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Arsenal are in a fortunate position to have two quality strikers like Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but, often the value of the Frenchman is not highlighted, while the former Borussia Dortmund man makes all the headlines for his goals.

Together, the pair have complemented each other really well since Aubameyang joined the Gunners almost a year ago and it is clear that a special bond has formed between them.

Yet, Lacazette’s presence as the heart of the team’s attack and relentless pressure on opposition defenders don’t get enough credit.

Aubameyang might be in the hunt for the golden boot award this season but its Lacazette who is the engine of the team and carries the biggest threat to opposition teams.

The 27-year-old’s goal over the weekend against Chelsea highlighted that.

He has one thought and that is to get the ball in the back of net no matter what.

What was most impressive of the former Lyon man’s powerful strike that left Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga stunned, was the fact that he didn’t go to ground moments before when Pedro made contact with him, which could easily have been a penalty should Lacazette have gone down.

His determination to play on from that and rather have a shot at goal is an attribute many managers would like to see from their number nines.

Over the course of the season, Lacazette has been one of the most hard-working players in the Arsenal team, while Aubameyang has just been on hand most of the time to finish off goals.

Lacazette, on the other hand, has scored some brilliant goals this season, which has mainly been down to his work ethic and the never say die attitude he plays with.

One only has to look at the goals he scored against Everton, Cardiff City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur this season to understand that and why he is the type of player that Arsenal need to make a push for the top four.

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In what was a crunch clash at the top of the Championship, Daniel Farke’s Norwich came out on top at Elland Road to go above Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds side on goal difference.

Whilst the Canaries thoroughly deserved their win and were excellent throughout, one thing they did that hurt Leeds most was nullifying their top scorer, Kemar Roofe, who looked isolated and frustrated throughout.

How did Roofe play?

The 26-year-old has hit 14 goals in 24 Championship starts so far this season, proving to be the spearhead behind Leeds’ promotion push.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Norwich, however, got men tight to the Englishman and limited the space he had to work in. Roofe is a pacey forward who likes to have space to run in to and chances put on a plate for him to gobble up, but he had no such luck on Saturday evening.

Roofe had four shots, one of which was on target, although you can see how Farke’s men shackled him effectively by the following statistics. Leeds’ top scorer was dispossessed four times, had four unsuccessful touches and committed one foul, which saw him receive a yellow card on what was a visibly frustrating evening for him.

Signs of improvement

When 18-year-old starlet Jack Clarke entered the fray at half time, Roofe immediately looked more lively in the box as he knew there was now a player out on the wing who would beat his man consistently and put a cross in.

The 5 foot 11 winger completed two dribbles in his 45 minutes on the pitch, played one key pass and had one shot as he attempted to take the game to Norwich.

Whilst he was instrumental in a much improved Leeds side compared to their first half showing, Bielsa’s men still lost the game. Despite that, there should be food for thought for Bielsa in terms of how he can get Roofe involved against sides who target him – Clarke’s service from out wide can play an important part in that, dragging defenders away from him while providing a consistent line of supply.

[ad_pod ]Everton fans are all making the same joke after a reported incident involving the Under-18 side, hoping to see more of the youngsters in the first team fold.Everton fell to yet another disappointing defeat on Wednesday night, as Manchester City strolled past the Toffees at Goodison.While the visit of last season’s champions isn’t exactly the type of fixture to expect three points in, the lack of fight from Marco Silva’s troops is still a huge concern.

The Blues have now lost four of their last five games in all competitions, and have won just four times since the start of December.

Meanwhile, the Under-18’s took on Manchester United’s youngsters on Tuesday night, and the game reportedly ended in a brawl, with one observer claiming the Everton players “attacked†the Red Devils.

Although the Toffees’ teenagers lost 1-0, they are top of the league, and fans are hoping to see some of them in the first team, if only to inject a bit of youthful exuberance and Scouse passion into the side.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Newcastle United are going to have to be at their very best later this evening if they were to have any sort of say on proceedings when they square off with Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux Stadium.

The high-flying Wolves have been in devastating form in recent matches and have been clinical in front of goal, which could be a big ask from Rafa Benitez’s men to handle if they were to get anything from the encounter.

While Wolves put Everton to the sword at Goodison Park last weekend with an impressive 3-1 victory, Newcastle pushed Tottenham Hotspur all the way at Wembley, mainly down to a good defensive display by the likes of Florian Lejeune and midfielder Isaac Hayden.

Despite eventually going down to Spurs through an 83rd-minute strike from Son Heung-min, the Magpies put in a solid shift to keep Mauricio Pochettino’s men out for the majority of the match.

And, they will need to make use of the same type of defensive approach heading into Monday’s clash with Wolves, who will pose a real attacking threat.

The 27-year-old Lejeune has brought some much-needed guile to the Newcastle defence since returning from injury at the beginning of January. With him in the side, the Frenchman is a wonderful foil for the likes of Jamal Lascelles, Fabian Schar and Federico Fernandez.

He has also been getting better with every match that he’s played and his presence has certainly lifted the team in terms of setting up an effective defensive structure.

Since his return to the first-team, Newcastle have looked much more organised and given the fact that they’ve played teams such as Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham in that time, Benitez will have reason to be positive heading into the match with Wolves.

Newcastle, though, should try to keep it tight in the midfield and not allow players like Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho too much time on the ball. That, in turn, should allow Lejuene to have a better choice of passing lanes when the away side look to spring a counter.

At the back, Lejeune should be in the faces of Jota and Raul Jimenez and not give them any space to work with.

The centre-back did that brilliantly in the match against City, while his physicality proved to be a problem for Lucas Moura last weekend.

If the Frenchman makes an early mark on the match then Newcastle could be in a good position to get a result out of the encounter.

Leeds United have been absent from the Premier League for 15 years now, and fans have seen their fair share of transfer activity in that time as their club looked to bounce back to their former greatness; some good, some bad, some terrific and some downright awful.

The likes of Kevin Nicholls, Darren Huckerby, Rachubka, Kebe, Steve Morison and El Hadji-Diouf, who are widely regarded as some of the worst signings to have arrived at Elland Road, have all failed miserably to fulfil the one purpose they were bought: top-flight promotion.

Only now are Leeds genuinely looking like they’re going to make a comeback under Marcelo Bielsa, who has finally injected some stability and sense into their recruitment process.

But how different could things have been if they had this sort of sense back in 2015 and made this one major signing?

Joey Barton – 2015

Former Leeds head coach Neil Redfearn claimed that his own departure marked the end of the pursuit for marquee signings that could have quite easily changed the fortunes of the club (source: Yorkshire Post).

Jason Shackell, Matty Phillips and Charlie Adam were amongst the names mentioned as well, but it’s rebel Joey Barton that really stuck out for us as a candidate for ‘One that got away’.

The former Manchester City, Newcastle, QPR and Marseille man was looking for his next adventure after frolicking in France for a year and West Yorkshire could well have been the place to host it had Redfearn not been shown the door (apparently).

Speaking to Radio Yorkshire (via Yorkshire Post), Redfearn claimed: “I was consulted at the end of the season by Andrew Umbers about possible signings and additions to the side. I came up with a list.

“People like Joey Barton and Jason Shackell and Matty Phillips, you know, all good players. Adam as well, who Thommo knew from Stoke City, Charlie Adam.

“These were all players that were interested. At that time, we contacted them through different sources.

“They were genuinely interested in coming to play for Leeds United, which is not difficult to sell, because it’s a top club.”

So, how different could things have been for Leeds had Barton arrived?

Well, alongside his more controversial traits Barton used to be quite the player.

He’s helped two of his previous clubs to Premier League promotion including Newcastle United (2009/10) and Burnley, where he opted to play instead of Leeds, earning a Player of the Year award in the process.

There’s no doubt he would have offered some vital experience in Leeds United’s midfield and helped provide the strong physical presence every successful club needs at that level.

You must also consider who the club were forced into signing as their only alternative…Toumani Diagouraga.

The big defensive midfielder, who now players his football for Swindon Town in League Two, managed a pathetic three appearances for the club before being frozen out and released. Which really isn’t great.

Of course, it’s always worth exploring negative impacts as well. For instance, given the string of questionable managers, fans have had to endure since Redfearn was there any guarantee that they’d survive the Premier League if Barton had been a success? Would the drop have left them in a more vulnerable position like last time?

More importantly: would Bielsa be at the club?

Joey Barton – the one that got away?

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Since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival at Anfield in October 2015, the Liverpool manager has transformed the club’s squad. The arrivals of the likes of Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk, along with the emergence of Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold, have made the Reds solid at the back.

On top of that, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah have both arrived to help make the Merseyside club’s attacking force one of the most feared in Europe. So far in the German coach’s tenure Liverpool have reached a Champions League final and are currently in the thick of a Premier League title race.

However, if Klopp is to continue taking the club forward, there are improvements to his squad that must be made this summer. At the top of the list of issues to address should be the lack of quality squad depth. The club’s attacking contingent, for instance – outside of the main three of Salah, Mane and Roberto Firmino – leaves plenty to be desired.

Mixed fortunes for English sides in the Champions League so how far off are they from dominating Europe’s top table? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

Daniel Sturridge is an experience centre-forward, but he can no longer offer the club what they need, even as a back up option. This season at Anfield has to be his last. 

Why he has to go

The 29-year-old’s current contract is set to expire at the end of this season. Last summer, the 26-cap England international striker spoke of his desire to earn a new deal with the Reds, as reported by the Telegraph. However, to offer him any new terms would be a mistake on the part of the club.

Sturridge is too injury prone to be reliably available and simply hasn’t got the quality to compete at the level that Liverpool are now operating at. The greatest difference between Liverpool and their current rivals for the title, Manchester City, is quality squad depth.

Whereas Pep Guardiola has either Sergio Aguero or Gabriel Jesus to call on to lead the line, Klopp has Firmino or Sturridge or Divock Origi. Beyond Firmino, both are underwhelming options. Alternatively, he can play Salah out of position through the middle, but that only creates another gap elsewhere. 

If Liverpool are to sustain this period of success at the club, they must have greater reserves of talent to call upon in their squad. That can begin this summer with the exit of Sturridge, and the signing of an upgrade on him.

[ad_pod ]Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to an excellent update, as Sean Longstaff has been nominated for Premier League Player of the Month for February.Longstaff is one of eight players nominated for the award, alongside Sergio Aguero, Ashley Barnes, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw and Wilfried Zaha.The 21 year-old local lad has been an absolute revelation since breaking into Newcastle’s side, dominating in the shock win against Manchester City in particular.Longstaff made his first appearance for the senior side in the FA Cup draw against Blackburn back in January, and has since started nine other matches, playing the full 90 minutes in all but one.He scored his first St. James’ Park goal last week during the 2-0 win against Burnley, and Whoscored currently rates him as the club’s fifth-best playerthroughout the season, impressive considering he has only made 11 appearances in all competitions.You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Manchester City will go on a £350m summer spending spree according to the Daily Star and it would be needed if rumours of a looming transfer ban are true.

The Sun reported last month City could face a ban similar to that imposed on Chelsea for their recruitment of young overseas players. Like Chelsea, they could appeal the ban and then have the summer to buy players in preparation for when the hammer finally drops.

This means it could be a huge summer for both clubs, and City have some key areas they need to strengthen.

They need a replacement for arguably their most important player, Fernandinho, and a new centre half to replace the ageing Vincent Kompany and similarly ageing but less-capable Nicolas Otamendi. Indeed, they also need a new back-up goalkeeper with Claudio Bravo now 35-years-old and current number two Aro Muric not up to scratch.

Oh and we mustn’t forget they also need yet another new left-back despite spending around £50m on now-injury prone Benjamin Mendy, who’s the only natural option at the club.

And breathe.

So, that’s quite a list for Guardiola to tick off before a possible ban is in place. They didn’t do enough business last summer and that could come back to haunt them if they can’t pull off the deals they want to this time around. Guardiola has another two seasons on his contract after this one and wants to create a dynasty at the club, but that won’t be possible without buying the right players.

Fighting on all four fronts as Guardiola consistently aims to do means their squad must be watertight.

It must be able to cope with injuries to key players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte and also cope with the usual fatigue faced by playing a game every three days. It’s a tough ask, but get it right and City could set themselves up for an era of dominance in England and maybe even Europe.

The success of the long-term plan City have in could well rest on this summer if a ban is imposed after it.

So no pressure Guardiola, but this could be the most important summer of the club’s history.

Gareth Southgate announced his England squad for the next round of international fixtures earlier today, and it came as no surprise to see Declan Rice’s name included.

The West Ham midfielder has been in brilliant form this season, deserving that call-up, and the east London club’s decision to eventually meet his contract demands is looking better by the day.

Rice put pen to paper on a new deal towards the end of December after rejecting previous offers (Evening Standard) and, whatever the Hammers decided to fork out in the end, looks completely worth it.

At the base of Manuel Pellegrini’s midfield, the 20-year-old has protected his defence well, a role he will be expected to carry out for England, while his play when in possession has also been positive.

Rice has not been afraid to make riskier passes once receiving the ball, opting to do that instead of going for the easier and safer option.

That and his ability to breakdown opposition attacks, could see him become one of the leading holding midfielders in the Premier League if he is not already.

And having signed a long-term contract, that development should be happening at the London Stadium.

West Ham fans, how impressed have you been with Rice this season following his England call-up? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

Ever since reaching wonderland following the Paris-Saint Germain delight, Manchester United haven’t been able to turn up gears.

Indeed, it’s almost as if a wheel fell off in Paris. In what was described by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer himself as United’s “worst performance” under him as they were eliminated from the FA Cup by Wolves, many stark underperformers stood out in the Black Country.

It’s fair to say Anthony Martial topped the group with a heavily disappointing performance. Fronted with Marcus Rashford in a two-man striking line, the winger stuck to the left-wing in an attempt to do his vintage dribble in and create chances, pulling defenders all over the shop.

However, he was unable to do anything of the sort and was kept embarrassingly in check throughout by a fantastic Matt Doherty.

It was probably the Frenchman’s most frustrating evening under Solskjaer. Martial tried cutting in on many occasions, only to be stopped prematurely. In fact, he only completed one dribble out of four attempted, completed only one cross (stats via Fotmob) and didn’t see much action inside the Wolves penalty area.

For a player who recently signed a long-term deal and found rejuvenated confidence this season, more was expected from the Frenchman.

If he’s ever going to become the player the world has waited for him to be following THAT goal against Liverpool on his debut, Martial needs to get his goal-scoring boots back under the Norwegian.

He’s only scored three and assisted once in all competitions under Solskjaer, not even being able to replicate the spike in form while under Jose Mourinho.

Clearly, Everyone knows the talent Martial has to become United’s next big thing. However, if he plans to win elite-status, he needs to work harder to develop the cutting edge, making himself more lethal and unpredictable in front of goal.

United fans, does Martial need to find back his form from earlier this season? Join the discussion by commenting below…