly been enjoying his time off. City’s all-time leading goalscorer posted a video of himself being driven in a £200,000, 203mph Ferrari 488 Spider before the Mail Online reported that he paid a visit to Ground House Burger.

Pep Guardiola and the dieticians at City may not have been too impressed though as Aguero tucked in to the California restaurant’s ‘Magical Burger’, which consists of marshmallows and sprinkles along with the usual beef patties and cheese, all inside a rainbow-coloured bun.

James Maddison is the Leicester City summer acquisition that everyone is talking about after an impressive start to the season. 

But Ricardo Pereira has also caught the eye with team-mate Marc Albrighton having recently spoken to Leicester City’s official club website about the partnership the pair are forming on the pitch.

The Breakdown

“I played with him [Pereira] against Valencia in pre-season and I felt like we complemented each other well,” said Albrighton (via Leicester City official club website) .

“Again, at the weekend [against Wolves], I felt like it was starting to click a little bit at times. It’s obviously difficult when you get new players in and you need to gel so early on.”

As mentioned by £9m-rated (via Transfermarkt) Albrighton, it is still early days, but even so the partnership between the two is looking promising.

Ultimately, Pereira and Albrighton complement each other to a tee.

With Pereira being a very offensive full-back and Albrighton a winger who can defend at an efficient level, the former is able to bomb forward and be an alternative outlet in attack while the latter can hold his position if necessary and cover in case of a counter attack.

With Danny Simpson ageing and his performances declining quite significantly since Leicester’s incredible title win back in 2016, manager Claude Puel desperately needed to add a right-back to the squad during the summer. And, in Pereira, the Frenchman has a very good one.

According to reports in The Mirror, Newcastle United striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is a January target for Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion, and Magpies fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.

The Mirror says that Seagulls boss Chris Hughton sent his scouts to watch the Serbia international in action for his country in their 3-2 defeat against Austria on Friday, as he looks to boost a frontline that has scored just five goals in their opening seven top flight fixtures this season in the New Year.

Even though the 23-year-old has scored two goals in two appearances in all competitions for Rafa Benitez’s men this term, his future has once again been brought into doubt because of his poor temperament after he was handed a retrospective three-match ban for elbowing West Ham United’s Manuel Lanzini in August.

Newcastle supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the news, and while some said they should “ask for £30m” after Brighton refused to sell Anthony Knockaert to them previously, others said “they can have him”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Chelsea fans have called on the club to sign Paulo Dybala this summer after his impressive performance for Juventus against Barcelona on Tuesday evening.

The 23-year-old forward scored twice in a stunning display, which resulted in the Italian giants taking a 3-0 lead in the quarter-final tie.

Widespread reports have claimed for some time that the Premier League leaders are interested in clinching Dybala’s signature.

The man himself, though, recently cooled talk of any transfer by telling La Repubblica that he is “happy” and “fine” in Turin, but he did admit that he does not know where his future is heading.

In 35 appearances in all competitions this season, the Argentina international has scored 16 goals and created six assists.

After witnessing his performance in Turin against Spanish giants Barcelona, Chelsea fans are convinced that Dybala is the man that manager Antonio Conte should go for this summer.

Some fans would prefer the Argentine over Everton striker Romelu Lukaku.

For all teams, the centre of the park is as important as any other facet of a side, but being the engine room of a team, it needs inspiration.

It also needs creativity and that’s what Manchester United lack in their midfield. That area of the team appears mediocre at best and wholly uninspiring. When you consider the talent and experience, it is difficult to conceive the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera, Juan Mata, Morgan Schneiderlin and co, being so lethargic and lamentable.

With Jose Mourinho at the helm, the United team will be a different animal and with one signing in the door already, you can bet your boots that Jose has a longer shopping list… and that midfielders are a part of it.

Like every other manager, Mourinho won’t do very much in terms of transfer deals until the EUROs and Copa America are finished – for obvious reasons and just in case a gem comes to light.

But should a star player not emerge, then just who has Mourinho got his eye on. Here are FIVE players that are just right for the Portuguese boss:

Joao Mario

The Sporting Lisbon ace could well become a part of the Manchester United revolution. The 23-year-old powerful central midfielder features prominently on Mourinho’s shopping list ahead of his arrival at Old Trafford.

The Portugal international impressed for Sporting last season, alerting a host of Europe’s elite. Mourinho will feel Mario’s energy can prove a vital component in his midfield, but he won’t come cheap, as Sporting want more than the £26m that Bayern paid for ex-Benfica star, Renato Sanches.

Paul Pogba

Well, everyone wants Paul Pogba, but only a handful will be able to afford his fee and wages. Since Pogba’s free move to Juventus from Manchester United, his star has risen and his abilities will be further highlighted during the EUROs. Talking of Euros, it will take over 70m of them to potentially prise the 23-year-old away, but Real are said to be offering over €100m and it’s doubtful that Mourinho will battle Real for his signature on that basis.

Andre Gomes

Funnily enough, the 22-year-old Valencia player’s agent is the same agent that looks after Mourinho – Jorge Mendes. However, Valencia will surely be demanding close to £50m for the Portuguese international and with only £200m to spend and £30m splashed out, Mourinho will need to consider expensive purchases wisely.

The midfielder scored nine goals in 77 appearances for Valencia since signing from Benfica in 2015, but is now being heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford.

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Marco Verratti

The PSG man probably shouldn’t ask Angel Di Maria what he thinks of the Old Trafford club before talking to Mourinho. Man Utd are willing to bid £79m for the former Pescara man according to the Corriere dello Sport.

The 23 year old Italian, who has missed the EUROs due to injury has played a key part in the last four Ligue 1 titles for PSG and would be just right for the Red Devils.

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N’Golo Kante

Another player linked with several clubs, but when you consider his performances for Leicester last year and his eventual inclusion in the French squad this summer, clubs will be alerted. Costing just £5.6m from Caen last summer, his fee will now be closer to £25m.

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Declan Rice claimed that he does not feel any pressure of the "£105m" price tag and claimed he is not surprised by his current run of form.

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• Rice does not feel pressure of £105m price tag
• Has performed consistently for Arsenal
• Won Premier League Player of the Year in Football London Awards

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international has enjoyed a rich vein of form since completing a big-money move from West Ham to Arsenal in the summer. He was recently named the Premier League Player of the Year at the 2024 Football London Awards.

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• WHAT DECLAN RICE SAID

  In an interview with , the Gunners star claimed he is not surprised by his current run of form as he claimed that his performance level has been the same as it was while playing for the Hammers.

  Rice said, "I'll be honest, some people might stand here and say 'Yeah, I've surprised myself,' but I haven't. I was playing this well at West Ham, I feel like my levels at West Ham gave me so much confidence and belief in myself to have that belief I can be a top Premier League player.

  "But the main thing was to be myself. Not to change anything. Just because I have been signed for £105 million, don't do anything different, just be myself. Things can unlock and so far things have gone really well. I've signed for six years and there is still such a long way to go in my Arsenal career."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the current season, the 25-year-old has appeared in 36 matches across all competitions where he scored four goals and provided six assists. The English midfielder has contributed massively to the team's performance who have won their last six matches in the league and are currently third on the table, two points behind leaders Liverpool and one behind second-placed Manchester City.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  Mikel Arteta's side will aim to continue their Premier League winning streak when they face Sheffield United away from home on Monday.

Mauricio Pochettino has backed Nicolas Jackson to become “prolific” for Chelsea after seeing him miss a sitter in a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest.

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• Senegalese forward signed for big money
• Has netted just one goal so far
• Given the full support of his manager

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blues suffered their second setback of the 2023-24 campaign in just four games, when going down to an Anthony Elanga goal at Stamford Bridge. They did have chances before and after Forest forced a breakthrough, but were unable to take any of them and ended up drawing a blank.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Jackson, a £32 million ($40m) summer signing from Villarreal, squandered the most gilt-edged opportunity to take something from a disappointing performance on home soil, but he fired over the crossbar late on with the goal gaping in front of him.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Pochettino has said when asked if the Senegal international can become a prolific presence for Chelsea: “Yes, of course. but he needs time. He needs to adapt to the Premier League. he is doing a fantastic job but afterwards, to score is not easy. Sometimes he is a little bit rushed in his decisions but this is only to say he needs to settle himself, be more calm and more relaxed and for sure he is going to score goals.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Jackson has registered one goal for Chelsea through five appearances – with that solitary strike coming against Luton – with Pochettino adding on how he can become the fearsome central striker that the misfiring Blues are crying out for: “In the future we will talk in a different way because he is going to score this type of chance if you are relaxed and you don’t rush and you are more solid and you feel settled in the team and in the Premier League. He has been a little bit unlucky in this type of situation because we had chances to score and win the game. It is difficult to explain because all the stats are positive for the team, only that we didn’t score.”