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Steven Gerrard’s Rangers are now just one game away from finishing the season unbeaten.

The champions earned a comfortable 3-0 win against Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Arena on Wednesday evening, with Gerrard delighted with his team’s performance after the game.

Goals from James Tavernier, Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi secured the win against David Martindale’s side, although Rangers were perhaps fortunate not to concede, with the hosts hitting the woodwork twice and missing a number of opportunities in the game.

Following the full-time whistle, Gerrard was full of praise for Nigeria international Joe Aribo, who filled in at left-back in the absence of Borna Barisic and Calvin Bassey, with the 40-year-old manager saying:

“A manager can ask a player to do a role and good players can do some and good players can’t do some – but Joe Aribo is a top player.

“Whatever I ask him to do, he goes out and gives it his best shot.

“He’s my man of the match tonight just because, if you think about it, he’s a number 10.

“And he’s just been so comfortable at left-back, cruised it and breezed it.

“That left-back performance is as good as we’ve seen in my three years of being here.

“So well done to him for parking his ego and doing a job for his teammates.”

Although the former Charlton Athletic man is obviously not a natural at left-back and stepped up admirably, Gerrard’s praise for him feels slightly over the top when you consider his overall performance.

Two of Livingston’s best opportunities of the game coming down Aribo’s side, with Jaze Kabia somehow hitting the post when presented with an open goal after Nicky Devlin’s cross, before another cross from the Livingston right-back led to Kabia missing again from just a few yards out.

As per SofaScore, Aribo would earn a 6.6/10 rating for his performance against Livingston, with only Kemar Roofe (6.5) and Jack Simpson (6.4) rated lower of the Rangers players who started the game, which again emphasises that Gerrard was perhaps wrong to call him his man-of-the-match.

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During his time on the pitch, the 24-year-old would lose possession 24 times, which was the joint-most of any player who featured.

Just 32/43 of Aribo’s passes on Wednesday evening were accurate, resulting in a less than impressive 74% pass accuracy rate, which is comfortably below the 84.4% he has averaged in the Premiership this season.

He was also accurate with just one of his five long balls, and none of his crosses found a Rangers shirt, so it is difficult to argue that this was one of the best left-back performances for Rangers, especially considering the form Barisic has shown in that position throughout his time at Ibrox.

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Therefore, whilst Aribo did a solid job out of position on Wednesday evening and he deserves credit for playing there, Gerrard’s post-match comments were way over the top.

And, in other news… Forget Wright: Gerrard can sign Rangers’ next Ryan Kent in £3.42m-rated wizard

MatériaMais Notícias

Iniciado no meio de maio, o Campeonato Brasileiro se encerrou no último domingo com a definição da últimas equipes a conquistaram as vagas nas competições sul-americanas e com o rebaixamento do Internacional. No total, foram marcados 912 gols, dando uma média de 2,4 por partida. Confira alguns dos melhores gols da competição.

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Os goleiros brilharam nesta edição com belas defesas. Palmeiras e Atlético-PR terminaram sendo as duas equipes menos vazadas, sofrendo apenas 32 gols cada. As defesas de Santos e Flamengo também se destacaram ao permitirem somente 35 gols.Veja as cinco melhores defesas do Brasileiro.

O campeonato também rendeu belos lances. De chapéus em clássicos à canetas desconcertantes, os jogadores mostraram habilidade e levantaram a torcida com seus dribles.

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa has confirmed that Raphinha is set to miss the clash against Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

What’s the story?

The Brazilian limped off the pitch in the 2-1 over Manchester City last month and has since missed the games against Liverpool and Manchester United respectively.

Ahead of the Yorkshire side’s clash against the Seagulls today, Bielsa delivered a rather worrying update on the winger and the injury that he sustained at the Etihad Stadium.

He said: “More than serious is more difficult to give a diagnostic of and difficult to give return date. A hit which created an internal hematoma and until that hematoma disappears it causes pain and inhibits mobility.

“This can be resolved quickly or take longer. When the hematoma reduces and the player is no longer in pain he will return quickly. The impression is that we are in the final stages until he is finally healed.”

Bielsa surely devastated

Make no mistake about it, Bielsa will be sickened over missing his chief talisman from this season once again. The summer signing has been a breath of fresh air in the Premier League with the way he has adjusted to life in English football, scoring six times and providing a further six assists in the top flight.

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Raphinha’s displays had Leeds teammate Patrick Bamford hailing about him after the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace earlier in the campaign, with the Englishman saying on Sky Sports: “I think, to be honest, he has been a steal for Leeds. I am surprised. As soon as he came in, you saw him in training, you know sometimes with players whether they are good or they are top class, and he really was. He stood out straightaway.

“I am surprised that bigger teams, more established Premier League teams I should say, haven’t taken a punt on him because he really is someone special, and he is young.”

While it is certainly only a small sample size, in the three games in which Raphinha has not featured, Leeds have yet to win, including a 4-1 defeat against Leicester early in the season.

Being without him once again will come as a blow to Bielsa and a setback to his side’s chances of avenging the home defeat by Brighton back in January.

Meanwhile, Leeds can finally bin this “liability”…

Newcastle United are reportedly in a race with other clubs in the Premier League to sign Tammy Abraham, according to ESPN.

As per the news outlet, West Ham United and Aston Villa are also interested in signing the Chelsea striker, with Thomas Tuchel’s team prepared to offload him in the summer transfer window.

Abraham will only have two years remaining on his current deal at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues are willing to sell him in order to maximise his value.

Chelsea could be prepared to sell the England international for £40m, but there is apparently confidence among those interested that a deal could well be done for a lower sum.

Newcastle must capitalise on Abraham opportunity

There will not be many opportunities that come around for the St. James’ Park faithful to sign a player of the quality of Abraham.

Described as ‘phenomenal’ by former top-flight boss Alex McLeish back in March, it is hard to disagree when you look at his record in front of goal.

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For a man that has not always started for Chelsea in the 2020/21 term, Abraham has still managed a total of 18 goal contributions in 31 games over all competitions so far (Transfermarkt), which is certainly not to be sniffed at.

Given that he is English and still only 23 years of age, £40m or less could turn out to be a bargain for the striker in the near future.

In other news, find out what arbitration insight Mark Douglas has dropped from takeover sources here!

Sunderland have been dealt yet another significant injury blow ahead of their League One run-in.

What’s the latest?

In a statement posted on the club website, Lee Johnson confirmed that centre-back Jordan Willis, who had initially picked up a knock during the clash with Shrewsbury Town back in February, is now facing a further nine to 12 months on the sidelines after undergoing surgery.

In reaction to the news regarding Willis, Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith stated that the defender’s further injury was a “huge blow” for Johnson and his side.

Huge Blow

With Johnson having only confirmed on Tuesday that Willis’ fellow centre-back Dion Sanderson will miss the remainder of the season due to a back injury, the 39-year-old must be wondering if the universe has something against Sunderland achieving promotion from League One this season.

While it hadn’t appeared overly likely that Willis would be fit to feature in either of the crucial upcoming games against Plymouth Argyle and Northampton Town, the recent injury to Sanderson, as well the longer-term absences of Arbenit Xhemajli and Tom Flanagan, has now left Johnson with only Bailey Wright available as a senior out-and-out centre-back in his first-team squad.

These injuries would be a nightmare for a manager to deal with at the best of times, but during a period in which Johnson’s side have gone from automatic promotion contenders to potentially slipping out of the play-off places with a loss, the Sunderland boss will undoubtedly be raging about his bad luck.

Furthermore, the timescale of the injury to Willis means that the defender’s absence is not only something which will affect Sunderland presently but will also continue to do so next season, whichever league the Black Cats happen to be in.

In any case, Johnson’s challenge to guide Sunderland out of League One has just become that little bit more difficult.

In other news: Lost possession 22 times: Johnson surely furious with shocking £5k-p/w Sunderland ace – opinion

MatériaMais Notícias

Depois de empatarem sem gols na 24ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, Grêmio e Palmeiras se reencontram nesta quarta-feira, às 21h45, no mesmo local, a Arena do Grêmio, em Porto Alegre. Desta vez, o compromisso é válido pela ida das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. Líder do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Verdão viajou com força máxima ao Sul, afinal, seu próximo compromisso no nacional será apenas no dia 3 de outubro, segunda-feira, contra o Santa Cruz, em Recife. O Grêmio, por sua vez, aposta na classificação para “salvar o ano” – o campeão ganha vaga na Libertadores de 2017.

De seus principais titulares, o Palmeiras não terá apenas o lateral Jean, poupado por desgaste muscular. Cleiton Xavier, opção frequente de Cuca entre os reservas, também não viajou, já que está em fase de transição física. Enquanto isso, o volante Gabriel retorna após cumprir suspensão. No Grêmio, Renato Gaúcho pode contar com a volta de Edílson eKannemann na defesa. Confira as informações prévias da partida:

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Local: Arena do Grêmio, em Porto Alegre (RS)
Data: 28 de setembro de 2016, quarta-feira, às 21h45
Árbitro: Claudio Francisco Lima E Silva – SE (ESP)
Assistentes: Bruno Boschilia – PR (FIFA) e Ivan Carlos Bohn – PR (ESP)
Onde ver: ESPN Brasil, SporTV e tempo real do site do LANCE!

Desfalques do Grêmio: Maicon, Negueba, Everton e Miller Bolaños (lesionados); Wallace Reis (já atuou pelo Flamengo na Copa do Brasil)

PALMEIRAS (técnico: Cuca)

Desfalques do Palmeiras: Fernando Prass, João Pedro e Cleiton Xavier (lesionados);Fabrício (já jogou pelo Cruzeiro na Copa do Brasil)

PALPITE: Na redação do LANCE!, 40% dos votos foram para vitória do Grêmio, outros 40% para empate e 20% apostaram em triunfo do Verdão.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Gary Mabbutt has defended Jose Mourinho despite Tottenham’s recent slump.

Mourinho’s future at Spurs has come under significant pressure in recent days following their brutal Europa League exit, just three days after their top-four hopes were dealt a major blow in the north London derby.

Tottenham responded to those defeats and Hugo Lloris’ post-match comments by comfortably beating Aston Villa on Sunday to go into the international break on a high.

But Mabbutt believes that Mourinho’s managerial stature is the reason he gets unnecessary amounts of criticism, and has backed the former Chelsea boss to deliver the goods at Spurs this season.

He told Football FanCast:

“When you have a manager that’s probably the most famous manager in the world and has 25 trophies under his belt, you’re always going to get scrutiny.

“Yes, you’re going to have setbacks. When things aren’t going particularly well, you’re going to get a kick up the backside. We got that after the Arsenal and Zagreb games, and got the response that the manager and fans were looking for in the Villa game.

“Of course there is going to be scrutiny, it’s never going to change. But at the end of this season, people could be saying ‘what a great year for Spurs’ – top-four, trophy in the cabinet, onto the next.”

It’s a strange situation at Tottenham heading into the final two months of the campaign.

Despite the doom and gloom, a strong end in the league could see Champions League football return to north London next season, whilst there’s the possibility of ending their 13-year trophy drought in the Carabao Cup final.

MatériaMais Notícias

O primeiro turno da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro foi perfeito para o Vasco. Liderou de ponta a ponta as primeiras 19 rodadas, somando 39 pontos em 12 vitórias, três empates e quatro derrotas. O ânimo pela gordura criada era tão grande que Jorginho dava como certo o acesso vascaíno à elite do futebol brasileiro entre a décima e 12 rodada do segundo turno do torneio. Porém, não é isto que está sendo visto. O Vasco é o lanterna do returno da competição.

Em quatro jogos disputados no segundo turno da Série B, o Vasco somou apenas dois pontos, um aproveitamento de 16,67%, bem diferente dos 68.42% visto ao final do primeiro turno. A equipe de Jorginho não venceu, empatou duas vezes e saiu de campo derrotado em outras duas oportunidades. Um cenário visto internamente em São Januário como do “céu ao inferno” na comparação com as 19 rodadas iniciais, e o trabalho vem sendo intensificado de maneira árdua para que o time volte aos trilhos.

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Apesar do jejum de cinco jogos na competição e da má fase do time, o Vasco ainda está bem cotado para ser o campeão da Série B e ter o acesso à elite do futebol brasileiro da próxima temporada. De acordo com o Departamento de Matemática da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, o Vasco tem 22.4% de chances de levantar o título da competição no fim do ano, seguido por Brasil de Pelotas (15.9%), Atlético-GO (24.1%) e CRB (11.1%).

Para o acessso à Série A de 2017, o Vasco tem 67.1% de chances segundo a mesma pesquisa, seguido por Brasil de Pelotas (57.4%), Atlético-GO (72.2%) e CRB (48%). Os números seguem favoráveis para o Vasco, mas não se sabe até quando continuará desta maneira. Em meio ao decisivo momento que passa, os vascaínos possuem neste sábado, contra o Oeste, em São Januário, a obrigação de acabar com o jejum, voltar a vencer e dar alegrias ao torcedor para que deixe a lanterna do segundo turno e acenda a sua luz.

Mario Lemina has been a regular on loan with Scott Parker’s Fulham side this season so far and, if Southampton were hoping to sell the Gabon international, they seem to have been handed a big boost, with it reported recently that the Cottagers were keen on making his stay a permanent one this summer.

According to The Sun, there is growing confidence at Fulham that they will be able to keep hold of their loanees this summer; and considering they have an option to buy Lemina, it seems unlikely that he will be returning to Southampton at the end of the season.

Although Lemina was impressive in Fulham’s recent 1-0 win against Liverpool at Anfield, where he scored the winning goal and earned a superb 8.37 rating for his performance from WhoScored, this has been a rarity for the midfielder this season.

That was his first goal in 20 appearances for Parker’s side in the Premier League, where he has averaged a less than impressive 6.59 WhoScored rating in the top flight.

This rates him significantly lower than the likes of James Ward-Prowse, Oriol Romeu and Stuart Armstrong for this season, whilst the October signing of Ibrahima Diallo also suggests that Lemina doesn’t have a future with the south coast club.

The 27-year-old originally joined from Juventus in 2017 and has made just 52 appearances for the Saints, contributing two goals and two assists in that time.

It seems clear that Ralph Hasenhuttl is not a big fan of the midfielder, as he was allowed to join Galatasaray on loan last season before joining Fulham on loan for this term.

Therefore, it comes as a welcome boost for vice-chairman Martin Semmens that Fulham are keen to sign him permanently in the summer, as it seems clear that after two loan spells away, the Saints would be keen to axe him in the summer, especially as he reportedly earns £40,000 per week at the south coast club.

Lemina’s form has been indifferent at best for Fulham and, unless Hasenhuttl has a change of heart, it is difficult to see him ever establishing himself as a regular with Southampton, so the Saints may well be glad for this apparent opportunity to get rid this summer.

And, in other news… Saints’ 4-year nightmare looks set to continue after update on £5.4m-rated disaster 

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, former England international and football pundit Steve Howey has explained how Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane could leave north London at the end of this season. 

Kane has arguably been one of Spurs’ shining lights this season, alongside the likes of Son Heung-min and Tanguy Ndombele, with the Englishman proving pivotal over these last few campaigns for Tottenham.

Howey claims Kane could be ‘prised away’ from Spurs

The 27-year-old has also been tipped to potentially break Alan Shearer’s Premier League goalscoring record (The Athletic), and Howey believes that he could be ‘prised away’ from Spurs at the end of this season if Jose Mourinho’s side continues on this run of form.

“I wouldn’t be massively surprised if he was prised away at the end of the season if Tottenham struggle,” explained the former Newcastle United and Manchester City defender.

“It must be frustrating for him. He knows he’s at the top of his game and it just depends on what he wants out of his playing career.

“He’ll want to score goals and he’ll want to break Alan Shearer’s record but he would surely want to win things as well.

“Unless Tottenham change and Mourinho is allowed to bring in more top-quality players, I think it’s going to be another season

where they look good, but don’t actually do anything.”

Transfer Tavern take

Whether or not Kane does opt to depart remains to be seen, but he has been touted with a move away to the likes of Man City very recently (talkSPORT).

He could want to have an end to his career laden with silverware and Tottenham may well face losing him if they cannot provide that competitiveness to compete for major honours.

In other news: Spurs star return is ‘not even close’ according to Mourinho, find out more here.