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Leeds United haven’t had the easiest of starts to their first Premier League campaign in 16 years.

Just three weeks after a trip to defending champions Liverpool, the Whites are tasked with hosting Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at Elland Road.

Guardiola’s side have been one of the dominant forces in English football in recent years, but despite City’s brilliance, Leeds are catching them at just the right time.

The Manchester outfit arrive in Yorkshire in the midst of an injury crisis with no fewer than eight first-team players at risk of missing out on Saturday’s clash. This spate of problems has understandably coincided with poor form, with the Citizens being beaten 5-2 by Leicester last week.

So, what XI will Marcelo Bielsa field against Guardiola on Saturday? We’ve had a go at predicting United’s starting eleven this weekend with one change from the line-up against Sheffield United.

There aren’t too many changes to report ahead of this one, with the back five remaining exactly the same as it did against the Blades.

Illan Meslier starts between the sticks, while Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas hold down the full-back roles.

There’s no room for £18m signing Diego Llorente this week as Robin Koch and Liam Cooper keep their spots after last week’s clean sheet, with the ex-Real Sociedad man having to make do with a place on the bench.

The midfield is largely the same as we’ve seen for the past 12 months with the cohort of Kalvin Phillips, Mateusz Klich,  and Helder Costa keeping their spots, but there is a change in the attacking midfield role with Rodrigo coming in for Tyler Roberts. Indeed, the Spaniard impressed from the bench at Bramall Lane, taking 41 touches, playing two accurate long balls and taking one shot on target in a 44 minute cameo (SofaScore).

There is another change on the wing as Ezgjan Alioski replaces Jack Harrison, with the former NYCFC man being ineligible due to Leeds’ opponents being his parent club.

There are no surprises up top as Patrick Bamford keeps his place after scoring in three consecutive matches.

In other news, one Leeds loanee showed exactly what he can do last weekend.

Tottenham are keen to take advantage of Wigan Athletic’s administration by planning a double swoop for Joe Gelhardt and Jensen Weir, according to recent reports.

The Sun claimed that Spurs are seeking to exploit the situation by making moves for the 18-year-old duo, and Noel Whelan believes that the Londonders will have to ‘compete’ with Celtic if they want to sign the teenagers in the summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Leeds United striker has backed the duo to leave the Latics. After being asked if the teenager will leave in the summer, Whelan said: “Gelhardt and Weir, because of the administration, are in a very good position to get a move away from Wigan at the end of the season.

“They are going to have to compete with Tottenham and some other clubs as well. These two young players are wanted by some of the top clubs in Britain.”

“The club need to take the shackles off and allow these two young players to go. They will get some money back which is needed to help that club survive.”

It is difficult to disagree with Whelan here, as Wigan’s financial woes have put them in a precarious position. The Latics confirmed last week that the club are in dire straits following administration, meaning that it will be hard for them to keep hold of some of their talent.

According to Football Insider, Celtic are also closely monitoring Gelhardt as his valuation is expected to plummet in the wake of the news about the Championship club. The striker has enjoyed a breakthrough season at the DW Stadium, scoring once in 18 games, which has put him on Tottenham’s radar.

Weir, who is the son of Everton legend David, is also wanted by Spurs, and Wigan administrators have confirmed they have received an official approach for the pair.

Mourinho is well aware that his budget has been limited in light of recent events and he will have to resort to sorting out swap deals, signing free agents and pursuing cheaper options this summer. Spurs will likely be eager to wrap up a deal as quickly as possible, amid interest from Celtic, Everton and Leicester.

Scouts are confident that Gelhardt can be groomed into a similar style to Harry Kane who is the club’s top scorer this season. However, the Lilywhites will have some convincing to do, as Troy Parrott has been marginalised for the majority of the campaign.

Whether or not they will be able to offer Gelhardt the game-time that he would like remains to be seen.

Tottenham fans, do you think Daniel Levy should sign Joe Gelhardt and Jensen Weir in the summer? Let us know by commenting below!

Liverpool youngster Jake Cain has committed his future to the club after signing a new long-term deal.

James Pearce has reported the 18-year-old will stay on with the Reds after impressing Jurgen Klopp in training. Cain has reportedly been involved with the senior sessions at Melwood and has been training with the first team regularly.

The teenager has had an impressive season which saw him make the leap from playing in the U18s league, to his senior debut in the FA Cup. Cain featured in the youthful side that took on Shrewsbury back in April, contributing to their 1-0 win which took them into the fifth round (via Transfermarkt).

Liverpool fans are delighted to see the young Englishman pen a new deal, with one supporter branding him ‘our very own Coutinho’. Despite operating from midfield, Cain scored six goals and bagged seven assists in just ten U18 appearances he also scored a goal in the reserve league which is a group up from his current age (as per Transfermarkt).

Another supporter has said they were ‘really impressed’ with Cain’s performance against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup. The 18-year-old earned a Sofascore rating of 7.1.

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:

What do you think we can expect from youngster Jake Cain, Reds? Join the discussion in the comments below!

Tottenham Hotspur may be resigned to just free agents and swap deals this summer as this Evening Standard report have claimed in recent weeks, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

There are plenty of players who can still cut the mustard in the Premier League, and the reality of post-pandemic life is going to be along these lines anyway, so you might as well accept it now.

One player that the north London outfit have continued to be linked with is AFC Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser, who appears set to depart the south coasters at the end of the current campaign following the expiry of his contract.

Spurs may also have to endure a battle with their arch-rivals Arsenal to clinch him – Daniel Levy must ensure they come out on top.

The 26-year-old hasn’t had the best of seasons, scoring just once in 32 appearances, but the Cherries have struggled altogether as they sit in the relegation zone.

It was only the 2018/19 campaign which saw the Scot in electric form having bagged eight goals whilst laying on a whopping 15 assists from 42 matches, via Transfermarkt – and it’ll be on Jose Mourinho who needs to bring that back out of him.

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Given his wealth of riches out wide, it could be quite hard to do, so why not take a page out of Harry Redknapp’s book and convert him into a wing-back instead?

It’s the one position at Spurs that’s a little shaky at the minute – Ben Davies is the definition of mediocrity with Ryan Sessegnon still not up to the standard of the top-flight while Serge Aurier is regularly berated by his own fans for being a “liability.”

Back in 2011, Redknapp told Danny Rose that his future lies at left-back if he’s ever going to play for the England national side (talkSPORT via HITC).

Look how that turned out.

Even though he’s currently out on loan at Newcastle, he’s had a very good run at the club having racked up 214 appearances since his debut ten years ago.

Spurs also, on the whole, do not provide enough crosses for Harry Kane to feed off – the best in the squad this term has been Aurier, who has averaged just 0.7 crosses per game, then it’s Davies (0.6), Heung-min Son (0.4) and Erik Lamela (0.4).

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Spurs discussion going on in the Vital Tottenham Forum! Click here to get involved!

Meanwhile, Fraser has managed at least one cross per match for Bournemouth and recorded better figures coming last season where he provided two each game as per WhoScored.

The speedster has even been clocked at over 34 km/h in the past, putting him inside the top 20 of the fastest players in the division, too.

Spurs simply mustn’t turn their nose up at this free swoop. Under the right coaching, he could become a vital asset to the club.

AND in other news, Spurs £35m target sends BIG transfer HINT to Levy and Jose…

Alan Hutton admits he is disappointed after Tottenham defender Japhet Tanganga missed the Premier League restart with a devastating injury.  

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Hutton insists it is a “real shame” that Tanganga is currently out of action with a suspected stress fracture in his back.

Tottenham confirmed earlier this week that he remains sidelined alongside his teammate Juan Foyth.

The former Spurs star believes the defender may miss out even more, as Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford suffered a similar fate in January.

Hutton told assistant editor Russell Edge “it’s a real shame, this is the thing with injuries like that, you never know when it’s going to pop up and when it does it’s normally the wrong time.

“I feel for him, you look at Rashford, he was out for such a long time with the same thing so it’s going to be difficult for him.

“I think we’ve seen enough in him to know that he’s a quality player and definitely one for the future.

“He’s very young, plenty of time on his hands so it’s all about getting right, not rushing back, taking the time to sort it properly and I’m sure for the upcoming season he’ll be in Mourinho’s plans.”

It is hard to argue with Hutton here, as Tanganga has been one of the few success stories in a difficult season for Spurs.

The 21-year-old, who only broke into the first team this season, was a regular feature for Jose Mourinho’s side prior to the nationwide lockdown, which bodes well for the future.

He has played in a variety of defensive positions so far and impressed Mourinho his debut against league leaders Liverpool.

With Foyth and Jan Vertonghen seemingly on their way out the door, the stage was set for Tanganga to stake his claim.

Unfortunately he picked up a knock in training ahead of the clash with Manchester United and his return is as of yet unknown.

The Lilywhites are currently seventh in the table, six points away from fourth-placed Chelsea, although their London rivals have a game in hand.

While Tanganga should not be blamed for the latest setback, his injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for Mourinho as Spurs seek to qualify for Champions League football.

Tottenham fans, do you think Tanganga will be sorely missed against Sheffield United? Join the discussion in the comments!

West Bromwich Albion made it three successive victories on Saturday afternoon to ensure they remained as the Championship’s front-runners.

Slaven Bilic’s men defeated Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 at the Hawthorns thanks to a late penalty from substitute Charlie Austin.

The Owls must’ve thought they were on for at least a share of the spoils after striker Steven Fletcher scored from the spot himself just before the hour mark.

But the Baggies’ £4m summer arrival remained calm to slot home just his second goal of the season, giving Albion a five-point cushion to third-placed Preston North End.

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Hal Robson-Kanu was handed another start in attack, and he repaid the manager’s faith with a fourth goal in six games, which has led to much of the Hawthorns faithful heaping praise on him.

One supporter claimed the Welshman was better than last season’s loan star Dwight Gayle, who bagged 24 goals in 40 league games, while another pondered whether he was having the best season of his career.

‘Unreal’ and ‘different class’ were just two of the other phrases used to describe Robson-Kanu with one more fan claiming the 30-year-old had really turned a corner since signing a contract extension a couple of months ago.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

It’s safe to say Andy Carroll hasn’t enjoyed the greatest of times in recent years since his initial departure from Newcastle.

The striker has been plagued by injuries throughout his footballing career, and it’s caused him to miss numerous games for various clubs. Last summer, the Magpies re-signed Carroll on a free transfer after his release from fellow Premier League side West Ham.

The deal was a one-year contract, but just like with his former sides, he has struggled massively with his fitness. He has played just 14 times across all competitions, and that has only amounted to 536 minutes of football, with the majority of his appearances coming from off the bench.

Now, The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope has revealed that Carroll is “raring for a return to training”, but with him not reaching the amount of games needed to trigger an extension, his future “remains in doubt” ahead of his contract expiring on June 30.

After hearing the update on the centre-forward, Newcastle fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the ace.

One Newcastle fan meanwhile suggested that with their potential takeover, the Magpies could target some of the best players in the world, and wouldn’t need Carroll anymore.

Judging by his sheer lack of game-time, and continued battles with injuries, it’s difficult to really justify giving Carroll another year at St James’ Park.

Whilst his return last summer was no doubt an emotional one, the Magpies simply have to be ruthless with their hometown hero this summer.

Atlanta United academy ‘keeper Vicente Reyes would one day love a dream move to Manchester City, citing his idols Claudio Bravo and Ederson as huge influences on his career, according to Futbol Chileno (via Sport Witness).

Vicente Reyes, who is also a Chile U17 international, is making his way up the ranks at the tender age of 15, standing out amongst the crowd in Atlanta’s MLS academy with a bright future ahead of him.

If he were to make it to the top as a professional, given his choice of elite European sides to make a dream move across the Atlantic, it has been revealed that he would opt to sign for the current Premier League champions.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Futbol Chileno via Sport Witness, Reyes spoke about one day plying his trade in the Premier League at Eastlands, prompting him to praise his two goalkeeping idols.

“I have two special idols, Claudio Bravo and Ederson Moraes, both from Manchester City,” said Reyes.

“He’s [Bravo] a great example if I want to be a goalkeeper, because of his footwork and because he’s a good leader both on and off the pitch. He’s my role model.

“I want to play in England, that’s my dream, play in Europe in general.

“With my dad I always talk about playing in the Premier League. I would love to be a Manchester City goalkeeper like Claudio Bravo, I follow the team, they’re my favourite in the English league.”

Indeed, with Reyes so open about the fact he would love to join City in the future, and given how quickly he is rising through the ranks at Atlanta, it’s safe to say the Premier League champions could have a future star on their hands if they decide to make his dreams a reality.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Those coming through the youth ranks at Wolves don’t have a traditional upbringing.

Hosted at various houses in the local area, a regular group of players from catchments outside of Wolverhampton are taken under the wing of loving families in a bid to guide them through the early stages of their career.

Colossal centre-back Dominic Iorfa is one man to gain from such a system, while another defender in the form of Lewis Richards has also benefitted.

One of many to go through this process, he was initially in the youth ranks at Brentford before moving northwards to the Midlands.

His trajectory at Molineux has been quite something. He thrived in the U18s last term, so much so than he earned a place in Rob Edwards’ U23 side, a team that won Premier League 2 Division 2.

The 18-year-old’s superb term was capped off by winning the Academy Player of the Season for 2018/19.

It was no more than he deserved for a stellar campaign where be impressed plenty at the club.

Detailing his characteristics, Edwards said last season: “He’s good in one-v-one situations defensively, comfortable on the ball, he’s got a good range of passing.

“He’s got a good temperament, someone who wants to defend. He’s broken into our team on a couple of occasions now and done well.”

The rave reviews didn’t stop there. Sporting Director Kevin Thelwell once noted: “He’s a very technical player who’s got the ability to pass the ball and start off play and help us to build out from the back, but also then very capable physically.”

A physical player with technique is all you need in a defender and not only does his ability to pass the ball remind you of club captain Conor Coady, but the strength he possesses is comparable to that of Willy Boly.

At the age he’s at, Richards hasn’t yet matured but he could well be one of the defenders to prosper from the aforementioned Boly’s time on the sidelines.

The Frenchman’s ankle fracture was a huge blow to Wolves’ aspirations but there is now a gap in defence open to be swallowed up by one willing taker.

Nuno Santo doesn’t trust Jesus Vallejo, playing him just twice in the Premier League while Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker aren’t natural centre-halves.

As far as actual centre-backs go, they are few and far between, something that may be somewhat of an issue given their three at the back formation.

If you consider Richards’ ever-growing attributes, a first-team debut may well linger in the not too distant future.

Manchester City needed a win against Crystal Palace, and that is exactly what they got.

With Liverpool leading the way at the top of the Premier League, the Citizens found themselves eight points behind before this match after just eight games. However, thanks to Gabriel Jesus and David Silva, Pep Guardiola and co got back to winning ways after losing against Wolves in their previous fixture.

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It could have been even more for the title holders, as well. At one point, Jesus attempted to shoot from a difficult position with several Eagles bodies in front of him. If he had just looked up to his right, he would have seen Kevin De Bruyne in acres of space, with the Belgium international just needing to tap the ball into an empty net. In the end, though, the chance was wasted.

The City fans were disgusted with their £27m man’s show of selfishness. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.