Six key moments that have defined the title race between Man City & Liverpool

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What a season it has been for fans of Liverpool and Manchester City.

Luckily for those who enjoy the drama of the Premier League, we’ve seen a much more enthralling title race this term than we did in the previous campaign, where City steamrolled almost everyone who they came across on their way to becoming centurions.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have mounted an inspirational title challenge, and find themselves just a single point behind the Citizens with a game to go.

Pep Guardiola’s men just have to ensure they beat Brighton to become the first back-to-back winners of the Premier League since Manchester United defended their title in 2009; however, any dropped points would mean a Liverpool win over Wolves will secure a maiden Premier League success for the Reds.

Those are the black-and-white details of it all. But what have been the finer aspects of this encapsulating title race?

Let’s take a look at some defining moments…

Daniel Sturridge’s late equaliser vs Chelsea

In just the seventh league game of the campaign, Liverpool were seconds away from suffering a detrimental 1-0 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, who at the time were also looking like title challengers.

Luckily for them, Daniel Sturridge popped up with a 30-yard wonder strike to nick a point for the Reds against his old side, and it was a result that gave the Merseysiders belief and allowed them to continue their momentum.

They may well have been left spluttering in City’s dust right now had that effort not found the top corner.

Kevin De Bruyne’s injury problems

It is extremely safe to say that, if City had an elite player such as Kevin De Bruyne fit all season, then the title would probably be out of sight right now.

Instead, the Belgian has managed to make just 11 league starts. De Bruyne has suffered two serious knee injuries, and then upon his return, damaged his hamstring to set him back even further.

He recently looked back to his normal self, but yet another injury against Tottenham has left him battling to be fit for the FA Cup final, and has also seen City limp to wins over Burnley and Leicester without his talents.

Riyad Mahrez’s penalty miss

Again, the Premier League title would probably already be in City’s trophy cabinet were it not for Riyad Mahrez’s late penalty at Anfield in October almost ending up across the city in Goodison Park.

The Algerian had the chance to give City a huge edge in the title race with just five minutes left on the clock, but skied his effort way over Alisson’s crossbar to hand the Reds a lifeline.

Had it nestled into the back of the net the title would surely be in Manchester by now.

Nathaniel Clyne’s departure & Trent Alexander-Arnold’s injury

The decision to loan Nathaniel Clyne out to Bournemouth seemed like a strange one at the time, seeing as Liverpool had just him and Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back.

Klopp and Michael Edwards’ decision was made to look even more foolish as Alexander-Arnold picked up an injury just days after Clyne left, ruling him out for a month.

In that time, Liverpool limped to disappointing 1-1 draws against Leicester and West Ham, games in which they looked flat without the 20-year-old’s attacking ability – James Milner had to stand in and looked lost, and four vital points slipped away.

John Stones’ goal-line clearance

If City do win the title, which looks likely, the moment that will make almost every Liverpool fans feel empty inside would definitely be John Stones’ goal-line clearance at the Etihad in January, a game City won 2-1.

After Stones’ attempted clearance hit Ederson and seemed to be heading in, the Englishman managed to clear it at the last possible moment – it was later revealed that only 11 millimetres of the ball didn’t cross the line!

Had that gone in and Liverpool went on to win, they would probably be set for a first Premier League title and an invincible season. Ouch.

Vincent Kompany’s unbelievable strike

With every Liverpool fan watching on eagerly, hoping, praying that their former manager Brendan Rodgers could get a result against City, it looked like the unthinkable could be on with the score at 0-0 heading into the latter stages of the game.

With 70 minutes on the clock, captain Vincent Kompany strode forward, and no-one in a Leicester shirt decided to close him down.

The man who has come up trumps so often for the Citizens decided to just put his head down and thump it from 30-yards out, a decision which usually causes angst and frustration from teammates and supporters when squeaky bum time arrives.

But not this time. Unbelievably, the Belgian’s effort found the top-right corner via the crossbar to send the Etihad into raptures and hand City a truly vital three points.

The image that showed Guardiola’s enjoyment of James Maddison’s performance

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They managed to do it. Just.

Manchester City looked to be heading towards a frustrating stalemate against Leicester, where any dropped points would have left Liverpool sat atop the Premier League table with just a game to go.

However, a Vincent Kompany screamer with 20 minutes to go handed the Citizens that all important goal, and the even more significant three points.

Whilst Pep Guardiola will most likely have been pulling his hair out – if he had any, of course – at his side’s stuttering performance, he was clearly impressed with a player wearing a different shade of blue in James Maddison.

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The attacking midfielder, signed from Norwich for a fee of £20m, has enjoyed an excellent debut campaign at top-flight level for the Foxes.

Maddison has scored seven goals and recorded seven assists this term, and impressed once again at the Etihad Stadium on Monday evening.

The 22-year-old had two shots, was fouled on three occasions, and made one key pass as Brendan Rodgers’ men almost nicked a result against the reigning champions.

After Mike Dean had blown the whistle for full-time, Guardiola wasted no time in putting his arm around the Englishman, with a beaming smile on his face as if he was congratulating Maddison on his wonderful individual showing.

Of course, we’ve seen the former Barcelona boss get to grips with opposition players before in visibly less friendly circumstances, yelling at Nathan Redmond after City beat Southampton last season – it was later revealed that Guardiola was complimenting the forward, and was more frustrated that Redmond didn’t attack his team more.

However, it didn’t seem as if the Spaniard had those same qualms about Maddison.

The cheesy grin spread across Guardiola’s face suggested he was happy that the former Norwich man took the game to his team as he did.

Sign a new left-back first: West Ham fans react to Arthur Masuaku transfer report

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According to The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur are considering a move for West Ham United defender Arthur Masuaku in this summer’s transfer window.

The Spurs fans have already been on social media calling for their club to forget a move for the left-back – who has played in the Champions League for Greek giants Olympiacos – ahead of the 2019-2020 campaign.

Now the West Ham supporters have offered their view on the surprise report.

The Sun claim that Tottenham are seeking a replacement for Danny Rose, and Masuaku – also linked with Borussia Dortmund – could potentially fit the bill this summer.

The 25-year-old made 23 Premier League appearances for the Hammers during the 2018-19 campaign, and enjoyed a decent end to the season as Manuel Pellegrini’s team put three straight victories on the board.

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The reaction from the West Ham fans to this particular report has been fairly mixed – and a selection is available to view below:

I’m lost for words: Leeds fans can’t believe ridiculous Kalvin Phillips shout

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Leeds United fans on Twitter have been quick to disagree with one user who believes that the club should cash in on Kalvin Phillips for £15 million this summer.

This comes after the midfielder was linked to Bournemouth for that fee by Football Insider.

After that report was published one fan tweeted:

Many other supporters strongly disagreed.

Lots of members of the fanbase were dumbfounded by Scott Eaglen’s opinion, as they believe their star man to be worth a lot more than that due to his incredible performances this season – and they are probably right given what the transfer market is like in this day and age, and with the potential tha player clearly has.

It remains to be seen whether or not Bournemouth will actively pursue Phillips, but if the Whites do allow him to leave for the reported fee, it will be a hugely unpopular decision.

The south coast club have a history of taking Leeds’ prospects off their hands with Lewis Cook joining the Cherries back in 2016.

Here’s how the Elland Road faithful responded on Twitter…

Jack Clarke would be a fantastic signing for Tottenham this summer

Tottenham are just days away from the biggest match in their recent history.

No matter what happens during the course of the 90 minutes, Mauricio Pochettino and his men have done the fanbase massively proud and it’s an achievement they will never forget.

Although this remains the most important day for Tottenham, great attention is already being paid to the transfer window and who could better Spurs ahead of next season.

Reports (from the Daily Star on the 22nd) are linking Tottenham with a move for Leeds youngster Jack Clarke, after Marcelo Bielsa and his side failed to gain promotion to the top flight.

Clarke (who is valued at £900k on Transfermarkt) is one of many who shone at Elland Road this campaign and consequently burst onto the radar of many top clubs, including Tottenham.

Despite making just 25 appearances, Clarke was recognised as Leeds’ Young Player of the Year, many thanks to not only the two goals and two assists he grabbed, but also his level of performances overall.

The 18-year-old tends not to give a moments rest to opposition defenders and he certainly seems to have the makings of a terrifically talented young player.

Under the guidance of Pochettino, you can certainly believe that Clarke will get much better as well.

Tottenham have a good track record of developing youngsters, and Clarke could be another shining example of that.

With support from the array of attacking talent Tottenham already have, the 18-year-old would be learning from some of the best players in the league, which could only help him on his journey to becoming a recognised England star.

Do you agree that Jack Clarke would make a good signing for Tottenham this summer? Join the discussion and let us know!

The two Rangers players who don’t have a chance in 2019/20

After defeat on the final day of the season, Steven Gerrard certainly has a lot of work to do in the summer in order to push his Rangers side to the next level come the start of the next campaign. Following a second-place finish, there is no doubt a strong foundation to start on. 

It’s true, second in the league is certainly something Gerrard and Rangers can build on. However, with a few key players leaving back to their parent clubs, there is still a lot of work to be done over what is a crucial summer for the Scottish giants.

So, come the start of the next season, who will perform in the famous shirt? Who will struggle? Here we take a look at a couple of players we feel will not be able to perform under Gerrard.

Jordan Rossiter 

After being out on loan with Bury, the ex-Liverpool man returns back to a Rangers side with a fairly strong midfield, and unfortunately for the 22-year-old, he doesn’t look like the man to take it to the next level.

With a midfield already consisting of Ryan Jack, Glen Kamara and Ross McCrorie, the talent of Rossiter really doesn’t fit up to the standard that has already been set. The English midfielder may just find himself back out on loan come the start of the new season, a loan spell that may just determine his future in football.

Kyle Lafferty 

The 31-year-old striker joined from fellow Scottish side Hearts at the start of last season and has since struggled to really settle into Gerrard’s set up. As the campaign has rumbled on we have seen the Northern Irishman come in and out of the side before ending his season early due to injury.

With injury in mind and a breath of fresh air with the likes of Ryan Hardie returning back from loan, it seems that Kyle Lafferty’s time at Rangers could be coming to an end.

Mourinho makes ridiculous Eriksen decision after Champions League campaign

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Jose Mourinho has made a ridiculous decision to include Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen in his Champions League Team of the Year, per RT via Football365.

The Denmark international helped Spurs to the final of the competition, where they lost to Liverpool in Madrid on Saturday.

The attacking midfielder was anonymous in the game, though, and was similarly absent throughout the majority of the tournament.

He scored in the group stage encounter with Inter Milan but since then he has been nothing more than a passenger.

An assist against Borussia Dortmund in the 3-0 victory was fine but his credited assist against Manchester City at home is a fallacy; that was all Son Heung-Min’s own work.

And at the Etihad, he almost dumped his own side out of the competition, playing a brainless ball from midfield back into defence that was diverted into Sergio Aguero’s path. He laid it on a plate to Raheem Sterling, who scored, but VAR stepped in and ruled it out.

He then did the square root of nothing against in both games against Ajax and in the final he was absolutely absent.

This is a player who has been linked with Real Madrid and is clearly rated by the best coaches in the world but it is genuinely difficult to see why.

Mourinho has included him in his team, perhaps, because he wanted a Tottenham representative.

He could have picked Jan Vertonghen, the steadfast centre-half who has barely put a foot wrong and was one of Spurs’ best players in the final; or Danny Rose, reborn this season; or Heung-Min Son, the scorer of some of the most important goals in the campaign; or perhaps Lucas Moura, who netted that immortal hat-trick in Amsterdam against Ajax.

Instead, he seems to have plucked Eriksen’s name out of a hat.

It is a bizarre decision at best and makes one wonder if he has actually watched Spurs in the Champions League this season.

Spurs fans crucify journalist’s very odd transfer take

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have savaged journalist Martin Lipton after he claimed that “half” of the club’s starting XI in the Champions League final will leave the club this summer, per TalkSport.

Lipton, who has written for the Daily Mirror and The Sun, and wrote a book about White Hart Lane, appeared on the radio channel to discuss Spurs’ plans this summer.

And he believes that a number of stars will leave the club as manager Mauricio Pochettino looks to refresh his team.

He said: “Half of that starting team will never wear a Spurs shirt again. It’s time, it’s time. He’s had the same team for four seasons, effectively, when you look at it. They’ve had one or two minor changes… the team that started 2015/16 has been the main team this season. They’ve lost (Mousa) Dembele and (Kyle) Walker but it’s basically the same XI, it’s time.

“I think they’ll have a net spend of about £90m. They’re spending money, they’re going to spend money, they know they need to.”

He added: “(Kieran) Trippier goes, I think (Danny) Rose probably goes, I suspect (Toby) Alderweireld might end up going, I think (Christian) Eriksen will go. It’s time.”

Spurs have been linked with a number of incomings this summer, with the London Evening Standard reporting that Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon, Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso and Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele are all targets.

It remains to be seen if Lipton’s predicted departures come to fruition too; Eriksen has been linked with Real Madrid, while Alderweireld has a release clause that stands at £25m and Trippier has been courted by Napoli.

But fans have been quick to rubbish his claims, insisting that there will be no such overhaul this summer.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

It’s a big season for: Davinson Sanchez

Here in our It’s a big season for feature, we’ll be taking a look as to why the upcoming campaign is so important for Spurs’ Davinson Sanchez. Of course, many fans may have had high hopes after seeing his impressive first season in north London, but things just didn’t work out for him this season and that’s something that needs to be resolved, especially with there possibly being an opening if Toby Alderweireld is to leave at any point with his contract set to expire next summer.  

The centre-back looked so promising in his first season at Tottenham after a club record £42m move (as per the Guardian). Starting 29 league games, Sanchez slotted in seamlessly in a back three. Indeed, his pace, power and composure on the ball made him a perfectly rounded defender. And, he even surprised Mauricio Pochettino (as per football.London) which just goes to show how well things were going during his first season at the club.

It’s certainly been a more difficult season for the Colombian, however. Tottenham have largely utilised four at the back and with Toby Alderweireld seemingly set to stay, Sanchez could perhaps get even less minutes next season. He started just the 22 league games, with the majority coming due to injuries. Additionally, the performances he has put in have been nothing short of worrying, with his displays against Arsenal in February and Borussia Dortmund in March raising plenty of concerns on social media. If he is to stand a chance of playing any part in the future of the club then immediate improvements are required with Juan Foyth also in the picture.

Aged just 22, albeit turning 23 in the coming weeks, Sanchez has bundles of potential. Physically, he’s there. Indeed, given more time and experience in the Premier League, he could be immense, and we aren’t the only ones who think this as his former team-mate Davy Klaassen stated back in November 2018 (as per Evening Standard) that Sanchez can be one of the world’s best defenders. But next season is crucially important for Tottenham’s record signing.  Sanchez will have to improve beyond recognition to even win a place in the team next season.

Next season, therefore, represents a hugely important one for the defender. Despite his young age, a player of his quality and ambition will surely not be happy sitting on the bench for the best part of two seasons. Indeed, The Colombian’s situation could soon be made even more complicated with more competition potentially rocking up, as Spurs have been linked (as per The Sun) with a move for Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake.

With that in mind, it might be the most important campaign of his carer coming up.

Tottenham fans, have your perceptions of Sanchez changed this season? Is he good enough to become a permanent feature of the Tottenham defence? Comment below.

Gotta feel for the lad: Leeds fans unhappy with Ideguchi’s treatment

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Leeds United fans on Twitter are expressing sympathy for Yosuke Ideguchi as his spell at the club looks to be coming to an end.

The Japan international never got a chance at Elland Road, failing to make a single appearance for the Whites after joining them in 2018.

He instead spent the last 18 months out on loan at Cultural Leonesa in Spain and then Greuther Furth in Germany.

Now he seems destined to head back to his home country as he edges closer to a move to Japanese side Gamba Osaka.

This would signal a return to his former club for the midfielder, and he will certainly be hoping to get his career back on track in the J1 League.

He is seemingly quite a talented player, making 12 appearances for Japan at such a young age, and Leeds fans have expressed their sympathy that his time in Yorkshire didn’t work out.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

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