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Brendan Rodgers made it four wins in a row as Leicester City boss as his side produced a brilliant attacking display to thrash Huddersfield 4-1.

Leicester dominated majority of the first half and scored after 25 minutes through the highly rated Youri Tielemans. The Belgian curled in an exquisite finish from the edge of the box past Ben Hamer, who was unsighted. 

The goal sparked a frenzy of chances particularly for Rodgers’ side with Demarai Gray and Tielemans again having shots saved. Huddersfield did have some moments which pressured the Foxes’ defence but went in at half time 1-0 down. 

Straight after half time, Jamie Vardy tapped in from a perfect cross delivered by Ricardo Pereira. An action packed start to the second half then saw the referee award Huddersfield a controversial penalty for a foul on Karlan Grant which Aaron Mooy dispatched. 

With 20 minutes to go, Kasper Schmeichel made a world class save to deny substitute Steve Mounie. Crucially, Leicester then showed their quality through James Maddison – who scored yet another free kick to make it 3-1 – and then Jamie Vardy smashed home a penalty for 4-1 as Huddersfield capitulated in the second half.

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LEICESTER CITY

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Key Talking Point

Since Brendan Rodgers has taken over from Claude Puel at Leicester City, the Foxes have looked stronger and stronger as he has had more time to work with the players. Despite his first match in charge ending in defeat to Watford, Leicester went into their encounter with Huddersfield on the back of three wins in a row. 

Key players such as Wes Morgan, Jamie Vardy and Youri Tielemans have all shown huge improvements in their form and continued to do so against Huddersfield. The young Belgian midfielder, on loan from Monaco, has been exceptional and rumours have been circulating that Manchester United are interested in signing him. 

Tielemans and his teammates had to focus on their match with Huddersfield many saw as a certain win for the Foxes even though Johnny Evans and Harry Maguire were unavailable. The 21-year-old opened the scoring to continue his impressive form under Rodgers. 

Vardy doubled the lead for Leicester after the break and looked to be cruising until Caglar Soyuncu gave away a penalty which Leicester players were irate about. Replays showed that the Turkish international had won the ball. However, the Foxes did not let the penalty stop them and went level on points with Wolves in seventh position in spectacular fashion. 

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Player Ratings

Starting XI: Schmeichel (7); Ricardo (7), Morgan (7), Soyuncu (5), Chilwell (7); Ndidi (7); Gray(6), Tielemans (9)*, Maddison (6), Barnes (6); Vardy (9)

Substitutions: Okazaki (6), Choudhury (N/A),  Iheanacho (N/A)

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STAR MAN

In what looks like the best bit of business completed by a Premier League side in the January transfer window, Tielemans has been near perfect since signing on loan for Leicester from AS Monaco. 

He opened the scoring against Huddersfield and it now looks as though the Foxes will have to fight off Europe’s biggest clubs if they want to sign him in the summer. 

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HUDDERSFIELD 

Key Talking Point

Jan Siewert’s Huddersfield side have endured a miserable campaign but with their fate already sealed, the Terriers can now approach matches with a nothing to lose attitude. 

One standout player for them in recent weeks has been Karlan Grant, who has emerged into the starting lineup as their sole striker. The 21-year-old’s form bodes well for Siewert’s side next season. However, the German’s future was more of a talking point having been subject to uncertainty until chairman Dean Hoyle reaffirmed his position this week.

A win for Siewert in front of their home crowd would have significantly boosted the fans’ confidence in him but found themselves losing at half time. After going 2-0 down, the Terriers fans were treated to a rare goal from the penalty spot as Aaron Mooy halved the deficit. 

This ignited new hope into the Huddersfield team and substitute Steve Mounie nearly equalised as they pushed to make it 2-2. Despite their good reaction, it was more doom and gloom for the Terriers going 3-1 and then 4-1 down at home.

Player Ratings

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Everton host an in-form Arsenal side at Goodison Park on Sunday, as they seek to challenge Wolves for ‘best of the rest’ in seventh position. 

Everton currently sit tenth in the league on 43 points, four points off Wolves in seventh. That coveted spot is likely to ensure Europa League qualification for next season, and, with five teams in with a realistic chance of finishing there, an interesting battle is set to commence.

Everton have won successive league games for only the second time this season, with recent 2-0 victories against Chelsea and West Ham. 

Marco Silva picked a consistent team in a familiar 4-2-3-1 shape, and is likely to remain unchanged.

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Goalkeeper & Defenders 

Jordan Pickford (GK) – Despite being involved in an ​incident outside of a pub in Sunderland this week, it would be a surprise to see England’s number one dropped. Capable of the spectacular as well as the calamitous, ​Pickford needs to find consistency in his game. 

Seamus Coleman (RB) – Now 30, ​Coleman isn’t the attacking force he was in his younger years. However, a series of fine displays have seen him nominate for March’s Premier League Player of the Month.

Michael Keane (CB) – ​Keane recently had the chance to stake the claim for an England spot in the March fixtures and has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham. While dominant in the air, he can be ponderous and slow to react, struggling to deal with more nimble strikers. 

Kurt Zouma (CB) – A prodigious talent as a teenager in France, the ​Chelsea loanee – now 24 – hasn’t quite lived up to those lofty expectations, but has been a solid option for Silva this season. 

Lucas Digne (LB) – One of ​Everton’s standout players this season, the summer signing – who famously rejected Liverpool earlier in his career – has impressed with his wicked deliveries from the flank.

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Midfielders 

Idrissa Gueye (DM) – Gana continues to be one of the most reliable ball-winners in the Premier League, averaging 4.3 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per game this season. 

Andre Gomes (CM) – A fan favourite amongst the Goodison faithful, the Barcelona loanee has impressed with his composure and dribbling. However, he could improve the defensive side of his game, as well as his creativity in the final third. 

Richarlison (RM) – After a superb start to the season following his arrival from ​Watford last summer, the Brazil international – who was ​bizarrely linked with Liverpool this week – has tailed off slightly. However, 12 goals from a 21 wide forward is a very respectable tally. 

Gylfi Sigurdsson (AM) – Sigurdsson has redeemed himself somewhat this campaign following an underwhelming first season at the club, having been signed for a hefty £44m from ​Swansea in the summer of 2017. Double figures in goals has become the norm for the Iceland international. 

Bernard (LM) – A gifted but slight player, Bernard has – as expected – had an up-and-down first season in England’s top flight. The winger must improve his end product, having scored just the once this campaign. 

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Striker

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (ST) – Strong in the air, Calvert-Lewin is a versatile, hard-working forward, even if he isn’t the most prolific. The 22-year-old has a career best of six Premier League goals this season.

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Arsenal travel to Goodison Park on Sunday to face Everton, hoping to pick up another three points in the race for the Champions League spots. 

Arsenal are currently sat in fourth place with 63 points, one behind London rivals Tottenham and two more than Manchester United down in sixth. 

They are level on points with Chelsea, but have a superior goal difference to the Blues, with 26 rather than 21. However, the Gunners also have a game in hand over their competition, and arguably have the best set of fixtures remaining. 

With Lucas Torreira suspended and Laurent Koscielny a doubt for the game – along with the long-term injured Danny Welbeck, Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin – Unai Emery will likely deploy a back three to give the best possible balance to the team. 

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Goalkeeper & Defenders

Bernd Leno (GK) – The summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen has been an upgrade on the ​Petr Cech of recent years, impressing with his shot-stopping and distribution. 

Ainsley Maitland-Niles (RWB) – A midfielder by trade, the ​Arsenal youth product has regularly had to fill in at fullback, and has featured heavily since Hector Bellerin’s injury. Composed on the ball, the England Under-21 international has proven to be a solid tackler also. 

Shkodran Mustafi (CB) – A World Cup winning defender, Mustafi has nonetheless been a disappointment since his arrival from Valencia in 2016. Overly aggressive and error-prone, the former ​Everton man gets in only because of injuries to Koscielny and ​Holding. 

Sokratis (CB) – An experienced and tough centre half, Arsenal fans have warmed to the 2018 summer signing from ​Borussia Dortmund. 

Nacho Monreal (CB) – A fantastic servant to Arsenal, the Spaniard has lost some of the attacking prowess he once possessed, and is more suited to a deeper role, where he can read the game and help to build up play from the back. 

Sead Kolasinac (LWB) – Although questionable defensively, the Bosnian is a menace going forward, regularly providing crosses and cutbacks for the Arsenal forwards. 

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Midfielders

Aaron Ramsey (CM) – Soon to be a ​Juventus player, ​Ramsey was featuring only from the bench for much of this season. However, he’s won the faith of Emery in recent months and remains as productive as ever, contributing towards 10 goals in 13 league starts from midfield. 

Granit Xhaka (DM) – The Swiss international has been inconsistent for the Gunners since his arrival from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2016. However, at his best, he’s the most capable Arsenal midfielder at progressing the ball from deep areas to forward positions. 

Mesut Ozil (AM) – A divisive figure, ​Ozil has not particularly been at his best this season, assisting only twice in 16 league starts. Nevertheless, the German is more capable than ​Alex Iwobi or ​Henrikh Mhkitaryan at making consistently clever passes, and unlocking a stubborn defence. 

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Forwards

Alexandre Lacazette (ST) – Not quite as prolific as his strike partner, ​Lacazette has nonetheless proven to be a reliable source of goals, and is capable of clever passes and link up play. 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ST) – Although not as well-rounded a footballer as Lacazette, ​Aubamenyang is a pure goal machine – since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018, he’s bagged 27 league goals in just 37 starts. 

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​Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has labelled last summer’s transfer saga with Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann as ‘water under the bridge’ ahead of their La Liga clash on Saturday evening. 

Griezmann, 28, was the subject of intense interest from the Catalan side prior to France’s World Cup success last summer, before releasing a documentary entitled ‘The Decision’ which revealed his intention to remain at Atletico Madrid and sign a new deal.

Despite the snub, Bartomeu has insisted their is no ill feelings towards the Frenchman, who will play at the Camp Nou for the first time since his decision, as ​Atleti look to close the gap to ​Barcelona at the top of ​La Liga to five points.

Speaking to ​ESPN, Barca’s club president said: “The documentary about his decision is water under the bridge. It was spoken about a lot at the time. We have to look at the present, not the past.

“Each player weighs up what’s the best option for them. They make their own decisions. He stayed at Atletico, who are a big club in Europe, one of the best in UEFA’s rankings and [the team] we’re fighting against for La Liga this season.”

Griezmann has 17 goals and ten assists in 38 league and Champions League appearances this season, with finishing at the top of La Liga come the end of the season the only chance of finishing the season with more silverware, after securing the UEFA Super Cup with victory over Real Madrid prior to the beginning of this season. 

Bartomeu was also asked about what kind of reception Griezmann should expect from fans inside the Camp Nou after snubbing Barcelona, with him stating they’ll be ‘within their rights’ to voice whatever their opinion is.

He added: “Barcelona fans are very democratic. The members are the owners of this club, and they are within their rights to have whatever opinion they want. There is freedom of expression at Camp Nou.”

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Sky Sports pundit and former Arsenal star Paul Merson has said that Tottenham Hotspur’s state-of-the-art stadium may be ‘lovely’ but it doesn’t make them a big team.

After months of delays, Spurs finally inaugurated their new home with a win over Crystal Palace, with fans and players alike praising the atmosphere of the stadium.

Far from a comfortable homecoming, Spurs had to wait until the second half to make the breakthrough against Crystal Palace, with ​Son Heung-min‘s scrappy opener, before Christian Eriksen capped off an important, albeit not very pretty win.

With four of their remaining six games to be played at home, ​Spurs are hoping their new stadium will give them the push they need to secure ​Champions League football for next season. 

Former ​Gunner Merson on the other hand, is not convinced of his old rivals’ progress following the stadium migration.

Writing in the ​Daily Star, Merson said: “Tottenham’s new stadium looks lovely, but does it make them a big team? No. Not even close”.

The former midfielder also suggested that the change of environment could even prove to be more of a hindrance than help, as he continued: “I think it’s a big gamble to move in now the way they have as well. Footballers like routine. They are creatures of habit. They don’t like change.”

The move to the new stadium has come at a great expense to the club, particularly the manager, who has not been able to make any signings in the past two transfer windows. 

The Lilywhites have been accused of stagnating their progress in order to accommodate the stadium move and it is clear that Merson agrees.

He added: “Spurs need to buy players this summer or they will finish where they do this year. That’s the problem for Mauricio Pochettino”.

As things stand, Spurs have a one-point cushion over fifth-placed ​Chelsea in what is a four-way battle for the remaining two Champions League spots. Securing a top four finish will be pivotal to Spurs’ hopes of not only attracting players to the club, but also to keep hold of key players like Eriksen, who may be tempted to move away.

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