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After a clip of Crystal Palace defender Gary Cahill passionately celebrating Jordan Ayew’s goal against Aston Villa at the weekend emerged, Eagles supporters have been quick to react on Twitter.

The south London outfit’s official account on the social media platform provided a video of the Ghanaian’s winner from a behind-the-goal angle, before then picking up on the former Chelsea captain’s strong reaction.

The 33-year-old was only making his third appearance for Roy Hodgson’s men having joined them on a free last month, but it appears as though he is already making a big impression among the Selhurst Park faithful if the comments below are anything to go by.

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It has certainly been an impressive baptism of fire for the former England international in the red and blue stripes, with his introduction to the team in the Premier League leading to two successive wins – including one at Old Trafford.

While one fan has even suggested that Cahill is a Palace supporter, another has said that he should be handed the armband that Luka Milivojevic currently holds onto.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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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.

Real Madrid had far from a perfect start to the new 2019/20 La Liga season.

We are three games in so far, and Los Blancos have only recorded one victory from three.

With that in mind, there are two major things Zinedine Zidane will have to do in September: fix his leaky defence and establish his strongest lineup.

Defensive problems

By now, this is actually no secret: Real Madrid have been conceding far too many goals since the start of the season. In the three games they’ve played, Los Blancos have allowed four strikes to rattle their net and ultimately they dropped four points in total.

But this is not an issue that has only just manifested itself.

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Even last season, they conceded a total of 46 goals throughout the 2018/19 La Liga campaign. On paper that doesn’t sound like such a poor record, but it’s pertinent to note that six teams, including 13th place Leganes, conceded fewer goals; for a club of such international prestige that is simply not good enough.

The growing trend continued into the pre-season as Zidane’s troops played five games and conceded a whopping 16 goals.

If the Frenchman wants to improve on the results of the 2018/19 season, which he definitely should considering how (un)successful they were, fixing his defensive woes should be at the top of his priority list.

Finding the right formula

And this is a big one for Zidane and co. Many names have joined Real Madrid this summer from abroad, some have returned from their loans and some have stayed on despite seeming destined to depart just a few weeks ago, with Gareth Bale certainly falling into that category. Be that as it may, the coach of the Whites is still very much in search of his perfect and strongest lineup.

In the three games they’ve played so far, Real Madrid have used 17 different players and three different systems. Integrating the likes of Eden Hazard and James Rodriguez into that roster once they return from their injury will also be key for Zidane. If they want to start winning and stop dropping points, the Frenchman will have to decide on one go-to system that he can rely on when the going gets tough.

So far, he clearly hasn’t done that and the results have, for that reason, been rather mixed.

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The Swiss winger committed an Instagram sin as he posted an old photo.

He would’ve got away with it as well if it weren’t for the eagle-eyed Mo Salah calling him out in the comments section.

Salah outed Shaqiri’s photo as being taken during last season’s Champions League final.

Luckily for the 28-year-old, Dejan Lovren came to his defence, saying that the photos from that day were only just being sent to the players.

Unfortunately for the Switzerland ace, this didn’t stop Salah’s comment from getting over 3,000 likes.

You’ve got to feel for Shaqiri, it’s quite a nice picture of him with a beaming smile, but Salah has put a dampener on the image by exposing him in the comments.

If only he’d held out for another 24 hours and he could have shared it with a throwback Thursday hashtag and spared himself from Salah’s banter.

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Liverpool extended their 100% start to the Premier League season to five games with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle at Anfield, coming from behind to take all three points. [via Sky Sports]

The Reds’ hopes of a first home clean sheet of the season lasted just seven minutes as Jetro Willems cut inside from the left wing before firing a shot past Adrian in the Liverpool goal. [via Sky Sports]

Sadio Mane drew the home side level just before the half-hour mark when he curled a fine shot into the top corner of the Newcastle net and the Senegal man doubled his tally shortly before half-time, netting after the ball rebounded off visitors’ goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. [via Sky Sports]

Liverpool wrapped up the points on 72 minutes when Mohamed Salah finished with aplomb past Dubravka to make it 3-1 and cement the Reds’ position at the top of the Premier League for at least another week. [via Sky Sports]

Following their goalscoring contributions against the Magpies, Mane now has six goals for the season and Salah is up to four, although they weren’t the only Liverpool forwards to have a telling impact on proceedings at Anfield.

Roberto Firmino started the game on the substitutes’ bench as Divock Origi came into the starting line-up in his place but the 27-year-old was summoned in place of the Belgium striker in the 37th minute after an injury to the latter. [via Sky Sports]

Firmino’s sumptuous through ball to Mane set up the Senegal man for his second goal to put Liverpool in front just three minutes after the substitution. [via Sky Sports]

The Brazil forward added his second assist of the day with a deft backheel to Salah for his goal, the fourth time this season that Firmino has set up a goal for a team-mate. [via Sky Sports]

He ended the game with four key passes, second only to Trent Alexander-Arnold, and also won both aerial duels that he contested in addition to winning one tackle. [via WhoScored.com]

This Is Anfield writer Karl Matchett sung the praises of Firmino after the game, saying that he provided “lofted passes, backheels aplenty, lots of his usual vision and selflessness and some brilliant through passes”.

For the Liverpool Echo, Ian Doyle described the 27-year-old’s assist for Salah’s goal as “a thing of absolute beauty” and said that he was “excellent throughout”.

Mane and Salah were the men on the scoresheet for Liverpool, but Firmino deserves just as much recognition for the two magnificent assists that he provided for his attacking colleagues.

Liverpool fans, how good do you think Firmino was after coming on against Newcastle? Give us your views in the comments section below!

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Where do Manchester United go from here?

The season started so well, with that 4-0 victory against Chelsea on the opening day of the campaign. Since then, though, the Red Devils have won just one Premier League game, and their latest fixture has seen them lose 2-0 against West Ham at the London Stadium.

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As you would expect, there was plenty of displeasure from the United fans, and that started even before the first ball had been kicked.

Nemanja Matic’s inclusion in the starting line-up, in particular, did not go down too well with the Old Trafford faithful. The Serbia international is clearly not too popular in Manchester at the moment, and the club’s supporters would have rather have seen him omitted from the side.

Judging by the 31 year-old’s passive performance, perhaps him being left out wouldn’t have hurt the side.

They took to Twitter in their droves to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Arsenal ace Ray Parlour has told talkSPORT that he rates Harry Kane as a better striker than Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

What did he say?

Aubameyang has had a fantastic start to the campaign. In his first seven games in all competitions, he has seven goals, and has scored in all but one match that he has played.

Kane, too, has done well so far, scoring five in his first seven, and Parlour has said that he believes he is a step above the former Borussia Dortmund man.

Asked by Alan Brazil to pick between the England captain and the Gabon international, he said: “I’ll probably go Harry Kane.”

Expanding, later on, he added: “(Aubameyang) goes in and out of games, he’ll go missing for 10 minutes. But when he gets his chance, when he gets his moment in the box he takes it.”

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Is Kane better?

Is Kane really better than Aubameyang? Let’s have a look at the stats.

Without counting the spells at the start of their careers – there is little sense in comparing the Tottenham man’s goals for Leyton Orient and the Gabon international’s for Lille, for example – Kane has 169 goals in 260 games for Spurs, which have come at a rate of 0.65 per match. Aubameyang, meanwhile, has 230 in 382 games across his times at Saint-Etienne, Borussia Dortmund and now the Gunners. They have come at a rate of 0.6. One point to Kane.

What about in England’s top tier since the 30-year-old’s arrival, though? That statistic actually points in favour of Aubameyang, whose 48 in 72 come at a rate of 0.67 per match compared to his rival’s 0.64 (39 in 61).

Let’s move on to trophies. Of course, this has often been used as a way to prove the argument that the England captain is not world class, and it must be stated that his cabinet is bare other than three Premier League Golden Boots. Aubameyang’s record may not be much better, but it is better all the same. He himself has two Golden Boots, and four cups from his various clubs. He has also won the African Footballer of the Year award, in 2015, but bearing in mind Kane’s nationality, it is harsh to use that against him.

Internationally, Kane has shone at a World Cup, picking up the Golden Boot at last year’s edition in Russia. Again, though, as Gabon are unlikely to ever qualify for the tournament, it seems to be an unfair comparison.

The truth of the matter is there is very little, if anything at all, to separate the two.

Really, bearing in mind that Aubameyang has proven himself in three countries, compared to Kane’s one, you could even argue that the former comes out slightly on top.

At 22-years-old and with three direct Premier League goal contributions to his name this season, James Maddison is a key element of Leicester City’s excellent team.Maddison could’ve quite easily let his form slip after rumours emerged, which Brendan Rodgers addressed last month, that Manchester United were monitoring his progress as they search for a new attacking threat.However, the rising star has done anything but, and that’s got to please Leicester fans, who will really feel they’re on the precipice of something special with Rodgers and his band of youthful talent.Watch Leicester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

In fact, if his latest interview is anything to go by, it sounds as if Maddison’s desire for the game, and more importantly his desire to achieve with the Foxes, is as strong as ever…

Leicester currently sit in third position and travel to Rodgers’ old stomping ground, Anfield, to face Liverpool at the weekend.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As quoted by Sky Sports, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed Manchester United will be targeting a new striker.

What did he say?

Following the departures of both Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez this summer, the Red Devils have just Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood as their options up front. And even United fans revealed their frustrations with their summer business.

Injuries to both Rashford and Martial have exacerbated the glaring lack of depth in the centre-forward role, and Solskjaer has now admitted the club will be looking to make an addition in this area – but only if they are right for the club.

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He said: “Of course, when we let Alexis (Sanchez) and (Romelu) Lukaku go, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know it’s a forward we’re going to try to recruit next time.

“It was time for Romelu Lukaku to go, though – he knows that, he didn’t want to be here, and what’s the point in having players who don’t want to be here? We’re looking for some creativity and goals, but they (potential signings) have to be the right one.

“There were strikers available but not the ones we wanted. We couldn’t get the one we wanted (in the summer). There’s no point getting players in that you are not 100% sure about either. When you get players in, you need the right ones that are going to stay here for a long period of time and that’s the long-term thinking we have to show.”

Desperation

Make no mistake about it, United desperately need a new centre-forward in the January transfer window. How one of the Premier League’s biggest sides goes into a new season without a 20-25 goals a season striker beggars belief. Rashford’s poor form (he has just one goal in his last six games) and Martial’s injury have combined to really rub United’s faces in it.

Whilst Solskjaer insists the club will only go for players who fit their long-term vision, the simple fact is United need someone – even if it’s only a stop-gap measure that allows them to reassess the situation in the summer. A swoop for Juventus veteran Mario Mandzukic has been mooted, and his pedigree on the world stage can help ease the burden on the Red Devils’ young strike-force. Either way, the Manchester side need to take action in January.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Sheffield Wednesday got back to winning ways this weekend after a 1-0 victory over Wigan Athletic moved them to within a point of playoff contention.

Massimo Luongo was handed his first start of the season, having joined the club in the summer, and he repaid his manager’s faith by scoring the only goal of the game in the 57th minute.

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The 27-year-old directed home Adam Reach’s cut-back pass from just inside the area in what was otherwise a rather dismal game with neither side managing more than three attempts on goal, per WhoScored.

Wigan could have scored themselves when Kieffer Moore’s header was directed onto the crossbar by Owls goalkeeper Keiren Westwood, and Wednesday also had a Steven Fletcher strike ruled out for offside.

It means Monk has started life in south Yorkshire with ten points from a possible 15, and with them on the cusp of entering a playoff spot, that should be more than suffice.

Snapshot

One factor that makes it just a little more impressive is the fact that he’s had to do it with a squad built by someone else.

Steve Bruce then caretaker boss Lee Bullen assembled this team and Monk’s adapted to what he’s been dealt with – which can have an adverse effect sometimes as seen against Wigan on Saturday.

The 40-year-old turned to his bench to spark something late on so that they could find a second goal to put the game out of the visitor’s reach.

Off the Bench

In terms of adding further attacking threat, Monk had the choice of two strikers or a winger – and he went for the latter in Jacob Murphy with ten minutes left in the game.

And not for the first time this season, the Newcastle United loanee failed to provide what was demanded of him.

Murphy has managed just one goal in nine appearances so far this Championship campaign with him being dispossessed an average of 1.1 times per game on top of 1.3 unsuccessful touches per match, via WhoScored.

This ten-minute cameo was no different – he managed just one successful dribble in three attempts and zero shots at all. That showed exactly why he isn’t starting.

The 24-year-old also lost possession six times. That’s a staggering rate at just over once every minute and a half – had he been on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, at that rate, he would have recorded a turnover in possession over 50 times.

If anything, he’s only proved exactly why he’s warming the bench each game, but then again, there’s not much Monk can do until January as he’s one of the only other wide options at the club.

He’s quickly becoming a huge flop, something that’s relatively unsurprising given he scored just twice on loan at West Brom last term.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Robert Snodgrass has very much had mixed fortunes at West Ham since signing in 2017, but his exit from the club may not be far away if he doesn’t improve his performances soon.

The winger joined at the same time Dimitri Payet departed, and though any player would have found those difficult boots to fill, it is fair to say he hasn’t been the player West Ham hoped for.

He was signed off the back of scoring nine and assisting four goals for Hull in the first half of 2017/18 but after only six months in East London found himself out on loan to Aston Villa.

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The 6-foot man’s fortunes changed as his performances improved, and in the 44 appearances he has made since returning he has won over some fans due to his hard work and commitment.

However, that has only taken him so far and his lack of quality means he has fallen down the pecking order behind Andriy Yarmolenko and Michail Antonio.

Worse still, there is little sign that he can get back to his best, either, and his dismal display for Scotland against Russia highlighted the lack of form he is currently experiencing.

According to SofaScore he achieved a pass success rate of just 58%, completing only 14 throughout the 90 minutes. Going forward he posed little danger, too, failing to complete a cross or shot on target.

That is a worry for his West Ham aspirations.

Yarmolenko has been in fine form this season with three goals in seven league games and with Antonio to return from injury, it is difficult to envisage the Scotland international working his way back into the side.

He is now 32 with a little more than 18 months left on his contract, but if he continues to feature sporadically – with just one league start this term – then his Scotland, and his Premier League, career could soon come to an end.

The Hammers have big ambitions this season and that will likely lead to more big-money signings like we saw over the summer, meaning Snodgrass may have to make way.