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Liverpool return to Premier League action on Sunday and could go back top of the Premier League with a win against Fulham, depending on Tottenham Hotspur’s result against Crystal Palace earlier in the day.

A much-changed Reds side scraped a 1-1 draw against FC Midtjylland in midweek, so it seems likely that Jurgen Klopp will make plenty of changes for the trip to Craven Cottage on Sunday.

The Merseyside club have lost just once in the Premier League so far this season, so will be confident of picking up three points against a Fulham side battling relegation.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Klopp to line his side up against Fulham, with eight changes from the side that started in Denmark…

Despite Alisson returning to training this week, the Reds might be better served keeping faith in Caoimhin Kelleher in goal, in the hope that the Brazilian is definitely fit to face Tottenham Hotspur in the top-of-the-table clash next Wednesday.

After captaining the side in midweek, Trent Alexander-Arnold drops to the bench in place of Neco Williams, as he has only just returned from injury so should be rested ahead of the game against Spurs.

The right-back was described as “out of this world” by Gary Neville earlier this year but he can still make an impact from the bench if required, rather than being risked from the start.

Joel Matip returns alongside Fabinho, as Liverpool’s youngsters struggled in the second half on Wednesday after the Brazilian was replaced, so hopefully, they will look more solid on Sunday, whilst Andy Robertson returns at left-back in place of Konstantinos Tsimikas.

In midfield, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain makes his first start of the season after recovering from injury, alongside mainstays Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijanldum.

Finally, there are two changes in attack as Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino come back in, as Klopp has suggested in his pre-match conference that Diogo Jota picked up a knock in midweek, so he’s another that should be rested if possible.

This is a must-win game for the Reds if they want to keep the pressure at the top of the table but considering the importance of next week’s game at Anfield against Tottenham, Klopp must rest players where he can against Fulham, in the hope that his players can still deliver three points.

And, in other news… LFC should cash in on “unplayable winger” in January who’s robbed Michael Edwards dry

Like many others around the world, Manchester United experienced something akin to a wild ride during 2020.

The Red Devils didn’t get off to the best of starts and it seemed all hope was lost after they suffered two defeats and one draw in their first three fixtures of the year but they soon bounced back shortly after the arrival of Portuguese magnifico Bruno Fernandes.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had made Borussia Dortmund starlet Jadon Sancho his top transfer target in the summer but had to settle for Amad Diallo, Facundo Pellistri, Alex Telles and Donny van de Beek instead, although Ed Woodward should be given credit for signing former Paris-Saint Germain striker Edinson Cavani as a free agent, as it’s safe to say the 33-year-old has turned out to be a total revelation ever since he first set foot inside Old Trafford.

Not to be outdone by all of the new signings, Marcus Rashford was awarded a MBE for his services to vulnerable children across the UK during the coronavirus pandemic, and the 23-year-old forward finished the year as the club’s top scorer for the 2020/21 season across all competitions.

United currently sit second in the Premier League, with three points between them and league leaders Liverpool, although they still have a game in-hand over their bitter arch-rivals.

Who knows where United will end up at the end of the season, but there’s one thing for sure, that shouldn’t take anything away from what has been another step in the right direction. How well can you remember United’s 2020? Try your hand and test yourself to the very limit with Football FanCast’s Big Fat Quiz of 2020!

Manchester United kickstarted 2021 in style after a customary penalty from Bruno Fernandes condemned Aston Villa to a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford on Friday night.

The gruelling encounter was United’s first game to mark the new year and looked like it would end all square with the two sides coming close to scoring on multiple occasions.

But the Red Devils grit their teeth, dug deep and eked out a victory over Villa behind closed doors at the empty stadium, with Fernandes picking up where he left off last year with his 15th goal in 24 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

However, this doesn’t mean that some of the defensive displays should go unnoticed, none more so than Aaron Wan-Bissaka. We must reserve a special mention for Anthony Martial, who was equally impressive, but Wan-Bissaka was in imperious form after a somewhat shaky start to the season.

The 23-year-old, who earns around £90,000-per-week at Old Trafford, has often been criticised for his perceived lack of creativity in the final third. Against Villa, the defender defied the critics, as the full-back was a real threat bombing up and down the right flank. He picked up the assist for Anthony Martial’s opener but his attacking output didn’t stop there, either, as this was just one of two key passes he produced last night.

As per SofaScore, his performance was graded at 7.9 out of ten for his efforts – the highest rating out of any other player on the pitch including Fernandes and Jack Grealish – he made four tackles, also a game-high metric, two interceptions, two clearances and blocked one shot.

On one occasion halfway through the second half, Grealish sent a sublime pass towards Anwar El Ghazi waiting at the back post, only to be denied by the outstretched foot of Wan-Bissaka.

The Manchester Evening News awarded him with a 7/10 rating, claiming he ‘overcame an iffy start to get his first assist of the season with a spirited surge and cross for Anthony Martial’, while The Sun were equally effusive in their praise by giving him a notch below, insisting he ‘showed a willingness to get forward early on and took advantage of Rashford’s infield runs by bombing up the right.’
There’s no denying the fact the full-back was the standout performer, as it’s the type of performance fans have been expecting to see from the defender, who arrived at Old Trafford from Crystal Palace for £50m on a five-year contract in 2019.
With United heavily linked to Norwich City star Max Aarons, the timing couldn’t be better for Wan-Bissaka, whilst Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are now joint-top of the Premier League with defending champions Liverpool ahead of their game against Southampton on Monday night.
AND in other news, Ed Woodward must sell Manchester United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah in January…

Tottenham Hotspur are still without star midfielder Giovani Lo Celso ahead of their clash with Fulham this evening, as manager Jose Mourinho revealed in his pre-match press conference.

When asked about the latest on the €60m (£55m) maestro, he told reporters, via football.london:

“He’s injured. For a few weeks.”

Early diagnosis before the New Year was that Lo Celso would miss their first few games of 2021, but now it looks as if he will be out for the remainder of the month.

It hands Mourinho one massive nightmare in terms of selection, even more so following their performance in the FA Cup third-round on Sunday night.

There are really only two names that can step up in the no.10 role – Tanguy Ndombele and Dele Alli, now both have had their controversies since the Special One took the helm in November 2019.

The Frenchman, who cost a club-record £55m, was heavily out-of-favour last term but has since turned that around to become a regular starter this season having started 12 of 15 league matches.

However, he’s still not able to complete a full 90-minute match too often. Indeed, he has only done so three times from 22 appearances in all competitions, which is hardly what you need from your superstar signing.

And then there is Dele Alli, who has almost done the reverse of Ndombele. His career looked to benefit from the arrival of Mourinho as he contributed towards six goals in Spurs’ first four Premier League games under his management.

Things have tailed off since as the 24-year-old hasn’t even made the matchday squad in ten of their 16 league outings, playing a total of just 74 minutes all season.

Against non-league minnows Marine in the cup on Sunday, he ran the show as we outlined here, so it now gives Mourinho something to mull over ahead of tonight’s encounter with Fulham.

Does he stick with Alli – after all it was only an eighth-tier side – or does he return to Ndombele, knowing he’s unlikely to play the full 90? It’s one major call to make.

Had Lo Celso been fit, then you’d imagine he’d be the one starting over either of the pair.

AND in other news, Spurs can find their next Jan Vertonghen in Jose Mourinho target lauded “phenomenal” by Messi…

Liverpool made it three Premier League games without a goal as they were held to a stalemate against Manchester United in Sunday’s game at Anfield.

In a game of few chances, neither side was able to find a winner, meaning that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side stay top of the Premier League, three points clear of Liverpool.

Despite the poor attacking display, there are some positives for Jurgen Klopp to take from the game, including the performance of Thiago on his home debut for the club.

Since joining from Bayern Munich in the summer, the midfielder has been limited to six appearances in all competitions for Liverpool, the previous five of which had come away from home, with injury ruling him out for an extended period earlier in the season.

However, he has shown glimpses of his immense quality in his brief time in a Liverpool shirt and he was superb once again in the draw against United.

As per SofaScore, the former Barcelona man earned an 8.1 rating for his display, which was only bettered by Harry Maguire, who earned an 8.2 rating.

The 29-year-old enjoyed 121 touches of the ball during the 90 minutes, which was comfortably the most of any player on the pitch, with Jordan Henderson’s 97 touches the closest any player would come to his total. He also completed 83/96 passes, resulting in an impressive pass success rate of 86%.

In a game where Liverpool struggled to create, Thiago was the man to unlock United’s defence at times, as he made two key passes from midfield, as well as being successful with all five of his attempted dribbles, which again, was more than any other Liverpool player.

Perhaps most impressively, however, was the way in which Thiago was able to limit Bruno Fernandes’ influence on the game. The Portuguese midfielder was undoubtedly one of United’s main danger men ahead of the game but he endured a pretty woeful display, which can perhaps be credited to the way Thiago controlled the game from midfield.

The former Sporting Lisbon man was able to complete just 18 passes compared to Thiago’s 83, whilst winning just two duels compared to the Spanish midfielder’s nine, which saw him earn a disappointing 6.6 rating.

In the first half especially, when Liverpool were on top, the attacking-midfielder was expected to mark Thiago and close him down more often, which meant he spent a lot of his time chasing the former Bayern Munich man, rather than being able to create opportunities for the away side.

After returning from injury against Newcastle last month, Michael Owen dubbed the midfielder a “proper baller” and given Sunday’s display, it is easy to see why.

Therefore, it could definitely be argued that Thiago gave Fernandes nightmares with his display, as it led to his third-worst match rating of the Premier League season so far.

And, in other news… Liverpool can find Klopp’s Coutinho replacement in 26 y/o who scores and assists

Liverpool’s unbeaten home record came to an end on Thursday night as they were beaten in the Premier League by Burnley, in what was another extremely disappointing performance by Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The Reds remain without a goal in the league in 2021 and have now failed to find the back of the net in their last four top-flight fixtures against Newcastle, Southampton, Manchester United and Burnley respectively.

Whilst a lot of fingers might be pointed at Divock Origi, for the glorious chance he wasted in the first-half, it was perhaps Trent Alexander-Arnold who disappointed most at Anfield.

As per SofaScore, the 22-year-old would lose possession an extraordinary 39 times, which was one more than the 38 times he gave it away at Southampton recently, meaning he has set a new unwanted record in the Premier League this season.

Although the website handed the England international a 7.2 rating, which was the third-best of any Liverpool player on the night, it is difficult to see why, as he was far from good enough going forwards or defensively.

The academy graduate was dribbled past twice and would win just one out of four of his ground duels during the game, with Burnley winger Dwight McNeil beating him far too easily down the left-hand side on a couple of occasions.

Perhaps most disappointingly, Alexander-Arnold would attempt 22 crosses against Sean Dyche’s side, and only one was accurate.

Whilst this could be down to the baffling tactics Liverpool had of playing to Burnley’s strengths by sending hopeful crosses into the box, it was still poor that the right-back was so wasteful when given the opportunity to create, especially as he was often afforded a lot of space on the right-hand side.

Unfortunately, this now seems to be a running problem for the Reds, as against Manchester United last weekend, he would attempt 10 crosses, and none of them would find a Liverpool shirt.

Last season saw the £99 million-rated defender contribute an impressive 13 assists in the Premier League but as we approach the half-way stage of this season, he has managed just two, suggesting that the quality of his crosses has definitely declined this season.

Considering opposite full-back Andrew Robertson would attempt just six crosses against Burnley, it seems clear that it was part of Klopp’s tactics to give the ball to Alexander-Arnold during the game, however, he would end up letting the German manager, as well as the fans, down with his wasteful display.

And, in other news… Liverpool can sign Gini upgrade in £49.5m-rated beast dubbed “a gift from the footballing gods”

Glasgow Rangers prospect Nathan Young-Coombes is closing in on a move to Championship club Brentford but Steven Gerrard could regret letting the youngster leave.

It appears the England U17 international is about to leave the 54-time Scottish champions in a bid for game time, as he hasn’t managed to make the jump to the first-team under Gerrard.

Having played fewer than 500′ minutes of football for the development squad so far this season, it seems Young-Coombes is considered little more than an after-thought at Ibrox as he has yet to make his first-team debut.

However, Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson may live to regret the fact that he did not do enough to persuade him to stay, with the 18-year-old thriving at youth level, having signed him from Chelsea in 2019.

It’s fair to say that Young-Coombes has been one of the most outstanding young players in the Light Blues academy. His statistics show that he has five goals from his past nine outings – his latest goal coming in the 2-0 win at home to Wrexham in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

But it runs far deeper than that. The highly-rated teenager has been tipped for the very top after being a key part of the Rangers side that lifted the Alkass Cup in 2019. Such a talent, therefore, should not be left to go to waste.

Rangers arguably have more urgent matters on their minds than the future of one of their academy players, yet it’s highly likely that at some point in the near future they could come to reflect that allowing Young-Coombes to depart Ibrox so easily was yet another transfer mishap they have developed rather a habit of making. Billy Gilmour is one of the first names that immediately springs to mind.

By letting the 18-year-old Young-Coombes go, this would have deja vu of Gilmour’s exit all over again.

And given how the latter has already made 17 first-team appearances at Stamford Bridge, Rangers surely look back with a sense of regret at seeing Gilmour shine elsewhere. The same could happen with Young-Coombes too. It would be a major mistake on the part of Wilson to wave goodbye to another prodigious Gers talent without genuinely seeing what they can do for the first-team at Ibrox.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard should unleash Rangers defender Calvin Bassey against Hamilton Academical…

Amid a disappointing 2020/21 season for Celtic, fingers are being pointed at problem areas in the team. One of the main problems is their defence. The Hoops finished their title-winning campaign last time out having conceded just 19 goals, but they have already shipped 21 this time round and there’s still fixtures to play out.

With Shane Duffy disappointing since joining on loan from Brighton, Neil Lennon has been fumbling around to piece together a makeshift centre-back partnership until the end of the season. Young Stephen Welsh has been promoted to the senior team whilst the Seagulls loanee has slipped down the pecking order.

As such, the Hoops are on the market for some new defensive options and have set their sights on Sinisa Sanicanin.  The Bosnian centre-back has been identified as a target according to Turkish outlet Fanatik, but Besiktas and Galatasaray are also on the scent.

Should Celtic sign Sanicanin?

The report claims that the 25-year-old has attracted a lot of attention this season, particularly after surpassing 100 appearances for current club Vojvodina in Serbia. However, despite being a hot topic, Sanicanin’s asking price is still very low, which will be appealing to Peter Lawwell.

If the Hoops want to secure the Bosnia and Herzegovina international, all it would cost them is £1.3million. This is a very handsome price for a man who has established himself as a goalscoring defender and one that is solid in the backline.

According to Transfermarkt, Sanicanin has contributed three goals and one assist this season, along with four clean sheets in 13 appearances.

Standing at a hefty 6 foot 2, the centre-half would be an ideal partner for Kristoffer Ajer. The Norwegian is 6 foot 5 and is arguably one of Lennon’s strongest players. He too likes to drive the ball forward as well as defend – he boasts a goal and an assist in the Premiership this campaign, as well as his 12 clean sheets in 25 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

Duffy is set to leave at the end of the season upon the expiry of his loan deal and Hatem Abd Elhamed has also been given the green light to return to his native Israel. Christopher Jullien is currently still injured and has been out of action for a massive chunk of the season.

Celtic’s options will be extremely limited come the summer and they simply must outsource on the transfer market. Sanicanin would the ideal option, but they must act fast or risk his price tag soaring or losing out to his signature to another lurking club.

In other news, Ryan Christie silenced doubters with performance vs St Mirren…

Celtic legend Charlie Nicholas has urged the club to ‘show a bit of ambition’ in their search for Neil Lennon’s replacement, suggesting that Xavi should be on the shortlist.

Lennon tendered his resignation last week with the club’s title defence in disarray, leaving John Kennedy to take the reins until the end of the season.

Nicholas underwhelmed by early favourites Maresca and Clarke

Former West Ham assistant Enzo Maresca and Scotland boss Steve Clarke are the current favourites for the full-time job at Parkhead, but Nicholas reckons they should be aiming instead for iconic figures.

Spain legend Xavi, who left FC Barcelona with more than 750 appearances and 27 major honours under his belt (via Transfermarkt), is currently in charge at Qatari side Al Sadd.

The Catalan giants are said to be keen for Xavi to take over from Ronald Koeman in the near future (via ESPN).

Kompany, Alonso also tipped

Nicholas has high-profile alternatives in mind if Xavi makes a swift return to the Camp Nou instead.

“Celtic should be speaking to the agents of Xavi, Vincent Kompany and Xabi Alonso to gauge their interest in the job,” he wrote in his Daily Express column (via Glasgow Live).

“I just want the club to ask the question and show a bit of ambition. If they don’t they will appoint someone like Roy Keane or Steve Clarke.”

Transfer Tavern verdict

Xavi is destined for Barca and may not have time to stop at Parkhead along the way – the emphatic 4-1 Champions League defeat to PSG added to the sense that Koeman’s days are numbered.

But in principle, Nicholas is still hitting the right notes. Celtic must appoint a manager befitting of their stature, as Rangers have done with Steven Gerrard.

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund star Giovanni Reyna recently and if he were to join the Citizens, he could perhaps prove to be their next David Silva.

According to 90min, City are prepared to bid over £100 million to bring Erling Haaland and Reyna to the Eithad, although the report suggests that the USA international would likely stay with the Bundesliga side for another year as part of the deal.

Whilst City perhaps feel that they already have the heir to Silva’s throne in Phil Foden, the Englishman has featured on the wing regularly this season, whereas Reyna has primarily played in a central-attacking-midfield role for Dortmund in his career so far.

The 18-year-old has contributed an impressive three goals and four assists in 21 Bundesliga appearances this season, averaging a solid 6.86 rating as a result.

During Silva’s time with City, he would manage 77 goals and 141 assists in 436 appearances, often preferring to set up a teammate with the final pass rather than scoring himself.

Foden however, has 26 goals and 18 assists in 106 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, which suggests that he is more of a goalscoring winger than a creative attacking-midfielder like Silva was.

Therefore, Reyna could prove to be the natural heir to Silva at City should Txiki Begiristain convince him to make the switch to England this summer.

Certainly, the £34.2 million-rated wonderkid looks to have an extremely bright future in the game, having managed five goals and eight assists in his first 49 appearances for BVB.

Last season saw Silva average 1.7 shots, 1.8 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game for City, whilst Reyna has averaged 1.1 shots, 1.1 key passes and 1.6 dribbles per game this season in the Bundesliga, suggesting that the teenager is already close to emulating the same sort of stats the legendary Spaniard managed with the Citizens.

Therefore, considering Reyna is only going to get better as he gets more experience, Txiki should seal a swoop for the 18-year-old in the summer transfer window, as it certainly looks as if he has the potential to become world-class.

AND, in other news… End of an era: Txiki should sanction exit of £31.5m-rated City stalwart this summer