Among all the surprising developments at West Bromwich Albion this season, little attention’s been given to their academy’s terrific work.

Some amazing young talents are rising through the ranks, with Louie Barry looking the likeliest to make the biggest impact in the near future.

The 15-year-old, who rose up the ranks after scoring 10 goals in five games for England U-15’s in a tournament last year, has been impressive with his goal-scoring continuity in the youth team, making waves. Excitingly, he’s shined for the Baggies in youth level, scoring quite a few goals in the U-18 divisions. Barry recently bagged a goal against Liverpool’s U-18 and also scored a brace for England U-16’s last month, looking like one of the most exciting things to come out of the Hawthorns in years.

Barry’s fantastic goal-scoring record’s gained a lot of attention, with La Liga giants Barcelona keen on signing him (via Express and Star). He’s that good. Well, at least he could be.

The striker’s sharp work in front of goal and stunning development has impressed those at the Camp Nou, surely a sense of pride for those working behind the scenes in the Midlands.

However, the Baggies cannot allow their unearthed gem to leave this soon.

He’s doing a great job under Mike Scott’s guidance, slowly turning into a promising striker who looks primed to break into West Brom’s team in a couple of years. After witnessing academy stars Rakeem Harper and Kyle Edwards’ great work, Barry could be the next big thing for the Baggies, helping propel the team forward.

Clearly, things have gone stale at the club in recent years, leading to their eventual relegation from the Premier League, so they must look to the future to start a new project, one capable of keeping the club in the top tier for a prolonged period of time.

If West Brom are serious in proving themselves are more than mere talent feeders for other clubs, they need to keep Barry with them. The brilliant wonderkid has a bright future ahead of him and can take them to new heights once he comes of age.

Baggies fans, do you think Barry should be preserved for future success? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

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Tottenham Hotspur secured the first-leg Champions League quarter-final win they would have been desperate for after Son Heung-Min’s late goal saw them beat Manchester City 1-0 in north London on Tuesday night.

Spurs welcomed the Premier League champions to the capital in a much-anticipated European tie, and they certainly had Hugo Lloris to thank for keeping the scoreline level early on as he saved Sergio Aguero’s penalty.

With the game seemingly heading for a goalless draw, Son then stepped up to the plate with a neat finish on a special night in Tottenham’s new stadium, but the victory wasn’t without its negatives.

Harry Kane injury

Let’s start with the obvious one.

The England captain launched into a needless tackle with City’s Fabian Delph on the touchline in the second half and instantly reached for his ankle, limping down the tunnel and never returning.

Mauricio Pochettino suggested post-match that the news wasn’t good and with Spurs chasing a top-four finish in the Premier League and looking to advance through to the semi-finals of the Champions League, this is the last news they needed.

Not a big enough advantage

Without Kane next week in the return leg Tottenham ideally needed a bigger advantage against a City side that are so strong at home, but they didn’t get it.

At least they do have one, but it is difficult to see 1-0 being enough against Pep Guardiola’s men given they boast the likes of Aguero, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane – to name but a few – in their attack.

The last time Spurs visited the Etihad in 2017 they were beaten 4-1, and they will have to perform much better than that if they want to get the result they need to progress to the last four of Europe’s elite club competition.

Check out the latest hilarious video by 442oons in the video below…

They may have got the victory, but they have still left themselves with an uphill task.

Eriksen and Alli must improve

If Kane is to miss the rest of the season, then Pochettino and Tottenham need these two to really be at their best in the next few weeks.

Yes they had their fair share of neat touches here and there on Tuesday, but Dele Alli only put in a performance where he almost got things right.

That can’t be the case next week at the Etihad or in the Premier League, and it is the same story for Christian Eriksen.

The Dane may have provided the assist for Son’s goal, produced some decent passes and got through a lot of running, but he also wasted a lot of opportunities when in possession and didn’t have that sharpness when in space on other occasions.

A big improvement from the duo is a necessity if Tottenham are to achieve their goals this term.

حدد مدافع نادي ليفربول الأسبق، جيمي كاراجر، البديل المناسب لتعويض غياب فيرجيل فان دايك عن صفوف بطل الدوري الإنجليزي لفترة طويلة.

وتعرض فان دايك لإصابة في أربطة الركبة اليسرى خلال مباراة إيفرتون الماضية على ملعب “جوديسون بارك”، بعد تدخل قوي من طرف حارس الفريق المنافس، جوردان بيكفورد.

ووجه كاراجر نصيحة لإدارة ليفربول بسرعة التحرك من أجل تعويض فان دايك الذي سيستمر غيابه تقريبًا حتى نهاية الموسم الحالي وهو ما قد يقلل من فرص الفريق بمنافسة على البطولات نظرًا لأهمية المدافع الهولندي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. لامبارد يُعلق على إصابة فان دايك مع ليفربول

ووضح جيمي وجهة نظره في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الكتالونية، وقال: “صفقتنا الكبيرة في الصيف المقبل كانت تجب أن تكون في خط الدفاع”.

وتابع: “لكن بسبب الوضع الحالي بعد إصابة فان دايك، على النادي تقديم موعدها إلى الميركاتو الشتوي في 1 يناير”.

وأضاف في النهاية: “هناك لاعب اسمه أوباميكانو، ربما ليس بنفس مستوى فان دايك ولكن إذا كان ليفربول يحتاج لاعب مثله عليهم بدفع شرطه الجزائي ويحضرونه إلى أنفيلد”.

ويلعب دايوت أوباميكانو في الوقت الحالي ضمن صفوف نادي لايبزيج في الدوري الألماني، ويقدم مستويات فنية مميزة جعلته ينضم أكثر من مرة لمنتخب فرنسا في الآونة الأخيرة.

Sheffield Wednesday full-back, Liam Palmer is in line to make his debut for Scotland in Kazakhstan on Thursday — seven years after last pulling on his national side’s under-21 jersey.

Palmer has been in brilliant form for the Owls, and has played every minute of Championship football for the side since the arrival of Steve Bruce.

Speaking to the Sheffield Star, the defender said his thoughts would be firmly on his late grandmother, if he gets the nod tomorrow, and it is through her Lanarkshire roots that the 27-year-old is eligible to represent Scotland.

Referring to her influence on him, he said: “My nan was a massive part of my life. She lived on the road opposite the school I went to as a little boy so every day after school I went there until my mum finished work.

“She loved football and she loved sport. If I had a game for the school she used to walk up the road and come and watch and then get me some food after and things like that.

“She never saw me play for the Scotland youth teams. She passed away just before that. My family on my mum’s side are all obviously really proud and she would have been really proud as well.

“I will definitely think of her. It was a shame towards the end. I went every day to visit her in intensive care. But it would be a great moment if I did make my debut.”

Like the rest of the Sheffield Wednesday side, Palmer has had a resurgence of confidence in the current unbeaten run that the Owls find themselves on and topping it all off with a Scotland cap is thoroughly deserved for the hard-working former academy graduate.

That Wednesday players are being recognised for their scintillating form in the Championship is thanks to the Bruce effect, but the Geordie manager will be hoping that his right back comes through the international break unscathed with such an important stretch of games ahead.

What do you think of your latest international player Wednesday fans? Join in the debate below…

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Everton fans on Twitter have been busy lauding Dominic Calvert-Lewin for his tireless performance against Arsenal, as the Toffees managed to grab an impressive 1-0 win, with some even comparing him to Goodison Park icons Graeme Sharp and Duncan Ferguson.

The academy graduate did not stop running all game, and gave Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis a torrid time at the back throughout the entire match.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Calvert-Lewin – who Transfermarkt value at £13.5million – got the assist for Phil Jagielka’s early goal, and didn’t give the Gunners backline a moment to settle as Everton looked to stretch their defence by using the 22-year-old’s pace and athleticism to full effect.

The England Under-21 star is gradually getting better and better with every passing week, and is proving to be an excellent option for Marco Silva up top due to all the hard work he puts in – his tally of six league goals could be improved upon, however.

It seems unlikely that the Merseysiders would’ve recorded their third straight win without Calvert-Lewin playing as well as he did, so let’s see what the Toffees fanbase on Twitter have been saying about the youngster…

يلتقي فريق بايرن ميونخ الألماني مع نظيره أتلتيكو مدريد الإسباني مساء اليوم الأربعاء في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويستضيف ملعب الأليانز آرينا مباراة الفريقين، في الجولة الأولى من دور مجموعات دوري الأبطال.

وكان بايرن ميونخ قد فاز بلقب النسخة الماضية من البطولة، على حساب باريس سان جيرمان.

ويفتقد بايرن ميونج خدمات النجم سيرجي جنابري بسبب إصابته بفيروس كورونا (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا). موعد مباراة بايرن ميونخ وأتلتيكو مدريد

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، العاشرة بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة بايرن ميونخ وأتلتيكو مدريد

تُذاع المباراة عبر قناة bein sports hd3 . معلق مباراة بايرن ميونخ وأتلتيكو مدريد

يعلق حفيظ دراجي على أحداث المباراة. تشكيل بايرن ميونخ المتوقع أمام أتلتيكو مدريد

حراسة المرمى: نوير.

خط الدفاع: زوله، بافارد، ألابا، هيرنانديز.

خط الوسط: توليسو، جورتيسكا، دوجلاس كوستا.

خط الهجوم: مولر، كومان، ليفاندوفسكي. تشكيل أتلتيكو مدريد المتوقع أمام بايرن ميونخ

حراسة المرمى: أوبلاك.

خط الدفاع: سافيتش، فيليبي، تريبير، لودي.

خط الوسط: توريرا، لورينتي، كوكي.

خط الهجوم: فيليكس، لويس سواريز، كاراسكو.

يمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنا.

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Liverpool fans on Twitter have been busy debating the failed swoop for Nabil Fekir from back in the summer, with the main topic of conversation being whether or not the club made the right decision in backing out of the deal.

The France international was on the verge of becoming a Liverpool player, before an issue concerning his knee arose after the medical had already taken place – as a result, the Reds pulled out of the £53m deal amid doubts over Fekir’s medical results.

Has Alisson been Liverpool’s most important signing of the season? Check out the video below to find out why Jurgen Klopp thinks so…

After Philippe Coutinho had departed the club, the Lyon midfielder was seen as the Brazilian’s replacement and the man to add some much needed creativity to Jurgen Klopp’s midfield, only for no other similar type of player to arrive through the door.

This lack of creativity is still evident in the team even now, which has sparked the debate amongst Liverpool supporters as to whether or not the club were right in avoiding the risk. The majority appear to be in support of the eventual decision…

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Tottenham Hotspur attacker Heung-min Son captained North Korea to a 1-0 win over Bolivia in an international friendly on Friday.

The game with Bolivia earned Son his 76th cap, contributing 23 goals and 12 assists for his nation.

He is very much the main man for his country, whilst the 26-year-old is enjoying a wonderful campaign for Tottenham, who he joined from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015.

Indeed, the attacker has managed 16 goals and nine assists in 37 appearances for his Premier League club in all competitions this term.

It would be fair to say that the Spurs supporters absolutely love Son and many took to social media to hail the 6 ft ace following his country’s win.

Indeed, Tottenham’s official Twitter account drew attention to the fact that Son had been in action for North Korea, which sparked a positive response from the London club’s fans.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Marcelo Bielsa is the key to unlocking big name signings this summer – they just need to complete the small task of securing promotion.

We are at the business end of the season now and all hands are on deck at Leeds United as they fight alongside Norwich City and Sheffield United for the automatic promotion spots.

Indeed, this is usually an exciting period for fans – the run-in into the transfer window – the excitement of the rumour mill linking exotic names from far and wide – the faces of potential stars who could light up a club’s season, superimposed into our favourite kits in our imaginations.

Leeds United have sadly not been able to enjoy this pleasure. In fact, they have been able to enjoy scant little recently for the anxiety of missing out on the Premier League again is so strong.

But gossip is still flying, and according to reports from Italian outlet Tutto Mercato, PSV Eindhoven’s highly-rated youngster Justin Lonwijk could be one of the first signatures to join Elland Road next season.

The 19-year-old has an impressive record playing for the Dutch club’s under-21 team, where he has made 24 appearances and scored six goals this season, following equally admirable stints at under-19 level, scoring 20 times in 50 appearances, respectively.

With his contract set to expire this summer, there is every chance that the player’s agent has artificially generated interest to improve his client’s current deal at PSV – as they so often do nowadays.

Eintracht Frankfurt and AS Roma are also said to be interested in the player, so Bielsa faces some tough competition if Lonwijk’s availability is legitimate.

Leeds United fans, how you do you see the rest of your season going? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Newcastle United have all but secured their Premier League safety for another season and they have done it thanks to Rafa Benitez and his 3-4-2-1 formation.

On the Charlkboard

As part of Benitez’s change in tactic, Matt Ritchie has been converted into a wing-back and Ayoze Perez and Miguel Almiron have been deployed as wide attackers.

Florian Lejeune’s injury has led to Paul Dummet playing as part of the back three, but he’s not as comfortable on the ball as the Frenchman and, though he is very solid defensively, Newcastle rely solely on Fabian Schar to play-from-the-back.

Almiron is Newcastle’s record signing after joining from Atlanta in January.

He has made an impact on how the Toon attack but he is yet to score or assist.

This could be down to the fact the Paraguayan is playing out-wide despite the fact he is primarily a number ten.

For Atlanta he scored 13 goals and registered 11 assists playing in-behind Josef Martinez.

Almiron has certainly made the Magpies more dangerous, as can be seen by his 1.3 key passes per game and expected assists of 1.38, but a change of formation may be needed to truly utilise his star quality.

How to rectify the problem

The Magpies should consider switching back to 4-2-3-1.

Perez could move to the left and Ritchie to the right, allowing both to cut inside and feed Almiron, who could use his electric pace through the middle to penetrate the opposition.

Also, allowing him to play behind Rondon would give him the chance to feed off the big man’s knock downs and, considering he has won 127 aerial duels this year, the 25-year-old would have a lot to feed off.

Finally, playing Almiron as a number ten would allow him to play in-between the midfield and the defence, finding pockets of space to work in where his skill and technique would create openings for Newcastle’s other forward players and hopefully give Almiron his first goal and assist in English football.