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This Saturday’s big fixture sees Liverpool travel up to Newcastle to take on Rafa Benitez’s men, where the Reds absolutely have to win in order to keep their Premier League title hopes alive – if they lose and Manchester City beat Leicester, the Citizens will have successfully defended their trophy.

The Magpies managed to secure their Premier League status for yet another campaign recently, so they won’t be playing for anything other than league position and pride – it will be a difficult game for Benitez personally, as he surely won’t want to be the man responsible for his former side slipping up in the title race.

However, all eyes will be on Jurgen Klopp’s men as they attempt to keep the pressure on City.

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With so much on the line in this fixture, Football FanCast takes a look at the factors that could determine where the three points end up…

The Key Battle – Matt Ritchie vs Mohamed Salah

This match-up should be an enticing one.

Ritchie has been playing as a left wing-back for a while now at St James’ Park, and he has fulfilled the role admirably. However, a player of world-class ability such as Salah will certainly be looking to exploit the natural weaknesses that come with a midfielder playing as a defender.

The Egyptian has four goals in his last four league games, and whether or not the Scotsman can keep him quiet on Saturday may determine the outcome of this fixture.

The Key Dynamic – Liverpool’s midfield intensity without Naby Keita

After having to leave the field with a groin injury against Barcelona, it has now been revealed that Naby Keita will miss the next two months.

Just as the Guinean was starting to hit his stride – he has three goals in his last six games – the cruel timing of his injury will rule him out of the business end to the season and will also see Liverpool lose the biggest contributor to their midfield intensity.

The likes of Gini Wijnaldum, James Milner and Fabinho arguably don’t take the game to the opposition enough, not like Keita does with his close dribbling and directness.

How Klopp replicates the former RB Leipzig’s impact will influence where the three points end up on Saturday; time for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, perhaps?

The Deciding Factor – How Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip contend with Salomon Rondon

It is almost inevitable that Newcastle, with their five-at-the-back system, will see a lot less of the ball than Liverpool will, and will also undoubtedly come under heaps of pressure throughout the game.

As a result, the impressive Salomon Rondon will have to bring his A-game in terms of hold-up play and aerial ability. The Magpies will be desperate for the Venezuelan to make the ball stick, which will then allow their attacking players to push up and support him.

However, if Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip can pocket the on-loan forward and get to the ball ahead of him, the pressure may become too much for Newcastle to resist over the course of the 90 minutes.

The Impact Subs – Kenedy vs Divock Origi

Both men started their respective club’s last fixture on the bench, although the pair can certainly make an impact when given the chance to get out onto the pitch.

Kenedy showed last season that he has the X-factor to throw the Liverpool back four a curve-ball, should he come off the bench and cause problems with his skill and ability in one-on-one situations, although he’s really struggled during 2018/19.

Origi, likewise to Kenedy, is also a direct dribbler who can take advantage of tiring opposition legs from the bench – his physicality, pace and desire to follow in make him a dangerous player in the box.

حذر المدير الرياضي لنادي باريس سان جيرمان، ليوناردو أروخو، ريال مدريد بشأن مستقبل جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، كيليان مبابي.

ومن المعروف في الكرة الأوروبية مدى رغبة واهتمام ريال مدريد بضم لاعب مثل مبابي منذ سنوات، عندما تألق مع موناكو في موسم 2016/2017 قبل الانتقال إلى باريس سان جيرمان.

اقرأ أيضًا.. باريس سان جيرمان ينافس برشلونة وريال مدريد على صفقة دفاعية

وتحدث ليوناردو عن مبابي واهتمام ريال مدريد في مقابلة بثتها وسائل الإعلام الرسمية في نادي باريس سان جيرمان وقال: “هناك حالة من تسليط الضوء في الإعلام الإسباني على الأندية هناك”.

وتابع: “الإعلانات والتسويق لها عامل مؤثر بشكل كبير على الأخبار التي تنشر في إسبانيا حول صفقات الأندية هناك ويضع عليهم ضغط هائل وهذه سياسة يتبعونها دائمًا لزيادة المبيعات”.

وأضاف: “صحيح أن باريس سان جيرمان في موقف معقد بعد أزمة فيروس كورونا، لكننا نتواصل بشكل مباشر مع مبابي هذه هي حقيقة الأمر”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “سنواصل العمل من أجل بناء فريق قوي في الخمس سنوات المقبلة، نمتلك مواهب صغيرة ومميزة أيضًا لدينا نيمار ومبابي في الهجوم وهما من الأفضل في العالم ولديهما مستقبل رائع خاصة مع تقدم ميسي ورونالدو في العمر”.

وعن مفاوضات التجديد مع نيمار ومبابي: “بدأنا بالفعل المفاوضات، علينا أن نتأقلم مع الوضع الاقتصادي الحالي، لكننا نفكر كذلك في تمديد عقد دي ماريا، بيرنات ودراكسلر”.

A cup final win at Wembley, promotion still on the table, it’s been a brilliant season for Portsmouth, and the numbers are there to show it.

Pompey’s 3-2 win to Wycombe Wanderers last Saturday was the club’s 19th away win away from home in all competitions this season, a club record, and their 12th in the league, their best record equal to three other campaigns in the club’s 98 years of playing in the Football League.

A result on the road to either Burton or Sunderland will see the club break a new record for wins away from home in league football, and although this achievement seems possible, the club must be wary not to make this goal a primary objective.

Whilst it is nice to have a season so good that the club is breaking personal records that have stood for decades, the main goal for Portsmouth this season is to seal promotion to the Championship, with a second place finish the ideal outcome.

Focusing too much on getting wins away from home neglects the importance of other games in the season. Portsmouth have a fantastic opportunity to reach the Championship after dropping out of the English second-tier seven years ago, and if Kenny Jackett’s side are to accomplish that they have the be treating each game as important as the next.

With Barnsley showing cracks under the pressure and Pompey to travel to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland in another must-win match, Portsmouth have the confidence and quality to sneak into the top-two and claim an automatic promotion place, but focusing on a personal record could make the club lose sight on winnable games at home, and Jackett can’t allow that to happen.

Portsmouth fans, can the club beat their away record this season? Let us know!

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Watford head into their FA Cup semi-final clash with Wolves this weekend on a high having thrashed Fulham 4-1 on Tuesday night, with Abdoulaye Doucoure getting on the scoresheet for the fifth time this season before taking to Twitter to express his delight at the win.

The Frenchman’s strike capped yet another fine performance at the base of midfield that will surely have caught the attention of the top-six clubs looking to raid the lesser Premier League outfits in the summer.

The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the best players outside of the Big Six and has said there was interest in his services from European giants PSG in January; it is uncertain as to whether he will remain at Vicarage Road beyond the current campaign.

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Winning the cup or European football for next season would surely go a long way towards retaining the former Granada man’s services for another year, it’s just a question of whether they can get the better of their Midlands opposition both this weekend and over the seven remaining games of the campaign.

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[ad_pod ]Sheffield Wednesday are set to take on Blackburn Rovers at Hillsborough on Saturday. Victory would see the Owls maintain their charge for a play-off place and would preserve Steve Bruce’s unbeaten record as the club’s manager.ÂWednesday may be set for a boost in the form of Sam Winnall’s condition too, with Bruce confirming that the striker’s return to full fitness is imminent.Who would make a combined Sheffield XI? Ingood Nick makes his picks in the video below…

What he said

Speaking in his recent press conference, as quoted by the Owls’ official Twitter account, Bruce said: “Sam Winnall is certainly in the reckoning. He’s a very good striker at this level, touch wood he is over his injury and he can have a run in the team.”

Ready to have an impact

The 28-year-old forward has been out of action for much of the last two seasons, but has featured occasionally from the bench for the Owls in recent weeks. However, Bruce’s words indicate that the No. 11 could finally be ready for a return to the starting XI.

That would give Wednesday a welcome boost in the final third. If the club are serious about vying for the play-offs, and promotion, this season, then they will need all of the firepower they can get.

At his best, Winnall could be a very useful player, and if he can hit the ground running once fully fit then he could have a very positive impact at Hillsborough before the end of the campaign.

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Everton host Liverpool at Goodison Park this weekend where they will be hoping to dent their bitter rivals’ title hopes at the second time of asking. For the Reds, meanwhile, the clash is more than just a derby – they will surely be desperate to secure all three points in what is the first of many must-win games to come in the next couple of months if they are to bring the title to Merseyside.

Both sides head into the game off the back of big statement results – Everton made light work of Cardiff, winning 3-0, while Liverpool’s 5-0 demolition of Watford at Anfield saw the Reds return to their sparkling best after bore draws against Manchester United and Bayern.

The Toffees’ victory over Cardiff will have been met with enormous relief by Marco Silva; questions have been asked of his management style in recent weeks due to the nature of some of the losses the Goodison Park outfit have suffered and, should Liverpool tear them apart, the pressure will surely mount again.

Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, has also begun to show signs of frustration as we enter the final stretch of the season. The clash is a huge one for the German and he will be hoping it is much more of a straight-forward affair than the narrow victory gained last time the two sides met.

Here’s everything you need to know before the 4:15pm kick-off…

What history tells us

Over the course of the Premier League era, the pendulum has often swung heavily in Liverpool’s favour – the Reds have over twice as many wins as their bitter rivals in this fixture and the Toffees haven’t emerged victorious since 2010.

There is no such home advantage for Silva’s side either, as Everton have a measly 17% win record at Goodison Park, although they should feel optimistic about keeping out their visitors, having kept 16 clean sheets against the league leaders.

If their midweek mauling of the Hornets is anything to go by, though, Liverpool won’t have any such troubles finding a way through their opposition.

Key battle – Richarlison vs Sadio Mane

Richarlison’s stellar first season in the Premier League earned him a move to Everton in the summer and the Brazilian was expected to bring some much-needed flair to the Everton flanks – alas, the lack of a prolific striker initially saw the star deployed up front.

Largely playing out of his natural position, the former Watford man has bagged 10 goals and chalked an assist this season; he hasn’t found the net since the end of January but that isn’t for the want of trying, having taken 2.4 shots on goal per game.

In recent weeks, though, Silva has restored the 21-year-old on the left-wing and he is a rare outlet of true quality for the Toffees – no doubt his pace and skill will be vital if the home side are to break down Liverpool.

Luckily for Liverpool, they have both of the aforementioned attributes in abundance and in-form Sadio Mane will undoubtedly be a threat to the Toffees’ back-line, whether he plays in his natural wing role or as a centre-forward, as he did against Watford.

The Senegalese has recorded 14 goals and an assist this season, while also edging out his Everton counterpart in shots, dribbles and key passes per game. His first goal against the Hornets showed he is a threat in the air, too, and this will add to Liverpool’s avenues of attack on Sunday.

Ref in Focus – Martin Atkinson

Having been a referee in the Premier League since 2005, Martin Atkinson has a wealth of experience. With thousands of eyes on the man in the middle every week, there is never a good time for a referee to be on the fence but, ranked with the others, Atkinson is neither harsh nor lenient in his officiating.

Out of 18 Premier League referees, the 47-year-old was 7th for both fouls per tackle and yellow cards per game heading into the weekend – this apparent balance between letting the play go on and stopping it when things get a tad too fiery will be crucial in one of the top flight’s most hot-tempered games.

There is more bad news for Evertonians, though – Atkinson’s home win bias is just 32% so, if anything, it seems he will be more likely to lean towards the visitors.

Team news

Everton have come through the congested run of fixtures almost completely unscathed, with veteran defender Leighton Baines the only absence through injury.

Phil Jagielka’s lack of athleticism is the price you pay for unparalleled experience and, unfortunately, none of Silva’s centre-back options offer both.

Idrissa Gueye’s bite in midfield will be essential, although we’re tipping him to be partnered by Andre Gomes this time in the only change from the side that beat Cardiff. Lucas Digne and Gylfi Sigurdsson, meanwhile, will provide ample balls into the box for the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to feed off of.

Sigurdsson netted twice versus the Bluebirds while youngster Calvert-Lewin struck in the dying minutes to wrap up the points – both will be hoping that they can carry that form into the Merseyside derby.

Meanwhile, Jordan Pickford, of course, continues in net and will be desperate to offer his side a far more assured pair of hands than those which cost them in the final moments of the 1-0 loss the last time these rivals met.

The injury-hit Reds are boosted by the possible return of Roberto Firmino – the former Hoffenheim man missed the midweek clash due to an injury sustained in the stalemate with Manchester United at the weekend. Despite his goal and overall impressive performance against Watford on Wednesday, we think that Divock Origi will give way for Firmino, with two-goal Mane returning to his wide berth – the only change we’re anticipating.

Fabinho is a strong contender for the Reds’ player of the month and seems to get better week after week – he’s been immense at the base of midfield and is surely one of the first names on the team-sheet for Klopp.

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Nothing needs to be said about Virgil van Dijk being given the nod, but Joel Matip has impressed in the absence of both Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren, the latter of which will surely struggle to oust the Cameroonian once he returns to fitness.

West Bromwich Albion’s Rakeem Harper is next in a long list of young talents destined for greatness according to manager Darren Moore, but would it be wise to move to a “bigger” side at this point in his career?

West Brom are reportedly keen on renewing the 18-year-old contract which is due to expire this summer, and it is understood that talks are going positively with the player keen on continuing his development at the club (via Daily Mail).

However, it may worry some fans to learn that the two parties are yet to come to a formal agreement, and with Premier League clubs interested anything is possible.

Indeed, having made his top-flight debut at the tender age of 17, it is clear to see why the Baggies hold him in such high esteem and equally obvious why he is attracting a lot of attention from other teams.

Darren Moore reaffirmed his belief that he could be become a ‘top player’, adding: ‘This is the club to keep him right, we know his strengths and where he needs to improve, and he is improving. We want to see him stay here, we’ve agreed that we want him to stay, his advisers agree that he should stay, it’s just a matter of getting it sorted now.’ (via Daily Mail).

Moore is not wrong: too many times have we seen the development of young players stunted by a single rash decision to move to a bigger side before they are ready.

Harper is no different. He must continue the initial part of his career in a familiar place; where his qualities are known, appreciated and nurtured.

Encouragingly, it is rapidly becoming the norm for young players to either stay where they are or move abroad, like Jadon Sancho, to competitions such as the Bundesliga in search of greater and more viable opportunities.

Unless he is given the same guarantees he has at West Brom, there is no obvious reason why he should leave.

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Brendan Rodgers’ outstanding record of winning domestic trophies is on the line again this weekend.

Since arriving in 2016, Rodgers’ Celtic side have been unbeaten in all domestic cup ties as the double treble was secured last season.

With this year’s Betfred Cup already won, Sunday’s home tie against St. Johnstone at Celtic Park is the next hurdle to be overcome if the Hoops are to achieve an unprecedented treble treble.

The Bhoys go into the game full of confidence and in good form since returning from their Dubai winter training camp. They’ve won six straight games in 2019, without conceding a single goal.

But injury concerns still persist, especially in defence, and Rodgers will have to use his squad to its full potential as he waits for the treatment room to clear – especially with a season-defining Europa League clash against Valencia on the horizon.

Speaking on Friday, the manager said: “We’ve played St. Johnstone four times this season, but we’ve always tried to train the players that every game is different. You have to respect every game, and we work very hard on excellency.”

Liverpool have recently been linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain left-back Layvin Kurzawa.

According to Spanish media outlet Sport, the Reds are one of a number of clubs who are interested in signing the Frenchman, with Inter Milan, Napoli and Arsenal also in the running for his signature.

Given he will be available on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer, it’s no surprise that a handful of high profile clubs are monitoring the situation.

But would Jurgen Klopp be wise to bring him to Anfield?

Football FanCast writers have their say on whether he’d be a quality addition to a star-studded squad…

Ben Goodwin

“Kurzawa would be an excellent free signing for Liverpool, and although he would obviously arrive as a back-up to Andy Robertson, he may even be good enough to compete with the Scotland skipper for a place in the first XI.

“Robertson’s form has dipped this season, and Kurzawa has bags of experience despite being just 27, racking up three league titles and six domestic cups in his career so far. 

“While some fans may have reservations about blocking the path of youngsters like Yasser Larouci, Kurzawa is far better than Larouci and would give Jurgen Klopp a real headache if Robertson does not return to his 2018/19 form.”

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Christy Malyan

“At first glance, Kurzawa might seem like another Joel Matip – an experienced defender who can be brought to Anfield without a transfer fee – but whereas the Cameroonian had established himself as a key player at Schalke and looked ready to take the step up, Kurzawa would be nothing more than PSG’s offcuts.

“He’s not made 20 league starts during any of his Ligue 1 campaigns at PSG and while it’s true Liverpool only really need someone to back up Andy Robertson, should the reigning European champions really be looking to sign anyone who can’t command a regular spot in their current team?

“Liverpool would be much better off bringing in a young and hungry left-back who’s eager to improve – much like Robertson when he first arrived at Anfield – than someone who’d essentially just be swapping one big-name club for another and picking up a presumably handsome paycheque in the process. Liverpool are barking up the wrong tree with this one.”

Jack Saville

“It’s absolutely no surprise that Liverpool are paying an interest given Kurzawa’s pedigree and experience in the game. He has won the Ligue 1 title on three separate occasions and that in itself should hold him in good stead if he makes the move to Anfield. 

“Klopp needs a squad full of winners in order to ensure the club’s rising supremacy in English football represents the beginning of a legacy rather than a fleeting period of success, and Kurzawa certainly fits the bill in that respect.

“Naturally, PSG do not have a side of Manchester City’s quality fighting them for top spot and the challenges associated with winning the English top flight are certainly greater than in France, but his experience will still have provided him with the mental attributes needed to cope with the demands and pressures of a title push.

“Question marks linger over his defensive solidity, but for his price there is unlikely to be a better option on the market.”

The Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser has revealed that Crystal Palace are ‘on the verge’ of signing Scott Banks from Dundee United.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Rosser was present at Roy Hodgson’s pre-Southampton press conference on Monday, where he tweeted that the former England manager confirmed to him that Banks was “on the verge” of joining the south London side.

The Express recently reported that the Eagles agreed a ‘substantial’ transfer fee with the Scottish side for the 18-year-old, believed to be a six-figure sum – it is understood that Crystal Palace could’ve signed Banks for £200k if they waited until the summer, although the agreed sum this month is far more than that.

The teenager was also being eyed up by Southampton, who failed with a bid for the Scotland U19 international back in the summer as the Eagles did too.

Not for the present

Rosser adds that the youngster – who spent last season on loan at Clyde – will ‘more than likely’ go into the academy setup at Selhurst Park, so he isn’t one expected to go straight into the first-team and play alongside the likes of Cenk Tosun and Wilfried Zaha.

Banks – an attacking midfielder – certainly seems to be one for the future, and seeing as Southampton also had their eye on him, he must have something in his locker that is enticing for Premier League clubs.

Following Rosser’s update, this deal now looks extremely close and the Eagles will have secured their second signing of the January transfer window – albeit it a far less high-profile one than their first, a 42-cap Turkey international with Champions League experience.

Nevertheless, it is encouraging to see the south Londoners scout, and sign, exciting young talent, especially seeing as they have just four players under the age of 27 in their squad.

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