Agbonlahor was celebrating the ten-year anniversary of Villa’s 1-0 win over Birmingham City, when he scored the only goal of the game.
With football fans always looking for any given opportunity to get one over on their fiercest rivals, this latest post by the former striker will give the Villa faithful all the ammunition they need to enjoy some bragging rights this weekend.
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[ad_pod ]Some Everton fans on Twitter were all thinking the same thing about Theo Walcott’s inclusion in the starting XI to face Manchester City on Saturday.Marco Silva decided to hand the 47-cap England international a first Premier League start of the campaign, after Walcott had only previously made four appearances from the bench.
However, the former Arsenal man only lasted seven minutes before leaving the field on a stretcher – he was replaced by another former Gunner in Alex Iwobi, who was then substituted in the 73rd-minute.
Before the referee’s whistle had even sounded to kick the game off, some Everton fans had pinpointed the 30-year-old inclusion in the starting XI as a questionable choice from Silva.
One fan said that he thinks someone had accidentally photo-shopped the forward into the lineup graphic, while another said that Silva is doing himself no favours with the decision.
Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…
Southampton winger Sofiane Boufal spent last season on loan at La Liga outfit Celta Vigo, but returned to St Mary’s this summer and has so far slotted straight back into the first-team fold under manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.
The Moroccan has notched two assists in six Premier League appearances for the southerners this term and has looked an invigorated player upon returning from his loan spell in Spain.
Speaking to the Daily Echo this week, the 26-year-old admitted that he is enjoying being back on the south coast and that he never wanted to leave the club, even after being shipped out on loan last season.
“[Of course] I am very happy to be here,” said the winger.
“My mindset was to always stay here. I spoke with the club during the summer and told them that I didn’t want to move and that I wanted to stay here.
“I am very motivated and happy to come back. I want to progress at this club and stay here. I want to leave the club through a big door and not a small door.”
Boufal also spoke about his relationship with manager Hasenhuttl, admitting that he was not nervous to meet the Austrian for the first time during the summer.
“It was a meeting where it was just about his philosophy and what it’s like to play in his team and everything else,” said the former Lille playmaker.
“I wasn’t nervous [to meet Hasenhuttl] because I was very, very focused on staying here – even if some other club wanted me. I didn’t want to move and since the first day, I have been very focused.
“We always need to prove but, yes, I need to prove the most because I left the club not in a good way, so of course I wanted to show people I am here, and I will help you.”
Boufal is one of the most exciting footballers Southampton have available to them; on his day, he can produce moments of absolute brilliance, as seen with his spectacular solo goal against West Brom in 2017.
This season alone, he has provided two assists and averaged 3.3 dribbles and 1.3 key passes per game (as per WhoScored), clearly showing his effectiveness in Southampton’s attacking third.
If Boufal can retain this level of performance throughout the campaign, he can be a huge asset for the Saints, who also have the likes of Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond available to them in the wide areas – two more players of fantastic quality.
Southampton fans, what do you make of Boufal’s sentiments about the club? Let us know what you think by commenting below!
This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
When Barcelona and Sevilla meet, excitement is guaranteed and their latest clash at the weekend was no exception to that rule.
The Catalan giants dismantled the Andalusians and eased to a 4-0 victory on the night.
But as dominant and impressive as that triumph may seem at first, it is actually far from the real picture. Sevilla were not as helpless and as submissive as the result may indicate at first – seeing how they tallied more shots than their hosts – but their opponents were simply far more clinical in front of goal.
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Still, despite hiccups here and there, Ernesto Valverde should be happy with the win and with a couple of exceptional performances from some of his players.
One such ace who was in top form last Sunday is definitely Nelson Semedo, the 25-year-old right-back.
But interestingly enough, with the absence of both Jordi Alba and Junior Firpo in the lineup, Semedo was actually deployed as the team’s left-back on the night, and despite venturing into uncharted territory, the Portuguese mustered a brilliant display.
Not only did Semedo assist Luis Suarez’s opener but he also tallied one key pass, 89.8% passing accuracy and two accurate crosses to his name in the process.
And despite playing on the opposite side of the pitch, he didn’t allow any defensive blips either.
The 25-year-old recorded four tackles, the second-highest in the team, and two clearances, dealing with any and all threats coming down Sevilla’s right flank.
Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…
By all accounts, Semedo was an influential presence going both ways and that achievement is amplified even further with the fact that he was deployed in a position that’s largely unknown to him.
And the best thing is, he tallied a similarly impressive display at left-back just days prior to the Sevilla clash when Barcelona welcomed Inter Milan to the Camp Nou.
That night, Semedo had a similar effect with two shots, one key pass and two tackles to his name.
Valverde put some trust in him in the absence of some of his key players and the young Portuguese returned the favour.
Struggling as a Premier League manager must be one of the worst feelings in the world.
Not only do you have a number of fans on your back every weekend, but there are dozens of journalists speculating about the security of your job on a daily basis.
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ESPN recently tried to predict which manager will be the next to be sacked in England’s top-flight, and their choice wasn’t too surprising.
Craig Burley picked Marco Silva as the manager he thinks will be sacked next, and it’s really hard to disagree with that opinion after the start Everton have had this season.
The Toffees currently sit 18th in the table after eight matches, and they’ve lost each of their last four league matches.
The ESPN pundit’s prediction could well come true over the next few weeks as a team of Everton’s stature should be nowhere near the relegation zone at any point of a season.
Scott Parker featured on 129 occasions for West Ham United between 2007 and 2011 before making the move to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
And the fact that the former midfielder is still fondly remembered by the West Ham fans is an indication of what he gave to the club over those four years.
Parker could not prevent the Hammers from being relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2010/11 campaign, but his performances during that particular season saw him named the FWA Footballer of the Year.
Now head coach of Fulham in the second tier, Parker is making a name for himself on the managerial circuit having retired as a player in 2017.
It was the Englishman’s 39th birthday on Sunday, and a number of West Ham fans have subsequently been on social media lavishing praise on their former midfielder, despite the fact that he controversially left for Tottenham.
A selection of the Twitter reaction is available to view below:
Manchester City fans have been making a lot of noise on Twitter in the last 24 hours after Liverpool drew 1-1 with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
A late Adam Lallana goal in Manchester snatched a point for Jurgen Klopp, which means Liverpool’s lead has been cut to six points at the top of the table. However, as a result of the draw, it also means the Merseysiders failed to match City’s record of 18 successive wins in the Premier League.
The champions hold the record set in their breathtaking season of 2017-18, where they made history with the most league wins (32) and most goals (100). After drawing with Everton 1-1 early on, Pep Guardiola’s side would go onto win 18 games on the bounce, including victories over every top-six side along the way.
City’s record came to an end when they played out a goalless draw against Crystal Palace at the end of December 2017.
As for the Reds, their streak started back in March with a 4-2 victory over Burnley. Three points over the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea would rocket Liverpool to 17 wins in a row, whilst they even picked up the Champions League in the midst of their unstoppable Premier League form.
City fans wanted Liverpool to drop points on Sunday to reduce the eight point gap that existed prior to the weekend, but the narrative surrounding the winning streak added an extra layer of importance to the game.
Naturally, the Citizens were delighted to see their title rivals fall at the final hurdle.
Here’s what they had to say on Twitter following the 1-1 draw…
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
Reports from AS have linked Real Madrid star Isco to Manchester City, however, Pep Guardiola should take a look at his current squad before he splashes the cash again.
It has been no secret that Zinedine Zidane is not a massive fan of Isco, as the Spaniard has once again struggled to get into his Madrid side of late.
This season, the 27-year-old has started just twice in La Liga, two seasons after he started only 18 league games in 2016-17 during Zidane’s first reign.
The AS report states that Guardiola sees Isco as a candidate to replace David Silva, who is set to leave the Etihad at the end of the season.
The news from Spain touches on how Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are also after the Madrid midfielder.
As much as Isco has proved to be an incredibly able player down the years, Guardiola has players residing within his ranks who are capable of stepping into Silva’s shoes.
Isco did score 10 goals and provide eight assists in 2016-17, but he has since bagged just 12 goals over the past two seasons and is not exactly seeing much game time this campaign.
On the other hand, Phil Foden has been making a lot of noise in Manchester over the years, to a point where Guardiola labelled him the “most talented player” he has ever seen in his career as a manager.
The Spaniard certainly knows a star when he sees one, having nurtured the likes of Sergio Busquets during his time at Barcelona. If Foden does indeed surpass the multitude of supremely talented individuals he has managed in Catalonia and Bavaria, City will have an almighty superstar on their hands.
And if his latest performance against Atalanta is anything to go by, there is no doubt he can become a regular in the starting XI following Silva’s departure.
He tallied 4 key passes in an all-action display which eventually saw him sent off under incredibly dubious circumstances, but the composure and exuberance on display was the most telling story of the evening.
Silva has given the Citizens 10 years of service and helped them to win 10 major trophies. However, with their academy graduate, they could potentially earn even more silverware. The Spain international was 24 when he first joined City and Foden is only 19, which could mean they can get more than 10 years of magic out of him.
Quite frankly, there is no need for Guardiola to chase Isco – he has a legend in the making under his nose and should use him instead.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Monthly Review series, which analyses what managers can learn from the previous month and what the coming month could have in store.
October is almost over and Ernesto Valverde definitely has a thing or two to address going into the next month. Interestingly enough, the two key issues are closely related to each other and concern Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann.
When Griezman arrived from Atletico Madrid last summer, it seemed like Barcelona finally found their striker.
But Valverde had different ideas and the Frenchman was slotted onto the left-wing instead of his prefered centre-forward position. This decision has already stirred discussions throughout the season but more worryingly than that, it has limited Griezmann and his contribution to the team.
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As a result, and despite scoring four goals and assisting three so far in La Liga, he has often been anonymous and still trying to find his rightful place in this Blaugrana squad.
One of the key things for the coach to figure out in the coming month should definitely be identifying a clear role for Griezmann in the team.
After all, we all know how capable he is and it’s all about being able to utilise him to the best of his abilities.
Let’s see if Valverde manages to do exactly that.
The other problem Barcelona are currently facing is Suarez’s form.
And sure, when he’s in the mood and up for it, the Uruguayan is still one of the world’s best.
Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…
But the problem is that he’s been nowhere near that for quite some time now and his displays are a worrying sign for the Blaugrana. This should definitely be addressed sooner rather than later and Valverde would be wise to try and fix it in the coming month already.
Interestingly enough, one solution could potentially get two birds with one stone – benching Suarez and playing Griezmann instead of him.
In that scenario, the Frenchman can have his preferred role back and the Uruguayan gets his much-needed rest until he can regain his form.
On the face of it, that doesn’t sound so complicated but so far, the coach has been reluctant to implement it.
Maybe November is finally when he decides to pull the trigger.