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Southampton’s next challenge will see them face off against Aston Villa, who similar to themselves, have had a great start to the season. The Villans are just two points ahead of Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side so this fixture could be a huge boost for the south coasters if they can come away with a result.

After beating Everton at St Mary’s, morale will be high in the Saints camp and they could be on their way to registering another win this afternoon. The lunchtime fixture will see Southampton travel to Villa Park in hopes to bag their fourth victory of the campaign.

Football FanCast has predicted how Hasenhuttl will field his men today…

Despite speculation over Jannik Vestergaard’s future, he has been doing a solid job across the backline. The Saints have conceded the fourth lowest amount of goals across the league so far, letting just nine past them. For this reason, Hasenhuttl’s defence should remain completely untouched.

Into midfield however, the manager might fancy a little bit of a change. With Oriol Romeu doing his best to keep newcomers Ibrahima Diallo out of the squad, the former has started every game for Southampton this season. The summer signing has been limited to just two cameo appearances so far, so today could be the day he is handed his first start for his new club.

Alongside Diallo will be the in-form James Ward-Prowse, who could be accompanied by Theo Walcott on the right-hand side. The return of Stuart Armstrong and his versatility might mean he slots into the left wing role, seeing a subpar Nathan Redmond demoted to the bench. The £16.2million-rated winger is still without a goal or assist this season.

Danny Ings and Che Adams will continue to lead the attack and look to cause upset to Villa’s impressive start to the season. Should Ings score or assist on the road today, it will mark his fifth game with a goalscoring contribution for the Saints. He currently boasts four goals and two assists in six appearances, very much on track to matching or even beating his stats from last term.

In other news, Southampton made right call not to cash in on Oriol Romeu in 2020…

According to Express, Arsenal have started the talks with Kia Joorabchian, Philippe Coutinho’s agent, in hopes of potentially sealing that deal in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Barcelona man is now once again on the market after spending a season on loan at Bayern Munich.

Of course, he will first aim to finish the Champions League campaign with the Bavarian giants and will then start thinking about a potential transfer away from the Catalans.

However, there are other teams also willing to sink their teeth into this deal and the Gunners just might face stern competition from the Premier League as the likes of Tottenham Hotspur were also previously linked, albeit to the major dissatisfaction of their fans.

Express also explain that Arsenal are not exactly sitting on heaps of money and Barcelona currently value their flopped playmaker at around £73m, which would, as it seems, be out of reach for the London team. But, in that case, Arsenal could potentially offer some of their own players in an attempt to lower the asking price.

Matteo Guendouzi, for instance, is a name that often pops out in those conversations. Mundo Deportivo, however, claim the Catalans are not interested in anything like that, preferring a loan with a big fee if a permanent transfer can’t be negotiated.

One positive for Arsenal would be the fact Joorabchian mentioned Coutinho is open to a return to the Premier League, as per Express’ report, and this could indeed throw a lifeline to the Gunners.

Verdict

Even though he’s had a couple of rough spells ever since his big-money transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona, Coutinho is still quite an impactful player on his day. Landing him could seriously boost Mikel Arteta’s squad.

However, as is the case with most big-name players on today’s market, the Brazilian would come with a hefty price tag above his head. But the report mentions the Catalans would be open for a loan deal as well and maybe this is an avenue the Gunners could potentially explore.

Arteta has slowly but surely been improving the team and maybe they already have what it takes to attract Coutinho back to the Premier League.

Key information about Palmerston Park

Palmerston Park was officially opened in 1919 but football had been played there since as early as 1870s. Now, it houses the Queen of the South FC, a Scottish Championship side, and is located on Terregles Street in Dumfries.

Its current maximum capacity stands at 8,690 but with only 3,377 seated places and with a pitch that measures 105m by 65m. The surface of the field is covered with artificial turf and has no running track surrounding it.

The highest ever recorded attendance at Palmerston Park was set on 23 February 1952, when 26,552 people watched the Queen of the South lose 3-1 against Hearts in a Scottish Cup third-round tie.

A history of Palmerston Park

Palmerston Park’s official history starts with the formation of the club it currently houses in 1919. However, football had been played there even before that and as early as the 1870s. It gets its name from a former farm that was located on the site, called Palmers Toun. In 1921, the Queen of the South FC bought the ground for £1,500, making it their new home ever since.

And unsurprisingly, this is also when most of the redevelopment were initially started. In the following years, Palmerston Park would cover the Portland Drive Terrace, install floodlights and construct the main stand by 1965, shortly after the original one had burned down in a fire. Interestingly enough, the club still has the highest floodlights in Scottish football, standing at 85 feet.

In 1933, they also erected the Jimmy Jolly’s Bullshed stand, later to be known as the Coo Shed, naming it after one of the founding members of the club. But that stand was demolished and replaced by an all seater East Stand in 1995 with a game against Glasgow Rangers played to celebrate its opening.

In recent years, Palmerston Park has seen more redevelopment and improvement despite its residents plummeting to the Scottish Second Division in 2012. Queen of the South installed new water systems and ticket offices and even planned the development of the main stand which has mostly remained unchanged since its early days that go back to the 1960s.

In March 2013, the club was given the permission to install a new 5G artificial pitch at Palmerston Park for the start of the 2013/14 campaign and later on, they sold the turf for £10 per square yard and auctioned the four corner plots, both penalty spots and Ryan McCann’s 84 yard spot as well.

Apart from being used for football, Palmerston Park has also hosted a live music concert in June 2015 with performances by Status Quo, Big Country and Reef. As of September 2014, the official capacity of the stadium sits at 8,690, with 3,377 seats included.

Tickets to watch Queen of the South FC at Palmerston Park

All tickets to watch Queen of the South FC play at Palmerston Park can be found on the club’s official website. The average price of an adult ticket is around £18 for all areas of the ground.

The club also offers season tickets that can be bought for £210 for adults. More information can be found on the aforementioned website.

Related links

https://www.qosfc.com/home – Official website of Queen of the South FC

https://www.qosfc.com/stadium – Key information about Palmerston Park

Key information about Goodison Park

Goodison Park was built in 1892 and is the home of Everton FC. The stadium is located in Walton, Liverpool, about two miles away from the city centre and less than a mile from Anfield, Liverpool’s safe haven.

The stadium’s capacity is 39,571 and its pitch measures 112m by 78m. The surface is covered with Desso GrassMaster hybrid turf, has undersoil heating installed and no running track surrounding it.

On 18 September 1948, Goodison Park would record its highest attendance ever when 78,299 people watched Everton’s clash with bitter rivals, Liverpool.

A history of Goodison Park

It’s quite difficult to sum up the history of Goodison Park in just around 500 words. The stadium has been Everton’s home ever since it was erected back in 1892 and needless to say, it’s dripping with significance and legacy as it was the first major football stadium built in England.

Of course, the Toffees would play at different grounds prior to the construction of their current stadium – including Anfield – but following some internal bickering and discussions, they would set out to build their own haven and do it with style. Goodison Park was opened on 24 August 1892 with the first event ever hosted there being an athletics meeting and football following some nine days later when on 2 September 1892 Everton welcomed and beat Bolton 4-2.

Initially, the ground consisted of one covered seating stand, two uncovered terraces, and a running track for the athletics events. Even though it was an incredibly developed stadium, courtesy of Everton being one of the richest clubs in the world, it would see even more improvements in the following years and in the early 20th century.

First, the construction of a double-decker stand at the Park End in 1907 would be on the agenda, and then they would also erect the large Goodison Road Stand in 1909 while also removing the running track since football was now the stadium’s only concern. In 1926, the two-tier steel frame and wooden floor Bullens Road Stand and then the new Gwladys Street End in 1938 would also follow suit. There was no stopping Goodison Park and at the time, it was undoubtedly the best ground in Britain.

On 18 September 1948, a record of 78,299 supporters came to watch the city derby between Everton and Liverpool and that still remains as Goodison Park’s highest ever attendance. But that wouldn’t be the only high-tier event hosted there as the stadium was one of the playing venues of the 1966 World Cup as well.

As far as further developments went, it wouldn’t be until 1971 when a new three-tiered main stand was built in place of the Goodison Road Stand with the ground’s maximum capacity set at 55,000 places, slightly less than half seated. However, following the Taylor Report and the Hillsborough disaster, it was converted into an all-seater in the early 1990s.

The last big improvements were made in 1994 when a new stand was built at the Park End. Even though Goodison Park is a huge part of their history, Everton will be moving to a new 52,888 capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in the coming years.

Tickets to watch Everton at Goodison Park

All tickets to watch Everton play at Goodison Park can be found on the club’s official website. The prices will vary depending on the category chosen and the age group of the buyer but on average, an adult ticket costs around £30.

The Toffees also offer season tickets with the price for an adult season ticket for the 2020/21 season being £420.

Related links

https://www.evertonfc.com/home – Official website of Everton FC

https://www.evertonfc.com/club/history/history-of-goodison-park – History of Goodison Park

Leeds United have won the Championship.

The Whites will be in the top-flight next term, but the two teams that will join them are still yet to be confirmed.

The final day will see a three-way race between West Brom, Brentford and Fulham come to a head, and after Phil Hay’s most recent transfer update, Leeds fans may have a preferred outcome in the race for second place.

What’s been said then?

The journalist hosted a promotion Q&A session on The Athletic, and understandably, one thing fans wanted to know about was the club’s summer transfer plans.

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Hay’s understanding is that the conclusion to Brentford’s season will affect one transfer they may be planning on making, claiming that the Whites would fancy having a look at Said Benrahma if the Bees fail in their quest.

“Every time I speak to people I hear them talk about the best players in the Championship. I suspect Leeds would love to have a dabble with Benrahma if Brentford don’t go up,” Hay wrote.

Huge coup

Signing the Algerian would be quite a statement of intent from Leeds, considering that some of the biggest clubs in the country have been tracking him.

Chelsea’s interest has been widely reported, and if Leeds can snatch a player from under the Blues’ nose it will be a great way to make a mark in the Premier League.

However, even though he would add a lot to United’s squad, you have to wonder how he’ll fit into the side with United recently extending Jack Harrison’s loan and splashing £16m on Helder Costa.

It remains to be seen whether or not this one will get over the line, but Leeds fans may want to keep one eye on Brentford’s final day clash in the hopes that they are denied promotion.

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…

Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester United on Wednesday evening in a game that will be instructive of Jose Mourinho’s reign at the club.

The Portuguese managed United between 2016 and 2018, winning the Carabao Cup and the Europa League at Old Trafford.

However, he left under a cloud, having clashed with midfielder Paul Pogba and was sacked with the club in sixth in the Premier League, closer to the relegation zone than the league leaders Liverpool.

BBC Sport claimed that United “identified a catalogue of his failings” leading to his sacking and this is his first chance at revenge with his new employers.

Spurs have won their first three games under his management, beating West Ham United and AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League and Olympiacos in the Champions League, but this is perhaps their first real test.

Here’s how Football FanCast thinks Spurs should line up at Old Trafford.

Paulo Gazzaniga is the No.1 all the while Hugo Lloris is injured.

Serge Aurier has been in excellent form at right-back, providing assists against both West Ham and Olympiacos and should keep his place.

In central defence, Toby Alderweireld laid on an assist for Dele Alli against the Cherries, while Jan Vertonghen made a late goal-saving tackle in stoppage time. It makes sense to keep the pair together, even though the latter played at left-back against Bournemouth.

At left-back, with Ben Davies injured, one feels that Danny Rose will be trusted because he can add a greater degree of width to Vertonghen. The other option is Ryan Sessegnon but this match is perhaps too big for his first Premier League start.

In midfield, Tanguy Ndombele enjoyed an all-action performance versus Bournemouth and his dynamic running and ball retention skills mean he deserves to keep his place.

While Eric Dier has started every Mourinho game thus far, he has yet to make a proper impression and so the restoration of Harry Winks to the starting XI can add both accuracy and assiduous running to the midfield.

Further forward, Lucas Moura has history against United – scoring twice against them at Old Trafford last season – and his pace will be a threat on the break, even if it means benching Moussa Sissoko after his goal at the weekend, likewise Son Heung-min on the left.

Watch Man United v Tottenham Live and Free with Amazon Prime

The last two spots pick themselves, with Alli in behind Harry Kane; Alli has scored three in three under Mourinho and Kane is the current captain.

Meanwhile, one Spurs ace has been hailed by his international manager.

Joao Sacramento seems like he’s already slowly but surely becoming one of the fan favourites at Tottenham Hotspur.

Many of the fans already see him as a potential heir to Jose Mourinho’s throne and are generally pretty happy to have him as their assistant manager.

And quite obviously, the man in question is also enjoying his stay side by side with the Special One. On Sunday, Spurs snatched away all three points against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a rather dramatic fashion.

Jan Vertonghen netted a goal in stoppage-time following a Christian Eriksen cross into the box and upon seeing Sacramento’s reaction to the game-winning goal, many of the fans were absolutely buzzing with their man on the bench.

And apart from just gushing over his reaction, some also quickly remarked that this kind of passion and game management hasn’t been present at the club in recent years and that this wouldn’t have been possible with Mauricio Pochettino, while one once again stated Sacramento looks like their future head coach.

Calling all Tottenham fans: How much do you really know about Spurs’ new hero? Find out below…

It seems they feel he has that winning mentality a leader of a club should possess and that makes him a huge part of the squad that is entering a new era.

And who knows, maybe the combined forces of Mourinho and Sacramento could potentially do wonders at Spurs and take them to heights not even Pochettino could reach.

Only time will tell.

Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid simply can’t afford to lose one of their key players to Manchester United…

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

Mateusz Klich hasn’t been at his best this season.

It’s sad to say it as he’s clearly a supremely talented footballer, but his goal return this term shows that he’s simply not at the level he was this time last year.

Unfortunately, it seems as if one of the Pole’s greatest attributes has deserted him this term.

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Goalscoring ability

The 29-year-old was scoring for fun last campaign as he netted double figures in the league for the Whites, and most of his goals came in a similar fashion.

Indeed Klich had a knack of banging in goals from distance throughout the 2018/19 season as fans even made a chant about his long-range strikes, but that ability seems to be absent this term.

The midfielder has found the net just once this season, and that was an effort from the penalty spot against Barnsley. He even missed another spot-kick against Derby.

Leeds are certainly missing Klich’s tendency to find the net from long range, but this weekend could be his greatest chance to get back on track.

This weekend’s opportunity

Leeds should have plenty of the ball against Luton on Saturday as the Hatters average just 50.1 per cent possession compared to Leeds’ 59.2%.

We could see an attack vs defence scenario, and if Luton play a deep line and prove hard to break down it could mean that Klich gets a few chances to shoot from range.

Usually, having to take pot shots from distance would be seen as a negative, but with the Poland international’s incredible striking ability being combined with Simon Sluga’s dodgy goalkeeping the midfielder has a great chance of rediscovering his goalscoring touch.

As the above tweet shows, Sluga often looks like a disaster waiting to happen between the sticks, and if Klich can get a few clear looks at goal he’s got a great chance of finding the back of the net.

In 11 matches this term, Sluga has only achieved an average match rating from WhoScored above 6 in five outings. His last match against Derby saw him earn a rating of just 3.7 after making two individual errors.

If the Croatian plays this weekend then both he and Klich could have a field day.

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…

Erling Haaland is undoubtedly one of the hottest young prospects in world football at the moment.

He hit the headlines earlier this year by scoring nine goals in a single game at the U20 World Cup, and since then he hasn’t slowed down.

Indeed, he’s bagged 15 goals in 13 games in his domestic league, and he currently sits second in the Champions League goalscoring charts with eight goals after just five games.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

It seems as if the Norwegian is headed to the very top, but his next transfer move could be a surprising one as Phil Hay has claimed that the teenager could end up at Elland Road.

What’s been said then?

It’s a well-known fact that Haaland is a Leeds fan as he was born in the city due to the fact that his father was playing for the Whites at the time.

In fact, the Norwegian once stated that his dream is to win the Premier League with the Yorkshire club.

Of course, the prospect of a Champions League star signing for a Championship club sounds a little far-fetched, but The Athletic’s Leeds United correspondent reckons it’s possible if United are promoted this season.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

A fan asked Hay during his weekly Q&A session whether or not there’s a chance of Leeds signing the Norwegian after his release clause emerged recently.

“Absolutely no chance in the Championship and we’ll see whether anyone has a proper go at getting Haaland in January. He’s hot property and the way he’s scoring, someone will go big on him soon. If he’s still there next summer and Leeds go up? It’s possible. They tried to get him previously but couldn’t match Salzburg’s money.”

Massive statement

What a signing this would be.

Not only would it be an absolute coup in terms of what it would do for the team on the pitch, but it would also be a huge statement of intent after promotion.

Imagine if the Whites announce their return to the Premier League by signing a player that’s regularly scored goals in the Champions League.

Haaland’s name has been on a lot of people’s lips and he seemingly can’t stop breaking records as he’s already broken six in Europe’s premier competition this term.

It would immediately put the big teams on alert, and it would go a long way towards re-establishing the Yorkshire outfit as one of England’s top dogs.

Will this move happen? Who knows, but Hay believes it’s possible, so watch this space.

Meanwhile, it seems that two Leeds men may have turned a corner this past weekend.

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

According to The Guardian, Arsenal are said to have sent scouts to watch RB Salzburg’s Erling Haaland in action.

What’s the story?

Although we may be between transfer windows, many clubs are looking at potential signings, and there are few players in European football who are more sought-after than 19-year-old Haaland.

Watch the moment Granit Xhaka’s Arsenal career may have come to an ugly end in the video below…

The Norway international is said to have 20 clubs pursuing him, including the Gunners.

Amongst the other mentioned clubs are Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City. Salzburg are said to be hoping to earn €60m (£51.6m) in the summer from a player they bought for just €9m (£7.7m).

Match made in heaven

The former Molde striker has burst onto the scene in dramatic fashion so far this term.

In 15 games, he has bagged an astonishing 22 goals, including six in the Champions League despite playing against polished sides such as Liverpool and Napoli. That tally in Europe’s premier club competition makes him the first player in the tournament’s history to score six in his first three matches.

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He has achieved these astounding results whilst playing as part of a duo upfront.

In every game so far this campaign, the Austrian outfit have played with two strikers, and they have been incredibly prolific playing with that set-up. Although we are only just in November, Salzburg have scored 75 goals in all competitions. Yes, you read that right: 75 goals.

Arsenal already have their own teenage striker who is grabbing the headlines. Gabriel Martinelli has scored seven goals in just four starts since joining from Ituano in the summer, with Jurgen Klopp even calling him a “talent of the century”.

Should Arsenal be able to beat the intense competition to his signature, there is the potential for Arsenal to have a mouth-watering partnership. And, considering they are both just teenagers, they have plenty of room to develop and improve, which is quite frankly scary.

Of course, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are currently the two main centre-forwards at the Emirates Stadium, but that will not be the case for too long, one would imagine, given they are 30 and 28 respectively.

Unai Emery has paired them as a duo at times in his tenure in north London but this potential combination has plenty of potential too, especially given the Norway international’s performances when alongside another forward.

Signing Haaland and partnering him with Martinelli could strike fear into Premier League defences for many for years to come.