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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

This season has been far from straightforward for Arsenal.

The Gunners find themselves third in the Premier League and with a 100% record in the Europa League. However, not everyone is happy due to some of Unai Emery’s tactical decisions.

Indeed, club legends Robin van Persie and Ian Wright criticised the manager’s defensive-minded approach to the Gunners’ 1-1 draw against Manchester United, per Optus Sport (via the Metro).

As Arsenal prepare to take on Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Monday night, we look at two players who could be crucial to delivering victory up in Yorkshire.

Mesut Ozil

The manager was heavily criticised and rightly so for his approach to the United game.

Playing with three defensive-minded midfielders, Emery showed little intention of attacking and instead picked a side that was quite happy to play for a point at Old Trafford.

Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit told French television, per the Metro: “Emery is sending negative signals by picking three defensive midfielders against a team there for the taking.”

With that in mind, the clash with Chris Wilder’s men looks like the perfect game for Mesut Ozil, who has the attributes required to unpick the lock of the opposition defence and maintain the Gunners’ good run.

The German set a Premier League record for the fastest player to reach 50 assists – which he achieved in 141 games for Arsenal. A player that has the vision the German possesses could be vital.

Bukayo Saka

On the basis that Alexandre Lacazette isn’t available for Monday, it’s imperative that the young English winger features. As witnessed against Manchester United where he grabbed an assist and completed two dribbles, Saka proved that he is perfectly capable of holding his own on the biggest stage.

As Sheffield United typically go with a 3-5-2 formation using wing backs, it is a perfect opportunity for Saka to penetrate the Blades’ defensive line. He will likely go up against George Baldock, who proved last time out that he can be beaten with the ball.

In the video below, we look at where it all went wrong for Arsenal’s former ‘saviour’, Mesut Ozil…

Against Liverpool before the international break, Baldock only completed one tackle, two fouls and was dribbled past on one occasion during the 90 minutes.

With his unsuccessful touches per game at an average of 1.4, any sort of high press could give Baldock all sorts of problems too. Saka’s got the youthful energy for that, as well as being able to create havoc once he’s got the ball back.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Manchester City manager and player Stuart Pearce has not backed his old team to win a third consecutive top-flight title, claiming that Liverpool will “comfortably” claim the Premier League trophy.

What did he say?

The Reds lead the way in the Premier League with 25 points from nine games and are the only unbeaten side left in the division. However, their lead was cut from eight points to six at the top after their draw against Manchester United.

City do boast a superior goal difference at the moment with +20 compared to Liverpool’s +15. Despite this, Pearce, who managed the club from 2005 to 2007, believes his old side are not the favourites this time around. The former defender told talkSPORT: “I think Liverpool will win the Premier League comfortably this year.

“I’m not sure they’ll go unbeaten, but I can’t see them losing more than two games. They’re still clear favourites.

“Those could be against Manchester City, potentially, but if you go into the game against your nearest rivals with a six point buffer, it will put real pressure on Man City to come out and play.

“That might just suit Liverpool.”

If there is ever a year, it’s this year

Firstly, it is still tough to believe that the Reds did not win the league title last year, having been top of the table from matchday 16, until City overtook them in matchday 29.

The draw in the Merseyside derby on week 29 put the reigning champions ahead by a point and it remained that way until the season finale. As a result, City would secure back-to-back league trophies and push Liverpool’s wait for a top-flight title to 29 years.

However, they are rightfully so the favourites for watchers like Pearce this year. Jurgen Klopp’s men were resilient and never threw in the towel at Old Trafford recently, which inevitably kept their unbeaten run going and ultimately showed a championship-winning mentality.

There is also the injury to Aymeric Laporte for six months to take under consideration.

The Frenchman was the main man at the back alongside John Stones, and ever since his injury, City have uncharacteristically lost two league games out of five, and it does seem that Laporte’s absence is going to have a significant impact on the title race.

Plus, having opened up a six point lead already, Liverpool should class themselves as the favourite.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Sheffield Wednesday continued their good run of form under Garry Monk on Saturday afternoon, but it could have been even greater after they missed a chance to go top of the Championship table.

It is just the one league defeat under the former Whites man as they currently occupy a playoff position.

The Owls and their local Yorkshire rivals Leeds United battled out a 0-0 stalemate at Hillsborough with both teams having their chances.

None more so than Steven Fletcher, who saw an effort cannon off the crossbar in the second half.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

This game very much highlighted the contrasting elements to Monk’s reign so far – defensively, they’ve looked the part conceding just four goals in eight matches, but in the attack, Wednesday have only scored more than two goals twice and have bagged just three in five games.

The 40-year-old opted for Atdhe Nuhiu to partner Fletcher upfront, meaning Sam Winnall and Fernando Forestieri were on the bench with only the latter getting some game time.

Snapshot

In the 86th minute, Monk turned to the Italian to try and snatch something at the death with it being all tied up at 0-0.

But perhaps it was too little, too late as that’s barely enough time to make a considerable impact on the game.

Nuhiu never looked like scoring after he managed just the one attempt at goal, so Forestieri should have been introduced far earlier.

Off the Bench

The 29-year-old has been talked up on multiple occasions in the lead up to him serving his six-match ban with Monk going as far as saying that he is “devastating at this level.”

Yet, since his return, Forestieri has managed just 20 minutes of Championship action, which would contradict his manager’s words slightly.

For him to be ‘devastating,’ he needs to be given the opportunity to play, and he’s just not received that yet.

This is a player that ranked as their top goalscorer in back-to-back playoff campaigns not too long ago with 15 and then 12 goals, per Transfermarkt.

He just should have been introduced earlier in the match or even started, as the only way he’s going to be able to reach his previous level is by playing regularly.

Given how badly the side relies on Fletcher for goals, and their lack of sticking the ball in the net in recent weeks, it would make sense to give Forestieri a shot.

It’s just baffling to snub him.

QPR’s winless run stretched to three games after they were outclassed by a Leeds side who showcased the quality that is required to finish in the play-off places.

Mark Warburton’s side failed to get into the match despite having the majority of possession – a rarity for Leeds – and one of the only positives of the afternoon was a strong debut performance from Lee Wallace.

The R’s operated with five-at-the-back but it did little to stifle the home side’s threat, with 18 shots at goal. Instead, Warburton reduced his own team’s threat as the front-three never got going – with one shot on target to show from their efforts.

Watch Queens Park Rangers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Eberechi Eze impressed once again, and was his typical skilful self with the ball at his feet, highlighted by his nine successful dribbles.

Unfortunately for him, and QPR, he failed to produce that important moment of quality on this occasion, and left the front two feeding off scraps. It must be said though, that coming up against Kalvin Phillips is not an easy task, as only two players in the division average a higher tackle rate per game.

The West London outfit put in an improved defensive performance but it will be worrying for Warburton that they allowed Leeds too much time and space on the ball, including around the area, thus allowing Tyler Roberts to pick his spot for the opener.

That occurred despite the extra defender at the back, which suggests the midfield needs to do its part to cut out danger in the final third, particularly as Leeds should have opened the scoring through Mateusz Klich earlier on.

Warburton pinpointed a lack of belief as a reason behind his team’s struggles, which is a concern even if they were playing one of the best teams in the league.

It is his role and responsibility to get the best out of players at all opportunities and it is possible that his negative approach influenced the confidence of his players, and their play reflected that as a result.

His time must be coming soon, surely?

The Blues U23 side were rampant on Friday as they demolished Bolton 6-0. It should be pointed out that given the problems that Bolton Wanderers have been going through, their U23 side was never going to be the greatest of competition, but the fans didn’t seem to care.

They were more concerned with the goal scored by 19-year-old Miguel Fernandez. This isn’t the first time he’s found the back of the net for the U23 side either, bagging braces against Wigan Athletic and Leeds United already this campaign.

Watch Birmingham City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But it looks as if we’ve reached a tipping point, as his goal on the day seemed to be enough to get a number of fans suggesting that now is the time he is given a run in the first team.

Whilst we’re not ones to brag here at FootballFanCast, it is worth pointing out that we did suggest a couple of weeks ago that Fernandez should be given some consideration when it comes to the first team, so looks like we were ahead of the curve on this particular subject. Not that it’s a competition.

Leeds United fans on Twitter have been waxing lyrical about Leif Davis after a video of his highlights against QPR was posted on social media.

The defender’s performance vs the R’s has been a huge talking point ever since the final whistle blew on Saturday as Graham Smyth even went as far as to compare it to Gareth Bale’s iconic showing against Inter in the Champions League back in 2010.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

You can understand where the comparisons have come from as well after watching the short clip of his highlights against the London outfit.

The 19-year-old certainly possesses similar speed to that of the Real Madrid man, and he consistently had the beating of his man.

There is certainly a lot in this short video to get excited about, and Leeds fans have certainly begun to buy into the hype.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on his podcast for Sky Sports, Gary Neville has suggested there is now some cause for optimism for Manchester United after their recent run of good form.

What did he say?

After losing to Newcastle 1-0 before the beginning of the last international break, the Red Devils have earned some consistently good results. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have racked up five wins from their previous six games, and are up to seventh in the Premier League – nine points off fourth-placed Manchester City who occupy the final Champions League qualifying spot.

And having seen his former side return to some decent form, Neville gave his take on some of the positives the Red Devils can take over the coming weeks and months.

He said: “Barring the Bournemouth defeat it’s been a really good month for United. The Bournemouth defeat was frustrating and took them back a few steps, but generally it’s been a better month than the one before.

“You can see real excitement with Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Daniel James, there is something there to work with. Defensively with Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, there is something there to work with, and the young boy Brandon Williams gives me a great deal of hope.

“Manchester United need four or five players of real quality and experience, and that’s probably not going to change in January to the tune fans would like. But there is something there. Patience is needed because it is going to take time, but they will get back because the cycle will turn.”

Cause for optimism

The 1-0 defeat to Newcastle over a month ago felt like a moment where United could have truly fallen into the mire. Reports immediately after the game claimed Solskjaer’s long-term future at the club was in question, but since then, they have been back to their fluid, attacking best.

Anthony Martial’s return from injury has coincided with multiple games now where they have scored more than one goal in a match, whilst against Brighton on Sunday afternoon, they fired 21 shots on goal. As Neville alludes to, there are some problems the club will have to address in the transfer market in the upcoming January window, but there are now clear signs they are heading in the right direction for progress to be made.

And in the seven players Neville name-checks, United do have the basis for a bright future. A group of young players who are yet to hit the peak years of their career, and a clear emphasis from their manager to play them.

Bernardo Silva is proving more and more important for Portugal and he was the difference-maker against Luxembourg on Sunday.

He has displayed his effectiveness for Manchester City once again this season and in the eyes of many fans he was the biggest influence in the Euro 2020 qualifier.

A decisive first-half pass found Bruno Fernandes perfectly, who finished with great accuracy to give Portugal the upper hand, which they retained throughout the rest of the match.

Watch Manchester City Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

As well as that he also made three key passes, which highlights his importance to his team and meant that he was the topic of conversation ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored his 98th international goal.

One supporter likened Silva to Juan Mata, describing him as a pacier version, while others stated that he is an important presence for his national side, even though he often operates in a different role to the one Pep Guardiola deploys him in.

Here are some of the reactions to his display, and the praise he has received for the influence he possesses.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Everton will battle with Norwich City this weekend and it is set to be an important clash between two teams in an early relegation scrap.

The Toffees are six points clear of the drop zone and a win for the club could rocket them onto the same number of points as fifth-placed Sheffield United, should the Blades lose to Manchester United.

On the chalkboard

This crucial game for both sides could end up being decided by one battle on the pitch that will see Richarlison come up against Max Aarons.

Richarlison has finally started to hit some form this season, as he bagged the winner against Southampton prior to the international break. His goal at St. Mary’s was his third in the league and it means he now has two goals and an assist in his last five games.

As for Aarons, the Englishman has been one of the shining lights within a dismal Norwich defence. Whilst the Canaries have conceded 28 league goals after 12 games, Aarons has averaged 1.8 tackles and 1.5 clearances.

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The Norwich defender hasn’t been in spectacular form but has proven to be no pushover since his transition into the Premier League.

Interesting battle

Richarlison’s battle with Aarons is going to be an intriguing one across the 90 minutes. The Norwich full-back has proven to be an astute and promising defender, whilst the Everton forward has proven abilities in beating a right-back from the left-hand side.

The former Watford man possesses plenty of pace and flair, and the 19-year-old Aarons is not the slowest either and this is certainly a battle that could decide the game.

Over the past year, Richarlison has shown that if he finds his groove he is hard to stop. The Brazilian bagged 13 league goals last year and ended up becoming one of Everton’s best players that campaign.

Now, he must navigate the challenge posed by Aarons and fire the blues up the league table.

And now it is finally official – Tottenham Hotspur have sacked Mauricio Pochettino and the Argentine coach has been replaced by none other than Jose Mourinho.

Of course, such a big event has already sent shockwaves across the footballing stage and Barcelona fans were also very quick to join in the debate.

Watch Spanish Football Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

But while people will undoubtedly be discussing whether Pochettino has deserved to get the axe or whether Mourinho is the right man to take over, many Cules simply can’t believe one thing – how it is possible that Ernesto Valverde is still at Barcelona while other underperforming coaches such as the Argentine and Niko Kovac are flying out the door on a regular basis.

Many of them were quick to bash the board for it, while many bashed Valverde himself. Then, there were others who simply feel the club is outright pathetic at the moment.

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

Check them out…