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Name: Michael Obafemi

Club: Southampton

Date of Birth: 6 July 2000

Position: Centre-forward/Winger (Right)/Second-striker

Michael Obafemi – his career so far

Michael Obafemi is now already a fully-fledged senior team member at Southampton and given his pedigree and success at youth level, that statement doesn’t really come as a big surprise at this point. But the Irish centre-forward is not exactly a product of the Saints’ academy but has had quite a colourful path towards it.

Before joining Southampton’s own development squads, Obafemi spent some time in revered academies at Chelsea, Arsenal and even Watford as he progressed through the ranks, impressing the right people and turning some heads along the way as well. Still, he would have one more stop after all those spells before he could join his current team.

The now 19-year-old talent played for Leyton Orient for a while before he was scouted and scooped up by the Saints in the summer of 2016, first joining up their U18 squad in the U18 Premier League and FA Youth Cup during the 2016/17 campaign.

But he was quick to impress his new club as well and the following season brought more success his way with Obafemi splitting his time between the U18 and U23 squads and even getting his first senior team exposure as well.

As a whole, however, the now 19-year-old centre-forward would tally a total of 32 appearances for Southampton’s U18s, scoring 15 goals and assisting further two and then recording 21 appearances for the U23s with eight goals and five assists under his belt in the process as well.

Needless to say, his stay in the academy and the development squads was quite successful and was rewarded with his professional debut as a substitute in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in January 2018, aged just 17 years and 199 days.

Since then, he’s made a total of 27 senior team appearances, scoring four goals and assisting two on the side as well. Interestingly enough, his first goal meant he would become the club’s youngest scorer in the Premier League to date, at 18 years and 169 days old.

Even though he’s already reached the heights of the first-team squad, there is more to come from this talented young centre-forward.

Transfer latest

At the moment, there don’t seem to be any transfer rumours or transfer news surrounding Obafemi and the young player is likely to stay at Southampton at least for the time being. Seeing how his contract is still valid until 2022, the 19-year-old could be looking to impress even further once football finally resumes.

Of course, with the summer transfer window rapidly approaching, no one is really exempt from transfer rumours but so far, it’s been quiet on that front in regards to Southampton news on possible exits from the club.

But that should be a blessing for the Saints since Obafemi certainly has a lot more to offer in the near future and they should do what they can to ensure he stays at St. Mary’s Stadium.

Player profile

Obafemi is clearly far from a finished product but he’s been showing glimpses of his brilliance throughout the stay at Southampton. The youngster’s natural fitness is certainly what immediately catches the eye and his raw pace, agility and strength are definitely one of the highlights of his player profile.

Despite not having a very big frame, the Irish striker has the power to engage and win duels but will mostly use his acceleration to blaze past defenders and get into favourable positions. While he also has a great mentality, the technical side of his player profile could still be improved.

He is decent on the ball but is still far away from a modern striker who regularly links up with his teammates and supports the build-up phase of their attack. But seeing how he’s only 19, there is still time for him to polish some of the traits and keep progressing even further.

Key Information about Craven Cottage

Craven Cottage is currently the home of Championship side Fulham FC and has been since 1896. The stadium is located in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, with the River Thames to its west and Stevenage and Bishops Parks up in the north and south sides respectively.

At the moment, it can seat up to 19,000 people with a pitch size of 100m x 65m and a running track not included. But, it should be noted that the capacity was 25,700, all-seated, until the Riverside Stand was closed back in 2019. The surface of the pitch is, of course, covered with natural grass and has undersoil heating installed.

The architect responsible for creating Fulham’s current home is Archibald Leitch and even though the maximum capacity now stands at 19,000, the record attendance goes as high as 49,335 for a game in which they faced Millwall on October 8 1938.

A History of Craven Cottage

Craven Cottage’s history dates all the way back to 1780 when it was supposedly built in the woods and the surrounding area was, in fact, used for various other sports. That residence, which also hosted a plethora of different high-profile guests over the years, including Queen Victoria, has seen many different changes of the years.

But following a fire, the site was abandoned and the Cottagers would have eight different homes before finally settling down at Craven Cottage – a stadium in a location so overgrown it took them two years to finally set it up and make it suitable for football after it was initially bought by the club in 1894. The first ever game was played in 1896 and needless to say, it was not an impressive ground at the time, only having a basic wooden stand to show for.

It was then improved during the 1903/04 campaign and rightly so because the attendance was starting to soar. One of the first stands at Craven Cottage, called the Rabbit Hutch, could seat up to 1,200 spectators but that was demolished about 18 months in favour of the current Johnny Haynes Stand.

Soon after, Fulham saw further improvements to their ground as the new 5,000-seat stand called Stevenage Road Stand was built and Leitch himself was hired to design it. Floodlights were then also added in 1962 and they got their electronic scoreboard at the Riverside terrace too, which was officially opened in February 1972 and today it can hold just over 4,600 spectators.

Apart from its current host, the national teams of both Ireland and Australia treated this ground as their home, playing their fixtures there temporarily and in 1948 it also hosted four games of the Olympics.

Craven Cottage has been Fulham FC’s home ground since 1896 apart from two campaigns – one in 2002/03 and the other in 2003/04 – that they spent at Loftus Road while the stadium was being redeveloped into an all-seater venue. The Whites, however, returned to Craven Cottage for the start of the 2004/05 season.

Tickets to watch Fulham FC at Craven Cottage

Tickets to see Fulham FC play at Craven Cottage can be found on the club’s official website and usually cost around £35 – £45, depending on the age of the buyer and the location in the stands. It is possible to book a ticket for a certain fee and of course, there is a waiting list for the ones that would like to purchase a season ticket.

Fulham FC also offer a paid membership that gives the fans unique discounts on both tickets and club merchandise as well as also being given priority ticket access for all Fulham home league games.

Related Links

https://www.fulhamfc.com/ – Official website of Fulham FC

https://www.eticketing.co.uk/fulhamfc/ – Fulham FC Ticket Office

Many Arsenal fans have discussed the news that Stan Kroenke is set to give the north London club a cash injection to ease any financial burden that may occur in the current climate.

According to the Daily Mail, the American businessman has guaranteed that he will pump a significant amount into the Gunners, which would run into the millions.

As per the report, Kroenke’s NFL franchise the LA Rams are facing spiralling costs to complete their new stadium, which apparently is over budget by 2 billion euros.

The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has since exclusively revealed that AFC players are set to take a pay cut of up to 12.5 per cent over the next month or so, making them the first Premier League side to do this.

It is believed that Mikel Arteta was an influence in the decision, which apparently includes Champions League incentives.

These Gooners discussed the news after AFTV Media talked about it on Twitter, and it is safe to say that they were far from optimistic about Kroenke giving money to the club:

Arsenal fans, would you like to see a new owner at the club? Comment below!

Leicester City defender Ben Chilwell played a key role in England recording a 7-0 win over Montenegro in Thursday night’s Euro 2020 qualification match.

Indeed, the left-back assisted each of England’s first three goals at Wembley, setting up Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for the opener before helping Harry Kane score his first two.

What’s more, WhoScored have the 22-year-old down as boasting an 88% pass success rate, in addition to completing three dribbles and four tackles.

It remains to be seen whether the Leicester defender will start the opening match of Euro 2020.

However, his performance on Thursday night would have surely impressed Gareth Southgate.

A number of Liverpool fans were also very impressed with what they saw from Chilwell against Montenegro, with many taking to social media during the contest to react.

Some claimed that they wanted the left-back to arrive at Anfield, whilst others were just keen to pay tribute to the 5 ft 10 ace.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Cristiano Ronaldo is a man who loves a good challenge and so far, he is yet to find one that can beat him.

His stay at Juventus, however, was not a complete success, at least for now.

Sure the Portuguese superstar has helped the Bianconeri get the Scudetto last season but that’s not anything particularly new at the club. The bigger goal is, of course, the Champions League, a title they haven’t won since 1996.

But if the recent reports coming from Eduardo Inda, who was a guest for Chiringuito de Jugones (via OKDiario), are true, Ronaldo might be contemplating a return to Manchester United next summer if Juventus fail to conquer Europe in 2019/20.

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Of course, he has a great history with the Red Devils, seeing how he donned their colours from 2003 until 2009 when he joined the Galacticos in the Spanish capital.

Ronaldo was extremely successful at Old Trafford as he managed to bag 118 goals and assist a further 69 in a total of 292 games for the English side, winning three Premier League crowns and one Champions League trophy along the way.

But even though losing such a big figure could potentially affect any side, Juventus could actually benefit from it in a way.

Ronaldo is already 34 years of age and not getting any younger and keeping him for too long could potentially become a costly exercise.

After all, despite his obvious pedigree and skill, the Portuguese superstar has fallen off just a tiny bit.

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This season, he only has six goals and two assists in 14 games across all competitions and has been subbed off in his last two fixtures.

Of course, he is still a huge brand for the Bianconeri but having Ronaldo in your team definitely costs money, and having an underperforming Ronaldo might cost even more.

This is not to say that he is completely finished already and it’s entirely possible he suddenly picks up his form and ends up bagging dozens of goals by the end of the campaign.

For him, it would obviously be routine at this point in time, but can Juventus really take that chance? Especially with the emergence of Paulo Dybala and some other young targets on their radar.

When everything is said and done, shipping Ronaldo off next summer might as well be like dodging a bullet that was bound to hit them sooner or later.

As for Manchester United, they are in a different position altogether.

The Red Devils will hardly be focusing on Champions League glory and having someone like Ronaldo would definitely boost them immensely, both on and off the pitch with the fond memories supporters will have of him, as well as his continued commercial attraction.

Just recently, ESPN reported that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is on a lookout for a more experienced forward for his attacking line who can guarantee him goals.

Well, there’s hardly anyone better on the planet in that regard than Ronaldo himself.

For that reason, United just might be hoping Juventus fail in the Champions League so they can get their hands on the Portuguese superstar once again.

يحل فريق برشلونة ضيفًا على فياريال اليوم الأحد في إطار مباريات الدوري الإسباني “الليجا”.

طالع.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة برشلونة وفياريال في الدوري الإسباني

ويستقبل فياريال نظيره برشلونة على ملعب “لا سيراميكا” لخوض مباراة بالأسبوع 32 لليجا.

يدخل برشلونة المباراة وهو في المركز الثالث بجدول الترتيب ولديه 68 نقطة، ويسبقه ريال مدريد بفارق ثلاث نقاط في المركز الثاني، وأتلتيكو مدريد في الصدارة بفارق 5 نقاط.

فياريال يحتل المركز السابع ولديه 49 نقطة، بفارق نقطة واحدة عن ريال سوسيداد وريال بيتيس أصحاب المراكز الخامس والسادس على الترتيب. موعد مباراة برشلونة وفياريال

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة الرابعة والربع عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة، الخامسة والربع بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة وفياريال

تذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN sports HD1.

يمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنا.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Let’s not write this guy’s obituary just yet.

Having started the first eight league games of the season, David Davis has since been reduced to a substitute. With the emergence of Ivan Sunjic into the fray as a defensive midfielder and other options further up the field, that spell could be about to get longer.

That doesn’t mean that his time at St Andrew’s should come to a grinding halt though, he still has a role to play.

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On the chalkboard

Pep Clotet has stressed the importance of defensive football, and playing defensively has been Davis’ forte.

With an average of 2.6 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game, he’ll come in use when they need to ‘park the bus’ as it were.

There will be games this season where Birmingham City will need to be very much on the defensive and that is where Davis comes into play.

Even if he doesn’t start the game, there will be occasions where the Blues will need to see out a game, although ideally, they won’t leave it as late as they did against Middlesbrough before the international break.

Much like in baseball where they have a ‘closing pitcher’, someone to bring in when the game is safe and to simply see out the game, Davis can act in that role but in a footballing sense.

He can be someone to sit in front of the backline and snuff out attacks before they have a chance to get started.

With a passing accuracy of 79.7%, he’d also be able to help start a counter-attack if the opportunity presented itself.

So even though he might not be a regular right now, he can still find himself with a vital role to play, even if it isn’t one that you see every week.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Sun, Arsenal have put Wolves centre-back Willy Boly on their radar following his impressive start to the season amidst defensive concerns of their own.

What’s the word?

Wolves have now won three straight games in all competitions, including the stunning scalp of reigning Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday.

That’s a massive turnaround in form considering the west Midlands club were sitting second-bottom going into their fixture with Watford nearly ten days ago.

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Nuno Santo’s side have moved into 11th place with just two defeats on their record, which is better than Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

In midweek they also added life to their Europa League campaign with a 1-0 ‘snatch and grab’ win at Besiktas.

Meanwhile, Arsenal sit 3rd, but defensive issues continue to plague their team – even despite picking up a clean sheet on Sunday.

Unai Emery’s Gunners have conceded 11 goals from their eight matches, and reports suggest the Spaniard doesn’t see summer signing David Luiz or Sokratis as long-term options at the club. As such, they could move for Boly.

He has become somewhat of a fan favourite in his three years at Molineux, where he has amassed 92 appearances and scored eight times after being signed from Porto for £10m.

Indispensable

Wolves operate a system which utilises three central defenders, and if you took the 28-year-old out of the equation, then Nuno would be rather stuffed.

Despite now picking up three straight clean sheets, defending had been a cause for concern after Chelsea stuck five past them at home less than a month ago.

Boly’s featured in all three of those matches this week but didn’t against the Blues so it’s not a coincidence to see the west Midlands club looking more solid with him in the team

Those worries at the back are only emphasised by the fact that the Portuguese boss tried to add another player to his defensive ranks over the summer with Benfica ace Ruben Dias a regularly-linked target.

Aside from club captain Conor Coady, the other options in Ryan Bennett and Jesus Vallejo have been slated while Max Kilman is yet to taste more than a minute of top-flight football. Meanwhile, Romain Saiss has often looked better in midfield.

Wolves must not give in and they should do everything they can to keep hold of the towering 6 foot 5 colossus as he’s likely to be the most irreplaceable member of the currently squad. After all, they’re worst when he’s absent.

The Gunners will get to take a proper look at the £13.5m-rated man in just under a month when Wolves head to the Emirates.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness

West Ham United goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has been ruled out for at least two months, and Irons fans should find comfort in the rise of former stopper Adrian at Liverpool to see how number two Roberto could develop.

What’s happened then?

Well, the Poland international pulled up in the first half after taking a goal kick against Bournemouth, and it has been confirmed via BBC Sport that he has suffered a torn hip muscle.

It means that his ever-present run for the east London outfit in the Premier League since he joined the club on a free will come to an end this weekend, and he may not be back in action until December at the earliest if the initial diagnosis is correct.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Roberto Jimenez Gago replaced the 34-year-old against the Cherries and while he did make one good save in particular his kicking wasn’t great, while he came under fire from some fans on Twitter for his display in the humiliating 4-0 Carabao Cup defeat to Oxford United last week.

Roberto could surprise everyone

It’s probably fair to say that West Ham fans won’t be expecting the Spaniard to be at the same level as their 2018/19 Hammer of the Year, having shown some weaknesses when he has been on the pitch.

Liverpool supporters may have had the same concerns when Alisson got injured on the opening day of the campaign and saw Adrian replace him however, but the former Irons man who left on a free earlier in 2019 has gone from strength to strength between the sticks for the Premier League leaders in the Brazilian’s continued absence, conceding five goals in seven top flight outings.

Given how West Ham fans criticised him when he played for them and how he was number two to Fabianski before departing, he is an unexpected source of hope for them in light of the recent development given first-team starts at Anfield would surely have been predicted to be few and far between if Alisson stayed fit.

Roberto could easily make the same impact as Adrian if the circumstances are right, and the London Stadium faithful need to get behind him to give him that confidence, rather than getting on his back as soon as he does something wrong like they may have done with other keepers in the past.

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When Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter were given four options and asked who they want the club’s next signing to be, the following supporters said they would prefer to see Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho arrive over Juventus’ Paulo Dybala.

The January window may not be anywhere near just yet, but that obviously hasn’t stopped the Spurs faithful thinking about who their side could potentially bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the New Year.

The options given were Dybala, Sancho, Bruno Fernandes and Yousef Atal.

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The north London outfit of course came close to signing the former on deadline day before a move eventually collapsed, but a recent report in The Daily Star suggests Mauricio Pochettino could be lining up a second move.

Meanwhile, England international Sancho continues to go from strength to strength with Borussia Dortmund, with the 19-year-old having a remarkable 17 goals and 27 assists to his name in just 60 outings for the Bundesliga giants, which means that it is no surprise that he is rated at £100m minimum.

The following fans are under no illusions as to who they would prefer out of the duo.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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