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Two goals in extra-time against Newcastle United secured Manchester City’s place in the last eight of the Capital One Cup.

In a game short of action, Manuel Pellegrini’s men soaked up increased pressure from the hosts in the first-half to eventually see them leave with victory after goals from Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko.

Pellegrini made 10 changes to the side that lost to Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend and that showed early on as Newcastle enjoyed the better of possession and looked the more likely to open the scoring.

But Costel Pantilimon, standing in for Joe Hart, made a number of crucial saves to ensure the hosts were not out of sight by the interval.

Papiss Cisse wasted two good chances before Shola Ameobi had a goal ruled out for offside after he tapped in Cisse’s miscued shot across goal. City, on the other hand, lost Stevan Jovetic in the opening stages to a calf injury and Alvaro Negredo was introduced in his place, but they still lacked any real threat in front of goal without the rested Sergio Aguero.

Micah Richards headed over early in the second-half and James Milner missed a sitter after Tim Krul found himself at sixes and sevens with a through ball.

Spanish midfielder David Silva came on mid-way through the second half and immediately gave City the cutting edge they so desperately needed, but Negredo spurned two good chances as the game headed towards extra-time.

The first-half of extra-time saw much of the same from both sides, with Cisse wasting another golden chance to give the hosts the lead as Pantilimon saved expertly after Hatem Ben Arfa’s superb ball.

City eventually found the breakthrough in the 99th minute, though, after Negredo showed why City splashed out £22million on him. Dzeko worked his way down the left of the Newcastle penalty area before squaring goalwards to Negredo, whose movement to lose defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa was impressive, and he slotted past Krul with ease.

And City doubled their lead just six minutes later, putting the game out of sight for Newcastle. Milner and Silva’s impressive link-up play led to Dzeko easily rounding Krul to slide home.

The defeat will have been a hard one to take for Magpies boss Pardew who will have been impressed by the way his side reacted to their loss to arch-rivals Sunderland at the weekend. His major worry will be the lack of goals coming from his strikers, particularly after the likes of Cisse spurned several chances throughout the game.

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Meanwhile, Pellegrini was delighted with his side’s patience to win the game and insists City deserved to go through despite having to rely on Pantilimon to keep them in the match on various occasions.

City will now travel to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester City in Round 5.

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Keith Downing believes West Brom boss Steve Clarke has provided a seamless transition from the Roy Hodgson era as the Baggies prepare to tackle Capital One Cup holders Liverpool.

Assistant head coach Downing believes Clarke has combined the defensive solidity of current England boss Hodgson with a more attacking approach. Albion are fourth in the Premier League and will be looking to complete a quick-fire double over Liverpool after their 3-0 opening-day win at the Hawthorns. Downing told Sky Sports:

“The manager (Clarke) takes a lot of credit because he stepped into some big shoes in terms of Roy’s work previously. Steve is a very quiet man, he doesn’t take the plaudits too much and he does his work in the background. But the transition has been seamless. He has come in and put his own slant on it. He has worked off Roy’s principles but put his own mark to it.”

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When asked to compare the qualities of the duo, Downing said: “They are very similar, very organised, structured, know exactly what we are doing on the pitch. In general terms, Steve has added a bit in terms of ideas going forward on the offensive side. But there are a lot of principles in terms of what Roy has done in terms of structure and team ethic and he has carried that on. The sensible thing is Steve has realised what is good and added the things he feels need improving and has done that really well.”

Everton sacked Sam Allardyce on Wednesday and Shakhtar Donetsk manager Paulo Fonseca is already one of the frontrunners to replace the unpopular 63-year-old at Goodison Park this summer.

Despite leading the Merseyside outfit to an eighth-place finish, the former England boss was relieved of his duties because of disapproval from the fans over the style of play, and with the club looking to take a new direction.

It would be no surprise to learn that Fonseca is near the top of the list of the Toffees’ targets given his impressive record with Donetsk – where his contract runs out at the end of next month.

The Portuguese boss has overseen 73 win in 93 matches in all competitions, with his team scoring 205 goals during that period, conceding 82, as per Transfermarkt.

The fact that the Ukrainian outfit were only narrowly knocked out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage on away goals by eventual semi-finalists AS Roma shows the quality they have in their squad, and they have certain individuals that could make a real difference for the Merseyside outfit in the 2018/19 campaign.

Here are three Donetsk stars Fonseca should bring to Everton with him, if he is appointed…

While whoever Everton’s new boss is next season will likely keep the faith with Michael Keane following an up-and-down debut campaign at Goodison Park, a new centre-back is likely to be on the agenda.

With Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams now not up to the standard they once were and Ramiro Funes Mori surely likely to leave this summer, the Merseyside outfit will be left a little short of options at the heart of the defence.

If Fonseca is the man to succeed Allardyce in the next couple of weeks, he should look to bring 6ft 4in Ukraine international Ordets with him, in order to provide Keane with a dominant partner.

Everton would have been hoping that Yannick Bolasie could recapture his best form following a return to the first team following a long injury lay-off earlier this year, but instead he struggled – and has often by heavily criticised by his own fans on Twitter for his displays – and it could mean that the Merseyside outfit look to buy a new winger this summer.

While they do have Ademola Lookman and Henry Onyekuru on their books, they may well be better off with a slightly more experienced player on the left-hand side if they really want to push on and progress, and Shakhtar’s Bernard could be the ideal player.

The tricky Brazilian has scored 10 goals and provided a further four assists in 29 appearances for the Ukrainian club this season, while he will be available on a free transfer when his contract expires next month.

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Allardyce had previously mentioned that Everton need a new striker to provide Cenk Tosun with more competition next season, and you would assume that will still be the club’s plan even though they have sacked the 63-year-old.

With Oumar Niasse potentially deemed not good enough in the long-term and Dominic Calvert-Lewin still relatively inexperienced, bringing Ferreyra to Goodison Park could be the answer if Fonseca gets the job.

The 27-year-old former Newcastle youngster has scored 30 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions for Shakhtar this term, including three in eight Champions League outings to show the quality that he has.

Do you agree, Toffees fans? Let us know below.

Rangers managed to avoid defeat against Celtic for just the second time since Brendan Rodgers arrived in Glasgow, after a creditable 0-0 draw at Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

In a match that the Hoops were expected to win comfortably, Rangers gave a spirited and determined performance to play out a stalemate.

In truth, the Light Blues could have won the match in the second half with Alfredo Morelos missing some big chances to put his team ahead.

Rangers had to defend stoutly too of course, with Rodgers’ side piling the pressure on in spells.

It was a day that supporters were proud of a defence that has had severe criticism over the last few months.

Particular praise went to youngster David Bates, who was thrown into the deep end in the first half, replacing an injured Bruno Alves.

The 21-year-old central defender helped keep Celtic’s attack quiet for most of the afternoon and even ended up winning Sky Sports’ man of the match award.

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Rangers fans took to Twitter to enthuse about his performance…

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Saturday’s win at Fulham was a throwback to the far more enterprising style of football normally associated with Arsene Wenger’s teams. It wasn’t a backs-to-the-wall, defend at all costs kind of performance. Instead the football was slick, eye-catching and at times a joy to watch. Where last season may have been defined by Arsenal stacking the defensive barriers and clearing the danger in a most un-Arsenal fashion, Saturday’s performance saw the team play the ball out of defence in a manner that you’d normally see at the Camp Nou.

There’s reason for optimism but also a need to accept reality. Fulham are a team Arsenal should be beating, certainly on paper. The players are better, the resources richer; Fulham are the kind of team the Invincibles would have gone away to and had the game over and done with after twenty minutes. The great positive here is that there is a strong foundation in this current Arsenal side. Coaching will bring that to the fore, yes. But how close are this team to genuinely challenging and offering the other big teams in the league a real contest?

That’s the great frustration among supporters. Most know that a world-class striker will elevate the club into the category of title-contenders. Added quality in midfield will allow for ineffectual names of the past such as Gervinho or Andrey Arshavin to be looked past. How many points does a steady pair of hands in goal secure you over the course of a season?

Martin Jol was quite complimentary about Arsenal on the weekend. He, like most, praised Santi Cazorla’s showing on the day. There was an obvious nod to Olivier Giroud and the Frenchman’s improvement and importance to the team. But he also pointed out the dynamism of the midfield, in that there is no defined defensive midfielder; both an advantage for Arsenal – in a weird sort of way – and an aspect that can confuse the opposition.

Many supporters want to see Wenger address the midfield with a Patrick Vieira type, someone like Luiz Gustavo, who the club were recently linked with. But how many of the biggest teams in Europe actually use an out-and-out ‘destroyer’ in the middle of the pitch? Manchester United? Barcelona? Real Madrid? Juventus? Even Manchester City? Each of those teams have names in their squads who can fill the role of holding midfielder, but none actually do that, instead providing much more to transition phases and attacks than simply manning their post. The game is arguably moving away from the Claude Makeleles and Vieiras and towards hybrids.

That’s why there appears to be such little interest in Marouane Fellaini, for example. He’s a powerful figure in the middle of the pitch, but is he technically good enough to play for a team like Arsenal? In the case of Gustavo, does he provide enough of what Wenger is looking for? Therefore, the interest in Lars Bender and now Yohan Cabaye makes sense.

But the point, once again, is that those names, whoever they are, will add a lot more weight to Arsenal’s credentials as a title contender. Fans don’t want a race for fourth place, because you might as well just write off the season if that’s all you aim to accomplish. The frustration has been quite clear when Wenger says he’s happy with what he has and that fans shouldn’t forget the quality in the side. That’s true, but how much more can be done when numbers, and specifically quality in numbers are added?

It’s true that a week can offer a whole new perspective in football. At Fenerbahce and Fulham, Arsenal showed a level of competence and ingenuity that was completely absent in the home opener against Aston Villa. It’s evidence that it can be done, and that the roots of Arsenal’s style of football are still firmly planted in ground. Adding three or four more who fit the technical requirements for this style will see Arsenal further up the league table than battling for fourth.

There is a feverish desire for signings. But a large theme of it is that the fans don’t want complacency from the club.

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Are Arsenal only a few numbers light from challenging for silverware?

Join the debate below

Queens Park Rangers forward Djibril Cisse has declared that Rangers’ derby with Chelsea is tame compared to what he has witnessed over the past few years of his career.

Cisse, who has featured in table topping local derbies in countries such as Greece and Italy, is relaxed going into Saturday’s clash with Chelsea as he has seen and heard a lot worse than this.

“Do not get me wrong, the rivalry between QPR and Chelsea is very strong. They are our local rivals.

“It’s a derby and it’s a big game for us — bigger than most. It is without doubt one of the most important games of the season, for players and fans.” Cisse told The Sun.

“But all the clubs I have played for have had big local derbies and, when it comes to bad behaviour on and off the pitch, this is not the worst.”

He added “The derbies between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were just so intense.

“In the week building up to the game the fans would come to our training ground, hold meetings with players and tell us what the game meant to them and why we had to win.

“The pressure on the players was huge and the atmosphere was incredible. That derby had much more tension.

“I’m not saying QPR-Chelsea is a nothing game, it’s a huge game and a big derby.

“But Panathinaikos-Olympiakos is on another level — it’s pure hatred.

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“The players get called everything, including racist abuse. There are no boundaries and it is not nice.”

Abel Hernandez will see his contract with Hull City expire at the end of next month, and the centre-forward is widely expected to move on this summer.

The 27-year-old’s 2017-18 campaign was blighted by injury problems, with an Achilles issue keeping the Uruguay international on the sidelines for much of the season.

Hernandez managed eight goals in 10 Championship appearances, however, and it is not a surprise that there is a whole host of interest in his services.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked with a move as they prepare for life in the Premier League, whilst Newcastle United have previously been credited with an interest in the former Premier League striker.

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Rumours on Twitter have claimed that Leeds United are also in the hunt for Hernandez, and it would be fair to say that the club’s supporters would welcome the move.

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Whether Leeds can beat the likes of Wolves to the striker’s signature is another matter entirely, but the club’s fans have called for the deal to go through.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

It has recently been reported by Sky Sports that Newcastle are willing to let Papiss Cisse leave for the right price.

Whatever that right price is we don’t know of course, but the Senegal international moved to St James Park from Freiburg for £9m in 2012, and since then Cisse has scored over 40 goals for the Tynesiders.

Newcastle paid £9m for their man at the time, and with his age having now passed the 30 mark, perhaps £6m is realistic. And for that price Cisse could be a very good signing for a Premier League side, as he has a proven scoring record in the division – over 10 goals in three of his four seasons in the English top flight.

Of course he is thirty, but Cisse’s style of play isn’t heavily reliant on pace and agility, traits players typically lose as the years pass. He instead depends on clever movement, goal scoring instincts and subtle, cute play to find positions and chancs to score his goals.

He has a good turn of speed, enough to get away from most markers and to get in behind defenders, and that along with his best attribute, finishing chances, could make him a very shrewd signing for a newly promoted team, or even an established Premier League side.

He may join a Premier League club, but it does indeed look more likely that Cisse will go to Turkey (specifically Besiktas) to replace his former St James’ Park team-mate, Demba Ba.

That is not to say a Premier League side won’t try and get a deal done for Cisse, however they may be put off by a couple of negative factors surrounding the Senegalese marksman.

His wage demands are reportedly quite high, which would certainly deter some suitors, while his age is another negative. However, if a club is looking for a short-term fix then his age would not be such an issue.

But probably the biggest negative is Cisse’s disciplinary record – he faced two lengthy spells on the sidelines last season. First up was a three-match ban for a deliberate elbow on Seamus Coleman and then another seven matches for spitting at Jonny Evans.

These instances will be a real worry for any club looking to sign him, as how will they be able to trust Cisse if he keeps on getting suspended?

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It would be a risk for any club pinning their hopes on Cisse for their entire Premier League campaign but he could well provide a good back up option or even a first choice option if he can curb his bad disciplinary record and knuckle down to produce the goods he is capable of. However believing he will do that could be somewhat naive.

Nevertheless he could well do a decent job for a Premier League club if one comes in for him, but at the moment it does look likely we could have seen the last of Papiss Cisse in the Premier League.

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After failing to secure Champions League football, there has been a lot of speculation about Gareth Bale’s future.

Tottenham missed out on Champions League football by a point. With Arsenal winning away at Newcastle, it was the Gunners who pipped their north London rivals to the final Champions League place.

After winning the PFA young player of the year and players player of the year awards and the football writers association player of the year award, Bale is in high demand and wanted by some of the worlds biggest clubs. Bale is only the second player ever to win all three awards in the same season. The other, Cristiano Ronaldo.

But what should be Gareth Bale’s next move.

Everybody associated with Tottenham Hotspur wants Bale to stay. And why wouldn’t they. Bale has been in breathtaking form all season. He’s been an inspiration and has won games on his own. He’s been the standout player this year in the Premiership. If Spurs are going to break into the top four and progress as a team, they need to keep hold of Bale. Without his goals this season, Spurs wouldn’t have been competing for a Champions League place.

With Bale only signing a new contract last season, there have been talks of a new deal reportedly worth £150,000 a week. Signing a new deal would show that Bale has real intentions to stay. It’s also to be believed that there will be a release clause in his contract. An offer of 50million or more will activate his release clause, but his release clause can not be activated until the end of next season.

Tim Sherwood is ‘one million percent’ sure that Bale will stay at the club. Andre Villas Boas said that it is very, very hard to lure a player of his dimension away from the club. The indications are there that Bale will stay.

But a player of Bale’s ability, has to be playing against the best players in the world. To be considered as one of the best, he has to do it against the best. And the only place for that, is in the Champions League.

Real Madrid are huge admirers of Bale. They have the resources to mount a serious bid. Madrid’s director of football, the great Zinedine Zidane, has lavished praise on Bale. Zidane said that the best player in Europe this season was the Welshman. Zidane was impressed with Bale’s technical ability, his pace and ability to go through the gears in such a short space.

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Sergio Ramos has issued a plea for the Welshman to join him at the Bernabeu. Ramos told The Sun, “Gareth Bale is a Real Madrid-quality signing. He can punish any team in the world and has the footballing qualities we look for in Madrid.”

With a chance to prove himself in Spain and play amongst the worlds best, it must be tempting. Another alternative is Manchester United. United are looking to strengthen their squad and they need a player like Bale. United are lacking in quality when it comes to wingers and Bale is the perfect solution. To play for the best team in England and a chance top compete for the Champions League crown, a move to United could be more appealing.

In my opinion, Bale has to leave Spurs. He needs to be competing in the Champions League. He needs to be competing against the best players in the world regularly. He can stay with Spurs another season, but there is no guarantee that they will qualify for the Champions League and he will get nothing out of playing in the Europa League. A player of his ability has outgrown the Europa League. He’s had a great season, he’s in great form and he needs to be playing in the best competition in the world to be considered as one of the worlds best.

It seems to be an all too familiar story with young players never reaching their expected potential.

Jaime Peters joined Ipswich in 2005 and before he left he was the clubs longest serving player. Many may be surprised to hear that in total he made 99 appearances for Ipswich. A lot of these appearances were from the bench so his appearances don’t really represent how much game time he actually had though.

When he was first linked the Tractor Boys it didn’t seem like we had much chance of signing him as both Chelsea and Manchester United showed an interest in the youngster. However, Peters chose to join Ipswich as he wanted to play as much first team football as he possible could to help him develop as a player.

The young Canadian was an instant fans favourite and has always been a very popular figure amongst the fans. He wasn’t popular just because he was exiting to watch but the fact that he turned down both Manchester United and Chelsea in order to get game time was very respectable.

He was still a teenager when he joined Ipswich and everyone was exited by the prospect of seeing Peters in a Town shirt. Being only 5ft 7in Peters had a distinctive style of play to compensate for his short stature. He used his height as an advantage and by having a low centre of gravity he was able to terrorise opposition defenders with quick tricks and turns. Without a doubt he was an exiting player to watch and although his game was far from complete he offered the team something they didn’t have.

After every season Ipswich hoped that Peters would develop and become a key player in the team. The potential was there but we never really saw much progression from him after each season.

He never commanded a place in the team and was never consistently good enough to become a key player. Both Magilton and Keane would often use Peters as an impact sub and this probably was the most useful role he could play at Championship level.

The real reason why Peters never developed into the player we all dreamed he could be was because he never had a complete game. His dribbling, agility and speed was at times amazing but he never perfected the art of crossing and being so small meant he struggled with the physical aspects of the game.

However, despite his downfalls every fan will have fond memories of Peters.

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He always worked hard, always wanted to be in the first team and most importantly always cared about the club. The highlight of his Ipswich career came in the League Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal where he performed so well at right back that Andrei Arshavin had to be subbed off as he couldn’t get anything past Peters.

He was a great servant to the club and a player who will always be welcome at Portman Road. In the modern game it is rare to find a player who is both loyal and just wants to play as much football as possible so we were lucky to have Peters at the club. It looks like Peters will drop down to League One but whoever he plays for next will have a great player with a great personality.

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