Arsenal host Valencia in arguably their most important fixture of the season thus far. Reaching the semi-final of the Europa League represents a genuine chance to both pick up some silverware and gain a place in the Champions League. With their recent Premier League form nothing short of disastrous, this game has become increasingly important. 

A player they will most certainly turn to is £56m signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been clinical in front of goal this season. However, the Arsenal forward arguably hasn’t received the plaudits he’s deserved. It raises a prominent question – is Aubameyang this season’s most underrated player?

The striker was signed in a big money deal in January 2018. It’s fair to say he hit the ground running, scoring 10 goals in 13 appearances. The return offered much promise going into Unai Emery’s inaugural Premier League campaign.

In fact, the attacker started the season in style, claiming October’s Player of the Month award after scoring five goals in three games. Incredibly, the Gabon striker only started one of these matches. However, despite continuing to score, the former Dortmund ace has rarely received the plaudits that he seemingly deserves.

The attacker has scored 19 league goals and assisted five in 34 games this season. With just two games remaining, he is still in with a shout for the golden boot. Importantly, only Sergio Aguero has a better goal to minute ratio.

That’s pretty good going.

Analysing Aubameyang’s position this season, he has a distinct disadvantage. This is because the striker is often deployed on the wing and has six times made an appearance from the bench. According to TransferMarkt, he has been utilised as a winger in 12 of his league appearances this season. It would certainly have been interesting to see the figures if he had played solely as a striker.

Theo Walcott syndrome, anyone? We joke, of course, but why not give him a chance?

It’s clear to see the quality the forward possesses, but he was the only player in the top four Premier League goalscorers list not to be nominated for Player of the Season. Yes, Arsenal are not in the title race where the others are. But perhaps that adds validity to his quality.

Indeed, the lethal African forward doesn’t have the same luxuries around him that Sergio Aguero, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have.

He is two goals off the lead in the top scorer’s list. This is despite playing 500 minutes less than Salah, 350 minutes less than Mane and having 22 shots less than Aguero. Perhaps those who criticise the striker should take another look at the stats. They are indeed compelling.

Aubameyang must be considered the most underrated in the Premier League this season.

What do you think Arsenal fans? Is Aubameyang the most underrated player in the Premier League this season? Comment below. 

Arsenal’s season is heading towards being a fairly successful one if they can pick up two wins in their final two games and cement a Champions League place. 

The Gunners, under the management of Unai Emery, have adapted well to life without Arsene Wenger and will be pleased overall with their performances throughout the season.

The Europa League also remains on the cards for the club in terms of winning a trophy, something which would add that something extra to Emery’s first year in charge.

The season has not been without it’s problems though, and there have been some harsh comments and opinions directed at various members of the Gunners squad, in particular, Mesut Ozil, who has often flattered to deceive with his performances in a Gunners shirt this year.

However, Ozil has turned round this week and made it clear he wants to stay with the club rather than move on in the summer, but we here in the Tavern feel he needs to be doing more if he does indeed stay put.

Ozil has enough ability to be the sort of player who is really impacting games, and really should be one of the first names on the team sheet for Emery when he is on form.

Something needs to change though for the German in all honesty, and he needs to quickly get back to his best if he is to aid Arsenal’s cause.

You don’t play for Real Madrid and have the career Ozil has had without being a quality operator, and if Arsenal are to be successful, they need him back to his creative and brilliant best.

واصلت إدارة نادي سيراميكا كليوباترا سلسلة التعاقدات الجديدة، وتدعيم صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم، بعدد من اللاعبين المميزين وفق الخطة الاستثمارية والتسويقية في الفترة المقبلة.

وقال الموقع الرسمي لنادي سيراميكا كليوباترا: “تم التعاقد مع أحمد أمين أوفا مهاجم فريق الشرقية للدخان وصاحب الـ28 هدفا مع فريقه الموسم الماضي”.

ونال اللاعب الهداف إعجاب هيثم شعبان المدير الفني للفريق، حيث كان أوفا محط اهتمام عدد من أندية الدوري الممتاز، قبل أن يوقع لنادي سيراميكا كليوباترا بشكل رسمي.

طالع أيضا.. أبرزهم محمد إبراهيم.. سيراميكا كليوباترا يعلن إتمام 7 صفقات

ومن المنتظر أن ينضم أوفا صاحب الـ23 عاما إلى معسكر الفريق الذي ينطلق اليوم في الإسماعيلية، والذي يستمر لمدة أسبوعين، على أن تتخلله عدد من المباريات الودية.

Stephan Lichtsteiner was never meant to be a long-term option for Arsenal when the right-back signed from Juventus, and yet it’s felt like the Swiss defender has been in north London for an eternity.

Since joining the Premier League side on a free from the Italian giants last summer, Lichtsteiner was always seen as a back-up option to Hector Bellerin and a player the Spaniard can learn from off the pitch, and for the most part the 35-year-old right-back has done just that, patiently waiting on the bench and watching the Arsenal number two develop more and more with each passing game.

But after his first full season in England, the Standard report that the Swiss international is likely to move on from Arsenal following the final match of the season against Chelsea in the Europa League final, and for fans, this will be a move many would be happy with.

Lichtsteiner, who is valued at £1.35 million on Transfermarkt, has been rather unspectacular when called upon this season, lacking the pace to keep up with the wingers of the Premier League and showing his age with lapses of concentration in matches, resulting in Unai Emery turning to Ainsley Maitland-Niles as Bellerin’s replacement when the starting right-back tore his ACL in December.

The Swiss defender can get a starting spot somewhere else at a decent team in Europe, but with Emery preferring full-backs who like to bomb up the pitch and create chances, Lichtsteiner is simply playing at the wrong team where his skill set can be used.

Arsenal fans, has Lichtsteiner been a success this season? Let us know!

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It would be fair to say that Jordan Pickford divides opinion.

He is a goalkeeper capable of making outstanding saves, but his consistency is perhaps not quite what it should be for a player of 25.

A record of 12 clean sheets in 35 Premier League appearances this season is not too bad at all, but there have been some strange performances along the way – the one at St James’ Park against Newcastle United springs to mind.

Even so, the Everton fans reacted largely positively to a tweet from the 17-time England international earlier this week.

Indeed, Pickford was recently awarded a plaque having passed the 100-mark in terms of Premier League appearances.

There were a lot of opposition fans who poked fun at Pickford for some of the off-the-field trouble that the stopper has been involved in this season.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

However, the response from the Everton supporters was positive, suggesting that they are happy with how the former Sunderland man is performing.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Tottenham fans have had it so good in the Mauricio Pochettino years at the club, yet it hasn’t always been this good. The Lilywhites have finished as low as 15th in the Premier League, and only recently have started to reach the top of the game, and the fans believe that change started when Martin Jol came to the club in 2004.

Tottenham fans have been given an exclusive interview with the Dutchman by The Telegraph, and the 63-year-old has nothing but good memories of his time at the club, revealing that he still has a house in Tottenham next to the club’s old Chigwell training ground. It seems that he really does love the club and even claimed to own a Jimmy Greaves’ Spurs shirt from the sixties as he grew up a Spurs fan.

Jol became a lot more than just a Tottenham fan, though, and he can be accredited with starting the revolution at the club that has now seen them rise to become Champions League semi-finalists. During a time when Tottenham were lost in mid-table obscurity, Jol came in and took the Lilywhites to consecutive 5th placed finishes, leading to their rise as a consistent European competitor.

You can read the Lilywhites’ thoughts on Jol’s comments here:

The Lilywhites absolutely love Martin Jol and will always welcome him back to the club with open arms if he’s ever in London.

Arrogance looks like it’s going to be the downfall of Yacine Brahimi, who is rather bizarrely apparently not convinced by Everton’s reported approaches.

There’s nothing worse is there, a player thinking they’re better than they are. It makes the blood boil.

Porto ace Yacine Brahimi, who is a free agent this summer, is looking for a new club for next season and is apparently the subject of interest from Premier League sides Everton and West Ham. A real achievement, right? Wrong, it would seem.

While Goodison Park and the London Stadium would be a goal for any right-minded footballer, it seems neither arena is sufficient another for His Highness, who is apparently a chasing a ‘golden throne’ (A Bola via Sport Witness).

As it stands, Betis, Everton, Fenerbahçe, Olympique Marseille and West Ham are the only club who have been in touch, but none of them are considered as the “perfect” destination. Whatever that means.

Like any and all mercenaries in world football Brahimi is reportedly looking for two things: money and a competitive club, which likely means he will end up on a plane to China by the end of the summer seeking “exciting new adventures”.

Of course, the issue is that he isn’t even getting that so far, with the best offer coming from Turkey, who wanted to pay him a paltry €3m per season. How dare they insult him like that!

The winger also apparently wants a destination where he could challenge for titles, which simply isn’t the case for any of the clubs currently on the list, especially Everton, since none of them can even offer European football in the next season. Quite why he has the right to demand such things is beyond us, though.

We remember when the Eden Hazard transfer saga was raging when he was still playing at Lille and he was literally teasing clubs with videos deciding where he was going. It wasn’t the classiest move in the world, but we could kind of appreciate and understand the arrogance because he was such a damned good player.

However, there’s absolutely no chance we’re falling for this budget attempt, and neither should Everton.

They’ve got plenty of plucky spirits at the club who genuinely look invested in the badge and who look like they’re willing to give it their all. Why on earth would Marco Silva want to add this toxic mercenary into the equation when he knows he’s got one eye on leaving?

Who on earth does Yacine Brahimi think he is?

Everton fans, what do you know about Brahimi? Would you like to see him at the club knowing what you know now? Join the discussion by commenting below…

So after much speculation, it seems set that Aaron Wan-Bissaka will continue his journey with Crystal Palace (as per the Evening Standard) next season.

Indeed, the youngster’s sticking to his roots, repaying the faith the club has put on him since his youth academy days. What truly wonderful news that is, considering his meteoric rise to prominence over the past year or so. However, that isn’t stopping the Eagles from looking into more defensive options.

According to reports (via The Daily Mail), Roy Hodgson’s side want to sign Reece James on loan for next season. Obviously, the Chelsea youngster had a terrific season for Wigan Athletic in the Championship, producing multiple bright performances to prove his talent. Apart from scoring and assisting 3 goals apiece, James was also brilliant in staying strong defensively against formidable opposition.

A defensive wonderkid of the highest order, pretty much.

Excitingly, the 19-year-old can gain some much-needed Premier League experience at Palace, but could also work in Wan-Bissaka’s favour. Roy Hodgson can use James as a tool to keep his regular right-back on his toes. Indeed, this could help the 21-year-old eradicate the errors in his game, become more reliable defensively and start delivering going forward.

James has himself proven to be a hungry figure at Wigan and will want to fight for a starting place at a Premier League side like Palace. He’s a powerful figure going forward, with his excellent crossing and set-piece prowess giving him a slight edge on Wan-Bissaka in that regard.

Perhaps having two right-backs of such stature seems like overkill but strength in depth is key for the Eagles here as they look for a more exciting campaign than merely scrapping to stay in the top tier.

Palace fans, do you think James’ signing is required in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

أستقر الجهاز الفني للزمالك بقيادة البرتغالي جايمي باتشيكو، على الدخول في معسكر مغلق بعد مباراة نادي مصر بكأس مصر، وذلك استعداداً لموقعة نهائي أبطال إفريقيا أمام الأهلي.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي الزمالك مع نادي مصر، مساء غد السبت، في إطار دور الـ8 من بطولة كأس مصر، ثم يلاقي الأهلي في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا يوم الجمعة المقبل.

طالع | بي إن سبورت تعلن معلق مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا

واتفق الجهاز الفني مع مسئولي النادي على أن يدخل الفريق في معسكر للحفاظ على حالة اللاعبين وفرض مزيد من الإجراءات الاحترازية بسبب وجود فيروس كورونا في صفوف الفريقين وعدم زيادة الأعداد وافتقاد بعض العناصر الهامة في الفريق.

ويوجد داخل الزمالك حالة واحدة مصابة بـ فيروس كورونا، وهو حازم أمام ظهير الفريق.

يذكر أن الأهلي أيضاً قرر الدخول في معسكر مغلق بداية من يوم الأحد المقبل، استعدادًا لمواجهة الزمالك.

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Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has been linked with a move to Barcelona, per Mundo Deportivo.

The Catalan giants are said to be interested in the prospect of securing the France international this summer.

Indeed, Lacazette is regarded as a back-up to the potential signing of Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann, who is said to be Barca’s top target for the upcoming transfer window.

The forward has scored 18 goals and laid on 12 assists thus far this term and would cost around €70million (£59.5m), though the club are said to be exploring the possibility of including players in the deal. Both central defender Samuel Umtiti and midfielder Andre Gomes, currently on loan at Everton, are said to be possibilities.

And fans have been fairly mixed on the possibility of Lacazette leaving the club, with some believing they should take the money and reinvest, while others think he is perhaps their best player.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!