Over the last sixth months, both North London rivals Tottenham and Arsenal have been rumoured to be in the market for a new centre forward, with Fernando Llorente’s name consistently being mentioned as a potential target.

The Spain international has proven himself over the years as a reliable and powerful striker, with the burly forward a star for Athletic Bilbao before switching to Juventus last summer.

Although teething problems limited his playing time in the early days in Turin, Llorente formed a formidable strike partnership with Carlos Tevez in the second part of last season and contributed to the Bianconeri being crowned Italian champions for the third consecutive year.

This season the 30-year-old has been in and out of Max Allegri’s side but has found in recent times that compatriot Alvaro Morata has been getting the nod more often than not, leaving Llorente on the bench.

So with every chance that the Spain international will be available this summer, should Tottenham or Arsenal swoop for him?

Tottenham’s over-reliance on Harry Kane to get goals this season and the low confidence of back-up options Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado mean that it would be a major shock if Mauricio Pochettino did not make a move for a new striker this summer.

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There are certainly positives in a prospective move for Llorente.

In the side’s 4-2-3-1 formation the Spaniard would surely thrive as he has the physical attributes to hold the ball up and the predatory nature to capitalise on the creative presence of others around him.

He would provide Spurs with an aerial threat and allow Kane to drop off into the number 10 role.

However, the player’s age may well be an issue given Spurs’ new-found emphasis on youth and the thrifty Daniel Levy could be reluctant to dish out the required transfer fee with the knowledge that the veteran would have no real sell-on worth.

For Arsenal, Llorente could also fit in as the side’s lone frontman and would surely relish linking up with compatriot Santi Cazorla.

Given the superb service of the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil also, Llorente has the potential to be a 20-goal-a-season centre forward for the Gunners if given a chance.

That said, with Llorente’s attributes very similar to those of Olivier Giroud and the Frenchman on form, it would be something of a shock if Arsene Wenger sanctioned a move for the Juventus star.

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If Arsenal are to sign a new striker this summer it would surely be a truly world-class forward that would be an upgrade on Giroud – it remains to be seen whether Llorente is that man.

In conclusion, Llorente would be an asset to both Tottenham and Arsenal given his physical and technical attributes, with the Spaniard possessing the calibre to bag a lot of goals in the Premier League.

However, he is not an ideal fit to either side and as such don’t expect to see the experienced striker in North London any time soon.

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Charlie Austin’s Queens Park Rangers may have been relegated at the end of the season, but it seems the striker will get a chance to stay in the Premier League after all.

After a spectacular 18-goal campaign, Austin now finds a number of clubs clamouring for his signature. QPR have set a £15 million price tag on his head, but that hasn’t stopped new Newcastle boss Steve McClaren from identifying Austin as his first choice. But Liverpool are reportedly also set to make a move.

The Magpies suffered from multiple injuries and suspensions, ending the year with only 40 goals in 38 games. The Reds also lacked the necessary firepower up front with early exits from the Champions League and Europa League tournaments, and couldn’t sustain a top-four finish.

Both teams would obviously benefit from Austin’s consistent offensive production, but where would the England international flourish the most?

At St. James’ Park, Austin would be pretty much guaranteed a starting slot in McClaren’s lineup. Newcastle are notoriously weak in the finishing and aerial duels department, both of which the 25-year-old excels at. The Magpies also favour attacking down the wings, but putting Austin at centre forward in a 4-2-3-1 formation would add depth to their attacking options and allow the youngster to shine in a fast-paced environment.

Liverpool have already secured a number of signings this summer, including Manchester City midfielder James Milner and Burnley striker Danny Ings. The Reds rely on possession football and strong passing, which isn’t Austin’s greatest strength. Ings is a much better dribbler, and has the versatility to drop back to centre midfielder if needed. 

Austin’s goalscoring ability may give him an edge statistically, but it’s hard to see him reaching his potential in a less aggressive, passing-focused style at Anfield.

As the lone bright spot in a dreadful season for QPR, Austin has shown his ability to succeed in even the most dire of situations. He could provide the same spark for Newcastle while adding depth to the team’s attack, with the potential to become the squad’s No. 10 player. At Liverpool, Austin would be a flashier but ultimately less useful option for Brendan Rodgers’ possession game.

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There’s no denying Austin’s impressive ability. But when it comes to where he’ll make the most impact, the striker may be destined to fight another relegation battle.

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Whilst many top talents have come and gone from Arsenal throughout the years, reaching a real level of consistency in the Premier League and proving massive hits for Arsene Wenger and his determined Gunners outfit whilst they were at it – Abou Diaby’s recent stint in north London must nonetheless be shelved in the unfulfilled potential category at the Emirates.

His story with Arsenal has rather unfortunately become defined by a series of ‘what ifs’ and ‘maybes’, in regards to how well the unflappable French midfielder could have actually done at the club. Without the frustrating threat of injuries coming along to restrict his progress seemingly with every passing season, the now 29-year-old really had it in him to take the Premier League by storm, and become an even better asset for his loyal boss, Arsene Wenger.

However, as fate for injury-prone modern day footballers invariably never quite turns out as well as initially hoped for, Diaby is now looking to begin the 2015/16 campaign with Marseille back in his native France, after officially ending his infrequent spell with the Gunners.

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In light of the centre-midfielder’s eventual move away from the Emirates, is it about time Arsene Wenger finally cut the club’s ties with the former Auxerre star and French international, or could Arsenal have perhaps got just a little bit more out of Abou Diaby before he ultimately decided to move on from north London?

Well, from the perspective of what the player can actually do with the ball out on the pitch, Arsene Wenger and the loyal Emirates faithful may have just about lost one of the best midfielder’s to ever set foot at the club in recent history. When Diaby is free from injury and well within the flow of the week-to-week Premier League schedule, the former Arsenal no. 24 has rarely disappointed.

Even when the Frenchman has made just the odd cameo appearance once returning from a long-term spell on the side-lines, the creative midfield enforcer seriously knows how to dictate proceedings for his side in the middle of the park. Abou Diaby is a very clinical passer of the ball, a sheer beast in the tackle yet equally as adept at the technical side of the game, as well as a truly dominant force that can simply provide match winning performances when the situation allows.

The former Emirates favourite was therefore just as solid in attack as he was in defence of Arsenal, making the now 29-year-old a definitive box-to-box master of the modern era. With every single one of his nine Premier League seasons for the Gunners proving difficult in the injury department however, Arsene Wenger rarely got to utilize Abou Diaby’s wide-ranging skill-set on a regular basis.

Whilst it would have been nice to see the recently acquired Marseille man do his thing at the Emirates for a good while yet to come, such a romanticized way going about business very rarely proves profitable for Premier League football clubs in the end. So, even though this current Arsenal outfit would certainly look a great deal stronger with a fit and firing Diaby involved, the Gunners ultimately made the right decision in choosing to let him go this summer.

Sometimes you just have to know when to give up on certain players if you want your club to truly progress into the future, and as the towering Frenchman was definitely more of a spectator than regular player for Arsenal in recent seasons, the north Londoners simply had to cut their ties with Abou Diaby sooner or later – such an outcome was merely inevitable.

The talented midfielder can now look to the upcoming 2015/16 season with a renewed sense of hope and optimism, as he finally begins a new league campaign away from the injury related frustration developed at the Emirates.

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Tony Pulis and West Brom reportedly wanted to keep the former Arsenal man within the Premier League ahead of the new season, but as the midfielder himself is likely looking forward to turning over a fresh leaf in a new league and different surroundings completely, the prospect of seeing Diaby playing for West Brom next term ultimately seemed like an unlikely one at best.

So then, even though Arsenal somewhat missed a trick in never being able to rely upon their former no. 24 throughout the years, the decision to part way with Abou Diaby this summer was certainly the correct one in the cold light of day.

When the fixture list was announced, once Manchester United fans had already found games against Liverpool and Manchester City, and once they’d seen the opening day fixtures and all the other milestones they often look for, they might have been forgiven for thinking that their festive period could have been a time to really build momentum.

After facing Arsenal and City in successive weeks in December, then came the likes of West Brom, Leicester and Burnley around Christmas before facing Southampton and Everton around the new year. It certainly wasn’t supposed to be this difficult.

United haven’t won since mid-December in any competition, and they’ve conceded six goals in their last three games. If the title race wasn’t already over after losing to Pep Guardiola’s cross-city Blues, it surely is now. And with two games to come in just three days, things could easily get worse.

With that in mind, should Jose Mourinho be resting his one in-form attacking player this weekend?

It’s a huge dilemma: United need a ‘quick win’, something to take the pressure off, but they also have two games in quick succession. The first is against a Southampton side who have just conceded five goals and lost their best defender, whilst the second is against an Everton team whose defence is rejuvenated under Sam Allardyce, having kept give clean sheets in the eight matches he’s presided over since taking charge.

Does that mean that Jesse Lingard – Messi Lingard – the man who salvaged a draw with Burnley and provided three goals and an assist in his last three games, should be kept for the Everton game despite only playing 45 minutes on Boxing Day? Or should he be thrust back into the action on Saturday evening while he’s still hot, the fire from his last match? Have your say below….

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Picking which Premier League team to manage on Football Manager 2018 can be difficult.

Do you go for the easy save and take charge of one of the big clubs, or do you give yourself a challenge by starting a project at a smaller club down the other end of the table?

The decision tends to come down to how much money you have available from the very start, but you don’t know what transfer funds and wage budget you’ll have until you load up the game and pick your team.

So with that in mind, we’ve done the research and found out exactly what each Premier League club gives managers from the very start, depending on the promises they make to the board.

So read on and learn which clubs are prepared to thrown money at their managers and which ones will require a little more shrewdness in order to be successful in the Premier League…

Arsenal

Minimum transfer budget: £80m

Maximum transfer budget: £90m

Minimum wage budget: £2.8m

Maximum wage budget: £3m

AFC Bournemouth

Minimum transfer budget: £17m

Maximum transfer budget: £20m

Minimum wage budget: £1m

Maximum wage budget: £1.3m

Brighton & Hove Albion

Minimum transfer budget: £17m

Maximum transfer budget: £20m

Minimum wage budget: £970k

Maximum wage budget: £1.1m

Burnley

Minimum transfer budget: £10m

Maximum transfer budget: £13m

Minimum wage budget: £815k

Maximum wage budget: £950k

Chelsea

Minimum transfer budget: £65m

Maximum transfer budget: £86m

Minimum wage budget: £3m

Maximum wage budget: £3.5m

Crystal Palace

Minimum transfer budget: £8m

Maximum transfer budget: £11m

Minimum wage budget: £1.5m

Maximum wage budget: £1.7m

Everton

Minimum transfer budget: £20m

Maximum transfer budget: £33m

Minimum wage budget: £1.9m

Maximum wage budget: £2.5m

Huddersfield Town

Minimum transfer budget: £8m

Maximum transfer budget: £11.5m

Minimum wage budget: £715k

Maximum wage budget: £860k

Leicester City

Minimum transfer budget: £25m

Maximum transfer budget: £35m

Minimum wage budget: £1.5m

Maximum wage budget: £1.9m

Liverpool

Minimum transfer budget: £75m

Maximum transfer budget: £97m

Minimum wage budget: £2.8m

Maximum wage budget: £3.2m

Manchester City

Minimum transfer budget: £80m

Maximum transfer budget: £110m

Minimum wage budget: £3.3m

Maximum wage budget: £4m

Manchester United

Minimum transfer budget: £42m

Maximum transfer budget: £51.5m

Minimum wage budget: £3.5m

Maximum wage budget: £3.9m

Newcastle United

Minimum transfer budget: £10.8m

Maximum transfer budget: £12.3m

Minimum wage budget: £1.1m

Maximum wage budget: £1.2m

Southampton

Minimum transfer budget: £30m

Maximum transfer budget: £48m

Minimum wage budget: £1.6m

Maximum wage budget: £2.2m

Stoke City

Minimum transfer budget: £27m

Maximum transfer budget: £39m

Minimum wage budget: £1.3m

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Maximum wage budget: £1.5m

Swansea City

Minimum transfer budget: £10m

Maximum transfer budget: £14m

Minimum wage budget: £1.2m

Maximum wage budget: £1.4m

Tottenham Hotspur

Minimum transfer budget: £65m

Maximum transfer budget: £95m

Minimum wage budget: £1.9m

Maximum wage budget: £2.3m

Watford

Minimum transfer budget: £8m

Maximum transfer budget: £11m

Minimum wage budget: £1.2m

Maximum wage budget: £1.4m

West Bromwich Albion

Minimum transfer budget: £25m

Maximum transfer budget: £35m

Minimum wage budget: £1.1m

Maximum wage budget: £1.4m

West Ham United

Minimum transfer budget: £32m

Maximum transfer budget: £46m

Minimum wage budget: £1.7m

Maximum wage budget: £2m

Paul Lambert did his best to breed some much-needed positivity during his first press conference as Stoke City manager, after his appointment endured a sceptical response on social media, but the Scot will know there is serious work to be done to turn what has been a dismal season at the Bet365 Stadium around.

Stoke’s plight harks back to the second half of last season – they’ve won just eight top flight fixtures since March – and the current campaign has seen them concede just six Premier League goals less than during the entirety of 2016/17.

Lambert insists he’s ‘100% sure’ the 18th-placed side can avoid relegation, but for that prophecy to prove true, there are four things he must do…

“I’m 100% sure that we have enough to stay up. The club shouldn’t be in the position we are in. If we can get a togetherness with the team, as well as fans’ backing, we should be fine.

“In the Premier League every game is hard whether at home or away. We need to get ourselves up the table and I intend on doing just that.”

Bring consistency to the defence

It’s no secret that Stoke’s biggest problem right now is conceding goals. With 50 let in already this season, Stoke have conceded the third-most goals after 23 games of any team in Premier League history. But the actual quality of their defenders isn’t really the problem; Kurt Zouma is a talented and physical centre-half and Ryan Shawcross has all the Premier League experience a relegation-threatened side could need.

Rather, Mark Hughes spent much of the campaign jostling around his defensive options, partly due to injury problems, and that has been Stoke’s ultimate stumbling block. Zouma and Eric Pieters are the only Stoke defenders to make more than 15 Premier League starts this season, while striker Mame Biram Diouf has spent much of the campaign filling in at right wing-back, and Hughes’ constant switching between back fours and back threes hasn’t helped either.

Stoke have already addressed one of those problems by acquiring Mortiz Bauer, who looks a decent option at right-back, but it’s vital Lambert settles on a system as soon as possible, and the Potters keep their most important defenders – particularly Shawcross, Zouma and Pieters – fit.

Find another outlet in the final third

Stoke’s overreliance on a 36-year-old Peter Crouch this season has been incredibly telling. He’s started or come on from the bench in all but three of their Premier League games, and the image of long, high balls aimlessly flung towards the England international has been symbolic of the Potters’ struggles offensively.

But Stoke do have creative talent in their midfield, particularly through Xherdan Shaqiri, Joe Allen and Ramadan Sobhi, and it’s more a question of finding another dependable outlet in the final third – someone who can bring the team up the pitch and the likes of Shaqiri and Sobhi into the game, while offering a more dynamic threat than Crouch.

The obvious suggestion is making a midseason signing; Stoke could certainly do with more firepower – their three joint-top scorers in the top flight this season all netting just four goals. But Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting certainly looks the part as a central striker and has probably been Stoke’s most consistent offensive threat this season.

Moving him from the wing to the tip of the attack and giving him a run up top could prove to be the right solution at no extra cost.

Inject more legs into central midfield

Allen and Darren Fletcher are a decent double-act on paper, but their lack of athleticism does stand out – particularly when fielded as a midfield two. Stoke’s current options here are pretty limited; Charlie Adam, Stephen Ireland and Geoff Cameron aren’t exactly known for their dynamism either; so this problem is really a matter of what’s available to the Potters in the transfer market.

But if Lambert can find a signing who brings more energy into the engine room both offensively and defensively – someone of the Wilfried Ndidi or Idrissa Gueye mould – that will have a big impact on the sturdiness and counter-attacking ability of the team.

He may not be the greatest player in the world, but Newcastle’s Mo Diame would be a decent fit and is probably available for a fair price.

Get off to a strong start

It perhaps goes without saying but especially bearing in mind the negativity already surrounding his appointment, it’s vital Lambert gets off to a strong start as Stoke manager.

Despite the scoreline, there were some positives to take from Stoke’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester United on Monday night, particularly in terms of team structure and the chances they created in the first half, and Lambert must build on those quickly while addressing the Potters’ defensive frailties. If the Lambert era starts slowly though, it won’t be long before there’s pressure to sack him from the supporters and the situation could quickly become toxic.

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The good news for Lambert, however, is that Stoke have a good run of fixtures coming up; they don’t face another top six side until March and encounter relegation rivals Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Brighton and Southampton during the intermittent period.

In fact, the Terriers’ visit to the Bet365 Stadium this weekend represents the perfect chance to claim a much-needed clean sheet and return to winning ways; David Wagner’s side have won just two of their last twelve top flight games, scoring on just half of those occasions, and appear to have lost their momentum from earlier in the season.

A win would move Stoke to just one point behind the 14th-placed side and put Huddersfield firmly back into the mix for relegation.

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A common criticism of modern football is that too many clubs fire their managers at the first hint of crisis and twenty-six sackings in the Premier League alone since June 2015 certainly suggests that patience is often thin on the ground in chairmens’ offices.

Worse yet it is a trend that only appears to be escalating with ten gaffers already given the boot this term compared to eight throughout the entirety of last season. In 2014/15 there were ‘only’ seven picking up their P45 and claiming it was by mutual consent to save face.

From this quarter of a century of dismissals there have naturally been examples where struggle had become set in stone and the manager’s position had reached the point of being irreparable.

Bob Bradley’s disastrous stint at Swansea springs most readily to mind here, an ill-fit that was clearly doomed to fail from the moment the American arrived at the Liberty Stadium and began talking up a C.V that frankly wasn’t that impressive, besides its length. Eleven games and seven defeats later and he was gone, replaced by Paul Clement and with the benefit of the ‘new manager bounce’ the Swans won half of their next ten games. By the season’s end they were seven points clear of a relegation plight they previously seemed fated to endure.

There is significant evidence to support the claim that a ‘new manager bounce’ exists, not least common sense in that an incoming coach embodies a fresh start from scratch while all of the reasons for failure symbolically leave with the old one. It can’t be a coincidence that so often players are transformed in form as they seek to impress their new boss and teams – in general, certainly not all – enjoy an upsurge in results.

Yet according to two reports, that is precisely what this perceived improvement is down to – pure coincidence.

The most recent research conducted by the 21st Club concluded that 75% of a managerial bounce is down to luck, with the remaining 25% attributed to fixtures and players returning from injury. In 2004 meanwhile, Dutch economist Dr Bas Ter Weel published his findings from 18 years of analysing the Eredivisie that suggested clubs that persisted with an under-performing manager and clubs that did not experienced almost identical patterns of improvements and decline.

Balancing this out, however, are indisputable stats in addition to that indefinable gut instinct that tells you the phenomenon is very much real. If your team is due to play a side stuck in crisis mode you’re relatively confident. If the club in question then sacks the manager early in the week and immediately appoints a replacement your heart sinks. There must be a reason for that and the reason illustrates that even if a ‘new manager bounce’ is exaggerated, we all at least believe that it exists.

Besides, the numbers don’t lie. The clubs who sought a new direction last term accumulatively shot up twelve places in the Premier League by May from their positions at the time of each sacking. This time out the rewards for uttering Alan Sugar’s catchphrase has been even more dramatic; Crystal Palace are enjoying a venerable rebirth since replacing Frank De Boer with the sensible input of Roy Hodgson. Elsewhere, a strange synchronicity meant that three clubs languished in 18th spot over a period of one month last autumn, with all three firing their coaches in that position. That trio – Leicester, Everton and West Ham – now reside in 7th, 9th and 11th respectively.

However, if there is indeed merit in starting afresh, that only leads to another line of enquiry, namely whether it is the right course of action for the long term. It is all very well pressing the panic button and enjoying a reversal of fortunes but if it’s only a temporary respite, then maybe yer da is right to mourn for the days when Sir Alex and others were given time to make mistakes and mould a team in their image. After all, he does have a point – the average period of employment in the top flight is a staggeringly slim 1.2 years. After all too a bounce by its very definition is going to come back down again.

Here we return to where we started: at the Liberty Stadium in South Wales. Because for all of Paul Clement’s impetus post-Bradley, 2017/18 saw history repeating itself and Swansea came out of the blocks in slothenly, inept fashion. They are presently propping the rest of the league up.

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Perhaps, then, the answer lies not in relying on an injection of new blood every time crisis looms but rather a club taking the time and calmness to find the right man and entrusting in him to eventually find the magic formula.

While we’re waiting for that to happen, we may as well look to the skies for flying pigs.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Thomas Lemar has rejected a new contract offer at Monaco, fuelling rumours of a move to the Premier League in the summer.

What’s the Story?

Long-term Arsenal and Liverpool target Thomas Lemar has reportedly turn down a new contract offer at Monaco and is keen on a move to the Premier League in the summer.

The 22-year-old was a member of the Monaco team of 2016/17 that surprised the footballing world by winning Ligue 1 and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Since then, the majority of that team have left the principality for pastures new, with Kylian Mbappe at Paris Saint Germain and Benjamin Mendy, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Bernardo Silva plying their trade in the Premier League.

Now, it seems that Lemar is keen to join his former teammates in England.

Arsenal made an attempt to bring the Frenchman to the Emirates last summer. However, Monaco rebuffed their bid for their young star, which totalled more than £92million.

Would Lemar be a good signing for Arsenal?

While Lemar’s reported eagerness to play in the Premier League will be welcome news for Arsenal fans, his form this season has been comparatively poor and questions may be asked as to whether his outstanding performances last season were simply a one-off.

The Frenchman, valued at £58.5million by Transfermarkt, definitely has the ability to perform at the highest level.

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However, with the ferociously talented offensive players at Arsenal improving with every transfer window, Wenger may not want to risk spending such a vast sum on a player who may not feature in the starting eleven every game.

Everton will look to maintain their bid to finish seventh in the Premier League this season when they face Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

The Toffees recovered from the disappointing 5-1 defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium earlier this month to beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at Goodison Park in their previous top flight encounter.

Gylfi Sigurdsson, Oumar Niasse and Tom Davies were on the score-sheet for the hosts on that day, with the win moving the Merseyside outfit moving up to ninth and just two points behind seventh-place Burnley.

Sam Allardyce’s men will look to build on that victory when they make the long trip south to Hertfordshire this weekend, and the 63-year-old will know how important it is that his side keep picking up the results to boost their chances of finishing as the best of the rest outside of the top six clubs.

It certainly won’’t be an easy task against the Hornets however with the Toffees struggling on the road in 2018 having lost 4-0 at Tottenham and 5-1 against the Gunners, while Javi Gracia’s men beat Chelsea 4-1 in their previous home clash.

Allardyce will likely have to make two enforced changes at Vicarage Road with Eliaquim Mangala definitely out and Seamus Coleman a major doubt, but he could be asking for trouble unless he makes a couple more alterations too.

Here are two changes the 63-year-old must make to his team when they face Watford…

Morgan Schneiderlin for Tom Davies

While Davies came into the starting XI in the win against Crystal Palace and scored having impressed as a second-half substitute in the 5-1 defeat against Arsenal previously, he shouldn’t start again at Vicarage Road.

Schneiderlin was the midfielder that dropped to the substitutes’ bench as the 19-year-old came into the side with Allardyce setting up with a 4-3-3 system against the Eagles, but Everton may well need to be a little more defensively aware away at Watford.

While he may not be too popular with the Goodison Park faithful right now, his ability to intercept the ball and win tackles could be crucial against Javi Gracia’s side and he would be more effective than Davies from a defensive point of view.

Yannick Bolasie for Wayne Rooney

Bolasie was another that was dropped to the substitutes’ bench against Crystal Palace following a largely anonymous showing at the Emirates, and it was Rooney that came into the middle of the park as Allardyce switched from the 3-4-3 system he had gone with in north London.

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While Rooney did well against the Eagles last time out, the pace of Theo Walcott on one wing and Bolasie on the other could be hugely effective against a Watford defence that struggled against West Ham United’s Michail Antonio in their previous top flight fixture.

Everton could do with the three points at Vicarage Road and they need to have a goal threat to do that, and Bolasie can provide that and be a huge threat with his speed and trickery from the flank.

Do you agree, Toffees fans? Let us know below.

Newcastle United have only lost one of their last seven in the Premier League, with that strong run of form moving them into 13th position in the table.

Manchester United were their opponents in the league last time out, and a second-half effort from Matt Ritchie secured a huge three points for Newcastle on home soil.

A number of players have been impressive for the Magpies in recent weeks, and Mohamed Diame certainly deserves to be placed in that category.

The 30-year-old has actually only started 12 Premier League games for Newcastle this season, but his form in recent weeks has kept him in Rafael Benitez’s XI.

Indeed, Diame, who is valued at £4.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, scored in the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on February 4 before impressing against Man United last time out.

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The midfielder has not always felt the love of the Newcastle fans due to inconsistent form, but there is no question that the supporters are pleased with the Senegal international at the moment.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: