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Everton succumbed to a third-straight Premier League defeat when beaten at home by Manchester United on Saturday, but Marcel Brands’ summer masterclass shone through as Allan thrived as the lynchpin of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans.

The Toffees reunited Ancelotti with his Brazilian anchor in the off-season after agreeing a £21.7million deal with SSC Napoli, adding Allan to the ranks at Goodison Park as the first piece of a jigsaw that would go on to feature Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez.

It was not the French nor Colombian star who fared best against Manchester United, though, but rather Allan as Everton sought to utilise the 29-year-old’s wealth of knowledge to thwart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils and hit them on the counter.

Only the Toffees’ two centre-halves Michael Keane and Mason Holgate saw more of the ball than Allan while the hosts had possession, with each recording an 8.0, 7.8 and 5.0 share of the ball to rank first, second and fifth respectively among all who featured for either side, per WhoScored.

Only Bruno Fernandes (81) and Fred (80) took more touches of the ball for Manchester United than Allan (76) achieved for Everton, as well, though only Fred (67) attempted a higher number of passes (51) while trailing Keane (81) and Holgate (79).

Allan only misplaced six of his 51 passes and directed 31 of his accurate efforts forward, too, as the Brazilian marshalled the centre of the field to progress Everton’s attacks closer to David de Gea’s net.

An improved effort in the second-half further saw Allan break up Manchester United’s play, despite the nine-time Brazil international recording just three of his nine attempted tackles and two of his six successful efforts after the break.

Ancelotti did not just benefit from Allan’s tackling or passing in defeat to United, either, as the 5 ft 8 enforcer completed four of his five attempted dribbles, on route to 14 successful ground duels from 22 contests, SofaScore.

Allan’s efforts proved such a threat to United that the Red Devils were forced into fouling the 29-year-old four times, more than any other Everton player, while Ancelotti’s forward trio of Bernard, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and James Rodriguez were only fouled a combined four times.

Rodriguez’s three goals and three assists as Everton romped to four wins and a draw played a great role in their unbeaten start, yet Allan’s efforts were key in the Toffees’ failed bid to avoid a third-straight Premier League defeat.

AND in other news, a Carlo Ancelotti outcast could be on his way out of Everton after a potential suitor confirmed interest.

Glasgow Rangers target Lyndon Dykes is close to completing a move to Queens Park Rangers.

The Gers had been heavily linked with a move for the Australian, who scored 12 goals and provided a further 10 assists for Livingston in all competitions last term. However, the forward is now on the verge of completing a switch to Loftus Road, with the Championship side expected to pay £2m for his services.

As Steven Gerrard looked for a striker earlier on in the transfer window, it looked as though Dykes was a prime target – there were even suggestions that the 24-year-old was issuing a come-and-get-me plea with some of his comments on a potential move to Ibrox.

However, it looks as though the Gers quickly moved on from the striker, and they have since been busy in that area of the pitch with the arrivals of Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe. Those two join Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe as the options already available to Gerrard – the need for another forward has been dramatically reduced.

As such, Dykes was no longer a necessity – the Gers should not feel too disappointed that he has decided to move to London instead of Glasgow.

Let us know what you think below!

For quite a while now, it was believed that Everton and Watford had a gentlemen’s agreement in place for the transfer of Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Various reports stated previously that Carlo Ancelotti has managed to convince the midfielder to make the switch and it was just a matter of time before the deal was indeed sealed.

However, despite that growing optimism and positive first signs, the Toffees could still lose their target in the ongoing summer transfer window. According to the French journalist Manu Lonjon, AS Moncao have made a bid in the region of €25m (£22.3m) in an attempt to snatch the player away from Everton’s grasp.

But at the moment, that’s all the source is telling us and we don’t know whether it would indeed be enough to turn the club’s head and make them reconsider their dealings with the Toffees.

Not only that but it’s also questionable whether Doucoure himself would rather return to Ligue 1 instead of getting the chance to play at Goodison Park in the Premier League.

However, at the very least, this could force Everton to up their own offer and splash a bit more cash to land the midfielder ahead of their French rivals. We will have to wait for further updates on the matter to have a clearer picture of where the saga-to-be currently is but Doucoure is becoming a more wanted man by the minute.

Verdict

Monaco’s offer is pretty impressive but Everton do have a couple of clear advantages. Firstly, the pull a Premier League outfit has is significantly bigger than the notion of the player returning to France. Of course, the other advantage is Ancelotti himself who was said to have convinced Doucoure to make the swap in the first place.

But, this new offer might mean more money will have to be involved in order to get the deal over the line.

It may have taken place in strange and wildly unique circumstances, but Tottenham once again came out on top in the north London derby against Arsenal on Sunday.

The Lilywhites’ 2-1 win over their fierce rivals means they have now extended their run to six unbeaten when facing Arsenal at home.

Coming into the game, the two sides seemed to be headed in opposite trajectories. Arsenal had bounced back from a defeat to Brighton, with some impressive away victories against the likes of Sheffield United and Wolves.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

On the other hand, Spurs seemed to be on the slide, with a crushing defeat to the Blades followed up by a dismal 0-0 draw away at Bournemouth.

But as is often the case in derby clashes, the form book went out of the window, and Spurs secured a huge win in the first ever game against Arsenal at the new stadium.

Yet, whilst the so-called bragging rights may have been secured, the game and the result is worth far more than that. Certainly for Spurs boss Jose Mourinho.

The last few weeks have been a difficult period for the Portuguese man, with the team’s style of play raising some big questions – in fact, there was the startling stat after the Bournemouth game, that the north Londoners had had fewer shots on target in the month of July, than West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek.

Had the magic of Mourinho disappeared? Was he just a washed-up manager, whose best times had long since gone?

A defeat to Arsenal would certainly have compounded his misery, but the win, and the manner of their performance – they had more shots, shots on target and tackles than the Gunners – has given Mourinho a platform to build from.

The former Chelsea boss can use the victory as a reference point, and better get the players invested in his project at Spurs. A derby win always gives teams more belief, but what it does for a new manager who has faced some problems, is untold.

With the race for the Europa League hotting up, Spurs’ win over Arsenal was more than just getting one over on their local rivals. It’s given Mourinho some respite, and some confidence, that the Special One still has some left in the tank.

Name: Jan Oblak

Club: Atletico Madrid

Date of Birth: 7 January 1993

Position: Goalkeeper

JAN OBLAK – HIS CAREER SO FAR

There aren’t many sports fans out there who are not familiar with the goalkeeping giant that is Jan Oblak. The current Atletico Madrid no.1 joined the Rojiblancos back in 2014/15 season and even though it seems like he’s been around for ages, the Slovenian goalie is only 27 years old. His footballing career, however, didn’t exactly begin in Spain but rather back in his home country.

As a young lad, Oblak used to ply his trade for Olimpija’s U19 squad, where he had been playing ever since he was just ten years of age. Those first years were quite turbulent as well, and with the team eventually dissolving and Oblak quickly rising through the ranks, he found a new home at Olimpija Ljubljana, where he spent a year between 2009 and 2010.

But despite the obvious talent behind the big Slovenian keeper, there were a series of tiresome steps awaiting him before he could finally settle in the Spanish capital. His big move to Benfica came in 2010 but was soon followed by various loan spells at Beira-Mar, Olhanense, Uniao de Leiria, Rio Ave and Benfica’s B team. He would, however, finally get his chance with the seniors in 2013/14, quickly impressing by keeping several clean sheets along the way as Benfica surged through Europa League with Oblak’s two clean sheets in four games, ultimately winning him the Best Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2014.

That very summer, Atletico Madrid officially confirmed his transfer and a young Oblak would pack his bags for Spain. Fast forward six years into the future and he is largely recognised as one of the best goalkeepers on the planet – if not the very best – and has amassed a total of 139 clean sheets across 256 games played for the Rojiblancos.

And seeing how Atletico Madrid had to splash around €16m (£14.4m) to land his signature, making him La Liga’s most expensive goalkeeper in the history of the competition, it was a risk that ended up paying off. Oblak would go on to win numerous individual honours along the way, including four Zamora Trophies in a row between 2015/16 and 2018/19, and quite a few Team of the Year inclusions.

Collectively, he has won one Spanish Supercup, one Europa League trophy and one UEFA Super Cup with Atletico Madrid, finishing a runner-up in the 2015/16 Champions League as well.

TRANSFER LATEST

Interestingly enough, there have been multiple transfer rumours and transfer news linking Oblak with a move away from Atletico Madrid in recent times. The latest update comes from the Evening Standard and the outlet claims the Slovenian goalie is on Chelsea’s radar.

The Blues would love to further improve their squad despite some big-name signings that had already been finalised beforehand, and Atletico Madrid’s star is one of the players they particularly like.

Oblak, however, has a contract until 2023 and it doesn’t seem likely that Diego Simeone will let him go without a fight. In fact, in some other Atletico Madrid news, Enrique Cerezo, the club’s president, has reportedly made a claim that the goalie will indeed remain in the squad.

It will be interesting to follow the latest developments as more transfer rumours start popping up.

PLAYER PROFILE

Oblak very much fits into the mould of a more traditional goalkeeper. While the modern men between the sticks are heavily involved in the build-up play of their squads, the Slovenian is largely known for his exceptional reflexes and shot-stopping ability. He is also not too tall for a goalkeeper, standing at 6 ft 2 in, but uses his positioning and intuition to give himself the best possible chance of a brilliant save.

As alluded to, he wouldn’t exactly be described as a sweeper-keeper since the work he’s doing with his feet is not as remarkable as his pure goalkeeping abilities. However, at the end of the day, not many others can go toe to toe with Oblak and he is surely in the conversation for the best goalkeeper on the planet.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Wolves striker Raul Jimenez is a major threat to Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

On the chalkboard

The Mexico international has been in fine form this season, scoring 15 goals in all competitions.

Six of those goals have come in the Premier League and the statistics show that he is something of a complete striker.

No clues whatsoever: Which seasons do these iconic Spurs images belong to?

Per WhoScored, he has also provided four assists throughout the campaign thus far.

He averages 3.1 shots per game, 1.8 key passes and 2.1 dribbles, while he also makes 0.9 clearances and 0.6 tackles throughout the 90 minutes on average.

This is a player who mucks in defensively but who remains a major threat in the opposition penalty area; in his last six games in the top-flight, he has had a hand in a total of five goals.

A major talent

Jimenez has been nothing short of a superb signing for Wolves.

Brought in for a fee of £30m, he has scored 32 goals and registered 15 assists in 71 outings and does a little bit of everything.

Throughout the game on Sunday, Spurs will have to be sure that they find a way to occupy him and keep him quiet.

Football FanCast has previously detailed how Jose Mourinho has unlocked the consistency of Davinson Sanchez.

And the Colombia international will be up against the forward this weekend and, with his statistics showing that he has averaged 1.5 tackles per game, 1.1 interceptions and 3.9 clearances, he will have to be at his very best to keep the 28-year-old quiet.

Failure to do so could result in a long afternoon for the north London giants.

Meanwhile, Spurs are scouting a Kosovo international. 

Many Everton fans are drooling over a couple of concept kit images with their newly partnered Cazoo sponsor that was posted by a designer from the established company SDX Creative on his Twitter page.

As per the Merseyside club’s official website, Cazoo, one of the United Kingdom’s fastest-growing new eCommerce businesses, have agreed a multi-year partnership with the Toffees that will see the innovative online car retailer become their new main partner.

The Cazoo brand will feature on the front of the Blues’ first-team playing and training kits for the men’s team from the beginning of the 2020/21 season. It comes on the back of another new agreement for the Toffees, who recently announced that they had dropped Umbro and that their kits would be made by Hummel for the next three years (The Guardian).

Putting the two new together, SDX have produced a concept EFC home shirt which boasts the traditional blue and white colours, with the away one looking like a primarily yellow jersey with blue shorts and yellow socks with a blue strip.

These supporters drooled over the images, which could potentially be very similar to the official kits when released:

Evertonians, are you happy with the Cazoo sponsor? Comment below!

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…

Things can change very quickly in football.

Just over a month ago, Leeds United received the reassuring news from David Ornstein that Arsenal aren’t planning on recalling Eddie Nketiah, but in recent weeks fears have re-emerged that the 20-year-old could be headed back to London once the January transfer window opens.

Indeed, Football Insider have reported that Leeds are preparing for that eventuality and Phil Hay has backed up that point in a recent Q&A session.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Of course, the departure of Nketiah would leave Leeds with just one senior striker in the squad, and that is a worrying prospect for the Yorkshire outfit.

One way in which Leeds need to prepare for the potential recall is by not moving too quickly on one of their other reported January plans.

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It has previously been claimed that Leeds are ready to let Ryan Edmondson leave the club on loan once the winter window opens, but that could be in danger with the prospect of Nketiah being recalled lingering around. As a result, they should hang fire on that plan and wait to see what occurs with the Arsenal loanee.

If the youngster is recalled, Edmondson would become an option as Leeds’ backup striker until they sign a replacement for the 20-year-old, and if anything were to happen to Patrick Bamford during that time he would potentially be in line to get some first-team minutes.

However, if Leeds jump the gun and loan him out and then Nketiah is recalled they’d be left in a very tricky position.

In other news, Phil Hay has delivered a triple transfer blow for Leeds.

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…

It was an incredibly difficult period for Danny Ings at Liverpool.

The 27-year-old made the move from Burnley in 2015 after scoring 37 goals in two seasons for the Clarets. He actually got off to a decent start, scoring twice in his first five Premier League games for the Reds. Then, though, disaster struck. He ruptured his cruciate ligament, and he would go on to miss 50 games for the team before coming back into the side on the final day of the 2015/16 campaign.

It wasn’t much better during his second full season either. He made just two appearances in the whole campaign, missing 35 matches following knee surgery. He couldn’t have had much worse luck.

In the end, he moved to Southampton in July last year, initially on a loan deal with an obligation to buy, making just 25 appearances in three full seasons at Anfield through no fault of his own.

Since joining the Saints permanently, though, he has hit the ground running. In 12 starts this term, he has eight goals, as well as one assist. Incredibly, he has had a hand in more than half of his team’s goals in the Premier League as they struggle at the foot of the table. He has been his team’s biggest danger man by far, and one can only imagine how much more dangerous he could be with better service.

Although it didn’t really work out for him during his time upon Merseyside, it can be argued he could still do a job for Liverpool now. Roberto Firmino is undoubtedly Liverpool’s first-choice striker – even if he has scored just four goals in all competitions – but behind him, there is just Divock Origi. The Belgium international has just five goals this campaign in 18 appearances, and he has often been used at left wing as cover for Sadio Mane as well. Although he did bag a brace against the Toffees, he appears to be the first alternative for the Senegal international. What happens if the 27-year-old were to get injured?

Given his Premier League experience and ability to score, as he is showing at St Mary’s, Ings would have been a good option as an alternative for the Brazil international. They may have got £20m for him in the previous transfer window, but with so many games to come, they could do with him as part of the squad now, especially as they were so quiet themselves during the summer. Everything is easier in hindsight, but this is maybe one decision Klopp got wrong.

In other news, Liverpool fans react to this man’s Ballon d’Or placement.

Arsenal head into Sunday’s clash against Leicester City having won just four of their first 11 league fixtures, and Unai Emery will be faced with a number of key decisions for the game against the Foxes. 

The Gunners have been hit with the news that Dani Ceballos is set to be out with a hamstring injury, and Emery will have to juggle his midfield to cope with the Spaniard’s absence.

The north London side will come up against Brendan Rodgers’ side just two weeks after they equalled the Premier League record for a winning margin, and on the basis of current form, Rodgers’ side will be heavy favourites for the encounter at the King Power.

With pressure mounting on Emery and reports surfacing of the Spaniard having just one month to save his job, this is a crucial game and this is a potential XI that could line up in the 5.30 pm kick-off on Saturday.

Emery is likely to start the central defensive pairing of David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos, whilst opting for the wing-backs of Kieran Tierney and Calum Chambers.

In Ceballos’ absence, Mesut Ozil could earn a start despite the ongoing distrust from his manager for him to deliver in certain types of games, with the 31-year-old likely to start alongside Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi.

Arsenal’s front three picks itself on the basis of Nicolas Pepe, Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s quality, and the Gunners attacking trio will be hoping to inflict damage on a Leicester backline who have conceded just eight league goals – the joint-lowest of any Premier League side so far this season.

This side sees as many as eight changes from the side that drew with Vitoria.