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أكد البلجيكي روميلو لوكاكو، مهاجم إنتر ميلان، أن فريقه يريد إثبات وجوده للخصوم، كما علّق على ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإيطالي، حيث يتصدره كريستيانو رونالدو نجم يوفنتوس بفارق هدف عنه.

لعب البلجيكي دورًا رئيسيًا في فوز إنتر ميلان 3-0 على جنوى وسجل هدفه بعد دقيقة واحدة، ليتصدر الفريق الدوري الإيطالي بفارق 10 نقاط عن يوفنتوس و7 عن ميلان.

وقال المهاجم لشبكة “سكاي سبورت إيطاليا”: “نحن نتحسن، نحن على قمة الجدول، إنه شعور جميل، لكن يجب أن نستمر”.

وأضاف مهاجم إنتر ميلان: “واجهنا بعض الهزائم في مثل هذه المباريات الموسم الماضي ونريد أن نتطور، أنا سعيد حقًا بالفوز، الآن يجب أن نركز على مواجهة بارما، لن تكون مباراة سهلة”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كونتي: إنتر لم يستحق وداع دوري الأبطال.. وقللنا الفجوة مع يوفنتوس بعد وصولي!

وتابع لوكاكو: “نريد أن نظهر لخصومنا أننا هنا، يجب أن نركز على مباراة واحدة في كل مرة، كانت مباراة مهمة بعد انتصارين متتاليين، سجلنا ثلاثة أهداف وحافظنا على شباكنا نظيفة”.

وأكد: “أريد دائمًا أن أتطور، تمامًا مثل العديد من اللاعبين الآخرين، باريلا، وباستوني، وسكرينيار، ودي فريج، نحن شباب ولدينا مجال للتحسن، نريد الفوز بهذه المباريات”.

لوكاكو لديه الآن 18 هدفا في الدوري الإيطالي، أي أقل من كريستيانو رونالدو بهدف واحد، وعن ذلك أتم معلقًا: “أفكر دائمًا في الفوز، أنا في لحظة جيدة من مسيرتي، لكن إنتر هو الشيء الوحيد الذي يهم”.

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Experienced centre-forward Max Kruse has claimed that he turned down the chance to join Liverpool ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.

Available on a free transfer after leaving Werder Bremen at the end of June, Kruse has said that he had a number of options when it came to his next club.

One of those was Liverpool, according to the Germany international, but he decided to make the move to Fenerbahce.

Jurgen Klopp’s side lost Daniel Sturridge at the end of last season and are therefore quite short when it comes to senior options in the final third of the field.

Kruse would have represented a low-cost, experienced option.

And the 31-year-old managed a respectable 11 Bundesliga goals for Bremen last term.

That said, it would be fair to say that a number of Liverpool fans are not too bothered about missing out on the chance to sign him, whilst others are unsure whether the forward is actually telling the truth.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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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…

Amidst all the drama surrounding Leroy Sane’s future this summer, it’s difficult to comprehend that the whole saga revolves around the Premier League champions. The club who won the league title for the second time in a row are being rag-dolled around by Bayern Munich and are seemingly just letting it happen to them.

Pep Guardiola had previously indicated that he would like to keep the winger at the Etihad and that he was keen for him to stay and realise his potential in Manchester. Just a week later however, the City boss appeared to change his tune on the Germany international and instead admitted that Sane’s future was not in their hands and that he was just “hopeful” he would stay.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

The change in attitude all comes from the way Bayern have manipulated the situation this summer. The Bavarian giants’ boss Niko Kovac publicly declared that Sane would be a “dream player” for the club, were he to join. Kovac then claimed just days later that he was confident of taking him to the Allianz Arena.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rumminegge downplayed Kovac’s comments and insisted that he “did not like the statement”, but to all intents and purposes, the damage had been done. Whether Kovac knew what he was doing or not, Bayern have explicitly made it clear to Sane and his representatives that they see him as a vital part of their team moving forward.

Watch Manchester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Guardiola and City on the other hand have been left scrambling around waiting to see what the German decides, rather than trying to proactively take control of the situation. Despite not nailing down a place in the first-team last season, Sane registered some impressive numbers from out wide and at just 23-years-old has plenty of room for growth.

Allowing Bayern to dictate the negotiations in public does City no good. The City hierarchy simply have to re-assert their dominance and make it abundantly clear that Sane is not for sale.

Getting pushed around whilst being the champions of England reeks of embarrassing weakness. Taking a stand and shutting down the five-time European champions however would show the footballing world that City aren’t just a superpower on the pitch but off it as well.

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At the moment, Leicester have a number of young players who have begun to become regular fixtures in the team.

Last term we saw the emergence of Hamza Choudhury who went onto start the Foxes’ last three league games of the season. Meanwhile, Harvey Barnes’s excellent form for West Brom, where he scored nine goals, saw him recalled in January and become a regular starter.

However, there is another rising star coming through the ranks who could well be set for a first-team opportunity if recent events are anything to go by.

On the chalkboard

Dislodging Kasper Schmeichel from the Leicester goal would take some doing but there could well be a changing of the guard over the next few years.

Behind him in the pecking order is another Dane, Daniel Iversen.

The 21-year-old enjoyed a productive campaign on loan at Oldham in League Two last season where he kept 15 clean sheets in 42 outings.

It was the first senior football of his career but he’s now proving again at youth level why he deserves an opportunity in Leicester’s first-team.

Iversen is Denmark’s number one stopper at the European U21 Championships currently taking place and his latest performance for his country was vital.

With the score deadlocked at 1-1 on Thursday evening, he made a crucial save from a penalty as his side eventually went onto win 3-1.

It was a critical moment in the game as the young ‘keeper put in a performance beyond his age.

During the course of the match, he made three saves in total, adding to the five he had to make against Germany in Denmark’s opening game.

Could Daniel Sturridge be set to reunite with Brendan Rodgers? Check out the video below to find out…

The Leicester man is arguably at a point in his career now where he needs to be attaining regular minutes. He did so at Oldham last term but it would be considerably harder at a Premier League club to play a similar role.

For the time being, the Foxes’ current back-up keeper is Danny Ward but he only played five games in 2018/19.

Therefore, Brendan Rodgers may be better off rewarding Iversen next term by promotion him to Leicester’s number two instead.

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A recent report in the Yorkshire Evening Post has stated that Tottenham Hotspur are unlikely to be willing to pay the £20m price tag that Leeds United have set on Jack Clarke.

This means that the winger will either stay at Elland Road or leave for a lesser fee, and this latest development could have a huge knock-on effect in terms of the Whites’ transfer business this summer.

What’s the story?

Newspapers and online sources have been rampant with speculation that the 18-year-old could be on his way to north London, but Leeds have been resilient when it comes to any potential deal for their prized asset and have stood firm on their £20m valuation.

Noel Whelan has recently claimed the Whites were overpricing their hot prospect and it seems that Daniel Levy has agreed with that sentiment as Spurs don’t want to pay such a hefty fee for an unproven quantity.

Knock-on effects

Failure to sell Clarke for £20m may have severe knock-on effects for the rest of Leeds’ transfer window.

Phil Hay has previously stated that he thinks Leeds’ transfer model will force them to sell players before thinking about new arrivals. This means that the Whites may have to swallow their pride and sell the youngster at a lower price or let another one of their players go.

There has been no shortage of interest in Kalvin Phillips with Aston Villa reportedly preparing a £14m bid, and if Leeds aren’t going to sell Clarke, then they may allow the 23-year-old to leave Elland Road so that they can make signings this summer.

If the Yorkshire club sell Clarke at a lower price, it will also affect the calibre of players that they can target, so this newest update from Spurs isn’t something Andrea Radrizzani and Victor Orta will be happy to hear.

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Tottenham Hotspur suffered a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League final on Saturday night.

Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi scored the goals for the Reds, who shaded what was a disappointing match in terms of entertainment.

As expected, Son Heung-min was handed a starting role for Tottenham, having enjoyed an impressive season for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

It did not happen for the attacker at the Wanda Metropolitano, however, as Liverpool stayed strong at the back to keep a clean sheet.

According to WhoScored, Son had a pass success rate of just 68% against the Reds, whilst he managed just one successful dribble.

And there were a number of Spurs fans who took to social media to criticise the South Korean for his performance on the night.

Check out the video below for a Spurs fan’s emotional Champions League journey from their group stage struggles to that triumphant night in Amsterdam…

However, plenty of others insisted that the 6 foot attacker was one of few players in a Tottenham shirt who turned up for the capital side.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Now that the Premier League fixtures are out it’s time to see how they have affected the betting when it comes to how all 20 teams are going to perform this season.

There are a number of crazy bets for people to choose from including managerial sackings, top four chances, the relegation battle and golden boot winner.

It’s time to look at each team’s fixture list for the upcoming season – which kicks off on August 9 – and what the best bet is for each side.

And we start with Sean Dyche’s Burnley…

Burnley – 11/2 to finish 20th

Burnley dropped like a stone last season from seventh in the 2017/18 campaign to 15th in May.

Sean Dyche continues to work miracles at Turf Moor, but you do wonder just how long he can maintain that level with a squad which on paper looks like one of the weakest in the division.

They also have Arsenal, Wolves and Liverpool in three of their first four games so could be playing catch up from the off.

For Burnley to finish rock bottom next season the odds are 11/2, so £10 returns £65 including stake.

Watford – 15/1 to be relegated

Watford shipped 13 goals in their final three games of last season which included that horrid 6-0 defeat to Man City in the FA Cup Final. How will that affect the psyche of the players heading into this campaign?

They face a tricky run after their opening game against Brighton as they travel to Everton and Newcastle before hosting West Ham. Then the three games straight after the international break are against Arsenal, Man City and Wolves.

If Javi Gracia has a rough start to the season questions will begin to be asked and the Hornets could find themselves in trouble.

A tenner on Watford to go down will return you £65 including stake, a bet which if you look at last season’s end-of-season form is an extremely good price.

West Ham – 12/1 for a top six finish

West Ham had mixed fortunes last season. However, there are a couple of things which Hammers fans can look to for this campaign that may make them believe they can really do something.

Firstly, Manuel Pellegrini’s side started incredibly slowly last year. This season nine of their first 12 games are against either sides they finished above last season or promoted teams, which means they are more than capable of starting much stronger.

And linked with their inability to start well, their first meetings with five of the top six will all be at the London Stadium, a place which saw them win three more times last year than they managed on the road.

The fixtures have fallen kindly for the Hammers to combat the pitfalls they fell into last season and so if you fancy them for a top-six finish they are 12/1 – £10 returns you £130 including stake.

Bournemouth – 7/2 to be relegated

Eddie Howe has reached a point with Bournemouth where they are now a reliable mid-table side. They have finished 16th, 9th, 12th and 14th in their four seasons in the Premier League.

But they have not pushed on since being promoted and it does seem teams who consistently finish mid-table tend to eventually run out of steam and find themselves in trouble.

Five of their final six games this season will be Man Utd, Spurs, Leicester, Man City and Everton so they will need to ensure they are safe before then.

Howe’s men to be relegated is priced at 7/2, so £10 will return you £45 including stake.

Arsenal – 5/4 for a top four-finish

Unai Emery’s first season at Arsenal was a confusing one. It’s difficult to know whether Emery has improved Arsenal or not given they finished the season trophyless and outside the top four.

The 2019/20 campaign will likely make or break the former PSG man at the Emirates and success will almost certainly hinge on Champions League qualification.

Arsenal are 5/4 to finish in the top four, so £10 returns £22.50 including stake – the biggest price for any of the top six.

They are not fancied by the bookies but could just spring a surprise given Chelsea’s transfer ban and the question marks surrounding Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mauricio Pochettino.

Liverpool – 9/4 to win the Premier League

Incredibly, despite making Man City wait to the final day to win the Premier League title, the Reds odds to finally clinch their first league win in over 30 years are quite wide for this campaign at 9/4.

Although it will be extremely tough to prevent Pep Guardiola’s side from a third consecutive triumph, it is not out of the realms of possibility by any stretch and so £10 on Jurgen Klopp’s men returning £32.50 including stake is very good value.

A good run of Everton, Bournemouth, Watford, West Ham, Leicester, Wolves and Sheffield United through the Christmas period could help them build up a healthy lead going into the second half of the season.

Also, Mo Salah is 11/2 to claim the golden boot next season – £10 returns £65 including stake. And who would look past the prolific Egyptian?

Tottenham – 17/10 to finish in the top two

Spurs’ lack of squad depth was exposed in the Premier League towards the end of last season when they limped over the line, pipping Arsenal to the top four by a single point.

Now, not only does it look like they are going to strengthen in the summer, but they also have favourable fixtures from March onwards, with Manchester United and Arsenal at home the only fixtures Spurs have against the top six in their run in.

So, Spurs look best placed to close the gap on Man City and Liverpool this season and are 17/10 to finish in the top two which could be a good punt for those who fancy last season’s Champions League finalists to have another strong campaign.

Man City – 50/1 to go unbeaten

Aside from the Champions League exit in the quarter-finals last season, it was just about as perfect as you can get from Pep Guardiola’s men.

So, it will come as no surprise that they are 4/6 to win a third consecutive Premier League crown.

But what is worth a bet is Manchester City repeating their historic domestic treble of last season. City winning the league, FA Cup and League Cup for a second successive season is 25/1, and given their dominance over the past two years it wouldn’t surprise anybody!

One thing Guardiola may want to achieve that he hasn’t already is to go the entire season unbeaten. You can get odds of 50/1 if you think City can replicate what was achieved by Arsene Wenger’s invincibles.

£10 would return you £510 including stake! The only top six side they face before mid-November is Spurs so they will be sure to come out the blocks fast.

The tides are shifting in the management department of Chelsea.

Indeed, after watching his staff come up with underwhelming results recently, Roman Abramovich is seemingly ready to give power to some trusted advisors. At last, it appears he’s ready to bring a revolution in the backroom.

According to reports (via Daily Mail), Chelsea are keen on having Petr Cech to return to the club as their sporting director next season. Obviously, this is after the news that Frank Lampard is being touted as (per Corrierre dello Sport via the Mail) Maurizio Sarri’s successor next season, meaning the Blues are relying upon old blood to rekindle their fire going forward.

As if that wasn’t enough, former midfielder Claude Makelele is also being tipped (Euro United via Read Chelsea) to return in an advisory role in the board level. So, after the failed Italian experiment, it looks as if Chelsea are ready to go back to their roots. It’s also an indication of how Roman’s aiming to give up on changing the system every two years or so by sacking his management.

With the club legends at the helm, Chelsea could work more smoothly on every level. Off the pitch, Cech and Makelele will be able to find top talents to make them stronger going forward. Furthermore, If Lampard becomes the manager, he’ll do something which many past managers have hesitated at which is giving more chances to youth academy products.

Chelsea can operate as a stable club who give opportunities to youth, play attacking football and aren’t marred with controversy in management level anymore. At long last, right?

The love for the beautiful game these legends possesses will enable Chelsea to keep a clean image and soon grow back into a Premier League contender as well.

Chelsea fans, do you think the reshuffle in management can result in improvements next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Paul Tierney was announced on Tuesday as the referee who will take charge of Everton against Manchester United at the weekend, and his remarkable record suggests one match outcome can already be ruled out.

Both clubs will be looking to bounce back from disappointing performances and results when they meet at Goodison Park on Sunday.

The Toffees suffered a dreadful 2-0 defeat against already-relegated Fulham in the Premier League, while the Red Devils crashed out of the Champions League with a whimper after losing 4-0 on aggregate to Barcelona.

That was United’s fourth successive reverse on their travels – the first time that has happened since manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was playing for the club back in 1999.

The Merseyside outfit and the Old Trafford side both still have aspirations of finishing seventh and in the top four respectively this term, so it is very much all to play for at the weekend.

Tierney’s astonishing record certainly makes for interesting reading ahead of the clash however.

According to WhoScored, the 38-year-old is yet to officiate in a single draw from the 21 top flight encounters he has been the man in the middle of the pitch for during the current campaign.

Along with the fact that it is a more than a month since a draw has been recorded in the Premier League – there have been none in the previous 34 attempts – and you would have to assume that the game on Merseyside is destined for either a home or away win.

Solskjaer will certainly be hoping it is the latter with some United fans on Twitter already beginning to change their tune on him following some poor decisions.

Meanwhile, Marco Silva needs to build some momentum again ahead of next season if Everton are going to fulfil their ambitions following yet another inconsistent campaign.

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Blackburn Rovers fans on Twitter are split on the crucial question of who should be named the club’s Player of the Year for the 2018/2019 season.

This came after they were asked by the club’s official Twitter account as voting for the annual award was declared open.

The accolade is voted for by the supporters each year with voting ending on Wednesday 1st of May and, after an impressive first season back in the Sky Bet Championship, in which Rovers sit 14th in the table with just two matches remaining, there’s no shortage of contenders.

The likes of goalkeeper David Raya, defenders Charlie Mulgrew and Darragh Lenihan, midfielders Elliott Bennett, Harrison Reed, Lewis Travis, reigning champion Bradley Dack and prolific forward Danny Graham are all in with a major shout.

However, the Ewood Park faithful seem to be more focused on just three of those names and you can find out who they are in our list of reactive Tweets, below…