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Following a difficult start to the campaign for Celtic, manager Brendan Rodgers brought Filip Benkovic to Celtic Park on a season-long loan deal from Leicester City – a club the centre-back had only joined from Dinamo Zagreb earlier this summer.

With the future of Dedryck Boyata looking to be in doubt before the closure of the transfer window last month, and with the likes of Jozo Simunovic, Jack Hendry and Kristoffer Ajer looking shaky in the club’s opening fixtures in the absence of the big Belgian, it was no surprise that Rodgers moved to strengthen his backline.

The Croatia U21 international arrived in the Premier League as a highly-rated youngster, and while first-team football looked unlikely for him at the King Power Stadium this term considering he had to compete with the likes of Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Caglar Soyuncu for a place at the heart of the back four, he would have been hopeful of some regular minutes north of the border.

The tall centre-back was an unused substitute for the Old Firm derby win against Rangers last time out however, with Ajer, who was brought to Glasgow by former boss Ronny Deila in 2014, and Boyata lining up against Celtic’s fiercest rivals.

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While the former kept a clean sheet against Steven Gerrard’s side, a wobbly start to the campaign means it wouldn’t be a total surprise to see him drop out of the starting XI soon for Benkovic, who will be determined to make his mark in the Scottish Premiership and in the Europa League.

We asked Celtic fans to vote on our poll to see whether they would want Ajer to be dropped to give the Foxes loanee an opportunity, but 72% said they wouldn’t – as you can see from the results below.

Romelu Lukaku is a divided figure among the Manchester United fanbase.

In total, the striker has scored 30 goals in 55 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils.

The hitman made an immediate impression following his move from Everton last year, but consistency has been lacking.

Some fans have grown frustrated with his cumbersome nature, but others continue to back his goalscoring ability.

This week, the Premier League has been put to one side and international fixtures have taken centre-stage.

In a Nations League match against Scotland at Hampden Park, Lukaku was given the nod to start for Belgium.

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He played the first half of the encounter and opened the scoring in a 4-0 victory over the Scots.

It was not the most eye-catching of goals as it came from defensive errors from the host.

Thorgan Hazard ended up with the ball at his feet and he then played it across goal for Lukaku, who took a few touches before fumbling it into the net.

On Reddit, some United fans expressed their happiness for the striker, while others criticised his technique.

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Unai Emery has started life in the Premier League by guiding Arsenal to two victories and two defeats in the Gunners’ first four matches of the campaign. But having conceding an average of two goals per game, something needs to change in their backline.

What’s the issue?

With front men Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette starting to show their worth, attention turns to the heart of the Gunners’ defence.

Arsenal have conceded eight goals from their opening four league matches, by far the largest tally in the top half of the Premier League table.

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Whilst Unai Emery have not had an easy start to their season, with fixtures against Manchester City and Chelsea in the opening two matches, question marks have begun to arise over the centre-back partnership of Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.

With only Fulham, Huddersfield, Burnley and West Ham United leaking more goals so far this campaign, perhaps Arsenal need a new leader to command their backline.

Why Jamaal Lascelles?

Despite Newcastle United’s poor start to the 2018/19 Premier League campaign, which has seen the Rafa Benitez’s side pick up just one point, captain and centre back Jamaal Lascelles has been an important figure even if he did miss the game against Chelsea following a disagreement over which formation was best to use.

The 24-year-old centre half, who took over as skipper at St James’ Park in 2016, has made over a century of appearances for Newcastle United since joined the club from Nottingham Forest in 2014.

The dominant defender has gone from a first team outsider to one of England’s top flight centre halves in a matter of years, with many calling for Gareth Southgate to call Lascelles up to the national team.

Having faced the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City already this season, perhaps the lack of points can be somewhat excused for Benitez’s team, but the Spanish head coach will have to be wary of potential suitors come the January transfer window.

Lascelles is under contract at Newcastle until 2023, but the likely hefty transfer fee will be nothing compared to the success the natural born leader could bring to the current lacklustre Arsenal side.

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West Ham have taken their time finding their rhythm under Manuel Pellegrini, ending a four-match losing streak in the Premier League by beating Everton last weekend.

That result has eased the pressure on the Hammers but they face a difficult run of games coming up in the weeks ahead with includes clashing with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, while Sunday’s tie with Chelsea is another stern challenge.

Pellegrini is seeking to find consistency after splashing over £100m on new recruits in the summer but his side has already suffered a blow with the news that Jack Wilshere, who featured in all four of the Hammers’ opening games, will face a spell on the sidelines.

Signed on a free transfer from Arsenal, West Ham handed the England international a three-year deal despite his injury record and we asked fans whether signing the Gunners academy graduate was a mistake.

The results were close but a majority of 55% of polled supporters stated that bringing Wilshere to the club was a mistake, while 45% disagreed and clearly still believe he can be a useful asset when he returns from his latest setback.

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Rangers fans have been debating their attacking options ahead of the clash with Livingston, and the slight majority of fans want surprise sensation Glenn Middleton to keep his place on the left wing.

Steven Gerrard and Rangers did an excellent job of revamping the squad this summer, bringing in mostly young and hungry players looking to make a name for themselves.

One of the most impressive summer signings has been Liverpool loanee Ryan Kent, but fans are split on whether the winger should start on Sunday.

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The Liverpool youngster has been electric in the last few games, but the Gers’ excellent summer business means they now have multiple options in nearly every position.

Middleton, who was signed by Graeme Murty back in January, scored twice against Ayr last week, and has been sensational every time he has come off the bench this season.

55 per cent of fans want the 18 year-old to start over Kent after his brace in mid-week, and you can find the full poll results down below…

It’s no secret that Brendan Rodgers’ side has stalled somewhat this season. They’ve made a poor start to the Scottish Premier League and currently sit 5th, six points behind league leaders, Hearts. However, things aren’t all bad, only seven games have been played and 21-year-old Kieran Tierney has been keen to remind the fans that no one has ever won a league title after seven games.

Tierney will likely be starting tomorrow night in Austria when the Bhoys travel to face RB Salzburg in their second Europa League group stage match after beating Rosenborg 1-0 at Parkhead in their opener a couple of weeks back. After the clash in Europe, it’s back to domestic business for Rodgers’ team as they then face a trip to St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park in the Scottish Premier League on Sunday.

Also on Sunday, Celtic’s Old Firm rivals, Rangers will be hosting Hearts at Ibrox and it could be a great opportunity for the Bhoys to either make up ground on the league leaders or pull further away from their Glasgow rivals if they do manage a win against St Johnstone. It won’t be easy for Tierney and co but as the young defender has pointed out, it’s still early in the season and anything can happen with loads of games left to play.

You can read The Hoops’ thoughts on Tierney’s comments here:

The fans loved Tierney’s comments and will be desperate to get behind their side against RB Salzburg and St Johnstone as they aim to kick on and really start their season.

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Arsenal have become the latest European side to express an interest in highly-rated Lille talent Nicolas Pepe, according to The Mirror.

What’s the word?

Unai Emery may have got his Arsenal side ticking after enjoying seven consecutive wins across all competitions but there is still work for the Spaniard to complete in North London to get the Gunners back to the top.

Further signings are likely in January and Emery is understood to be eyeing options to bolster his attacking ranks, with The Mirror stating the Gunners are the latest European side to express an interest in Lille ace Nicolas Pepe.

The £30m-rated Ivory Coast international has caught the eye this season with impressive performances, hitting five goals in eight matches already this season, with the likes of Everton, Barcelona, Sevilla and Lyon all tracking the 23-year-old.

A good fit?

Arsenal are well stocked with attacking options through the middle, having Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Danny Welbeck to choose from, but Emery lacks options in the wide positions of his side.

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Alex Iwobi stands as the only recognised winger in the squad and, despite his improvements in recent months, the Gunners are crying out for additional recruits in this area – and Pepe may be the ideal fit for the North London side.

With five goals already this term, Pepe is on course to beat last season’s haul of 13 goals in 36 appearances and could potentially boast the sort of numbers in front of goal that Arsenal have been lacking since Alexis Sanchez’s move to Manchester United in January.

Arsenal have had a remarkable start to the season so far considering the huge amount of change at the club in the summer, as Arsene Wenger finally left his post after an incredible 22 years in charge.

The Gunners are sitting in fourth in the Premier League heading in to the international break and have won nine games on the bounce in all competitions under Spanish boss Unai Emery, who demands a higher intensity than his predecessor.

Emery made just five signings in the summer transfer window, which was probably for the best as too much change can certainly cause more harm than good, but who did Arsenal fans vote as their top three summer acquisitions? Take a look below to find out…

3. Bernd Leno

The German international goalkeeper signed for the Gunners from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £22m, but he had to wait to get his chance under Emery as veteran Petr Cech was preferred for the start of the season, despite seeming uncomfortable when playing out from the back.

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Cech’s recent hamstring injury has given Leno his opportunity though and he looks to be a solid signing who is capable of some impressive saves.

2. Matteo Guendouzi

When Arsenal announced the signing of Guendouzi from Lorient for just £7m, many would have expected the unknown 19-year-old to head into the youth setup to continue his development. However, the youngster has now made nine appearances in all competitions and has impressed Arsenal fans enough to finish second in our poll, way ahead of Leno and only just behind our eventual winner.

1. Lucas Torreira

The obvious choice here really, Torreira has looked a classy midfielder ever since Emery started introducing him slowly into the side. The Uruguayan has now made 11 appearances in all competitions and looks as though he is just as happy doing the dirty work as he is keeping play moving when the Gunners have the ball, something that Arsenal have lacked in recent years.

For Arsenal fans, if these three contribute to a top-four finish it will represent an extremely successful first season under Emery.

Check out the full results of our poll below

Arsenal have been without Laurent Koscielny for months, but it appears as though he’s finally on his way back to fitness. Arsenal recently confirmed on their official Twitter page that he’s edging closer to a return, and they shared a few images of him at the club’s training base.

The return of Koscielny will be big news for the club. The Frenchman is as solid as they come at the back, and despite their recent form, the Gunners’ defence is the weakest facet of Unai Emery’s squad. They’ve been prone to potent attacks, and though they’ve often been let off by the overall quality of their opponents in recent weeks, it’s fair to say that a big side could make Arsenal pay.

Unsurprisingly, then, many Arsenal fans are delighted at the mere sight of the French defender, and it’s clear that many of them are desperate for Koscielny to return.

Whilst that timeframe remains uncertain, it’s clearly getting ever closer.

Take a look at what they’ve had to say below…

Arsenal fans – thoughts?

Let us know below!

With the January transfer window edging closer, speculation is starting to do the rounds.

West Ham United brought in nine new faces in the summer following Manuel Pellegrini’s arrival as manager.

It is unclear how much business the East London outfit intend to do, but rumours are rumbling that they might try to re-sign Victor Moses.

According to club insider ExWHUemployee, the Hammers may enquire about a possible move for the winger following the news that Andriy Yarmolenko is set to be sidelined for six months.

The claim was made during a taping of The West Ham Way show via PhoenixFM and it has sparked a response from supporters.

Moses was influential during Antonio Conte’s reign at Chelsea as he thrived in the wing-back role.

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However, the Nigerian is now deemed surplus to requirements due to the fact that new manager Maurizio Sarri does not play the same system.

Moses already has experience playing for West Ham having spent the 2015-16 season on loan at the London club.

During that time, Moses made 26 appearances, scoring two goals and registering two assists.

For Chelsea, the winger has had 127 outings, and in that time has netted 18 goals and bagged 13 assists.

On Twitter, West Ham fans reacted to the reports, and the general feeling is one of positivity.