Much has been made of James Milner’s form in recent months as the Liverpool lynchpin appears to be improving with age, but his recent injury blow against Manchester City has put his first-team place in jeopardy. 

Competition for places in central midfield are incredibly intense at Anfield with Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Fabinho and Adam Lallana all vying for spot. And that’s without even mentioning the long-term absentee Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Despite the strength of Jurgen Klopp’s options, James Milner has managed to establish himself as something of a first-team regular due to his exceptional all-round performances in a box-to-box role.

At 32-years-of-age Milner evokes an exuberance which you’d expect to see from a player in their early twenties, and his exceptional energy on the field is a testament to his exemplary standards of professionalism.

Milner has endeared himself to the Reds faithful since he arrived at the club from Manchester City, and they were naturally gutted to see him leave the field on Sunday with a hamstring injury.

But his injury arrives as good news for summer recruits Naby Keita and Fabinho as Milner’s absence should hand both players an opportunity to cement their name on Klopp’s team sheet.

The early signs would suggest that Keita is the man who Klopp will bring in to replace Milner: not only did Keita come on to replace him against Man City, but he has appeared in all eight of Liverpool’s league matches so far this season, whilst Fabinho is yet to feature.

With Milner expected to be ruled out until November (as per Liverpool Echo), it’s a perfect time for Naby Keita (valued at £58.5 million by Transfermarkt) to prove his worth and help Liverpool forget about the absence of their consistently reliable talent.

The flashes of brilliance which Keita has demonstrated so far are more than enough to suggest that he will blossom into a phenomenal player at Liverpool in the years to come, but if he fails to take his imminent opportunity then Fabinho will be waiting in the wings to fill Milner’s void.

Keita certainly has the ability to ensure Liverpool maintain their high standards without Milner in the midfield, it’s now down to him to prove that after the international break.

Liverpool fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Arsenal are amongst a host of Premier League clubs keeping tabs on Borussia Dortmund ace Jadon Sancho, according to The Sun.

What’s the word?

After nine consecutive victories across all competitions, Unai Emery has put the wind back in Arsenal’s sails and has restored optimism around the North London club after two campaigns without Champions League football.

The Gunners have found their form in front of goal, scoring at least twice in 10 of their 11 games this season, but there is still room for improvement in the wide positions as Arsenal are yet to find an adequate replacement for Alexis Sanchez.

Head of Recruitment Sven Mislintat may have an ace up his sleeve though as The Sun suggests Arsenal are looking to raid Borussia Dortmund once again in 2019 as they are named amongst the Premier League sides interested in Jadon Sancho.

Could it happen?

After signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Dortmund in the past two transfer windows, as well as landing a former player of the German side in Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Arsenal have very close ties with the Bundesliga outfit through Sven Mislintat.

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While that provides encouragement for the aim to complete further deals with Dortmund in the coming years, signing Sancho would be almost impossible as the report adds he is valued at over £100m following his tremendous rise.

While that may be the case, it seems likely that the teenager could be prised away for a lower fee, and Mislintat may well hold the key to sorting that arrangement out.

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Loads of Tottenham fans have been reacting to their win at West Ham, and they’re absolutely delighted with the form of Erik Lamela.

When Lamela signed for Tottenham back in 2013, fans were promised a pacey, direct, tricky winger with an eye for goal and a mean streak.

Instead, they got an injury-prone winger who occasionally pulled off an audacious piece of skill.

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However, the 26 year-old has started to show exactly why Spurs signed him five years ago, continuing his incredible run of form with the winning goal in Saturday’s 1-0 victory.

After a run of superb substitute performances before the international break, Mauricio Pochettino produced a stroke of genius unleashing his compatriot for his first league start of he season.

The Argentinian international flicked home the winner shortly before half time with a deft header, and also completed four dribbles in the match.

Fans are heaping praise on their in-form star, and you can find some of he best Twitter reactions down below…

Southampton have endured another miserable opening to the campaign this season as their defensive frailties have been consistently exposed in the Premier League.

Indeed, Mark Hughes’ rescue mission in the 2017/18 campaign suggested that Southampton’s fortunes were destined to change following months of toxic frustration under Mauricio Pellegrino, but that hasn’t been the case so far this season.

The Saints have collected just 6 points from their opening 9 fixtures, conceding 14 in the process.

Wesley Hoedt’s form has been a notable cause for concern for the supporters but Hughes has shown plenty of faith in the Holland international by starting him in all 9 opening matches.

But that has not deterred Hughes from scouting the market for further defensive reinforcements, as a recent report from The Sun claims that he is interested in signing Swansea City’s Joe Rodon, although he will face competition from Bournemouth and Aston Villa for his signature.

A product of the Swans’ academy, Rodon returned to south Wales at the end of the previous campaign after impressing on a short-term loan spell with Cheltenham Town, and he has continued his eye-catching form in the Championship this season.

Graham Potter’s decision to throw  the inexperienced Rodon into his starting eleven has paid dividends so far, but with his contract due to expire in June 2019 it’s no surprise that clubs are beginning to queue up for his signature.

At 21-years-old Rodon is an exceptional talent for the future, and his previous links with Man City speak volumes about how highly he is regarded.

With Rodon’s promising opening to life in the Championship and his age in mind, Southampton could secure the signature of a perfect replacement for Maya Yoshida if they clinch a deal.

Yoshida is certainly not past it at 30-years-old, but with just 1 league start to his name this season it’s looking increasingly likely that his time is up at St Mary’s.

A promising ball-playing defender who possesses the physical presence to cope with the demands of Premier League football, Rodon would be an incredibly shrewd addition if Southampton manage to sign him on a free contract next summer.

Southampton fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Loads of Rangers fans have been reacting to Steven Gerrard’s brilliant “warning” to his players, and they’re absolutely loving the gaffer’s no-nonsense approach.

Gerrard certainly didn’t hide his intentions at his press conference this week, as the boss intervened to answer a difficult question aimed at Jordan Rossiter.

The boss brought in a huge number of players this summer, and while most of them have been very successful, the Gers are still lacking that genuine piece of quality in the final third.

Gerrard warned players he could dip into the January transfer market after the blunt attacking display in Sunday’s semi-final display, and he was quick to intervene when the press asked Rossiter about the effects of the manager’s earlier comments.

“I’ll answer that, it’s a warning,” Gerrard said. “It’s for me that not him, he’s been injured for two years.

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“At a big club, you expect big players to step up on big occasions and provide big moments.

“If that doesn’t happen, at any big club, the manager and the recruitment [staff] find better players or players who will do that.

“No manager is going to tell you their targets. But I think this club has had scouts from day one and will always have scouts because we want to be competitive on all fronts.”

Rossiter certainly looked relieved to not have to answer the question, and fans are absolutely loving Gerrard’s comments.

The boss is beginning to prove he brings the same approach to managing the Gers as he did to captaining Liverpool, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

[ad_pod ]Loads of Tottenham fans have been reacting to a huge update on their former hero, as Rafael van der Vaart has announced his retirement.You’d be hard pushed to find a player with more raw technical ability than van der Vaart, and Tottenham fans are full of praise for their former star.The 35-year-old joined Esbjerg this summer, but has now announced his retirement after continuing to struggle with injuries.“I just have to stop now. I’m not here to rehabilitate, but to play football,” he said.”I would have wanted to become a football grandpa, but that is not the case. I can only be grateful for all the years I was allowed to play football.”[brid autoplay=”true” video=”326259″ player=”12034″ title=”Liverpool Or Chelsea For The Title Forget it!”]Tottenham have let multiple superstars leave over the last decade or so, but few hurt more than the departure of the talented Dutch playmaker.He racked up 109 caps for the Netherlands and scored 24 times in 63 Premier League games in North London.His struggles with injuries and the arrivals of the likes of Mousa Dembele and Clint Dempsey eventually forced him out after two seasons with the club, and he returned to former club Hamburg.Loads of fans have been showing the love after he announced his retirement, and they’re also regretting not keeping him around longer.You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

According to The Hull Daily Mail, Aston Villa fans have been calling for on-loan defender Tommy Elphick to return to Villa Park in January. 

The 31-year-old was recently voted the Tigers’ Player of the Month for October, and has been one of the club’s shining lights in what has been a troublesome season so far for the Yorkshire outfit.

However, Villa do have a recall clause in his contract for January, something that seems absolutely necessary if The Lions are going to turn their season around.

With only two recognised centre-backs at the club currently- James Chester and loanee Axel Tuanzebe-, Aston Villa have severely struggled defensively this season. They have needed to rely on part-time centre-backs such as Mile Jedinak and Alan Hutton for cover.

Such was the extent of former Aston Villa manager Steve Bruce’s disapproval of Elphick that he would let him go on loan in the summer without any discernible depth to his defence. Ultimately, that was a leading factor in Villa’s struggles this season, and Bruce can be seen as an architect of his own downfall. It seems bizarre that he was ever allowed to go, but it is sometimes unclear what goes on behind closed doors. However, Dean Smith will surely not be so foolish.

After joining Villa in 2016, Elphick’s career started very promisingly. But the arrival of Bruce midway through his first season saw him fall out of favour immensely at Villa Park, resulting in a loan to Reading for part of last season as well. It has to be time for him to return.

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Charlton fans on Twitter were fuming with striker Nicky Ajose recently after his two starts in the cup games against Mansfield and Swansea’s U21 team, with many fans calling for him to be dropped or even released altogether.

Ajose signed for the Addicks in the summer of 2016 having impressed at Swindon Town the season before, but after just half a season he was loaned back to his former club to finish the 2016/17 campaign.

He was then also loaned out for the first half of last season to Bury, making this his third loan move to the Shakers throughout his career.

Ajose came through the Manchester United youth system, but at 27 years of age he has only netted one goal in nine appearances throughout all competitions for Charlton this season, and this came in an 8-0 club-record win over Stevenage in the EFL Trophy.

Check out some of the most damning tweets after Ajose’s recent performances in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy below.

The man of the moment at West Ham United is certainly Declan Rice following his impressive performances in the middle of the park.

It seems that the 19-year-old has attracted plenty of attention from other clubs, and now Liverpool are believed to be interested.

According to a recent report in the Daily Star, the Reds are one of a handful of Premier League clubs who want to take advantage of the contract mess surrounding Rice.

The youngster’s deal at the London Stadium expires at the end of the season and he is no closer to agreeing to fresh terms.

The report states that Rice’s camp have rejected West Ham’s latest contract offer as they are not satisfied with the proposed salary.

The youngster is versatile in that he can play as a defensive midfielder or in the back line, but for Liverpool, they already have those positions covered.

So, does moving for Rice make sense?

Let us know by voting below.

Playmaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Not many players have had as big and immediate an influence on an Arsenal team since signing for them than Lucas Torreira.

Another Man of the Match performance by the midfielder in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday proves just how good an addition he was and was it one of the best pieces of recruitment done by Sven Mislintat since he became the club’s new recruitment expert a year ago.

The Gunners have long been in need of an excellent defensive midfielder and have finally found their match in Torreira. The Uruguayan isn’t only a favourite amongst the Arsenal fans, but on the field, he is setting the team up for a big season that saw them extend their unbeaten run to 17 matches with the victory at the Vitality Stadium.

The fact that the North London club has managed this feat with a vulnerable back-four shows that something different is happening, compared with past seasons.

And although the signing of someone like Sokratis Papastathopoulos has also been significant in the club’s superb run of form, it is the link up with Torreira between defence and attack that has been the difference this season.

The energy the 22-year-old has brought to the team and the way manager Unai Emery wants his team to play is proving his reported £26.5m fee to be an absolute bargain.

Many Arsenal fans might have wondered if Torreira would be able to carry his form shown for Sampdoria in the Serie A last season into a new team under a new manager, but since starting the first five Premier League matches from the bench, he’s truly proven to be one of the best signings of the summer.

Torreira was at fault when Chelsea scored a third and winning goal over Arsenal in the second round of the season and following the match the midfielder was spotted with assistant coach Juan Carlos Carcedo going through the buildup of the goal on the Stamford Bridge pitch, showing his willingness to learn and adapt his game even more.