West Ham United will be frustrated by their inability to get a result against Arsenal, as they came out of the game on the end of a 1-0 loss.

However, there are plenty of positives that can be taken away from the team’s performance, with certain individuals offering special encouragement.

Jeremy Ngakia is one of those, as he has been lauded by fans following his display against the Gunners.

Defensively, the 19-year-old completed two tackles, one clearance and two interceptions, as well as winning one aerial duel.

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He also showed positive signs on the ball, as he completed the one dribble that was attempted, while maintaining a pass success rate of 75%, which is the highest he has had in any of his four games so far.

This performance has earned him plenty of praise from Hammers fans, with one claiming he “pocketed” Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, while another claimed that he should be called up to play for England.

There are also suggestions that he can continue to play ahead of Ryan Fredericks when the 27-year-old returns from injury.

One fan has claimed that he “is so clear of Fredericks it is crazy”, while another claimed there is “no way back” for the former Fulham man.

Before sustaining the injury that gave Ngakia his chance, Fredericks had made 19 Premier League starts this campaign, coming off the bench once more, but he may find game time a lot harder to come by if fans get their wish.

Meanwhile, a journalist has identified what Michail Antonio needs to improve on.

Alfredo Morelos is often a pivotal player for Rangers and Kevin Phillips has spoken to Football Insider about what the striker must do to rediscover his form.

What did he say?

Rangers had such a promising first half to their campaign and even in the new year they offered a lot of optimism to their supporters, despite the Scottish League Cup final defeat to Celtic.

A win over Celtic in late December put them in a great position to take the initiative in a title race, but defeats to Kilmarnock and Hamilton since mean there is now a 13-point game between the two sides.

Bayer Leverkusen also blew them away in the Europa League last week and much of their decline is due to Morelos’ lack of goals.

The striker is on a run of one in 12 games, meaning the Gers have been lacking their primary attacking outlet, and it is little surprise that they have struggled because of that.

Phillips made clear to the Colombia international that he is capable of returning to scoring ways if he follows the instructions given, and he also pointed to Jamie Vardy as a player who recently showed such attributes to end his own goalless run.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former striker said:

“You have just seen it with Jamie Vardy. Seven games without a goal and gets dropped but comes off the bench and scores two.

“I do not think I ever went nine games without a goal but if I was on a drought I would work harder. I would certainly be looking at goals I have scored and reminding myself what it is like. Then staying out on the training an extra half hour and practice hitting the target.

“The worst thing you can do is mope about and feel sorry for yourself and hope everyone else feels sorry for you. You need to keep working hard, get your head down and show good attitude. If Morelos keeps getting in those positions as Jamie Vardy does, the goals will come.”

Lack of confidence

As mentioned, the Glasgow outfit have declined in a number of areas in recent weeks, and after a Scottish Cup defeat to Hearts Steven Gerrard even expressed doubt over his future at the club.

Such negativity is likely to influence the squad, and after falling so far behind in the title race due to Celtic’s relentless winning habit, it is understandable that players may become discouraged.

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That could be what has disrupted Morelos’ form, though the recent Europa League home match against Braga showed that he is snatching at chances – and that indicates a lack of confidence.

The time off now gives him a chance to recharge and work hard like Phillips says, allowing him to work on the weaknesses in his game in order to come back firing.

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Gerrard too should be looking at ways of adjusting Rangers’ style of play to suit the 23-year-old, and though the chances of silverware may be pretty much over, there is still the bonus of building momentum ahead of next season.

Over the weekend news broke regarding a key development relating to a promising Rangers youngster…

For Rangers, this season has very quickly become one to forget.

In the race for the SPFL, they’re 13 points behind their fierce Old Firm rivals while defeat to Hearts dumped them out of the Scottish Cup.

Furthermore, a 3-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League will surely be too greater a margin to come back from in Germany.

Of course, whether football even returns this season is unclear, but presumably, plans for the summer will now begin to ramp up.

Ross Wilson has only had one transfer window to flex his muscles since coming to Ibrox but according to reports, he could be set to lure a €10m (£9m) man to Glasgow. The player in question is Caleb Ekuban.

The Ghanaian already knows the British game after being shipped on by Leeds in the summer of 2019 to Trabzonspor. However, a return could already be imminent with the Gers seeking his signature when the market opens.

Possessing the ability to play behind the striker or on the flanks, Ekuban bears resemblance to Ianis Hagi in terms of their position.

The Romanian has been a canny operator since signing on loan in January, contributing to five goals. However, despite possessing an option to buy Hagi, Rangers’ new target has the power to usurp the youngster.

Ekuban has only have found the back of the net three times this term in the Super Lig but he is a dangerous player, particularly in forward areas.

His 1.5 shots per game shows as much, but it’s the 25-year-old’s dribbling ability that’s most impressive.

In the league this season, the former Leeds man has managed 1.7 per match. If you compare that to Hagi in European competitions this term, he has registered an average of 1.3 across Europa League and Champions League action.

It’s only a slight drop off but if you consider the tricky nature at which Hagi glides across the pitch, the fact Ekuban beats him at this part of the game is eye-catching.

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The attacker has managed as many as four dribbles in one single game this term and it’s a testament to his abilities that he’s managed 25 successful take-ons despite starting only eight matches.

£9m would be steep but there are definite positives if the investment goes ahead.

Meanwhile, one Rangers star has given Gerrard a COLOSSAL headache…

James Milner continues to defy his years at Liverpool and he must be kept at all costs until his retirement.

On the chalkboard

The 34-year-old, who was handed a new contract in December, has made just seven Premier League starts this season but he has also made 11 substitute appearances, and has been exceptional throughout.

In December, ironically, he talked about the possibility of a move to Leeds United, insisting that he would love to finish his career at Elland Road.

There has been a great deal of speculation throughout the past few weeks, however, surrounding the future of a couple of Liverpool stars, with Sadio Mane linked with Real Madrid.

Milner’s future, though, has to be a priority, especially if Premier League-bound Leeds do eventually come up and try to tempt him to Yorkshire.

Per WhoScored, he has scored two goals and registered two assists in the league, while maintaining a passing accuracy of 86.7%.

Milner, defensively, averages 0.7 tackles per game, just 0.4 fouls, 0.8 clearances, as well as 0.7 shots per game, while he is dispossessed just 0.2 times per game.

Those numbers may not particularly stand out but they speak to a player who is assiduous in every single outlet of the game.

Call yourself a Liverpool expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

Whenever the £7.2m-rated man is on the ball, he rarely loses it, and he remains a stand-out player in central midfield.

Milner’s amazing versatility has seen him play in central midfield, at left-back, at right-back, on the left of midfield, and in defensive midfield.

Incredible servant

Milner has been with Liverpool since 2015 and has been a cornerstone of the success they have had.

He has won the Champions League with them, played a key role as they have stormed to within an inch of the Premier League title, won the UEFA Super Cup, and the Club World Cup.

At the age of 34, he continues to defy his age; a recent goal-line clearance against AFC Bournemouth ensured they took all three points at Anfield.

Of course, he will turn 35 next year but he is being managed well, is remaining integral whenever he is on the pitch and is the club’s vice-captain.

Purely for his influence, he should be convinced to finish his career at Anfield; he would be missed if he left.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are prioritising the wrong signing this summer!

In recent years, Liverpool have made very few sales that they have lived to regret.

Since Jurgen Klopp arrived, arguably only Luis Alberto, sold for £4.3m and now worth £49.5m according to Transfermarkt, has gone on to another level since departing Anfield, starring for Lazio in Serie A.

Others such as Jordon Ibe and Dominic Solanke have failed to live up to their £15m+ transfer fees.

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Spaniard Suso was sold before the German arrived on Merseyside – Brendan Rodgers was the boss at the time – and his departure is an interesting one.

He moved on permanently in the summer of 2015, and his career trajectory is one worth observing.

Here, Football Fancast take a look at how Suso’s career has developed…

Time at Liverpool

Suso made the move to the Reds from Cadiz in 2015 for a paltry fee of £54k as per Transfermarkt. There were flashes of his talent in the Reserve league, where he scored eight goals and provided nine assists in 34 matches across two seasons, but that failed to translate to a regular place in the senior squads.

Across five years with Liverpool, he made just 21 appearances, scoring one goal and providing one assist along the way. His best spell whilst at Anfield actually came out on loan at Almeria, where he scored three goals and made nine assists in 33 La Liga matches. That was in the 2013/14 season – he made just one appearance in the first half of the next campaign before joining AC Milan for just £1m.

At the time, it was a decision that had some Liverpool fans torn.

Time at AC Milan

It was at Milan where he truly began to flourish. Not initially, though, as he played just eight times in the first 18 months and embarked on a loan move to Genoa.

He thrived at the Serie A outfit, scoring six goals in 19 matches before he finally got his chance at the San Siro. He would go on to score 28 goals and provide 31 assists across the next three campaigns, earning five caps for his country along the way.

He also attracted interest from the Premier League – ironically, from the Reds themselves. In 2018, they were said to be willing to part with €50m (£45m) for the 27-year-old, and that, once again, divided the fans – some wanted him back, but others were not so sure.

This term, his form took a bit of a dip, which saw him loaned out to Sevilla in January. Still, he had time to score one and provide two assists in 16 league matches.

Where is he now?

With the La Liga outfit, Suso has had an average start – he has one goal and one assist in eight matches in all competitions. He will be there for 18 months, so he has plenty of time to prove his worth to the southern Spanish side.

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At his height, he had a Transfermarkt value of £45m in December 2018, but that number now stands at £19.8m.

Still, that is an awful lot higher than the £1m Liverpool let him leave for.

Loads of Tottenham Hotspur fans have been reacting on Twitter after Ricky Sacks relayed a story from The Daily Mail saying that manager Jose Mourinho’s summer transfer budget will be slashed.

The report says that north London outfit’s projected income is expected to suffer given what is going on in the United Kingdom at the current time, with the Premier League confirming in a statement on Friday that the season will not be resuming at the beginning of May as had previously been suggested.

The Greatest Bargains in Premier League history – How much did they cost?

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In addition, chairman Daniel Levy’s hopes of securing a lucrative naming rights deal for their stadium have also suffered a blow for the same reason, meaning they are now planning cutbacks across the club.

One of those is going to be Mourinho’s summer transfer budget according to The Daily Mail, which isn’t great news for the Portuguese boss.

Indeed, Bild had previously reported that he had five names on his transfer wish-list, while The Telegraph also said that his budget could be £50m if they failed to qualify for the Champions League.

This latest blow could even reduce that number further, and after such a poor season and Harry Kane saying last weekend he wouldn’t stay “for the sake of it” if his ambitions aren’t met, this is clearly a setback.

Spurs supporters have acknowledged that below, with one saying it was “nice knowing you Harry”, and another taking aim at the chairman, saying “typical Levy”.

Here is the full reaction…

In other Tottenham news, one journalist’s fresh Spurs transfer claim suggests Pochettino favourite is on his way this summer…

Loads of Arsenal fans are raging despite a positive stat revealed by Whoscored on Joe Willock, who has achieved the third most number of dribbles per 90 minutes of all central midfielders in the Premier League this season.

The players had to have made 15 or more appearances, as the 20-year old fell behind Mateo Kovacic and Tanguy Ndombele in the rankings.

LTArsenal added their two pence on their Twitter page, claiming that Willock needs to refine his decision making in the final third more, but he is made for the current era of football where there is an emphasis on power and pace.

The tweet was finalised by asking Gunners to imagine the intensity in the midfield if the Englishman was paired up with Matteo Guendouzi and Emile Smith-Rowe.

However, this generated some negative responses from AFC supporters, as they struggled to see how that midfield trio would work together.

These Gooners in particular raged when they read the post:

Gooners, what do you make of the stat? Comment below!

Shahzada Masoud, the advisor to the Afghanistan president on tribal affairs, has been named chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) for an indefinite term. He takes over from another political figure, Omar Zakhilwal, who resigned from the board due to his commitments as the country’s minister of finance.Masoud had a stint as the ACB president six years ago, and since then cricket has progressed significantly. The team has qualified for two World Twenty20 tournaments and has gained Affiliate status with the ICC. At a press conference at the ACB headquarters in Kabul, he emphasised the need to have a strong relationship with the ICC and improve the facilities around the country.”We are hoping to be promoted as an (ICC) Associate member soon and that will be a good boost for us,” Masoud said. “The Afghanistan cricket team currently has a good reputation and I have assured a good relationship with the staff and will work as a unit for the improvement of Afghanistan cricket.”Afghanistan has no lengthy history in cricket but the game has gained a lot of popularity and it’s growing significantly. What’s required in the country is more grounds and facilities like setting up a national academy. I wish to build a strong relationship with the world cricket body as well as the other boards. The team has gained a good reputation and the future of cricket looks bright.”

The second day’s play of the four-day match between Bangladesh A and the West Indies’ Sagicor High Performance Centre has been suspended due to a daylong strike in Dhaka on Sunday. “We have made this decision [to postpone] after discussing with both teams. There is a political programme tomorrow [Sunday], so the local police will not be available for security cover,” BCB’s acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury said.The first day’s play ended with the West Indies side on 13 for no loss after they bundled out Bangladesh A for 199 runs in the first innings in Mirpur. Left-arm fast bowler Sheldon Cotterrell was the most successful bowler with four wickets while Mominul Haque was the top-scorer with 50 off 80 balls.

There are things as beautiful than a pinpoint cross into the box, preferably with a bit of whip or curl included and resulting in a goal.

We’ve been fortunate another to witness some of the biggest masters of the crossing game in the Premier League over the decades, all with their own unique style and ability.

Some preferred to float them in, others preferred to put pace and accuracy into their technique. Whatever the style, football fans will always appreciate the fine art of a football being crossed. It can be mesmerizing at times.

So we’ve ranked the top 15 crossers of the ball in the Premier League era.

Have a flick through to see who we’ve included – did we miss anyone?

15. Stewart Downing

His end-product in terms of scoring goals was disappointing, but Downing has a wand of a left foot.

The 35-year-old has delivered over 2,718 crosses in the Premier League since 2006 – more than any other player.

14. Chris Brunt

Another left-footed magician. Brunt has often been subject to controversial moments in his career but his crossing ability is outstanding.

The 34-year-old has been at West Bromwich Albion since 2007; fans at the Hawthorns have witnessed his wizardry on countless occasions, whether that be from set-pieces or open play.

13. Trent Alexander-Arnold

Liverpool’s exciting right-back hasn’t spent too long in the Premier League so far, but what an outstanding crosser he already is at such a young age.

The 20-year-old registered 12 assists in 29 Premier League appearances last season. For a full-back, they are outstanding figures and this is just the start.

12. Gylfi Sigurdsson

The Icelandic playmaker oozes class and what he can produce, especially from free-kicks, is extremely rare.

Sigurdsson opts for the ‘whip’ technique when crossing, regularly causing mayhem in the opposition box. I certainly wouldn’t want to defend his crosses, that’s for sure.

11. Cesc Fabregas

Eden Hazard revealed Fabregas’ nickname is ‘The Master’ and it’s not difficult to see why.

The Spain midfielder inherits unique intelligence and creativity; although his crossing does not belong in the mesmerising category, he finds passes and crosses that 99% of players never see.

10. Sebastian Larsson

Another player who produced magic from nothing. The Sweden midfielder has delivered 1,495 Premier League crosses since 2006 and if you were a striker waiting for the perfect ball into the box, Larsson was the player to provide that.

Whether it’s a free-kick, corner or open play, the 34-year-old was a constant threat and achieves a deserved 10th-place ranking.

9. Aleksandar Kolarov

When Kolarov’s name is mentioned, every person immediately thinks of his outrageous left foot.

The versatile Serbian full-back – who also operates on the left flank due to his crossing ability – was an extremely valuable asset to Manchester City. Players like him arrive once in a blue moon (ironic) and his crossing quality should not be overlooked.

8. Morten Gamst Pedersen

The Norwegian obtained similar characteristics to the aforementioned Kolarov. Pace, power and accuracy – three components to make a tasty delivery.

Pedersen is remembered for his magical left foot during his spell at Blackburn Rovers, completing 1,355 crosses in the Premier League since 2006.