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Many Everton fans have been left to slam the display of Alex Iwobi in their 2-2 home draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Friday night.

Two goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson were not enough in the end as two defensive errors meant that Harry Kane was able to pounce and earn Jose Mourinho’s team a point at Goodison Park.

Nonetheless, Iwobi did not have the best of games for the Merseyside club and was subsequently hauled off just after the hour mark for Seamus Coleman, who immediately made an impact with an assist.

The former Arsenal man lost out on seven out of eight of his duels (87.5%), and also failed to record a single shot on target, successful dribble, key pass or accurate cross, all while losing possession of the ball on no fewer than on 12 separate occasions in the game (Sofascore).

Everton fans on Iwobi display

These Toffees supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with one Blues fan even going as far as to claim that the Nigeria international is ‘awful’:

“How have we given Arsenal nearly £50 million for Walcott and Iwobi if you put them together you still wouldn’t have half a player. #EFC”

Credit: @Tezza_c1878

“Iwobi is stealing a living with us #EFC”

Credit: @Toffeeman2010

“Coleman doing more in 2 minutes than Iwobi done in 60. He offers us nothing #EFC”

Credit: @Ball86T

“Iwobi really doesn’t have a future at the club. Add him to the list #EFC”

Credit: @nickjones314

“A truly woeful signing gone off. Brands will do well to recover from Iwobi #efc”

Credit: @BlueDanEFC

“Iwobi must be like Ronaldo in training because he’s consistently awful on a match day! What’s he done to start?!!! #EFC #EVETOT”

Credit: @ridroberts

In other news, find out what transfer plans have left EFC fans fuming here!

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has revealed when Jack Grealish will be fit enough to return to action after being injured earlier this month.

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• Grealish fit to return against Luton
• Suffered injury earlier this month
• Recovered early as was feared out for a month

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  After being forced off the pitch through injury during his side's Champions League last-16 clash against Copenhagen on February 13, Grealish made an unexpected return to the bench for their Premier League victory over Bournemouth on Saturday. While City had initially prepared for the ex-Aston Villa winger to be sidelined for up to a month, he has clearly recovered faster than anticipated. And Grealish might make a comeback for City's FA Cup clash at Luton on Tuesday, according to Guardiola, who did not risk him against Bournemouth while his side were holding on to a 1-0 lead.

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• WHAT GUARDIOLA SAID

  Asked how Grealish was recovering, Guardiola told reporters: “Good, yep [he’s alright].”

  Guardiola also gave an update on injured defender Josko Gvardiol, adding: “He is good too. I don’t know [if he’s available]. We train this [Monday]afternoon but he’s training without much pain.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Since joining Guardiola's side in 2022 for a whopping £100 million ($126m), the 28-year-old has had a topsy-turvy time at the Etihad. While he had a difficult start to life with the team, he recovered his form and was a pivotal player for Guardiola during their treble-winning run last season. However, the signing of Jeremy Doku last summer coupled with the utilisation of Phil Foden in his preferred role has seen Grealish lose his prominence in the squad this term.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR GREALISH?

  It is possible that Grealish will feature for his side in their match-up against Luton on Tuesday, albeit at a reduced capacity. He is unlikely to start the match as Guardiola will be looking to manage his minutes, in order to ensure proper recovery going into the business end of the season.

The Gunners' inexperience proved costly at Estadio Do Dragao as Mikel Arteta was given a lesson in the continental dark arts

Arsenal have never had much luck in the Champions League. The closest they came to winning the trophy was back in 2006, when they suffered a heartbreaking final defeat to Barcelona, and they haven't reached the quarter-finals in 14 years.

The Gunners have actually lost all of their last six ties in the last 16, and Mikel Arteta is now facing an uphill battle to break that cycle. Porto beat Arsenal 1-0 in their first-leg clash on Wednesday, courtesy of a stunning 94th-minute strike from Brazilian winger Galeno.

“We don’t have the experience, that’s the reality – 95 percent of these players haven’t played this competition, they haven’t played the last 16," Arteta said before the game.

In fact, Kai Havertz was the only member of Arsenal's starting XI at Estadio Do Dragao to have featured in a Champions League knockout game. Arteta's exciting young side topped their group in impressive fashion, but the way they meekly surrendered in Porto suggests they're not ready to truly compete with the best.

It was same naivety Arsenal showed towards the end of last season, as they won just three of their final nine Premier League games to essentially gift Manchester City the Premier League title, having led the table for a record 248 days. Nothing has really changed since then, and another trophy-less season will be inevitable unless Arteta's men quickly develop some street smarts.

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  Outbattled & outsmarted

  Arsenal lacked their usual fluidity against Porto, who expertly broke up the game while cutting off the supply line to Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka up top. The Gunners were outnumbered in midfield, and the ugly nature of the contest was reflected by the final foul count of 36 – the most recorded in a Champions League game this term.

  Twenty-two of those were given away by the visitors, as Porto successfully limited the Gunners' huge threat from set-pieces by dropping to the floor when feeling any sort of contact. "Every time we touched somebody, it seemed to be a foul before we even kicked the ball," Arteta said.

  The Spaniard added on Porto's tactics, after seeing his side fail to muster a single shot on target: "We are very used to playing against these defensive blocks. Especially in the first half, we lacked certain things. We will learn from it and be better in the return game. The best thing about our team was the attitude. We wanted to play. We didn’t lack aggression. Faced with such a low block and a team with no intention of playing, this is what we have to do."

  Arteta can groan all he wants, but the reality is Porto were the smarter team on the night, and a touch unfortunate not to win by a wider margin. In the 21st minute, Galeno smacked a volley against the post and then skewed a rebound effort agonisingly wide from five yards out, with the stadium announcer initially blaring out celebratory music thinking the ball had gone in.

  Arsenal may have bossed possession, but the hosts kept their most creative players at bay, with Martin Odegaard cutting the most frustrated figure after being forced to drop deep. Sergio Conceicao's side, led by notorious former Real Madrid enforcer Pepe, were always in control, and gave the Gunners a lesson in how to grind out wins in the latter stages of Europe's top competition.

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  Arsenal need more 'saviness'

  For all their failings in Porto, Arsenal were still only seconds away from earning a 0-0 draw, which would have put them in full control of the tie heading into the second leg at the Emirates Stadium. Arteta's team just needed to keep hold of the ball, which they are usually so good at, but they gave it away cheaply three times before Galeno eventually struck the decisive blow.

  Declan Rice initially won the ball back after a mishit David Raya clearance, only for Stephen Eustaquio to steal it from him. Porto's attack then appeared to break down when Galeno surrendered possession, but Martinelli inexplicably attempted a 30-yard cross-field pass to Saka, which was intercepted with ease by Otavio.

  The centre-back quickly fed Galeno again, and the 26-year-old was given the time and space to set himself before curling a brilliant effort into the far right corner of the net. “I am very disappointed the way we gave the game away at the end, not managing that situation well enough,” Arteta fumed after the full-time whistle. “You get punished in the Champions League. If you cannot win it, you don’t lose it.”

  It was strange to see Rice backing off when Galeno started to cut in on his right foot, but Arsenal's record-signing admitted he was wary of being sent-off, having been booked in the second minute of the game.

  “It was a real kick in the teeth because that can change your mindset a little bit,” he said. Rice went on to echo Arteta's sentiments, admitting the Gunners will have to show a "bit more savviness" in the most important games.

  Arsenal's season will be in real danger of unravelling if they fail to do so in their next Premier League outing against Newcastle.

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  'Does Mikel trust the players?'

  Arsenal went into their first-leg encounter with Porto having scored 21 goals across their previous five Premier League games. The Gunners picked up maximum points to put themselves right back in the mix for the title, and seemed to have rediscovered their swagger, but a lack of quality options in the final third came back to bite Arteta again in Europe.

  The 41-year-old opted to start with Trossard in a false nine role, and resisted the temptation to bring on Eddie Nketiah when Arsenal were struggling to make a breakthrough, with Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson also left on the bench. To win the biggest competitions, it is necessary to change up personnel and systems at times, especially when an attacking spark is so clearly missing.

  The only change Arteta made was to bring on Jorginho for Trossard in the 74th minute, at which point he shifted Havertz into the false nine role. That decision must have strung Nketiah in particular, given the fact he's managed more goal contributions than Havertz in the Premier League this season, despite starting seven fewer games.

  Saka and Martinelli looked visibly fatigued late on, too, but they're unlikely to get a rest anytime soon because Arteta clearly doesn't have faith in those waiting in the wings, as former Arsenal star Theo Walcott observed in midweek.

  "I remember being in this certain position before and being subbed as a forward player," Walcott said on . "Martinelli, for instance, could be tired, he’s worked a lot, he’s worked really hard, tracking his full-back quite a lot tonight. Of course, yes, lazy pass, loses the ball [for Porto’s goal], but then I’ve just got to question this squad depth of Arsenal at the start of the game – does Mikel trust the players?"

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• No.9 woes

  The question is: why didn't Arteta go all out to sign a new striker last summer? Rice was always going to be Arsenal's number one target, and he's so far managing to justify his £105m ($133m) fee, but their decision to splash another £65m (£82m) on Havertz is as baffling now as it was then.

  Havertz hasn't really got to grips with a new role on the left of Arsenal's midfield three, and certainly isn't the like-for-like replacement for Granit Xhaka that Arteta suggested he could be. Leading the line doesn't suit Havertz either, as he's largely endured the same difficulties in front of goal he did throughout his time at Chelsea.

  The Gunners should be boosted by the return of Gabriel Jesus for the return leg against Porto, but he has been equally enigmatic since his 2022 switch to the Emirates from Manchester City. Jesus can never stay fit for a significant run of matches, and rarely delivers the goods when he is available, as reflected by his measly 9.76 percent shot conversion rate in the Premier League this term.

  Saka has been Arsenal's main source of goals, and although he is a superb player in his own right, the 22-year-old is once again shouldering too much responsibility. Walcott was left in no doubt over his old club's biggest weakness, as he added: "I've said this numerous times recently, I think the argument about Arsenal's lack of prolific goalscorer will rear its ugly head again."

Former Scotland international Alan Hutton believes that Celtic appointing a new sporting director could turn out to be a “disaster.”

Warning issued to Celtic

This comes after Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph claimed that the Hoops are looking to appoint someone who has experience in the role, with the likes of David Webb, Fergal Harkin and Matteo Tognozzi being considered for the position.

Reports back in January suggested that the Parkhead club are due to undergo a mass overhaul in the summer, with transfer guru Nick Hammond and recruitment chief Gary Penrice set to follow Neil Lennon out the exit door.

Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton reacted to the prospect of Celtic bringing a sporting director in but also sent a warning to the club.

“It seems to be going that way,” he said. “It takes a little bit of pressure, I think, off the manager and most teams are doing it.

“It doesn’t always work out. I think it has to be a solid relationship between the manager and the sporting director. If they’re pushing in different directions it is always going to end in disaster.

“It’ll work if they can get somebody there who gets on well with the manager. If they’ve got the same ideas, same philosophy, same way of moving the team forward.

“It’s as simple as that. I understand why they’re doing it and it just seems to be the way that football’s going at the moment.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

We think the club should follow the path that the former Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers suggested – bringing in a Director of Football.

But Hutton is right – Celtic could be in danger of repeating the recruitment mistakes that have been made during the 2020/21 campaign if they do not make the right selection.

With the new chief executive Dominic McKay set to start his new role in the summer, time will tell whether Hutton’s warnings are heeded.

In other news, Alan Hutton predicts Celtic boardroom chief will ‘lose his job.’

Josh Sargent tries this best to sing alongside a group of Norwich City fans as they serenaded him in Italian.

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• Josh Sargent scores brace for Norwich
• Canaries win 4-1
• USMNT star serenaded by fans

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Following his two-goal performance against Cardiff City at the weekend, the English club posted a clip of the 'Italian Canaries' serenading the USMNT star after the game. They all huddled around him and Norwich boss David Wagner, with a Canaries flag, singing to them both.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sargent's form has been nothing short of stupendous this season. In just 13 games played, he has 10 goals and one assist – while also missing the majority of the first half of the campaign. If he continues his hot form into the Spring, there's no doubt that Gregg Berhalter will be looking at him as the potential starting striker for the USMNT in the Concacaf Nations League – and potentially, Copa America.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SARGENT AND NORWICH CITY?

  The Canaries are back in action this weekend against Blackpool as they look to continue their incredible promotion push. Sargent's brilliant form will look to continue, as well, as he looks for goal no. 11.

Gary Mabbutt has told Football FanCast that some fans do not appreciate the magnitude of Tottenham Hotspur signing Gareth Bale.

The Wales international is slowly returning to full fitness and seems to have unlocked some of the form that saw him become one of the best players in world football in recent weeks.

Bale scored twice at the weekend as Spurs put Burnley to the sword in a 4-0 thumping, a performance that came on the back of a brilliant match-altering cameo against West Ham United, and a goalscoring substitute appearance versus Wolfsberger.

It has taken some time for him to become an undisputed starter, as his start against Burnley was only his third in the league.

But Mabbutt believes he is a terrific player, and thinks he is still underappreciated by certain sections of the support.

Indeed, he feels that the influence of the Real Madrid man will be felt more keenly in the dressing room at times than on the pitch itself.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, the former Spurs captain said: “Well, of course, I think from when Gareth was first signed, I think at times, people don’t actually appreciate just the signing of Gareth Bale.

“I think the impact it had on the dynamics within the dressing room, it made the players believe that the club wants to go places. It made the players believe that they’re now in a dressing room with a world class player.”

Bale is no longer the fresh-faced kid that made his debut for Spurs back in the 2000s, but Mabbutt has insisted he is still a youngster!

There is an element of humour in that, of course, but Mabbutt says he played his final game when he was approaching 37.

He added: “And in a lot of discussions about him, that he’s 31 years of age, he’s still a youngster. In my last game, the Spurs just going up to 37, so with all due respect I think he is a fantastic player.”

Bale struggled to force his way into the team at times at Real, particularly towards the end of his stint, as he made 12 starts in La Liga, and Mabbutt believes that set him back initially.

He added: “I think his time at Real Madrid this last time, with pressures from the manager and the manager not wanting to use him, I think that set him back quite a lot. Certainly for match fitness, game fitness. He arrived to us with an injury. But even though we knew that he couldn’t play for the first like, yeah, three or four weeks, our raising in our performances throughout the whole team was immense.”

Liverpool’s search for a new centre-back could take them back to RB Leipzig this summer, with Ibrahima Konate apparently available.

Having already signed Naby Keita from the Bundesliga outfit back in 2018, it is reported that the French defender is now of interest to The Reds, according to Sunday World.

Even more positively, AS report that the 21-year-old could be available for as little as £22m, which for a player who is rated at £31.5m at the current time, represents stunning value. Liverpool should waste no time and need to move now to secure the defender.

Konate has slowly but surely forged an excellent reputation in Germany as Leipzig continue to challenge Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga.

Since arriving from FC Sochaux-Montbéliard four years ago when he was just 17, the centre-back has gone on to make 89 appearances for the club, including eight in the UEFA Champions League – an extremely respectable count for a player so young.

Whilst he hasn’t played as often as usual in the past couple of seasons, with Leipzig boss Julien Nagelsmann preferring a starting pair of Dayot Upamecano and Willi Orban, his potential and promise are undoubted.

After all, with his tender years, the 11-time France U21 international is extremely likely to improve.

When compared to Liverpool’s current centre-back options, Konate is bettering both Rhys Williams and Joe Gomez with his 0.4 tackles per game, whilst he is also overcoming Gomez and Joel Matip in terms of interceptions, according to WhoScored.

Considering that he would likely be the partner for Virgil van Dijk, to be outperforming the England man on those counts is intriguing.

For a player so experienced then, with a reported price tag so low, it seems like it would make perfect sense for Michael Edwards to swoop for Konate and bring the Reds’ long search for a centre-back to a close. It’ll be a masterclass of a move if he does so.

AND in more news, take a closer look at another reported centre-back target who Liverpool could sign in the summer…

Emma Hayes had to make Mauricio Pochettino wait after she received a call from Manchester United icon Sir Alex Ferguson.

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• Hayes reveals she made Pochettino wait to attend Ferguson's call
• Will join USWNT as their new manager
• Will leave Chelsea at the end of the 2023/24 season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Chelsea women's manager revealed that she was forced to tell the men's manager Pochettino to wait after she received a call from legendary former Manchester United manager Ferguson.

  The Blues confirmed last month that Hayes would leave the club after 11 years at the end of the ongoing season. The 47-year-old will next take up the role of the US women's national team's manager.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The English manager has been with the London-based club for a decade now and has won every single trophy on offer at domestic level and converted them into a dominant force in English women's football.

  The USWNT, who had a disastrous outing at the 2023 Women's World Cup, are on a mission to overhaul their squad and have thus picked Hayes as the suitable candidate to oversee the changes.

• WHAT EMMA HAYES SAID

  Speaking to , the Blues boss said, "We had a chat last week, he rang me, but I was in the middle of talking to Poch so I was torn. There's not many people you tell Poch to wait for but I did say to him it was Sir Alex. He calls me from time to time so I wasn't surprised.

  "Anything he says to me I always take with such pride. He is a legend of the game and someone whose opinion I value and he has a love of America. We talked a little bit about that, a little bit about legacy, a little bit about leaving at the top. So there were wise words from him. I'm sure it won't be the last phone call I get from him this season."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Hayes' Chelsea, who are unbeaten this season so far and are at the top of the Women's Super League, will next take on Liverpool on Saturday.

Backing reports of Tottenham Hotspur eyeing Lyon defender Joachim Andersen, Sky Sports (via Football Daily) have now shared their update on the situation with an enticing piece of news.

The Lowdown: Andersen linked to Spurs

Numerous claims have come out over the past week detailing Tottenham’s interest in Andersen, who is currently playing on loan at Fulham in the Premier League.

Indeed, reliable sources like Mike McGrath have indicated that Spurs are in ‘pole position’ to land the 24-year-old as they search for defensive options to bolster their shaky backline (The Telegraph).

Meanwhile, football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold also reiterated Tottenham’s fondness for the defender, who he described as a player who “Spurs like a lot”.

The Latest: Sky Sports back Andersen interest

Sky Sports have since come out with their own breaking update on the situation, and their sources also believe that the 1.92m (6 foot 3) powerhouse is indeed a firm target for Spurs.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest/” title=”Tottenham latest…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

“Some transfer news just in to us and this will interest Tottenham fans,” they explained (via Football Daily).

“It will also interest Fulham fans, although, not positive for Fulham. We’re told that Tottenham are keen to sign Joachim Andersen this summer, he’s currently at Fulham but only on loan, on loan from Lyon.

“He’s a Denmark international, he’s done really well for Scott Parker’s side this season, but their relegation means he may not end up at Craven Cottage.

“Tottenham are keen to sign him and we’re told he’s valued at around £20 million”.

The Verdict: Great news for Spurs fans…

Andersen has been a shining light in an otherwise disappointing first full season back in the Premier League for Fulham.

Indeed, the 24-year-old has averaged the joint-fourth most clearances in the English top flight over 2020/21 and wins the most offsides per game out of every regular player in the Cottagers’ squad (WhoScored).

At just £20m, he could be an absolute steal for Spurs, and it appears that their interest is genuine given these reports from multiple reliable outlets.

Therefore, we won’t be surprised if Andersen does become a Tottenham player this summer, and his form this season suggests that he could be a fine addition if he moves to north London.

In other news: 45 y/o manager now open to joining Spurs, find out more here.

Conor Coady has taken criticism from some Wolverhampton Wanderers fans ahead of the trip to The Hawthorns for Monday’s Black Country derby.

Wolves head into the game in 12th place, a full seven points adrift of the top half. They are looking to make amends following a woeful 4-0 defeat against Burnley last time out.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have finished in a highly creditable seventh place in the last two seasons, but they have struggled this time around amid the long-term absence of last year’s top scorer Raul Jimenez.

What did Coady say about Wolves’ season?

Speaking to the club’s official website, Wolves captain Coady admitted that his side’s efforts hadn’t been ‘good enough’.

The £16,500-per-week centre-back went on to concede that they had regressed from their high-flying campaigns of the last two years.

Having led 2-1 when they last met Albion in January, Wolves were beaten 3-2 on home soil, but they know that gaining revenge on Monday would go some way to ensuring West Brom aren’t playing top-flight football next season.

Fan feed Talking Wolves relayed Coady’s comments, and here’s how some supporters reacted.

Wolves fans call for Coady to do talking on the pitch

“Obviously scripted words. I’m sure the whole club is disappointed in this season, it’s just talking for talking sake. Just win on Monday.”

Credit: @richierooster69

“Unhappy is putting it mildly!”

Credit: @MichaelPoulter3

“Cue another gutless performance Monday”

Credit: @David44809679

“I wonder how long it took the press office to write that for you Conor, you’re better off telling #nuno you, Saiss and Donk aren’t defenders”

Credit: @mark_mcgrane

“Talk is cheap”

Credit: @purplefirefly

“You are the problem”

Credit: @leaoinwolves

In other news, many Wolves fans want to see this man start at The Hawthorns