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In the end, it was Tottenham and Jose Mourinho who enjoyed the last laugh after a thrilling north London derby against Arsenal.

Just days after one of their lowest points of the season following a drab draw away at Bournemouth, Spurs turned the emotions around by walking away with the bragging rights thanks to a 2-1 win over their fierce rivals.

And whilst Toby Alderweireld might go away with a lot of the fans’ appreciation for his winning goal, it was Lucas Moura who really inspired the Lilywhites’ Mourinho masterclass on Sunday.

Can you name every one of Spurs’ top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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The Brazilian lined up on the left-hand side of the Spurs midfield, and with both Hector Bellerin and Nicolas Pepe trying to make inroads for Arsenal, it was Lucas who stuck to his defensive task with no fuss and no complaints.

As per Sofascore, he made a quite ridiculous ten tackles, which was actually just one short of the total that the rest of his teammates combined for (11), and also won a staggering 16 total duels.

The typical ‘Mourinho masterclass’ has always been about soaking up the pressure, working hard to deny the opposition, and being clinical when in front of goal. Having a more forward-thinking player like Lucas buy into that philosophy rather than worrying about how he could create some magic with the ball, was key to Spurs’ triumph.

His 8.4 match rating was the highest of any player on the pitch, and aside from his defensive contributions, showed his superb vision and craft in trying to set up his teammates too.

He completed three of his five attempted dribbles, provided two key passes, and created two big chances too – including one sumptuous through ball that Harry Kane failed to lift over an onrushing Emiliano Martinez.

If Mourinho demanded an all-action performance, then he certainly got it from his players. And none more so than from his winger come defensive unit, Lucas.

Tottenham ace Dele Alli has been banned for the Premier League game against Manchester United for a post on social media about coronavirus, the BBC understands. 

Ex-Spurs star Paul Robinson believes the Englishman will be a “big miss” for Jose Mourinho as he prepares to face his old club.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former White Hart Lane goalkeeper insists Alli will have wanted to build upon his fine run of form before the nationwide lockdown was imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The forward has been also fined £50,000 and ordered to take an education course, and he will miss the clash with the Red Devils as a result.

Spurs are currently seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and head into the game knowing they must win if they are to meet Mourinho’s top four ambitions.

When asked if he thinks Alli would have started against United, Robinson said: “I would have thought so because he was just coming into form before the break. He will be a big miss. He just started playing well under Jose. If Spurs are without him and Lo Celso it will be a big blow.

“Clubs will have to utilise their whole squad throughout this period though and if we are playing three games a week, he would not have played all three anyway. Mourinho will have to shuffle his squad.”

It is difficult to disagree with Robinson on this one, as Alli has a strong record against the Red Devils. Indeed, the England international has won five out of the 10 matches that he has played against them and he has bagged three goals against United so far (Transfermarkt).

Furthermore, the 24-year-old is the club’s third-highest goalscorer this season, closely behind Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, as he has scored nine goals in all competitions.

Spurs have lost the last two meetings between the teams, which could be cause for concern for Mourinho as his side must win to keep their realistic chances of Champions League qualification alive.

To compound the difficulty of the task, Alli has been suspended, and the Portuguese could be forced to call upon Erik Lamela instead. The Argentine has arguably struggled for consistency up until now and is surely a downgrade on the Englishman, as he has averaged fewer shots and dribbles per game than his teammate, via WhoScored.

As it stands, Alli’s absence will no doubt be a bitter blow and Tottenham may come to regret his earlier indiscretion if they are beaten on Friday night.

Tottenham fans, do you think Alli’s presence will be missed against Man United? Let us know in the comments below!

Name: Todd Cantwell

Club: Norwich City

Date of Birth: 27 February 1998

Position: Midfielder (Centre/Attacking/Wide)

Todd Cantwell – his career so far

Even though he is already one of the better developed young players at the club, Todd Cantwell’s road to success and the first-team squad of Norwich City wasn’t easy nor quick. The now 22-year-old midfielder had to go through thick and thin to get where he is right now but his determination, hard work and persistence ensured he would ultimately reach his goal.

But he is very much their own product as the Dereham-born midfielder spent all of his youth career with the Canaries, joining the team at the U10 level and advancing through the ranks of their academy until he joined the young development squads.

Even though it wasn’t really that straightforward, his rise through the levels was still pretty impressive. Cantwell played just one game for Norwich’s U18 squad, scoring two goals in the process, before being moved up the ranks and into the U23s rather quickly.

The majority of his early career was spent there and he managed to register 40 appearances, scoring four goals and assisting further five along the way as well. But despite the experience he was gaining playing for the development squad, Cantwell was still not ready for a leap into the senior team of the Canaries and the upper hierarchy decided he needed a loan deal to develop even further.

With that in mind, the young midfielder embarked on a short venture into The Netherlands where he played for Fortuna Sittard, helping the team reach the Eredivisie after playing a total of ten games, scoring twice and assisting further three under his belt as well.

Upon his return from that successful loan spell, Cantwell rejoined Norwich and was pivotal in their Championship-winning 2018/19 season, helping them gain promotion into the English top-flight.

Interestingly enough, he made his senior debut before going out on loan to Fortuna Sittard, featuring in an FA Cup game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in January 2018. He also made his Norwich City league debut in September 2018 against Reading.

Since then, he’s become a big part of the senior squad, registering 59 first-team appearances, scoring seven goals and assisting further four as well.

Transfer latest

There have been some transfer rumours and transfer news surrounding the young midfielder as of late as he was linked with a couple of big profile Premier League clubs only recently. The likes of Tottenham Hotspur and even Liverpool were mentioned as possibly being interested in him.

Of course, with his contract being valid until 2022, there is still a good chance he stays put and doesn’t move anywhere, at least for the time being. There hasn’t been any Norwich City news suggesting a new deal might be on the way and even though he seems content staying with the Canaries, his future is still very much an open book.

And since big Premier League clubs might be interested as the summer transfer window approaches, his allegiance might be put to the test.

Player profile

Cantwell is very well-known for both his playing style and very outgoing personality that manifests itself in his glorious dance moves and celebrations with his teammates. But all of that aside, the midfielder truly does have the skill set to match it and then some.

The now 20-year-old has been a big presence in Norwich’s lineup and his intelligent movement, vision to pass the ball superbly and fluid positioning across the pitch makes him a standout performer on a regular basis.

And that’s really the thing with him – it’s difficult to pinpoint his exact positioning and movement across the pitch, which makes him unpredictable. When we pair that up with great technique and a mean pass, we get a clearer picture of the kind of midfielder he is.

Usually, he will identify the free pockets of space and then aim to exploit them by advancing up the pitch and then hurting the opposition where they least expect it. Of course, he is still fairly young so his game is bound to improve as times goes on.

Former Charlton player John Salako has commented on the Addicks’ current season and Lee Bowyer’s influence as manager. 

The club have been dropped in a sticky situation after three senior players, including Lyle Taylor, announced they would not be playing for Charlton again this season. Bowyer spoke to talkSPORT about the difficult news and revealed the striker is worried about the ‘risk of injury’.

Championship sides have returned to training ahead of a proposed June 20 resumption. Salako has praised the manager’s performance at the hilt of the club so far this season.

“Lee has done an incredible job, he really has,” the 51-year-old told London News Online. “He is a passionate lad who has done an amazing job with a strict budget.”

The Addicks are currently in the relegation zone after a promising looking season took a steep turn and the club tumbled down the table. When the games resume, Charlton must try to climb their way out of the drop-zone, without influential goalscorer Taylor.

“Lee needs some reinforcements, he needs some quality players coming in, they have got to spend money,” Salako said. “He is in a tough job and it will be disastrous if they go down because League One is a tough place to be.”

As it stands, Bowyer could risk losing ten players in the summer, including Taylor and Chris Solly. It will be a tough ride for the Addicks this season as they try to secure their survival in the Championship.

But there is no doubt that Bowyer has done a fine job to keep the club competitive in trying circumstances. Indeed, they have spent just £203,000 on new players this season (Transfermarkt) which is nothing compared to the majority of other clubs in the second tier, for example Leeds have spent over £27m.

How are you feeling ahead of the return of the league, Charlton fans? Join the conversation in the comments below!

Everton fans have been unconvinced by the performances from summer arrival Alex Iwobi this season, so much so that some would like to see him sold already.

One account on Twitter posed the question ‘keep or sell’ in regards to the 24-year-old and much of the Toffees faithful have been responding in their masses.

Iwobi joined the Goodison Park-based outfit in a deal worth £34m from Arsenal back in August and has gone on to feature 22 times this campaign, starting just twice under new boss Carlo Ancelotti.

He doesn’t have much to show for it either, having only scored one goal and provided two assists in that time, via Transfermarkt.

In addition, the Nigerian wide man averages 1.2 shots and dribbles per game but also loses possession 0.7 times and has 1.7 unsuccessful touches each match too (WhoScored).

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

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His poor form has been reflected in his Transfermarkt valuation which now sits just under £23m – the fourth highest in the Everton squad.

Here’s what some supporters have been saying about him…

AND in other news, Everton fans react to STUNNING £3m exit report…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Leeds United have been linked with a  £7.5m move for Matej Vydra (The Mirror, 22/11, page 74).

The Whites have struggled in front of goal this season, as their xG tally shows, so signing a former Championship golden boot winner ought to ease a number of those problems.

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However, signing the Czech may add another problem to the squad that Marcelo Bielsa would have to deal with.

As the above infographic shows, Vydra’s last season in the Championship was exceptional as not only did he score more goals than anyone else, but he also made the most of his chances as he only had 75 shots throughout the campaign.

However, Vydra’s best position is quite clearly not as a lone forward as he started the majority of his games at Derby as a second striker just behind whoever was playing centre-forward. In fact, he’s scored 21 times in 42 games from that very position, per Transfermarkt.

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The problem is that Leeds’ current system doesn’t allow for a player like that. United usually play a 4-1-4-1 or a 3-3-1-3 depending on how their opposition lineup, and neither of those tactics incorporate a second striker.

The closest thing Leeds currently have to that is Tyler Roberts, but his game isn’t heavily based around scoring goals as he’s netted just four in his last two seasons.

The fact of the matter is that Vydra is much more effective in his second striker role as his goal contribution ratio is 0.63 while playing there whereas when he plays as a more traditional number nine that drops to 0.36.

Bielsa’s frontline would undoubtedly be bolstered by the arrival of the 27-year-old, but figuring out how to best utilise him would be another added problem for the Argentine.

Luckily, Vydra isn’t the only attacker Leeds are after as they’re also chasing another Premier League forward…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham Hotspur are tracking West Bromwich Albion youngsters Rico Richards and Nathan Ferguson, per The Sun.

What’s the word?

A number of Premier League clubs are said to be interested in 16-year-old Richards, with Manchester City and Liverpool both scouting the teenager.

He has won one cap for the England U17 side, scoring on his debut, and has made two appearances for the Baggies’ U18 team in the U18 Premier League.

Per The Sun, Richards’ contract expires next year and the Championship club are keen to keep him around, with vultures circling.

Ferguson, too, is just 19 but is already playing for Slaven Bilic’s first-team, making 13 appearances in the Championship in 2019/20. He was first linked with the club in October by a separate Sun report.

A defender who can play at both right-back and left-back, he scored in the 2-0 win over QPR in September and also registered an assist on his debut against Nottingham Forest.

The English youngster has been suspended for the recent games against Stoke City and Hull City after being sent off in the 2-2 draw with Charlton Athletic.

Admirable but not needed

This is the kind of scouting that Spurs thrive on.

They have routinely brought in youngsters with a high upside, the likes of Jack Clarke from Leeds United, Dele Alli from MK Dons and Juan Foyth from Estudiantes.

Yet one feels that, right now, they need to focus on bigger issues.

Spurs have won just three times in the Premier League and one has to ask why they are tracking potential stars of the future when what they need is ready-made players who can come in and immediately alter their fortunes.

Indeed, the likes of Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Christian Eriksen all have contracts that expire in the summer. They are proven Premier League players who will need direct, established replacements – not potential successors who may or may not make the grade at Tottenham.

There are also a number of excellent youth prospects already waiting in the wings; the likes of Oliver Skipp and Troy Parrott have already made their senior debuts and are just 17 and 19 respectively. In terms of potential future gems, the club is well-stocked already.

So with the January transfer window looming, projects aren’t needed; solutions are.

Bringing in two proper centre-backs who can immediately slot in and fill the void left by the Belgians could be required, as could an attacking midfielder who can replace the guile that will disappear if the Dane leaves.

This feels like the wrong time to be looking at players like Richards and Ferguson, then. Spurs already have an abundance of talent in reserve and face a shortage of first-team players, not academy prospects.

On Monday morning, Everton’s official Twitter account posted an image of Lucas Digne’s statistics from Sunday’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

It was the France international who provided the assist for Cenk Tosun to snatch a point for the home side in the final exchanges of the Premier League clash.

However, it would be fair to say that the Everton supporters were not in agreement with the post which was praising Digne’s performance on the afternoon.

Wayne Rooney puts himself forward for the Everton job in the video below…

The word “dominant” was used by the club’s Twitter account, but that was not quite what the Blues fans saw during his 90 minutes on the field.

There is a sense of frustration surrounding the club at the moment, but Digne has come up with four assists from left-back this season, which is far from disastrous when considering that Everton have won just three Premier League matches this term.

A selection of the Twitter reaction to the tweet is available to view below:

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…

West Brom defender Nathan Ferguson has come in for severe criticism this weekend after a rather shocking performance culminated in the 19-year-old being sent off.

Following the Baggies’ 2-2 draw with Charlton Athletic, Joseph Masi of the Express & Star handed the youngster a 4/10 while giving his showing a damning review.

What’s he said?

Albion remain top of the Championship despite drawing a second game in the space of just a week as Josh Cullen’s spot-kick in injury time clinched a point for the visitors.

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The referee deemed that Semi Ajayi made enough contact to bring Naby Sarr down inside the area in the 94th minute much to the anger of Slaven Bilic and the whole of the Hawthorns.

Earlier in the match, the official did himself no favours by wrongly attempting to send off Grady Diangana for Ferguson’s rash challenge.

Masi of the Express & Star gave his thoughts on the academy graduate’s performance, he said:

“The teenager has enjoyed an outstanding start to the season. But he was way off his best here.

“After Ben Purrington whipped in a cross, he fell asleep allowing Chris Solly to volley over.

“Ferguson was also turned by Gallagher in the build-up to Johnstone’s double save.

“Deservedly given his marching orders for what was a poor challenge on Solly. 4″

Must do better

Ferguson was handed a harsh lesson on Saturday afternoon, but it is one he probably needed at this stage of his career.

Everything up until this point had been rather rosy, he had won two Man of the Match awards in front of the Sky Sports cameras and displayed his versatile ability to an outstanding level by playing at both right-back and left-back.

His performances have been so good this campaign that he’s been linked with moves to some European heavyweights like Atletico Madrid and Juventus, while Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace are two other teams rumoured.

Maybe it is a case of it all coming too quickly for the England U20 international as since these rumours have surfaced, he’s put in two successive performances that have been some way off his usual level as seen by WhoScored rating him no higher than 5.80.