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Trent Alexander-Arnold was the name on the lips of many Liverpool fans once again – but for all the wrong reasons.

The form of the 22-year-old has been incredibly up and down during the 2020/21 campaign, with him having averaged a match rating of just 6.77 from 19 Premier League appearances (Whoscored) prior to the Brighton game.

Alexander-Arnold found himself to be at fault for Brighton’s opener, having lost Dan Burn running in at the far post and he knocked the ball down Steven Alzate to fire home for the Seagulls.

This is not the first time that the England international has come under intense scrutiny this season. His performance against Southampton attracted a similar response at the beginning of January.

In what seems like a regular occurrence, supporters once again made their feelings clear towards Alexander-Arnold crystal clear, as you can see below.

Alexander-Arnold in the Kop’s bad books

“Trent has zero idea what’s going on behind him yet again. #LFC”

Credit: @AustrainRed

“Trent is so defensively naive”

Credit: @sammorris0_

“Trent seen him and then just left him”

Credit: @Kjones1892

“Shocking defending from Trent. Had a quick look and then decided it wasn’t worth his time to track the man at back post”

Credit: @ObiR07

“Trent a disgrace, so lazy”

Credit: @canuhackettlfc

“Trent is a crab”

Credit: @kj_1310

In other news, Star defender reportedly gutted as dream Anfield move collapsed on Deadline Day.

Some West Ham United fans were left blasting the display of Aaron Cresswell despite their 1-0 win over Burnley in the Premier League yesterday afternoon.

Although there were certainly some standout performances for David Moyes’ team, including Michail Antonio who scored the winning goal inside the opening 10 minutes on the day, the performance of Cresswell flattered to deceive some members of the London Stadium faithful.The 31-year-old did put the ball in his own net only for VAR to rule the goal out for an offside in the build-up, and he was also guilty of losing possession of the ball no fewer than 17 times in the game, the joint-third most out of any of his teammates (Sofascore).He also lost out on three of his duels, and failed to record a single dribble, tackle, key pass or accurate cross (Sofascore).

West Ham fan reaction to Cresswell display

These Hammers blasted his performance on Twitter, with one Iron even going as far as to claim that the Englishman is ‘awful’:

“Everyone other than Cresswell playing well”

Credit: @RiceSZN_
“Cresswell just looks uncomfortable completely going forward and defending”

Credit: @Callumfitzer_
“Cresswell having a typically Cresswell game. Not at the races”

Credit: @Mdp_coyi66

“Cresswell is unbelievably bad”
Credit: @Zayd__Beitar

“It comes with a heavy heart that I have to announce Aaron Cresswell has used up all his ability for this season, look forward to seeing him back to his best in August”
Credit: @chanceig

“Cresswell having a shocker”

Credit: @riley_holt_
In other news, find out who else was slammed for his display against the Clarets here!

Jake Vokins made his first Premier League appearance of the season against Arsenal on Tuesday night but was far from good enough defensively during his time on the pitch.

The Southampton academy ace was selected at left-back in the absence of Ryan Bertrand, who was suspended for the game against the Gunners.

Unfortunately for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, Stuart Armstrong’s early goal was as good as it got against their North London opposition as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at St Mary’s, with the Austrian criticising his team’s defending post-match.

Vokins was one of Southampton’s poorer performances on the night statistically, and was substituted just after the hour mark with Ibrahima Diallo moving to left-back to replace him.

As per SofaScore, the 20-year-old would earn a disappointing 6.1 match rating for his display, which was the joint-worst rating, with Yan Valery, of any outfield player on the pitch.

During his time on the pitch, the left-back would contribute no tackles or interceptions, and lost all three of his ground duels during the game, suggesting that the Saints really missed Bertrand against the Gunners – especially in defensive areas.

Vokins was very rarely involved, as he had just 23 touches, which was far fewer than the 43 touches goalkeeper Alex McCarthy had during the game.

Unfortunately for the academy ace, he would manage just 11 passes during the game, whereas opposition left-back and former Saints man Cedric would have 81 touches, and contributed 24 passes, showing his influence on proceedings.

The Saints defender struggled against Bukayo Saka, as he got past him for Arsenal’s second goal, with the Gunners ace picking up a 7.8 match rating, suggesting that he had the better of Vokins throughout his time on the pitch.

Fortunately for Hasenhuttl, Bertrand has now served his one-match ban, so will most likely be back for the game against Aston Villa at the weekend. However for Vokins this was perhaps evidence that he is not ready to be a starter in the Premier League just yet, as he clearly struggled against Mikel Arteta’s side on Tuesday night.

And, in other news… “What a player” – Exclusive: Pundit “surprised” that Hasenhuttl fave is still at Southampton

Cenk Tosun was Carlo Ancelotti’s only saving grace as Everton muddled through to beat Rotherham United in the FA Cup third round on Saturday afternoon.

An extra-time hit from Abdoulaye Doucoure proved enough for the Toffees to edge past Paul Warne’s Championship strugglers, after seeing Matthew Olosunde strike out Tosun’s first goal of the season.

Olosunde tore Everton to shreds during his time on the field and would have delighted the hosts when his number was shown on the board at the start of second-half stoppage-time, having very much deserved his goal.

Tosun had opened the scoring in the early stages of the third round affair when found perfectly by Anthony Gordon, breaking free between the Rotherham centre-halves and chipping home over Jamal Blackman.

A moment of quality with half-time approaching saw Tosun come close to adding a second to his account, but the in-demand Turkey international could only poke wide.

He would put the ball in the back of Blackman’s net again come the second-half after meeting James Rodriguez’s free-kick for the would-be winner, yet would not be given the goal after a VAR review adjudged the £60,000-per-week hitman to have been marginally offside.

Tosun did not let the incident affect his confidence as he kept pushing for a second goal despite often being without much service, though should have done better late in extra time when he favoured an extra touch over shooting and let the chance go to waste.

Everton’s overall performance was shambolic at times, capitalised by the Liverpool Echo’s Adam Jones voicing on Twitter that goalkeeper Robin Olsen had been Ancelotti’s best player during regular time.

But it was Tosun who proved to be Ancelotti’s only saving grace, by turning in an influential performance when it mattered despite being starved of service as the sole centre-forward.

Tosun ended the day having played close to three times the number of minutes he had featured for over his previous six outings combined, to score only his 11th career Everton goal and first since November 2019.

The £6.5m-rated titan also took four shots with two on target, played one key ball from 21 accurate passes and was successful with one of two attempted dribbles, per SofaScore.

He registered 43 touches, as well, while winning half of his eight ground duels, contested six aerial contests, was fouled three times and spread play frequently with four long balls.

Ancelotti will have hoped to see Tosun fare better in some regards having been caught offside twice and being dribbled past once, but there were plenty of positives to take from his efforts in what was his first start of the season so far.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands must sign “quick” Everton target who “makes football look easy”…

Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed on his ‘Here We Go’ podcast recently that Manchester City were extremely close to signing Isco in 2018 but they could not find an agreement with Real Madrid.

As per Man City Xtra on Twitter, the Spanish playmaker had agreed terms with the Citizens but they couldn’t negotiate a fee with Los Blancos, who were demanding €90 million (£80.3 million) for the midfielder.

Considering the 28-year-old’s downturn in form in recent seasons, Guardiola will surely be delighted that the club didn’t shell out what would have been an enormous fee plus hefty wages for the Spanish international, as he currently earns £210k per week at Madrid.

So far this season, the former Malaga man has been extremely disappointing, having averaged a 6.32 rating across his seven appearances in La Liga, with no goals or assists to his name (per WhoScored).

Isco’s market valuation has truly plummeted in recent years, with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at £18 million, whilst he was valued at £81 million just two years ago, suggesting that Real Madrid weren’t far off with their valuation but that City were right not to pay it.

When he was linked with a move to Barcelona back in 2017, his international teammate at the time, Andres Iniesta, was full of praise for the attacking-midfielder, saying:

“He is a fantastic player, with an incredible talent.

“For many years he has been doing things very well and he is playing for one of the best teams in the world.

“He is an important player not just in the national team but in his club. He is young and has many years to grow and improve.” (per FotMob)

To be so highly-rated by one of the best midfielders to ever play the game certainly suggests that Isco was an extremely talented player, so it is surprising that his career seems to have fallen off a cliff somewhat in recent seasons.

He has also endured his fair share of injury problems in recent seasons with the La Liga giants, suggesting that he would’ve struggled with the physicality of the Premier League had he joined back in 2018.

Therefore, City will surely be glad they didn’t splash the cash on Isco back in 2018 and they now have the immensely talented Phil Foden establishing himself as a key member of Guardiola’s squad, which may not have happened had Isco joined two years ago.

And, in other news… Manchester City may already have their next Kevin De Bruyne in “fabulous” academy talent

Glasgow Rangers are doing rather well at the moment, aren’t they? Steven Gerrard’s side are unbeaten in their past sixteen games and they’ve taken 13 points from the last 15 available to them as they sit at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, with a six point lead over their arch rivals Celtic.

And Darren Bent believes the Rangers boss will be “buzzing” by the fact he has so many options to choose from ahead of the Europa League clash against Lech Poznan on Thursday.

He told Football Insider: “They’ve got Morelos that’s still there, they’ve got Defoe.

“But Kemar Roofe he looks hungry. I like Kemar Roofe I have always done since he was at Leeds.

“It’s what you want and Steven Gerrard is buzzing that he’s got all these players now that are fighting for the starting place.

“If Morelos throws his toys out of the pram, or lets the team down, which he has done in the past then it doesn’t really make a difference because you’ve got guys there who are chomping at the bit for their chance.

But that seems to be the problem, as Gerrard will have to wrestle with his decision as the once-injured star has returned to action.

Roofe’s revival

Roofe marked his return from injury with a sensational strike against Standard Liege in the Europa League last week. And he received praise from the Gerrard for his performance. He said:

“The goal was a moment of genius. It was a world class moment. I’ve been playing football professionally since 1998 and it’s the best goal I’ve ever seen live.

“He collects the ball 15 yards outside our box. He is strong for two challenges. He holds the player off for the third challenge and then he takes the player on in the worst conditions I’ve seen.

“Then to have the vision, and the power and the class to score from 55 yards. I don’t think I’ve seen a better goal and I don’t think I will see a better goal.”

The Rangers manager clearly rates Roofe very highly, so his return to form has left the Liverpool legend with a tough call to make at the top of the pitch.

Gerrard’s nightmare

Without a shadow of a doubt, this is going to be one of the biggest headaches Gerrard has faced ever since taking charge of the Ibrox outfit. For now, Alfredo Morelos seems to be the first-choice striker, as he has started four out of the past five games in all competitions, but it looks increasingly likely he could be dropped any minute, as he has failed to score since the 2-2 draw with Hibernian in September.

With that being said, the Colombia international has still scored three goals and supplied three assists in the Scottish Premiership so far, via Transfermarkt, whilst Jermain Defoe was axed from the Europa League squad altogether.

Roofe may come in to replace Morelos, although dropping him would be an incredibly harsh decision as the Colombian is arguably the club’s best striker on his day. In fact, it’s fair to say this mini goal drought isn’t exactly anything new, as he has often gone without scoring in short spells before bouncing back in style.

But the beauty of balancing both domestic and European competitions means that Gerrard arguably has more creative freedom to mess around with his starting line-up.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Barker: Glasgow Rangers must return for long-term target Jacob Murphy…

According to The Evening Standard, Tottenham remain interested in Benfica defender Ruben Dias.

What’s the word?

After a disappointing start to the new season on the pitch last weekend against Everton, things are looking far more rosier in north London. Jose Mourinho’s side bounced back with a Europa League victory in mid-week, which was then followed up with the news Real Madrid duo Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon are set to join.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Now, The Evening Standard claim that Spurs’ transfer business in this summer window isn’t done just yet, with the Lilywhites in the market for another centre-back.

It’s suggested Dias is among Mourinho’s preferred options, and that whilst Benfica refused to sell him in January, Spurs’ chances of signing him have been boosted with the financial impact of the shutdown, and the Portuguese side’s failure to qualify for the Champions League potentially forcing a rethink.

Daniel Levy’s Spurs revolution

Well, well, well. It’s safe to say that Spurs fans haven’t exactly got the greatest of relationships with Daniel Levy, with there being numerous times of the club’s chairman being called out for his seeming unwillingness to spend big money.

But with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Matt Doherty already through the door, and Bale and Reguilon set to follow, you can’t question Levy’s desire to strengthen this time around.

Adding Dias would arguably be the icing on the cake for what has been a terrific window for Spurs. Delivering a player who Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold revealed “Mourinho likes” would be the latest evidence that Levy is prepared to back Mourinho to the hilt.

The 6 foot 2 defender won the Man of the Match award in the 2019 Nations League final for Portugal, and already boasts plenty of top-level experience at Benfica by playing regularly in European competition. Dias could be another Levy masterclass.

Victor Orta could land Leeds an absolute bargain this summer if latest reports are to be believed.

According to LancsLive, reported United target Bright Osayi-Samuel is available for just £5m amid interest from Burnley and fellow Premier League new boys West Brom.

Back in May, AllNigeriaSoccer claimed that the Championship winners were keen on the winger, also citing the likes of Everton and West Ham too.

On the face of it, a new wide option isn’t something the Yorkshire giants necessarily need, especially considering Jack Harrison’s extended loan deal and the recent emergence of former Man City starlet Ian Poveda.

But strength in depth in the top-flight shouldn’t be frowned upon, particularly in these sorts of positions and at just £5m, it would be a filthy robbery.

Just think, West Brom splashed £22m on Hull City talisman Jarrod Bowen in January whilst Neal Maupay cost Brighton £16m last summer.

This season, the 22-year-old has provided an inconsistent QPR side with six goals and nine assists and has also racked up better figures than Leeds’ mainstay right-winger Helder Costa.

He’s just a third of the price of the £15m Portuguese ace.

The young Nigerian starlet has averaged more dribbles (2.9) and key passes (1.2) per game as well as a better passing accuracy (83.9%) than Costa. In addition to that, he’s won his side more free-kicks as he’s fouled 1.9 times per appearance (via WhoScored).

Osayi-Samuel’s Rs boss Mark Warburton has regularly waxed lyrical about his exploits throughout the campaign, claiming that the winger is a “real handful,” is “outstanding” and has “sheer pace which terrifies defenders”.

You’re not going to get a better talent at a cheaper price, so even if he doesn’t hit the ground running, at just £5m, it’s such low-risk – Orta must land Bielsa the tricky speedster this summer.

AND in other news, Leeds could regret selling this STAR 12 months on…

A lot of West Ham fans are discussing the latest news surrounding Sean Dyche and his links to the club.

The news suggests that co-owner Karren Brady knows Dyche quite well and that he has expressed interest in managing the Irons. This news was broken by ExWHUemployee speaking on his West Ham Way podcast, via West Ham News, as he said: “Before we got Moyes he [Dyche] was heavily linked by myself and a number of people. He’s a good friend of Karren Brady for some random reason.

“I don’t know why, but he is. And he has also expressed an interest in managing us. I believe if we wanted to get Sean Dyche next year we could. (But) I don’t think if we stay up they’ll get rid of Moyes, I think Moyes will be the manager next year and I think if we did go down Dyche would obviously not leave Burnley for us.

“But if Moyes was to suddenly go or he was to get the sack then I think Dyche would be interested and I think we would approach him.”

In the Premier League, Dyche has a pretty respectable record with Burnley, as he has managed 186 games and he has been in charge of 57 wins, 45 draws and 87 losses, this gives him a win percentage of around 30.6%, per Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, Moyes at West Ham this season has won four, drawn three and lost 10 of his fixtures, which gives him a 23% win record at the club, per Transfermarkt.

With Burnley notoriously not spending a lot and Dyche having a better win percentage than Moyes, it is understandable that some believe the Clarets boss is a better manager, and many fans of the East London side seem to agree, with one labelling him a ‘proper manager’.

Here is what fans have said following the news:

Hammers fans, what are your thoughts on this? Comment below!

Key Information about Carrow Road

Carrow Road is the home of Premier League side Norwich City, and it has been since 1935.

The all-seater stadium holds a capacity of just over 27,000 and comprises four famous stands; the Regency Security Stand, The Barclay, the Geoffrey Watling City Stand, and The South Stand.

It is located in the East Anglian county of Norfolk, and it was opened following insufficient capacity due to constant growing crowds.

A history of Carrow Road

The Canaries lifted the Division Three title in 1933-34, and a year later they moved into their current home of Carrow Road. On 31 August 1935, Norwich moved from their previous home of The Nest as it was no longer deemed suitable for the number of fans wanting to attend matches.. The first match played in the new stadium was a seven-goal thriller between West Ham United, and the Canaries came out triumphant with a 4-3 victory – a game that will always go down in club history.

It is named after the road which it is located and was incredibly built by the football club in just 82 days. The name “Carrow” originates from Carrow Abbey which once stood on the riverside, and there are possibilities the name has Norse origins.

The club notably described the opening of their new stadium as “the largest construction job in the city since the building of Norwich Castle” and “the eighth wonder of the world”.

Over the years, the stadium has been altered and upgraded several times, and at the time of its opening the ground’s capacity was a massive 38,000 with an amazing 44,000 record overall crowd before the introduction of seating only.

This record-high attendance was set by fans who watched Norwich take on Leicester City in the FA Cup Sixth Round in 1963. Famously, King George VI watched twenty minutes of the Canaries home game against Millwall at Carrow Road which was the first time a ruling monarch had watched a second division football match.

Floodlights were introduced to the stadium just over 20 years after its construction, and the £9,000 cost in 1956 almost sent the club into bankruptcy, only to be saved by an FA Cup semi-final appearance two seasons later. In the wake of the Ibrox Stadium tragedy in 1971, Carrow Road’s capacity was lowered to just 20,000 with many dangers associated with standing, and nine years later, seats replaced the terraces around the ground.

The Barclay stand is famously named after former Captain Evelyn Barclay who was also a former vice-president of the club, and The South Stand is named in honour of former chairman Sir Arthur South.

Tickets to Watch Norwich City at Carrow Road

Norwich have capped their season ticket allocation for Carrow Road as 22,000, and there is currently a waiting list.

The canaries typically sell out of their home allocation of tickets making it very hard for supporters to watch their team live. Despite this, it is advised for fans to visit the clubs site (canaries.co.uk) to purchase tickets online or by phone when advertised by the club prior to a fixture.

For a regular Premier League game, the Canaries price their adult tickets at around £26, 65+ and under-18s at £11.25, and under-16s at £10. Coach travel is priced at £25 with a £1 discount for away members and season ticket holders. The cost of a regular adult season ticket is around £500 if paid before 21 February, and for under-12s they are as low as £70.

Related Links

https://www.canaries.co.uk/ – Official website of Norwich City

https://www.canaries.co.uk/tickets/home-away-tickets/ – Norwich City Ticket Office