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Arsenal veteran Petr Cech is a ‘more complete’ keeper than Manchester United’s David de Gea, according to ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop via The Daily Star.

What’s the word?

Both Arsenal and Manchester United are battling to find consistency this season as they seek to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League but, while the Gunners have turned a corner, Jose Mourinho’s side have stumbled.

The Red Devils lost to Derby County in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening, having already tasted league defeats against Brighton and Tottenham as well as being held to a 1-1 draw by newly-promoted Wolves at the weekend.

Mourinho’s side have been shaky defensively, conceding nine goals in six league matches, and they may well have found themselves with even more problems if it wasn’t for goalkeeper David de Gea – who was named in FIFA’s Team of the Year earlier this week and is rated at £63m by Transfermarkt.

However, comments from ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop via The Daily Star see the former Newcastle and West Ham stopper claim that Arsenal veteran Cech is a ‘more complete keeper’ than the Spain international.

What was said?

“It’s easy to forget exactly how good Petr Cech was at his best. I think Petr Cech’s game was more complete than David de Gea is, even now. David de Gea is showing better than Petr Cech did because he is playing in a worse team.

“Petr Cech had better defenders in front of him so he wasn’t called on as much as De Gea is to make those big saves. But in terms of total game, Petr Cech has it over David de Gea.”

Is he right?

Now in the latter stages of his career, 36-year-old Cech has seen his performances decline and has come under fire this season for his struggles playing the ball out from the back. However, the biggest issue is the fact he has kept just one clean sheet this season.

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Suggesting Cech is still better than De Gea is certainly a comment that will rile up supporters and the claim, to put it bluntly, is far from accurate as the Spain international is on the rise while his Czech Republic counterpart battles for a first-team spot at Arsenal.

However, Cech still has the edge on De Gea when you look at the former Chelsea man in his prime and there is still a lot of work to do if the 27-year-old is to genuinely stand as a better stopper.

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Despite suffering a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Barcelona, Spurs fans were particularly impressed with Erik Lamela’s performance after the Argentinian put in a good shift on a night where most of their players fell short of the standards set by opposition players like Lionel Messi, Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic.

Lamela started in the No.10 role right behind striker Harry Kane with Lucas Moura and Son Heung-Min either side of him, but Spurs struggled to get momentum going in the first half as the Spanish side took control of proceedings.

The second half however saw Mauricio Pochettino’s have more time on the ball that allowed a player like Lamela to have an impact. The 26-year-old scored Tottenham’s second goal of night, although it was via a deflection, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Catalan giants claiming victory.

Spurs fans, some of whom have not been the attacker’s biggest supporters in the past on Twitter, reacted to his latest performance, suggesting they are pleased to see him back to his best, hoping he could continue his current form throughout the season.

Here are their Twitter reactions:

Crystal Palace supporters have been pretty downbeat after seeing their side suffer a fourth Premier League defeat of the season on Monday night.

Roy Hodgson’s men went into their trip to Bournemouth having won one and drawn the other of their previous two league matches, and thus seeking to gain a bit of momentum having lost three in a row prior to those results. Yet they were dealt another setback at the Vitality Stadium as goals from David Brooks and Junior Stanislas either side of a Patrick van Aanholt equaliser sealed a 2-1 success for Eddie Howe’s team, thus leaving Palace 13th in the Premier League table.

Thus, there have been many disappointed Eagles supporters up and down the country in recent times, several of whom are wondering what changes, if any, Hodgson may seek to make in a bid to get back to winning ways against Nuno Espirito Santo’s impressive Wolves this afternoon.

And having excelled in Palace’s 3-0 win at West Brom in the third round of the Carabao Cup last week, Hodgson simply must opt for £4.5 million-rated Jason Puncheon (as per Transfermarkt) against the newly-promoted outfit later today.

Ultimately, the 32-year-old has endured a tough time recently in missing much of 2018 with a cruciate ligament injury, to the point that he was actually touted for a move away from Selhurst Park during the summer in a bid to get his career going once again.

Yet the Englishman remained at the London club but has so far failed to feature in any of their seven Premier League matches, albeit he has been given a chance to shine in their two Carabao Cup clashes so far this term – and shine he certainly did against West Brom last week.

The 32-year-old was excellent down the right-hand-side for the Eagles in their routine success over Darren Moore’s high-flying Baggies, constantly causing problems in attack and helping the visitors dominate much of the encounter against the Championship side – it was like watching the Puncheon of a few years ago.

And the confidence he would have got from a display like that would have really helped the 32-year-old in his bid to get back into the first team fold, with Hodgson naming him on the bench in three of their last four league matches, albeit he failed to feature.

But with the Eagles seriously struggling for consistency, and indeed failing to turn their territorial advantage into genuine goal-scoring opportunities on Monday night, Hodgson may seek to shake things up in the attacking third of the pitch – and Puncheon should be the main beneficiary.

The Englishman has clearly worked extremely hard to get back to a level in which he can push for a regular place in a Premier League side, and having produced the goods against West Brom last week, Hodgson should seek to opt for the 32-year-old against Santo’s Wolves this afternoon as his side bid to get back to winning ways.

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

Arsenal have emerged as surprise title contenders following an excellent start to life under Unai Emery.

Replacing the legendary Arsene Wenger was always going to be difficult, but the Gunners look back to their best following a difficult transitional period. Emery was handed a baptism of fire with fixtures against Manchester City and Chelsea kicking off his reign as boss. Since the defeats, Arsenal have been wonderful, racking up nine consecutive wins in all competitions.

With their new signings starting to settle into life, Arsenal are firmly in the title race, just two points behind leaders Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool. The Gunners have shown they can beat the lesser opposition in the Premier League and their mettle will truly be tested in the coming weeks with fixtures against the top six upcoming. To continue their excellent form, Emery should be scouting for potential January additions.

One man he should be watching is South Africa sensation – Lebo Mothiba. Valued at just £2.7m by Transfermarkt, the forward joined current club Strasbourg after Lille were forced into a sale this summer due to financial difficulties. Aware of the youngster’s talents, they included a buyback option, and 50% sell on clause in the deal.

Mothiba has been in excellent form in Ligue 1, finding the back of the net five times already. As a result, he was rewarded with another call-up to the South Africa national team where he became the first player in the nation’s history to score in each of his first three appearances. The 22-year-old could prove to be a useful addition to the Arsenal squad if his goalscoring exploits continue.

Prizing him away from France shouldn’t prove too difficult as the chance to express himself on the world’s biggest stage would be hard to turn down. If his performances continue, the Gunners should definitely try to lure him to North London.

Arsenal fans, thoughts?

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Liverpool are suffering an injury crisis for Saturday’s trip to Huddersfield, and a whopping 77 per cent of fans think it’s the perfect time to bring in Adam Lallana.

Liverpool have lost four first team players to injury over the international break, though it is not clear how serious any of the four injuries are.

Mohamed Salah left Egypt’s match last week with a muscle injury, and Naby Keita has also returned to Merseyside to have treatment on a thigh problem.

Virgil van Dijk is still struggling with a rib injury, while Sadio Mane suffered a suspected broken thumb during Senegal’s 3-0 win over Sudan.

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Lallana meanwhile has missed the start of the season with an injury of his own, but returned to full training before the Manchester City clash.

The 30 year-old, who has scored 17 times in the Premier League for the Reds, could be the creative influence they have been lacking in the middle of the park.

Jürgen Klopp has laways been a big fan of the 34-cap England international, and 77 per cent of fans think he should start in Keita’s place vs Huddersfield.

You can view the full poll results down below…

Rangers were impressive last time out after they beat Hamilton 4-1 at the SuperSeal Stadium to continue their brilliant start in the SPL under Steven Gerrard.

And one player who impressed in particular was Jordan Rossiter with Gerrard since coming out to praise the 21-year-old following his return from injury and recall to the first team.

The Breakdown

“We had a bounce game behind closed doors and he [Rossiter] was head and shoulders above most of those on the pitch,” Gerrard told the Evening Times.

“I’ve said to the players behind the scenes you’ve got to fight for a shirt and earn the chance to play. So if I don’t back that up with my decisions the players won’t believe in me or trust me.

“So Jordan earned that [on Sunday] and I thought he was very strong for his first showing in such a long time. I was very pleased with him. He’s a bright kid. Tactically he’s very astute. I can trust him to go in and do a job if and when I need to.”

Rossiter, who has less than two years to run on his current £10,000-a-week contract (via Daily Mail), has failed to kick on since lighting up Anfield in his Liverpool debut back in 2014 with injuries a large reason as to why.

But under Gerrard’s tutelage and should he be able to remain fit, Rossiter may be able to finally take that next step at Rangers.

Against Hamilton in the absence of Scott Arfield, Rossiter showed he was capable of coming in and doing a job and could be a promising option for Gerrard going forward.

West Ham United are expected to head into the January transfer market this winter to improve their options in the striking department.

The Hammers currently have Marko Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez, Lucas Perez and Andy Carroll all available at the moment, but it is believed Manuel Pellegrini wants to add further depth to his ranks.

And, according to a report by HITC Sport, it is understood that Charlie Kelman is on their radar after impressing for Southend United.

The teenager is thought to be one of the most promising strikers in the game at the moment and has attracted plenty of interest from a number of Premier League sides.

The likes of Bournemouth and Brighton and Hove Albion are thought to have taken note, along with Aston Villa, of the 17-year-old who had netted 61 goals at the youth level last season for the League One outfit and sent scouts to watch him in midweek.

The Verdict:

Kelman is certainly an exciting prospect at the moment and could thrive at West Ham’s famed academy that has produced a number of big names in the past.

The striker would cost a rather nominal fee if they did try and sign him, as Southend would only be entitled to compensation for their training costs of the American Under-18 international squad member.

And, West Ham could have an advantage in signing Kelman, as they are closely based to where he is currently situated in the UK.

However, he is not an addition that would immediately improve them, which if that is what Pellegrini wants to do this winter, then he will need to look further afield.

West Ham fans – thoughts?

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Loads of Everton fans have been reacting to Saturday’s big win, and they can’t quite believe how well Richarlison is playing.

Everton got back to winning ways after the setback at Old Trafford, cruising past Brighton with a wonderful performance.

Richarlison gave the Toffees a deserved lead in the first half before Lewis Dunk levelled the scores, but Marco Silva’s side always looked like getting back on top.

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Seamus Coleman put the hosts back in front with a brilliant strike from the edge of the box, but Richarlison once again was the star of the show as he put the game to bed with a wonderfully taken goal.

The young Brazilian nicked the ball off Dunk before rounding Ryan for his second goal of the game, and he is now the joint-second top scorer in the league with six goals.

The 21 year-olds’ huge transfer fee raised plenty of eyebrows when he swapped Vicarage Road for Goodison Park, but the deal is starting to look like a stroke of genius from Marcel Brands and Silva.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Everton earned an excellent point away to Chelsea in the English Premier League on Sunday, holding them to a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Frustrating big performers like Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata, the Toffees’ defence really played out of their skin across the 90 minutes, with no-one earning more plaudits than summer signing Lucas Digne.

Signed in August for a reported fee of £18m, the left-back has emerged as one of the most consistent left-backs in the league, with many Everton supporters believing they couldn’t have signed a better player for the position.

With Leighton Baines entering the late stages of his career, it was important the club hit a home run with regards to his replacement and it seems that Digne is that man.

He was superb at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and if he can produce more performances like that he’ll become one of the most popular players at Goodison Park.

These fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his display…

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Gylfi Sigurdsson heads into the international break without another Iceland cap on the horizon after leaving Stamford Bridge in a protective boot, raising questions on who can fill in his shoes at Goodison Park if an injury absence is confirmed.

The Chalkboard

Sigurdsson is key to how Everton play. Without his presence in midfield, the Toffees lack direction and someone who can connect play between the defensive ranks and attack.

The 29-year-old may have only recorded two assists so far in the Premier League, but his 31 key passes in 12 games highlight his effectiveness in the central role.

Since Marco Silva took over at the helm in the summer, no other player has started in the central attacking midfield position in the League other than the 64-cap Iceland international.

If he has now been ruled out of action thanks to a rash tackle by Italian midfielder Jorginho, Everton will have a difficult time replacing Sigurdsson.

The system cannot change

Silva is a firm favourite of the 4-2-3-1 system, only once deviating, so altering the formation to counter the loss of Sigurdsson will not be a viable solution having worked hard to build the Toffees in that way.

At first, results were barely there with a string of games often ending in a draw, but since the end of September fortunes changed in Merseyside and Everton have only twice dropped points.

Taking the international break to organise his side into a new system for the visit of Cardiff would act as a restart button to that progress, meaning whoever steps up has to deliver.

Lookman or Calvert-Lewin?

The true decision for Silva on how to cope with the loss of Sigurdsson will be in what young forward he places his faith in.

Both 21, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Ademola Lookman present different ways to tackle the challenge. One is a more direct threat, acting as a second striker to Richarlison, while the other offers greater creativity but less of an end product.

The inclusion of Calvert-Lewin, however, can come from the wing and allow Bernard to act as the Icelandic international’s deputy instead. A move that has the potential to eliminate the Brazilian’s inconsistencies.