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Michael Owen fancies Arsenal this season.Conversations seem to be focused less so on Manchester City and Liverpool this season as they are on the scrap for top four, which is refreshing for all those who sat through the insufferable fan fair during the last term. Or maybe we’re just bitter it isn’t our sides doing well.Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, Chelsea and Arsenal are all the sides in focus this year but it’s the latter club that Ballon d’Or winning forward believes could be in for a very good chance of securing themselves a place back amongst the European elite in 2020.

And while Arsenal haven’t exactly got off to a blistering start, their form guide certainly isn’t anything to scowl at, with six wins, three draws and a single defeat to their name so far. Owen put his case across that the Gunners are the ones to watch…

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…

When Barcelona and Sevilla meet, excitement is guaranteed and their latest clash at the weekend was no exception to that rule.

The Catalan giants dismantled the Andalusians and eased to a 4-0 victory on the night.

But as dominant and impressive as that triumph may seem at first, it is actually far from the real picture. Sevilla were not as helpless and as submissive as the result may indicate at first – seeing how they tallied more shots than their hosts – but their opponents were simply far more clinical in front of goal.

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Still, despite hiccups here and there, Ernesto Valverde should be happy with the win and with a couple of exceptional performances from some of his players.

One such ace who was in top form last Sunday is definitely Nelson Semedo, the 25-year-old right-back.

But interestingly enough, with the absence of both Jordi Alba and Junior Firpo in the lineup, Semedo was actually deployed as the team’s left-back on the night, and despite venturing into uncharted territory, the Portuguese mustered a brilliant display.

Not only did Semedo assist Luis Suarez’s opener but he also tallied one key pass, 89.8% passing accuracy and two accurate crosses to his name in the process.

And despite playing on the opposite side of the pitch, he didn’t allow any defensive blips either.

The 25-year-old recorded four tackles, the second-highest in the team, and two clearances, dealing with any and all threats coming down Sevilla’s right flank.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

By all accounts, Semedo was an influential presence going both ways and that achievement is amplified even further with the fact that he was deployed in a position that’s largely unknown to him.

And the best thing is, he tallied a similarly impressive display at left-back just days prior to the Sevilla clash when Barcelona welcomed Inter Milan to the Camp Nou.

That night, Semedo had a similar effect with two shots, one key pass and two tackles to his name.

Valverde put some trust in him in the absence of some of his key players and the young Portuguese returned the favour.

Some Manchester City fans have taken to Twitter to react after they discovered that Sergio Aguero had been carrying an injury, leading to his exclusion from international duty with Argentina.

National team boss Lionel Scaloni revealed the issue in a press conference when asked about his missing players.

“Lionel Messi is not here due to suspension. Sergio Aguero is not here because he’s been carrying a problem and has not been training 100 per cent with his club. Surely both will be here next month.”

Man City fans will naturally be disappointed about the news regarding their star striker, especially given how many injuries the Citizens have already had this season.

Aymeric Laporte will be missing until around January or February with a knee problem, while John Stones is also currently injured.

Leroy Sane and Benjamin Mendy have also both been struggling.

Kevin De Bruyne – who has registered eight assists in the Premier League already this term – is also out injured right now; the issues are mounting up for Pep Guardiola.

It doesn’t seem to be too serious as Scaloni states that Aguero will “surely” be with the squad next month, but the City fans on Twitter have still taken the time to share their thoughts on the situation.

Let’s take a look at some of the best of the reaction…

Charlton Athletic have commenced their 2019/20 Championship campaign in strong form to rise to 10th in the table after achieving promotion from League One last season.

A recent international call-up for Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher to England’s U21 side had excited some of the club’s fanbase, with his call up looking like just reward for what has been an eye-catching opening to his season-long spell.

Despite the call-up, U21 boss Aidy Boothroyd opted not to start Gallagher in either of his side’s games against Slovenia and Austria, limiting the Addicks midfielder to just 31 minutes of game-time in his first trip away with the Young Lions squad, with a 4 minute cameo against the latter coming just days after a 27 minute run out against the former.

The midfielder has scored four goals and registered one assist in 11 Championship appearances for Charlton this season, and his loan spell from Stamford Bridge is proving to be fruitful for both the player and Lee Bowyer’s side.

Boothroyd unquestionably has a plethora of talent at his disposal within the England U21 ranks, but given Gallagher’s form and the fact he has proven his ability in the Championship, this international break would have provided an excellent opportunity for the 19-year-old to showcase his ability on the international stage.

After receiving the call-up, Gallagher’s first trip away with the U21 side could have presented the perfect opportunity for the in-form midfielder to make his first start in an England shirt, but it appears more is needed. 

If the Charlton man continues to impress in the Championship, then Boothroyd may have no choice but to give the 19-year-old his first start for the U21s in the Young Lions’ next international fixture against Albania in November.

In our latest instalment of the Flashback series, we take a look back at a certain moment and look at how things might have changed those initial reactions.

Benjamin Stambouli may have had a dreadful time whilst at Tottenham Hotspur which lasted just 12 months, however there could be an argument that Mauricio Pochettino needs the player he sold in the middle of his defence more than ever now.

The centre-back originally arrived in north London back in 2014 for an undisclosed fee when Spurs acquired him from Montpellier, however 25 appearances later and he was on his way back to France when Paris Saint-Germain called for his services.

Fans at the time were impressed that Tottenham were able to make a profit on a player that has been dubbed by HITC Sport as Pochettino’s worst ever signing, whilst others were quite pleased to see him go at the time.

Here are just some of those initial reactions…

However, there could be a case that Tottenham need the player that Stambouli has since turned out to become after his terrible spell in north London.

Spurs appear to be in free-fall at the moment as they can’t keep the ball out of the back of their net, whilst Charlie Nicholas recently described centre-back pairing Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League currently, despite having been the best at one point (per Sporting Life).

Indeed, the last clean sheet Spurs managed to keep was against Crystal Palace in September and the aforementioned duo’s futures are still in the air and have become a talking point for those in the capital.

However, Stambouli appears to have found his feet as the years have gone by as he now plays his football in the Bundesliga with Schalke 04 – although that story could have turned out differently because they had once transfer listed, per L’Equipe (via GFFN).

Since establishing himself in the German outfit as a key player, the 29-year-old has become a solid defensive figure and, perhaps, one Tottenham are in desperate need of now.

According to the figures released by WhoScored over the last three seasons in top-flight football, the French centre-back has managed to achieve averages of 3.4, 2.4 and 3.7 tackles; 2.3, 1.5 and 1.4 interceptions and 2.5, 2.9 and 2.9 clearances per game.

As mentioned, Alderweireld and Vertonghen have struggled this season, with both managing to achieve 1.5 and 1.8 tackles; 0.9 and 1.8 interceptions and 3.6 and four clearances in their appearances for Spurs.

Of course, it is difficult to see how well a player can develop, however it appears Stambouli may have become a player that Tottenham decided to part with a little too earlier than they, perhaps, should have.

Tottenham fans, what are your thoughts? Let us know by sharing them in the comments section below!

It’s not often that we see Real Madrid fans praising and gushing over Thibaut Courtois.

Generally speaking, the 27-year-old Belgian goalkeeper has been one of the main targets of harsh criticism due to his sub-par performances but if Los Blancos’ last game against Galatasaray, a 1-0 victory, is any indication, that may be about to change.

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After all, it was Courtois who made three crucial saves throughout the night to keep Real from conceding a goal and dropping their lead.

In the end, they took the all-important three points that will keep them afloat in the competition.

At least for now, that is.

And shortly after the clash, loads of Madridistas swarmed social media and Twitter with genuine praise for their man between the sticks, showering him with compliments, applauding his display and generally supporting him.

You can see some of their reactions and replies down in the collection of tweets below.

Check them out…

Many Brighton and Hove Albion fans think that Irish youngster Aaron Connolly is worthy of an award for the ‘Performance of the Month’ for October.

The award, in association with Porsche’s Mid Sussex Centre, has nominated three players for the trophy – Connolly, just 19, has been nominated for his double against Tottenham, Adam Webster was nominated for his performance against Aston Villa, and Leandro Trossard was nominated for his performance against Everton on the weekend.

It’s been a good month for Brighton – especially at home. They have beaten both Tottenham and Everton, though did lose to Villa on their travels.

Many fans got in response to suggest who they thought was worthy of the award, and many replied saying that it would be Connolly’s match-winning performance against Tottenham Hotspur. The Irishman was able to score twice against Spurs to pile on the misery for the North London club after they got demolished 7-2 in the Champions League by Bayern Munich.

Here are some of the replies from Brighton fans below…

They don’t ever miss an opportunity do they?

The rivalry between Derby County and Nottingham Forest is a long and storied one, so whenever there’s a chance for one to poke fun or criticise the other, fans are going to do their best to get under each other’s skins. And when it’s a situation like this, they were never going to keep quiet.

The news came out yesterday that Derby County had decided to terminate the contract of their club captain Richard Keogh as he recovers from the injuries suffered in a crash with his teammates Tom Lawrence and Mason Bennett back in September.

Check out Matchday with Max’s latest Nottingham Forest vlog in the video below…

Whilst there were some who used it as one final chance to have a pop at Keogh, there were others who decided to take a more serious tone about the incident and outright condemn their decision, pointing out the hypocrisy in letting the two main culprits Lawrence and Bennett still play for the club.

Taking to Twitter, they were rather divided on the matter. Here’s some of the reaction.

Sunderland’s season is not going to plan at all and that has led some fans to discuss what areas the club should look to strengthen, even though the window doesn’t open for almost two months.

The Black Cats have looked lacklustre in several departments this term and that hasn’t changed much since Phil Parkinson took over, as he has overseen four defeats in six games.

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The summer transfer window was a fairly busy one for Sunderland, with seven additions, but with the team currently outside the play-offs owner Donald Stewart may be willing to make additional funds available.

If he does, many fans hope that Parkinson chooses to strengthen the midfield, with many crying out for a more creative midfielder than Geroge Dobson or Max Power.

Both are without an assist this season, and that has contributed to the club only scoring 22 goals in 15 league games, as well as recent away defeats to Shrewsbury and Wycombe, with the Black Cats failing to find the net on both occasions.

Here are some of the calls from supporters requesting a January midfield addition.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Carles Alena has an agreement with Barcelona that the midfielder would be best off leaving the Spanish champions on loan in January.

The 21-year-old started Barca’s 2019/20 opener at Athletic Bilbao but was replaced at the interval and has not been seen in the first team since.

According to Mundo Deportivo, both parties feel that a loan move at the start of 2020 would make sense, and Tottenham are closely monitoring developments.

Despite being frozen out in recent months, Alena actually made 27 first-team appearances for the Catalan giants last season, including 17 La Liga outings.

A number of Tottenham fans have been on social media offering their views on the latest developments.

And it would be fair to say that the majority are not interested in a loan move for the midfielder, who has been capped on two occasions by Spain’s U21 side.

A selection of the Twitter reaction is available below: