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Sheffield Wednesday slumped to a late defeat at Blackburn Rovers at the weekend as the Owls lost their winning position at Ewood Park in the final few minutes of the game.

The men from the Steel City went into the match on the back of a decent draw with Leeds United, whilst Rovers were out of form having themselves thrown away a lead last weekend against rivals Preston North End.

However, it was the home side that won this one at the weekend, with Wednesday failing to convert Jacob Murphy’s 83rd-minute strike into three points.

Work for Garry Monk and his men to do this week, then, in order to learn from that with the Championship looking as tight as ever.

And, indeed, it seems as though Owls fans would appreciate it if Joey Pelupessy worked on his crossing and corners in particular, with him taking a hammering on social media in the last couple of days.

Let’s take a look at what Owls fans have had to say about the midfielder’s display against the former Premier League champions…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

The year of 2019 has been quite something for Aston Villa.

Dean Smith was appointed. A run of ten straight victories ensued. Promotion was gained. Premier League football is back at Villa Park.

Just before the international break, the west Midlands club managed to pick up their second win of the season, which saw them rise out of the relegation zone into 15th.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Villa were rampant against Norwich City by sticking five past them with only one in reply; Smith would have probably liked a run of games to follow so that they could have built on the momentum.

One member of his squad has actually been riding an impressive run of form for a long time now – either that, or he’s actually now in the elite conversation because the rate he’s been performing at has been simply stunning.

John McGinn netted the first hat-trick of his career for Scotland on Sunday afternoon as they trounced San Marino 6-0, but that merely epitomises how well he has played this year.

In the Premier League this season, the 24-year-old has scored three goals in eight appearances while also picking up the Man of the Match award from WhoScored in exactly half those matches.

No player in the Villa squad is averaging more shots per game than he is, which is quite remarkable considering he is a midfielder. He also ranks inside the top three for key passes at 1.4 per match.

Last season in the Championship, he bagged seven goals and provided nine assists, so he could well be on track to beat that even with the increase in quality of opposition that a promotion to the top-flight brings.

Aston Villa’s summer signings’ performances so far this season are rated in the video below…

He’s still being talked about joining Manchester United and considering Smith only paid Hibernian £2.7m for him, any fee they receive is going to be substantially higher than that, meaning they’ll make a significant profit regardless.

Yes, McGinn only cost £2.7m.

In the current climate of big-money signings and substantial wages, picking up a player who has given those returns for a fraction of the price they probably would have had to pay if they were trying to purchase him now is simply ridiculous.

There can’t be many players in the Premier League that have been more of a bargain than McGinn.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

James Maddison is reportedly wanted by both Liverpool and Manchester United who are keen to secure the services of Leicester’s rising star and one of the Premier League’s most consistent performers.

He has been regularly linked with a move to Old Trafford in recent months and his stock rose even higher when named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for October’s Euro qualifiers.

However, illness forced him to withdraw from the party, leaving the 22-year-old still without a full senior England cap to his name.

If anyone deserves a chance to wear the famous white shirt it is surely Maddison who must be frustrated he was unable to show off his skills in matches against the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

Watch Leicester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It is an exasperation likely shared by many England supporters because the attacking midfielder offers something different to what they currently possess.

He is neither a number ‘10’ in the traditional sense (which is fortunate for Maddison as Southgate’s favoured 4-3-3 formation is not set up to house one) or a number ‘8’ if such a role is viewed as a member of the midfield unit tasked with opening up defences and supporting attackers when the opportunity presents itself.

Rather, he falls in between each definition: a floating threat constantly seeking out spaces between the lines, with Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers giving him the licence to cut inside at will.

There is a reason Rodgers recently compared his young star to Philippe Coutinho and it’s not simply because of similar attributes with the ball at their feet.

It’s because Rodgers is using him in much the same way as he did the Brazilian when manager of Liverpool for three years between 2012 and 2015.

“He’s the type of player who will drift from position to position,” Rodgers went on to say, making it sound almost incidental.

It’s not, as Maddison confirmed soon after: “The manager and I have spoken about that role he played in his team, and how sometimes he used Coutinho as a No 8 and other times off the left in different games. He had the skill set to do well in those roles and now he’s getting me to play there.”

It should not be under-estimated how important such a player is in such a role – an English Coutinho if you will – playing for the national side.

It could just be what England require, while fully acknowledging how potent Southgate’s Three Lions have been offensively with 9 goals scored in their last two fixtures alone.

In major tournaments these impactful free spirits are so often the men who make the biggest difference. They are often the cherry on the icing on the cake.

Check out the real life version of FIFA 20’s Volta Football in the video below…

Since the start of last season Maddison has created 111 chances in the top flight, more than anybody else in the Premier League, and against Tottenham last month we saw his immense value to Leicester as he carved out a goal from nothing.

Former Southampton star Matthew Le Tissier, who was one of football’s most creative players two decades or so ago, said of him: “I like Maddison’s versatility – he can play in two or three different positions equally well and he finds pockets of space between the lines.”

Sadly, the sublimely gifted Le Tissier was never given the opportunities at national level his talents probably deserved.

We’ve moved on from those times surely? Let’s not make the same mistake again.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Leeds went into their clash with Charlton at the weekend having made one enforced change to the starting XI.

Out dropped Pablo Hernandez who was injured while Helder Costa came into start his very first Championship game for the Whites.

After Marcelo Bielsa admitted that would happen in his pre-match press conference it wasn’t a surprise whatsoever.

What was a surprise, though, was Jack Clarke’s inclusion in the 18 man matchday squad.

Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…

On the chalkboard

Clarke has become a hugely neglected figure at Elland Road after rejoining the club following a permanent move to Spurs in the summer.

Restricted to minutes in the U23s and just two first-team appearances, he’s not been able to show the same sort of quality that saw him net against Aston Villa last season.

An illness has seemingly taken his career downhill and this season he is yet to prove why Tottenham ever snapped him up.

Rumours have swirled around suggesting that he could return to north London, but as far as his loan spell goes, Bielsa has just handed him a major lifeline.

Courtesy of Leeds’ lack of options on the bench with Hernandez on the sidelines, he’s come back into the side.

Dropping out because of a rule that prevents a team from having more than five loan players in a squad was Illan Meslier.

What the future holds for him remains to be seen but the wide man now certainly has a chance to stake somewhat of a claim and there would be no better time than against an unbeaten West Brom on Tuesday evening.

When Leeds drew 1-1 with Derby they lacked genuine options to help them push for a second goal. His fresh legs and energy from a wide position might have helped in that regard and clearly Bielsa noticed he was lacking something in his squad ahead of the Charlton match.

This is a huge positive for Clarke who burst onto the scene courtesy of substitute appearances last term.

If he can do the same he might just be able to salvage something from a 2019/20 season which has so far been full of frustration.

Aston Villa face a tough trip to Norwich as the search for their first away win in the Premier League this season continues.

Dean Smith’s side have struggled so far with only one top flight win and that has partly been due to the inconsistency in his team selection, although he does appear to have narrowed in on his preferred starting XI.

John McGinn impressed many with his performance against Burnley last time out, and Conor Hourihane playing alongside him allowed Jack Grealish more freedom in attack, with the Irishman also unlucky to see a first-half assist ruled out for offside.

Midfield could prove to be very important for Villa once again.

They enjoyed a lot of the ball against the Clarets but Norwich promise to be a different proposition, having had the majority of the ball in the league games they’ve played in 2019/20.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Daniel Farke’s side have looked impressive at Carrow Road, beating Newcastle and Manchester City whilst showing confidence and ability on the ball that could allow them to play the ball around with ease.

However, they have looked vulnerable in defence at times, and with the likes of McGinn and Anwar El Ghazi taking up goalscoring positions of late, the visitors could find a breakthrough.

Here is how they could line-up against Norwich on Saturday.

The Canaries may have lost all of their away matches but they have scored eight in three games at home, and therefore an improved defensive performance is needed from the Villans.

Who says there’s no atmosphere at the Emirates? The evidence in the video above suggests otherwise…

Marvelous Nakamba is central to that, and if he performs to the level he has shown this season then his side should have some joy.

He has made a great start to his Premier League career with an average of 4.7 tackles per game, and his handling of players like Todd Cantwell and Emiliano Buendia could be pivotal.

The pair have a combined total of six assists and have been instrumental in the success of six-goal Teemu Pukki – the one player Villa must watch out for.

In order to do so, Mings and Engels will need to organise the defence better than they have done so far, with 11 goals conceded from seven matches.

Frederic Guilbert will need to step up too, as he could drop out for Elmohamady if he fails to stop crosses coming into the box, as he did for Jay Rodriguez’s goals last weekend.

One player who may consider himself unfortunate to miss out is Hourihane. His energy and pass accuracy of 92% was important in Villa having as much possession as they did against Burnley, and he could be involved if Smith decides to play Grealish out wide once again.

However, Trezeguet made an immediate impact when he was brought on in the last match, assisting McGinn with a well-picked out cross and also enjoying a pass success rate of 100%, so he is deserving of a return to the starting line-up.

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Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after they found out that Frank de Boer had lost his first game in charge of Atlanta United.

The former Palace boss was appointed as the MLS Cup winners’ manager just before Christmas, but got off to a disappointing start with his new charges as they lost 3-1 to Herediano – in fairness, that’s better than his start with the Eagles, in which he oversaw a 3-0 loss to Huddersfield.

De Boer lasted just 77 days at Selhurst Park during his short tenure in south London, managing just four league games and failing to see his side score a single goal on their way to successive defeats – his only win came in the Carabao Cup against Ipswich.

The main issue with the 48-year-old Dutchman’s time at Palace was his tendency to deploy some players out of position, with Joel Ward stuck out in a right wing-back role whilst Luka Milivojevic was put at centre-back.

By the sounds of things, those issues are still going on at Atlanta, and Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Liverpool were not at their best but ground out a 2-1 victory away at Chelsea, and so Joel Matip’s contribution was vital to the win.

It was far from a vintage performance from the Reds but they showed they are able to roll their sleeves up and deal with whatever the opposition throws at them, although they also have Adrian to thank for maintaining their lead at certain points in the match.

Cleverly worked free-kicks brought Liverpool their two goals but they had only one other shot on target in the match, and their uncharacteristic mistakes on the ball led to large spells of Chelsea domination.

Jurgen Klopp’s side managed just 45% possession due to their pass accuracy of 73%, and the resulting pressure meant the backline had to stand up and be counted.

Virgil van Dijk is often the defender who receives the plaudits, but he was outshone by his centre-back partner in all defensive aspects, and Matip’s performance was rightly recognised as he picked up the Man of the Match award.

According to SofaScore the 28-year-old put in an accomplished performance in all areas of his game, and since he could do little to prevent N’Golo Kante’s goal, which came down Liverpool’s left, it is fair to say he didn’t put a foot wrong defensively.

He is now beginning to match the assured presence of van Dijk and that makes life much easier for both Adrian and the two full-backs, who like to get forward whenever possible.

Like his defensive partner he is a nightmare physically for attackers. He can be dominant in the air and impose himself on whoever he is marking, but crucially rarely concedes fouls, as his league record this season proves.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

What’s more impressive is that he is able to win duels on both the ground and in the air, acting as a robust brick wall against Chelsea he ensured his opponent never got past him, meaning the Blues were mostly reduced to long-range efforts.

If he continues this form it is very difficult to envisage him losing his place to Joe Gomez, which was a possibility at the beginning of the season when the 22-year-old started the first league game.

Matip handled one of the Premier League’s in-form strikers with ease, winning three tackles in the process, and his ability to dig in deep and lead from the back along with van Dijk could be vital to Liverpool’s success this term.

Paulo Dybala is still being targeted by Tottenham Hotspur, according to recent claims…

What’s the word?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT this week, journalist Pete O’Rourke revealed:

“I think Dybala, [a] long-term target under [Mauricio] Pochettino, I’m sure he will definitely be on the list in the summer but I think lots of clubs in Europe will be interested in the playmaker this summer on a free transfer, potentially.”

The 28-year-old came very close to signing for Spurs during the summer of 2019, only for a deal to fall through at the final hurdle over image rights. He has regularly been linked with a switch ever since then.

Conte needs him

This time, however, he’s a player that Antonio Conte could really do with in north London.

The January transfer window saw the Italian let three, potentially four, of his more creative outlets depart the club in record signing Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Dele Alli and Byran Gil.

Not as if any were performing at the level required anyway but there has been a severe lack of imagination in the final third, often leaving the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son to provide for themselves. After all, they led pretty much every attacking department last term.

Again, this season, the South Korean tops the charts for goals scored (eight), assists (three) and key chances created (1.9 per game) in the Premier League, via WhoScored.

Three of the four behind him in the latter regard are defenders, so the likes of Matt Doherty, Emerson Royal and Sergio Reguilon have been more creative than any of the departed quarter, which speaks volumes.

But it does leave Conte without an outlet in the heart of the pitch – something that Dybala could aid and not only that, he’ll provide Kane with some backup, too.

Despite being hampered by injury this campaign, the Juve man has still delivered 11 goals and five assists, averaging a direct contribution once every 101 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

He was once dubbed an “unbelievable player” who does “breathtaking” things by former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey, whilst Serie A expert Conor Clancy believes his presence would aid Kane tenfold.

“I feel like he’d be unstoppable with Kane because he’s not a number nine, so he’s got to be playing alongside a striker like that,” he told Football FanCast back in the summer.

The £45m-rated dynamo also possesses a career average of two dribbles and 1.6 key passes per game (via WhoScored) only bolsters his threat, ball playing and carrying ability in the attacking third.

He’s got to be someone that Conte would surely love to sign this summer. He’d be a steal on a free transfer, too.

AND in other news, Conte could take Spurs to the next level by signing £27m-rated “leader” who he’d love him…

West Ham United centre-back Craig Dawson has been playing through the pain of injury for a number of weeks.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a claim made by Claret & Hugh, with the West Ham insider stating in a recent post that, despite suffering from an injury in recent weeks, the 31-year-old has continually made himself available for selection as a result of the Hammers’ issues at centre-back – with a source claiming that the defender will once again be playing with a knock against Leicester City this weekend.

In their update, Claret & Hugh said: “The hugely professional central defender is again ready to defy the pain and appear against Leicester City on Sunday. A Hammers source told Claret & Hugh the man had been playing through injury for weeks without a word of complaint.”

Fans will love it

With Angelo Ogbonna having been ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury, in addition to Issa Diop having been in a dreadful run of form in recent months and Kurt Zouma’s ongoing off-field issues, the news that Dawson is once again willing to put himself through the pain barrier to feature against Leicester this weekend is an update the London Stadium faithful will love.

Indeed, over his 21 Premier League appearances this season, the £2.7m-rated centre-back has impressed in the absence of Ogbonna, helping his side keep four clean sheets, registering one assist and creating one big chance for his teammates, as well as making an average of one interception, 0.9 tackles, 3.4 clearances and winning 4.5 duels – at a success rate of 57% – per game.

These returns have seen the £52k-per-week defender average a SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as Moyes’ joint ninth-best performer in the top flight of English football so far this term.

As such, not only will Dawson’s availability come as a huge boost to West Ham’s chances of securing a positive result against the Foxes this weekend, the 31-year-old’s commitment to the Irons cause will undoubtedly be something that delights the Hammers fanbase.

In other news: Moyes must unleash “fearless” 20 y/o who’s “like a giant” after latest WHU injury blow

A major update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Sevilla defender Diego Carlos…

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports reporter Pete Graves has revealed that a bid has been placed by the Magpies, with Eddie Howe looking to improve his defensive options this month.

The journalist tweeted: “On #nufc centre back search… Diego Carlos firmly in clubs sights. Substantial offer made – remains on table – player (very) intrigued. Definitely one to watch.”

Fans will be delighted

Newcastle fans will be delighted with this claim from Graves as it shows that the club are making serious moves for players. They are not going into the market and making offers which aren’t worthwhile for other clubs to even consider purely to make it look like they are trying to do something, instead submitting sizeable bids which will test the resolve of clubs being targeted.

PIF are offering substantial amounts of money for players in order to bolster Eddie Howe’s squad, and the supporters will love that as it could give Newcastle the best possible chance of avoiding relegation to the Championship. The current group of players have proven themselves to not be good enough for where the Magpies want to be.

They are 19th in the Premier League table and have the second-worst defensive record, with bottom club Norwich – who have played a game more – the only team to concede more goals than Howe’s side so far this season. This highlights the huge issues the Magpies have in the defensive third of the pitch and highlights why fans will be particularly delighted with this news, as Carlos could solve some of their problems in that regard.

The Brazilian enforcer has been in fine form for Sevilla in La Liga this season and has been able to perform consistently to a high level, with an average SofaScore rating of 7.14. Although it is impossible to guarantee that he will be able to do the same in the Premier League, it shows that there’s a strong chance of him joining and discernibly improving Howe’s team.

Newcastle fans will also be buzzing to read that the player is keen on the move. It shows that the 28-year-old is willing to come in and help the team scrap for survival, rather than being put off by their precarious position and potentially needing to be convinced to complete the transfer.

AND in other news, “Pushing behind the scenes”: Keith Downie drops on-air NUFC update which will excite fans…