Southampton suffered a 2-1 defeat to Cardiff City in the Premier League on Saturday.

The result left the Saints in 18th position in the table, with just 24 points to show from their 26 Premier League matches during the 2018-19 campaign.

It is very tight at the bottom and whilst Fulham and Huddersfield Town look doomed, the third relegation spot is very much open for discussion.

Southampton have shown improvement since Ralph Hasenhuttl replaced Mark Hughes, but they have only won one of their last four in the Premier League.

Next up for the Saints is a trip to Arsenal on February 24, whilst they will also visit Manchester United early next month during a difficult run of matches.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been attempting to galvanise the supporters, but it would be fair to say that the midfielder’s comments were not welcomed by everyone.

Indeed, whilst some reacted positively to what their 23-year-old skipper said and indeed praised him, others were keen to have a go at the Denmark international, who particularly struggled against the Bluebirds.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Southampton fans can be seen below:

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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith will probably feel his team deserved a bit more than a single point after their 1-1 draw with Stoke City on Saturday afternoon.

The Villans dominated possession at the bet365 Stadium and had more shots on goal than the Potters, while their passing game was also more clinical.

Villa were presented with a number of good chances in both halves but they failed to make the most of them.

Indeed, the Midlands club did eventually equalise in the second-half as an excellent run down the wing by Anwar El Ghazi presented Albert Adomah with a shooting chance in the box, which the 31-year-old calmly converted.

Aston Villa dominated in the final 25 minutes of the match as they threw everything at the Stoke defence, forcing goalkeeper Jack Butland to come out and make a number of crucial stops to deny the likes of Tammy Abraham and Tyrone Mings, who both came very close of finding the winner.

Heading into the match, Villa would have had their sights set on securing all three points after winning only one of their previous ten encounters in all competitions.

It has been quite a while since Villa controlled a match like they did against Stoke and a draw was probably a very good result for Nathan Jones’ men, but for Smith it actually showed the type of football his team is capable of playing.

If the Birmingham club took all of their chances they could have easily won by three or four goals.

One man who Dean Smith relies on is Tammy Abraham, but he hasn’t looked himself in recent times.

It’s safe to say that Abraham’s recent rough patch has ruined Aston Villa’s play-off chances as the Englishman has failed to score in his last three games, despite being presented with a number of opportunities. Indeed, Bristol City currently occupy sixth position and are eight points above the Villans with two games in hand, so Villa’s hopes of securing a play-off spot have all but dried up.

The performance should, however, be encouraging to the manager and the players, which should provide them with a boost as they head into their next encounter with Derby County at Villa Park.

If players like El Ghazi, Ahmed Elmohamady and Jonathan Kodjia manage to keep hold of possession like they did at Stoke, then they will be able to dictate play against the Rams as well.

استرجع خافي مارتينيز، لاعب بايرن ميونخ الألماني، أدائه في نهائي السوبر الأرووبي عام 2013، متحدثًا بعد التتويج باللقب على حساب إشبيلية هذا العام.

وفاز بايرن ميونخ على إشبيلية بهدفين لهدف، وسجل مارتينيز هدف الفوز للفريق البافاري في الشوط الإضافي الثاني.

وقد سبق وساهم مارتينيز في تتويج بايرن ميونخ بلقب السوبر الأوروبي عام 2013 حيث سجل في وقت قاتل أيضًا أمام تشيلسي وتوج فريقه بعد الفوز ركلات الجزاء.

اقرأ أيضًا.. راكيتيتش: رأينا أهمية نوير الليلة.. وبايرن ميونخ الأفضل في أوروبا

وقال مارتينيز متحدثا إلى سكاي: “أريد دائما أن أعطي 100٪ لبايرن وقد أظهرت ذلك اليوم، حتى لو لعبت 10 أو 15 دقيقة فقط”.

وأضاف: “أحاول مساعدة الفريق وفعلت ذلك اليوم من خلال هدفي، أنا سعيد حقًا بالفوز بهذا الكأس للمرة الثانية، لقد سجلت أيضًا في 2013، لذا فهي ليلة رائعة”. ملخص مباراة بايرن ميونخ وإشبيلية

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Harry Kane could return for Tottenham Hotspur against Borussia Dortmund, per The Sun.

Kane sustained ankle ligament damage against Manchester United in December but could now make an ahead-of-schedule return.

What’s the word?

Kane was initially ruled out until March when he sustained his injury.

However, the aforementioned report claims that Spurs’ medical staff are confident he could make an early return.

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The England international, who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup, could return in next week’s crucial Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund, though he is certainly set to miss this weekend’s game against Leicester City.

If Mauricio Pochettino opts against risking the striker versus the German giants, he could instead play against Burnley.

The report will be music to the ears of the Argentine, with Spurs facing games against Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool, as well as the return leg against Dortmund, before the end of March.

Worth the risk?

Pochettino would be well advised to tread carefully surrounding Kane’s injury. Spurs cannot afford to rush the striker back and see him sustain another injury before the end of the season.

He has already played 309 senior games in his club career – 244 of those coming with Spurs – and has also won 35 caps for England. All in, at the age of 25, he has played 344 senior games since making his debut.

He has sustained two ankle injuries already but, nevertheless, was an integral part of England’s World Cup squad.

Since the beginning of last season, quite simply, he has not had a break.

But he has been so important to their season – scoring 20 goals in 31 games in all competitions – that it would not be a surprise if he started against Dortmund next week.

If Kane is fit, he will want to play, and Pochettino will surely not want to say no. However, he may have to take the decision out of the striker’s hands – for the good of Kane’s own career.

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Lewis Morgan has revealed that he turned down offers to play in the English Championship to be reunited with former manager Jack Ross.

The on-loan winger made his debut for Sunderland in the weekend win over Wimbledon and made a favourable impression on the Stadium of Light faithful.

That victory ended a run of three consecutive draws that had frustrated Sunderland’s promotion hopes but after the weekend’s results they are only three points behind second-placed Barnsley with two games in hand on them.

Morgan was expected to start the match on the bench but ended up being called into the starting XI.

And the former Celtic youngster has since revealed he jumped at the chance to join the League One side, snubbing interest from clubs from the division above in the process.

“As soon as the chance came up to come here my mind was made up,” he said, as quoted by The Chronicle.

“I’m working with a coaching staff I’ve got massive respect for, a massive club, it’s something I’m excited about. I never thought about it in terms of the league I’m coming to. It was about the club – great facilities, massive club, that would interest everyone.

“I think it’s well documented that there was interest from the Championship down here and the Premiership up north, but it’s a massive club with great people. I’m very happy to be part of it. It’s an exciting time for the club, challenging at the top end of the table. I’m here to help us push up the table.”

Speaking about being reunited with his old St Mirren boss he added: “Jack and his staff improve every player. The training sessions are great and they give you that licence to express yourself in the final third. As an attacking player that’s what you want.

“Aiden [McGeady] and I are both very direct, we like to take our man on. Hopefully we can both dovetail and keep building on that performance on Saturday.”

On Saturday, Sunderland travel to face relegation threatened Oxford United, before hosting Blackpool in midweek, as they continue their quest to return to the Championship at the first time of asking.

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Chris Sutton captured the mood of most Celtic fans when he produced a lunchtime video declaring that Brendan Rodgers’ expected move to Leicester City stinks.

The Irishman conducted business as normal on Sunday against Motherwell and appeared happy and relaxed when he was pictured at training on Monday.

Overnight things changed dramatically with the pace picking up rapidly on Tuesday, as Celtic fans began to realise that Rodgers had no intention of staying for eight in a row never mind ten.

The club released a statement confirming an approach had been made by Leicester City following the departure of Claude Puel, and that Rodgers had indicated a willingness to talk to the Premier League side.

A whole range of emotions have been expressed, including anger directed at the departing manager and the board of directors led by chief executive Peter Lawwell.

Sutton is worshipped by some Celtic fans for his outspoken views which is unusual in the Scottish media and they’re certainly backing his take on Rodgers’ imminent departure.

Here’s a look at what they’ve been saying on Twitter…

Crystal Palace secured a massive victory against London rivals Fulham at the weekend to widen the gap above the relegation zone.

The Eagles took a first-half lead after Luka Milivojevic netted from the penalty spot when Cyrus Christie was penalised for handball in the area. Fulham pushed for an equaliser but victory was secured late on when Jeffrey Schlupp tapped home following a Michy Batshuayi shot. Roy Hodgson’s side moved four points clear of Cardiff in 18th after the result.

Without the suspended Wilfried Zaha, Palace performed admirably but the Ivorian will key to their survival bid this season. The former England boss must also look ahead to the summer transfer window where more funds will be available to strengthen his squad. To get Palace challenging at the right end of the table, they must look to lessen the goalscoring burden on the shoulders of Zaha.

Therefore, Palace should make a move for Kasimpasa flyer – Trezeguet. Valued at £4.95m by Transfermarkt, the Egpyt international moved to Turkey in the summer after lifting the Belgian league title with Anderlecht. The forward has made an instant impact at his new employers and has been one of the league’s most impressive performer so far.

Trezeguet has netted five goals and registered six assists for his team-mates in 20 Super Lig appearances so far highlighting the threat he poses to defences. The 24-year-old can play right across the forward line and has all the attributes to be a success in the Premier League. Blessed with blistering pace and expert dribbling skills, he would be a nightmare for defenders alongside Zaha in the Eagles attack.

Still developing and improving, Trezeguet could prove to be a wonderful addition to the squad.

Crystal Palace fans, thoughts?

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Garry Monk’s in-form side welcomed a hapless Bolton Wanders to St Andrew’s on Tuesday evening and, perhaps rather predictably, the visitors recorded their first win on the road since August with a 1-0 win.

Football is a funny old game. Just at the moment in which Birmingham were beginning to hit top form and edging towards the play-off places, they lost what appeared to be a routine win on paper.

Relegation-threatened Bolton were without a victory away from home since they beat Reading 1-0 on August 18, 2018, so it was no surprise that the Birmingham fans were furious in the aftermath of proceedings.

Plenty of fans took to social media to vent their frustration and a handful of individual players came in for strong criticism on Twitter, one of whom was Wes Harding.

The 22-year-old has needed to be patient this season while waiting for a first-team opportunity, but he has become a regular in recent weeks at right-back.

But Harding, a natural centre-back by trade, has struggled to make an impact on the overlap, and his lack of technical quality is beginning to frustrate plenty of supporters, with many now calling for him to be dropped for the upcoming fixture against Blackburn Rovers.

Here’s what the Birmingham fans had to say about Harding’s performance against Bolton on Tuesday:

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Anthony Gordon may well be the next English player to head to the Bundesliga.

The Everton attacking midfielder is just 17 and is already attracting interest from Borussia Dortmund, who recently poached Jadon Sancho from Manchester City. Sancho has gone on to score eight goals and provide 13 assists in the Bundesliga this season.

English talents are becoming a recurring theme in the Bundesliga – the likes of Ademola Lookman, Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith-Rowe have all headed to Germany on loan.

The Daily Mail reported in November that Dortmund had expressed an interest in the teenager, along with Bayern Munich, while Arsenal are also mentioned as a potential destination.

Gordon has already made his first-team bow for the Toffees, playing two minutes in a 3-0 Europa League win over Apollon Limassol in the 2017-18 season.

In the youth teams, Gordon has enjoyed a steady rise, playing for the club’s Under-18 and Under-23 teams, while also winning eight caps for the England Under-18 team.

A silky midfielder, he has scored 16 goals in 29 U18 games for the Toffees, while also laying on five assists. That includes an amazing four-goal haul against West Brom in 2017, when Everton ran out 7-1 winners.

His eight appearances for the Under-23 side have also yielded one goal, and he appears ready to make the step up, even at the age of 17.

Gordon is versatile and can play in attacking midfield, on the left wing or as a secondary striker.

He is not the quickest player, but he is an exceptional dribbler, blessed with the ability to glide past players and pick a pass. He also has a penchant for the spectacular.

Currently spearheading Everton’s charge in the FA Youth Cup – they beat Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday to advance into the sixth round of the competition – Gordon has already heard his name sung by fans at Goodison Park.

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Everton’s Under-18s are top of their league currently, level on points with Liverpool but ahead on goal difference, and they are also leading the Premier League 2 Division One by four points.

It is no surprise that Gordon has played for both age groups in 2018-19.

Everything he touches, currently, seems to turn to gold, and Marco Silva’s senior squad could certainly do with some of his inspiration.

They are far from the top of the Premier League – the Toffees sit ninth, 18 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United and 32 off Manchester City.

Silva, then, may be well advised to call Gordon up, and see if he can sprinkle some of his magic on the first-team.

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Arsenal fell into a state of predictability under Arsene Wenger both on and off the field: an outdated philosophy was religiously applied to a squad which was seldom shaken up by the arrival of a marquee signing; the promotion of youth reigned supreme. “The problem with Arsenal is they always try and walk it into the net”. Boring, boring, Arsenal.

Inevitably and paradoxically, Wenger’s own success was conducive to his demise.

Rather than being taken out in an instant by a camouflaged sniper, the French legend’s character assassination was open for spectators to feast their eyes over during a number of years. As another Arsenal fan TV clip went viral on social media featuring actual grown men willingly signing up for yet another slice of public humiliation, a piece of Wenger’s credibility was removed.

But the three-time Premier League title winner stood firm and by his principles, until less than six months before his watch came to an end. Wenger stood before his sworn brothers a broken man, battered and tired of the familiar narrative, before confirming that Mesut Ozil had been awarded a £350,000 per week contract amid fears that he could leave the club.

This was an aberration in the Wenger era but one deemed necessary after losing Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United just a few days before. The figure was unprecedented for a club who had seemingly been unwilling to join their top-four rivals in offering mega wages to star players.

With the benefit of hindsight, though, Arsenal will be deeply regretting their decision to break the mould which they had kneaded for themselves. Ozil has fallen from grace at a rate akin to that which 99% of reality TV stars experience exactly four weeks after they disappear from our screens, and the club’s hierarchy may well be questioning whether they should have caved to pressure from supporters who vehemently called for a new deal.

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Alex Iwobi is a fine example of how promoting from within can be incredibly cost effective. The Nigeria international may not unanimously scoop the plaudits for his style of play, but in terms of value for money he serves as a quintessential example of why promoting youth remains at the core of Arsenal’s DNA.

That Unai Emery has consistently trusted the 22-year-old this season – including in games against top-six rivals – underlines how highly he is regarded by the Spanish tactician. And when directly placed under the microscope alongside Ozil it’s clear to see exactly how dramatically Arsenal’s agreement with the enigmatic playmaker has backfired.

The above comparison demonstrates how the numbers simply don’t add up. Just over ten minutes of football for Iwobi is worth just one minute of Ozil’s time on the pitch; Ozil’s goals have been seven times more expensive than Iwobi’s; there is little to separate Iwobi’s yearly salary from the price of a single Ozil assist.

The master is not justifying this mind-boggling financial disparity over the apprentice.

A break in the trend was perhaps only a temporary blip: Emery’s willingness to stay true to club principles has manifested itself through the selection of academy prospects Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock, Emile Smith-Rowe and Bukayo Saka.

Matteo Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira and Bernd Leno – earning £40k, £75k and £100k per week respectively – all represented progressive signings with the long-term firmly at the heart of the decision-making process.

In light of the disastrous panic-stricken decision to offer Ozil a bumper new deal – one made with a warped perception that somehow his experience compensated for the lack of leadership credentials which the club are craving – it’s fair to say that there is now concrete financial evidence to vindicate Emery’s emphasis on providing opportunities for young players.

Perhaps Wenger was ahead of the curve all along.