Two rather inconsistent sides will meet at the weekend when West Ham United host Everton at the London Stadium as the Premier League action returns following the international break.

With the two teams meeting, however, some of the league’s best goalkeepers are set to be involved in the game and could play major roles in the outcome of the fixture.

Lukasz Fabianski and Jordan Pickford will be looking to help their sides to close the gap between them and the race for seventh position, however, which shot-stopper would come out the best in a battle between the two? Let’s find out below…

Lukasz Fabianski

The Poland international has been nothing short of amazing during his time at the London Stadium and has made his £7.2million transfer fee from Swansea City in the summer look to be a bargain buy.

The 33-year-old appears to have solved the goalkeeping concerns that they have had in recent memory, with the likes of Joe Hart and Adrian both having struggled in the past, and has been able to help the Irons to win a number of points.

Fabianski’s contributions to the team have already earned him a status of being a fan favourite at the Hammers as many of the faithful have called for him to win their prestigious Hammer of the Year award for his performances.

However, the Polish shot-stopper is approaching the later years of his career and although it is money that has been well spent by West Ham, there will be concerns about how long he will be able to remain at the top of his game and continue to help the Irons improve in the Premier League.

TT Grade: B+

Jordan Pickford

Pickford, who is valued at £36 million (by Transfermarkt), appears to be just one of the recent transfers that Everton have made in the past few months to have passed the grade. Having paid an initial £25m for the England international has largely looked to be good business for the Toffees.

The 24-year-old is an excellent No.1 who typically plays in a sweeper-keeper type mould and is very quick off his line and out of his penalty area to make crucial clearances.

As Fabianski has with West Ham, Pickford has helped to win Everton points at times with his performances, with his display against Chelsea recently helping them to secure a much-needed but impressive three points.

However, for the praise that the England international has earned, it would be fair to say that his performances do also attract criticism at times and is something that he can work on, with the odd costly error being made on occasion.

TT Grade: B

The Verdict:

West Ham and Everton both definitely have some of the Premier League’s best goalkeepers at the moment and both will definitely be important in determining the outcome of Saturday’s match.

Both men have arguably been one of their respective club’s best transfer additions in recent windows and have both been crucial to where the teams currently find themselves in the top-flight.

However, Pickford could learn a thing or two from Fabianski moving forward, as the Poland international may not have had the best start in the Premier League with Arsenal, but he has since turned out to be brilliant ‘keeper for both Swansea City and West Ham.

For that reason, Fabianski wins this battle.

West Ham and Everton fans, what are your thoughts on the battle between these two? Who would come out on top for you and why? Join in with the discussion below by sharing your thoughts with us below.

[ad_pod ]Leeds fans have been reacting to an Ezgjan Alioski’s bounty of crazy moments following an incident with Pontus Jansson during Saturday’s match against Sheffield Wednesday.A compilation was posted on social media of Alioski’s bizarre antics and it has a lot of fans talking.The latest in a long list of strange incidents involving Alioski was an encounter with his teammate on Saturday.The video shows Jansson seemingly whispering something in Aliosksi’s ear or kissing him on the cheek but the Macedonian didn’t take too kindly to the defender’s actions.The 27-year-old seems to swing a feint punch at the Swede but fortunately failed to land anything substantial on the centre back.It’s unsure what Jansson said or did to garner such a visceral reaction from the defender but Alioski clearly wasn’t happy.The video also shows other strange instances involving Alioski including shaking the entrance tunnel at Elland Road as well as screaming during training sessions.Alioski’s absurd behaviour has split the fanbase with some finding his antics endearing whilst others have been calling him crazy.Here’s what Leeds fans had to say on Twitter…How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

Some good news is finally emerging for Manuel Pellegrini, who has been able to unleash the full might of his West Ham United squad since joining the club in the summer due to a spate of injuries over the course of his maiden campaign.

Indeed, injuries have plagued his work in improving his side, but the Chilean will certainly be pleased with the boost of getting Jack Wilshere’s services back. As every Hammer reading this will know, the England man can be a game-changer on his day and the notion of him slotting into what is already an exciting attacking side should be hugely exciting.

The determined midfield enforcer has finally recovered from a bad ankle injury that’s kept him out for more than four months and seriously undermined the opening stages of his career in East London. Obviously, the former Arsenal man only made five appearances for West Ham this season, but that could grow with Pellegrini needing his energetic presence to lighten up his team.

Despite their good work, neither Declan Rice nor Mark Noble have been able to be that driving figure to bully their way past opposition midfielders. Both have been forced to look after their defence and keep distributing possession to their creative outlets, only displaying their attacking sides in set-pieces. However, Wilshere is very different to them and a persistent pressure figure in midfield.

Alongside the aforementioned pair, the former Manchester City manager might be able to field West Ham’s best engine room in years.

While the Irons manager would be wise to introduce him into the team slowly, his tenacious and talent nature could spell success at this point of the season. At a time when many oppositions players are facing fatigue, Wilshere’s wily nature could work in the Hammers favour to help them win more battles in midfield.

The former Arsenal enforcer’s not been able to properly assert himself in years. However, knowing his never-say-die spirit and inspired ability to keep fighting against the odds, Wilshere’s influential ability can be that X-Factor to drive Manuel Pellegrini’s side forward towards consolidating a top-half finish.

Hammers fans, are you excited to see Wilshere’s potential return this week? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to some contract news, as Jurgen Klopp has reportedly changed his mind about the future of Divock Origi.

Not too long ago, Origi and Daniel Sturridge both looked destined for Anfield exits this summer.

According to a report from Sports Illustrated, both strikers were on the chopping block – Sturridge will be out of contract while Origi’s current deal ends in 2020, meaning this summer is the club’s last chance to get reasonable compensation for his departure.

However, a new report from Football Insider claims Klopp has been “blown away” by Origi’s attitude and work ethic and will now offer the youngster an extended deal.

Indeed, Origi was out in the cold earlier this season, but has come off the bench to make a positive impact on several occasions recently, and who could forget his derby day winner at the expense of Jordan Pickford?

Has Alisson been Liverpool’s most important signing of the season? Check out the video below to find out why Jurgen Klopp thinks so…

It appears Klopp has done a complete U-turn and the club can now strengthen elsewhere with a back-up striker already secure, but plenty of fans are taking issue with this.

Anfield has long been in need of a “super-sub” type who can take pressure off Roberto Firmino, and sacrificing that to re-sign Origi has caused some controversy.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are split on Klopp’s change of heart…

أعرب الدولي المصري أحمد حسن كوكا مُهاجم منتخب مصر، والمُحترف في صفوف أولمبياكوس اليوناني، عن سعادته بهدفه القاتل في مرمى مارسيليا الفرنسي في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

كوكا شارك كبديل أمام مارسيليا، وسجّل هدفًا في الدقيقة 90، ليقود أولمبياكوس للفوز بالجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات في دوري أبطال أوروبا (طالع تقرير المباراة). شاهد هدف كوكا القاتل في مارسيليا

وقال كوكا في تصريحات عقب نهاية المباراة: “إنها ليلة خاصة بالنسبة لي، ويوم مهم، في أول مشاركة لي في دوري أبطال أوروبا، أسجّل هدفًا”.

وأضاف: “ليلة مهمة أيضًا، لأنني في مثل هذا اليوم منذ خمس سنوات فقدت والدي الذي أكرّس له هذا الهدف، وأنا أدين له بكل شيء”.

وأتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “أنا سعيد للغاية من أجل الهدف، ولأنني أتيحت لي الفرصة لعيش مثل هذه اللحظة الرائعة في مثل هذا التاريخ”.

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It looked like being another dreary day for QPR when they went two down to Hull last time out but they turned it round and emerged from the clash with a respectable point – a result the fans certainly deserved.

Of course, the fact that the R’s still conceded two goals for the second game in a row – they haven’t kept a clean sheet and won since the end of February, versus Leeds – proves there is still a lot of work to be done in defence.

One youngster who will be hoping he can plug some gaps in years to come is Themis Kefalas – an up and coming Hoops centre-back impressing in the academy.

The 18-year-old, who has been featuring for the Under-23’s, was in focus on QPR’s official website this week and had this to say:

“I look at their [Premier League defenders’] defending style, their passes forward, how they defend, how close or far away they are from their centre-back partner and from the attackers. I definitely watch differently now.

“[I want to] train with the first team more next year.”

When asked whether he would like to go out on loan to get some regular first team minutes under his belt, the 6 ft 2 starlet replied:

“Why not? To play with men would be good. I want to be ready for the [QPR] first team in two years’ time.”

With the Hoops’ defence not getting any younger, the Greek’s targets seem pretty realistic but the first step is to ensure he has some experience playing in the leagues – the transition is far easier and very few of the best players make the grade without going out on loan first.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

If the R’s poor defensive record continues, though, Steve McClaren may call on Kefalas sooner than expected – can the Loftus Road outfit afford to let anyone out on loan while these struggles are ongoing?

[ad_pod ]QPR picked up a valuable point on Wednesday night against a resolute Millwall side who find themselves in similar troubles to the R’s, and they will have been pleased to have registered a solid performance after the weekend’s horror show at Carrow Road.There was, for the first time in a long while, harmony amongst QPR fans on Twitter – perhaps because McClaren is no longer there to make a mockery of himself in post-match interviews – although that wasn’t the case prior to the game when Hoops fans were outraged by the omission of Bright Osayi-Samuel from the starting XI.

On the chalkboard

The winger is one of few players at Loftus Road with pace and power who can stretch a defence, so being left on the bench for the midweek clash was surprising, particularly considering that Matt Smith – a player who thrives on delivery into the box from the flanks – was given the nod.

John Eustace saw reason to bring Osayi-Samuel into the fray on the hour-mark – a move which was surely met with jubilation from the QPR faithful who were infuriated by his exclusion from the off – although his 29-minute cameo was disappointing, to say the least.

Not the Bright-est display

Despite being on the pitch for just under half an hour, the 21-year-old was dispossessed a game-high five times and also took two unsuccessful touches – pace is great and all but if you can’t get the ball under then it’s irrelevant, as the speedster showed in the latter stages of the game.

The QPR keeper was giving it large to Bolton fans at the weekend. Find out who had the last laugh in the video below…

Racing onto a through-ball, the 5 ft 9 ace had the opportunity to win it for his side but was denied by an onrushing Dave Martin. He certainly tried to make things happen but his performance most likely won’t be enough to warrant a start against Swansea this weekend.

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Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk put in memorable displays in Brighton’s agonising 1-0 defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night.

The Seagulls were playing their game-in-hand over Cardiff, who sit 18th in the table and only three points behind them.

Dunk has enjoyed a good season for Brighton, having earned his first England call-up and cap under Gareth Southgate, and he’s kicked on this season despite Brighton’s dip in form.

Dunk’s partner Duffy made a wonderful clearance on the goal-line to deny Dele Alli in the first half – a chance he looked destined to score.

In the end it needed Christian Eriksen to conjure a beautiful left-footed effort into the near corner of the net to break down a resilient and stubborn Brighton defence who are fighting for their Premier League survival.

Despite Brighton not winning a Premier League game since their 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at the beginning of March, fans saw optimism in this performance, and many singled out the centre-back pairing for their contribution.

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Steve McClaren has been operating on borrowed time in recent weeks – the results have worsened as the season nears the end – but, finally, QPR decided that enough was enough on Monday and gave the former England boss the boot with seven games to go.

McClaren departs Loftus Road having overseen 46 matches in charge since taking Ian Holloway’s place at the helm last summer – the former Palace boss was sacked a week previously after a poor run of results towards the end of the 2017/18 season.

The R’s have won just once since Boxing Day and are currently in the worst form of the league; whoever comes in and replaces McClaren has an almighty job to turn the season around and guide the Hoops to a respectable finish come May.

Could that man be Holloway? It certainly seemed that the eccentric honcho has some unfinished business at Loftus Road, as he spoke to TalkSport in the wake of his successor’s sacking:

“He took my job. I still had another year left at the club. I’m still being paid by them now.

“He was talking to the chairman while I was in the job, saying what he’d do and what he’d change. He hasn’t been able to do that.

“What goes around comes around. Where the hell are the young lads I was told to bring through? [Ebere] Eze isn’t playing, what about [Ryan] Manning? They’re not playing. I was told to promote the youth and bring people in who cared about the club, it’s not happening.

“Would I go back? It depends who calls me, Les [Ferdinand, director of football] didn’t want me to go.”

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

Indeed, neither Eze or Manning have featured under McClaren recently, whose QPR team could certainly have done with some youthful exuberance, with the likes of Luke Freeman preferred in Eze’s central, attacking-midfield role.

Holloway also refused to rule out a sensational return to the helm on the condition that QPR legend Ferdinand was the one to speak to him. Could it happen? Let us know in the comments, QPR fans, whether you would like to see Holloway return or not.

Middlesbrough have suffered a poor run of form at just the wrong time, with three successive defeats having Teesside nerves jangling at the prospect of blowing their play-off chances.

Failure to rectify the downturn in form will undoubtedly see them overtaken in a play-off race that is as wide-open as it has been for many seasons.

Seven teams are within seven points of Middlesbrough, meaning any side all the way down to Hull in tenth will fancy their chances of putting a run together to make a charge to the post-season games.

Sheffield Wednesday, under Steve Bruce, are the perfect example of that, with their double digit unbeaten run seeing them come from nowhere to the heart of the battle.

Boro’ have to put things right before it is too late, but they have a massive task to end their miserable run this weekend, with a teatime game against leaders Norwich at the Riverside.

But after this game, the fixtures do not appear to bad for the Teessiders, and we have crunched the numbers, and see Tony Pulis’s side picking up the points needed to secure their play-off place.

Crucially, if our predictions prove correct, Boro’ will finish fifth, avoiding the unlucky loser in the automatic promotion race — who will be Sheffield United in our opinion.

It will see them take on West Bromwich Albion in the semi final, and although that will be an incredibly difficult game, it will be better than it could have been.

We have Boro’ losing just two more games this season — Norwich on Saturday and the away game at Aston Villa — while managing draws at Swansea and Nottingham Forest.

Strugglers Bolton and Rotherham look like two straightforward away games, while Bristol City, Hull, Stoke and Reading will be seen off at the Riverside.

That said, the longer the poor run goes on, the more confidence takes a hit, and the domino effect will see each game become harder and harder as a result.

But as long as they get back to winning ways soon, we cannot envisage them missing out. Boro’ fans will be hoping for the same.

What are your thoughts on your run-in Boro’ fans? Do you think they will get out of their slump soon? Who is to blame? Let us know below…