Chelsea and Manchester City have both gotten themselves off to excellent starts in the Premier League this season, and both sides look well equipped to make a real challenge for the title.

For the Blues, manager Mauro Sarri has made an unbeaten start to life at the Bridge, and dealt Liverpool their first loss of the season this past week with a League Cup win at Anfield.

Man City and Pep Guardiola on the other hand have been consistently getting results on the board, and will be hopeful of even more improvements when star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne returns to the fold in the coming months.

With both clubs no doubt vying for the top spot, the January window will be an interesting time for both managers, when the temptation to dip into the transfer market and sign those one or two players who can help the squad in the tough final months can become all too appealing.

However, there is one man we at the Tavern think both the Blues and City could look to sign in Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans.

The £18m-rated midfielder is one of the most sought after young talents in Europe, and is already something of a regular for Belgium after an impressive few years with Monaco.

Tielemans has all the ability in the world really to go on and become a dominant force for years to come. Both City and Chelsea have squads which could be described as ageing, and signing one of the best young talents in the world would make a huge difference to either squad both for this season, and the coming years.

Blues and City fans what do you think? How good can Tielemans be? Let us know in the comments!

West Ham have hit some sort of form lately, despite losing out this weekend at Brighton and Hove Albion.

After four consecutive losses to kick off the season, Manuel Pellegrini’s charges seem to have got some sort of system going, and key players like Marko Arnautovic appear to have turned up to the party.

However, despite spending a chunk of cash in the summer, it’s clear the Hammers need more, and one area of the pitch which could do with adding too is in midfield, where Mark Noble often burdens a little bit too much of the responsibility.

That’s why we at the Tavern think that signing Stoke City midfield general Joe Allen would be a superb piece of business in January, with the Welshman currently holding a value of £16.2m on Transfermarkt.

Allen would be an excellent addition for the Hammers, bringing top flight experience and class to a squad who might just need that sort of presence come the winter  months.

The Welsh midfielder has been a regular for the Potters already, but the signing of Ryan Woods might well mean manager Gary Rowett is open to letting one of his squad leave, which could open the door for a club like West Ham to make their move.

A player with undoubted quality and who would improve most squads, Allen would be a shrewd if not spectacular addition to the Hammers squad.

West Ham fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

[ad_pod ]

FootballFanCast.com’s Fixture In Focus coverage is brought to you by 5p0rtz. Try 5p0rtz’s Beat the Streak Predictor and you could win £1million! Click here to play.

[ffc_insert title=”Try 5p0rtz’s Beat The Streak Predictor and you could win £1MILLION!” name=”Win £1MILLION with 5p0rtz” image_ link=”https://app.5p0rtz.com/?affiliate=FFCeditorialwidget” link_text=”Click here to play”]

Gareth Southgate’s latest England squad includes plenty of new faces with a number of key regulars missing the international break through injury, but one department that has largely stayed in tact – barring the unless-in-extremis-retirement of Jamie Vardy – is the forward line.

Indeed, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Danny Welbeck are all available for the coming clashes against Croatia and Spain. So with captain Harry Kane nailed on to start, we asked fans earlier this week to vote for who should lead the line alongside him when the Three Lions travel to the Balkans on Friday night.

And our poll has revealed that the Manchester United youngster is by far the most popular choice to partner the Tottenham striker – who Transfermarkt value at £135million – with a huge 83% voting in Rashford’s favour.

Sterling was left with just 13% of the vote, despite starting regularly for England at the World Cup, while Arsenal’s Welbeck took a mere 4%.

So, England fans, how would you line up Southgate’s side against Croatia? Let us know by commenting below…

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”305269″ player=”12034″ title=”Are Emery’s Arsenal Silently Gunning For The Title”]

Tottenham’s transfer policy has, for the most part, delivered some good results, but Mauricio Pochettino has made a few moves that, retrospectively, he’s probably regretting.

Fernando Llorente was, perhaps, the most surprising example, given that he came with a rich pedigree and was proven in the Premier League. Yet, somehow, it just didn’t work out for him in London.

The Lilywhites have a tendency to write players off quickly, and whilst often that saves time and effort, it also means that there is a chance that a few players slip through the net.

One such example is Vincent Janssen, who struggled during his early spell at Spurs. Since then, though, he’s hardly had a chance – and perhaps that needs to change.

After all, Janssen does come with a rich pedigree. He scored a whopping 27 league goals in the lead-up to his move to Tottenham in just one season, and that’s a record that put him amongst Europe’s most lethal forwards. He showed poise and class, and naturally, he was absolutely deadly in front of goal.

Then, he was afforded just 7 league starts in the following season at Spurs, with a further 20 displays coming from the bench. It’s hard for a player to make an impact when he doesn’t get regular minutes from the start, and a bunch of appearances from the sidelines won’t change that.  When he played, sure, he didn’t look great – but many players don’t during their first season in England. Time is often needed, and Janssen never got that.

Clearly, the Dutchman has talent. You don’t score 27 league goals in a single season without that. If he can find even an inkling of that form upon his return from injury, he’d be of use to another club, and undoubtedly, given Spurs’ struggles with depth beyond Harry Kane, he’d be able to make an impact at Spurs.

If Pochettino doesn’t give him the chance to make it right, though, surely the Dutchman will just look to leave.

[ad_pod ]

According to Calciomercato, Arsenal are considering launching a move to sign Ajax left-back Nicolas Tagliafico.

What’s the word?

Tagliafico joined Ajax in January 2018 and immediately became a fixture in the first team for the Eredivisie club for the second half of the Dutch domestic campaign. His form in Holland earned the 26-year-old inclusion Argentina’s 23-man World Cup squad that travelled to Russia.

The defender has certainly impressed since his switch to Europe and now looks to be attracting the attention of big clubs in major leagues. In January, there could well be a race for Tagliafico’s signature with the player currently valued at £14.4 million by Transfermarkt.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”310054″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Fake Madrid & Ross Barkley Emulates… David Ngog”]

Considering Transfermarkt only considered him to be worth £5.4 million upon arrival in Amsterdam, it is quite remarkable how quickly the Argentine has improved his reputation. 

Arsenal would certainly be wise to swoop for Tagliafico now before it’s too late.

The perfect Monreal replacement 

At 32 years of age Nacho Monreal, the Gunners’ current first-choice left-back, must soon be replaced at the Emirates Stadium. Before long, the Spaniard will become unable to cope with the demands of playing in the Premier League week in week out.

Monreal’s back up, Sead Kolasinac, has failed to impress since his arrival in north London and may well be moved on by Unai Emery.

Tagliafico represents the ideal target to come in and take up Monreal’s berth for Arsenal. As both an affordable and top quality option, experienced but still with many of his best years ahead of him, the Argentine fits the bill of what the Gunners are looking for perfectly.

What do you think, Arsenal fans – should the Gunners launch a move to land Tagliafico?

Manchester United fans will be concerned that David De Gea is yet to put pen-to-paper on a new contract.

The Spaniard has less than a year remaining on his current contract and has been rumoured to leave the club in the past. Back in 2015, de Gea was moments away from joining Real Madrid, but the move collapsed at the final minute. Since then, the goalkeeper has arguably been their most important player.

Jose Mourinho admitted he was ‘not confident’ over de Gea penning a new long-term contract at the club who have struggled in the Premier League so far. The 27-year-old seemed destined to stay following Madrid’s capture of Thibaut Courtois, and United remain the option to extend his deal by a further year. If he does decide to leave, United must make a move for Atletico Madrid stopper – Jan Oblak.

Valued at £63m by Transfermarkt, the Slovenia international is widely regarded as one of the best shot-stoppers in the world. The 25-year-old has been a crucial player for Diego Simeone since joining from Benfica back in 2014. A player of Oblak’s calibre is the only way that United could fill the void left by de Gea.

With excellent reflexes and shot stopping skills, Oblak would be a huge hit at Old Trafford. In recent seasons, the goalkeeper has amassed a fantastic record, keeping more clean sheets than goals conceded. Oblak has a massive release clause in his contract at the club, however, United are one of the few sides in the world that could afford such a fee.

Losing de Gea would be a massive blow, but no-one is irreplaceable. Landing Oblak would certainly put smiles back on faces at Old Trafford.

Manchester United fans, thoughts?

[ad_pod ]

According to RAC1, Barcelona are considering allowing Ousmane Dembele to leave in the January transfer window. The Sun then report that Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are the Premier League clubs interested in securing the winger’s services.

What’s the word?

The Gunners lack out and out wingers in their squad with Alex Iwobi being the most natural wide man at the club. The addition of Dembele would certainly give them a great deal of extra pace and attacking threat on the flanks.

The 21-year-old may also be keen to rekindle his on-pitch relationship with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the pair formed a prolific partnership in their time together at Borussia Dortmund.

Whilst Unai Emery would likely be delighted to have the 20-cap France international at his disposal, the Barcelona man’s £72 million Transfermarkt valuation would likely prove a stumbling block for the North London club. 

Financing any move for Dembele would rule out the Gunners adding to other areas of their squad, and the acquisition of another attacker ought not to be their priority.

Not the time for luxuries

If Arsenal are to become contenders for the top prizes once again, they must focus upon bolstering their defence and reinforcing their midfield contingent. 

With Nacho Monreal, Laurent Koscielny and Stephan Lichtsteiner all ageing, and Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac short of the required quality, there’s certainly plenty of work for the club to do on rebuilding their backline across the forthcoming transfer windows.

Constructing a defensive unit capable of competing at the top level will require significant funds, meaning that Arsenal can’t afford to give up vast resources in exchange for another luxury attacker.

What do you think, Arsenal fans – would Dembele be a wise target to pursue?

[ad_pod ]

Everton cruised past Brighton on Saturday courtesy of a wonderful display from Richarlison, but his compatriot Bernard could benefit from a new role as a super-sub.

Bernard was thrust into the starting line-up recently after a couple of phenomenal displays, but the diminutive playmaker has struggled in each of the last two games.

He was nowhere to be found until he missed an absolute sitter at Old Trafford, and he had very little effect on the game against Brighton either.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”326259″ player=”12034″ title=”Liverpool Or Chelsea For The Title Forget it!”]

The 26 year-old has taken Richarlison’s spot on the left flank after the red-hot youngster moved to a central position, but it may now be time to give Ademola Lookman a go.

Bernard touched the ball just 42 times during the win over Brighton, managing just one successful dribble and two key passes.

While creating two chances is certainly not a bad day at the office, completing just one dribble against a 38 year-old right back in Brighton’s Bruno is a huge disappointment.

He was dispossessed once, had two unsuccessful touches, and failed to register a single shot despite the Toffees dominating most of the match.

The crafty Brazilian has incredible acceleration and fantastic ability on the ball, but he would be able to use this even more if he came on late in games against tired legs, just as he did in the win over Fulham.

Lookman meanwhile is desperate for a run of games, and the 21 year-old may just be able to show that killer edge that Bernard is currently lacking.

The youngster caused controversy this summer as many fans felt he was trying to force a move away from the club, but it’s seems foolish to keep him and not give him a fair chance.

So, Everton fans, do you think Lookman deserves a chance? Could Bernard be better as a super-sub? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Everton have confirmed on their official website that Gylfi Sigurdsson, as well as Andre Gomes, will not join up with their respective countries for international duty this week.

What’s the word?

Sigurdsson was on the receiving end of a two-footed tackle from Jorginho during Sunday’s goalless draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The midfielder did not leave the pitch immediately following the challenge, but he did later exit the field of play.

After the match there was concern about the extent of Sigurdsson’s injury, and now Everton have confirmed that he will miss upcoming international fixtures with Iceland.

The number 10 was due to take on Belgium in the Nations League on Friday before facing Qatar in a friendly three days later.

Instead, Sigurdsson will work on his recovery at Finch Farm and will “continue to be assessed” by the Toffees’ medical staff.

Should Everton fans be worried?

There is no doubt that the former Swansea City star is a key part of Marco Silva’s team, therefore losing him would be a huge blow.

The silver lining, though, is that he has the next two weeks to recover and get up to full fitness.

The concerning aspect about Everton’s statement is that they are not indicating how damaging the injury is to Sigurdsson, which is bound to spread anxiety throughout the fanbase.

Returning to fitness for the visit of Cardiff City on November 24 would be warmly welcomed, but most supporters would arguably sacrifice his inclusion to ensure that he is ready and raring for the Merseyside derby.

Should he miss out against the Bluebirds, it could finally give 21-year-old Kieran Dowell the chance to flourish in the central attacking midfield role that he has been waiting for, given he has failed to play a single minute of Premier League football this term and only made the substitutes’ bench on three occasions.

Unai Emery has made an excellent start to life as Arsenal manager, winning seven out of his first 12 Premier League games.

Replacing Arsene Wenger was always going to be difficult, but Emery has already won the support of the Arsenal fans. The Spaniard has instilled his attacking philosophy to the Arsenal squad, and the Gunners haven’t lost in the Premier League since August against Chelsea. A late goal from Henrikh Mkhitaryan rescued a point against Wolves before the international break.

The January transfer window is fast approaching, and Emery would be wise to bolster his defensive options. A long-term replacement for Nacho Monreal is needed with Sead Kolasinac not convincing Emery of his abilities. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Bosnian leave in January with Emery set to find a successor for Monreal in defence.

One man who should be on his shortlist is Atalanta wing-back – Robin Gosens. Valued at just £2.25m by Transfermarkt, the German joined the Italian side last summer in a cut-price deal from Heracles. Gosens made a steady start to life in the Serie A but has taken his game to the next level this season.

Operating on Atalanta’s left flank, the 24-year-old has been in fine form, scoring one goal and registering two assists in his opening nine appearances. First and foremost, Gosens is an excellent defender that would add stability to the Arsenal back four – he has averaged an incredible 2.2 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game in the Serie A. The German also contributes to the attack, averaging 1.2 key passes per game from the left side (WhoScored).

Still developing and improving, moving to a squad of Arsenal’s quality would aid his development. Under Emery, Gosens could take his game to the next level – the Gunners should grab a bargain in January.

Arsenal fans, thoughts?