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Arsenal are set to wear their away kit in the north London derby against Tottenham for the first time in 38 years.

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• Arsenal set to face Spurs on Sunday in a PL fixture
• PGMOL has directed them to wear their away strip
• They last wore the away shirt against Spurs back in 1985-86

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners typically don their traditional red and white home kit when they travel crosstown to face their local rivals Tottenham. However, the home shirt's design for the 2024-25 season has not been ratified by PGMOL to wear against their derby rivals.

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  THE EXPLANATION

  According to PGMOL’s assessment, Arsenal’s current home shirt "features too much white" which could create visual confusion when Tottenham take the field in their usual white jerseys. To resolve this issue, the PGMOL ruled that Arsenal must switch to their black away kit for the match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

• WHAT ARSENAL SAID

  While Arsenal proposed a solution of pairing their home shirt with red shorts and socks, this alternative was not approved. The referee’s body stuck with its decision that the black away kit was the best option to avoid any potential kit clash.

  "The PGMOL and Premier League ruled that our 2024-25 home kit features too much white, thus clashing with Tottenham’s traditional colours, even with the option of red shorts and socks for us, which was also discussed," said Arsenal.

  "As a result, for the first time in recent 'NLD' history, we'll be wearing our change colours."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The PGMOL has also confirmed that Tottenham will wear their away kit when they travel to the Emirates Stadium for the reverse fixture in January.

  Arsenal’s decision to wear their away kit for the derby is not without historical precedent, but it has been 38 years since the Gunners last took to the pitch in anything other than their home kit for this specific match. According to Arsenal Shirt Collection, a fan resource on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the last time Arsenal wore their away colours in a north London derby was during the 1985-86 season.

West Ham United travel to Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon and David Moyes will be well aware that failing to win will end the fading chances of qualifying for a fourth successive season in European competition.

The Hammers know that, in all likelihood, they won't be continuing their sparkling continental journey next season but there is no doubt that the playing squad boasts enough firepower to maintain a position of promise in the English top flight over the coming years, despite the lingering situation surrounding Moyes' future at the London Stadium.

Moyes, 61 years old, is out of contract in a matter of weeks and after winning the Conference League last season, he has dealt with the departure of Declan Rice to Arsenal to propel his side back into the top half of the league table.

Despite this, he can't seem to shake the negativity pervading from prominent supporter circles that have made their voluble opinions known that he should part ways with the side this summer, largely down to his perceived conservative style of football.

Still, West Ham are usually well drilled, disciplined and oiled to get the job done, and given that they have already won away to Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in the Premier League this season, they will be confident Stamford Bridge can be added to the collection tomorrow.

West Ham team news

West Ham could welcome Konstantinos Mavropanos back to the matchday squad in west London after the Greek international's absence over the past three matches due to injury.

However, Sunday's game comes too soon for Nayef Aguerd, meaning veteran Angelo Ogbonna will partner captain Kurt Zouma in central defence once again if Mavropanos is not ready to play from the outset.

Chelsea might have impressed during their midweek victory over Spurs but the hosts are battling a catalogue of injury issues and Moyes might spy a chink in the armour to exploit, with the majority of his team fit and raring to go.

That doesn't mean he won't make a tweak or two though, with Chelsea's recent performance possibly giving the Scotsman food for thought when it comes to Vladimir Coufal, and whether he should start at Stamford Bridge.

Vladimir Coufal's season in numbers

Coufal has been an excellent addition to Moyes' West Ham side, joining from Czech outfit Slavia Prague in a £5m transfer in 2020 and amassing 152 appearances, supplying 20 assists for his teammates.

This season, as per Sofascore, the defender has started 33 Premier League matches and racked up seven assists, averaging 0.9 key passes, 1.8 tackles, 2.4 clearances and 3 out of 9 successful duels per game.

He might not be in the finest form right now but Coufal does have his strengths, ranking among the top 18% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 10% for clearances and the top 21% for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref.

But the 31-year-old's certain lack of mobility will impede his and his side's chances of victory at a pivotal moment and Moyes must consider dropping him.

Why West Ham must bench Vladimir Coufal

Coufal was rag-dolled when Newcastle United defeated West Ham several weeks back, branded with a 4/10 match rating by The Evening Standard's Malik Ouzia, brutally exposed by the pace and power of Anthony Gordon.

What does that tell us? It tells us a lot. Coufal has been dribbled past five times across his past two matches in the Premier League, against Crystal Palace and Liverpool, shipping seven goals during this timeframe and losing possession 31 times – 15 times against the Eagles and 16 times against Liverpool.

Chelsea are an imperfect team but they are filled with talent and have a range of tools that can inflict damage onto the Hammers. They create chances and they stretch the opposition with their wide pace and swift overloads. Coufal will suffer.

Mykhaylo Mudryk has certainly had his detractors since joining Chelsea from Shakhtar Donetsk in a £88.5m transfer back in January 2023, but he has been in promising form recently and has started six of the past seven matches in the Premier League, showcasing his skills superbly last time out.

His athleticism and breakneck speed will cause Coufal so many problems, and so Ben Johnson – who is approaching the end of his West Ham career, out of contract this summer and rumoured to be heading to Crystal Palace on a free transfer – must start in his stead.

Johnson's starting roles have arrived intermittently this season, starting only four games in the Premier League, but the 24-year-old's pace and ground-covering style make him the perfect Irons player to attempt to deal with Mudryk, who has an immense natural talent but hasn't gelled it all together with constancy at Chelsea yet.

Next West Ham manager: Who could replace David Moyes?

Julen Lopetegui appears to have taken a step closer to becoming the new Hammers boss…

By
Stephan Georgiou

May 6, 2024

While Chelsea are looking to string together some impressive late-season form, West Ham have plenty of tools to cause an upset and Johnson must be unleashed to ensure that the best chance of victory is placed.

Emi Martinez has been told that his “weird” behaviour is preventing a deserved standing among the top three keepers in world football being taken up.

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• Famed for penalty-saving record
• World Cup & Copa America winner
• Has become master of mind games

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Aston Villa and Argentina shot-stopper has shown with his performances for club and country that he should be part of that conversation. He landed the prestigious Yashin Trophy in 2023 and FIFA Best Men’s Goalkeeper award after helping the Albiceleste to World Cup glory at Qatar 2022.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Martinez has also formed part of two triumphant Copa America squads, while helping Villa to a top-four finish in the Premier League and Champions League qualification. A reputation has been earned as one the best penalty-saving goalkeepers around, but the 32-year-old’s antagonistic antics can occasionally lead to less positive headlines being made.

• WHAT DUNNE SAID

  Former Villa defender Richard Dunne – speaking in association with online bingo site, – has told GOAL when asked if Martinez is the kind of character that you want in a No.1: “You just want them to be really good! The rest of it, the antics that he gets up to, is probably taking away from how good he is as a goalkeeper. If people didn’t have the other stuff to talk about, he would probably be more talked about as being up there in the top two or three goalkeepers in the world – because he is fantastic.

  “The one thing you always want from goalkeepers is, can they make big saves and can they make them at important moments? He’s proved that he can. He’s been huge for his country and fantastic for Aston Villa. Personally I wouldn’t want them being a bit weird, I would like them to be calm and someone you can rely on and trust, but on the pitch he has been fantastic and you can’t knock him.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Dunne added on Martinez mastering mind games, which are now part of football and a way of winning by any means possible: “You wonder how impactful it is, whether he needs to do it or whether it just motivates him to get that little bit extra, thinking ‘I’ve done this to this guy so I’d better save this or I’ll look a bit stupid’. Whatever he does, he makes saves that you don’t expect and he saves penalties, winning shootouts on his own at times.

  “He’s such a big fella as well, he’s so imposing, that I’m sure he is intimidating to players coming up against him. It’s one of those things – if it works for you, keep doing it. It’s working for him, whatever he’s doing, so he just has to keep going with this style of play.”

It's been a season to forget for Manchester United this year, yet with four Premier League games left to play, there is a real chance of qualifying for Europa League football.

Erik ten Hag's side currently find themselves in eighth place, six points off Tottenham Hotspur, but with a game in hand, which just so happens to be away to the inform Crystal Palace on Monday evening.

Now, with something still to play for, most people would have the Red Devils down as favourites ahead of this clash, but with United's obscene injury list and lack of fit centre-backs, this may not be the case this time.

So, with few other options, Ten Hag should be brave and hand a promising academy gem his first league start.

Manchester United's injury crisis

It's been a long and gruelling season for plenty of Premier League clubs this year, and it's been no different for United, who have seen their star players drop out with injuries at fairly regular intervals.

The club currently have 12 players reported to be injured by the Premier League, five of whom are centre-backs. Lisandro Martínez, Victor Lindelof, Raphael Varane, Willy Kambwala, and now Harry Maguire will all have to sit out this evening's game.

However, during his press conference on Thursday, Ten Hag confirmed that Johnny Evans had just returned to first-team training, meaning that he could feature against the Eagles.

Nonetheless, considering his lack of recent game time and the fact that starting him too soon could see him injure himself yet again, it might be better to keep him on the bench tonight.

Therefore, unless the Dutchman wants to start another player out of position alongside Casemiro at Selhurst Park, his best option is to hand a golden opportunity to one of the club's most exciting academy stars.

Why Ten Hag should start Louis Jackson

The youngster who should be given the chance to fill in for the recently injured Maguire is 18-year-old Louis Jackson.

The Oldham-born centre-back has been with the Red Devils for several years now and became the youngest player to start for the U23 side in 2022 when he made the jump at just 15 years old.

Despite being so young, the talented defender has already racked up an impressive number of appearances for the club's various youth sides and has even made it onto the first-team bench on three occasions this year, highlighting both his rapid development and the club's perilous injury situation at the back.

Now, there is certainly an argument that throwing the Scottish youth international in at the deep end tonight would be a bad idea for his development, but considering how well he has adapted to the various age groups at youth level and the lack of options Ten Hag has at his disposal, it might be time to throw caution to the wind.

Moreover, while Casemiro is not a natural centre-back, he is an extraordinarily experienced professional, and having him be the player Jackson makes his debut alongside can only do him good.

Lastly, while United are a club that should always expect to win, the circumstances around this game and the season as a whole mean that if they do end up coming away from Selhurst Park with no points in hand, fans are unlikely to go in too hard on the youngster, and as they always say, 'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. '

Ratcliffe could solve Man Utd's Sancho problem with "magic" £60m phenom

The incredible talent could be the prefect player to replace the exiled Englishman.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 3, 2024

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal is being billed as another Lionel Messi, and fellow academy graduate Isaac Cuenca says those “comparisons are fair”.

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• Senior breakthrough at the age of 15
• Has rewritten the history books
• Treading similar path to all-time great

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Yamal made his senior breakthrough with Barca at 15 years of age, allowing him to rewrite the record books. History has continued to be made from that point with club and country – as a European Championship crown was claimed with Spain the day after his 17th birthday.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Obvious comparisons with Blaugrana legend and one-time La Masia starlet Messi have been made, with Yamal considered by many to be treading a similar career path. The youngster has been quick to distance himself from that discussion, but those that have seen him play are happy to talk up the hottest of prospects.

• WHAT CUENCA SAID

  Cuenca, who is now technical director of the Aitana Bonmati campus at Barca, has told of how he was swept up in the Yamal hype: “Well, I have a very interesting anecdote. If you want, I can share it. Since we’re here. I was at home, and my nephew kept talking about Lamine Yamal because he heard about him at school, and my daughter too. I hadn’t seen him play yet, and it happens a lot that people say many young players are coming up, and they make all these comparisons between one and another, but I didn’t pay much attention. We’ve all been compared to stars, and in the end, some make it further than others.

  “In Lamine Yamal’s case, I spoke with Xavi to go see a Barca training session. Xavi opened the doors for me, and I went to watch him. I said: ‘Okay, this is something else’. The comparisons are fair. He’s a very good player with a lot of potential.” At just sixteen years old, what he’s doing, what he did in the Euros with Spain, there’s not much more to say. Now what’s left for him is to enjoy, keep progressing, and, above all, for Barça to take care of him, keep him, and we’ll see what happens in a few years.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Yamal, who has already been among the goals for Barca this season, is up to 54 appearances for the Liga giants and 14 for Spain. He is expected to follow in Messi’s illustrious footsteps by competing for future Golden Boy and Ballon d’Or honours.

Leeds United would be willing to let Raphinha leave the Yorkshire club during the current summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

In a recent post on Twitter by Fabrizio Romano, the journalist and transfer insider had this to say on the Brazilian’s current situation at Thorp Arch.

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He said: “Leeds United have been pretty clear with all clubs interested in Raphinha: he can leave but they want at least £65m fee. Arsenal after first bid rejected, Spurs after new direct talks, Chelsea after contact through [Todd] Boehly… and Barca via Deco, got the same message.”

Leeds signed the attacker back in October 2020 on a four-year deal from Rennes worth £17m.

Bad news for Leeds fans

It didn’t take long for the 25-year-old to become a pivotal player for the Whites as he scored six goals and delivered eight assists in 29 Premier League appearances throughout his debut season.

His previous campaign also showed just how important he is for the Yorkshire club having found the net 11 times and supplied three assists, leaving him with more goal contribution than any other player in the squad.

With that in mind, it’s safe to say that without the winger in their ranks, Leeds could well have been relegated from the Premier League last season.

This not only shows why so many clubs in the top flight are looking to snatch him away from Elland Road but also why it’d be such a blow for the club and the fans to lose him this summer.

Given everything he’s done for the club since his arrival and his clear talent and ability to play in the Premier League at a high level, it makes sense for the Whites to command a hefty transfer fee for him.

Should they end up selling the Brazil international this summer for around the apparent £65m fee, they would have to make sure that money is used to bring in a suitable replacement for the winger so the team doesn’t suffer as a result of his absence.

Moving forward, having already rejected a bid from Arsenal, it’ll be interesting to see if any other offers come in and if they will be tempting enough for Leeds to sell their star man.

AND in other news: Victor Orta now plotting Leeds bid for “beautiful” £26m target, he “has everything”

According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Takumi Minamino plans to leave Liverpool this summer and talks have been initiated with three suitors.

The Lowdown: Bit-part player

The 27-year-old first arrived in the Premier League when he joined the Merseyside outfit from Red Bull Salzburg back in 2019, where he’s made 55 appearances to date.

Despite still having two years remaining on his contract at Anfield, the Japanese maestro has struggled for game time under Jurgen Klopp this season, having only played 179 minutes of top-flight football, something which has seen him being linked with a move away from the club in recent weeks.

Following a fresh update, it now looks highly likely that the forward’s time with the Reds will be coming to an end in the weeks ahead.

The Latest: Romano shares Minamino exit talks

In a new post on his personal Twitter account, Romano revealed that Minamino is in ‘talks’ with potential suitors and is currently considering his options. He wrote:

“Takumi Minamino will leave Liverpool this summer, plan hasn’t changed. Three clubs have opened talks to explore potential permanent move – Minamino’s gonna decide soon.

“Price tag for Minamino deal will be around €17m (£14.7m).”

The Verdict: Right time to go

Minamino considerably fell down the pecking order under Klopp throughout the 2021/22 campaign, and with the new arrival of Fabio Carvalho in the same position, it’s now even more likely that he’ll struggle for minutes.

Even though the 41-cap international only clocked up a total of 24 outings across all competitions for the Reds, he still managed to provide 11 goal contributions, as per Transfermarkt, showing that he would be the perfect addition to another team’s starting XI, just not Liverpool’s at this moment in time.

The Osaka-born talent is definitely making the right choice in leaving, where he will hopefully be able to revive his playing career and look back on a trophy-laden time at Anfield.

In other news… one pundit has backed a Liverpool star to make a shock move to a Premier League rival this summer.

An update has emerged on Rangers and their interest in bringing in a new defender to Ibrox during the upcoming summer transfer window… 

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Gers are plotting a move for left-back Josh Tymon as Ross Wilson attempts to bolster the squad ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report claims that Stoke are set to demand a fee of £5m for the full-back and this means that the Light Blues, without any sales, will need to qualify for the Champions League group stages in order to afford a deal.

Gio van Bronckhorst would love him

The Ibrox head coach will be hoping that Wilson can now seal a swoop for the defender, one way or another, as he would love to have him in Glasgow next season.

Tymon enjoyed an impressive campaign in the English Championship with Stoke as he caught the eye down the left flank with his attacking play from full-back.

He showcased both his quality and durability throughout the season as he started 44 of their 46 league matches and averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.80.

Potters boss Michael O’Neill heaped praise on the left-back after he put pen to paper on a fresh contract last year, saying: “Josh is still a young professional but he has a great attitude. He works incredibly hard in training, has a real willingness to learn and has been one of our most consistent performers so far this season.

“He richly deserves a new contract and I’m delighted he’s going to be part of our plans moving forward.”

These comments from the Stoke manager suggest that van Bronckhorst would enjoy working with Tymon. The English enforcer is seemingly keen to improve himself on the training pitch and this means that he can be a dream for the Dutchman to work next season.

He can also be a player the Gers boss loves to have in his team because of his creativity from left-back. In the 2021/22 campaign, the 23-year-old created a whopping 14 ‘big chances’ and 1.2 chances per game as he regularly provided a big threat from out wide.

Borna Barisic, meanwhile, created three ‘big chances’ in 23 Premiership outings. This suggests that the Stoke man can come in to offer a higher level of quality in his deliveries into the box from left-back and van Bronckhorst would surely love to have him as an option to call upon.

AND in other news, GvB can find dream Bassey heir by unleashing 20 y/o Rangers gem who has a “big future”…

Leeds United officials Victor Orta and Angus Kinnear have been spotted in New York, just over five miles away from the stadium of a rumoured summer transfer target.

The Lowdown: Valentin Castellanos links

The Whites have made a start on their summer business after guaranteeing another season of Premier League football by signing Brenden Aaronson.

Rasmus Kristensen now appears to be the next potential arrival from FC Salzburg, with Leeds also after a striker.

New York City FC forward Valentin Castellanos could be that forward addition at Elland Road, with journalist Dean Jones recently labelling it as one to watch.

Castellanos, described as a ‘quality player’ and even dubbed the ‘new Didier Drogba’, can also play on the wing and has contributed to 76 goals in 126 games for the MLS side.

The Latest: Orta and Kinnear spotted

Orta and Kinnear were snapped alongside Leeds director Massimo Marinelli at Quality Meats Steakhouse on Central Park – just 5.6 miles away from New York City’s Yankee Stadium.

Marinelli uploaded the image of the three on Tuesday evening on his private Instagram account, which was shared by @LUFCBayArea on Twitter.

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The Verdict: Move possible?

Leeds fans quite often go into investigator mode whenever a player is linked – with the most recent example coming with Aaronson’s flight to England even being tracked across the channel.

We’ve saves supporters the work this time to show that Orta and Kinnear may well have been in New York to see Marinelli and work on a move for Castellanos.

The 23-year-old has enjoyed a fine 2021/22 season, contributing to 16 goals in 17 games, so a transfer could indeed be one to watch closely over the coming days.

In other news: After Kristensen: Radz & 49ers now ready to write Leeds cheque for ‘really exciting’ midfielder. 

The Daily Mail have now shared an interesting Tottenham Hotspur transfer update involving Wolverhampton Wanderers forward and current Barcelona loanee Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye January move…

The Spaniard was a serious Premier League transfer target for Spurs in the winter window, as backed by reliable sources like The Athletic, who revealed that manager Antonio Conte was eyeing him as a makeshift right-wing-back option.

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GiveMeSport even shared news that a move was very close at one point with both the Lilywhites and Traore’s representatives shaking hands on personal terms and agreeing to make him the club’s fourth-highest earner.

However, when the Catalans swooped in late-on, Tottenham’s plans were scuppered and Conte was left without a new-and-improved wing-back signing.

The Latest: Mail share interesting update…

The Mail, sharing news after Conte held crunch transfer talks with sporting director Fabio Paratici in Italy on Friday, now say that Traore has re-emerged as a target for Spurs.

Indeed, according to reliable reporter Mokbel, writing for the outlet, Tottenham’s boss has seemingly set his sights on a former flame.

The Verdict: Move on?

We believe, with some serious work, Traore could still be an asset for Conte as a makeshift attacking option on the right side of his defence – particularly considering he averaged a phenomenal 4.2 dribbles per 90 for Wolves before joining Barca (WhoScored).

It’s clear, when at his very best, the 26-year-old can be an extreme threat from out wide and members of the media seem to agree having watched him in England regularly.

Journalist Pete O’Rourke, commenting on the links to Spurs in January, raved over the ‘absolute world-beater’ who ‘nobody can stop’ with his pace and power.

Depending on Wolves’ asking price, it could well be a move Conte should consider.

In other news: Conte could see ‘one of the best in the world’ join Spurs after behind-scenes demand! Find out more here.