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After a result that saw Everton take another big step to potentially achieving European football for next season, Carlo Ancelotti was quick to praise one player for his efforts at Goodison Park.

It wasn’t either of Richarlison or Gylfi Sigurdsson, whose goals helped the Toffees to a 2-1 win over Leicester, but instead, 19-year-old academy starlet Anthony Gordon.

The teenager has been one of the major positives since the Premier League’s restart last month, featuring in all three of the Merseyside outfit’s opening games, including starting against Liverpool and Leicester on Wednesday night.

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And speaking after his latest display against the Foxes, Ancelotti said: “It is important for him to show quality and above all to be confident to play. Usually when a young player comes in they are a bit worried. But Anthony has personality and did well.”

The winger was in fine fettle against Brendan Rodgers’ side, and whether it was just his youthfulness or willingness to impress, but he was equally as impressive going back towards his own goal too.

As per Sofascore, he managed two interceptions and four tackles, the first being a team-high stat, and the second, ranking him only behind Seamus Coleman amongst all Everton players on the night.

Of course, the major highlight of his evening’s work was the fine assist for Richarlison’s opener, collecting the ball off Lucas Digne’s precise header, before driving to the by-line and cutting it back across goal for his teammate to sweep home with aplomb.

Aside from his set-up for Richarlison, Gordon also provided two key passes and completed two out of his three attempted dribbles. Despite having competition for places out wide, Ancelotti has placed his faith in the Everton teenager, and that is a real testament to the work done by David Unsworth, who is in charge of the U23s.

Speaking back in 2019, Unsworth was full of praise for the potential that Gordon has, saying: “What we’ve got at the moment is a young, exciting player with bags and bags of potential who we feel has a great chance of being a Premier League footballer. He’s got to be managed right.”

And judging by how Gordon has developed over the past few months, and his starring performance against Leicester, it’s clear to see Ancelotti is now more than willing to unleash the talented prodigy.

Key information about Bloomfield Road

Bloomfield Road was built in 1899 and is now the home of Blackpool FC. The ground is located in the city of Blackpool in Lancashire and was the 68th stadium in the country to host a Football League match.

Its current capacity stands at 16,220 and it has a pitch that measures 102m by 67m. The surface is covered with grass but there is no undersoil heating installed nor a running track surrounding it.

The record attendance of 38,098 was set during Blackpool’s clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 17 September 1955.

A history of Bloomfield Road

Bloomfield Road was constructed way back in 1899 and has been housing Blackpool ever since the club moved into the stadium in 1901. Before then, they were actually settled at two different grounds: Raikes Hall Gardens and Athletic Grounds.

It’s also interesting to note that Bloomfield Road was originally known as Gamble’s Field after the farmer who owned the land but was renamed shortly after Blackpool FC merged with South Shore F.C. in mid-December 1899 and then moved into the stadium, which was then owned by the latter team.

The first clash after the merger was on 23 December with the hosts beating a 10-man Horwich R.M.I 8-0. There was not much to see at the stadium back then with only a small wooden grandstand with about 300 places and a perimeter fence surrounding the pitch. Interestingly, Blackpool would move in and out of the ground in the following years, alternating between Raikes Hall Gardens and Bloomfield Road, until finally, at the start of the 1901/02 campaign, the latter would become their official home.

In the years and decades after that, the stadium would gradually improve, most notably boosting the capacity to over 20,000 by the time the mid-1920s arrived. In the 1930s, the club also erected the Spion Kop, adding more space and increasing the total figure to over 30,000. But most of the improvements in the 1920s were indeed prompted by the big fire of 1917 that destroyed the entire southern end along with the offices, a lot of silverware and documentation.

Still, after the 1920s and 1930s, the development stopped and wouldn’t resume until the 1950s when the East Paddock was extended. In the following decade, Bloomfield Road could host around 38,000 supporters but that figure would subsequently dip following the conversion of some areas into seating places and later due to safety requirements. Around that time, the Spion Kop was also partially covered..

As the new millennium approached, the ground deteriorated and was in dire need of renovation once again. Several initiatives were presented but it wouldn’t be until the early 2000s that big changes were undertaken.

The Spion Kop and West Stand were completely demolished and eventually replaced by new stands and in 2003 the East and South Stand followed suit. However, it would take the club until 2010 to finally replace the latter one while temporary structures were placed in the former and were then improved in 2011.

Around that time the pitch was also relaid and finally, in June 2019, Bloomfield Road came into the control of Simon Sadler, who bought a controlling 96.2% stake in Blackpool FC.

Tickets to watch Blackpool FC at Bloomfield Road

All tickets to watch Blackpool FC play at Bloomfield Road can be found and purchased on the club’s official website. The cheapest adult ticket in the standard area costs £20 while the most expensive ones in West Stand Blocks L & N are £28.

The club also offers season tickets for all of their fans. More information can be found on the aforementioned website.

Related links

https://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Blackpool FC

https://www.blackpoolfc.co.uk/tickets/ – Blackpool FC Ticket Office

Portsmouth and Oxford have pushed forward with their respective interest in signing former Sunderland midfielder Ethan Robson, according to Football Insider.

Upon leaving the Stadium of Light at the end of the 2019/20 season, the 23-year-old midfielder ended a 16-year stint at the club which saw him make a total of 14 first team appearances and 62 for the club’s under-23 side.

Spending part of the 2019/20 season on loan with League Two side Grimsby Town, Robson is now a free agent and said to be gaining interest from a number of clubs.

With that previously reported interest, it has now been claimed by Football Insider that Portsmouth and Oxford are keen to make a summer move for Robson.

Both clubs narrowly missed out on promotion to the Championship earlier this month, having fallen in the play-offs, and both are now seemingly keen to bolster their respective squads ahead of next season.

It does seem strange that Sunderland allowed Robson to leave, thus presenting League One rivals Portsmouth and Oxford the chance to sign him. Those two clubs both finished ahead of the Black Cats in the hunt for play-off places in 2019/20.

All three teams will be expecting to produce a promotion push next season and it will be interesting to see who Robson opts to join – and whether he will make Sunderland rue their decision to let him leave.

Do you think Sunderland should make a move to re-sign Robson? Let us know in the comments section below…

Newcastle United are on the market for a new defender. Specifically, as it turns out, Steve Bruce wants to buy a new left-back in the ongoing summer transfer window. Of course, with Danny Rose spending some time on loan at the club, it was widely reported he could indeed be permanently acquired at the end of his stint in the north-east.

However, according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, the Magpies won’t pursue Tottenham Hotspur’s returnee and there has been no contact between the two clubs since the end of the 2019/20 season.

And yes, Bruce has talked warmly of the 30-year-old defender during his stay at St. James’ Park but if the same source is to be believed, Newcastle’s interest has cooled and they even have someone else in mind. The identity of that mysterious left-back, who’s described by Football Insider as someone “who can challenge for a first-team place next season”, is still unknown.

What we do know, thanks to the same outlet, is that it likely won’t be Rose. The England international has enjoyed a good spell at the club but the next step in his career is unclear.

Jose Mourinho doesn’t exactly count on him anymore and Rose has now even entered the final year of his contract with the north Londoners, making him easily attainable on the transfer market for any Premier League club out there.

But, as it turns out, he won’t be joining Newcastle on a permanent basis.

Verdict

It does seem like the Magpies are extremely confident that their mysterious left-back has enough quality to succeed at the club and make his way into the first-team next season. If that is truly the case, then it makes sense not to go for Rose.

Despite still being able to offer a decent return, he is 30 years old and slowly fading. It all, however, depends on that potential surprise arrival and his impact in the immediate future.

Chelsea are getting themselves ready to fight in what promises to be a thrilling 2019/20 Premier League campaign.

The Blues have recruited heavily in the lead-up to the new season and could be the ones to watch to chase down Liverpool for their crown.

Frank Lampard has welcomed five major signings to the club already, with Kai Havertz looking likely to be the sixth through the door any day now.

With their first match of 2020/21 in sight, the manager has highlighted who has impressed him during Chelsea’s pre-season. One man who will definitely have the spotlight on him once the new term starts is Timo Werner. Luckily for him, he has already hit the ground running for the Blues.

Lampard has given a glowing review of the German’s performance against Brighton, which saw him find the back of the net just four minutes into the game (via Sofascore).

“I thought Timo was really sharp and bright,” the 42-year-old told The Express. “He got his goal really early in the game, he showed some of the qualities that I know very well he has so I am very excited about having him in the squad.”

Werner joined Chelsea in a move that stunned the masses. After months of heavy speculation over joining Liverpool, and the player himself even admitting he was proud to be linked to the Reds, the forward put pen to paper for the West Londoners.

The move came shortly after Hakim Ziyech marked Lampard’s first signing of the summer. Werner made his move from RB Leipzig for a fee of £45million back in June (via Sky Sports).

“Also on the pitch he can help talk and be the player that he is which means affecting others,” Lampard said. “On those levels I hope he brings that.

“I am pretty sure he will with the qualities we know he has, so I am excited for when he joins up.”

Are you excited to see Timo Werner in action for Chelsea? Join the conversation in the comments below!

Aston Villa will have to battle many of their top-flight rivals if they are to land a very intriguing target this summer…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph, Dean Smith’s side have shown interest in Nottingham Forest’s versatile right wing-back Matty Cash, who several Premier League teams are chasing.

Sheffield United have already failed with a £10m offer, which could be followed up by Fulham whilst West Ham and the Lions are also keen.

However, it is thought that the Championship outfit want £15m to let him go before the end of the transfer window.

Versatile sensation

Whilst Smith has plenty of competition at right-back in Frederic Guilbert and Ahmed Elmohamady, the 23-year-old would be the perfect upgrade on the latter and could quite easily nab that starting spot.

Per WhoScored, Cash provided three goals and five assists whilst averaging 3 clearances, 2.6 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 1.1 key passes per appearance, which goes to show he contributes very well at either end of the pitch.

Villa may remember his contribution during an enthralling 5-5 draw against Forest back in November 2018, where the Reds graduate gave Alan Hutton the run around whilst playing as a winger.

The veteran lost possession 14 times, won only six duels and had to make one last man tackle, per SofaScore. It wasn’t a great afternoon up against the tricky Cash.

One year on from that match, respected journalist Henry Winter lauded the youngster and claimed that he “looks Premier League class” and more recently this season, Quest TV pundit Sam Parkin said Cash was “having an outstanding season”.

These are all encouraging signs as to why he’d be a success at Villa Park and at £15m, they’d be getting a steal especially if they manage to beat their rivals.

AND in other news, Aston Villa could add £270k-per-week superstar, and it won’t cost Sawiris a penny…

Aston Villa appear to be leading the race of one of the Premier League’s most promising talents, that’s if fresh reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to the Guardian, the Midlands outfit have opened talks with Chelsea over a potential loan move for talented midfield sensation Conor Gallagher this summer.

They claim that top-flight rivals Crystal Palace have dipped out of the battle to secure him, thus opening the door for Dean Smith to swoop in but they’ll have to do battle with newly-promoted Leeds United too.

Gallagher went out on loan twice last season, starting the season at Charlton Athletic before moving onto playoff semi-finalists Swansea City.

Shades of Lampard

It’s hard to gauge what sort of impact the 20-year-old would have at Villa Park considering John McGinn and of course skipper Jack Grealish will be the first names on the teamsheet.

But if the Englishman is going to remain out wide, then Smith is getting the perfect box-to-box option in Gallagher.

Sky Sports pundit Keith Andrews has previously likened his playing style to that of both Lee Bowyer and Frank Lampard, claiming the midfielder is “a classic No 8.” who “has unbelievable energy” and “does the ugly side of the game.”

Last term across those two loan spells, Gallagher delivered six goals and 11 assists, and averaged 1.8 tackles, 1.7 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, which only emphasises his ability at either end of the pitch.

Smith had a heavy reliance on his captain last term after he finished as the club’s top goalscorer in the Premier League and whilst he’s still clear for chances created, the only other midfielder that could better Gallagher was McGinn, so clearly the rest of the squad isn’t doing enough to help out.

Bowyer rued his absence during the second half of the season as the Addicks were relegated from the Championship, claiming that he’s “impossible to replace” and it’s rare to find “a jewel like that.”

It might only be on loan, but the Villans could benefit from a midfielder as promising as this. Johan Lange must push for this deal at all costs.

AND in other news, Aston Villa must add “nightmare” attacker to their Ollie Watkins capture…

Many Liverpool fans were devastated to discover that goalkeeper Alisson Becker will miss this evening’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa.

The 28-year-old shot-stopper has taken a knock in training and is being wrapped in cotton wool by manager Jurgen Klopp for the trip to Villa Park, according to The Athletic’s James Pearce.

It is not the first time that the Brazilian ‘keeper has taken time off due to fitness concerns. Last season, he missed 11 matches in all competitions after picking up an injury during his side’s first game of the 2019/20 campaign against Norwich City, as per TransferMarkt.

Because of this, Adrian will be expected to step into the fold before the scheduled international break kicks in, the timing of which could be a blessing in disguise for Klopp with one of his key players missing today’s game.

With this in mind, the news about Alisson sparked a wave of comments from fans voicing their concerns about what could happen to the team in the longer-term. Some questioned the Brazil international’s fitness as a whole, with others suggesting that Liverpool should consider investing in a new goalkeeper.

You can see some of the feedback from concerned Kopites here:

Liverpool fans, how badly will your side miss Alisson tonight? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Diogo Jota had an unbelievable game for his country last night after enjoying a 3-0 win over Sweden. The newest Jurgen Klopp signing was unstoppable in Portugal’s attack, contributing two goals and an assist to see them victorious in the UEFA Nations League.

After earning an impressive 9.5 rating for being involved in 100% of his side’s goals, the attacker could become a complete game-changer for Liverpool.

Diogo Jota stats for Portugal

Jota was unstoppable in the Portuguese attack, operating on the left side of target man Joao Felix who struggled to get involved in any of the action. The 23-year-old teamed up with Premier League rival Bernardo Silva, who ran the show from the wings.

According to SofaScore, Jota created another goalscoring opportunity on top of his goals and assist, whilst also completing four out of an attempted five dribbles. FotMob report that this was the highest dribbling success in the game, highlighting how much Sweden struggled to contain the fiery winger.

Although it’s not exactly a surprise that Jota has pulled off an international masterclass. After he left Wolves for new club Liverpool, Nuno Espirito Santo lauded the player’s contribution to the Midlands side and described him as an “amazing” player (via The Mirror).

A new era of attack for Liverpool

With Jota now off the mark for his new side, there’s no limit to just how much he could flourish on Merseyside. His one-goal return from two Premier League matches is a very promising statistic and one that could start to be utilised more by Klopp and his staff.

“I said last week he is at the same level technically as our front three and the one thing I found really difficult to coach is the intuition in the box, being in the right position to score like the pure instinct of a striker,” assistant manager Pep Lijnders recently told the club’s website.

Indeed, Jota needed just ten minutes in action with the Reds before finding the back of the net against Arsenal. The attacker came off the bench and immediately posed a threat, getting into dangerous positions inside the opposition box. Surely enough, his sharp position paid off and it could be something the club decide to play around with moving forwards.

Roberto Firmino has become less of a goalscorer and more of a playmaker recently, which could make for an interesting switch up in the Liverpool focal point. If Jota is confident operating as a No.9, the Brazilian could play just behind him and unearth a new era of blistering attack for the Reds.

In other news, Marcelo Pitaluga impresses Liverpool staff in training and could give huge boost moving forwards…

There’s no doubting that Pablo Hernandez has been Leeds’ best player over the past few years.

The Spaniard became the first player in the club’s history to win three Player of the Year awards, but this season has been something of a slow burner for the 35-year-old.

He was injured in the first game of the season against Liverpool, and since then he hasn’t been seen in United’s starting XI.

Fortunately, he’s back fit appearing in two substitute cameos against both Wolves and Aston Villa, but we can’t help but feel that this is the role Hernandez may now have to accept going forward.

Marcelo Bielsa revealed last week that he sees Rodrigo as more of an attacking midfield option rather than a striking option, and you don’t spend a club-record fee on a player you’re just going to leave on the bench.

It’s also worth noting that Rodrigo is only getting better as the weeks go on, the 29-year-old was sublime against Villa playing two key passes, and getting into some really dangerous positions, getting four shots off.

The sad reality is that Hernandez may no longer be Leeds’ star man, and his new role may be as a substitute option.

The fact is that father time is undefeated, Hernandez turns 36 this season and the Premier League is so much faster than the Championship, so in his advanced years, he may not be athletic enough to be as integral as he was in the second-tier.

We all know how good he can be, but playing at such intensity for 90 minutes in such a fast league is a young man’s job, and Hernandez may have to come to terms with the fact that he doesn’t have that same speed he once had.

We’re sure he will still do a great job off the bench, after all, it was only last week that Alex McLeish was describing him as a ‘terrific’ player, but the arrival of Rodrigo may finally have seen him slip down the pecking order.