[ad_pod ]

In our first episode we focus on the huge opening Premier League weekend clash between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium.

James Jones, Christy Malyan and Chris McMullan talk in depth about what we can expect to see from Arsenal under new manager Unai Emery, whether Man City are hungry enough to replicate their record-breaking achievements of last season and how they see the final day of the transfer window unfolding.

The lads are also joined by City Watch’s Adam Wareing, who gives his own insight in to what we should expect from Man City this season and how he thinks Sunday’s game against the Gunners will pan out.

You can listen to Episode One below or you can also find us on iTunes, Spotify, aCast, Google Podcasts and several other podcast platforms. Just click here to subscribe. 

Celtic supporters in the Transfer Tavern have been very despondent in the last few hours after seeing their team crash out of the Champions League at the hands of AEK Athens in the third qualifying round.

Brendan Rodgers’ men had qualified for the group stages in both of the previous two seasons under the Northern Irishman, and looked on course to do so again by easing past Alashkert and Rosenborg in their opening two qualifying rounds. However, a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park last week left the Bhoys with a fair bit of work to do in the Greek capital on Tuesday, and it was a stretch too far as a 2-1 defeat on the night consigned Celtic to a Europa League play-off later this month, as opposed to a Champions League one.

As such, there have been many disappointed Bhoys fans up and down the country, several of whom will be calling for their side to invest in the final few weeks of the window in a bid to maintain their domination of Scottish football, and to give them the best chance in the Europa League.

And moving for West Brom’s Nacer Chadli, who starred at the World Cup for Belgium, would represent genuine ambition from Rodgers’ side going forward.

The 29-year-old currently plays his football at Championship side West Brom and has done so since leaving Tottenham back in 2016, although injuries prevented him from trying to keep the Baggies in the Premier League last term.

And while those injury issues may be of some concern to any prospective buyers, his efforts at the World Cup should put those doubts to bed as the winger was excellent for Roberto Martinez’s side, helping them reach the semi-finals by netting once and laying on one assist in six appearances for his country.

And having enjoyed a fine first season at West Brom, netting five times and laying on five assists in their run to tenth place, there is no doubting that Chadli is a hugely talented winger, and one that would seriously improve Celtic going forward this season.

Significantly, after a summer of minimal investment, luring the 29-year-old to Parkhead would represent a huge statement of intent from Rodgers’ side ahead of the rest of the season – it would also show genuine ambition that they want to continue improving as a club despite dominating football north of the border.

Obviously, convincing Chadli of a move to Celtic Park may be tricky, but the Scottish giants must seek to show genuine ambition by moving for the £13.5 million-rated (as per Transfermarkt) star in the latter stages of the Scottish window.

Celtic fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to a recent report from L’Equipe (via The Daily Record), Moussa Dembele has been linked with a move away from Celtic this month. The 22-year-old joined the Scottish giants back in 2016 after impressing at English outfit Fulham in the few years previous, and he has since gone from strength to strength north of the border to become one of Brendan Rodgers’ most valuable assets.

And reports suggest that Ligue 1 giants Marseille will make a £13.5 million bid for the striker this month, and after a testing summer already at Parkhead, the Bhoys simply have to retain the £6.3 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt) to prevent a truly disastrous window.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Rodgers’ side failed to reach the Champions League group stages for the first time under his stewardship this week in going down 3-2 on aggregate to AEK Athens in the third qualifying round, a defeat which has since prompted much discussion about the summer spending by the Scottish heavyweights.

And no wonder, given the Bhoys have added just three players in the form of Scott Bain, Odsonne Edouard, and Emilio Izaguirre to their squad during the summer months, and other than spending £9 million on Edouard, the other two joined on frees – it can hardly be called huge investment.

And with the likes of Erik Sviatchenko and Stuart Armstrong leaving the club during the window, Rodgers has also lost some genuine first teamers and players he would likely have called upon in the recent Champions League defeat – thus, it has not been a great window for the Bhoys.

And were they to lose star striker Dembele in the final few weeks of the European window, it would complete a truly disastrous summer.

The 22-year-old has been a shining light at Celtic ever since his move from Fulham two years ago, with the France Under-21 international netting 50 goals in just 91 appearances for the club, 32 of which coming in his first season at Parkhead back in 2016/17.

And while last season wasn’t as prolific for the 22-year-old, he still managed 16 goals in all competitions to help Rodgers’ men to the domestic treble, with Scott Sinclair (18) and James Forrest (17) the only men to net on more occasions that Dembele last term.

And with two goals in three Champions League qualifying matches this time round, the Frenchman has continued to prove his worth to Celtic to underline just how important he is to Rodgers’ side going forward – selling him would leave a huge void in the attacking third of the pitch.

Thus, especially given the tough summer they have had so far, it’s imperative that the Bhoys retain Dembele beyond the August 31 deadline in a bid to prevent a truly disastrous transfer window.

Celtic fans… what do you think? Let us know!

New Derby boss Frank Lampard used his Chelsea connections this summer to secure the signings of Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori on loan from the Blues, as he attempts to take the club a step further than last season where they lost in the playoff semi finals to eventual winners Fulham.

Mount has stolen the headlines so far with two goals in his first four appearances, but it was Tomori who would have excited Chelsea fans with his performance against Ipswich on Tuesday evening.

The 20-year-old made five clearances and won a huge seven aerial duels as he kept a clean sheet whilst playing alongside the experienced Richard Keogh at centre-back. It wasn’t just his defensive abilities that came to the fore against Ipswich though, as the Chelsea loanee made 76 passes during the 90 minutes with an impressive 84% completion rate.

The 6ft 1in youngster has previously been loaned out to Brighton for the second half of the 2016/17 season and was at Hull in the Championship last year, where he made 26 appearances in all competitions for the first team.

The 20-year-old now has three appearances for Derby and looks to be the perfect partner for the slightly slower, but perhaps wiser Keogh. With Lampard at the helm he is sure to get the game time that his parent club will desire for his development and he will be hoping to take a similar route to Andreas Christensen, who broke into the starting line up at Chelsea last season after impressing on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach.

A deflected strike from Joe Ledley and a free-kick from Tom Lawrence, his second in two league games, ensured that Lampard’s side secured their first home win of the season at Pride Park against Ipswich, but it was Chelsea fans who would have been most excited by Tomori’s performance.

With all of his experience at such a young age it looks as though the Canadian-born England U21 international could be a big player at Stamford Bridge in the near future.

[ad_pod ]

Leeds United have shone so far this season under the guidance of Marcelo Bielsa, establishing themselves as the early pacesetters in the hunt for promotion from the Championship.

An unbeaten start to the campaign has seen the Peacocks widely tipped as the favourites to seal a long-awaited return to the Premier League and the displays have been a cause for optimism for the fans who have endured turbulent times since relegation from the top-flight in 2004.

Excitement is also present behind the scenes concerning one of the club’s most highly-rated youngsters, with Jack Clarke earning praise for another excellent performance for the U23 side and being tipped to make a first-team breakthrough in the near future.

Just 17, the winger is widely regarded to be one of the best prospects behind the scenes at Elland Road and showed his talents with a shining performance for the U23 side this week – although they were held to a draw with Rangers after conceding a last-minute equaliser.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”280645″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Dodgy De Gea & Arsenal’s MiniRevolution”]

Fans took to social media to praise Clarke and we have gathered some of the best reactions below.

[ad_pod ]

According to West London Sport, QPR manager Steve McClaren has emphasised the importance of the international break in allowing his squad to gel. 

QPR recruited heavily towards the end of August, bringing in a number of loan signings, and McClaren is right in believing that this will give his squad a chance to become accustomed to each other.

The former England boss said: “We’ve finally got that break where we can work with the two strikers, bed in a system and a way of playing that will make us better and better.”

This was with regards to the signing of Tomer Hemed and Nahki Wells from Brighton and Burnley respectively. Hemed got his QPR career off to a flying start, but Wells is still finding his feet.

The international break will provide the perfect platform for these two to forge a formidable partnership that could be crucial in the Championship. Some late defensive signings will also mean that this extra time could prove to be invaluable as the season progresses.

QPR had a terrible start to their Championship campaign, losing their opening four fixtures, but their fortunes have begun to turn with a victory over Wigan and a draw against Birmingham in recent weeks. This upsurge coincided with the arrival of Hemed and Wells, which means they could only improve individually and as a partnership with time.

QPR travel to Bolton next week, hoping that this break would have paid off, as they plan on climbing up from the foot of the Championship table.

Loads of Rangers fans have been reacting to a worrying injury update, as Eros Grezda was sent home from international duty due to an ankle problem.[ad_pod ]Rangers fans loved their 14th signing of the summer, as Grezda looked a real threat in the Europa League clash against Osijek and could fill the void left by the injured Jamie Murphy.The 23 year-old winger, who scored five times in 26 Croatian League appearances last season, was suffering with an ankle problem when he joined, and he may now have aggravated that problem on international duty.According to The Daily Record, the £2m man has been sent home by Albania over concerns about his ankle.He may have been in line to play Scotland on Monday, but it seems he will continue his rehab back at Ibrox.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”290059″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch The FFC Accy Show Put the international break to good use”]It is not clear whether he worsened the injury, as fans will hope the national side were merely concerned over his lack of match fitness.You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where some fans are worrying while others bash the story…

Tottenham Hotspur should try to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who according to the Liverpool Echo is no longer wanted by the Reds.

What’s the word?

Tottenham were criticised for not signing a single player during the summer transfer window, but Mauricio Pochettino’s team have not been in desperate need of tweaking.

Although, in Spurs’ recent 2-1 defeat to Watford, there were some evident problems in midfield involving Mousa Dembele.

The Belgian international has been a crucial member of Pochettino’s machine, but his lacklustre and laboured efforts against Watford are a cause for concern.

With that in mind, perhaps it would be a good idea for Tottenham to cast an eye over to France and consider a move for PSG’s Rabiot.

The 23-year-old, who is valued at £45m by Transfermarkt, was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool, but Merseyside’s local newspaper has refuted the claims.

Why would Tottenham be better for Rabiot than Liverpool?

If Dembele is to run out his contract this season, then there will be a big gap to fill at the North London outfit this summer.

Rabiot is still young but he has plenty of experience competing at the top level, and his versatility means that he provides various options for Pochettino.

The Frenchman can play as a defensive midfielder or box-to-box, allowing him to create or break up play.

Liverpool are flooded with midfielders right now following the summer arrivals of Fabinho and Naby Keita, whereas Tottenham could soon be crying out for a new engine.

Rabiot is more than capable of fulfilling that role if Dembele departs.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”289180″ player=”12034″ title=”A Futsal Player Walks Into A Denmark Squad…”]

Aston Villa’s struggles for consistency will continue against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, according to Sky Sports pundit David Prutton.

Both sides suffered defeat prior to the international break and are looking to bounce back immediately as domestic action returns, with Villa, in particular, seeking improvements after an inconsistent start to the new campaign.

Steve Bruce’s promotion hopefuls have won just two of their six league matches this term, drawing three before losing to Sheffield United last time out, putting them in a midtable position at the early stage of the campaign.

Fortunately, the deficit on the playoff places is just a couple of points but that margin could be extended this weekend if Prutton’s predictions are correct as he believes Villa will be held to a 2-2 draw by a Blackburn side also yet to find their stride.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”292154″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch The FFC Accy Show Real football is back with our PL & EFL accumulators”]

“Both of these sides suffered humbling defeats in their last game and have been forced to dwell on them during the international break,” Prutton told Sky Sports.

“While Blackburn threw away a lead to lose 4-1 at Bristol City, Aston Villa were thumped pretty much from the off at Sheffield United.

“There’s no doubt that Blackburn have been missing Bradley Dack, because he is absolutely crucial to their hopes this season. Villa score and concede plenty and for that reason I’m going for a score draw.”

Villa have been amongst the highest-scorers so far this season with 11 goals in six matches but they have conceded the same amount, a tally only Norwich City and QPR have a worse number than.

Blackburn’s defence has been average this season, conceding eight goals, but predicting the Lancashire outfit to score two when they have managed to hit that tally just once in their last five league matches is certainly a bold call.

[ad_pod ]

Arsenal’s loss of Ivan Gazidis to AC Milan could provide a major boost in contract renewal talks with Aaron Ramsey, according to Football.London.

What’s the word?

The news that Ivan Gazidis is leaving his role as Arsenal CEO to join AC Milan has brought the end of one saga concerning the Gunners and could have a huge effect on the future of Aaron Ramsey, who remains locked in contract negotiations.

Ramsey’s current deal is due to expire at the end of the season and Arsenal face a race against time to secure the Wales international to new terms, otherwise, they face the risk of seeing the 28-year-old depart after a decade at the Emirates Stadium.

However, Football.London states that new Head of Football Raul Sanllehi could bring a swift end to the saga by agreeing on a new deal with Ramsey and boasts a strong record following his time at Barcelona, where he masterminded the signings of Alexis Sanchez and Neymar.

Working closely with contract negotiator Huss Fahmy, the report predicts that Arsenal could emerge from Gazidis’ departure in a very strong position.

Time for a deal?

With major changes at the top of Arsenal’s management, the Gunners will now need to show that there is no need for concern amongst supporters. With the transfer window shut, the best way of doing that is to secure the contracts of key players.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”297163″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts MythBusting Rashford & Spurs Headache”]

Aaron Ramsey and Nacho Monreal are both important figures in Unai Emery’s first-team but both could leave on a free transfer next summer, so Sanllehi should focus on getting the duo signed to new contracts swiftly.

Doing so would improve the feel-good factor around North London following an upturn in form that has seen the Gunners win their last three Premier League matches, while many were happy to see the back of Gazidis.

[ad_pod ]

[ffc_insert title=”Check out the Big Interview with Ben Dinnery & Johnny Wilson” name=”Fixture In Focus Podcast Special” image_ link=”https://fixtureinfocus.podiant.co/e/369d9b4fb86294/” link_text=”Click here to play”]