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Arsenal fans will be praying that their side can get the better of Napoli later on today in what will be a very tight encounter at the Emirates, with anything less than a win making things very difficult. 

The Gunners will be relying on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in what is a huge game in Arsenal’s season, with the Europa League providing the North London club with a Champions League spot if they end up winning it.

Arsene Wenger signed the Gabon international for £56 million (as per BBC) back in January of last year and it’s safe to say that he’s already proved to be a masterstroke signing having produced 32 goals and 11 assists in 55 games.

Indeed, his world-class performances since rocking up at the Emirates have seen his value shoot up, as according to CIES (via Daily Mail), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is worth £72 million.

Many Arsenal fans will agree that the Emirates hasn’t seen a better striker in recent years as he continues to produce in front of goal, with 22 goals and seven assists to his name in all competitions this season.

It’s safe to say that Arsenal would be settling for a place in the Europa League if it wasn’t for the forward as his goals have secured a number of points for the Gunners. His pace, finishing and ability to create makes him one of the best strikers in the whole of world football, so Wenger did very well to capture him last year.

His value will no doubt continue to rise in years to come if he continues on the same path, but for now, £72 million seems like the right value for the 29-year-old.

Arsenal fans, how much do you think Aubameyang is worth at this moment in time? Join the discussion by commenting down below! 

Benjamin Mendy used to be quite a likeable character, but he has since degenerated into one of the most frustrating players for fans and critics alike.

The proliferation of YouTube, social media, the internet and technology means players are more connected with the outside world than ever. And that is a great thing. In the modern era, we need players like Benjamin Mendy; individuals who can bridge the gap between the dressing room and fans. Those fun, bouncy characters who are as useful off the pitch as they are on. But that is where the problem lies. The Frenchman is too focused on one thing and not the other.

Manchester fans more than anyone have a right to be frustrated with their record signing left-back. Their match-up against Brighton in the FA Cup on 6 April marked the first time Mendy appeared in anything other than social media in nine games. Before that, the club’s resident prankster had spent two separate periods on the side-line totalling a period of 24 games, and even before then he had missed 45 games last term through “injury”.

This means Benjamin Mendy, the man who cost Pep Guardiola £52million in 2017, has spent a ridiculous 366 out of the team for one reason or another. But what has he been doing in that time, you might ask? Well, his Twitter gives a pretty comprehensive account.

From forcing the “shark team” hashtag down our throats like an overzealous parent with a spoonful of carrot mush to a barrage of emojis akin to that of a WhatsApp group chat full of excitable teenagers, Mendy has crowned himself as the ultimate social media footballer. But City did not fork out multi-millions for the world’s most expensive Twitter manager. They wanted a player and is not what they have got.

Guardiola once claimed that he wanted to kill Benjamin Mendy ‘at times’, and though he probably did not mean literally, we imagine he is not far off now (as per The Times).  His most recent controversy, which involved leaving a club at 3:30am the night before training, may not be that bad under normal circumstances – footballers need a life outside the game, after all – but Mendy should have been working on his comeback (story via Telegraph).

We are at a point now where Manchester City need to make a decision: do they keep Mendy or send him packing? A new left-back is at the forefront of Pep Guardiola’s shopping list apparently, with Ben Chilwell a rumoured prospect, so that may give fans some hint towards which way the club are leaning (as per Telegraph).

Manchester City fans, is it time to wave goodbye to Mendy? Let us know in the comments below…

It was a disastrous Easter weekend for Leeds, wasn’t it Whites fans?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side had held a three-point advantage over Sheffield United going into Friday’s fixtures yet following their automatic promotion rivals’ 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest, the pressure to respond in their clash with Wigan proved to be too much.

Despite their opponents having a man sent off in the first-half and Patrick Bamford giving his side the lead, the Whites inexplicably capitulated, conceding goals either side of half-time at Elland Road. Although Leeds would have 36 shots in their clash with the Latics, a worrying lack of composure resulted in them losing ground on the Blades.

Rather than simply being a one-off, Bielsa’s men replicated their poor showing against Wigan on Monday when they faced Brentford at Griffin Park. Despite dominating possession, the Whites were hit twice on the counter-attack by the Bees who put a huge dent in their hopes of securing a top-two finish in May.

With Leeds now three points behind Chris Wilder’s Blades, it is surely time to throw caution at the wind and start Kemar Roofe against Aston Villa next Saturday.

The 26-year-old has not started for the club since suffering ligament damage in his knee during a 2-1 victory over Swansea City in February yet has made five substitute appearances since returning to action earlier this month.

Arguably the club’s best attacking outlet having scored 14 goals in the second tier this season, Roofe has the ability to turn a game on its head and will be needed if his side are to overcome a Lions side, who are in red hot form.

With the former Oxford United ace being able to play on the wing as well as up-front, he could be brought in to replace a number of players who have underperformed in recent weeks.

What do you think Leeds fans? Should Roofe start against Villa? Or is it not worth risking the forward with the prospect of play-offs just over the horizon?

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Leeds fans on Twitter are downbeat after it was confirmed that Kemar Roofe will miss the game against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Spirits were already low around the Yorkshire club following back-to-back losses last week that has left their chances of automatic promotion slim at best.

Now the club have been handed a further blow as their top scorer has been ruled out of one of the biggest matches of the Whites’ season.

Roofe has netted 14 times for United so far this campaign and will be a big miss against the in-form Midlands outfit, who have won ten successive Championship fixtures.

Leeds’ game against Villa truly is their last roll of the dice as a loss against Dean Smith’s side would confirm their place in the play-offs at the end of the season, barring a miracle.

Marcelo Bielsa has utilised Patrick Bamford as his preferred striking option in recent weeks and he is likely to start against Villa this weekend.

Here’s what Leeds fans have been saying on Twitter…

League One’s fascinating race for automatic promotion saw yet another dramatic twist occur on Saturday which would have delighted Barnsley’s supporters.

With fellow top-two contenders Sunderland and Portsmouth facing each other, the Tykes knew that by securing a victory over Blackpool at Oakwell, they would be able to gain on at least one of their rivals.

However, after making a slow start to proceedings, Daniel Stendel’s side fell behind as Tangerines midfielder Harry Pritchard saw his deflected effort wrong foot Adam Davies. Having overcome the shock of conceding, Barnsley levelled just before half-time as Cauley Woodrow fired in his 16th goal of the season.

Despite dominating vast sways of possession, the Tykes had to wait until the 60th minute to land the all-important killer blow as Liam Lindsay headed home from a corner to clinch a fourth consecutive victory in the third tier.

In what turned out to be a perfect weekend for the Yorkshire-based outfit, Pompey’s draw with the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light saw the gap between second and third extend to four points.

Although it cannot be understated how important these results are for the club’s hopes of securing automatic promotion, the fact that Luton Town lost again means that Barnsley should now be focusing on winning the League One title in May.

Now level on points with the Hatters, the Tykes can usurp Mick Harford’s side if they better their result next Saturday. Whereas Barnsley will be full of confidence heading into their clash at Bristol Rovers, Luton will have to overcome an Oxford United side who have been experiencing somewhat of a renaissance under Karl Robinson in recent months.

If they finish first in May, Stendel’s men will end a 64-year wait for a third tier triumph having last been victorious at this particular level in 1955.

What do you think Tykes fans? Should Stendel be targeting the League One triumph following Luton’s recent slip-ups? How impressed have you been with the German since he joined the club last summer? Let us know below.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans cannot believe a statistic that shows they have received the second-most yellow cards for diving of any Premier League club this season, per The Sun.

Spurs have collected four yellow cards in 2018-19, second only to Arsenal, who have received six.

Danny Rose, Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura have all been booked for simulation by referees this term.

Liverpool, the team attempting to wrestle the Premier League title away from Manchester City, have not been booked once for diving; nor have Manchester United.

And Spurs fans are fuming that the Reds are at the bottom of the table.

Indeed, Jurgen Klopp’s side have been at the centre of a number of controversies this term, with Mohamed Salah routinely criticised for going to ground too easily. Their last victory, over Newcastle United, came about after a late set-piece, awarded for an alleged tackle on Fabinho that saw no contact actually made.

And Spurs fans have expressed their anger on Twitter. Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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Anthony Taylor has been appointed as the referee for Leeds United’s crucial playoff clash against Derby County next week.

Craig Pawson will take charge of the first leg, while Taylor will be the man in the middle for the return fixture.

Whites fans will be hoping that the 40-year-old can steer clear of any controversy this time around.

The official caused uproar amongst fans and staff when he refereed a Yorkshire derby in 2016 and supporters will be praying that there aren’t any conscientious decisions next Wednesday.

The incident

The referee caused a storm when officiating a Leeds game in 2016 and was the victim of a bitter rant by the then Whites manager Steve Evans.

He made a dodgy decision which cost the Yorkshire club a goal against Sheffield Wednesday three years ago, which incurred backlash from the man in the dugout that day.

Evans was furious with the decision to rule out Liam Cooper’s strike following Alex Mowatt’s 78th-minute free-kick.

The official had blown for a free-kick to be taken, but then called back play due to an incomplete substitution – Fernando Forestieri was still on the pitch – and after deliberation with his linesman, he ordered the set-piece to be retaken.

What was said?

The former Whites boss was far from pleased with Taylor’s ruling and went on a tirade, ripping into him for what he believed to be a poor decision:

“I’ve seen many times where the referee stops it for a substitution, someone’s taking for too long, and he restarts play, but I’ve never seen somebody going back to restart play again, ever.

“He’s a Premier League referee who’s stepped down to take a big derby – he should be with the under-nines on the park pitches on Monday.

“You cannot make a mistake of that magnitude in a game which means so much to both sets of supporters.”

By the letter of the law, Taylor made the right choice by calling back the free-kick. However, he shouldn’t have allowed it to be taken in the first place.

The FIFA-listed referee is one of the most respected referees in the country and for Evans to have suggested that he isn’t capable of performing at the top level is laughable.

Since that incident, he has gone on to be entrusted with officiating at an FA Cup final, and he was also in charge at Wembley for last season’s Championship playoff final between Fulham and Aston Villa.

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According to Paris United, via their official Twitter account, Newcastle United ‘are very interested’ in signing Paris Saint-Germain’s Stanley N’Soki this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Newcastle were linked with a move for N’Soki ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, but were unable to get a deal over the line.

Just about nine months on, the Magpies are again being credited with an interest in the 20-year-old ahead of this summer’s transfer window.

Indeed, according to Paris United, the Premier League club are keen on signing Nsoki, but the same can also be said for Borussia Dortmund, Lille and Marseille.

The report adds that PSG would be prepared to sell for the right price this summer, meaning that Rafael Benitez’s side might well be pulled into a bidding war.

The Frenchman has shown his potential this season, though, and Newcastle should certainly look to sign him for the right price.

What would he bring to Newcastle?

N’Soki is still very much a work in progress.

The France Under-21 international only turned 20 last month, but has made 15 appearances for PSG during the 2018-19 campaign.

Despite being primarily a left-back, Transfermarkt claim that he has turned out on four occasions in Ligue 1 this season as a central defender.

Whilst it is incredibly unlikely that Newcastle would use the 5 ft 10 ace in that area of the field, he would provide an interesting option at left-back.

There remains speculation surrounding the future of Matt Ritchie, who has been linked with a move to Stoke City.

Ritchie, who has played a lot of football at left wing-back in recent months, contributed eight assists in 36 Premier League appearances during the 2018-19 campaign.

The 29-year-old is clearly not a long-term option in that area of the field and, should Ritchie move on, N’Soki would be a very interesting replacement option.

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In all honesty, Aston Villa were pretty poor over both legs of their play-off semi-final with West Brom.

For 75 minutes against the Baggies in the first leg they were up against it and in the return fixture at the Hawthorns they also struggled to get a foot in the game.

Yet, football is a funny game and, lo and behold, Villa are potentially just another 90 minutes away from a Premier League return after prevailing on penalties.

On the chalkboard

For all the hard work Villa have done in a bid to achieve promotion, they’ve had certain circumstances handed to them on a plate.

There’s a tale of four red cards that have and still could benefit Villa. Because of that, they’ve gained an unexpected advantage.

Ahead of their semi-final meeting with West Brom, Hal Robson-Kanu was suspended after he picked up a red card against Derby. The Welshman, had he been available, surely would have taken a penalty in the second leg shoot-out. Advantage number one.

Advantage number two came in the form of a red card for Dwight Gayle. Before his red, he’d been sublime, scoring the opening goal of the tie. Had he played a full part, Albion may have come through themselves.

A third red card then played into their hands at the Hawthorns. Chris Brunt, one of Albion’s chief men from set-pieces was sent off and consequently couldn’t take a penalty.

You’d have betted on him to score, but instead, Albion were reliant on a host of defenders who didn’t look up to the job from 12 yards.

As if that wasn’t enough, another suspension has played into their hands ahead of the final. Derby’s Scott Malone was sent off against Leeds and, as a result, Ashley Cole will likely play at Wembley.

At the age of 38, having to deal with the likes of Andre Green or Anwar El Ghazi is the last thing the left back needs. Malone is hardly consistent himself but he’d have been a more reliable option.

“Fair play nonsense!” – Watch one fan’s astonishing defence of Leeds’ controversial goal against Villa on Sunday in the video below…

Instead, Cole will be a huge weak spot for Villa to target next Monday. If Dean Smith’s men are able to exploit him, there could be plenty of space in behind for the Villans to prosper.

Green was able to make Stuart Dallas look completely out of his depth last month when Villa took on Leeds and, with that in mind, he simply has to target Cole if he starts.

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has been in contact with Juventus for the past three weeks as he bids to become the Italian club’s new head coach, according to Tuttomercatoweb.

What’s the word?

The Italian giants are on the lookout for a new boss after it was confirmed that Massimiliano Allegri would leave the club at the conclusion of the Serie A season.

Juve, of course, have already won the title – they sit 11 points clear of second-placed Napoli with a single game of the campaign remaining – but they were eliminated from the Champions League by Ajax at the quarter-final stage.

The Italian outlet claims that the Old Lady have been in talks with Pochettino over the past few weeks, with the Argentine having claimed that he could leave north London after the Champions League final, particularly if Spurs win. They play Liverpool in Madrid on June 1.

The report also states that Juventus are ready to offer him a contract worth €12million (£10.5m) per year. That equates to roughly £202,000-per-week.

Pochettino has a clause in his contract that allows him to enter negotiations with other clubs, but it currently stands at €40m (£35m) and Tuttomercatoweb state that he will ask chairman Daniel Levy to allow him to leave for free.

A ruinous prospect

It is understandable that Juventus would want Pochettino.

He has transformed a beleaguered Tottenham team into Champions League finalists and Premier League contenders and could complete one of the greatest European triumphs of all time in just a couple of weeks.

But the finances of this deal simply don’t add up for Spurs.

The prospect of missing out on the money that would surely be needed to replace him is unthinkable and one cannot imagine Levy countenancing such a move.

Indeed, it would be ruinous for the project that Spurs are building; Pochettino is absolutely central to the club’s ethos and to their recruitment policy.

It would be hard to begrudge him walking off into the sunset if they won the Champions League but to see him potentially head to Juve, for what amounts to be a free transfer, would be genuinely sickening for many Spurs fans.