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Sheffield Wednesday will look to return to winning ways as they host Wigan on Saturday, and Garry Monk could make a subtle tweak to his side in order to get back on track.

The former Birmingham boss has experimented with his choice of formations so far but mostly trusted the same personnel, and therefore there may not be too many changes despite defeat to Hull last time out.

Wednesday started brightly under Lee Bullen before tailing off slightly and much of their success has been due to their defence, conceding only nine goals in 10 Championship games.

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Even Tom Lees hasn’t been missed much so far, with new signing Julian Borner proving that Steve Bruce was right to bring him in over the summer.

The attack has been a slightly different story for the Owls, though, with Steven Fletcher the only striker currently scoring on a consistent basis.

For that reason, Monk could decide to use the Scot as the lone forward up-front, and line-up like this.

It is a formation change which works for two main reasons – it provides Wednesday with cover in midfield whilst allowing Kadeem Harris and Adam Reach free reign to attack.

That could be particularly effective for the latter, as it will allow him to hug the touchline or cut inside onto his stronger left foot.

Wigan have been particularly weak at defending through the middle this season, with 66% of the shots they have conceded coming via that avenue, and with Reach often enjoying success from long range – as evidenced by his four goals from outside the box in the last campaign – that could be a way to breach the visitors’ defence.

A return to the starting line-up for Joey Pelupessy could also be on the cards, as the Dutchman is yet to feature under his new boss despite offering defensive cover in midfield.

Last season he averaged 1.9 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game and so could marshall the space in front of the back four with great effect, and in doing so reduce the defensive responsibility on Barry Bannan.

Since Monk’s arrival two players who have seen their roles increase are Sam Winnall and Atdhe Nuhiu, but the strikers have offered just two goals between them and may be better suited acting as an impact sub, with Nuhiu’s height offering an attacking alternative – as evidenced by his  average of 5.5 aerial duels won per game this season.

There are many reasons being cited among those that led to Tottenham Hotspur losing 7-2 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Some blame has been put on the players, with Rafael van der Vaart claiming they “think they’re better than they are”, as reported by Last Word on Spurs.

However, questions have also been asked of Mauricio Pochettino’s diamond formation, with Ricky Sacks leading the charge:

Against Bayern, Pochettino used Harry Winks as the holding player, Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele in the middle, with Dele Alli as the most progressive midfielder.

This simply didn’t work, as the German champions held 58.7% of possession and completed more of their passes than Spurs, as per WhoScored.

Many of the supporters in the replies feel as though Pochettino should deploy a 4-2-3-1 instead, or he should be sacked so someone else can do it.

A selection of Twitter reaction to the statement, including posts from disgruntled Spurs fans, can be seen below:

Spurs fans, do you think Pochettino needs to change his formation? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Loads of West Ham United fans on Twitter are unhappy after manager Manuel Pellegrini suggested in his Manchester United pre-match press conference, via Football London (12:41pm) on Friday that Aaron Cresswell is going to start at left-back against the Red Devils on Sunday.

The Liverpool-born defender has failed to make the matchday squad in the Premier League since he started the opening day 5-0 defeat against Manchester City, with Arthur Masuaku preferred ahead of him.

However, the Frenchman is suspended following his red card against Aston Villa on Monday, which left Pellegrini with a decision to make.

Cresswell, Pablo Zabaleta – who came on and featured there at Villa Park – and youngster Ben Johnson looked to be the frontrunners, but Pellegrini, via Football London (12:41pm), named the former when speaking about who would replace Masuaku.

It’s fair to say those comments haven’t gone down very well with many Irons supporters on the popular social media platform, with one saying “God help us”, and another individual being even more defeatist by saying “3 points to United then”.

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Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Manchester United fell to their third defeat in their last five games after Leicester City secured all three points with a 4-2 victory at the King Power Stadium this afternoon.

Teenager Mason Greenwood put the Red Devils ahead with a thunderous strike in the 19th minute, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s charges weren’t ahead for long.

Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans leveled things up just after the half-hour mark with a sensational floated finish before a frantic end to proceedings in the Midlands saw four goals scored in the closing stages.

A close-range finish from Caglar Soyuncu was cancelled out by a Marcus Rashford strike on his return from injury, but Jamie Vardy scored for the Foxes just 54 seconds later from Ayoze Perez’s cross and Patson Daka added a fourth for Leicester in stoppage time.

No United player performed to the best of their ability in a hugely underwhelming performance from the 20-time English champions, but one player arguably struggled more than most.

As per SofaScore, Paul Pogba was awarded a match rating of just 6.2 out of 10 for his disappointing display, the second-lowest total awarded to any player on the pitch.

When taking a closer look at the 28-year-old’s underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why. Pogba won just four of his 15 duels (73% lost), committed a whopping six fouls and was dribbled past on three occasions, as per SofaScore.

The France international was equally out of form with the ball at his feet. As per SofaScore, he failed to have a shot on target, was unable to complete a single dribble and lost possession 12 times, illustrating his hugely ineffective display.

The Leicester midfield made up of Tielemans and Boubakary Soumare dominated the 6 foot 2 lightweight in the centre of pitch and were instrumental to the Foxes’ success.

After an impressive start to the season, Pogba let Solskjaer down against the FA Cup holders today; and with fixtures against Atalanta, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur coming up, the Norwegian will be hoping that his star midfielder returns to form soon.

And, in other news…MUFC could secure their next Pogba in “devastating” £74k-p/w gem, Ole would love him 

Germany legend Andreas Brehme has passed away at the age of 63 after suffering a cardiac arrest.

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• Brehme died in Munich hospital on Monday night
• Partner confirms his passing
• Tributes pour in for Germany legend

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As per , Brehme's partner Susanne Schaefer confirmed his death in a statement, which reads: "It is with deep sadness that I announce on behalf of the family that my partner Andreas Brehme died suddenly and unexpectedly tonight as a result of a cardiac arrest. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time and refrain from asking questions."

  The report adds that Brehme was admitted to Ziemssenstrasse Hospital near his apartment in Munich after suffering the heart attack on Monday night, but he couldn't be saved.

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• BREHME'S LEGACY

  Brehme, who is survived by Schaefer and his two adult sons from his marriage to Pilar Martinez, won 86 caps for Germany and played for Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan at club level. During his decade-long international career, the defender featured in three World Cups, and famously scored the winning goal in the final of the 1990 tournament against Argentina.

  As a modern full-back who never hesitated to push forward, Brehme was a popular figure among supporters and boasted an impressive goal record for a defender. He also won two Bundesliga titles during his time in the German top-flight, and earned a Serie A winners' medal with Inter before going on to play for Real Zaragoza. Brehme eventually retired in 1998 after a second spell at Kaiserslautern.

• CLUB TRIBUTES

  Tributes started pouring in for Brehme on Tuesday morning, with Bayern among the clubs to pay their respects to their beloved former player. "FC Bayern is deeply shocked by the sudden death of Andreas Brehme," the club said in a statement. "The German record champion is united in mourning with his relatives and friends. We will always keep Andreas Brehme in our hearts – as a world champion and even more so as a very special person. He will always be part of the FC Bayern family. Rest in peace, dear Andi!"

  Kaiserslautern said in their own statement: "The FCK mourns the loss of Andreas Brehme. He wore the Red Devils jersey for a total of ten years and became German champion and cup winner with FCK. In 1990 he shot the German national team to the World Cup title with his penalty and finally became a football legend. The FCK family is deeply saddened and its thoughts are with Andi Brehme's relatives and friends. We will honour his memory."

  Inter also said goodbye to Brehme in a post on social media, which reads: "A magnificent player, a true Interista. Ciao Andy, forever a legend ⚫️🔵"

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  A TRUE LEGEND OF THE GAME

  Brehme's death comes just over a month after the passing of another Germany icon in Franz Beckenbauer. says Brehme was "deeply affected" by the loss of Beckenbauer, who coached him for the German national team. After hanging up his boots, Brehme moved into coaching himself, taking charge at Kaiserslautern and Unterhaching before spending a year at Stuttgart in an assistant role.

  Lothar Matthaus famously described Brehme as the most talented footballer he played with, and he will forever be remembered for the lasting impact he made on the game.

Following magician Dynamo's amazing magic acts in the Sky Sports studio, Roy Keane had the audience in stitches with a typical Keane reaction.

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• Magician Dynamo performs magic in Sky studios
• Leaves Micah and Carragher in stunned disbelief
• Keane has a fun reaction to the magic trick

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Bradford-born magician was at the Etihad on Sunday for the Premier League encounter between Manchester City and Spurs. He was joined by Sky pundits Micah Richards, Jamie Carragher, and the former Manchester United skipper Keane. When the British magician performed an amazing ice-cube illusion on former City defender Richards on Sunday afternoon, it left everyone in a state of shock. Soon after, Dynamo would pull off a card trick that left commentators and fans equally perplexed and even caused the normally unaffected Keane to react.

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• WATCH THE CLIP

• WHAT KEANE SAID ABOUT THE MAGIC

  Roy Keane was questioned by Sky reporter David Jones on the "extraordinary" occurrences shortly after the performance.

  Desperate to obtain Keane's first reaction, Jones remarked, "I mean, you've been to David Copperfield, you were trying to look at the other hand to see what was going on."

  The United great replied in typical fashion. "It's his job, isn't it?"

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In one of his riskiest acts to date, the 40-year-old magician will bury himself alive on live television later this month. But first, Dynamo will take viewers on a two-hour special that will be "of both loss and hope" before being "killed and reborn" on a live TV programme that airs on December 14 including interviews with celebrities including Demi Lovato, Cara Delevingne, Coldplay, Tyson Fury, and Steven Bartlett. After struggling with his identity and mental health, Dynamo is claimed to have reached his "rock bottom." However, the magician found the courage to tell others about his journey to rehabilitation and rebirth.

The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has revealed that Aston Villa were open to selling Douglas Luiz in the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Reports over the course of the summer suggested that Serie A giants AS Roma were interested in signing the Brazil international, but a move failed to materialise.

Now, Evans has delivered an update on what went on behind-the-scenes at Villa Park.

He said: “They expected more interest in Douglas Luiz, too. Strong messages that Manchester City were ready to activate a buy-back clause found their way to members of the Villa hierarchy, and for some time they were preparing for such an outcome.

“Villa were also open to moving Luiz on elsewhere and at the right price, but there wasn’t enough interest. Roma continue to be linked with Luiz and if they come in strong during the January window, Villa will be in a good position to get a higher transfer fee should his form remain at this high level.”

Then, in response to a question from a fan, Evans added: “Multiple sources confirmed that Villa would have listened to offers for Luiz at the right price. They would have had to move on a midfielder if Ward-Prowse arrived.”

Villa fans will be worried

While last season was a bit of a difficult one for Luiz – as per Whoscored, his average match rating of 6.67 was only good enough to rank him 15th in the entire Villa squad – his start to the current campaign has been outstanding.

In fact, his average rating of 7.08 is the best of any Villa player, and he continues to be a cornerstone of Dean Smith’s midfield. – last year saw him play 33 out of the possible 38 Premier League games last term, as the Midlands club finished just outside the top ten.

As Evans himself suggests, given the kind of “high level” his form is at right now, it would surely be ludicrous from Villa to be selling him in the January transfer window, even if his market value would be at its highest.

In fact, in a recent poll done by FFC, 73% of Villa fans who answered said that they would not sell Luiz this summer (1180 votes to 66) – an indication of just how concerning it would be were the Brazilian to make the move to Roma or somewhere else.

Evans’ latest update is sure to have Villa fans worried about Luiz potentially making an exit in January.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has delivered an Aston Villa update on Emi Martinez…

Arsenal are not planning to cancel their sleeve sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda, despite a UK Supreme Court ruling on deportations to the country.

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• Arsenal have Visit Rwanda on their sleeve
• Gunners not planning to cancel that sponsorship
• UK court rules plan to deport refugees is unlawful

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The UK Supreme Court ruled this week that the Conservative Party's plan to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda is "unlawful".

  Lord Robert Reed, the president of the court, said Rwanda has a "poor human rights record" but there is not expected to be any change to Arsenal's agreement with the country, per .

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  Visit Rwanda first appeared on Arsenal shirts in 2018, but the deal was reupped in 2021 and is worth £10m ($12.5m) per year to the Gunners. The club claims the agreement is about promoting potential tourism, as opposed to supporting the country's leadership, or any of their politics.

  The Rwandan government has been accused of multiple human rights abuses and Visit Rwanda is a governmental division.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Arsenal are not the only club to have an agreement with Visit Rwanda. Both Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich have also entered into sponsorship deals with the organisation.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  The Gunners return to action following the international break on November 25 against Brentford. They will then be in Champions League action against French club Lens.

Chelsea's new starboy Cole Palmer has explained his altercation with Erling Haaland after he tried to earwig a Manchester City team chat.

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• Palmer starred and scored in 4-4 thriller
• Tried to earwig City's free-kick chat
• Claims Haaland "found it pretty funny"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The City academy graduate came up against his former club on Sunday, showing them the player they let go with a stellar display capped off with an ice-cold stoppage time penalty to make it 4-4. Palmer was heavily involved in the action all match, and almost scored another from an Eden Hazard-esque individual run. He also attempted to wind up his former team-mates, as he tried to earwig City's late team huddle.

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• WHAT PALMER SAID

  Palmer has since lifted the lid on that incident, which saw Erling Haaland push him away roughly, as he told reporters on Wednesday: "No I didn't hear anything [from the team chat], I was just having a laugh to be honest! I think Erling found it pretty funny, I don't think the others did."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Palmer's jokey actions will only have endeared himself even more to the Chelsea faithful, after his impressive start to life in west London has already made him a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge. It also saw him earn a call up to the England senior squad from the Under-21s set-up – a decision which he revealed he thought was a joke.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Palmer has been involved in eight goal contributions in 11 matches for Chelsea this season. He tops the club's assists rankings with four to his name, alongside midfielder Conor Gallagher.

Former Scotland boss Alex McLeish has raved about Leeds United’s recruitment over the course of the summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

While Marcelo Bielsa’s side may have only had a quiet window in terms of first-team incomings with the likes of Junior Firpo and Dan James joining, they did however do more business in bolstering their U23s squad, and it’s something McLeish has voiced his approval about.

He said: “Great development is terrific but you don’t bring ordinary players to the club. There has to be a talent in spotting them in the first place. There has to be an assessment of if these kids have great potential.

“That they were the standouts that they (talent spotters) saw at their level of under-16 or under-15s or even before that. Some of them join academies at the age of nine or ten.

“It can be a very long process but they are really singled out quite early in their football careers. It seems that at Leeds, the recruitment has been brilliant.”

Fans will be buzzing

According to Transfermarkt, Leeds signed four new players to add to their club’s already talented group of U23s players, including the likes of Lewis Bate from Chelsea, Amari Miller from Birmingham City, Sean McGurk from Wigan and Leo Hjelde from Celtic.

That of course followed on from the summer of 2020 when Bielsa’s side brought in the likes of Sam Greenwood, Crysencio Summerville and Joe Gelhardt among others – all of whom were features in the U23s Premier League Division 2 success last season.

As McLeish says, the Whites are making a conscious effort to ensure that they are spotting talent way before they really burst onto the scene and make their mark, at which point it becomes far more difficult to sign them as there will be lots more competition, and far more costlier too.

The signings Leeds have made, have all been for very minimal fees which ensures that really, whatever the case, they either stand to make a big profit, or watch them turn into first-team players for Bielsa’s senior side themselves.

In either case, the Whites’ transfer strategy is one that should be applauded, and McLeish’s verdict is sure to have fans absolutely buzzing.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star has been an absolute bargain…