Chelsea fans feel they’re not seeing the best of Alvaro Morata quite yet

Chelsea picked up their first win of the English Premier League season on Sunday with a dramatic 2-1 win over title rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium,After last week’s shock result at home to Burnley, Blues fans were looking for a big reaction this week and were not disappointed, watching their team put in a battling performance to pick up all three points against one of the best sides in England.Marcos Alonso was the star of the show, his free-kick and late finish besting Spurs’ equaliser.It was also a chance for fans to see some new faces get a proper chance in league action with both Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morata making their first Premier League starts.Morata of course is the club’s big signing this summer and they’re counting on him filling Diego Costa’s boots and banging in the goals this season. As he still gets used to life in England though, there’s room for improvement. He missed an excellent heading chance early on and failed to really have an impact on the game before being substituted for Michy Batshuayi.Still, fans are excited about his potential and took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance against Spurs…

Rangers fans left delighted as new signings click away to Ross County

With the pressure on away to Ross County on Sunday, Rangers needed a positive result to ease the pressure on manager Pedro Caixinha and delivered in fine fashion with a 3-1 win.

Comfortable in the first half, the Light Blues rushed to a 2-0 lead thanks to summer signing Alfredo Morelos and despite a spirited fightback from their hosts in the second half, the game was put to bed by another Caixinha signing, Eduardo Herrera.

After a defeat to Hibernian and a draw at home to Hearts, Rangers’ season was in danger of sputtering out before it got started but they can now head into the international break buoyant and hopeful of the future ahead, especially as arch rivals Celtic dropped points this weekend.

It was particularly pleasing for fans to see their new signings click into gear with Morelos, Ryan Jack, Herrera and Daniel Candeias all showing promising signs across the 90 minutes.

Supporters took to Twitter to deliver their verdict on the performance and singled out the new boys for praise…

Arsenal fans pleased they sold Oxlade-Chamberlain after England performance

England are on the verge of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup after they came from behind to beat Slovakia 2-1 at Wembley on Monday night, and it seems as though Arsenal fans are still keeping a close eye on the progress of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The Gunners sold the 23-year-old to Liverpool in a £35m deal last week after he turned down a new contract offer from the north London outfit, which would have been a huge blow to manager Arsene Wenger in what was a difficult summer transfer window.

However, he may be feeling a little bit better following the midfielder’s performance against Slovakia on Monday, when he struggled in the final third and blasted a shot high and wide of the goal.

The BBC’s chief football writer Phil McNulty only rated him 4/10 for his showing, and Arsenal supporters were quick to have their say on Oxlade-Chamberlain via social media.

While some that they are pleased that the club sold him, others even went as far as saying that he is “useless”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Everton fans urge Ronald Koeman to give Oumar Niasse Sunderland chance

An out-of-form Everton host Championship strugglers Sunderland in the third round of the EFL Cup at Goodison Park on Wednesday night, and Toffees fans have urged manager Ronald Koeman to give forgotten striker Oumar Niasse a chance to impress.

The Merseyside outfit come into the game having lost their last four matches in all competitions, scoring none and conceding 12 goals in the process, and they are struggling to find the net following the departure of Romelu Lukaku during the summer.

With the likes of Wayne Rooney, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Sandro Ramirez failing to fire, Niasse could be handed a rare opportunity against the Black Cats.

Koeman told the 27-year-old last summer that he needed to find a new club, but he has yet to do despite enjoying a successful loan spell with Hull City in the second half of last season.

Everton supporters were quick to have their say on the striker via social media, and while many are urging their under-pressure Dutch boss to give him a chance, others say he ‘has to start’.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Three reasons why Hibs will provide one of Celtic’s toughest tests so far this season

Coming off of Wednesday night’s monster win away to Anderlecht, Celtic have every reason to feel invincible.

That win in Europe was one of the finest for any Scottish side in years and coupled with their unbelievable unbeaten domestic run, stopping the Hoops right now seems impossible. They host Hibernian at Celtic Park on Saturday in a sold-out 3pm kick-off that is sure to catch the imagination of Scottish football.

Recently promoted Hibs have breathed new life into the Scottish Premiership this season and after some big wins will go to Glasgow with confidence, despite the challenge ahead of them. Led by former Celtic captain and manager Neil Lennon, there are many intriguing storylines running through the encounter.

The Leith outfit could also provide one of the Hoops’ toughest tests of the season, domestically at least.

Here are three reasons why…

They’ve only lost one of their 13 matches so far

Hibernian have been in excellent form this season and even when not at their best or not winning matches they’ve usually found a way to draw the encounter. In fact, they’ve only lost one match so far this season, unless you also count a point gained in the Scottish League Cup groups in which they lost the bonus point on penalties.

It’s a fantastic record and shows the fighting spirit Neil Lennon has instilled into his team. Along the way they’ve picked up some good wins including one against Rangers at Ibrox, a match they easily could have lost but battled hard to win 3-2.

They’re going to be tough to break down on Saturday. Lennon knows better than anyone how to play against Celtic at Celtic Park and he’ll be going all out to stop the Hoops playing.

They’re scoring plenty of goals

Hibs are also in fine goalscoring form this season. In their 13 matches so far they’ve scored a fantastic 33 goals. That’s a statistic that demonstrates the joy they take in getting up the pitch and allowing their more creative players to shine. It also shows the potential they have when they get the performance right on the day.

Consistency has been lacking for Neil Lennon’s side this season, he’ll admit to too many dropped points, but on their day they can give anyone in Scottish football a game, including Celtic.

Both Simon Murray and Anthony Stokes are on seven goals for the season already and you wouldn’t put it past both to get well into double figures by the time the campaign is over. The Hoops will need to guard against both on Saturday.

Former Celtic heroes have a lot to prove

Neil Lennon isn’t the only returning former Hoops star that will be returning to Celtic Park on Saturday. Hibernian have a few in their ranks including Anthony Stokes, Efe Ambrose and Dylan McGeouch.

All three are likely to play this weekend and all three have their own points to prove when they return to Glasgow.

Stokes’ Celtic career petered out towards the end and while he’s a Celtic fan, he’ll be hoping he can show the Hoops hierarchy exactly what they’re missing.

Ambrose meanwhile would love to keep a clean sheet and frustrate a home support that gave him a fair bit of stick over the years for mistakes and poor performances.

McGeouch never quite made it as a first-team regular at Celtic Park and would likely love to show that he has the quality to make an impact at Celtic Park in a manner his potential promised all those years ago.

These are all interesting battles and these stars will be extra motivated to get something out of their trip to Glasgow, making them all the more dangerous.

In Focus: Caixinha’s move to quell Miller feud can only be a positive for Rangers

As reported by The Herald, Pedro Caixinha has opened up about his current relationship with Kenny Miller and insisted there are no problems as the squad prepare for their Friday night fixture.

What’s the story?

The pair had recently had a reported bust-up that saw the striker dropped into the U20s Development Squad just a week after playing against Celtic at Ibrox.

Now though, it appears the issues have been resolved. That’s according to Caixinha anyway, although the player has been spotted back in first team training at Auchenhowie.

As quoted by The Herald, the Light Blues boss said:

There is no latest situation. It’s just one technical decision. Who picks the first eleven? Who picks the squad? Who picks the players who are out of the squad? There is no issue. Sometimes I take a decision and I explain directly to the person involved. Other times I don’t explain. And other times I can explain later. I am the one who takes the decision. There are no problems at all. Period. Kenny is one of ours. He is training with us and like the others he is there to be selected or not.

As usual, it’s a colourful response to media questioning, but it’s at least good news for Rangers fans that there is no current stand-off between the two parties, with Rangers needing to move forward in harmony if they are going to achieve consistent results this season.

Miller’s role

The truth is that from a playing perspective, Kenny Miller hasn’t offered Rangers much this season and there are numerous more attractive and more exciting options for fans to see in the Light Blues’ starting eleven.

He has been an excellent servant to the club over the years, scoring 113 goals in three spells, but now at 37 years of age his time playing in the top-flight could be coming to an end.

Still, it was vitally important that any issues between the player and Caixinha were resolved. Miller remains an influential member of the dressing room and a feud would have only undermined the Rangers boss at a critical time in his reign at Ibrox.

Now this has been resolved everyone can move on and perhaps stop all the negative headlines emerging from the club.

Tottenham fans choose surprise name to replace Harry Kane against Man United

Tottenham Hotspur face a tough trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Saturday without star man Harry Kane, but Spurs fans would prefer Son Heung-Min – who could overtake Park Ji-Sung as the competition’s highest scoring South Korean player if he finds the net – to replace him up top rather than Fernando Llorente.

Mauricio Pochettino announced on Friday that the England international would miss the clash after suffering a minor strain of his left hamstring, and Llorente would certainly be the natural replacement for him in the centre-forward position.

However, the 32-year-old is yet to score his first goal for the club and certainly wasn’t at his best in the 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat against West Ham United during the week, and Pochettino could choose to keep him on the substitutes’ bench against Jose Mourinho’s men.

Tottenham supporters were quick to have their say on the conundrum via social media, and many believe Son has “got to start”, with others adding that he is “more mobile and has form on his side”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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West Ham fans rage at Antonio after dropped points vs Palace

West Ham United were on the brink of their first English Premier League away win in six attempts on Saturday, but an equaliser from Crystal Palace just seconds before full-time denied them.

The Hammers had rushed to a 2-0 lead at half-time thanks to goals from Javier Hernandez and Andre Ayew, but were pegged back in the second half after Luka Milivojevic converted a 50th minute penalty.

Slaven Bilic’s side looked like holding on to secure a crucial three points but Wilfried Zaha spoiled the party with a low finish in the box which proved to be the last kick of the game.

With just nine points from their opening 10 matches, West Ham are now at risk of dropping into the relegation zone if results go against them in the rest of the weekend’s action.

Irons fans were left fuming with Michail Antonio’s role in the equaliser, with the player losing possession in Palace’s half with just seconds remaining in the match and his side 2-1 up.

Fans took to Twitter to vent their frustrations…

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The key questions Conte must answer to beat Man United

In this fixture last season, Chelsea handed Manchester United and their former manager Jose Mourinho a 4-0 humiliation. But, even though the Blues are the Premier League’s reigning champions, the roles feel somewhat reversed ahead of Sunday’s 4.30pm kickoff at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea enter the weekend in worrying form and amid rumours of discontent following a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Roma in midweek, while United have failed to win just twice in the top flight so far this season and have their sights firmly set on clinching the title.

In order for Antonio Conte to ensure his side bounce back from recent events to claim a win over the Red Devils, he must find the right answers to these three crucial questions.

Who starts in defence?

For all the talk of disruptions behind the scenes affecting Chelsea’s form, their biggest problem is obvious – a defence that has conceded 13 goals during the last seven games. And in turn, the underlying factor behind that has been the constant changing of personnel, partly due to the Blues’ Champions League commitments and partly due to a series of injury problems.

The good news is that Antonio Conte has all of his centre-back options available to him for Sunday, but the resulting dilemma is who should actually start. Reverting to last season’s back three is the logical and probably most sensible option, but captain Gary Cahill hasn’t exactly convinced this term and Cesar Azpilicueta may be needed at right wing-back ahead of Davide Zappacosta.

This is easily the biggest selection decision Conte faces ahead of Sunday’s game – United’s whole game-plan centres around capitalising on mistakes at the back.

Can Bakayoko and Fabregas cope in midfield?

For all the criticism of Chelsea’s performances at the back, they certainly haven’t been helped by Cesc Fabregas and Tiemoue Bakayoko in midfield. Neither are defensive-minded players; the former is a playmaker and the latter is, at his most defensive, an industrious box-to-box; and for differing reasons, both have looked exceptionally leggy in recent outings.

Considering how crucial the midfield battle will likely be on Sunday, sticking with the current formula and hoping for the best seems like a huge risk on Conte’s part. He’ll of course be hoping N’Golo Kante recovers in time to make the starting XI and that could transform the whole team when out of possession, but the Frenchman remains a doubt.

The obvious alternative is to change the formation and bring an extra body into midfield in the form of Danny Drinkwater. That will at least ease the burden on Bakayoko and Fabregas’ legs, and add an extra layer of protection in front of the defence.

How can Chelsea penetrate Man United’s defence?

A question only two Premier League teams have found the answer to – how to actually get past United’s defence. The Red Devils have claimed eight clean sheets in the Premier League already this season, only conceding to Huddersfield and Stoke City, including against Liverpool and Tottenham.

To make matters worse, Mourinho is almost certain to set up his side as defensively as possible on Sunday, making it even harder for them to break through. United are so physical and well-organised in defence it’s hard to identify a weakness.

But Chelsea do have one of the deadliest creators in the Premier League to fall back on in Eden Hazard and if there’s one potential failing the home side can exploit, it’s United’s lack of familiarity with 3-5-2 – the formation Mourinho looks set to utilise once again after matching up with Tottenham last weekend.

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Tottenham fans frustrated as Wanyama remains on the sidelines

Victor Wanyama has missed Tottenham Hotspur’s last 16 matches in all competitions after picking up a knee injury on the second weekend of the Premier League season.

The 26-year-old was outstanding for the capital outfit last term, and despite the emergence of Harry Winks, has been sorely missed in the middle of the Tottenham midfield.

It had been thought that the former Southampton anchorman, who is valued at £22.5m by transfermarkt.co.uk, would play some part in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, but Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino ruled him out of contention on Monday afternoon.

Toby Alderweireld also remains on the sidelines, meaning that Eric Dier has had to drop into centre-back, which is another big miss in the Tottenham midfield.

It would be fair to say that the Spurs fans are getting extremely frustrated with the absence of Wanyama, especially considering the lack of information surrounding when he will be available for selection once again.

A selection of the best Twitter reaction can be found below.

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