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Arsenal and Liverpool are preparing for their huge game this weekend and both sides will think they’ve got what it takes to seize all three points, but the Gunners have a glaring weakness that could see the result decided in the first half an hour.

Two sides on form

Arsenal are currently enjoying a run of 13 games undefeated in all competitions as of their win over Blackpool in the League Cup on Wednesday and are looking ahead to Saturday with the aim to extend that streak to 14.

Meanwhile Liverpool are hoping to claim a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions and keep pace with league leaders Manchester City, who are currently top of the standings on goal difference.

The Gunners stayed in the top four following a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace and the Reds kept level with City on points and narrowed the goal difference margin with a 4-1 battering of Premier League new boys Cardiff last time out.

Vulnerable Arsenal

The Emirates outfit’s fantastic form is disguising some big issues; they are still error prone at the back and were lucky to come away with a point against Crystal Palace last weekend as the home side were arguably the better team for large parts of the game.

Palace hit the post early on and missed a glaring chance from close range before captain Luka Milivojevic netted a penalty on the stroke of half-time to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead going into the break.

This marked the tenth time in ten Premier League games that Arsenal have gone into the second half either down or level (eight drawing, two losing), which makes their 13 game unbeaten run seem remarkable. Liverpool meanwhile, have led on eight occasions so far. The Gunners have scored 24 goals in the league this season, a massive 18 of which have come in the second half, indicating that they don’t truly click into gear until the first 45 minutes have passed.

Comparatively, Liverpool have scored 12 first half goals, seven of which were in the first 30 minutes – Arsenal have only scored three in the first half an hour this season.

The Gunners’ defensive record also leaves a lot to be desired; they have conceded eight first half goals while the Reds have let in just one. Jurgen Klopp will be licking his lips at these stats and those watching or in attendance at the Emirates on Saturday can expect an exceptionally high-tempo approach from the visitors as they look to expose the lethargic Londoners.

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Leeds just can’t catch a break with injuries at the moment, but who should come in at right-back after Luke Ayling’s knee injury?

Leeds have just been boosted by the returns of Kemar Roofe and Pablo Hernandez, but now face two months without their starting right-back.

Ayling hurt his knee in the draw with Nottingham Forest, and the club have confirmed he will be out for around two months with an MCL injury.

The fan favourite defender suffered an injury in the same fixture last season, and it was that injury that triggered the Whites’ horrific run of form.

Marcelo Bielsa has a few options to replace Ayling on that right flank, but he has to choose the safest option to avoid a similar meltdown to last season.

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Jamie Shackleton would inject some pace and excitement into the position, and the youngster showed earlier this season that he is more than adept playing out of position as a defender.

Stuart Dallas has also shown his versatility by appearing in both full-back positions this season, but it’s fair to say fans have not been impressed by his recent displays.

Then of course there is Gaetano Berardi, who himself has been missing with an injury.

The 30-year-old had some fairly controversial lapses in discipline last season, but has been an absolute brick wall wherever he has played this season, and is therefore the safest option to play right-back when he returns.

So, Leeds fans, who do you think should take Ayling’s spot? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

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The expectations on Liverpool’s front three are extremely high given how prolific they were least season.

Therefore, it has been fair to say that the dynamic trio have not yet reached their best form collectively.

Individually, they have been getting on the scoresheet, but Roberto Firmino has had to watch his teammates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have more success in front of goal recently.

The Brazilian has scored four goals and registered two assists in 14 appearances in all competitions.

In fact, Firmino has only struck the back of the net once in his last nine outings for the Merseyside club.

The 27-year-old, who is valued at £72m by Transfermarkt, regularly has opportunities to get back to scoring ways as he is one of the first names on the teamsheet.

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However, his current form has led to questions about Jurgen Klopp’s team selection, and whether Firmino should be given a breather.

In response to a tweet from Liverpool Echo journalist James Pearce, some Liverpool fans gave their thoughts on the current situation.

Everton have reportedly been keeping tabs on Manchester United defender Chris Smalling and a move at the end of the season, when the England international is out of contract at Old Trafford, could very well be on the cards.

As reported by the Sun, Smalling is currently busy negotiating a possible extension at United, but could be tempted by a move to Everton with Marco Silva particularly keen on pinning him down. Although the Red Devils have the option of keeping Smalling for a further 12 months, Everton are set to put a proper offer in-front of him with Silva already having sent scouts to United games to monitor him.

Smalling had a lot of up and down performances so far this season but has been at the heart of a United team that has experienced similar results. The instability of the team has been blamed on a lot of individuals part of the club, but it is almost certain that the ownership would back manager José Mourinho with the necessary funds in the next two transfer markets to sign the defenders he didn’t get in the summer.

That could play a key role in Smalling’s decision making, opening the door for Silva to offer him a spot in the Everton first team. The former Watford boss has mostly opted for a centre-back pairing of Michael Keane and Kurt Zouma, while Yerry Mina made his debut on Sunday against Chelsea next to Keane.

The Toffees seem to have found their form in recent matches but would like to build a solid base for next season and the addition of Smalling could add a lot of experience for Silva to try and challenge for a European and possible Champions League spot.

With Zouma only on-loan at Everton, the chances are big that they might experience a shortage of centre-backs when next season gets underway. But with Smalling in the squad, Silva would be able to experiment as to who would be his best combination alongside Keane and Mina.

West Bromwich Albion boss Darren Moore should stick with the same tactics that got the team back to winning ways against Leeds United prior to the international break.

The Chalkboard

At the start of the season, the manager tried out a new formation by playing three at the back.

However, in recent weeks, he has reverted to a traditional back four, which served them well against Leeds.

Tosin Adarabioyo, Ahmed Hegazi, Craig Dawson and Kieran Gibbs were selected to start in what turned out to be a 4-1 victory.

The triumph ended a winless run of four games in the Championship, and it put the Baggies in contention once again for promotion.

As it stands, Moore and his team are fifth in the table, five points adrift of current leaders Norwich City.

Given how tight it is at the top, West Brom will need to get their tactics spot on against Ipswich Town this Friday in order to keep themselves in the hunt.

Check out Playmaker FC’s Tom Skinner’s unfiltered take on Wayne Rooney’s England legacy in the video below…

Three or four at the back?

There is certainly an argument for both cases, but given the success that it brought against Leeds, sticking with a foursome may be best for West Brom at this moment.

Dawson and Hegazi worked well together last season when they were partnered in central defence, and they have been solid when doing so in the current campaign.

Following the loan departure of Allan Nyom in the summer, the Baggies have been slightly weaker in the right-back department.

However, having more numbers at the back will only serve them well against the Tractor Boys on Friday.

It is a difficult decision given that Moore has tried to implement a new system, but sometimes you just have to go with what works.

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According to our recent poll, the majority of Charlton fans would support a loan move for young Chelsea left-back Juan Castillo in the January transfer window.

The Addicks are going well in League One and currently sit in sixth place after their 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers on Saturday, but there are clearly additions that manager Lee Bowyer could make in the winter window.

Bowyer recently told the South London Press & Mercury: “It is too soon to say what sort of players we will want to bring in elsewhere but we need to try to get a left-back, 100 per cent.”

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Charlton fans are clearly keen on signing Castillo though, with 67 per cent supporting a move. The 18-year-old joined Chelsea’s academy on a free transfer in the summer of 2016 after leaving the well-respected Ajax youth system, meaning he has had one of the best football educations available as he continues in the U23 squad.

An attacking full-back, Castillo has scored one goal and provided five assists in 14 games so far this season and those stats would surely impress the prolific Lyle Taylor up top. Check out the full results below.

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Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny made his first outing in red since May – when he suffered a nasty Achilles injury that saw him miss France’s World Cup winning campaign of the summer – on Monday night as he played 45 minutes for the Under 23s.

The former Lorient man was a mainstay in the Gunners line-up under Arsene Wenger, became club captain under Unai Emery in the summer, despite his injury, and has made 324 appearances for the club in all competitions – judging by the response on Twitter, the Emirates faithful cannot wait for the 33-year-old to make his 325th.

Emery has worked hard to restore a defensive security that was absent from the red and white side of north London as Wenger’s time at the helm came to a close, bringing in steel and experience at the back with the signings of Sokratis and Stephan Lichtsteiner but, so far, Rob Holding has surprisingly been the standout performer.

Whether there is still a place in the starting XI for the ageing Koscielny remains to be seen but, regardless, fans were overjoyed to see their number 6 back in action.

Playmaker FC’s Theo Ogden was at the Emirates to witness Arsenal’s qualification for the Europa League last 32. Check out his match diary in the video below…

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Liverpool needed a huge stroke of luck on Sunday as they beat local rivals Everton 1-0 in the Merseyside derby thanks to a late Divock Origi goal, and the celebrations after, as well as the atmosphere inside Anfield throughout the game, showed that the fixture is still one of the most important games of the season to fans.

It wasn’t just the fans who were buzzing though, Liverpool youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold is a born and bred Scouser and his dynamic performance proved just how much the result meant to the red half of the city.

The two sides both created plenty of goalscoring opportunities throughout the 90 minutes, with Liverpool keeper Alisson being called into action on a number of occasions, including when he was forced to make an outstanding save in reaction to Andre Gomes’ header from all of five yards.

For all the chances though the game looked to be heading for a 0-0, that was until Virgil van Dijk’s sliced volley in the sixth minute of injury time bounced twice on the top of the crossbar, before falling to Divock Origi, who headed past the helpless Jordan Pickford to win the game for the Reds.

Alexander-Arnold was the man who brought the bundle of celebrating Liverpool players over to the Kop to share the joy, and the 21-year-old had already showed just why he is loved so much by the Anfield faithful with his all-round performance.

At times, the youngster’s passing went astray, but he had 92 touches of the ball in what was his first Merseyside derby start. The England international also made two key passes and an astounding 12 crosses in the win, with his final one leading directly to the goal.

With four tackles and two clearances, it’s also clear that the youngster did not neglect his defensive duties despite the occasion, and his all-round performance will have only helped him go up in the estimations of Liverpool fans.

Jurgen Klopp has rotated the youngster in and out of the starting XI at times this season, usually in favour of moving Joe Gomez to right back to offer more defensive stability.

The boss will have been pleased with Alexander-Arnold’s performance against Everton though, as he showed he is more than good enough to start the big games.

Haven’t seen Paul Pogba’s latest strange photoshoot? You need to check out the video below…

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Arsenal had to settle for a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Wednesday despite leading twice, however, this result meant that their unbeaten run in all competitions was extended to 20 games (15W, 5D, 0L) and little beyond the slight disappointment of not leaving with all three points could dampen the Gunners fans’ mood… except for this, maybe.

In a spectacularly unattractive game, the two opposing sides somehow managed to still produce a thrilling watch as Jose Mourinho’s men held on to come away with a much needed point – Marouane Fellaini seemed keen to take more than that from the clash, however.

The big Belgian had a pretty torrid time after coming off the bench as he struggled to keep up with Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi and so he resorted to some dirty tactics to regain some advantage – as the latter looked to get away, Fellaini reached out and, getting a firm grip of the youngster’s flowing locks, pulled him back.

Many surely felt that the former Everton man should have been subject to retrospective action. However, since the referee gave a free-kick on the day without brandishing a card, there is nothing the FA can do, much to the anger of the Emirates faithful.

Find the best of the reaction on Twitter below.

Jermaine Jenas spoke exclusively to Playmaker FC about why Spurs are better than Spurs right now. Check out the video above…

No matter if you are an expert at the game or trying Career Mode for the first time, wonderkids are perfect in Fifa 19’s Career Mode.

Some are already taking the world by storm, but others are players you may never have heard of, yet have the potential to eclipse even Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Take it upon yourself to nurture their career, give them the game time they need and see a youngster go from a nobody to become the name on everyone’s lips for years to come.

You’ll be fighting clubs from around the world for their signature if you miss out on these names, so get ahead of the crowd and snap these future stars up while you can.

So who are these future world beaters? Football FanCast have scouted the globe to bring you a list of the wonderkids to buy in Fifa 19’s Career Mode, saving you the hassle of unearthing the next hidden gem.

Andriy Lunin

Age: 19

Position: GK

Overall Rating: 76

Potential Rating: 88

Growth: 12

Currently on loan at Leganes from Real Madrid, the 19-year-old is one of two young goalkeepers on the game who warrant a place in our wonderkids list.

The Ukranian signed for Madrid in the summer for €8.5 million and was immediately loaned out to get vital first team experience.

Ryan Sessegnon

Age: 18

Position: LW

Overall Rating: 75

Potential Rating: 88

Growth: 13

He may not have started his Premier League career as he would have wanted, but there is no doubt, the English left-winger has a lot of talent.

Ryan Sessegnon’s future at Fulham is uncertain, but with a potential rating of 88, surely he is worth your interest on FIFA 19.

Phil Foden

Age: 18

Position: CAM

Overall Rating: 73

Potential Rating: 88

Growth: 15

Man City midfielder Phil Foden is a promising young English player who is receiving a lot of plaudits for his performances.

In recent years there have been too many of those players who have failed to make the next step, with your guidance on FIFA 19, he could become a world beater.

Boubacar Kamara

Age: 18

Position: CB

Overall Rating: 71

Potential Rating: 88

Growth: 17

Kamara has been getting the attention of many top European clubs thanks to his impressive performances for Marseille.

The French club have a reputation of producing top talent through their youth academy and it seems the defender is another example.

Lee Kang-in

Age: 17

Position: CAM

Overall Rating: 70

Potential Rating: 88

Growth: 18

The South Korean has been in the youth set-up at Valencia since 2011 and made his first team debut in October 2018 in the Copa del Rey.

The attacking midfielder is just 17-years-old but reports from Spain suggest he is already rated as a €80 million player.

Jann-Fiete Arp

Age: 18

Position: ST

Overall Rating: 69

Potential Rating: 88

Growth: 19

The German international is currently under contract with Hamburger SV who were relegated the 2. Bundesliga last season.

Arp caught the attention of many after scoring five goals in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Riqui Puig

Age: 19

Position: CM

Overall Rating: 68

Potential Rating: 88

Growth: 20

Linked with a move to Tottenham next summer, Riqui Puig is being tipped to be Barcelona’s next big star to come from their world class youth set-up.

As you can see by his stats, the midfielder is expected to mature into a top player.

Pietro Pellegri

Age: 17

Position: ST

Overall Rating: 67

Potential Rating: 88

Growth: 21

 

Malcom

Age: 21

Position: RW

Overall Rating: 83

Potential Rating: 89

Growth: 6

Leon Bailey

Age: 21

Position: LM

Overall Rating: 82

Potential Rating: 89

Growth: 7