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Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has revealed on his official Twitter page that Newcastle United could be without as many as six key players available for this evening’s clash away to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium as Steve Bruce faces a possible injury crisis ahead of the game.

As per the journalist, Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff have been ruled out already and Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron are major doubts, with Jamaal Lascelles and Andy Carroll also doubtful for the match against last season’s Premier League champions.

They have all featured regularly throughout a satisfying season for the Tyneside club in 2019/20 as they reached an FA Cup quarter-final and have now been confirmed as mathematically safe from relegation from the Premier League.

Almiron has made 38 appearances in all competitions so far in this term, Hayden 34, Longstaff, Lascelles and Saint-Maximin 28 and Carroll 19, according to Transfermarkt.

Four of these players also started the Magpies’ last game in the 2-2 draw at St. James’ Park against West Ham United on Sunday, with Carroll coming off the substitutes’ bench, as per Sofascore.

Perhaps the biggest loss out of all of these players would be Saint-Maximin, as the 23-year old has been a revelation for Newcastle so far in the Premier League, scoring three goals and making four assists in 22 matches whilst also creating eight big chances and averaging 4.6 successful dribbles and 1.3 key passes (via Sofascore).

His absence, along with those of up to five other regular players, could be a significant blow for Bruce’s teamÂif they are to have any chance of beating Man City, given their contributions already in this campaign.

Geordies, do Newcastle have a chance of beating Man City this evening? Comment below with your views!

Tottenham Hotspur are edging closer to signing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Southampton, according to reports. 

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho has made it clear that the Denmark international is the player that he wants to rebuild the midfield in the summer. Spurs have reportedly offered £15m for the ex-Bayern Munich ace but discussions are still ongoing.

According to Sky Sports, the Saints are demanding £25m but the Lilywhites are working on a deal which would see Kyle Walker-Peters move the other way on a permanent basis.

Hojbjerg played 33 games in the Premier League this season, supplying one assist, taking 1.4 shots, winning 2.4 tackles and completing 1.5 clearances per game on average (via WhoScored).

The 24-year-old has made more than 100 appearances for Southampton, but he has told the Saints that he will not sign a new deal at St Mary’s, which led to Ralph Hasenhuttl replacing the former captain with James Ward-Prowse as a result.

He was relegated to the bench in recent weeks, although he played the full 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Brighton, albeit out of position at right-back. However, he was dropped from the squad altogether for the 3-1 win at home to Sheffield United, which could well be a sign of things to come.

Everton are also interested in Hojbjerg and have submitted a £19m bid so far, but Sky Sports claimed that he wants to join Spurs instead. Recent reports revealed that he favours a move to north London, with rampant speculation fuelled by Hojbjerg’s hints on social media.

As it stands, a deal is far from certain, although things seem to be heading in the right direction. As is often the case with Spurs, fans should expect plenty of twists and turns when the transfer window heats up.

Hojbjerg’s potential arrival could cause a seismic shake-up of the squad, as it seems Walker-Peters could stay with the Saints, while Harry Winks may find himself surplus to requirements. Despite the fact that he formed a partnership with Giovani Lo Celso, his future remains uncertain.

Tottenham fans, do you think Levy will sign Hojbjerg in the summer? Let us know your views by commenting below!

With weeks having gone by since Unai Emery was relieved of his duties at Arsenal, the club are seemingly no closer to bringing in a new man to permanently replace the Spaniard. The former PSG boss was sacked as Arsenal manager following a miserable start to the campaign that had left them well outside the top four places.

Invincibles legend Freddie Ljungberg was named as interim head coach, but reports in recent weeks have suggested the Gunners have lined up a 12-man shortlist. Now, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has delivered an update on the north London side’s search for a new manager, and the journalist had some very intriguing news.

He claims that whilst Arsenal want the situation settled as soon as possible, they are keen to appoint the right man rather than being rushed into making a quick decision.

He adds that if their number one target is available now, then that deal will be done, but there is a chance Ljungberg could hold the fort for the rest of the season and even be given the chance to impress himself, if the situation remains unclear. And after hearing Ornstein’s update, Arsenal fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts about the matter.

Many supporters of the north London side appeared to be glad with what Ornstein had to report, claiming that it is absolutely the correct move to not rush things and simply appoint the best man for the job when the time is right.

After securing his first win as interim head coach on Monday night against West Ham, the Gunners hierarchy will no doubt be hoping that Ljungberg can steady the ship for the time being as they look to appoint Emery’s permanent successor. If the Swede can continue to do a good job, then they can take their time and really ensure they make the right decision.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have been urged to cash in on this big-money star before it’s too late.

According to The Shields Gazette’s Liam Kennedy, Newcastle are plotting some major backroom changes this summer.

What did he say?

With the club’s proposed takeover still not having gone through yet, the Magpies have been left in somewhat of a limbo. Despite that, Kennedy has revealed the Tyneside club have already lined up plans to beef up their backroom staff, and get some more ‘footballing’ people around.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

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He said: “Work has been ongoing in the background to sound out managers, players and potential ‘football savvy’ backroom team members, at football and board level. While the Saudis have the likes of Sami Al Jaber lined up, with Nawaf Al Temyat, the input from closer to home suggests former Liverpool staff Owen Brown and Frank McParland are favourites to play a prominent role in the new regime.

“Former Nottingham Forest director of football and Rangers talent spotter McParland is being eyed for a recruitment role, while Brown, a former scout and player liaison officer at Anfield, is someone who could well be considered for a director of football role, should the deal get the green light.”

Recipe for success

Whilst who the Saudi consortium would want as the club’s manager going forward will be a major talking point, ensuring that that individual has the best possible staff around him to do their job properly will be key.

And that’s exactly why Kennedy’s report on how the Magpies are keen on bringing in experienced backroom men in vital positions should be exciting for fans of the Tyneside club.

Even away from the pitch, it’s the clubs with the best backroom teams and support staff that achieve success – you only have to look at how the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool have dominated English football in the past couple of seasons to see their directors of football in Txiki Begiristain and Michael Edwards work their magic in the transfer market.

Newcastle are heading in the right direction.

Leeds ground out a narrow victory over Reading on Tuesday with Jack Harrison netting the winner, and fans have been eager to praise him for several aspects of his goal.

The Manchester City loanee has faced his fair share of criticism in Yorkshire but with more moments like the one, he will soon become a favourite of supporters and manager Marcelo Bielsa.

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The Whites’ goal came due to a devastating counter-attack which relied on key contributions from Kiko Casilla, Stuart Dallas and Helder Costa, but fans decided to highlight the role of Harrison.

Not only did the 23-year-old really get the move going with a clever inside pass to Dallas, but he also made a lung-busting run, showing great desire to make it into the penalty area and meet Costa’s deflected cross.

The header was simple enough but the build-up that allowed him to score was brilliant from the player, and it has been appreciated by many Leeds supporters.

Harrison’s goal was yet another late Leeds winner and it is something which is becoming a bit of a trend, but is it a worrying sign or an indication of their quality?

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Freddie Ljungberg admitted his Arsenal players were “scared” in their clash against Brighton on Thursday night.

What did he say?

In the Swede’s second game in charge as the club’s interim head coach following the sacking of Unai Emery, the Gunners fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the Emirates.

The result extends their win-less streak to nine games across all competitions – their worst run since March 1977. It also leaves them a mammoth ten points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

And speaking after the game, Ljungberg revealed his players look completely shot of any confidence, and that they found it difficult to even want the ball against the Seagulls.

He said (as quoted by The Daily Mirror): “It was tough. We didn’t show up in the first half, didn’t work hard and want to play. The tough part is they looked very short of confidence. They were very scared to get the ball, very scared to move and they were just standing still.

“Second half we were better but we are suspect on the counter and we have no confidence. It’s a concern for any coach, a lack of confidence. It’s obvious that nervousness from the home crowd can affect players no matter what quality they have. They’re human beings like everyone. They want to do well, and they feel the pressure. We need to just dig out a win to get some confidence.”

Tough job ahead

If there was any hope that Ljungberg’s appointment as interim head coach would bring some welcome respite and the so-called ‘new manager bounce’, then Arsenal have been left sadly mistaken. The Swede’s first two games in charge against both Norwich and Brighton have simply shown that there is no temporary fix to the mess the Gunners now currently find themselves in.

As well as being defensively shoddy – they have already conceded 23 goals in just 15 top-flight games this season – they look disjointed and toothless in attack too. Against Brighton, they could muster up just five shots on target, that despite them having the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Mesut Ozil and Nicolas Pepe on the pitch. The north London side are in desperate need of a new permanent manager.

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans have hammered this ace after his disastrous performance against Brighton.

Manchester United’s 3-1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion was a special one for Andreas Pereira, not just because he got a goal and victory.

While there could be a bit of debate about whether the strike was his, due to the big deflection it took on its way into the net, it is set in stone that this was his 50th appearance for the Red Devils:

However, Man United supporters were not so enthusiastic about this landmark ahead of kick-off, feeling that this is a sign of how far their club has fallen down the years, deeming him as not good enough.

The 23-year-old has become a regular feature this season though, starting 10 Premier League games and coming off the bench once.

His performance in the game perhaps backs up the point the fans made, as he was dispossessed 4 times and only managed a pass success rate of 72%.

A selection of Twitter reaction to the landmark, including posts from critical Man United fans, can be seen below: