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How do you solve a problem like Marko Arnautovic? Well, when he gets particularly greedy and dazzled by the bright lights of China, you offer him an enigmatic new contract worth £110,000 per week, according to Football FanCast sources, and hope that his transfer fiasco will be brushed under the carpet.

But the three-pronged relationship between Arnautovic, the fans and the manager has almost been tarnished beyond repair. The powerful attacker notched seven goals and provided two assists prior to West Ham’s home fixture against Arsenal in January, in which he waved goodbye to the fans when he was withdrawn by Manuel Pellegrini, but he has only added a solitary goal contribution since the fiasco was temporarily laid to rest.

Arnautovic signed the new deal on January 26th 2019, exactly ten weeks ago to the day. In that time he has been booed by supporters, cut a detached figure on the field, thrown tantrums on the substitutes bench and provided a single assist. Sorry, we almost forgot to mention, he’s also banked £1.1million in the same space of time.

It’s easy to sympathise with those supporters who feel compelled to articulate their disdain for a player who was unanimously adored just a few months ago.

There is a lingering feeling that Arnautovic, to a degree, betrayed the club by expressing a desire to leave midway through the season. And while his decision to pen a new deal should, in theory, have been regarded as a positive development, his presence is beginning to feel more detrimental than progressive.

When you break down the financial implications of Arnautovic’s new deal, it’s difficult to justify the decision from David Gold and David Sullivan to offer an extension; perhaps they should have cashed in while they had the chance.

When Arnautovic is at his scintillating best it’s clear to see the desire and hunger running through his veins. He relishes individual battles both physically and tactically and uses his ultra-competitive streak to outwit his opponent. Take that away and what we have is a distinctly average player.

Recent weeks have underlined how the mental aspect of his game is his most performance-defining. With the ghost of January’s fiasco still looming at the London Stadium feast, Arnautovic has left his head in China, inadvertently conspiring against his chances of securing a high-profile summer move in the process.

Following the award of his new deal, Pellegrini has handed him just 356 minutes of senior football with which to salvage his stuttering reputation in east London, at a startling cost of £3090 per minute.

Back in January, the mercurial centre-forward may well have been considered a perfect successor to Diego Costa at Chelsea, but the substance behind that notion is crumbling as West Ham prepare to travel to Chelsea on Monday evening.

Perhaps what Arnautovic really needs is a confidence-boosting goal to resurrect the imperious form which made him subject of a £35 million January bid in the first place.

There are easier grounds than Stamford Bridge on which to break a goal-drought, but Maurizio Sarri’s side are riddled with frailties and it would be fitting for Arnautovic to fire his way back into club stardom with a match-winning showing against a fierce London rival.

Right now Gold and Sullivan’s decision to snub advances from China and extend Arnautovic’s deal looks like a colossal blunder, but is an unforeseen twist lying just around the corner?

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Everton will be looking to close the gap on seventh-place Wolverhampton Wanderers when they host Arsenal at Goodison Park on Sunday.

The Toffees picked up an impressive win against West Ham United at the London Stadium last weekend to reduce the gap to the west Midlands outfit, but they extended it to four points again when they beat Manchester United 2-1 at Molinuex.

Manager Marco Silva spoke to the press (13:38pm) prior to the clash against Unai Emery’s men on Merseyside, and these are two most important things he said.

Jordan Pickford update

As well all know by now, the England international was involved in an altercation in his home town of Sunderland earlier this week, which was caught on video.

When asked about the situation, Silva responded: “For us as a manager and us as a club I am not happy. The player is not happy with what happened.

“As football players they have an obligation. It is clear to them. It is a matter for us to remind him.

“Everything we must do we have already did.”

When asked what the 25-year-old has learnt, the Portuguese boss added: “It’s a big learning [curve] to him everything that has happened.

“We have to be aware of these situations. It’s done and it happened. It won’t happen again.”

While Pickford clearly wasn’t completely to blame he can’t afford to repeat something like this, otherwise he will out his number one place for both Everton and England in jeopardy.

Richarlison to Liverpool?

UOL Esporte reported earlier this week that the agent of the attacker had met with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, but Silva was quick to respond and laugh the rumours off about a player whose form has dropped off signifcantly in recent months.

The 41-year-old said: “I have to smile.

“This speculation is not important to talk about. Just to smile.

“Richarlison is our player and he is really happy here.

“I am 100% sure he will keep learning and improving in the next few seasons.”

That will certainly be music to the ears of the supporters, who have seen other talents like John Stones and Ross Barkley move on to pastures news in recent years.

Judging by Silva’s comments he expects Richarlison to stick around for the foreseeable future, and the expectation will be that he can kick on and be a consistent talisman for the Toffees.

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According to Football Insider, Leeds United have told Laurens De Bock to find a new club in the summer less than 18 months into his four-and-a-half year contract, and director of football Victor Orta should have some questions to answer as a result.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Belgian arrived at Elland Road from Club Brugge in January 2018, but after a disappointing start to his Leeds career he was quickly frozen out by Paul Heckingbottom last term, and his successor Marcelo Bielsa didn’t have a different view on him either.

Having failed to make the matchday squad in the opening weeks of the current campaign, he was subsequently sent out on loan to K.V. Oostende, where he has made 16 appearances in all competitions but often found himself on the substitutes’ bench in recent weks.

Football Insider report that Bielsa still sees no place for the 26-year-old in his squad, and that the club have instructed the player’s agent to find a club who will take him on a permanent basis in the summer.

Orta has some questions to answer

The Spaniard oversees the recruitment of players and he certainly needs to come under scrutiny when it comes to this particular deal.

The Yorkshire outfit paid around £1.5m to bring him to England, handing him a long-term contract.

While they didn’t have a plethora of left-back options at that particular time the move has proven to be a particularly confusing one, seeing as it was quickly clear that he didn’t have the quality to perform consistently at this level – let alone if the Whites reach the Premier League.

Orta has got some deals right and some deals wrong during his tenure at Elland Road, but this is clearly one of his worst.

تحدث صلاح محسن مهاجم فريق سموحة والمُعار من النادي الأهلي حتى نهاية الموسم الجاري، عن احتفاله بشعار القلعة الحمراء بعد تسجيله هدفًا في مرمى الزمالك.

وكان صلاح محسن قد سجل هدف سموحة الوحيد في مواجهة الزمالك الليلة، والتي انتهت بنتيجة 2-1 ضمن منافسات كأس مصر. شاهد الهدف من هنا

وقال صلاح محسن في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس 2”: “سأعود بنهاية الموسم لـ الأهلي كأمر طبيعي بعد إنتهاء إعارتي”.

وعن احتفاله بشعار النادي الأهلي أثناء مباراة سموحة أمام الزمالك، أوضح: “أنا لم أسب أي شخص، وهي حركة عادية، ولا أقصد منها التقليل من شأن الزمالك”.

واختتم: “الأهلي هو فريقي وأنا أحب الاحتفال بهذه الطريقة”.

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Tottenham Hotspur progressed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday as they defeated Borussia Dortmund 1-0 at Signal Iduna Park.

Spurs went into the game holding a 3-0 lead from the first leg at Wembley, and turned in a polished performance to reach the last eight.

Moussa Sissoko, so impressive this season, was at the centre of his side’s victory, laying on a brilliant assist to Harry Kane for his side’s only goal.

The France international split the defence with a precise through ball and Kane, having taken a touch, curled an excellent effort beyond Roman Burki.

Per WhoScored, Sissoko enjoyed a 91% pass success rate, made three tackles, one interception and three clearances.

And Spurs fans were blown away by the former Newcastle United man’s exceptional display in Germany, particularly given the fact that he appeared to be a hugely expensive flop last season.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

Newcastle United supporters have suffered for the majority of the January window in predictable and uneventful fashion, but the conclusion of the month seems to have thrown up a handful of welcome surprises.

Shortly before Newcastle kicked off against Manchester City last night, news broke that, at long last, the club are on the brink of breaking their long-standing transfer record. After putting a first minute goal behind them, the news seemed to galvanise the club as Rafa Benitez’s diligent side managed to turn the game on its head and clinch three vital points against the reigning champions at St James’ Park.

The euphoria of a thrilling victory continued into Wednesday morning, but the supporters attention has largely been focused on the imminent arrival of Almiron, who arrived in Newcastle today to complete the record-breaking deal.

Weeks of speculation appear to be finally coming to an end in a dramatic conclusion which few would have been brave enough to predict given Mike Ashley’s transfer history, but who exactly is Almiron?

Well, avid watchers of the MLS will eulogise about the Paraguay international’s exciting all-action approach in the number ten role, but his lack of experience in European football is a notable concern.

Indeed, South American football expert Tim Vickery delivered his verdict on Almiron while speaking to Sky Sports, hinting that the speed of English football may catch him by surprise in the early stages of his career on Tyneside.

“I think he’s got a lot to bring to the Premier League, he is going to have to sharpen up his decision making in the final third, especially as he’s moving to a football which is much more intense than in the MLS and in South America.”

Making the transition to life in the Premier League is seldom a seamless endeavour and Almiron is unlikely to be an exception to the rule.

As Vickery has alluded to, the 24-year-old will need time to adapt to his new environment and it would be unjustified for supporters to expect instant fireworks from their club-record signing.

After all, the pressure that naturally arrives with that tag has been bestowed upon his shoulders due to an anomalous set of circumstances: a club of Newcastle’s stature would typically have broken their record years before Almiron’s arrival if the club were not constrained by the manacles of an atypical owner, while his price-tag remains modest in the context of an extortionate modern economic climate.

The pressure is on for the imminent arrival to succeed at Newcastle, but can Almiron rise to the challenge?

Newcastle fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Jarrod Bowen had a highly successful full debut for West Ham United on Saturday, scoring the opener in a 3-1 win against Southampton.

Watch West Ham United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 23-year-old came off the bench against Manchester City and Liverpool, but this was his first start in claret and blue, and his well-taken goal has made a lasting impression.

His comment after the game, which was published by West Ham’s official channels, has further enthused fans.

He showed that clinical mindset with his goal, as shooting was the only thing on his mind when he touched Pablo Fornals’ pass out of his feet with his right foot, before dinking it away from Alex McCarthy’s reach with his left.

One fan has claimed that “he reminds me of Robbie Fowler”, while another said that he has a “superb attitude” after seeing the comment.

Is life under Gold and Sullivan really that bad? Maybe this quiz will change your minds, West Ham fans…

The hope is that he will be able to maintain that same prolificacy and mindset during his time at London Stadium.

There is also the feeling that this willingness to get shots off “is exactly what we’ve needed” in the club’s effort to get up the table.

Before joining the Hammers, Bowen scored 16 goals in 29 Championship games this season, highlighting the dividends his attitude and ability have paid out.

West Ham’s top scorer this season is Sebastien Haller with seven, but he did go six games without a goal before the Southampton match, so fans will be hoping Bowen can help him out regularly.

Meanwhile, a West Ham fan favourite has been receiving plenty of love.

Rafa Benitez’s successfully managed to turn things around for Newcastle United this year.

Not only are the Magpies save from relegation, but they’re also playing good football again despite criticism of the Spaniard’s style of play in the past. However, their parties have been spoiled in the last two matches due to the disastrous showing from goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

The Slovenian keeper isn’t really horrendous all the time, but his error-prone manner’s haunted both him and the Magpies as a whole in the last couple of weeks.

First, it was at Wembley, where Newcastle look set to steal a point from Tottenham Hotspur. Yet, Dubravka’s couldn’t keep Son Heung Min’s powerful shot at bay and let it glide past him too easily.

The horror show wouldn’t end there. The Magpies were cruising to a crucial 1-0 away win against Wolves when disaster struck in stoppage time. A floating cross should’ve easily been latched onto by Dubravka, but the Slovenian almost amateurishly let Willy Boly head it from the cusp of his arms.

Rafa Benitez’s side were left frustrated, as their commendable efforts were undone by two forgettable errors. Ironically, he was actually pretty good against Wolves, making five saves! While he’s a decent shot-stopper and has kept seven clean sheets this season, Dubravka’s error-prone manner cost Newcastle four points, which could’ve seen them move up to 13th place.

With Rob Elliot out and youngster Freddie Woodman as the only cover, Benitez doesn’t have many options to replace him with.

However, if Newcastle wants to maintain consistency, they need to phase out Dubravka from their team soon.

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Both England and Croatia have it all to play for when they meet in their Nations League encounter at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. For either side, victory will mean topping the group and progression to the knockout stages, whilst defeat would lead to relegation.

Can Southgate’s boys triumph or will it be another case of so near yet so far for England? We will find out the answer to that on Sunday, but before then, here’s everything you need to know ahead of this weekend’s winner-takes-all clash at Wembley…

What History Tells Us

England’s recent history with Croatia isn’t pretty. In their last Nations League meeting, the sides played out a dull, behind-closed-doors 0-0 draw. Before that, Croatia were the architects of the Three Lions’ heartbreak when they eliminated Gareth Southgate’s side in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Back in 2007, it was the Balkan nation who ended England’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008. Croatia’s victory then, now over a decade ago, led to Steve McClaren’s dismissal from his post as England manager. 

Victory for England on Sunday would provide a measure of revenge and would also indicate that their wonderful World Cup campaign was no flash in the pan.

Battle of the Strikers

Whilst Croatia have a most enviable midfield contingent, England can boast having one of the finest goalscorers in world football amongst their ranks. The Three Lions’ captain and talismanic No. 9, Harry Kane, won the Golden Boot in Russia but could not put Croatia to the sword then.

Kane will want to set the record straight on Sunday and will be comfortable with the knowledge that much of England’s attacking hopes rest upon his shoulders.

However, the Spurs striker hasn’t found the back of the net for his country in his last seven games, last netting in the World Cup round of 16 triumph over Colombia.

Check out the harsh words the Playmaker FC squad had to say about Wayne Rooney’s England career in the video above…

Andrej Kramaric, meanwhile, boasts a far inferior career strike rate to Kane’s, but is currently in blistering form. At club level, the 27-year-old has already racked up six goals for Hoffenheim this season. On the international stage, he produced a fine finish to set Croatia on their way to a hard-fought win over Spain last time out.

Southgate will ensure his players are well aware of the threat that Kramaric poses, whilst he’ll also be hoping that Kane rediscovers his shooting boots this weekend.

Team News

Southgate is likely to rotate heavily following Thursday night’s friendly victory over the USA. Obviously, Wayne Rooney has withdrawn from the squad following his farewell fixture. Meanwhile, Spurs’ Kieran Trippier and Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck have also been ruled out through injury.

Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will retain his starting berth between the sticks, but ahead of him there’s likely to be a complete change around of the back four. Though, Leicester’s Ben Chilwell and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold – who produced a man of the match display against the USA – may feel they have done enough in recent fixtures to earn an extended run in their respective full-back positions.

One surprise inclusion in the starting XI could be Ross Barkley, who has impressed recently for Chelsea and would add dynamism and forward thrust to England’s midfield. 

Given that this is a must-win game, Southgate has to be positive, which may well allow for exciting youngster Jadon Sancho to be introduced from the bench if England find themselves in need of a game-changer.

Croatia arrive in England with a vastly experienced squad – Luka Modric alone has amassed far more caps than England’s two most senior current stars (Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling) combined.

However, the recent retirement of Mario Mandzukic has left them lacking their second highest all-time goalscorer. In spite of the attacking quality of Ivan Perisic, Ante Rebic and Kramaric, the Juventus veteran remains a major miss.

They are, of course, supremely strong in the middle of the park though. In Modric, Rakitic, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic (likely to start on the bench), Croatia boast an embarrassment of midfield riches, any one of which has the quality to dominate a game and carve out numerous goalscoring opportunities for the visitors. 

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding Nottingham Forest’s young striker Ben Brereton in recent weeks. 

Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers have shown the most interest in the 19-year-old, launching an £8m bid. But it has recently been reported that a Premier League club made a bid for the youngster on deadline day, according to The Nottingham Post, by way of Vital Football.

This would have been a fantastic signing for Tottenham, at the end of a very barren summer for the north London club. According to Goal, The Lilywhites made a £25m deadline day move for Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham, which was declined, but shows that Mauricio Pochettino was hellbent on recruiting a striker.

This is why Brereton would have been such a good option for Tottenham, and one they may have missed their opportunity with. Although the former England under-19 player (valued at £4.5m on Transfermarkt.co.uk) has not featured under Aitor Karanka in the Championship yet this season, he has a lot of potential. But Tottenham would have been able to buy him for a relatively cheap price, certainly less than what they would have expected to pay for Abraham.

But Brereton’s price will continue to increase, particularly if he gets game time at Nottingham Forest or if he is loaned to another club. This is why The Reds would have been reluctant to sell him without witnessing his full potential, and therefore getting the best price for him.

Tottenham’s struggles in backing up Harry Kane have been well documented over the past few seasons, with Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente failing to make an impression. As these players are made in a similar mould to Kane, they’ve failed to live up to the standard the England captain has set and therefore get criticised.

The benefit of buying Brereton is that he would be a completely different player to Kane, bringing something new to the table. He is an energetic dribbler that wants go get behind defenders, playing off their shoulders, with a natural eye for a goal. That is perhaps the only way Tottenham can find an able deputy to Kane; someone that is not trying to play like him.

Being so young, he would not expect a huge amount of game time, and would be comfortable getting odd appearances here and there. A January transfer would offer the chance for a few FA Cup appearances, particularly as Tottenham will want to rest players if they are competing on all fronts. It would be a perfect match.

Unfortunately for fans in north London is that they may have missed their chance to buy Brereton cheaply this summer. But the January transfer window may still be a glimmer of hope to still buy a player that could grow into a great at White Hart Lane.