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Liverpool were left frustrated in the second Merseyside derby of the campaign, but the goalless draw at Goodison Park moved Jurgen Klopp’s men one point closer to claiming their maiden Premier League title.

Despite enjoying almost 70 per cent possession, the Reds were unable to turn their domination into clear-cut chances – with Roberto Firmino’s tame left-footed effort and Fabinho’s last-gasp free-kick the closest that the league leaders came to beating Jordan Pickford in the Toffees net.

The draw means that if Manchester City beat Burnley on Monday, then Liverpool won’t be able to win the title against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, but could remarkably seal their first league crown since 1989-1990 at the home of the current champions on Thursday week.

But, had it not been for some late heroics from the ever-impressive Alisson Becker in the Reds net, then Klopp’s side could have suffered their first defeat to their neighbours in 22 matches in all competitions.

Becker did well to keep out both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison in the closing stages – but it was the introduction of Dejan Lovren that allowed Everton to create chances and gain a foothold.

From the moment the Croatian replaced the injured Joel Matip in the 73rd minute, Liverpool looked vulnerable and the Lovren would have no doubt been thankful to his goalkeeper for bailing him out after some questionable defending.

Lovren is on the verge of becoming the first Croatian to win the Premier League, but it’s safe to say that plenty of Reds fans want him sold in the summer.

Take a look at some of their best reactions on Twitter.

Liverpool failed to win at Anfield for the first time this season on Saturday, and the frustration of being unable to break Burnley down was evident across the fanbase on social media.

Jurgen Klopp’s side weren’t at their best on Saturday afternoon, but to be fair to them it wasn’t full strength XI.

Indeed, the gaffer rotated his side a little bit, and in doing so he gave 19-year-old Neco Williams a chance to start his second Premier League game.

Unfortunately, things didn’t exactly go to plan for Williams, he didn’t fill the large boots left behind by Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back, delivering just one accurate cross and one key pass throughout the game.

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Despite this only being his fifth senior league appearance, some of the Anfield faithful were unwilling to cut him any slack, taking to social media to criticise the young Welshman.

Others weren’t as harsh on the 19-year-old, and while they didn’t praise the youngster, they did attempt to give him some constructive criticism.

One of the main things fans were unhappy about was his wastefulness, and you have to say that they’ve got a point.

The youngster had three shots while playing at right-back, and not a single one of them were on target.

Another thing Liverpool fans weren’t best pleased with were Williams’ corners, as numerous supporters made a point about his deliveries not being effective.

All in all, it wasn’t an impressive performance from the teenager, but at his age, you can’t put too much credence into a pretty meaningless game against Burnley where the title is already wrapped up for Liverpool.

Hopefully, things only get better from here for the right-back.

Liverpool have been tipped to land a winger who absolutely tore them apart earlier in the season and it could hint that the club is preparing for life without Mo Salah.

What’s the word?

iNews claim that Watford sensation Ismaila Sarr could find himself at Anfield this summer as Jurgen Klopp eyes him as an understudy to his Senegalese compatriot Sadio Mane.

It comes less than a week after links first emerged mooting the 22-year-old with a switch to Merseyside.

The Hornets were relegated on the final day of the 2019/20 Premier League season and having cost the club £30m in the summer, Sarr could be one of several players on the chopping block not at least due to his impressive form for the Championship newcomers.

Salah successor

Sarr has often been likened to Mane which is no surprise given the pair’s nationality, position and playing style but the Watford man actually plays on the other flank to the Reds’ superstar.

He’d be an interesting heir to Mo Salah’s throne, especially with the 23-goal talisman constantly linked with La Liga giants Real Madrid.

And, of course, those at Anfield know Sarr all too well after he tore Klopp’s defence apart for their first defeat of the season back in February.

The enigmatic winger netted two goals and provided one assist as Watford romped to a 3-0 victory – he also recorded two successful dribbles, one key pass, won five duels and notched a whopping six shots, via SofaScore.

Sarr ran Andy Robertson rugged forcing the Scotsman to lose possession 22 times whilst he couldn’t manage a single tackle and won just one duel.

Mane waxed lyrical about his Senegal teammate ahead of his move to the Hornets whilst Sky Sports’ Gary Neville labelled Sarr “a big, big talent.”

“He’s rapid. I think defenders will struggle,” Mane told The Athletic.“Last time I was speaking to Robbo (Andy Robertson) I said, ‘Watford have a really good player. I will need to help you more otherwise Ismaila Sarr will kill you, because he is a good dribbler and very, very fast.”

It remains to be seen how much he might cost, but Klopp could do no wrong in adding Sarr to his attacking armoury.

AND in other news, Liverpool eyeing £55m raid for Steven Gerrard-like midfielder…

Now that they are back in the Premier League, Marcelo Bielsa will undoubtedly work even harder to make Leeds United even more competitive than ever before. Of course, despite already having quite a roster at his disposal, this means bringing in more reinforcements in the ongoing summer transfer window.

According to the latest reports from HLN, the Whites have been offered the services of Michy Batshuay by Chelsea. The out of favour striker still has a year left on his contract and is now valued at around €26m (£22.6m).

Now, it’s up to Bielsa to decide whether he’s ready to invest that much into a player who’s largely been unsuccessful at Stamford Bridge and is turning 27 soon. We know the Argentine coach prefers to work with young and hungry players and the Belgian has hardly warranted a hefty price tag with his performances anyway.

The other problem are his wages. Currently, Batshuayi is earning more than £100,000 a week too and matching that might prove quite difficult for the Whites, especially since they have already finalised a couple of deals this summer.

Of course, getting promoted from the Championship does come with a financial boost as well but Bielsa is mulling over whether Frank Lampard’s outcast is the right player to invest into right now.

The Blues, on the other hand, are getting quite desperate and want to offload the player as soon as possible.

Verdict

Batshuayi has had quite a rollercoaster of a career at Chelsea. Of course, the stint at Stamford Bridge itself was never really a success but he’s had his moments in various loan spells away from the English top-flight.

This does indicate there is quality in there somewhere but is he really what Leeds need to compete with the Premier League’s finest? This could be a deal to avoid for Bielsa.

According to The Athletic journalist Phil Hay, Leeds’ interest in Udinese midfielder Rodrigo de Paul “remains serious”.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent days have suggested Marcelo Bielsa’s side are keen on bringing the Argentina international to Elland Road in this transfer window, as they look forward to their first season back in the Premier League.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

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And having already clinched the signings of both Rodrigo and Robin Koch, Hay has claimed that Leeds are still firmly interested in bringing Udinese’s De Paul to the club, and that they have the money to pull it off.

Hay adds that the versatile midfielder is keen to go to a team “where he’ll be a main player”.

Better than Pablo Hernandez

Valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, De Paul enjoyed an impressive 2019/2020 campaign for Udinese, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists in 35 games across all competitions.

Whilst he played the majority of his games in the middle of the park, the 26-year-old is more than comfortable playing further forward.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Evening Post, Smarterscout’s Dan Altman claimed: “There aren’t any central midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues who can match Rodrigo de Paul’s style of play and his pitch coverage.

Tottenham Hotspur have been tipped to sign a rival Premier League striker this window and despite the shocks it may cause, it’s a move that would make the world of sense…

What’s the word?

According to Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold, Spurs are ‘keeping an eye’ on Burnley talisman Chris Wood, speaking on his YouTube channel he said:

“People might laugh at Chris Wood as a potential [signing] but I’d heard that Spurs are just keeping a little eye on him.

“He’s 28, I think he scored 14 Premier League goals last season, he’s a big, bustling, [Jose] Mourinho-esque striker.

“I think he’s got a few years left on his deal, I don’t think he’d be cheap and I think Burnley would be quite loath to lose him, but as a backup striker or someone that Kane can feed off, I don’t think that’s a bad deal at all.

“I think he’s a younger version of a [Olivier] Giroud-type.”

Mourinho profile

As Gold eludes to, Wood is the sort of striker Mourinho absolutely loves – think Diego Costa, Karim Benzema and Didier Drogba. Imposing and powerful sorts who can find the back of the net.

The 28-year-old did indeed bag 14 goals in the top-flight last term whilst averaging 3.8 aerial duels won, 2 shots and 0.7 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

It’s the third season in a row where he has hit at least ten and it’s not as if Burnley are known for scoring a plethora of goals either.

Wood is valued at just over £13m by Transfermarkt having cost the Clarets in the region of £15m back in 2017, so it remains to be seen how much he’d cost a rival PL team.

Spurs were interested in Olivier Giroud during the January transfer window and in Wood, they’d be getting an identical fit who’s got plenty more years to give.

He’d be dream foil for Harry Kane, whether that be as his second fiddle or as a partner in attack.

Wood has been described as a “natural goalscorer” in the past by ex-Leeds boss Garry Monk whilst former Millwall teammate Scott Malone believes “he’s frightening” to play against.

Given a fee of over £30m has been touted for Callum Wilson, it would make a lot more sense to move for Wood instead this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs star exit has proven to be a masterstroke by Levy…

Sunderland midfielder Max Power has warned his teammates of a potential threat that visiting sides to the Stadium of Light could pose.

The opening game of the 2020/21 season offered the Black Cats the chance to set aside last season’s failure to gain promotion and make a statement to the other League One clubs.

Phil Parkinson’s team welcomed Bristol Rovers to Wearside and the visitors made an instant impression, finding the back of the net as Luke Leahy scored from the penalty spot after just three minutes.

Chris Maguire leveled the game with eight minutes remaining but there was a further setback for Sunderland as George Dobson was sent off in added time in the 1-1 draw.

Following the defeat, Chronicle Live have now discussed what they call ‘time wasting tactics’ by Bristol Rovers, which has led Power to comment.

“Bristol came here with a game plan of slowing the game down at every opportunity,” said Power.

“The keeper was taking a very long time on goal kicks and when the ball went out for a throw in, it made it very frustrating.

“It’s tough. I think sometimes common sense has to prevail, and the referee can deal with that a lot quicker.

“If they get a warning for time wasting early on and then it’s followed by a caution, maybe that will help.

“It comes to a point where it has to be a case of, ‘come on ref, let’s get the game moving and going’.

“I’ve never seen a physio come on so much.

“Has anyone gone off seriously hurt? No. I get what Bristol are doing, and it’s something we’ve got to cope with, but sometimes officials can deal with that situation a lot better.”

Sunderland will now prepare to face Oxford United this Saturday in another tough test, having seen last season’s promotion rivals lose 2-0 to Lincoln City on opening day.

Quite why Sunderland are so frustrated by Bristol Rovers’ perceived time-wasting hints at the pressure that is on them to finally win promotion this season.

Although not respectable, time-wasting is a common ploy, especially by visiting teams, and this is something with which Sunderland will have to contend moving forward.

What are your feelings after the 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers at the weekend? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below…

Manchester United remain on the hunt for a striker and have identified two candidates that they want to sign before Monday night’s transfer deadline.

Journalist Gianluca di Marzio has claimed that the Red Devils have Edinson Cavani and Luka Jovic on their shortlist of possible centre-forward signings, with the club reportedly in contact with the former (now a free agent) and an enquiry made for the latter.

Di Marzio added that, if Jovic signs, it would most likely be on loan with United possibly having an option to buy, although Real Madrid may be reluctant to agree to such a deal.

Cavani, who left Paris Saint-Germain this summer, has a phenomenal scoring record of 341 goals in 556 appearances in his club career, with 200 of those coming over seven seasons with PSG (as per TransferMarkt).

‘El Matador’ may be 33 now but his remarkable scoring tally across Serie A, Ligue 1 and European club competitions speaks for itself. Indeed, in a not dissimilar move in 2016, United snapped up a 34-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic and he went on to score 28 goals in his first season at Old Trafford.

Jovic is at the other end of his career at the tender age of 22 but his scoring return across Europe is also impressive, with 53 goals in 155 games for Red Star Belgrade, Benfica, Eintracht Frankfurt and Real Madrid.

His €60m (£54.82m) move to the Bernabeu last year has not gone smoothly, though, with just two goals in 28 matches for the La Liga champions as he has struggled to hold down a place in Zinedine Zidane’s starting XI (as per TransferMarkt).

Cavani is more than proven as a potent striker at a high level and is freely available, so long as United can agree on a pay packet for him – a possible move to Benfica collapsed earlier this month after they refused to meet his £175,000-a-week demands.

Jovic may be on a low ebb at Real Madrid but he is still young enough to enjoy a very strong career, while a change of scenery could be the spark that he needs to rediscover the form that made the Spanish club sign him in the first place.

While some may argue that United’s problems lie in other areas of the pitch, getting either of both of these strikers into the club should be a significant boon for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.

Man United fans, would you like to have either (or both) of these players at Old Trafford? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Leeds United face another tough test in the Premier League on Monday as they host Wolves at Elland Road.

The Midlands outfit have been amongst the strongest sides in the Premier League over the last couple of seasons, with a pair of back-to-back seventh-place finishes.

United are currently above Wolves in the league, but this won’t be an easy game as two of the league’s most talented managers going head to head in what is sure to be an intriguing tactical battle.

Nuno’s 5-2-3 is set to come up against Bielsa’s fluid 4-1-4-1, and both men will have their own ideas of how they can get the better of their opposition.

One area that Bielsa should be looking to target is Wolves’ left wing-back spot, and in order to do that he should unleash Ian Poveda.

Wolves have had all sorts of problems in that position this season. Jonny Otto’s injury has left them scrambling, and that has caused a number of issues.

Marcal made just two appearances before picking up an injury, and Ruben Vinagre looked out of his depth when he came in against West Ham, allowing Jarrod Bowen to score a brace as the former Hull man consistently got the better of him. That was also his final appearance before being sent out on loan.

Wolves looked towards Romain Saiss to play on the left against Fulham, and while they kept a clean sheet, that is by no means the Moroccan’s natural position.

The Midlands outfit signed Rayan Ait-Nouri late in the window to play in that role, but he may not be fully embedded into the squad and it remains to be seen how he’ll get on with the pace of the Premier League.

Leeds can give him a baptism of fire by setting Ian Poveda on him, the winger looked electric against Manchester City, completing two dribbles and drawing two fouls during his 45-minute cameo.

The winger drew praise from former Leeds star Danny Mills who described him as “really sharp”, and if he attacks with that same pace and directness, he could cause Wolves all sorts of problems.

United need to utilise Poveda’s abilities in this one as it could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Arsenal’s defensive issues continue to pile-up, leaving Mikel Arteta with a headache going into ties against Rapid Vienna, Manchester United and Leicester City, but he may well have the solution staring him right in the face.

During the warm-up prior to kick-off against Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, Rob Holding suffered another injury setback as he pulled up with a hamstring problem. He was replaced by David Luiz.

According to the Daily Mail, the 25-year-old is set to be out for the next three to four weeks, meaning Arteta may only be able to call upon his Brazilian duo, Luiz and Gabriel.

He, of course, also has William Saliba, who is yet to make his Gunners debut since a £27m move from AS Saint-Etienne a year ago. The young Frenchman was loaned back to the Ligue 1 outfit for the season and will be part of the first-team set-up – at least until January where things can be reassessed.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein claimed the 19-year-old would be named in Arteta’s Premier League squad over Mesut Ozil, so perhaps it’s time to call upon his exploits.

And if there are any doubts, then the Arsenal boss ought to look at their next league opponents for inspiration, the Foxes.

Brendan Rodgers threw Saliba’s former ASSE teammate Wesley Fofana straight into the deep end at the weekend with Caglar Soyuncu absent through injury.

The club-record €32m (£30m) signing, who is also only aged 19, picked up the highest rating of any Leicester player (7.2) as they were defeated by Aston Villa 1-0 at the King Power Stadium.

Per SofaScore, Fofana made nine clearances, three tackles, three interceptions and won 87.5% of his aerial duels. He was an absolute beast, despite the conceded goal.

The fact that Saliba was argued as the better prospect between the two should be more than enough encouragement for Arteta to start him in their upcoming fixtures.

Fofana has even called his friend a “super player” who is “capable of succeeding in the Premier League,” as per L’Equipe via Tribuna.

His former coach Fabio Frasconi once claimed: “William Saliba will go far, very far. He reminds me of Raphaël Varane” whilst ex-ASSE teammates Yohan Cabaye and Mathieu Debuchy have also waxed lyrical about him to the Official Ligue 1 podcast.

“I think he is a great player. He’s strong, with good technique. He’s quick, too. I think he has a lot of quality to play at Arsenal,” lauded the latter.

Playing him will be far better than making him watch from the stands, Arteta must turn to Saliba during Holding’s absence this week.

AND in other news, invisible Arsenal star had a shocking display against Man City…