Marco Silva secured a coup for the club in the summer transfer window as Andre Gomes arrived at Goodison Park from Barcelona in a season-long loan deal, but injury problems have forced the Toffees faithful to bide their time before watching him in action.

Gomes’ long-awaited debut finally arrived against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon as he was handed a starting berth in central midfield alongside Idrissa Gueye.

A finely balanced partnership which saw Gueye providing the brawn and Gomes providing the brains in midfield, the Portugal international impressed without setting the world alight on his debut.

Neat touches and strong hints of classy ball-playing quality characterised his performance and hinted that he could become a key player under Silva this season.

Following his debut performance, Marco Silva spoke to Everton TV (via Goal) and suggested that the summer recruit could add a new dimension to the Toffees attacking play in the final-third .

“He has quality on the ball and understands the game. He is enjoying playing for us and training every day.

“I know he will improve… he has to improve his physical condition and get to know his team-mates better.

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“It is a case now of looking forward with him and the other players in that position. We have to improve our build-up and play a little bit faster and Andre will help us with that.”

Whilst Everton have shown glimpses of intensity in their attacking play, particularly when Gylfi Sigurdsson has been at his scintillating best, they have lacked a cutting edge at times which Gomes is well placed to provide.

A natural ball-playing midfielder by trade, Gomes has the ability to inject a level of craft and guile into Everton’s transition from midfield to attack, and Silva’s latest admission suggests that he has every faith in him to do just that.

Time will tell whether Gomes can blossom into the excellent talent he was widely tipped to become when he earned a switch to the Catalan giants in 2016 but, under a manager of Silva’s expertise and within a club of Everton’s standing, he has an excellent opportunity to silence his doubters in Spain.

Everton fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Striker Odsonne Edouard spent last season on loan with Celtic, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists in 29 appearances as the Bhoys went on to complete their famous double treble of domestic competitions.

The young Frenchman clearly impressed Brendan Rodgers too, as the Celtic boss made Edouard’s move from Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain permanent in this summer’s transfer window for a club-record fee of £9m.

Towards the end of the window, his signing took on even more significance as his compatriot Moussa Dembele left Parkhead for Lyon having scored 51 goals in 94 games during his three seasons with the Hoops.

This left Celtic with Leigh Griffiths, Edouard and youngster Michael Johnston as options upfront, but it is Edouard who Rodgers must now build his team around.

This season, the 20-year-old has often been shunted out to the left wing, but he should now be considered the main striker at the club having already netted eight goals in 18 games so far in this campaign.

Edouard is the perfect man to replace Dembele as Celtic’s talisman. He has the pace and power needed to stretch defences and his impressive numbers prove that he is a natural finisher. At an international level, the former PSG man has five goals in 13 games for the French U19 side and was a key member of the successful European U17 Championship team in 2015, when he won the Golden Player and top goalscorer awards after netting a hat-trick in the final against Germany.

If Rodgers wants to emulate the success of his previous two seasons, he must stick with Edouard up front and play with wingers and central-midfielders who can get the best out of his style of play.

Fan favourite Griffiths has been a fantastic servant for Celtic since his move from Wolves in 2014 and earlier this season he netted his 100th goal for the club. However, it is time to move on from the Scottish international at Parkhead and bring in Edouard as first choice.

So, Celtic fans, we want to know how many goals you think Edouard will get this season in all competitions if he remains injury free. Have your say by voting in the poll below.

According to a recent report from The Sunday Mirror (via HITC), there is much Premier League interest in Leeds United striker Kemar Roofe. The 25-year-old made the move to Elland Road back in 2016 after impressing at Oxford United, and he has since taken it up another level to become one of the hottest properties outside of the English top-flight.

And reports suggest that Crystal Palace, Southampton, and Wolves are keen on the ex-West Brom star such has been his great form for Marcelo Bielsa’s side this term, but such is the position Leeds are in under the Argentine, it would be absolutely nonsensical for Roofe to leave the club in January.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, it has been some time since there was this much excitement and optimism around Elland Road regarding the prospect of their team returning to the Premier League, what with the Whites sat top of the Championship after 16 games of the season.

And much of that can be put down to the excellent goal-scoring exploits of striker Roofe, who has netted seven times in ten Championship appearances for the Yorkshire giants so far this term to comfortably sit as the club’s top goal-scorer.

In fact, the 25-year-old’s importance to the team was perhaps felt most when he wasn’t in it due to injury between September and October, what with Bielsa’s men playing six league games in his absence, in which time they only won two and scored just eight goals – compare that to six wins and 20 goals scored in his ten appearances this term.

As such, it’s plainly obvious that Roofe will be vital to what success Leeds have in the second half of the campaign, and given the position they are in in the Championship, alongside the somewhat precarious position of some of the clubs reportedly keen on his services, it wouldn’t make any sense were he to leave in January.

This appears to be as good a chance as Leeds have had in many a year to return to the Premier League, as although they have twice in the last two years been in a similar position at this stage of the campaign, things feel different under Bielsa given the style of football they are playing, alongside how good several of the players are performing, not just a select few.

Add in the fact that both Southampton and Palace have made sluggish starts to the Premier League season, and Wolves’ bubble has somewhat burst in recent weeks, and it’s plausible that Leeds could well leapfrog one or more of those sides by returning to the top-flight next term – thus, a move to the Premier League in January could actually result in a return to the Championship a few months later.

Yes, there is still a long way to go in the season and Leeds are far from certain for promotion, but the club appears to be in great hands at present under Bielsa, and Roofe himself looks set to play his part in what could turn out to be something very special indeed – why would he want to leave that come the New Year?

As such, leaving Leeds in January wouldn’t make much sense at all for the 25-year-old.

Leeds fans… what do you think? Let us know!

The general consensus is that Unai Emery has transformed the Gunners into a much better side since arriving in the summer, with a handful of individual improvements to note. 

Perhaps the most radical transformation has been the form of Alex Iwobi. A player who appeared tentative, ineffective and restricted under Arsene Wenger, the Nigeria international is now playing with an infectious swagger which suggests his confidence has grown exponentially since the Spaniard took charge.

But it’s not only the clear shift in Iwobi’s self-belief which has impressed fans and pundits alike, his end-product has dramatically improved.

From just 5 Premier League starts Iwobi has managed to provide 1 goal and 3 assists, and he has played incisive through balls in the build up to a handful of other Arsenal strikes so far this season.

It’s a dramatic improvement which will do wonders for Emery’s standing amongst the Gunners faithful, but there is reason to believe that Iwobi may yet be forced to pursue his career away from the Emirates Stadium.

Indeed, Reiss Nelson’s form in the Bundesliga suggests that Arsenal have a phenomenal talent who is simply waiting to be unleashed in the Premier League, and a recent admission from Emery suggests that he could yet return to north London before the end of the season.

When asked about the possibility of cutting Nelson’s loan spell short, Emery said (via Goal): “At the moment we don’t speak about that.”

Whether or not Nelson does indeed return in January will naturally depend on whether Arsenal are suffering from any major injury concerns when the window reopens for business but, looking ahead to his scheduled return next summer, Iwobi and Emery will be forced to have a serious discussion about the future.

After all, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has ensured that Iwobi is far from a guaranteed starter, but that is bound to frustrate the 22-year-old as he bids to establish himself in the Premier League.

Add Nelson into the equation and it’s clear that Arsenal are stacked for talent in attacking midfield, and his presence may well force Iwobi to pursue his career elsewhere if Emery is unable to guarantee him regular first-team football.

It’s not a scenario which the Arsenal supporters will envisage with any great enthusiasm, but ultimately Iwobi will have to put the best interests of his career above everything else and, if he wants first-team football, he may need to begin a new chapter in order to realise that aim.

Arsenal fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

According to The Sun, Everton are lining up a deal to bring Man United defender Chris Smalling to Goodison Park at the end of the season. 

The England defender’s contract is due to expire in June, and The Toffees look keen to pounce, given that their defence could be seriously depleted come next season.

While Smalling would be a great addition to the squad; a player that brings a vast amount of experience, and silverware, Everton should look closer to home in securing their future.

Kurt Zouma is currently on loan at Goodison Park from Chelsea, and is having a respectable season so far. Nothing particularly flashy, nothing particularly bad. But what the Frenchman does have over Smalling is a lot of potential.

At the age of 28, it is hard to know if Smalling has reached his peak. On the other hand, Zouma is only 24, and many people already know what a talent he is. He would most likely be playing under Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge this season if it were not for a horrific ACL injury a couple of seasons ago which waylaid his progress.

Everton is the platform to find his supreme form again, but could also be the club that could entice him to stay. The Toffees were able to do the same with former Chelsea man Romelu Lukaku, and there is no harm in trying again.

What is most important is that Marco Silva signed Zouma, so it is clearly a player that he wanted, and has plans for. It is up to Chairman Bill Kenwright and the Everton board to make this a permanent move.

Ahead of Rangers’ clash at home to Livingston tomorrow, photos have emerged on the club’s Twitter account of Borna Barisic back in light training.

The Croatian defender, who made the move to Ibrox back in the summer from Croatian outfit NK Osijek, suffered a calf injury which has kept him out of action since the end of September, and he has been recovering ever since.

This comes just days after Steven Gerrard told RangersTV that Barisic was ‘very close’ to a return and also said he would be in the squad in the next two or three games, with it now a possibility that the left back could return when the Light Blues, currently sat third in the Scottish Premiership table, host Gary Holt’s Livingston, who held league leaders Celtic to a 0-0 draw last time out.

Unsurprisingly, this recent Auchenhowie boost has stimulated quite a reaction from many Rangers fans on Twitter, with some actually unable to recognise Barisic as a result of his new haircut…

While several other Gers fans did display their affection for the man they have missed since his injury back in October…

Rangers fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea at Wembley Stadium this weekend. Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be looking to keep their own good run of form going by ending the Blues’ unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign.

Maurizio Sarri’s team pose a stern test to the north Londoners though, and Pochettino will have to get his team selections spot on to keep Eden Hazard and Co. at bay.

Playmaker FC’s Theo Ogden was at Wembley to witness Spurs’ dramatic second half comeback against PSV. Watch the drama unfold in the video below…

The midfield battle will be key on Saturday, but Spurs face a big challenge in holding their own in the middle of the park against the likes of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho. Pochettino, for his part, has plenty of options to choose from, with Harry Winks, Eric Dier, Victor Wanyama, Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli all available to make up Spurs’ midfield contingent.

Sissoko’s recent form makes him deserving of another start. The 29-year-old has been impressive in recent weeks, though, is not popular amongst the Spurs faithful given his generally poor return on investment since joining the club in 2016. 

The Frenchman’s initial struggles at the club following his move from Newcastle have not been forgotten and he is yet to fully repair his reputation with the Tottenham faithful.

Of the Spurs fans who took part in our recent poll, many stated they’d be ‘fine’ with the decision for Sissoko to start against Chelsea. However, only 19% said they’d be ‘pleased’ with it and another 19% admitted they’d either be ‘gutted’ or ‘annoyed’. See the full results below.

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Bournemouth must sign Wolves star Matt Doherty to replace the crocked Adam Smith and add some depth to their weak options at right-back.

What’s the word, then?

Despite Smith’s good performances up until his cruel knee injury at St James’ Park, which will rule him out for up to three months, the Cherries don’t really have much depth in the right-back department.

In the 27-year-old’s absence, 33-year-old Simon Francis has been deputising in the role. Whilst the veteran is a competent performer, he is getting no younger and is not a sustainable option for years to come.

Playmaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

Eddie Howe could really do with some money to invest in the role in order to find a long-term option who fits his and his side’s ethos, and there is a perfect option playing within the same division as the south coast side.

Who should they get in? 

Wolves star Doherty has arguably been the best right-back in the Premier League this season, managing to maintain his place in the side amidst a barrage of Portuguese imports and taking his chance with both hands.

The 26-year-old has two goals and two assists so far this season – the same amount of goal involvements as Chelsea’s Willian – and has perhaps been Nuno’s standout performer on the club’s return to the top flight.

The Irishman combines fantastic stamina, composed end product and gritty determination to keep the goals out at one end and make sure they go in at the other. He epitomises what the modern day full-back should perform like, and he appears to suit Howe’s style down to a tee.

He most certainly won’t come cheap, but the Cherries should do all they can to lure him to the Vitality Stadium. If they do so soon, they will have one of the league’s best in what has become a depleted position and may well make that surge into the European places.

Would you like to see Doherty at the Vitality Stadium? Have your say down below…

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Chelsea’s two-time Premier League winning defender Gary Cahill has revealed his admiration for Aston Villa remains a decade on from leaving the club.

Cahill joined Villa as a schoolboy and made his senior debut for the Claret and Blues in September 2005 after a successful loan spell at Burnley.

The 6 foot 4 centre-back went on to make 31 competitive appearances for the Birmingham side before being sold to Bolton in 2008.

Throughout the next decade, the defender would represent his country on 61 occasions, most recently captaining England in their group game against Belgium at the World Cup in Russia.

Yet despite tasting glory on the continent with Chelsea, a love for Villa remains.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Playmaker FC…

Speaking to the Blue’s official website, Cahill noted: “There was something about the club, and I had a good feeling about it. The facilities and the coaching were fantastic.

“When I went to Villa there was Gordon Cowans, who a lot of people are aware of, Tony McAndrew and Kevin MacDonald. They wanted us to play in the right way, at a fast tempo, and we had a lot of success.

“Over a period of three or four years, the amount of players they produced was frightening. That’s down to the recruitment and the coaching we had, which was phenomenal.”

Cahill, who also expressed his frustrations over a lack of minutes earlier in the season, appears surplus to requirements at Chelsea, with Mauricio Sarri open to his sale before his contract expires in the summer.

The addition of the former England ace would give Dean Smith an experienced defender to call on to supplement his thin squad – Villa have just two out-and-out centre-backs in Axel Tuanzebe and James Chester.

So, with that in mind, should Smith lure the 32-year-old back to where it began as he looks to guide the club into the Premier League?

Let us know if you’d like Cahill at Aston Villa by voting on our poll below…

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After recording an assist and helping his side to an unlikely victory over Chelsea, Wolves’ starlet Morgan Gibbs-White has made a few more people sit up and take notice of his precocious talents.

The teenager has only featured in brief cameos across the Premier League season thus far as Nuno opts to slowly ease him into life in the top-flight, and the academy graduate is looking more and more at home amongst the best with each passing game.

As we all know, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is a big fan of young players and has worked wonders with the ones he has got his hands on since arriving in north London. The likes of Dele Alli and Harry Kane were performing well but were still relative unknowns until the Argentine took them under his wing, and just look at them now.

We asked Spurs fans if they’d like to see Gibbs-White at the new White Hart Lane. In what was hardly a landslide vote, 53% of you said you would like to see the Englishman sign for the club, suggesting that he can become one of the league’s best as shown by the results below…