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Written by Grant Miles

Twitter handle: @GrantMilesFF 

Fulham secured a crucial three points at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon with a 2-0 win against Aston Villa, with Steve Sidwell and Dimitar Berbatov providing the finishes, for what could be a really important victory for the West Londoners.

Rene Meulensteen claimed his first victory since becoming Fulham boss and will see this result as a welcome bonus. In their previous outing, at home against Tottenham, they provided an admirable performance with no end product to show for their efforts but they were ruthless her, in their search for only their second home victory in the Premier League this campaign.

In the first half there was a renewed vigour and application, compared to their performances under Martin Jol, from Fulham and when Steve Sidwell managed to strike home from a difficult angle on 21 minutes he set the Cottagers well on their way.

Berbatov knocked the ball down to Dejagah and he slipped a first-time ball through to Sidwell, who made no mistake with the finish, despite being hauled down by Bacuna for his troubles.

The visitors tried to respond through Christian Benteke, who was back in the side, following his demotion to the bench, midweek against Southampton, but to no avail.

Fulham provided a sucker punch only nine minutes later as the superb Dimitar Berbatov slotted home a penalty on 30 minutes.

Kacaniklic went down contentiously from a challenge from Bacuna as he looked to be heading away from goal, but the Bulgarian maestro made no mistake from the resulting spot kick.

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Berbatov had a real steadying influence on his side for the rest of the game. Riise hit the outside of the post and could have put the game beyond doubt, whilst Agbonlahor had a penalty claim denied by Mike Dean, which could have provided a nervy finish.

Fulham are within touching distance of safety as only goal difference separates them from West Ham above them outside the relegation zone.

A first defeat last Saturday, at the hands of their fierce London rivals, appeared to signal the end of an extended honeymoon period for the Gunners. Normal service was resumed at the back as defensive errors from Laurent Koscielny and goalkeeper Vito Mannone contributed to their first loss of the new campaign. But in contrast to years gone by Arsene Wenger’s men responded in a surprisingly positive fashion chalking up an impressive mid-week victory in the Champions League proving there is a real strength of character and resolve in the Emirates Stadium dressing room this season. That being said it’s unlikely Wenger will allow his squad to get ahead of themselves despite their solid, if unspectacular start to the new term and will be hammering home the importance of staying grounded ahead of the international break.

This week on FFC is Theo Walcott right or wrong to demand an improved contract from the Gunners and which highly-rated Austrian international is Wenger chasing?

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Best of FFC

How Arsene Wenger has changed our ways

Does Arsenal ace deserve a call up…I’m not so sure

A little perspective needed at Arsenal

Why Arsenal need to have more signings like him

Another example of greed in the beautiful game?

Is the Ox in danger of becoming a jack of all trades?

Can anyone blame his contract stance at Arsenal?

His absence shows how far he has come at Arsenal

Why he will duly deliver for Arsenal

Is Arsene Wenger missing a trick by not upping it?

Wenger Tracking £5m Basel ace to boost numbers

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Best of WEB

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Tomorrow’s Just Another Day – A Cultured Left Foot

Is our new Spanish maestro just as good as Cesc? – Gunnersphere

Time to dispense with the Grimster? – Online Gooner

Our new unsung hero – Gunnersphere

Chilled out German spiders – Arseblog

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Could Vermaelen cover for Diaby? | Jack Wilshere passes first test | Arsenal over reliance on kids? – Le Grove

What does the future hold for Emmanuel Frimpong? – Highbury House

Word Is, He’s Better Than Walcott & Oxlade-Chamberlain… – Transfer Tavern

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Quote of the Week

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“Jack needs a few games, progressive build-up to get his body used again to competition, to shocks, to fights, but he is doing extremely well, the situation looks very good. We have to be cautious, not crazy, because of his talent you are always pushed in a situation where you would like to rush him back, and we have to resist that. The next match should be next week and he is working very hard. The body is like that, when you have been out of competition for 14 months it takes a long time to find your sharpness back. You cannot rush it.” Arsene Wenger insists he won’t rush Jack Wilshere back into the first team fold

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Featured Video

Leeds target Andy Yiadom will end speculation of a move to Elland Road by signing for Reading, and Leeds fans suspect it could be bad news for Paul Heckingbottom.

2017/18 was a long and arduous season for Leeds fans, as a good start to the season slowly toiled away after Christmas.

The arrival of Paul Heckingbottom had little to no effect on the side’s form, and any hopes of a playoff push evaporated rather quickly.

Fans have not been impressed by Heckingbottom since his arrival, and they weren’t too happy when he lined up the signing of Andy Yiadom.

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Yiadom, a versatile full back, had been one of the few bright spots in Barnsley’s miserable relegation season.

Fans had already given up on the season by the time the Yiadom rumours surfaced, and many felt next season would be the exact same if they didn’t aim higher.

Yiadom now looks all set to join Reading, who narrowly escaped relegation themselves, and Leeds fans couldn’t be happier.

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While a few are just breathing a sigh of relief as they didn’t want Yiadom anyway, there are plenty who feel Heckingbottom must not be trusted at the club if they aren’t landing his targets.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

While every top-class footballer goes through dry spells, Alexis Sanchez’s dip in form has unavoidably coincided with the January transfer window. The Chile international’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season and a return of just one assist in his last four appearances suggests Sanchez is struggling to maintain his usual standards amid doubts over his future.

Accordingly, many Arsenal fans have criticised the forward for a lack of commitment in recent weeks, and the Gunners’ 4-0 demolition at Anfield back in August highlighted how important it is to have every player fully focused against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

With that in mind, we asked Arsenal fans earlier this week whether Sanchez or Danny Welbeck should start when Liverpool travel to the Emirates Stadium on Friday night. The 36-cap Englishman may pale in comparison to Sanchez in terms of ability, but his industriousness and energy can never be faulted.

And our poll has revealed that a staggering 76% of Gunners supporters would prefer to see Welbeck in Wenger’s starting XI on Friday evening, rather than a half-committed Sanchez. How would you field the Gunners against the Merseysiders, Arsenal fans? Let us know by commenting below…

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Liverpool have been riding high of late. A club that look finally set to re-emerge from the ignominy of Premier League mid-table mediocrity and return to the upper echelons of European football where they surely belong. Indeed the Roger’s revolution has been gathering pace, with many tipping the Anfield club to finally end their exile from the Champions League.

Last weekend though threw a major spanner in the works. Defeat to newly promoted Hull City was one thing, but to be largely outplayed and deserving of a humbling 3-1 reverse is surely of more concern to Rodgers. As good as Hull City were, Liverpool seemed intent on giving their Humberside opponents the impetus to win.

The worry is that there is a gulf emerging between Rodgers’ squad players and the smattering of star studded quality that they currently possess. A Liverpool side with the likes of Suarez, Sturridge and Gerrard in their ranks is a team that could give anyone a match, but without them they seem to be largely devoid of genuine quality.

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Going into the busy and often decisive festive period, Rodgers is now increasingly concerned about the depth of his new-look squad. Daniel Sturridge already looks set to miss up to 8 weeks of action with ankle ligament damage, a huge blow for a side that have been dependent on his 11 goals so far this season and who without him lack a genuine out and out frontman. Liverpool were also nursing an injury to Coutinho, who was only able to complete just over 20 minutes for the Reds. Rodgers knows about the fragility of his squad, another injury could put an unbearable strain on his resources and undermine the success of the clubs Champions League charge.

Al this from a side that spent over £50m on players this summer, is Rodgers really being serious?

I think the frailties of the Liverpool squad are there for all to see, Rodgers may well have spent big but for me the problems still run deep. The Northern Irishman inherited a squad that contained a lot of overrated and overhyped footballers, re-addressing the balance was always going to take time. In order to buy he has had to sell, and his purchases have all been with a view to the future. The likes of Luis Alberto and Iago Aspas are not the sort of players to provide genuine quality in reserve just yet, maybe in a few years time.

Liverpool are in a position where they have a few world class players and a large amount of capable players that could possibly develop into something a little better. Most people in and around the club realise that injuries to top players could well destabilise the clubs position and until the side can call upon a greater wealth of talents this situation won’t change.

Many may criticise Rodgers for not spending on proven world-class talents, and I would agree if he had the club may well be better placed going in Christmas. The reality though is that football is a balancing act, the difference between a wafer thin squad and an overburdened one is smaller than you might imagine. Take a club like Spurs that have spent even bigger than Liverpool, and who are now dealing with the ramifications of a mass squad overhaul. Few would doubt that the North Londoners don’t possess quality in abundance, but most would accept that their transition will take time and that a large squad may well pose considerable problems for the manager going forward.

Liverpool never had the chance to make such changes. No big money sale of Suarez and owners that look to be taking a more prudent stance going forward, Rodgers has had to settle for second best with an eye firmly on the future.

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The Anfield club look set to challenge this season, but key to these ambitions is maintaining the fitness of some of their key players. Unlike many of their rivals Liverpool simply don’t have the squad to call upon when they need it, and therefore negotiating the rigours of the winter months may well be telling for the Merseyside club.

A squad too small or one that is perfectly streamlined? Rodgers has a tough task on his hands and those in and around the club will have the fingers firmly crossed for the next few months.

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Tottenham winger Gareth Bale has stated that his side are confident of finishing in the top four once more this season.

The White Hart Lane team finished fourth last season, but were denied Champions League football due to Chelsea lifting the trophy.

The Wales international feels his team can compete for a qualification place, despite a slow start under Andre Villas-Boas.

“I’m enjoying my football, we’ve got a great squad now and hopefully next season we can get Champions League football, where we should be,” The Telegraph report the flyer as saying.

“We didn’t have a great start last year and we were in a similar position this year. We went on a run last season and there’s no reason why we can’t do it this year.

“It feels like a new club at the moment with the new training ground. It has excited everybody, and has brought everybody up again,” he stated.

Bale has been linked with a big-money move away from north London in the recent past, but the player has stated that he has no intentions of leaving.

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“No. I’ve always been focused on my game, playing football, and I’m enjoying myself here at the moment so there’s no reason to go anywhere,” Bale commented.

By Gareth McKnight

The Chelsea fans in the Transfer Tavern have been reacting to comments from their explosive left-back, Marcos Alonso. The Spaniard claimed via the Chelsea website that the club was”so unlucky” after failing to impress as they fell to a 0-0 draw with The Terriers to secure Huddersfield’s Premier League status for next season and leave Chelsea’ Champions League hopes hanging by a thread.

Chelsea missed a huge chance to take the lead against David Wagner’s side in the first-half when Antonio Rudiger couldn’t convert an open goal chance from less than five-yeards out, setting the tone for Chelsea’s form in front of goal for the rest of the match. In the second-half, Laurent Depoitre latched onto Aaron Mooy’s long ball and capitalised on a mistake from Willy Caballero’s mistake to open the scoring.

Chelsea came back firing but could only find the net with a freak goal. When Huddersfield thought they’d dealt with a tame cross into the box, the ball was fired straight into the face of Marcos Alonso and rebounded into the corner of the net. It was Alonso’s 7th Premier League goal of the season and whilst he knew nothing about it, he’s still not happy seeing as it couldn’t be used as a platform to overcome The Terriers and continue the fight for Champions League.

You can read our resident Blues’ verdict on Alonso’s comments here:

According to Don Balon, Real Madrid are prepared to sell Toni Kroos at the end of the season, which has alerted the attention of Manchester United.

What’s the story?

Real Madrid might have retained the Club World Cup in recent weeks, but Los Blancos are a massive 14 points off La Liga leaders Barcelona after a difficult start to the 2017-18 campaign.

The Spanish champions failed to adequately replace the likes of James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata last summer, but it is understood that the club will spend big at the end of the season.

Neymar continues to be linked with a spectacular return to Spain, and according to Don Balon, Real Madrid are prepared to sell Kroos to the Premier League in order to balance the books.

Manchester United are believed to have a long-standing interest in the German international, and the Red Devils could seemingly be ready to launch a bid at the end of the current campaign.

How would Kroos fit in at United?

First and foremost, Kroos, who is valued at £72m by transfermarkt.co.uk, is one of the best central midfielders in world football.

The 27-year-old won three Bundesliga titles and one Champions League with Bayern Munich before moving to Real Madrid, where he has enjoyed remarkable success.

Two Champions League crowns, one La Liga title and three Club World Cups have been added to Kroos’ trophy cabinet during his time at the Bernabeu, whilst he is a key figure for a Germany team that won the 2014 World Cup on Brazilian soil.

The thought of Kroos playing alongside Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba in the United midfield is an exciting thought for the club’s supporters.

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Kroos’ arrival would potentially allow for Pogba to push into an advanced position, knowing that he has one of the best passers in world football behind him.

If Real Madrid do decide to sell Kroos to raise funds for Neymar, United should jump at the chance to sign one of the best midfielders in the world.

The start to the season has been somewhat of a mess for Sunderland. They occupy the bottom spot in the Premier League with only one point from their first four games.

The aura of the whole club at the moment is chaotic. Some may say manager Paolo Di Canio doesn’t help with this perception. Brought in as a short term fix to keep Sunderland in the top flight last time around, the long term negative effect of appointing a character such as this now seems to be taking hold and the Italian’s criticism of his players in the aftermath of their game against Crystal Palace on the 31st August compounded the feeling of indifference at the Stadium of Light.

Things just aren’t going well for Sunderland at the moment. They were unlucky not to claim an equaliser at the weekend against Arsenal due to a ridiculous refereeing decision in which he saw no advantage for Jozy Altidore even though the American was through one on one with the keeper.

However, critics will point to more than this in analysing Sunderland’s poor performances so far this campaign. After bringing in no less than 14 summer signings Di Canio recently claimed he needs more new faces. He is probably right, not because 14 isn’t enough – but because the 14 signed are somewhat mediocre players with very little experience of a competition anywhere near the intensity of the Premier League.

This is bound to have unsettled their incumbent players. Sunderland need some genuinely exciting quality in January otherwise it looks certain that they will be embroiled in a second successive relegation battle, with or without Di Canio at the helm.

Click on Yossi Benayoun to see FIVE players for Sunderland to consider

Arsenal picked up their first win of the new season on Sunday, beating Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield.

New summer signings Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla both found the back of the net to give the north Londoners the three points on Merseyside.

Arsene Wenger was happy with his team’s showing and also admitted that seeing the new players score was a source of pleasure.

“It’s always a test when you arrive at a club like Arsenal,” Wenger told Sky Sports.

“People have seen many, many, many great players so you have to convince people. They know what makes a good player.

“I think slowly they can convince our fans they are good enough to play for us.

“It’s like scoring goals, as long as you don’t concede everybody defends a bit better as they want to keep the record, and that helps.

“But overall credit to the whole team, they defended well,” he concluded.

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Arsenal take on Southampton next at the Emirates Stadium after the international break.

By Gareth McKnight

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