For an established manager coming into a new League, Unai Emery has had a fairly typical first season as of yet. He is trying to mould players into his philosophy, which takes time, as well as realising who just won’t fit ahead of next season.

One of those players, unfortunately, is Petr Cech. The 36-year-old has been a fantastic servant for Arsenal, but adapting to Emery’s ideologies has not been easy as although he has remarkable goalkeeping abilities, he is not very accomplished with the ball at his feet, which has meant he has struggled at times this season.

Just over a month ago, Cech announced he will be retiring at the end of the season and that he will call time on his phenomenal career. This obviously leaves the number two ‘keeper spot free for next season and it should be someone who can truly challenge Bernd Leno.

The Sun have reported Arsenal could move for out-of-favour Burnley ‘keeper Nick Pope. However, if they do not, here are two options they should consider…

Fernando Pacheco

This is a name which will not be renown in England, but it is certainly being banded about in Spain in high-regard.

Pacheco is Alaves’ number one, who are currently sixth in La Liga and his form is one of the reasons that the side find themselves at such a position in the division.

The 26-year-old is an athletic shot-stopper and adept with the ball at his feet. He has the exact qualities needed to play in Emery’s system and could certainly challenge Leno in the process.

Emiliano Martinez

Martinez was brought to Reading on loan from Arsenal by new boss Jose Manuel Gomes in January and he has started their past five games, in which the Royals have only lost once.

If he can continue his solid form for Reading and potentially help to push them out of the relegation zone, albeit a tough ask, he should certainly be considered for the number two spot next season and to put the pressure on Leno to deliver in his performances.

If anyone ever doubted the commitment or desire of Rafa Benitez’s group of players, then it was definitely put to bed on Tuesday evening after Newcastle United recorded a famous win over Manchester City.

Having not beaten the Citizens in any of the previous 22 encounters between the two teams, not many would’ve given the Magpies their backing to change that record.

And when Sergio Aguero found the back of the net after only 26 seconds, St. James’ Park started to fear for the worst.

But, the manner in which Benitez got his team together, with the on-field performances of some of the club’s senior players, Newcastle United proved to the rest of the Premier League just exactly what they are able to achieve as a group.

Goals by Salomon Rondon and Matt Ritchie saw the North East club take a surprising lead against Pep Guardiola’s men who couldn’t afford to drop points in their title challenge with Liverpool.

And it is not often that an underpressure Guardiola loses in that manner to a club who are fighting to avoid relegation.

The victory, however, was a symbol of what Newcastle United believe they can achieve and with the right backing of their owner Mike Ashley, these are the type of results the fans are desperate to see on a more consistent basis.

It was also fitting that the win over City came on the day where it was all but confirmed that the club would break its transfer record for MLS star Miguel Almiron.

The win should also provide Benitez and his squad with the belief and discipline to see out the rest of the season and remain in the Premier League for next season.

Ashley, on the other hand, should see the victory over City as what can be achieved if he provides the manager with the players he need in order for Newcastle to grow as a club.

But in general, the victory showed to everyone the fighting spirit that is within the team and why this club should competing in the Premier League.

أكد محمد الخولي نائب رئيس النادي المصري على تطور أزمة اللاعب البوركيني سعيد سيمبوري مع الفريق بعد السفر إلى بلاده وإنقطاعه عن التدريبات.

وقال الخولي خلال مداخلة ببرنامج “وان تو” عبر أثير “أون سبورت إف إم”: “هذا اللاعب فعلنا معه كل شئ سواء بالود أو باللوائح وأشخاص كثيرون تدخلوا في الأمر لكن للأسف انا أرى أن الأمور ستطور إلى الاتحاد الدولي”

وأضاف: “كان يقول أن لديه مشكلة فنية مع طارق العشري وحاولنا إقناعه بأن هذا هو المدير الفني ويجب الإنصات لتعليماته، ولكن بعد أن ترك الأخير قيادة الفريق طلبنا من اللاعب البوركيني التواجد وآخر فرصة له اليوم وإلا سنشكوه للاتحاد الدولي، هو الآن في بوركينا فاسو ومنقطع عن التدريبات”.

وواصل: “المصري تعرض لظروف صعبة الفترة الماضية بسبب أزمة فيروس كورونا، الحمد للع تخطينا هذه المرحلة ونريد أن ننساها ونبدأ خطوة جديدة مع علي ماهر المدير الفني الجديد”

وأتم: “علي ماهر يعمل بشكل جيد ونحن كمجلس إدارة وفرنا له كل سبل الاستقرار التي يحتاجها، هو رجل منظم ويعرف ماذا سوف يفعل بالتأكيد، نعم أن هذا ليس مركز المصري الطبيعي ولكن جميعا نثق في اللاعبين والجهاز الفني على تخطي المرحلة الصعبة”.

One journalist believes a key member of the Leeds United squad could come under fire if things do not change quickly for him.

Joe Urquhart, who works for The Yorkshire Evening Post, has revealed that Luke Ayling appears to be struggling to cope with the demands that Marcelo Bielsa has in place on the Inside Elland Road Podcast (20:17).

The journalist stated that the 27-year-old had trouble getting into the flow of the game against Norwich City last weekend and had to take an extra couple of touches on the ball that would have displeased the Argentine boss.

Although he expects Ayling to play against Middlesbrough on Saturday, Urquhart did suggest that it would not be a surprise to see him dropped if he did not improve.

“Saturday’s game was the most evident it’s been that Ayling was struggling to get into the flow of what Bielsa is demanding from him,” he said.

“Every time he got the ball, he had a couple of extra touches. He seemed to slow everything down and that helped Norwich get back in numbers.

“I don’t see him dropping Ayling this weekend, but there is definitely something going on there. If he continues this form, there is certainly a discussion to be had.”

The Verdict:

Ayling has had a difficult season so far as he had to miss a large portion of it through injury, however, he has been a mainstay in the team when fit.

The right-back was playing some of his best football prior to that knee injury, but it appears to have taken its toll on the 27-year-old who has not looked as solid as everyone knows he can be.

With Bielsa not one to hold back from making the changes necessary, if things do not improve for Ayling performance wise, it would not be a surprise to see him out of the team for a little while.

Leeds fans – thoughts?

Leeds are interested in signing Liverpool prodigy Harry Wilson if they achieve promotion to the Premier League this season, as reported by Alan Nixon of The Sun.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Reds’ young sensation has spent the current campaign out on loan at Derby, where he has scored 12 goals and recorded two assists to cement himself as one of the Championship’s most eye-catching attackers – his dead ball expertise has also been noticeable this season.

Wilson may personally feel he has done enough to be drafted into Jurgen Klopp’s plans for next season, but Leeds are keen to test the Reds’ resolve with a move for their young asset having missed out on Swansea winger Dan James in January.

The Wales forward has also starred under Ryan Giggs at international level, scoring twice in eight appearances for his country.

Dan James move abandoned?

Leeds came extremely close to securing the signing of Swansea winger Dan James back in January, before the Swans pulled the plug on the deal at the eleventh hour.

The move was reportedly set to cost the club a fee of around £10m in total, which would’ve been a real statement of intent but perhaps a risky move given the fact that the 21-year-old is currently embarking on just his first season in senior football.

A move for Wilson would be a much cheaper option, and in fact, one that comes with less question marks surrounding it given Wilson is the more proven player out of the two – the on-loan Derby star has now impressed in consecutive Championship campaigns, scoring seven and assisting three in just 11 starts with Hull last season.

It has recently been reported that Swansea are now in talks with James over a new contract, so perhaps Leeds’ move for Wilson signals that any chances of a deal for James could now be dead in the water.

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Sheffield Wednesday held their bitter rivals Sheffield United to a draw in the Steel City derby at Hillsborough on Monday night. The goalless stalemate was a better result for the hosts than it was the Blades, as Chris Wilder’s side missed an opportunity to move into the automatic promotion places.

Despite the deadlock remaining unbroken, it was not a boring game, and in fact represented a fascinating tactical battle. Ultimately, Owls boss Steve Bruce will be the happier of the two managers, but both learned important lessons about their teams on Monday.

Steve Bruce is doing a brilliant job

One thing that this derby clash made clear is just what an impact Bruce has had at Hillsborough. Defensively, the Owls were brilliant to a man. The home side produced a dogged, battling, determined and diligent display to keep their fierce local rivals at bay for the ninety minutes.

Prior to Bruce’s appointment earlier in the year, the Owls would not have had the cohesion or confidence to pull off such an impressive defensive effort. Now, though, under the 58-year-old former centre-back’s stewardship, the likes of Michael Hector and Tom Lees are flourishing.

Did Chris Wilder get it wrong in the Steel City derby? Check out the thoughts of Ingood Nick below…

The Blades missed Mark Duffy

For all of their possession and endeavour, the Blades lacked incision and penetration. Without that killer final pass being good enough, the likes of Billy Sharp and Gary Madine stood little chance of scoring. In the end, Wilder’s side resorted to hopeful long balls, which Wednesday mopped up easily.

What the Bramall Lane club lacked was the influence of Mark Duffy, as the 33-year-old midfielder remained an unused substitute for the second Championship game running. The veteran has racked up four goals and six assists in the league so far this year, and might have been the key to unlocking the Owls’ stubborn rearguard. With his side having failed to find the back of the net at all, Wilder may now regret not having given Duffy a go.

Madine or McGoldrick is a big choice

Both Madine and David McGoldrick are fine strikers, each capable of scoring goals and having a positive impact. Madine was given the nod to start by Wilder on Monday night, with the 31-year-old taking his place on the bench. This was a far bigger decision than it might have originally seemed, as both the Cardiff City loanee and McGoldrick significantly impact the way United play.

By going with Madine, Wilder opted for a more physical, target man-like presence. This was the wrong call, as the Wednesday defence found this type of threat all too easy to cope with. When McGoldrick, and his movement and creativity, were introduced to the fold in the second half, the Blades immediately looked better and more potent. Had he been included from the off, the final result may have been very different.

Fulham’s misery continued through the weekend when they received another thrashing from Manchester United. A 3-0 loss at Craven Cottage not only dented their survival hopes even further but also lowered the team morale. Indeed, changes are necessary if Claudio Ranieri wishes to keep them up.

The tinkering Italian’s tried a lot of things with the Cottagers and its high time he gets them back to their basics. To do so, Ranieri needs to trust talented youngster Ryan Sessegnon. A major reason for their promotion, Sessegnon hasn’t really done that bad to fall out of favour.

Ranieri has preferred Joe Bryan ahead of him, when Sessegnon provides a better attacking threat, giving more options going forward. Now in need of throwing in the proverbial kitchen sink, the Italian needs to take risks and play a more encouraged attacking game.

Sessegnon provides different options on the left, with his pace and impressive ability to carve chances troubling teams. He’s already provided 5 assists, as well as scoring twice for Fulham this season, with his impressive crossing ability along with a knack of cutting into the box working in his team’s favour.

With Aleksandr Mitrovic isolated in the box after being fed nothing and Ryan Babel frustrated on his own, Sessegnon’s attacking vigour is required to turn things around.  He’s also very stable defensively and can work hard to keep things tidy at the back. Ranieri just needs to let the 18-year-old express himself to try and turn things around for the Cottagers.

If he doesn’t, Fulham are going down without a whimper.

أصدر نادي أتلتيكو مدريد الإسباني، بيانًا رسميًا، قبل قليل، أعلن من خلاله عن اجتياز الأوروجوياني لويس سواريز، الفحص الطبي مع الروخي بلانكوس.

برشلونة أعلن في الساعات الأولى من فجر الخميس، رحيل سواريز بعد 6 سنوات في الكامب نو، وانتقاله لنادي أتلتيكو مدريد.

أقرأ أيضًا.. ميسي مودعًا سواريز: لم تكُن تستحق الطرد كما فعلوا!

وقال أتلتيكو مدريد في بيانه: “الأوروجوياني يصبح لاعبًا جديدًا في أتلتيكو مدريد، بعد اجتياز الفحص الطبي”.

وأضاف: “سواريز بعد الانتهاء من الأمور الطبية، وقع على عقد مع أتلتيكو مدريد لعامين”.

وقد نشاهد سواريز بقميص أتلتيكو مدريد لأول مرة، وذلك يوم الأحد القادم، حيث يستضيف فريقه الجديد، نظيره غرناطة، على ملعب “واندا متروبوليتانو”، بالجولة الثالثة من الليجا.

يُذكر أنّ سواريز الذي انضم إلى برشلونة في 2014 مقابل 82 مليون يورو، سجّل مع البارسا 198، وتوج بـ13 لقبًا، أبرزهم دوري أبطال أوروبا والدوري الإسباني وكأس العالم للأندية.

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Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho featured for his side in their 3-0 Champions League defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Wednesday night, and Arsenal fans were quick to take to Twitter to urge their club to sign the teenager, whom Arsene Wenger admitted on beIN sports he tried to sign when he was manager.

The 18-year-old has enjoyed a brilliant 2018/19 season with the Bundesliga leaders – scoring eight goals and providing a further 13 assists in 29 appearances in all competitions – and would have hoped to make an impact in north London in the first leg of the last 16 tie against Spurs.

While the exciting attacker showed his sheer speed and skill at times, Jan Vertonghen generally did a great job at keeping the England international relatively quiet, before he was taken off in the 88th minute.

Meanwhile, the Gunners have two great strikers in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, but perhaps don’t have a plethora of quality options in wide areas to help feed the duo.

Arsenal supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on Sancho’s performance, and while one said he “could be a game-changer alongside Aubameyang”, another simply said “need him at Arsenal”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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

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Nottingham Forest are lining up a move for Ayr United striker Lawrence Shankland, according to The Scottish Sun.

Shankland has been in prolific form in Scotland and is wanted by a number of clubs, with Martin O’Neill’s side one of many attempting to recruit the 23-year-old.

What’s the word?

Shankland has been turning in some genuinely amazing performances north of the border this season and has netted 30 goals in as many games in all competitions.

His contract, however, expires at the end of the campaign and he is set to leave the club.

Ayr are in the second-tier in Scotland and Shankland has been spearheading their hunt for promotion – they are currently second, two points behind leaders Ross County.

Shankland has scored 20 goals in 22 outings in the league, including four in one game in a 5-0 thrashing of Dundee United in November.

The Scottish Sun report that Forest are among a number of clubs, including Hull City and Swansea City, keeping tabs on the striker.

Swansea, they claim, saw a bid worth £200,000 for the forward rejected in January.

A major punt

Shankland would be something of a gamble for Forest.

He appears to be too good for Ayr and he also has a pedigree of scoring across the Scottish leagues.

Across 85 games in the Championship, Shankland scored 34 goals and laid on 10 assists, while he has 33 goals and 13 assists in 43 games in League One.

It remains to be seen, however, if he would take to English football as he has to the Scottish game.

He is a Scotland Under-21 international and may be worth the risk if he is willing to move on a free transfer this summer, but Forest would be wise to hold some reservations.

Nevertheless, the club’s top scorer this season is Lewis Grabban, with 16 goals, while Matthew Cash, with eight, is second.

It is not difficult to see the attraction, then, of bringing in such a prolific young player, but he cannot be expected to immediately start scoring in every game he plays.