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Bournemouth thought they sorted out their dilemma between the sticks when they signed Asmir Begovic from Chelsea back in the summer of 2017.

However, the 31-year-old has since fallen out of favour under Eddie Howe, and the Englishman now appears to be on the lookout for a new goalkeeper.

The Breakdown

According to Football Insider, Bournemouth recently sent scouts to go and watch Stoke City’s Jack Butland with Howe making the signing of a new shot-stopper a priority for the upcoming transfer window.

And looking at some of Begovic’s performances this season, especially of late, it is not hard to see why.

For as good as Begovic can be on his day, the former Chelsea man simply has too many errors in his game.

Bearing that in mind, ditching him for his ex-Stoke City team-mate could be a smart move.

Butland can also be guilty of making the odd mistake but, at 26, he still has plenty of time to eradicate those errors in contrast to the ageing Begovic.

While, overall, the England international remains a talented goalkeeper who has just been unlucky with injuries down the years.

He is a solid shot-stopper and a No.1 who has has the confidence to marshal his defence and take responsibility.

Had it not been for a serious ankle injury he suffered, the Birmingham City academy graduate could have so easily been England’s first-choice between the sticks ahead of Jordan Pickford.

All is not lost, however, and a move to a Premier League outfit like Bournemouth could just be thing to help him increase his standing in the England squad.

Bournemouth fans, would you like to see Butland replace Begovic in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Sheffield Wednesday took a step closer to the play-off places with an impressive 2-0 away win against strugglers Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday.

The win meant that Owls boss Steve Bruce remains unbeaten in his time in charge at Hillsborough, having now taken charge of nine games. 

Steven Fletcher’s fine form continued too. The 31-year-old Scot opened the scoring, marking his fourth goal in his last five Championship outings, as per Transfermarkt’s stats. Wednesday’s second goal came courtesy of a newer addition though, as Newcastle United loanee Rolando Aarons opened his account for the club.

The 23-year-old winger arrived on loan from St James’ Park in January, and has since established himself as a regular in Bruce’s side. In recent weeks, the young Englishman looks to have grown in confidence and his goal comes as a reward for his consistently impressive performances.

After the match, plenty of Owls fans took to Twitter to congratulate the attacker on his fine display…

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Everton fans greeted the final whistle at Goodison Park against Liverpool on Sunday with a guttural roar.

The two sides played out a 0-0 draw and the result means the Toffees remain tenth in the Premier League but the significance was in denying the Reds, who now sit second, one point behind champions Manchester City.

On the chalkboard

This is a remarkably tight title race and Liverpool could well be top next weekend, such is the unpredictability of the Premier League.

But the ashen-faced club legends, Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish, watching on from the stands, told the story – telling a thousand words. This felt remarkably significant.

City have not been top, having played the same amount of games as Liverpool, since early December, yet they now have the lead with nine games of the season remaining.

Liverpool, playing in a cauldron of noise, simply did not take their chances.

Per WhoScored, Liverpool made 475 passes to Everton’s 342, they had three more shots on goal, and they won more aerial duels. But this was a display that was typified by nervousness.

Mohamed Salah had two shots on goal and tested Jordan Pickford both times but 99% of Liverpool fans would have backed him to score both. As it were, they were relatively tame efforts. Yet again, the Egyptian let his side down on the biggest of occasions.

All in all, as the game appeared primed for a dramatic conclusion, Liverpool faded, ceding the advantage to the Toffees – indeed, it was the Reds who lost the ball the most, who made the most tackles and who completed the most clearances.

Bottled?

Liverpool have still only lost once this season, to City.

But they have drawn seven games to City’s two and it is starting to look all the more costly.

City play some tough games in the run-in – Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United stand out as the biggest banana skins – but they are now ahead, and they know how they cope with the pressure.

When faced with the prospect of a challenger breathing down their neck, City tend to hit the accelerator and roar away.

Whatever happens between now and May, Liverpool are relying on a slip from Pep Guardiola’s men.

History tells us that it’s unlikely and that the Reds may come to rue this derby.

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Manchester United pulled off a Champions League miracle on Wednesday night when they overcame a two-goal first leg deficit against PSG to progress to the next round of Europe’s elite club competition.

The Paris club’s star-studded side very rarely lose at the Parc des Princes, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men produced a wonderfully disciplined and clinical performance to triumph against the odds.

The Norwegian coach’s impressive start to life at Old Trafford was given another layer of gloss with this remarkable success. Considering how many key players weren’t available to him too, including Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard, he’ll certainly have learned a few things about his squad on Wednesday.

Lukaku is back (and better than ever?)

Towards the end of Jose Mourinho’s reign, and at the outset of Solskjaer’s tenure, Romelu Lukaku looked utterly bereft of confidence. The £75 million striker’s finishing touch had deserted him and the United faithful were beginning to turn on the 25-year-old.

Marcus Rashford established himself as the first choice striker under the new boss, and only a month or so ago it looked like it would take something very special from Lukaku to restore his reputation at Old Trafford. He has delivered something special since then though. 

His recent form has been magnificent. He’s scored six goals in his last three games – two in each. His most recent brace was by far the most important, as his well-taken double gave United hope in Paris.

Ahead of the 2nd leg between Atletico Madrid and Juventus, 442oons reimagine the first leg in the video below in their own unique way…

Faith in youth the answer to injury crisis

United’s injury crisis was well documented heading into this game. On top of Pogba’s suspension, Martial, Lingard, Alexis Sanchez, Juan Mata, Ander Herrera, Nemanja Matic, Matteo Darmian, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and club captain Antonio Valencia were all ruled out.

The likes of Scott McTominay, Fred and Andreas Pereira started against the Ligue 1 giants, and all acquitted themselves well. On top of that, several academy starlets were named on the bench. 19-year-old Tahith Chong and 17-year-old Mason Greenwood actually both made it onto the pitch.

This proved that United have some serious squad depth and some exciting youth prospects who Solskjaer isn’t afraid to use on the biggest stage. That will be crucial to alleviating United’s injury woes during this difficult period.

Rashford is ice cool

The two-legged tie was decided by a last minute penalty. The VAR-assisted decision to award the spot kick was controversial to say the least, and the lengthy delay that the review process caused will only have served to set Rashford’s nerves jangling.

If he was nervous, the 21-year-old England man didn’t show it. The 31-cap international stepped up and confidently dispatched the penalty beyond iconic veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. 

Rashford is, of course, a huge talent with a great future ahead of him. When the time comes to reflect upon his career, that night in Paris, and that highly-pressurised penalty, could be considered to be one of the defining moments.

[ad_pod ]Earlier this month, Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech announced that he hasÂdecided to call time on his career and will no longer represent the North London club – as a player, at least – when he hangs up his gloves at the end of the season.

The former Chelsea shot-stopper will go down as a Premier League legend but under Unai Emery, Cech has lost his starting spot to summer signing Bernd Leno and featured just seven times in the Premier League this season.

Without his services to bank on for much longer, Arsenal will have to start plotting potential additions to fill Cech’s void next season. With that in mind, Football FanCast provide four suggestions on who should become Cech’s successor at the Emirates Stadium.

Pl>ymaker FC believes Arsenal fans won’t have to wait long to see Unai Emery’s long-term ambitions for the club come to fruition. Watch the video below to find out why…

Radoslaw Majecki

Legia Warsaw’s Radoslaw Majecki may be a fairly unheard of name but not amongst the scouts at Arsenal, with the Gunners sending their men to watch the teenager’s progress throughout the current campaign – as reported by London Evening Standard in December.

The 19-year-old only broke into the senior side this year in Poland, but is currently being assessed to determine his suitability to the English game. He would certainly need further time to develop, but with Leno the current number one Arsenal are able to afford him it.

Jan Oblak

While Leno may be the first choice at the moment, the summer signing has not been a terrific acquisition. In fact, the 26-year-old has only managed three Premier League clean sheets so far.

An option to consider if Emery wishes to bring in an immediate first-choice goalkeeper is Atletico Madrid’s Jan Oblak.

A move for the 26-year-old would be expensive, to say the least, with the Slovenian unlikely to leave the Spanish capital for anything less than his £90millionÂrelease clause – as documented by FourFourTwo. After that, Arsenal would have to impress Oblak enough to convince him to join.

Thomas Strakosha

Given the Gunners’ need to strengthen across the pitch, Emery will likely shy away from splurging the budget on one marquee addition this summer.

Albanian international Thomas Strakosha, however, would unlikely break the bank but still offer a decent alternative to Leno, provided Lazio remain willing to sell as Calcio Mercato claimed during the summer.

The 23-year-old has been the established first choice for Lazio since the 2016/17 season, and has made 20 Serie A appearances already this term.

Emiliano Martinez

There may be a magnitude of potential goalkeepers in world football that could be brought to North London to fill Cech’s void, but one man already at the club will certainly be hoping the veteran’s retirement gives him the chance to become a first-team regular.

Emiliano Martinez joined Arsenal back in 2010 and has been on the fringes of the first-team ever since his debut in the League Cup two years later.

Unfortunately for the Argentine, he has never featured in more than six games in a single season for the Gunners, yet has kept a clean sheet on seven occasions, including against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

So, Arsenal fans, who do you see as the perfect Cech successor? Let us know by commenting below…

West Ham United have confirmed that Ryan Fredericks will be out for approximately six weeks, as shown on their official channels.

Watch West Ham United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

This will be a blow for the right-back – who had to have surgery on a shoulder injury sustained against Manchester City – especially as that was only his second game back after being out for four.

While it is a shame to see him out of action, Hammers fans have found consolation in Jeremy Ngakia and the fact that he will be able to come in.

One fan has suggested “it’s your time” to the teenager, while another is excited by the prospect of seeing the academy graduate playing first-team football for six weeks.

This comes as he will be directly up against Pablo Zabaleta for game time, with the ageing defender having struggled this term – most notably when he faced Newcastle United’s Allan Saint-Maximin.

Did he really play for us?! No West Ham fan has managed to name all of these obscure Irons signings….

With the respective right-backs’ fortunes in mind, fans are convinced it is the youngster who will play, with one saying “up you step Jezza”.

There are some who even feel that he will be able to keep hold of his place regardless of Fredericks’ injury status, as one fan stated that “he ain’t budging Jeremy for me”.

This stance comes after two impressive performances against Liverpool – which saw him thrown into the deep end, having never previously represented the first-team.

Across those two matches, he made eight tackles, four clearances and three interceptions, won five aerial duels, and completed four dribbles, indicating why he is so highly regarded.

Meanwhile, West Ham fans fume over club announcement.

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Loads of Rangers fans have been running the rule over the week’s action, and let’s just say they’re not too happy with Alfredo Morelos.

Rangers took all three points from the Pittodrie Stadium on Wednesday night, but it was certainly not a walk in the park for Steven Gerrard’s side.

The Gers went ahead early when Alfredo Morelos smashed home a rebound from a Ryan Kent shot, before Sam Cosgrove levelled the scores for the hosts.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

Morelos then grabbed his 23rd goal of the season in all competitions, stroking a lovely finish into the bottom corner thanks to another assist by Kent.

The Colombian was then sent off following an incident involving Scott McKenna, as both players were shown straight red cards after kicking out at each other.

Cosgrove and James Tavernier traded penalty kicks before Jermain Defoe wrapped up the three points with a late goal to make it 4-2, but all focus is firmly on Morelos.

The 22 year-old now has four red cards this season, three of which have come against Aberdeen, and he has already served a suspension for amassing too many yellow card as well.

He will now miss a cup match against Kilmarnock before two crucial league games unless the card is rescinded, and the Twitter reactions down below are running out of patience with their number 20…

Steven Gerrard’s Rangers stormed to an impressive 7-1 victory at Ibrox on Sunday, demolishing Motherwell in Scottish Premiership action.

With the match poised at 1-1-, the visitors had a man sent off and Rangers took full advantage, scoring a brilliant five goals in the second half alone.

After the recent disappointment in the UEFA Europa League, it was the perfect way to bounce back, especially since rivals Celtic and Hearts both dropped points this weekend.

The Gers are now just two points behind Brendan Rodgers’ league leaders.

One of the big talking points coming out of the match was the performance of Gareth McAuley, who came on at half-time for the struggling youngster Nikola Katic.

The veteran’s composure and leadership was immediately apparent, with many fans now feeling like the defence may have hit a turning point and improve in the weeks and months to come.

These supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance and what it may mean going forward…

According to reports in the Southern Daily Echo, Southampton striker and Sheffield United target Sam Gallagher won’t be leaving the club on loan, and Blades boss Chris Wilder should turn his attentions to Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham instead.

What’s the word, then?

Well, while the Yorkshire outfit have enjoyed a positive few weeks in the transfer market and have had a brilliant summer overall – except for losing David Brooks to Bournemouth – they still appear to be missing that striker to partner new boy David McGoldrick with Billy Sharp and Leon Clarke getting no younger.

United have been linked with a move for Saints centre-forward Gallagher, who has spent the last two seasons on loan at Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City respectively, but Mark Hughes says he wants to keep the 22-year-old at St Mary’s, as per the Southern Daily Echo.

That news will come as a blow to Wilder, who can make the signing of the summer with a cheeky swoop for a Premier League side’s hat-trick hero, who will need to turn his attentions elsewhere if he wants to boost his frontline before the loan window in the Football League closes.

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Why should he target Abraham?

Even though the 20-year-old is one of only three senior strikers at Chelsea right now alongside Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud, it is difficult to see him getting much of a look in under Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge this season.

The England U21 international failed to set the world alight during a top-flight loan to Swansea City last term, and it is clear that he needs to be playing regularly to find some form and continue his development.

That will have to come with a Championship move now, and he would certainly arrive at Bramall Lane with plenty of pedigree and promise given he scored 23 times in 41 games at this level during a spell with Bristol City during the 2016/17 campaign.

It’s strange how often the perception is so far from the reality in football. The perception of Fabian Delph a few months ago was him being at Manchester City to quite simply make up the numbers on their home-grown quota, the vast majority deeming Aston Villa’s former ball-winner as a too industrious fit for Pep Guardiola’s philosophy.

But in truth, the England international is a solid footballer, one who has made his way into Gareth Southgate’s latest squad, and Guardiola’s realisation of how Delph is wrongly perceived perhaps played a crucial hand in Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday – with the 27-year-old a surprise inclusion in his starting XI, all the more surprisingly at left-back.

Perhaps Delph wouldn’t have received that opportunity without Benjamin Mendy’s season-ending injury but his involvement on Saturday and the way in which Guardiola used the midfielder appeared to catch Antonio Conte off guard. Indeed, Delph performed as an inside full-back on the left, moving into midfield to squeeze out Chelsea’s three-man engine room and give City more control in the middle of the park.

The tactical call worked perfectly as Chelsea’s rare opportunities to break City down all came on the counter-attack, something highlighted in Delph’s statistics. The nine-cap international recorded the most tackles, the most touches and and the joint-most interceptions of any player on the pitch, showing how influential he was on the result, while completing a whopping 92% of his passes.

Delph appeared little more than a spare part at City not long ago and at the age of 27, questions were asked over which direction his career would take. But Saturday’s display proved the 5 foot 8 midfielder can have an important role to play for City this season, especially with Mendy out injured, and that he has a lot to offer one of the top teams in the division.