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Miguel Almirón certainly had an interesting night when coming off the bench in Paraguay’s defeat to Mexico in California on Tuesday night, with what you could describe as a hot and cold few minutes.

The Newcastle record signing was brought into the action in the 57th minute. Just three minutes later he set up teammate Hernán Pérez to score and get his side back into the game, albeit still trailing 3-1.

But Almirón’s night took a bitter twist just four minutes later, with the speedster chasing Jose Juan Vazquez, he lunged at him from behind, catching the Mexican on the back of the calf in a nasty challenge.

The Paraguayan midfielder was rightly given his marching orders, and will now suffer a one-game suspension.

The suspension will only apply for Paraguay, however, meaning the player will still be eligible for Newcastle at Arsenal on Monday.

The show of frustration and temper from Almiron will be noted by Premier League rivals, who may now target him in future games against the Magpies, in the hope that he will do something similarly petulant and see red against them.

That said, it could also be seen to suggest that, despite his baby-faced looks and slight frame, he will be able to take care of himself and not be bullied by Premier League defenders, following a spate of poor challenges he has been on the receiving end of since moving to England.

As you might expect, Twitter lit up following his red card.

Does this challenge shock you, Newcastle fans? Or does it suggest to you that he has the ability to look after himself in the Premier League? Let us know your thoughts…

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Bournemouth might have suffered a slip-up of sorts in February – the Cherries conceded goals for fun and lost three games that month – but they still look on course to challenge for a top-half spot as we enter the run-in. With stars like Nathan Ake, Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson, the Vitality Stadium outfit have the quality to make any teams’ lives difficult.

Unfortunately, though, for Bournemouth and the clubs below and just above them, keeping hold of your key men is always difficult when the top-six have near limitless funds to throw at the transfer market when the window opens.

Focus will soon turn to summer recruitment and the papers have already begun to churn out rumours and reports. Rumours that concern Bournemouth though are of no concern to boss Eddie Howe, who has shut down any talk of transfer speculation:

“We are in the middle of the season and it is not the time, especially with players who are very settled and in good form, for me to necessarily talk about transfer speculation regarding them.”

Ake has impressed since signing from Chelsea and is now regarded as one of the best young centre-backs in the game, while the aforementioned forwards have also been subject to speculation over the international break.

Bournemouth spent fairly well last summer, with additions such as David Brooks and Jefferson Lerma proving worthwhile purchases this campaign, and the Cherries faithful will be hoping that more players of that ilk come through the door ahead of the 2019/20 season.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

The priority, though, for any team outside the top-six, is always to keep hold of your key players, of which Bournemouth have many – Howe will know that this won’t be the last time he is asked about the likes of Ake in the coming months.

With the title push being called time on by Mauricio Pochettino himself and looking like what is going to be another heavily criticised domestic season for the Lillywhites, do they have what it takes to withstand the battle that is hotting up underneath them? 

A few weeks ago you would have said that Tottenham Hotspur have one of the best chances along with Liverpool and City to win the Premier League. However yet again, missing players and off performances have now led to questions being asked about whether they can hold their top 3 finish.

With Manchester United breathing down their necks and Arsenal not far behind, we are going to look at a couple of games that could possibly de-rail Spurs’ season altogether.

Here’s a closer look.

Brighton and Hove Albion (Home, 7th April) 

The Brighton game is meant to be the highly anticipated first game back in the brand new stadium. A truly, truly huge deal.

With this in mind, it could be highly possible that the Lillywhites have a similar start in this stadium as they did to Wembley. Everyone is expecting it to a good move but imagine the pressure on these Spurs players when the game rolls around. Considering Spurs’ aptitude when really under scrutiny, this may boost Chris Hughton’s hopes of grabbing some points.

The Brighton faithful will be hoping to rock Spurs’ confidence and after only narrowly losing 1-2 in the reverse fixture and they have every right to feel they have a chance.

Especially seeing as ‘home’ won’t feel like home at all for Spurs.

Manchester City (Away, 20th April) 

It goes without saying. Any game against Manchester City in the modern day looks like an uphill battle before it has already kicked off, and with this City side going for all four trophies this season, it really will be a challenge for Tottenham to get a result.

Having struggled when playing away against their top six rivals over the course of Pochettino’s tenure in charge, a win up in Manchester would really be a huge statement. Another loss, however, and the collective eyes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea would all light up.

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Wolves are into the FA Cup quarter-finals. A hard-fought victory over Bristol City last time out earned the Midlands outfit safe passage into the last eight of the competition. From this point on, Nuno Espirito Santo and his squad ought to be eyeing up the potential glory that a successful cup run would bring.

Wolves’ return to the top flight has gone spectacularly well so far. The club currently find themselves in 7th place in the Premier League, with 26 games played. Survival is, of course, assured. Breaking into the top six is a distinct impossibility though, as Chelsea still hold an eleven point advantage in that regard.

At this stage of the season, other than the pride of securing the highest possible position at the end of the season, Wolves have little left to play for in the Premier League. Nuno’s side have come to the top flight, proved their quality and silenced their doubters. Now, the manager’s focus should be on making this campaign one that the Molineux faithful will never forget.

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…

Wolves have won four FA Cups in their history, their last triumph coming in 1960. To repeat that feat this season would be a truly historic moment for the club. It will be a huge challenge to pull this off, but this season represents as good a chance as they’ll likely ever get.

After tonight’s clash between Manchester United and Chelsea, four of the so-called ‘big six’ will have already been eliminated. Championship clubs Millwall and Swansea City are still in the competition, whilst Brighton, Watford and Crystal Palace are all below Wolves in the Premier League table. If Wolves were to draw any of these sides, then they’d be the favourites to reach the semi-finals – and from there they’ll be desperate to make it to the big day at Wembley itself. 

Wolves are an outfit with lofty ambitions. In the summer of 2018, The Times reported that the club have set themselves the goal of winning the Premier League title within seven years. Their spending in recent transfer windows suggests that they’re serious about achieving that goal. An FA Cup triumph this time around would be a huge statement, and perhaps would convince everyone else that Wolves mean business with their seven-year plan too. 

Nuno doesn’t have a huge squad to call upon. According to Transfermarkt’s stats, only 18 players have featured for Wolves in the Premier League so far this season – comfortably the least of any side in the division. With his ranks already spread so thin, Nuno’s decision to prioritise the FA Cup could come at the cost of their league form.

However, that would be a trade-off worth making. For any manager, especially a newly-promoted one, to sacrifice the Premier League in favour of chasing a domestic trophy is a bold move. It is testament to the good work done by Wolves so far this season though that Nuno is able to make that call with relatively little risk.

The courage to take that step, and to put everything they have left to give this season into the pursuit of FA Cup glory, could be what takes Wolves’ season from being impressive to incredible and cement their place in the history books. After all, aside from Wigan and Portsmouth, they’d be the FA Cup’s first non-Big-Six winners since Everton in 1995.

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In his two years in charge at Ewood Park so far, Tony Mowbray has led Blackburn Rovers to promotion back to the Championship and he looks to have seen them clear of relegation trouble this time around too.

However, some pressure may be building on the 55-year-old, as his side are currently in poor form – Rovers have lost each of their last four league outings. Mowbray referenced these struggles, and the associated pressures, ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Birmingham City.

What he said

As quoted by the Lancashire Telegraph, Mowbray has urged his side “to make sure they stay focused, believe in each other, and work hard.”

Who do you want to see promoted this year? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked their 3 favoured teams in the video below…

He also referenced the scrutiny he is currently under, stating that “the outside noise, you can’t do anything about, so from my perspective I don’t listen to it.”

He admitted that he puts himself under this kind of pressure too: “I feel an internal noise in myself that we’ve lost four games in a row, and for two years we’ve been used to winning games, and plenty of them.” He still believes he’s the right man to lead Rovers forward though, and has urged everyone at the club to “keep believing in each other, doing what we do.”

External pressures

The reference to ‘outside noise’ is particularly interesting as it highlights the fact that Mowbray may be feeling some external pressure. He could be referring to discontentment amongst the fanbase, the media or even coming from Rovers’ owners – Venky’s Ltd – themselves.

If Mowbray does feel that his position is beginning to come under threat, then he must arrest his side’s slump soon. However, frankly, he ought not to be in any such trouble. He has done a fine job since taking over at Ewood Park, and letting him go at this stage would be a huge error on the part of the club.

Manchester United handed rivals City a big favour as they held Liverpool to a goalless draw at Old Trafford yesterday afternoon.

The Red Devils overcame the odds somewhat in a bizarre game which saw injury after injury for United, including one for Jesse Lingard, who was only introduced himself in the first period.

However, the 0-0 scoreline was just reward for a dogged and determined display which left it all to play for at the top of the table and gave cross-city rivals City improved hopes of making it a second successive Premier League title.

Of course, the focus should be on United though, and in particular manager Solksjaer, who has been superb since stepping into the fold following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

His ability today to get the best out of a team which was seemingly being torn apart by injuries was to be admired, and it showed that he is not simply all about attacking and expansive football just to go about pleasing the fans at Old Trafford.

The assured way his players went about their business was testament to just how well Solskjaer has done at the club, and we think that the job is his in the summer barring an absolute disaster of events.

The Norwegian has earned his keep so to speak within the confines of the United supporters, and he will no doubt be impressing at board level too.

If he can keep getting the results, secure Champions League football, and deny Liverpool the title in any way he can, then he’ll be the man to take United forward 100%.

Celtic have been extremely active in the January transfer window as they look to secure their eighth successive Scottish Premiership title.

The Hoops broke their transfer record in the summer to secure the permanent signing of Odsonne Edouard but, all in all, it was fairly slow during that period. Instead, Celtic have focused on temporary or cheap deals thus far. Rodgers has already secured the signatures of Oliver Burke and Timothy Weah on loan as well as spending  to sign Vakoun Issouf Bayo,

The former Liverpool boss must still have funds to play with after authorising the sale of Moussa Dembele to Lyon back in August. With the title race set to head down to the wire, further reinforcements should be targeted to improve Celtic’s chances of retaining the league trophy.

One man Rodgers could target is Manchester United outcast – Andreas Pereira. Valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, the Brazilian was tipped for a bright future at the club after signing from PSV Eindhoven as a youngster. Pereira was loaned out to various clubs in Spain and impressed during a spell with Valencia enough to battle for a first-team role with the Red Devils. However, he remains out of favour and out of contract in the summer.

Pereira is extremely versatile, capable of playing as an attacking midfielder or deeper in a box-to-box role. The 23-year-old possesses excellent technical ability meaning he should have no issues adapting to Rodgers’ philosophy at Celtic Park. Pereira has enormous potential and the former Swansea boss is known for getting the best out of young players – he can be the man to help get the midfielder’s career back on track.

Celtic fans, thoughts?

West Ham United have endured a mixed opening to the campaign both collectively and individually, and their 1-0 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion prior to the international break served as a fitting example of how hit and miss they can be.

Manuel Pellegrini’s arrival has certainly given the Hammers a fresh sense of optimism for the future but the squad at his disposal is still short of the quality required for the club to achieve their goals in the future.

Summer arrivals have provided Pellegrini with plenty of high calibre players to work with, the next step is finding a system which suits them.

One area which Pellegrini decided against investing in was at left-back where he has both Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku to chose from.

The latter has been a mainstay on the left side of West Ham’s defence under Pellegrini and Cresswell has been forced to watch on from the sideline for the most part, but defeat at Brighton taught the Hammers’ boss a valuable lesson: Masuaku is lacking the defensive instinct to warrant his place in back-four.

Brighton’s only goal of the game arrived directly from a Masuaku mistake: when Issa Diop signalled for the full-back to tuck inside to mark Glenn Murray, he simply stood still and allowed the clinical striker the freedom of West Ham’s penalty area to fire home.

It was a moment which served to illuminate his lack of concentration in crucial defensive moments, and that’s something Pellegrini could address by signing Alberto Moreno next summer.

According to a report from Goal, Moreno is set to depart Anfield after falling down the pecking order in light of Andrew Robertson’s impeccable form.

The Spaniard is certainly not without some defensive frailties of his own, but he certainly represents a huge upgrade on Masuaku and he has the relevant Premier League experience to thrive at West Ham.

And considering he will be available on a free transfer when his contract expires, Pellegrini would be foolish not to at least entertain the possibility of submitting a contract offer.

West Ham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Rangers have been extremely busy in the transfer window thus far, but manager Steven Gerrard isn’t finished yet.

The Gers have added ten new players to their squad as the former Liverpool captain looks to challenge Celtic for the title next season. Promising winger Ryan Kent became the latest recruit, completing a season-long loan move from the Reds, with the youngster’s addition likely to add some much-needed creativity to the Rangers attack.

The Light Blues progressed to the next round of the Europa League qualifiers with a 2-0 aggregate win over Shkupi. Despite the victory, Gerrard bemoaned the chances missed by his side, and the lack of firepower could force the former England international back into the transfer market for a new striker.

And one man who could solve his problems is Stoke City forward Saido Berahino, who clearly needs an escape route after a troubling time at the bet365 Stadium in recent years.

Valued at £7.2 million by Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old was once considered one of the most promising forwards in England in netting 15 goals for West Brom back in 2015, thus earning him a £12 million move to the Potters.

His time at Stoke however has not gone to plan, and the forward could be set to leave following their relegation to the Championship.

He started just three Premier League games last season after slipping down the pecking order at the bet365 Stadium, to the point that he remains without a goal for the Staffordshire-based outfit after 18 months at the club.

And a fresh start in the Scottish Premiership could be just what Berahino needs to revive his career, as if the Englishman can rediscover the form he showed at the Baggies, he will prove to be an astute piece of business.

Rangers fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Tottenham Hotspur spent £30m on Moussa Sissoko last summer after beating Everton to the signing of the France international from Newcastle United.

Sissoko failed to score in 33 appearances for Spurs during the 2016-17 campaign, however, and it had been thought that the midfielder would move on ahead of the new season.

The 28-year-old was named in the starting XI for Tottenham’s Premier League opener against Newcastle on Sunday, however, and played his part in a 2-0 victory for the London club.

It appears that Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino will give Sissoko another 12 months to impress, although the transfer window is currently still open for business.

On Wednesday, Tottenham’s official Twitter account posted a birthday message for Sissoko, and it was not a surprise when a number of the club’s fans aired their views.

There are some that believe Sissoko should be sold this summer after finding it difficult last season, but there are also plenty that want the midfielder to be given more time.