HYS: Who was Manchester United’s MOTM vs CSKA Moscow?

Moscow has proved an incredibly tricky place for teams to go in the Champions League and particularly those from England.

But Manchester United made incredibly light work of CSKA on their own patch last night, cruising to a 4-1 win that saw them produce a whopping ten shots on target and claim 62% of the ball.

Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring after just four minutes as he latched onto an Anthony Martial cross, while the latter doubled United’s lead shortly after from the penalty spot.

The Belgian battering ram soon completed his brace, giving United a 3-0 lead after just 26 minutes – a margin Henrikh Mkhitaryan increased to four in the second half before CSKA hit back in the last minute to grab a late consolation goal.

So, Manchester United fans, who do you think was the Man of the Match from last night’s convincing victory? Let us know by voting below…

Eden Hazard brace the biggest positive from Chelsea’s 3-3 draw with Roma

While it was a fascinating encounter for the neutrals, last night’s 3-3 draw with Roma will have left Antonio Conte concerned. Chelsea struggled to truly impose themselves on the opposition at Stamford Bridge and although Roma produced some truly stunning goals, their defence was carved open far too easily.

The Blues host Watford on Saturday and while it should be a routine win on paper, Marco Silva’s side have started the new season in good form, rising to fourth in the Premier League table and scoring the joint-most goals of any team outside the top three. They’ll certainly fancy their chances of breaching Chelsea’s defensive ranks as well.

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That being said, there was one obvious positive for the west Londoners to take from last night’s six-goal thriller – the superlative form of talismanic attacker Eden Hazard.

After starting the season on the sidlines through injury, the Belgium international has struggled to get going in the Premier League, yet to score or assist in 212 minutes thus far.

But Hazard showed his quality in the impressive 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid last month and it was a similar case in his latest Champions League outing, twice finding the net against Roma while ranking first throughout the Chelsea team for chances created and successful dribbles.

If the 80-cap playmaker can carry that form over to the English top flight, Chelsea will fancy their chances of beating any opposition regardless of how open their defence currently is. But there’s no guarantee Hazard will be as effective against Watford and the Blues simply must improve at the back if they’re to keep pace with Manchester City and Manchester United.

West Ham United fans rage at Andy Carroll after red card vs Burnley

West Ham United had to settle for a point away to Burnley on Saturday in the English Premier League after Chris Wood’s late header cancelled out a Michail Antonio opener.

It could be seen as a point gained however, since the Hammers were up against it for the majority of the match due to striker Andy Carroll being sent off early in the game.

The 28-year-old unbelievably picked up two yellow cards in as many minutes for using elbows and was sent down the tunnel in the 27th minute.

From that point on their game plan had to change and although they defended well for the majority of the match, Burnley eventually managed to stick one past Joe Hart five minutes from time.

The result leaves Slaven Bilic’s side in 15th position, just three points ahead of sides in the relegation zone.

Fans were left absolutely raging at the actions of Carroll and took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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Aston Villa legend ‘proud’ of Steve Bruce’s team

Last season, Aston Villa fell short in their bid for promotion to the Premier League.Manager Steve Bruce came under heavy scrutiny, with some fans calling for the ex-Birmingham City coach to be sacked.In the 2017-18 campaign, though, the outlook is more optimistic for the Midlands outfit given that they currently sit fifth in the Championship, five points adrift of the top two.After a three-game winless start to the season, Villa upped turned things around by going eight league matches unbeaten.They hit a snag against fellow promotion chasers Wolverhampton Wanderers by losing 2-0 at Molineux, but got back to winning ways with a 2-1 triumph over Fulham.Following last weekend’s goalless draw with arch rivals Birmingham, Villa nabbed a 2-0 away win at Preston on Wednesday night.James Chester and Robert Snodgrass got on the scoresheet, leaving former Villa defender Paul McGrath in a very complimentary mood.

The team will return home this Saturday to face Sheffield Wednesday.

Wenger admits he wants international job, Arsenal fans react

Arsene Wenger has divided Arsenal fans over the last few years, with some keen for the Frenchman to move on.

The 68-year-old is very much part of the fabric at the Emirates having coached the team for two decades.

Last season, there were protests from some groups of Arsenal supporters calling for Wenger to step down, but he ended up signing a new two-year contract.

So far this season, the North London outfit have won six, drawn one and lost four, which has left the club sixth in the standings, 12 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

The Gunners have not won a league title since the 2003-04 campaign, but Wenger has suggested that he will be eyeing trophies on the international stage in the future.

During an interview with beIN Sports, the Frenchman admitted that he would like to one day manage a national side, but at the moment is still enjoying the day-to-day workings of club football.

As expected, Arsenal fans had plenty to say.

HYS: Should Everton hire Sam Allardyce?

After previously ruling himself out of the job, Sam Allardyce has re-emerged as the firm front-runner to take over at Everton. In fact, The Guardian (amongst other sources) claim the former Crystal Palace manager is set to take over at Goodison Park.

But the fact Everton previously toyed with the idea of hiring Allardyce before considering alternatives suggests he wasn’t their first choice, and also suggests the club’s ambitions have drastically changed since they first sacked Ronald Koeman towards the end of October.

It would be unfair to label Allardyce as simply a relegation expert, but that’s undoubtedly what he’s built his career on and his direct brand of football continues to divide opinion, not least because it seems to come with its own limitations in terms of results.

So, Everton fans, should your club be looking for a more ambitious appointment befitting of a club who just oversaw their costliest transfer window to date, or is Allardyce the right man for the job? Let us know by voting below…

Palace fans pleased with Fosu-Mensah’s performance

Timothy Fosu-Mensah made his 11th Premier League appearance of the season in Crystal Palace’s 2-1 win over Watford on Tuesday night.

The 19-year-old is currently on loan at Palace from Manchester United, and after starting the season in the team, the defender was forced to bide his time in the early stages of Roy Hodgson’s tenure.

The Dutchman has now started Palace’s last two matches, however, and played 70 minutes of the clash with Watford before leaving the field with a knock.

Fosu-Mensah, who is valued at £4.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, took to Twitter on Tuesday night to reveal his delight at the win, which lifted Palace out of the Premier League relegation zone.

A number of Palace supporters were on hand to pay tribute to the teenager, who has the potential to form a long and successful career in the Premier League.

The plan is for Fosu-Mensah to return to United next summer and battle for a first-team position. More performances like Tuesday night’s will certainly stand him in good stead.

A selection of the best Twitter reaction can be found below:

Joel Matip to miss Brighton trip, Liverpool fans react

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that Joel Matip is likely to be sidelined for Saturday’s trip to Brighton due to injury.

The centre-back suffered a muscular problem on Wednesday night in the team’s 3-0 win over Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium.

Ragnar Klavan is now expected to partner Dejan Lovren at the back as the club aim to keep what would be only their seventh clean sheet in the Premier League this season.

A thigh injury forced Matip out of the Reds’ dramatic 3-3 draw with Sevilla in the Champions League, but he later returned to the lineup against Chelsea and Stoke.

Liverpool have experienced problems in defence this season – an issue that was never fully addressed in the transfer market as Klopp failed to bring in a new centre-back.

The Merseyside outfit have had their fair share of injuries this season, and this latest news has caused frustration for the fans.

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Everton simply must make a move for want away Payet

Everton are on the hunt for a creative attacker this summer, and the shock availability of Dimitri Payet should have alarm bells ringing at Goodison.

What’s the word?

Marseille are touting Payet around, and reports suggest West Ham are considering a shock swoop for their former star, but Everton should absolutely throw their hat in the ring.

According to The Guardian, West Ham have been “offered the chance” to sign the 31 year-old, who spent two incredible seasons in East London.

Payet’s representatives are searching for a deal as the French club look to balance their books, and the report claims they want to recoup at least the £25m they paid for him last summer.

West Ham are in need of a new playmaker after the injury to Manuel Lanzini, but their owners are infamous for their frugalness in the transfer market, so Everton should swoop and pay the money while the Hammers are hesitating.

While £25m is a lot to pay for the player in his thirties, it represents significantly better value than some of the deals Everton made last summer, and having that superstar creative power would add to the excitement of a new era under Marco Silva.

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Would he be worth it?

Anyone who watched Payet at West Ham knows exactly what he would bring to Goodison. The 35-cap Frenchman can play in a variety of positions across the attack, and would most likely operate from the left wing in Silva’s favoured 4-3-3 formation, as he lacks the defensive discipline to take an advanced midfield role.

Everton’s biggest problem under Sam Allardyce was a lack of creativity, as the lethal Cenk Tosun didn’t get nearly enough chances to make his mark. Signing Payet alongside the return from injury of Gylfi Sigurdsson would take the Toffees from being one of the least creative teams in the league right up to the opposite end of the spectrum.

Payet grabbed ten goals and 24 assists in 47 games last season for Marseille, including three goals and seven assists in 12 Europa League appearances, which should quash any concerns about buying a player from an inferior league.

He is one of the best crossers in world football, something Tosun would absolutely love, and his set piece wizardry would have fans on the edge of their seats every time they win a free kick.

Silva has a lot of work to do at Everton. He needs to plug some holes in the ageing defence, inject some energy into the midfield and add some more creativity in attack. Most of all though, the Portuguese tactician needs to give the fans a reason to be excited again after the slow and turgid football under Big Sam.

Signing Payet would kill several birds with one stone, providing creativity, getting the best out of Tosun and most of all getting the fans on their feet again.

So, Everton fans, is £25m worth it for a player of Payet’s quality? Should you swoop in and sign him? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

Manchester City fans confused by club’s decision to offload Gunn

There is no drastic need for Manchester City to make alterations to the team given that they lifted the Premier League title just two months ago.

Manager Pep Guardiola is likely to bring in some new faces, but when there is such high competition for places, it is inevitable that some fringe stars are going to be heading out of the exit gates.

Who do you think will win the World Cup? Let us know here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

One man who has now moved on to pastures new is goalkeeper Angus Gunn.

The 22-year-old is currently third choice behind Ederson and Claudio Bravo, which means that the likelihood of him being an integral part of Guardiola’s team is close to zero.

According to BBC Sport, Gunn, who spent last season on loan at Norwich City, cost Southampton £10m up front, with a further £3.5m potentially due in add-ons.

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In most cases, supporters would not bat an eyelid if their third-choice keeper moved on, especially in City’s case as they already have a world-class stopper in between the sticks.

However, on this occasion, some supporters have been left disappointed with the news, while others are keeping fingers crossed for a buyout clause.

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