Mauricio Pochettino says Harry Kane is frustrated by the social media backlash over his goal claims, and fans are now giving the star striker even more stick.
If you have Twitter, chances are you’ve already seen hundreds of jokes about Harry Kane claiming things as his own, after the England international swore on his daughter’s life he touched the second goal at Stoke.
Whether or not the ball did indeed brush Kane’s shoulder, the Premier League have now credited Kane with the goal, putting him just four behind Mohamed Salah in the race for the golden boot.
The 24 year-old has faced a huge backlash from fans, and even from rival players, as several Liverpool players joined Salah in tweeting their confusion at the awarding of the goal.
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Jamie Vardy also appeared to find the situation amusing, as he tweeted this message shortly after the goal was awarded.
“He is disappointed because he never wanted to create this,” Pochettino said of the social media backlash.
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“For you, sometimes, it is a small or simple thing and they become bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger and you cannot stop it. That was what happened. He is going to learn a lot from this.”
While some think Kane should be applauded for his unstoppable hunger for goals, his manager’s comments have only furthered the criticism, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
On course to smash a variety of records over their five remaining games, Manchester City’s 2017/18 campaign is set to be remembered as the most dominant Premier League title win of all time.
But it’s easy to forget that Pep Guardiola’s side built their campaign on so much more than simply fine football. What makes this City side so exceptional, aside from the fact it lacks a powerful core that was previously seen as essential to success in English football, is how they’ve combined that technical flair and ingenuity with the belief, determination and mercilessness of serial trophy winners.
While opponents rolling over at the Etihad Stadium by lowering their ambitions to merely limiting the damage to their goal difference has become a disappointing trend of the latter portions of the campaign, City laid this season’s foundations on doing things the hard way too, earning the right to play in such a commandingly aesthetic fashion by proving so relentless in search of victory.
Indeed, nine of City’s 28 Premier League wins this season have been decided by a single goal, and the first of those was way back in August when Guardiola’s boys made the trip to the Vitality Stadium – a ground where Bournemouth have taken points off Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham since arriving in the Premier League three years ago.
And on that day, it was actually Bournemouth who started out on the front foot as Eddie Howe’s 5-3-2 setup appeared to leave the future champions somewhat perplexed.
The Cherries created a succession of half-chances in the opening stages as the sun beat down on the south coast, and the early pressure told when Charlie Daniels, marauding on from left wing-back, connected with a weak clearance through the most delicious of volleys at the most acute of angles, smashing the ball from the left of the penalty area to the top right corner of Ederson’s net. An early Goal of the Season contender, and August’s Goal of the Month in the Premier League.
Even with just 13 minutes gone, that wonderstrike created the feeling that this just might not be City’s day or their season – for all the money spent on full-backs and goalkeepers during the summer, for all of Guardiola’s endorsement of the idealism of his philosophy over the seemingly compulsory pragmatism of the Premier League, Bournemouth had rocked them just 15 minutes into their third game of the campaign.
Doubt could and probably should have crept in – the game previous, City had drawn 1-1 to Ronald Koeman’s unspectacular Everton at home and even the routine win over Brighton on the opening day of the campaign lacked the imposing play we’ve come to expect from this side. Manchester United, meanwhile, had started the term with a canter, demolishing West Ham 4-0 at Old Trafford. City sceptics momentarily felt validated that Guardiola’s master-plan couldn’t conquer the underdog romanticism of English football.
This setback though, only catalysed the metamorphosis City needed to become Premier League champions; the transformation from a side that proved they could entertain last season to the team that has dropped just twelve points this term, from eye-catching globe-trotters to a relentless winning machine, as smart and game-savvy as idealistically aesthetic.
Just eight minutes after Daniels’ wonderstrike, Bernardo Silva took a quick free kick just inside the Cherries’ half, David Silva instantly slid the ball in between Bournemouth’s centre-backs and Gabriel Jesus tucked home City’s equaliser.
From that point, it became a question of faith in not only their own abilities, but also Guardiola’s methodology – faith they’d need to maintain until the seventh minute of stoppage time. While Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson would have eventually succumbed to hoofed hooks into the mixer in search of a late winner, City remained adamant in playing through Bournemouth, defiant that the single chance they needed would eventually come.
While that only opened the pitch up to increase the likelihood of a late Cherries goal, the pressure eventually told. Seconds after a Bournemouth counter-attack deep into stoppage time, Sergio Aguero held off a defender and squeezed the ball to Raheem Sterling, the England international interchanged with Kevin De Bruyne on the edge of the box and when the play moved out to the right wing, it was the 23-year-old who connected with Danilo’s cross – scooping a shot into the top of the net, beyond the reach of a static Asmir Begovic.
For a number of reasons, that goal was vitally significant to City’s season. First and foremost, they would have begun the campaign with just five points from three games, slowing the accumulation of authority they quickly went on to enjoy.
Secondly, it was a crucial moment for Sterling who had been left out of the starting XI for City’s first two games – Guardiola predicted after the match that the late goal would inspire the Three Lions forward to start scoring regularly and his total for the season now stands at 22, more than double his previous career best, including the second-biggest scoring contribution to City’s Premier League title (17 goals) after Aguero.
But more crucially, it dispelled a myth about City that not only owed to scrutiny of Guardiola’s philosophy but also the mentality of the club before the Catalan’s arrival. Whereas City had constructed several eye-catching teams previously, this one proved against Bournemouth that they could dig deep as well – so deep that they’d need to seal the win in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
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Perhaps that’s why the moment the match is remembered for happened next. After Sterling lead wild celebrations, rushing into the path of supporters that were spilling onto the pitch, Mike Dean showed him a second yellow card followed by a red.
Now though, that suspension seems a small price to pay for a moment that became almost a template for City, a source of inspiration for their many hard-fought wins throughout the first half of the campaign. It was the first of five game-winning goals in the top flight for Sterling this season, and the first of four winners from those games won by a single goal that was netted after the 80th minute.
Indeed, as much as the utter dominance over divisional rivals, as much as the unparalleled control of possession indiscriminate of the opposition, as much as the absence of a typical midfield powerhouse, and as much as Guardiola’s idiosyncratic reshuffles of formations, last-gasp wins like the one at the Vitality Stadium in August have shaped City’s special campaign.
Harry Kane has been the main source of goals for Tottenham Hotspur this season as he has netted 38 goals in all competitions this season.
However, Son Heung-min has come into his own somewhat by providing another attacking threat for manager Mauricio Pochettino.
The South Korean international has shown plenty of versatility having featured on the left side in the final third, as well as a central striker.
In his last few outings, though, the 25-year-old has struggled to make an impact up front.
In fact, Son has not registered a goal in any of his last seven matches for Spurs, but he does have an assist to his name.
During Monday evening’s Premier League game against Watford, the attacker played 74 minutes of the encounter before being substituted at Wembley.
Overall, it was a rather disappointing night on an individual level for Son, despite the fact that Tottenham won 2-0.
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The former Bayer Leverkusen player failed to muster a single shot on goal and he also had the second-lowest passing accuracy of his teammates.
Every player can have an off-day, but Son will be thankful that his slump is coming towards the end of the season as he will have time to recover and regain his best form for the start of the new campaign.
In an interview he conducted with Sky Sports News on Thursday, Southampton defender Ryan Bertrand, rated at £18m by Transfermarkt, has hinted that the club’s late season turnaround could mean that he chooses to stay next season.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Bertrand has been linked with moves to the likes of Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in recent weeks, with his four-season spell with the south coast outfit looking set to end whichever division they found themselves in next term.
That may well have had something to do with disappointing campaigns under Claude Puel and Mauricio Pellegrino where Saints looked to be going backwards, but the revival under Mark Hughes in recent weeks could yet convince the stand-in captain to stay.
Speaking about their battle against the drop to Sky Sports News, Bertrand said: “It was kind of like a wake-up call that maybe we needed as a whole and hopefully we can analyse all of those things and hopefully move on again next season.”
How has Bertrand done this season?
Like many of his Southampton teammates, he hasn’t reached anywhere near the same level as he has in previous campaigns.
The 28-year-old hasn’t been as solid defensively or provided as much of an attacking threat as he has done before this term, although he has stood up and been counted in recent weeks having been given the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Steven Davis.
The England international would have been furious with himself – as his own fans were with him on Twitter – at Goodison Park last weekend when his poor clearance eventually led to a last-gasp equaliser for Everton, but he bounced back well with a strong display in the crucial 1-0 win against Swansea City on Tuesday night.
Will he stay this summer?
Southampton will certainly hope so, and it may well depend on who their new manager is going to be, and the ambition that the club are ready to show in the transfer market.
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His comments certainly suggest that he is already thinking about next season, but on the other hand if the south coast outfit do receive an acceptable offer for the 28-year-old from one of the top Premier League clubs, they may be unlikely to stand in the way of the left-back’s chance to play in the Champions League and compete for titles.
According to reports in The Times, Everton have identified FC Porto coach Sergio Conceicao as a potential replacement for Sam Allardyce if he leaves the club this summer.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Times says that the 63-year-old manager’s future is in doubt because of the animosity and discontent shown towards him from the Goodison Park faithful, with the board yet to show a public show of support for the former England boss.
Allardyce still has one year remaining on the contract that he signed in November when he was appointed to steer the club away from the relegation zone, but if the Merseyside outfit choose to go in a different direction at the end of the season then Conceicao could be one of the leading candidates for the role, as per The Times.
How has Conceicao done this season?
He has been relatively successful in his first campaign in charge of the Portuguese giants, winning 37 of his 51 matches at the helm and winning the Primeira Liga title.
While the 43-year-old would have been delighted to lead his team out of the group stages of the Champions League, the 5-0 defeat at home to Liverpool in the first leg of their last 16 tie was a slight jot on his copybook.
That said, his side have generally been exciting from an attacking point of view – they have netted 125 goals as per Transfermarkt – while they have pretty good at the back as well.
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Would he be a good appointment for Everton?
He certainly could be, yes.
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Right now, it seems that Toffees fans would take almost anyone over Allardyce, but Conceicao certainly seems to be the sort of manager that could be moulded to grow with the club over the next few years.
His attacking brand of football would certainly be music to the ears of a discontented Goodison Park faithful, and he has shown that he isn’t afraid to change formations when required having played 4-4-2 – with two midfielders sitting in front of the backline – 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 systems with Porto this term.
Jose Mourinho looks to extend his record of never having lost a cup final in normal time when he lines up for his 15th as Manchester United take on his former club Chelsea in the Wembley showdown for the FA Cup on Saturday.
As the anticipation builds, ESPN have given Reds fans some early team news – England duo Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are in pole position to start at centre-half against the Blues.
The pair are still waiting to realise their potential, both capable of making a mistake and neither particularly trustworthy, especially on the big occasion.
That is the view of the club’s fans, who are raging that the pair – both remnants from the Sir Alex Ferguson era – look set to be preferred over Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof.
Those two big-money central defensive additions are clearly still not trusted by Mourinho – the man who brought both to the club – but when Jones and Smalling are the alternative, United fans are understandably raging…
Jurgen Klopp is so keen to bring Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele to Liverpool this summer that he wants to meet the Frenchman’s mother, according to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.
What’s the story, then?
The report claims that Klopp wants more attacking options and depth and sees Dembele – valued at £72m by Transfermarkt – as a perfect option as he has tracked his career since his arrival at Borussia Dortmund.
It goes on to say that the German wants someone who does not constantly come inside but can beat his man on the outside with the pace that is the hallmark of this Reds team.
It also warns that Liverpool’s ever-intensifying pursuit of a new goalkeeper may be a stumbling block as the Reds struggle to find the funds for an elite stopper and the signing of Dembele.
Dembele’s pace would suit Liverpool
Nabil Fekir has been linked with Liverpool in recent days but the Lyon man is a playmaker, he would offer an alternative to what Liverpool already have but doesn’t have the devastating pace that Klopp has built this Reds team on.
Dembele certainly has that and just needs confidence after a debut season with Barcelona where he was charged with replacing Neymar after coming in for a bumper fee but did not set the world alight.
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The Frenchman looks a dream fit for Klopp’s style of play and Liverpool should be able to find the money to transform their squad into an elite one with greater depth and options.
According to Foot.CD, Newcastle United are considering a move for Everton attacker Yannick Bolasie in this summer’s transfer window.
Bolasie has only made 32 appearances for Everton since moving to the Merseyside club from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2016.
A serious knee injury saw the 29-year-old miss more than 12 months of football between December 2016 and December 2017, but he did return to action in the second half of last season.
It would be fair to say that the attacker found it difficult to settle back into action, however, and he ended the 2017-18 season with just one goal in 17 appearances.
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Bolasie, who is valued at £16.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has a contract with Everton until the summer of 2021, but his future is being called into question.
The Everton fans recently revealed that they would be happy to see him leave this summer.
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And a move to Newcastle could well be on with the Magpies supporters claiming that they would be interested in signing the attacker ahead of the new season.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
David Luiz was a crucial member of the Chelsea team that won the Premier League title in the 2016-17 season, but the last campaign was a different story.
Arsenal have been linked to the Brazilian before, and now according to le10sport, Arsene Wenger’s replacement Unai Emery is keen on the centre-back.
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The French publication claims that the Gunners have tabled an £18m bid, which has been rejected by the Blues.
There is no doubt that Luiz has the qualities to thrive in England’s top flight, but he had an injury-plagued run last season.
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The Brazilian also fell out of favour with manager Antonio Conte, which resulted in him making just 10 league outings.
Due to the nature of the relationship between Luiz and Conte, the defender’s future could be decided depending on whether the Italian remains at Stamford Bridge or not.
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It is clear from Arsenal’s point of view that the defence needs to be improved, and Emery has taken one step to do that by recruiting Stephan Lichtsteiner from Juventus on a free transfer.
Judging by these latest reports, Luiz remains a target, which has pleased some fans, but others are not convinced.
Comment from discussion Le 10 Sport, criticised for its lack of reliability in the past, but proving impressively accurate so far this window, are reporting that Arsenal have had a £20m bid for David Luiz rejected by Chelsea..Comment from discussion Le 10 Sport, criticised for its lack of reliability in the past, but proving impressively accurate so far this window, are reporting that Arsenal have had a £20m bid for David Luiz rejected by Chelsea..Comment from discussion Le 10 Sport, criticised for its lack of reliability in the past, but proving impressively accurate so far this window, are reporting that Arsenal have had a £20m bid for David Luiz rejected by Chelsea..Comment from discussion Le 10 Sport, criticised for its lack of reliability in the past, but proving impressively accurate so far this window, are reporting that Arsenal have had a £20m bid for David Luiz rejected by Chelsea..Comment from discussion Le 10 Sport, criticised for its lack of reliability in the past, but proving impressively accurate so far this window, are reporting that Arsenal have had a £20m bid for David Luiz rejected by Chelsea..Comment from discussion Le 10 Sport, criticised for its lack of reliability in the past, but proving impressively accurate so far this window, are reporting that Arsenal have had a £20m bid for David Luiz rejected by Chelsea..Comment from discussion Le 10 Sport, criticised for its lack of reliability in the past, but proving impressively accurate so far this window, are reporting that Arsenal have had a £20m bid for David Luiz rejected by Chelsea..Comment from discussion Le 10 Sport, criticised for its lack of reliability in the past, but proving impressively accurate so far this window, are reporting that Arsenal have had a £20m bid for David Luiz rejected by Chelsea..
Leeds United are interested in signing Liverpool winger Harry Wilson on loan, according to the Yorkshire Post.
What’s the story?
21-year-old Wilson spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull City where he enjoyed a successful spell, scoring seven and assisting three goals in 13 appearances for the Tigers.
The tricky winger took Gareth Bale’s record of the youngest player to ever play for Wales and is considered a potential star of the future.
According to the report, Leeds will have to see off unnamed Premier League interest in Wilson who is valued at £900,000 on Transfermarkt.
A real coup for Leeds
In his brief spell at Hull, Wilson showed he has real talent that belies his young age.
He runs directly at defenders and has a great end product as well, as shown by his strong goal and assist ratio.
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He would inject real pace into the Leeds side and would be a very exciting prospect to watch embarrass Championship defences next season.
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