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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the gap between Liverpool and Manchester is too big after the Reds beat the champions 3-1 at Anfield.

What did he say?

The win for Liverpool has opened up a nine-point lead over City, and Jurgen Klopp’s men were convincing winners in the vital clash at the top on Sunday.

The home side took the lead after just six minutes through Fabinho and after Mohamed Salah doubled the lead seven minutes later, the three points never looked in doubt. Now, after such a devastating loss for Pep Guardiola’s men, Arsene Wenger believes Liverpool could have the title wrapped up already.

“First of all, to lose a big game, it is terrible and you can see the reactions from both managers [last night], how much pressure they are under and how much a game like that means,” he told beIN Sports (via The Mirror).

“Guardiola will go home and be absolutely devastated, more than you think.

“If you think of a quantity, add 100 percent to that.

“Overall, nine points is too big a difference for Man City after 12 games.”

Surely no slip-ups

This season marks the 30th year in which Liverpool have not won a top-flight title.

Ever since their 1989-90 First Division triumph, the club have had to watch their bitter rivals down the M62 pick up 17 Premier League titles between them.

The Reds have come close to breaking their duck on a few occasions, including last season and the 2013/14 campaign. In both these seasons, the 18-time champions lost out to City, with just a point separating them last season, just as two points prevented them from glory five years ago.

However, with a nine-point gap after just 12 games, surely there will be no slip-ups this time, even by Liverpool’s standards.

Things just look different now.

The 94th-minute winner against Aston Villa, the late equaliser at Old Trafford, this win over City – this is the mark of champions.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Tutto Mercato Web, Crystal Palace have sent scouts to watch Sassuolo left-back Alessandro Tripaldelli in action, while Manchester United and Southampton are also keeping tabs on the youngster.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Eagles are reportedly eyeing up the 20-year-old full-back who has quite a lot of admirers, despite making just two Serie A appearances this season.

Tripaldelli is on the radar of Sassuolo’s fellow Italian sides Fiorentina, Atalanta and Bologna, while Spanish outfits Levante and Valencia are also monitoring the youngster.

Sassuolo’s No.33 helped the Italy U20 side to fourth place at the U20 World Cup back in the summer, and he must certainly have something about him if he is being watched by sides with the pedigree of Valencia and Manchester United.

Tutto Mercato Web describe the young Italian as being “suitable for a British championship” while also mentioning his pace as a key asset of his.

Potential threat to Patrick van Aanholt

Now, while it would be far-fetched to state that a 20-year-old will arrive in England and immediately dislodge a first-teamer from his spot, context must be applied to Crystal Palace and Patrick van Aanholt’s situation if Tripaldelli did end up in south London.

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Firstly, the Eagles have just one senior left-back at the club in the shape of van Aanholt, so depth is definitely required in that area – Roy Hodgson was forced to play midfielder Jairo Riedewald there in the Carabao Cup earlier this term, something that the former England boss later apologised for.

Secondly, his poor performances must be mentioned.

The Dutchman is a liability for Palace from a defensive aspect – while he may score some important goals, he is caught out at the back far too often by opposition attackers.

His performance against Leicester a few weeks ago drew anger from some Palace fans on Twitter, a game in which his poor attempt to clear the ball led to the Foxes’ opener.

In that respect, if Palace managed to beat some big clubs to the highly-rated young left-back and he arrived at Selhurst Park, van Aanholt’s place may be under threat.

In other news, check out what these Crystal Palace fans have been saying about a teenage hat-trick hero who dazzled Andros Townsend…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Daily Mail, Juventus are keeping a close eye on Manchester United starlet Tahith Chong ahead of a potential move.

What’s the word?

The Dutchman has struggled to force himself into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans this season, and has barely featured for the first-team. Chong has managed just 24 minutes of Premier League football, and has occasionally played for the club’s academy sides, registering two goals and an assist in just two games in Premier League 2.

The 19-year-old’s existing contract with the Red Devils comes to an end when the current season finishes, and The Daily Mail claim Juventus are eyeing up a free transfer move for the teenager – similar to how they snared Paul Pogba from the Manchester side a few years prior.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The report adds the Bianconeri had representatives in attendance for when Chong scored for United’s U23s side against Stoke last Friday, and that the winger has yet to reach an agreement with the Red Devils over a potential contract extension.

A spanner in the works

Having made a huge fuss at the end of last season about how United are going to emphasise a new focus on youth, Solskjaer has frustratingly broken his promises through his use of Chong.

“The players know deep down it’s ingrained in our history and tradition. They will get a chance and they know they will get the backing from the supporters. Let’s see what we decide with these boys, but I can see most of them staying here and getting their chances next year.”

The Dutchman has had glowing words said about him, with his former U18s manager at Old Trafford, Kieran McKenna, hailing him as an “eye-catching player”.

What kind of statement would be made if United were to let Chong walk away for free, when all the talk has been about they are reviving the side with their academy graduates. The Red Devils simply cannot allow the Dutchman to make his departure at the end of the season, and so Solskjaer simply has to start placing more faith in the teenager, or risk losing him completely.

When it rains, it pours. Manchester United have had a less than stellar campaign this season, finding themselves in twelfth place in the Premier League and only two points above the relegation zone.

The Red Devils have had their fair share of injury problems this season, and ahead of a huge clash against Liverpool on Sunday, things got slightly worse for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

First-choice goalkeeper David de Gea picked up an injury on international duty with Spain, and reports have confirmed the former Atletico Madrid man will miss the game against the Reds.

In his place, deputy shot-stopper Sergio Romero is likely to take his place, and despite his lack of game-time this season (he has played just 180 minutes of football), United fans took to Twitter to throw their backing behind the 32-year-old.

Many supporters of the Manchester side insisted he is more than good enough to replace De Gea, with one fan in particular hailing him as “top-class”.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Loads of Liverpool fans have reacted angrily to Danny Mills’ bizarre take on Jurgen Klopp’s position amongst the Liverpool greats.

Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Kenny Dalglish and Rafael Benitez – the list of great Liverpool managers is so long we had trouble choosing which four to include here.

That said, there is no question in the eyes of many Reds fans that Klopp is right up there amongst those legendary names, due mainly to the transformation the club has enjoyed during his time.

The former Borussia Dortmund boss has only managed two trophies in his reign, but the Reds were a shadow of their former selves when he arrived, and are now on a 17-match Premier League winning streak having been crowned kings of Europe after back to back Champions League finals.

Somehow though, that’s not enough for certain pundits, and Danny Mills has questioned the 52 year-old’s time on Merseyside based on the number of trophies he has won.

Not only does the talkSPORT pundit quote the incorrect number of trophies, forgetting the UEFA Super Cup, he also seems to have completely forgotten where the club stood when Klopp arrived, saying: “Four years, one trophy, is that enough?”

Unsurprisingly, Liverpool fans have been left raging at the former Manchester City man’s claim, and you can see some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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

After watching England suffer a shock 2-1 defeat to the Czech Republic on Friday night, a lot of the Gareth Southgate naysayers have come out of the woodwork to criticise him for his team selection.

One decision that certainly raised the anger was playing Kieran Trippier over Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Atletico Madrid man struggled immensely against the home side’s relentless attacks, losing possession 11 times and receiving a 6.4 match rating as per SofaScore – the joint-second lowest of any England player.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Naturally, Liverpool fans after the game were up in arms over Southgate’s questionable decision to leave out Alexander-Arnold.

But in truth, the Reds faithful shouldn’t be getting themselves so worked up. The international break is a dangerous period for club managers, not least for those teams competing for the biggest honours. Injuries that happen whilst players are off on their travels with their respective countries are a sickening blow. That lack of control can be a source of frustration, and Jurgen Klopp, like many others, will be sitting at home praying his squad come back unscathed.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And in Alexander-Arnold’s case, Southgate’s decision to keep the 21-year-old on the bench would have been music to the Liverpool manager’s ears. The full-back played 40 times across all competitions last season, and has featured in every single game this campaign barring the League Cup victory over MK Dons.

The threat of physical burnout and mental exhaustion is real, and so being able to get a breather here and there is invaluable. Klopp’s men are chasing trophies on multiple fronts, and the chance to rest players is going to be few and far in-between. Southgate essentially doing that for him with Alexander-Arnold helps the Merseyside club enormously with their objectives this year.

So whilst the sentiment behind wanting to see your players represent their countries is understandable, Liverpool fans shouldn’t be too concerned with their 21-year-old missing out on Friday night.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Forest man and now EFL pundit David Prutton believes the east Midlands club can mount a serious playoff charge this season, speaking to Nottingham Post.

What’s he said?

The Reds are enjoying life under Sabri Lamouchi, who was only appointed at the end of June when Martin O’Neill surprisingly received the axe on the same day.

They sit tenth in the Championship and have gone unbeaten in their last six matches following a disappointing opening day defeat to local rivals West Brom.

Last weekend’s result against Swansea City certainly put the rest of the league on notice as they knocked the Welsh outfit off the top spot by snatching a late winner at the Liberty Stadium.

Watch Nottingham Forest Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Alfa Semedo tapped home a Lewis Grabban cross in the 85th minute to hand Forest a 1-0 away victory, which was all the more impressive as they kept a clean sheet against the side that, at the time, were the league’s highest scorers.

That result in some ways backs up Prutton’s point as he claims that the league is so competitive this year that no team will run away with it.

He said:

“It looks a pretty even league. No one looks like they can run away with it.

“It’s well balanced. Forest are well placed to push on. It won’t be lost on their fans that Derby haven’t made a good start in comparison.”

Serious contenders

The last time Forest were in the top-flight was actually Prutton’s first year as a professional footballer, even though he did not make an appearance that season.

That was some 11 years ago.

After the start they’ve had and given the arguable doubts over the random nature of Lamouchi’s appointment, they could well be a dark horse in the Championship this season.

The 47-year-old manager has chopped and changed his side on multiple occasions, utilising no more than 20 players already this season, and has needed to ride some luck to pick up a point here and there – but all the signs are there to suggest they can be serious contenders.

Just four points split them from the joint-leaders, Leeds United and Swansea, which suggests that Prutton does indeed have a point that no team is likely to run away with it.

It’s still early days, and even though Lewis Grabban has got off to a hot start scoring four goals, the likes of Joe Lolley and Joao Carvalho are yet to even get going.

Lolley registered 11 assists and just as many goals last term while the Portuguese playmaker has had to battle injury.

أكد فرج عامر رئيس نادي سموحة، أن ناديه تقدم بتظلم لدى اتحاد الكرة بشأن مستحقات محمد أبو جبل حارس مرمى الزمالك الحالي والفريق السكندري السابق.

وأقرت إدارة شئون اللاعبين بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، أحقية اللاعب محمد أبو جبل حارس الزمالك في الحصول على مبلغ قدره 900 ألف جنيه من نادي سموحة طالع التفاصيل.

وقال فرج عامر خلال مداخلة هاتفية عبر برنامج “نمبر وان” المُذاع عبر قناة “النهار”: “قدمنا تظلم في اتحاد الكرة بشأن مستحقات أبو جبل”.

تابع: “الاختلاف على مبلغ بسيط، أبو جبل لديه كل المميزات ولكن في الأمور المادية صعب جدًا، نحن معترفين بمستحقاته، ولكنها ليست القيمة المعلنة من قبل اتحاد الكرة”.

وعن طلب نادي بيراميدز التعاقد مع حسام حسن، قال: “لا أستطيع أن أقول نعم أم لا، هذا الكلام ليس مؤكد ولا استطيع أن أفصح عن أسم النادي”.

اختتم: “اللاعب حسام حسن سيكون غير متواجد في نادي سموحة الموسم المقبل، ووافقنا على بيعه مقابل 40 مليون جنيه”.

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According to Express and Star, West Brom are ready to report both Barcelona and Getafe to FIFA after failing to receive payment for transfers that occurred in July.

Forward Louie Barry rejected a new deal at the Hawthorns to join Barcelona with a £235k fee being set by FIFA, which the La Liga giants are yet to pay despite requests from the west Midlands club.

On top of that, the Catalan club announced the 16-year-old before West Brom or the Football Association could even ratify the move.

Angry Bolton fans have a message for the EFL and a warning for other clubs in the video below…

Getafe are also yet to pay West Brom after signing Allan Nyom for an undisclosed fee.

It is believed that the Baggies are now ready to turn to football’s world governing body, FIFA, in order to get what they are owed.

A number of the Albion fanbase have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the matter.

One supporter said it was unbelievable as Barcelona were lucky to even get Barry for that amount of money and wondered what they were playing at by not paying such a paltry fee.

Another fan claimed it was pocket change for the La Liga side with one more joking that they should get Lionel Messi in return.

Here’s more of the reaction:

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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…

According to France Football (via Sport Witness), Everton have identified Celta Vigo midfielder Stanislav Lobotka as a potential replacement for Idrissa Gueye, whilst Mainz’s Jean-Philippe Gbamin is also on their list of candidates.

The Toffees are reportedly looking to sign four or five players before the deadline on August 8, with Marcel Brands set to be a busy man as a right-back, winger and striker are targeted whilst the pursuit of Kurt Zouma goes on.

Amongst those four or five players being targeted by the Merseysiders is a replacement for Gueye, who joined Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth £30m on Tuesday, and it seems as if Lobotka and Gbamin are the two names on the shortlist.

Whilst Gbamin seems like a fairly decent option to replace the Senegal international, Lobotka simply cannot be considered as a replacement for Gueye as his statistics are nowhere near that of the PSG new boy’s.

For a start, Gueye recorded 4.3 tackles per game and 2.2 interceptions per game across his 33 starts in the Premier League last term, as well as 1.3 clearances per game.

Lobotka is being considered as his replacement and is naturally a defensive midfielder, but his stats are quite simply nowhere near Gueye’s.

The Slovakian averaged just one tackle per game in La Liga last season, along with 0.8 interceptions and 0.5 clearances across 31 league appearances.

Check out some amazing tekkers in the video below…

It doesn’t take a genius to realise that those numbers are substantially worse than Gueye’s from a defensive viewpoint, and that if Everton seriously view him as a potential replacement, they should probably give their heads a bit of a wobble.

Admittedly, Gueye was an excellent player in his position and few players got near his numbers – he recorded more tackles on average than any other player in the Premier League last term.

But having said that, there must be better options out there for Everton instead of the far inferior 24-year-old.

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