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Chris Waddle has urged Tottenham to avoid a shock transfer move for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, insisting he is too ‘inconsistent’.

Currently on loan at Barcelona from United, Rashford has been linked with Spurs but Waddle says he has ‘not shown enough in the Premier League’.

The 28-year-old, who also spent time on loan at Aston Villa last term, has played a total of 297 games in the top-flight with 89 goals and 42 assists.

Rashford has shined since joining Barca on loan and the La Liga side have the option to make it permanent in the summer but it’s reported a transfer may be complicated due to his high wages and the Catalan club’s finances.

That could see Spurs attempt a move for Rashford if and when he returns to Old Trafford but Waddle wants his former club to snub a potential deal.

Speaking to WhichBookie, Waddle said: ‘Spurs have failed to replace Harry Kane. They now seem to be too interested in only signing young players like Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert and trying to develop them. It’s about time they started signing ready-made players.

‘They have been linked with Marcus Rashford and although he’s better than what they’ve got, I’m not too sure they really need another left-winger.

‘He’s not shown enough in the Premier League for Manchester United. He had one good season a few years ago, but apart from that he’s been quite inconsistent.

‘I personally wouldn’t be trying to sign him. Spurs should be looking at somebody who is proven in this league.

‘They shouldn’t be put off trying to sign players from other Premier League clubs who have performed well.

‘I know they’ll be doing their scouting far and wide across Europe and elsewhere, but sometimes I think they just need to buy somebody who is ready-made for the league and is already performing week in, week out.’

United allowed Rashford to join Barca on loan after his significant fallout with Ruben Amorim and it seems the player has no future at Old Trafford.

Rashford, who came through United’s academy, was publicly criticised by Amorim over his lack of effort and professionalism.

Since his loan switch to Barca, Rashford has enjoyed an upturn in form, conjuring up six goals and 11 assists across 21 games to date.

Former United defender Wes Brown feels Rashford was destined to improve after leaving the Red Devils.

‘Marcus Rashford was always going to do well, I think he needed the change from Manchester United,’ Brown told BetWright casino.

‘He’d been at the club for so many years and not all those years would have been enjoyable for Marcus. He got a lot of stick from people, and I don’t blame him for making a change, and I think his departure suited United as well.

‘He just wasn’t in the right headspace to perform at United – it wasn’t working. It’s great to see how well he is doing now at Barcelona, he’s absolutely flying and he deserved to get back into the England squad. I’m sure he will have a great World Cup.’

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Manchester United have been tipped to sign Joao Palhinha, on loan at Tottenham from Bayern Munich, as a replacement for Manuel Ugarte.

The Red Devils have reportedly put Ugarte, branded a ‘wet blanket’ by Craig Burley, up for sale ahead of the January transfer window next month and it’s no secret that Ruben Amorim’s side are keen to recruit a new midfielder.

United paid £50m to sign Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain in 2024 – but if he departs Old Trafford – Pedro Mendes feels Palhinha could replace him.

Palhinha joined Spurs on loan from Bayern in the summer and the north London side have an option to buy him at the end of the season for £27m.

But ex-Spurs midfielder Mendes is convinced his Portuguese compatriot Palhinha could join United, despite being a similar type of player to Ugarte.

United previously targeted a move for Palhinha before he joined Bayern in a £47.4m deal from Fulham in July 2024.

‘Palhinha at Man Utd? Well, why not?’ Mendes told Boyle Sports, who offer the latest Football Betting.

‘To be fair, I think Manuel Ugarte is more or less the same type of player as Palhinha. [But] Palhinha is an option if they want to replace him.

‘We are not sure what is going to happen to Casemiro, so I think it (Manchester United signing Palhinha) could work.’

‘Palhinha is the typical Premier League No.6’

Mendes added: ‘Joao Palhinha is the typical Premier League number six, that defensive midfielder who just sweeps up everything in front of the defenders.

‘If you have a team that has a lot of possession, he’s a little bit out of his game, from my point of view.

‘The players around him will shine more than him because, as you said, he just wins the ball, passes it away, tackles the ball, passes it. He’s fantastic at doing that role. He was fantastic at Fulham.

‘At Bayern Munich, when you have 70% or 60% of ball possession most of the games, you don’t need to do that kind of job.

‘Because normally teams play counter-attack or don’t have that type of possession against you, his strength is a little bit forgotten.

‘He has more of the ball and he needs to be more involved in the game, and to be fair, it’s not his main strength.

‘So probably that’s why he struggled at Bayern and at Spurs at the moment. I like what I saw in some games this year from him, but it’s different from Fulham.’

Nani, meanwhile, believes Palhinha would be an ideal fit for United’s midfield.

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Arsenal legend Alan Smith was left stunned as Tottenham fans turned on Guglielmo Vicario during their Premier League clash against Fulham.

Spurs endured a disastrous start to Saturday’s home game against Fulham, with the visitors opening up a 2-0 lead inside seven minutes.

Kenny Tete gave Fulham an early lead and Vicario was at fault for the second, leading to a furious response from the Tottenham fans.

Vicario came out to intercept a through ball but instead of clearing his lines while under pressure, the the Italian dithered on the ball.

With his options narrowing by the second, Vicario tried to pass the ball down the line but his clearance found a Fulham player who gave Harry Wilson the chance to curl home into an empty net.

Loud boos rang out and several Tottenham fans could be seen gesturing angrily at Vicario as he made his way back into the Spurs goal.

The ball from the kick-off was then played back to Vicario and more boos reverberated around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the 29-year-old shot-stopper was on the ball.

A few moments later Vicario again chased down a Fulham long ball, this time choosing to kick the ball out of play, drawing sarcastic cheers from the home faithful.

‘Vicario is getting absolute pelters from his own supporters,’ ex-Arsenal striker Smith said on Sky Sports. ‘He makes a complete hash of his clearance.

‘You don’t often see that, do you? Fans booing one of their own, seven minutes into a match. Booing a goalkeeper as well, which is obviously a vital position for the team.

‘The fans haven’t been happy with him but they turned on him violently there. He’s not the only goalkeeper that’s done that – we see goalkeepers come out often and they don’t always get the clearances right.

‘But on top of this dreadful home form, it’s not what he or Spurs needed. That will certainly be a low point of Vicario’s career… 50,000 of your own supporters booing you.’

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Tottenham’s only league win at home this season came against newly-promoted Burnley on the opening weekend.

Spurs have in fact won just three league matches in N17 over the past 12 month, their worst run over a 20-game period since the 1990s.

Tottenham fared far better in their final season at White Hart Lane, claiming 53 points out of a possible 57 – the best record in the Premier League.

More to follow…

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When I can’t sleep because my mind is again engaged in a detailed debate, a good tactic is listing. Sheep won’t do. Our brains need something interesting enough to grab onto, but not so fascinating that you have to spend hours shaking it off.

For me, an alphabet of current Premier League players works well: Nathan Ake, Jarrod Bowen, Matheus Cunha. Or by first names if I need something gentler: Alexis Mac Allister, Bruno Fernandes, Cristian Romero….

A more wakeful brain requires a weightier test. So I was delighted on Sunday to see Richarlison (pictured) provide a timely addition to Wow North London Derby Goals by Tottenham that had No Impact Whatsoever (Lamela’s Puskas-winner the archetype, Son’s lovely finish from Reguilon in 2021 a goody). The Brazilian’s net-skimming bit of innovation from near the halfway line made me laugh out loud in the middle of Sunday’s profound battering.

Finer football minds than mine have observed that Tottenham were bad at the Emirates last weekend. Barring their good away record, I am unclear why anyone expected Spurs to be in it. This Arsenal team is one of the best I’ve ever seen, Tottenham have won just one of their past 32 Premier League games there and Thomas Frank’s side, capable of doing a few things very well, isn’t set up to score goals.

Analysis showed Spurs’ expected goals (0.07) and touches in the opposition’s box (four) was the second-lowest in any game they’ve played since the start of the 2015-16 season. That’s 390 games where they were more in it than on Sunday. You could reasonably take this to mean that’s the second-worst attempt to win a game Spurs have put together in a decade. A harrowing thought, especially given the pallid dross Jose Mourinho served from 2019-21, with its side of disdain.

But to fall too deeply into the whys and wherefores of Spurs’ failure on Sunday is to miss the point entirely. Which is this: Arsenal were unbelievable. I don’t have the time or expertise in data analysis to present proof they were the second-best team Spurs have faced in the league since 2015 but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were.

The passing patterns, the link-ups, the blatant disregard of any attempts their opposition made to quell their wrath. The ability to find one another on the move, in creative and ever-more enterprising ways!

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The way they sliced through the boredom of Tottenham’s low block. Yes, Spurs’ defensive work could obviously have been better, but this Arsenal team had answers to everything they tried and do you know how exhausting that is? And that’s before we even get to Eberechi Eze’s career-defining derby debut.

It’s easy to focus on the goals – and let’s definitely treat ourselves to that – but he did so much so well. With his positioning and his hustle and his shimmies, he never let Spurs rest. The finest moment was the first goal of his hat-trick. He scored through two Spurs defenders and a weak Vicario hand, after shrugging off Bentancur and Palhinha. Four Tottenham players on one Eze – you don’t like those odds.

And before Spurs were bludgeoned into unconsciousness by the magic of the player they couldn’t sign, there was an opening goal with an assist so perfect you were still gazing at it when the celebrations were complete. The poise and craft on the Mikel Merino pass, teamed with a classic scuffed Leandro Trossard shot in off Micky van de Ven’s bum. If Eze had only been involved it would have been the perfect metaphor for the whole game.

This Arsenal side has a right to stand with the very best in their history, and when they win the title this season they will do just that. Spurs are going to have to find some more creative ways than mine to lull them to sleep.

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Even before their thumping north London derby victory against a sorry Spurs, there was plenty to suggest that this incarnation of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal was different to what had come before.

The 4-0 dismantling of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, a superb late turnaround to snatch victory away at Newcastle, and even the late equaliser against Manchester City were all indicative of a side that has added yet more depth, steel and quality to its ranks.

Six points clear at the top of the Premier League table, through to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and boasting a perfect record in the Champions League, the Gunners are enjoying life.

And yet, Wednesday’s visit from Bayern Munich represents another potential inflection point, and the perfect opportunity to rubber-stamp the notion that Arsenal are a team finally ready to fulfil on their promise.

Arsenal fans need no reminding of their dismal record against the German giants with an infamous 10-2 aggregate defeat in 2017 representing the nadir of Arsene Wenger’s reign.

The construction of the Emirates Stadium was, according to former chief executive Ivan Gazidis, supposed to ensure that the north London club would be capable of fighting on an even footing with Bayern and the rest ofEurope’s elite clubs.

And yet, as recently as two years ago, a 3-2 aggregate defeat in the quarter-finals showcased an Arsenal side that was still very much a work in progress, particularly during their insipid second-leg defeat, which saw them fail to land a glove on Bayern.

In the aftermath of that defeat, Ian Wright was quick to diagnose the issue. ‘We need someone with that bit of X-factor,’ the ex-Gunners striker said at the time. ‘We need to find that, man, because that’s what wins these games.’

Internally, Arsenal seemingly accepted that fact, too, and earmarked attacking reinforcements for the summer. When it arrived, though, an ill-fated loan move for Raheem Sterling was the only new face to bolster Arteta’s attacking options.

Even after Gabriel Jesus’ serious knee injury in January, the Gunners opted to keep their powder dry, seeing their trophy hopes fade as a result when Kai Havertz and makeshift striker, Mikel Merino, failed to deliver the goods.

And this summer, while the signing of Viktor Gyokeres provided a solution to Arsenal’s lack of a No9, it looked like Arsenal were set to ignore their need for a true gamechanger before their eleventh-hour swoop for Eberechi Eze.

And while it had been a solid if unspectacular start to his life at the Emirates, Eze has now shown himself to be Arsenal’s X-factor with his derby-day hat-trick to dismantle Thomas Frank’s Tottenham.

Arsenal have worn down teams with their system, their relentless pressing, and their set-piece brutality this season. But here was an Arsenal side carving open a dogged and defensive opposition by another means, with individual quality and moments of magic.

For that, Arteta deserves credit. Former Tottenham striker Les Ferdinand, who helped nurture Eze at Queens Park Rangers, noted pre-match that the midfielder had been playing with ‘the handbrake on’ so far at Arsenal.

But here, he was given license to roam, to find space where few other teammates could not, and it proved pivotal. Combining a fleetness of foot with a tunnel-focused clarity of thought on the edge of the box, Eze only needed six shots to walk away with the match ball.

‘When a player has such a talent, and his desire is at that level, then these things happen. And he fully deserves it. I’m so happy for him, because since the day that he came, he brought something else to the team,’ Arteta said glowingly of Eze post-match.

‘So it’s a joy, it’s an aura that this team needed and hopefully it will give him a lot of confidence to him and the team, that at any moment he can win us a game. That’s the ability that he has and he certainly needs to fulfil that talent.’

Does Eze’s ‘aura’ give Arteta a selection headache?

That ‘aura’ which Arteta describes is something few Arsenal players, despite their collective quality, emit. Martin Odegaard, for all his brilliance and varied qualities in Arteta’s system, can’t quite take a game away from the opposition in the same way as his midfield counterpart.

The Norwegian is still yet to return to full fitness and could be in with a shout of featuring in Wednesday’s clash with Bayern. The 26-year-old offers plenty, not least in the way he marshals Arsenal’s front-footed pressing machine, and will be a welcome boost back in the matchday squad.

Arsenal’s relentless fixture schedule, which has Arteta’s side playing ten times in three competitions before the end of the year, will give Arteta plenty of opportunities to deploy both Eze and Odegaard in his system.

But as Gunners legend Thierry Henry noted on Sky Sports on Sunday: ‘This guy Eze is a 10 for me, he’s not a winger, he’s a 10.

‘He needs to be in the middle of the park he showed it tonight, so that’s what you want, healthy competition, that’s what you want.’

It is not just Odegaard coming back into the fold. Both Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli were back on the bench at the weekend, and Arsenal’s returning cavalry will be the envy of many of their rivals in the coming weeks.

However, Eze’s coming-out display was surely a message to his boss that the 27-year-old can’t be viewed as a versatile player to bolster squad depth, but rather a difference maker who should be thrust into the limelight and given the freedom in Arsenal’s biggest games.

Bayern will offer a stern test. Vincent Kompany’s side are unbeaten in all competitions and have only dropped points once this season: a 1-1 draw with Union Berlin at the start of November.

But if Eze is given the freedom to be his mercurial best once again, Arsenal have the perfect opportunity to banish their Bayern demons and lay down a marker in yet another competition.

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Theo Walcott says Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard needed a ‘kick up the backside’ and may be concerned for his place following Eberechi Eze’s hat-trick heroics against Tottenham.

Odegaard has been out of action since October with a knee injury and was forced to sit out the Gunners’ memorable 4-1 victory over their bitter rivals on Sunday.

Eze continued his run in the team in place of his skipper and Arsenal’s £67.5m signing took his opportunity with both hands, scoring either side of half-time to give Mikel Arteta’s men a 3-0 lead following Leandro Trossard’s opener at the Emirates.

Richarlison gave Spurs a glimmer of hope with an audacious 35-yard lob over David Raya, but it was snuffed out in the 76th minute as Eze fired cooly beyond Guglielmo Vicario to restore the hosts’ three-goal cushion.

Eze’s stunning hat-trick – which helped Arsenal tighten their grip on top spot – was the first scored in a north London derby since the Premier League’s inception. Alan Sunderland was the last player to achieve the feat way back in 1978.

The moment of history was especially sweet for Arsenal supporters given Eze opted to turn down a move to Tottenham in order to join Arteta’s side in the summer transfer window.

‘I love him. He’s had patches of brilliance and you thought, “Ah, I need a little bit more, you’re playing slightly with the handbrake on”, maybe,’ ex-Arsenal forward Walcott said while reflecting on Eze’s performance on The Overlap US.

‘But what was really nice to see is when you have a bench celebrating that much as well.

‘They’re all on the same page, they are, however, deep down, Martin Odegaard will be thinking: “Oh, this is tough!”‘

Though Odegaard may be fearing for his spot in the side, Walcott is confident Eze’s rise to prominence will ultimately push the Norwegian to greater heights as a player.

‘Sometimes you become a better player when you’re injured sometimes, when you’re losing games,’ he added.

‘But at this moment in time, he’s becoming a worse player. And you can’t forget how good Odegaard is, and that’s the mad truth, but we’ll see a side of Odegaard we’ve not seen.

‘I think he’s needed this kick up the backside, I’ll be brutally honest.

‘It will be brilliant for him because it’s happened to Trossard and all of a sudden Trossard is someone different now so I think it’ll do him good.

‘Everyone is getting pushed right now at Arsenal now and we’re in a good place, a better place, an incredible place.’

Walcott looks back on his experiences in the north London derby with great fondness and will forever be remembered by fans of both teams for his cheeky 2-0 gesture from a stretcher during Arsenal’s FA Cup win in 2014.

‘It was always the fixture that I just loved playing,’ the former England international recalled.

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‘Even away, knowing the abuse I’d get but also knowing the abuse I could give back with my footballing ability. It kind of worked both ways.

‘There was my famous 2-0 thing that people love from my time. But I actually look at it very differently, I actually scored a lot of goals against Tottenham, I enjoyed some moments and some good performances.

‘However, for a fan, that memory was me just having a bit of banter on the stretcher when I did my ACL which I wasn’t aware of at the time.

‘That’s a memory for them and a memory that will live on. My knee didn’t feel great!’

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Luis Enrique has warned Tottenham that Paris Saint-Germain plan to ‘dominate’ their Champions League tie on Wednesday evening.

Thomas Frank has faced criticism for Spurs’ approach to Sunday’s north London derby after his side were beaten 4-1 by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Frank opted to start with a five-man defence against Arsenal but after seeing his side fail to trouble Mikel Arteta’s men in the opening 45 minutes, the Spurs manager opted to switch to a back four at half time.

However, the change made little impact as Eberechi Eze went on to complete his hat-trick to put Arsenal six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Tottenham now face another tough test away to PSG in the Champions League and Luis Enrique insists his side are prepared for whichever defensive system Frank selects.

‘They changed, their first match against us in the Super Cup final they played with five at the back, last weekend against Arsenal they repeated that but it didn’t work the way they wanted,’ Luis Enrique said.

‘We are ready to play against Tottenham in the normal way, with four at the back or with five.

‘I think it’s not going to change a lot because we can see their idea, for us, we need to dominate the game, we need to keep the ball, we need to play with the ball and that’s our goal for this match.’

Spurs saw their two-goal lead slip in the Super Cup final in August as PSG scored two late goals before winning the tie on penalties.

‘The conditions were unique for that match,’ Luis Enrique said.

‘We have good memories because it ended well but I have bad memories if I think about the first 60 minutes of the game. We found it very tough.

‘I think many people have changed since that match and now we are ready to be a dominant team, so we will try to do that and to win.

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‘If we analyse Spurs individually, most of their players are senior internationals and they are a strong team.

‘They have done very well in the Champions League and they started the league season well, so it will be tough.

‘At the same time, we are back in the Champions League and we are pleased to be playing at home in front of our supporters.’

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Micah Richards says Jurrien Timber’s ‘exceptional’ start to life with Arsenal means fans ‘don’t mention Ben White anymore’.

The Gunners ensured they moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League table with a statement 4-1 win over Tottenham, in what was a thoroughly one-sided north London derby on Sunday afternoon.

Eberechi Eze well and truly took centre stage with the first hat-trick in the derby since the Premier League’s inception, with Leandro Trossard having already opened the scoring at the Emirates.

Timber was once again imperious in his 12th straight league appearance of the campaign, putting in another near-faultless display at right-back to shut out Wilson Odobert for the most part.

The Dutchman also further underlined his growing importance going forward with the assist for Eze’s second to get the hosts off to a dream start in the second period.

It’s surprise that Mikel Arteta described Timber as a ‘total player’ just last month, with the Netherlands international fast becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet, alongside the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

Timber’s rise to prominence has been such that White, once a guaranteed starter, now finds himself struggling for minutes under Arteta. A combination of form, competition and fitness have meant the England defender has made just one sole appearance in the Premier League this term.

According to ex-Manchester City defender Richards, White – an unused substitute against Spurs – has become something of a forgotten man while the likes of Timber continue to take Arsenal to new heights.

‘The fact they brought in [Piero] Hincapie as well at centre-half and the question before the game was whether or not Arsenal can score a goal only from a set-piece and would they miss Gabriel,’ Richards said on The Rest Is Football podcast.

‘They didn’t miss Gabriel, they didn’t miss him one bit.

‘So they’ve now got four top centre-backs, with [Cristhian] Mosquera coming on as well and then with [William] Saliba and Gabriel.

‘Then you’ve got the full-backs as well. People don’t mention Ben White anymore because Timber is so exceptional.

‘You’ve got [Myles] Lewis-Skelly as well. It’s just ridiculous. [Riccardo] Calafiori!

‘The squad that Arsenal have assembled is too strong and if they can build with that confidence and get that momentum…

‘There are going to be swings and roundabouts. Manchester City are going to win a couple and Arsenal will lose a couple, but if they can just stay on the right track then they’re well on their way.’

Alan Shearer asserted that Manchester City remained Arsenal’s ‘most likely’ challengers for the title this season, despite their disappointing 2-1 defeat to Newcastle at the weekend.

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Micah Richards agreed with his fellow pundit on the podcast, while tipping Chelsea as potential outsiders for the crown.

However, he doubts Enzo Maresca’s men will ‘have enough’ come the business end of the season, stating: ‘I would say Manchester City as well but I think Chelsea could beat anyone on their day,’ he chimed in.

‘I think they [Chelsea] can put in really good performances, as we saw in the Club World Cup.

‘I don’t think they have enough at the moment to go all the way, but they’re improving.’

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Ex-England striker Alan Shearer says Arsenal should remain wary of Manchester City, who he believes are the club’s ‘most likely’ challengers for the Premier League title this season.

The league leaders tightened their grip on top spot with a statement 4-1 victory over bitter rivals Tottenham on Sunday, a result that ensured they finished the weekend with a six-point lead over second-placed Chelsea.

Leandro Trossard opened the scored with a deflected strike in the 36th minute, before Eberechi Eze well and truly announced his arrival with a stunning hat-trick on the big stage – becoming the first player to manage the feat in a north London derby since Alan Sunderland in 1978.

While Richarlison’s audacious 35-yard lob over David Raya had given Spurs a glimmer of hope in the 55th minute, Arsenal looked much the better side throughout and were thoroughly deserving of their three points.

After facing Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek, Mikel Arteta’s side will look to further underline their title credentials when they return to Premier League action with another London derby away to Chelsea.

Discussing Eze’s ‘unplayable’ performance on The Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer said: ‘You could just tell he was having the day of his life.

‘He was absolutely loving it, getting on the ball, flicks and tricks and finishes.

‘He was unplayable really and Spurs got it all wrong, the amount of space they allowed him and others to go and do their stuff.

‘But he was just fantastic. He just looked as if he belonged there, he was lapping up the applause and everything else he was getting.

‘Good on him. He was unplayable basically and he was absolutely fantastic.’

Manchester City lost further ground on Arsenal after falling to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Newcastle on Saturday.

Ruben Dias’ deflected effort had appeared to have swung the momentum back in City’s favour following Harvey Barnes’ well-taken opener just past the hour-mark.

But Barnes struck again just two minutes after Dias’ equaliser and Eddie Howe’s men held firm to come away from St James’ Park with maximum points.

But despite the setback, Shearer feels Pep Guardiola’s side remain the biggest threat to Arsenal’s hopes of ending their long wait for the Premier League title.

Asked to name Arsenal’s ‘most likely’ challengers, Shearer replied: ‘I would still say City.

‘We’ve seen City after Christmas before do it, they’re used to it and they can do it, we know that.

‘I know it’s different and, defensively, they’re certainly not as good as they have been.

‘But because they’ve been there and they know what to do, they know what to expect and everything else, I would still say Manchester City.’

Asked if Liverpool should be ruled out of the title race, Shearer responded: ‘I think so. They’ve lost six in the league.’

Micah Richards agreed that City still had the tools to pip Arsenal to the Premier League title, despite their up-and-down start to the campaign.

And while Richards believes Chelsea can ‘beat anyone on their day’, he doesn’t feel Enzo Maresca’s side will ‘have enough’ to push Arsenal and City all the way come the business end of the season.

‘I would say Manchester City as well but I think Chelsea could beat anyone on their day,’ he chimed in.

‘I think they [Chelsea] can put in really good performances, as we saw in the Club World Cup.

‘I don’t think they have enough at the moment to go all the way, but they’re improving.’

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The social media feud between Gabriel Magalhaes and Richarlison continues as the Arsenal man had another pop after Sunday’s north London derby.

The Gunners brushed aside Spurs at the Emirates, dominating the game and picking up a 4-1 victory which sent them six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Leandro Trossard opened the scoring, with Eberechi Eze scoring a stunning hat-trick on an unforgettable night for the England star.

Richarlison had made the score 3-1 with a brilliant goal of his own, catching David Raya off his line from distance.

However, the Spurs forward ended up on the losing side and now has to deal with his Brazil teammate Gabriel sticking the boot in.

The Arsenal centre-back wasn’t even playing as he is out with injury, but he celebrated the win with his teammates nevertheless.

He then posted a photo on Instagram of him with his October Player of the Month award, wearing an Eze shirt and with the signed match ball which the hat-trick hero will keep.

Crucially, he tagged Richarlison in the celebratory picture.

This little social media beef started over the summer when Richarlison tagged Gabriel in a picture as he celebrated Spurs beating Arsenal in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong.

The Gunners man responded to his international teammate with a trio of Player of the Match awards, all won in Arsenal victories over Spurs in Premier League contests.

Richarlison may be regretting revelling in the friendly victory when his compatriot has plenty of more powerful ammunition in his social media…arsenal.

Ultimately it will be an unhappy day for the Spurs forward, but his goal really was an immense effort, however little it meant in the end.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank was left hugely disappointed with his team’s performance, which was limp and blunt.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario apologised to the fans and the manager did the same after a tame display in a big match.

Asked what disappointed him most about the performance, Frank told a post-match press conference: ‘Where should I start? This is of course hugely disappointing that we didn’t perform better in the game against Arsenal our biggest rivals.

‘I can only apologise to the fans for that. I was very confident on Friday when we spoke that we would be competitive today and weren’t over the 90 minutes. We tried to come here and be aggressive and press high and in spells go after them. We didn’t succeed with that bit. We didn’t manage to get near enough them in the situations we could.

‘It means we got pushed back and got a little too passive. It looks like we are running after them. When we finally got on the ball we were not good enough to get out of those situations.

‘No matter how painful it is to admit, they are definitely six years down the line and we are four months down the line but even with that I was still expecting much more from us today. Not that we could dominate over 90 minutes but that we could be as competitive as we were against Man City and PSG.’

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