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Harry Kane picks his moments.

This is a striker who is so regularly at the forefront of everything Tottenham Hotspur do well. He scored the winner against Southampton at the weekend and has generally been a shining light in what has already been a poor season for Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

But on Tuesday night, he turned in one of his very worst displays in a white shirt.

Now, he wasn’t alone. Spurs lost 7-2 to a rampant Bayern Munich side in a scoreline that closely resembles what someone might see on FIFA 20, instead of in the Champions League, but Kane’s struggles were emblematic of the club’s woes.

Indeed, prior to the game, Bayern’s manager, Niko Kovac, had warned his players of the threat the England captain posed. He said that he, along with Robert Lewandowski, was one of the world’s best strikers.

You wouldn’t have known.

Kane did score from the penalty spot after Danny Rose was felled in the box but that’s about it.

Per WhoScored, he touched the ball 21 times, fewer than any other player to start the game. He did crack off four shots but just two were on target and one of those was from 12 yards.

He did not win an aerial duel, nor did he make a tackle. This is surprising for a player who so usually sets the tone for Spurs, leading from the front and charging down loose balls and hassling defenders.

And compared with Lewandowski – valued at £58.5m by Transfermarkt – the statistics are all the starker.

The Poland international had 39 touches of the ball and scored twice, one a genuinely brilliant finish on the turn from the edge of the box on the stroke of half-time.

He completed two dribbles and won four aerial duels throughout the game.

Spurs’ defence throughout the game was an abomination but Lewandowski was a key component in unsettling the backline.

Whenever the ball came to him, he was a danger, and Spurs couldn’t cope with him.

Of course, the Champions League is a competition of margins, and fine ones at that. Where Lewandowski scored two of his six shots, Kane scored one of his four.

It is all the more frustrating for Spurs fans when one considers the stats.

Lewandowski has scored 39 goals in the Champions League for Bayern in 54 outings. That’s a rate of a goal every 0.72 games, or more than one every other. Kane has 16 goals in 21 for Spurs at a rate of a goal every 0.76 games.

He can do it. He can drag this team up by its bootstraps and take them to the next level and inspire glory glory nights.

On Tuesday, though, he was absent. The fire, the ferocity of his finishes, simply wasn’t there. He allowed himself to be outshined.

As a result, Spurs were beaten, cowed and humiliated. Just when they needed him, Kane had an off night.

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…

Speaking on BT Sport, former Manchester United man Michael Owen has slammed Fred as being “just a moderate player”.

What did he say?

The Brazilian arrived from Ukrainian giants Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer of 2018 for a reported fee of £47m, with reports suggesting Manchester City were even interested in securing his signature.

However, his debut campaign was not something to write home about, as the 26-year-old made just 25 appearances across all competitions. His start to the current season has been similarly underwhelming, featuring for just the sixth time in the Europa League clash against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday night.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

The midfielder produced a poor performance, making no interceptions or key passes, and losing possession 11 times over the course of the game. After seeing his display, Michael Owen launched a stinging attack on what the former Shakhtar man brings to the table.

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He said (as quoted by The Daily Mail): “He’s just a moderate player isn’t he? That’s the bottom line. What can you say? We were discussing his best position. I probably think it is a six, Owen (Hargreaves) thinks it is an eight. Really, once we start arguing about it, he cant do either role that well.”

Wasted opportunity

Continuing to see Fred make very little out of his opportunities makes for very frustrating viewing. The Brazil international has in no shape or form justified his huge price tag, but is still given chance after chance to prove himself.

More than anything however, he is simply taking away a first-team spot from some of the club’s talented academy youngsters. James Garner has earned rave reviews from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but hasn’t been given a shot at breaking into the side.

Just what must the teenager be thinking when he has to sit on the side-lines watching Fred continue to disappoint?

It’s about time the United boss takes action on one of his under-performing players, and hand that opportunity to someone more deserving.

Arsenal fans have been reminiscing about former fan favourite Santi Cazorla as they feel his impact in the current squad is sorely missed.

Cazorla, 34, spent five seasons at the Emirates and was a major part in Arsene Wenger’s side after he made 180 appearances for the club. The Spaniard was eventually released after a series of injuries and left to rejoin Villareal on a free transfer.

Having won two FA Cups and two Community Shields with the club, one of the midfielder’s best moments was scoring a free-kick against Hull City at Wembley to guide the Gunners to win the FA Cup in 2014.

Cazorla was showered with praise by the Emirates faithful and they reminisced about the positive impact he had on the team.

One fan said that he was the “unsung hero” for the side as his contributions went largely unnoticed, while another supporter said that the 34-year-old is one of the only players that understand how Mesut Ozil plays.

Here you will find some of the best comments from Arsenal fans:

When Arsenal shelled out a club record £72m for Nicolas Pepe this summer fans flocked to YouTube to watch his best bits. What they saw was a winger blessed with searing pace who loved a trick or two, sometimes more when the mood took him. He was an entertaining, invigorating bundle of energy and creativity.

They then headed for the stats and that’s when the excitement at his signing really kicked in. In 41 games last season for Lille, the Ivory Coast international scored 23 times and made 12 assists. Clearly there was an end product to the step-overs, a purpose to the razzmatazz.

His debut against Newcastle on the opening day of the season went exactly as you would expect from a player of his ilk. So keen was Pepe to impress and show what he could do that he was guilty at times of running down blind alleys, retaining possession when not the best option. And if it could be said that he ultimately flattered to deceive so be it. The goals would come. The assists would come. On that afternoon defenders were taken on and Pepe was a threat throughout. That was sufficient for an introduction: to show promise.

At Anfield towards the end of August Unai Emery shuffled his pack and played the 24-year-old just off Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The intention was to capitalise on his individuality and to see what came of it from counters.

The plan nearly worked too, until Liverpool took control of the game and won all-too-easily. Until that happened Pepe created a couple of chances for himself and others. He was a threat, a live-wire.

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Fast-forward to a woeful performance at Old Trafford recently and that threat remained unfulfilled. Worse yet a series of disappointing displays had now led to the narrative forming that Nicolas Pepe was flopping and flopping hard. “His work rate, his lack of quality, end product, his body language. He didn’t seem up for the fight tonight”. That was Roy Keane’s assessment in his punditry role for Sky.

As for the player himself he has been candid enough to admit that, “It’s not been easy, we must tell the truth”. “I’m not good enough in my stats or my usual form,” he has publicly concluded.

Returning to Keane’s criticism however it is necessary to take umbrage with his last barb. “He didn’t seem up for the fight”. That really does depend on how you define the term.

Because anyone who saw the game – indeed anyone who has watched Pepe toil under immense pressure and expectation from this season’s curtain raiser on – will surely note that the attacker ‘shows’ for the ball every time. He doesn’t hide. And when he gains possession he refuses too to play it safe. How often do we see a player struggling for whatever reason play a simple five yard pass back to whoever gave it to him. Pepe doesn’t do that. He turns. He faces up. He tries constantly to make something happen.

Who says there’s no atmosphere at the Emirates? The evidence in the video above suggests otherwise…

That should be respected. Because that is directly taking on the fight to prove himself; a player charged with creating and dribbling. A player deemed to be 72 million times talented enough to pull that off.

Whether Pepe manages to change perceptions and become a success at the Emirates remains to be seen.

But his valiant attempts to make that happen is little short of admirable, and history suggests that it’s far too early to lay the flop tag in the close vicinity of Pepe’s name.

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…

Unai Emery believes Arsenal can achieve “something important” this season, per inews.

What’s he said?

The Gunners have enjoyed a somewhat promising start to the season and have already played three of the so-called big six, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

They have lost just one of those games, to Jurgen Klopp’s men, while drawing with Spurs and the Red Devils, though they were defeated by Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Monday evening.

And Emery insists that his squad has the capacity to take significant strides forward this term, even reserving special praise for Mesut Ozil, who has struggled for minutes this term.

He said: “I am speaking every day with Raul (Sanllehi, their head of football), Edu (Arsenal’s technical director) and the players. And I really think our way is going right and working well.

“And really now I am very happy with the club. I am really happy with the players. The last two, three, four weeks, every player – and Mesut Ozil – has been working very well. In this way we can be positive and we can think we are going to do something important this year.

“This is the way I want and I was speaking with Raul, he has the same idea when he is speaking with me.”

Changes needed

If Emery is to get his way, significant changes are needed.

Ozil, namechecked by the Gunners boss, is not actually playing and has just one appearance to his name thus far in the top-flight. Granit Xhaka has been named captain, while Sead Kolasinac continues to keep Kieran Tierney out of the starting XI.

In the defeat to the Blades, Arsenal had just three shots on target.

That’s because they simply didn’t have enough creativity; their full-backs, Kolasinac and Calum Chambers, were both booked and could not have a significant impact in the latter third; Joe Willock, in attacking midfield, touched the ball a mere 17 times.

Of course, one swallow does not make a summer, in the same way that one bad result does not make a crisis, but the loss to the Blades is informative.

If Emery wants to take steps towards achieving what he wants, he needs to start playing his best players in a formation that allows them to actually create chances and score goals.

Otherwise, they’ll be doomed to another season of attempting to qualify for the Champions League.

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…

Heading into the clash on Sunday, Manchester United fans may have been forgiven for fearing the worst. The side had capped off a truly horrendous start to the Premier League campaign by falling to an embarrassing 1-0 defeat to Newcastle before the international break, whilst visitors Liverpool, had enjoyed a flawless start. It had all the makings of a truly forgettable afternoon for the Old Trafford faithful.

Instead, in arguably their most promising display since the 4-0 thrashing of Chelsea in their opening game of the season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were five minutes away from clinching a remarkable 1-0 victory against the league leaders. Whilst the United boss was understandably in a buoyant mood after the match, the sense of the performance and the result being a watershed moment should be tempered.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Make no mistake about it, Liverpool looked a shadow of their normal irrepressible selves at the weekend, losing possession 157 times, and completing just four out of their 23 attempted crosses. United certainly played their part in making the visitors look so distinctly ordinary, but Jurgen Klopp’s men did themselves no favours. The Merseyside club played right into the Red Devils’ plans, getting involved in 50/50 challenges, putting the ball out of play under little pressure, and trying to whip in David Beckham-esque crosses from 40 yards away.

Whilst Liverpool may have approached the game in that fashion, it will be highly unlikely Norwich will do the same next week. Or any of the other lesser sides over the coming months. As others have done before them – most notably Crystal Palace and Newcastle – they will be happy to sit back in their own box and try to counter-attack themselves. They will not be prepared to leave space in behind as Klopp’s side did on Sunday.

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In four games against Chelsea, Leicester, Arsenal and Liverpool, Solskjaer’s team have picked up eight points from a possible 12 – a very decent return indeed. But against sides they are expected to beat, they have come away with two. The big tests for the Red Devils lies in the clashes where the opposition won’t play into their hands as much. Playing 5-3-2 and counter-attacking against sides that want to dominate you is all well and good, but that approach won’t cut it week-in and week-out against the Premier League’s lesser lights.

So whilst United should rightly feel proud of their display on Sunday, it may not be the watershed moment either Solskjaer or the players hope for.

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…

Sheffield Wednesday have enjoyed eight of their 14 Championship matches with Garry Monk at the helm, and it is safe to say that they are currently on the right path.

The Owls have lost just one match under the 40-year-old as they sit in fifth position, only three points from the league-leading West Brom, who failed to win either of their games last week.

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It is now 15 points from a possible 24 after Saturday’s 0-0 stalemate against local rivals Leeds United, which before the game had Monk well on track to surpass his three previous predecessors.

His impact at the club has been highlighted by Adam Reach, who spoke after that draw about the former Swansea City man.

The 26-year-old has started every single match under Monk, primarily on the right-hand side of midfield, so there’s no one better to explain just how well the manager has done than a player that has been a regular under him.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, Reach said:

“We have stuck in there and got ourselves in a good position and finally I think we have got a manager who is the right man at the right time and we have got the quality of the players.

“We have got someone who is improving every player.

“I think everyone can admit they have improved in some area under him and we need to keep that going.

“There is plenty more work to do. We are always striving to get better.”

This glowing review of Monk’s reign so far only goes to show that Wednesday are serious contenders for promotion this season.

The division is hugely competitive with just four points separating second to 12th, which is crazy, but that doesn’t neglect the Owls’ chances one bit.

The 40-year-old is working with a squad that was completely inherited, meaning he’s effectively managing a team built by Steve Bruce, and to some extent, by caretaker boss Lee Bullen.

He can’t stamp his own mark, player-wise, until January if he chooses to do so.

Losing just one game in eight matches at a club that hasn’t seen the playoffs for over two seasons now is mightily impressive, and they’re only just improving.

After Blackburn Rovers this weekend, the south Yorkshiremen have to play West Brom and Swansea City, which should prove Wednesday’s credentials this season.

It certainly has been the right man at the right time.

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

According to The Chronicle, Newcastle remain in a deadlock over contract discussions with Sean and Matty Longstaff.

What’s the word?

The duo have been one of the bright spots of a mixed season at St James’ Park this season, with the brothers establishing themselves at the heart of the Magpies midfield in recent weeks.

Older sibling Sean has been the subject of intense transfer speculation linking him with a move to Old Trafford, whilst Matty’s current deal with Newcastle expires at the end of the current season.

Now, The Chronicle claim Steve Bruce’s side are yet to make a breakthrough in negotiations with the pair in respect to extending their deals, and the Newcastle boss admitted in his pre-match press conference that they are working to get them done.

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He said: “It took Martin Dubravka the best part of three months. I keep saying conversations are ongoing – the two Longstaff brothers are there for everybody to see. That will keep on going.”

Priority

Make no mistake about it, more than anything else this season, Newcastle simply have to convince the Longstaff brothers to put pen to paper on new long-term contracts.

Anything else would be a major travesty. The pair have brought the heart and passion back to St James’ Park amidst difficult times, and losing them would just rip the soul out of the club.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Their iconic post-match comments after the victory against Manchester United earlier this season was a special moment. Speaking on Sky Sports, Gary Neville remarked just how significant it was.

“I said before the game that the life has been sucked out of this ground but that sort of moment today, that will give a spark to fifty thousand Newcastle fans that there is something there. That’s why they turn up because one of their own has gone out there today and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.”

If they can get the duo to commit their futures to the club, the Magpies faithful know they can rally behind a couple of players who will give it their all no matter what and represent the local community. After all, they’ve come through the academy, and as Neville says, they’ve been a spark for the Toon Army.

As fans continue to understandably protest against Mike Ashley’s tyrannous regime, the Longstaff brothers are the key to restoring a sense of identity at St James’ Park.

Liverpool face Premier League title rivals Manchester City on Sunday with the chance to put clear distance between themselves and the Sky Blues, but some Reds supporters have felt the need to demand that Mohamed Salah improves his game ahead of the key tie.

Salah had taken to Twitter ahead of the crunch clash to share a selection of images of the winger in training, as the Egyptian worked on his balance at the Anfield outfit’s Melwood facilities.

Some supporters have replied to the post by suggesting that the 5 ft 8 forward should be working on his shooting instead, following a number of fans slamming Salah for his efforts in front of goal against KRC Genk in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Re-live the moment Sadio Mane robbed Leicester City of a point at Anfield through the eyes of the Foxes fans in the video below…

Fans were left disgruntled despite Jurgen Klopp’s men beating the Belgian side, as Salah attempted a joint-game-high five shots but only managed to direct one on target.

His shooting is not the only thing some Liverpool fans appear to be concerned about ahead of facing Man City, though, as supporters have also suggested the 27-year-old must work on his ball retention.

Only Sadio Mane has been dispossessed by an opponent more often in the Premier League than Salah of those called upon by Klopp thus far, with the Senegal forward losing the ball 24 times to the Egyptian’s 19 instances, per WhoScored data.

Mane is also the only Liverpool player to give away possession more often through unsuccessful touches, as the former Southampton star has gifted the opponent control 33 times in 11 games to Salah’s 32 in 10 appearances.

Here are some of the messages shared in response to Salah’s post of the winger working on his balance…

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

West Bromwich Albion enter the final international break of this calendar year sitting atop the Championship table after 16 matches.

Slaven Bilic’s side have lost just one match all season and currently hold a two-point cushion over the chasing pack of Preston North End and Leeds United.

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Upon their return to league action in two weeks, the Baggies’ squad depth is really going to be tested as they will face eighth-placed Sheffield Wednesday without their skipper Jake Livermore and his midfield partner Romaine Sawyers.

Both have started every single game under the Croatian, but having picked up their fifth bookings of the season against Hull City last time out, there’s now a pressing concern in a vital area.

On the Chalkboard

If there’s one area on the pitch that Albion lack numbers the most, it is in central midfield.

Gareth Barry has only just recently re-signed at the club, having battled back from a career-threatening injury, so this game may be too soon for him while Rekeem Harper appears to be out of Bilic’s immediate plans having featured for just six league minutes all season.

That leaves Chris Brunt and Filip Krovinovic as other options, but they have both played the majority of their careers in a different role.

One possible solution may be to break up a defence that has kept just four clean sheets this season by bringing centre-back Semi Ajayi into midfield.

It is a position he has played in before at his former club Rotherham United- in 22 matches, the Nigeria international has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.06, also recording 2.7 tackles and 1.9 clearances per game.

For just one game, he would be an ideal option in the heart of midfield.

It also means that Ahmed Hegazi is given a perfect opportunity to return to defence, in a move that can only benefit West Brom’s entire season.

Given their lack of clean sheets and their ability to concede an average of over one goal per game, something has to change at the back, and the experienced Egyptian can offer some further stability.

He played 40 times last season as the Baggies made the playoffs, averaging a massive 6.3 clearances and 1.4 tackles per game.

Fans love Hegazi at the Hawthorns, so what better way to integrate him back into the starting line up following his return from injury.

He hasn’t been seen since the heartbreak of their playoff defeat to local rivals Aston Villa.