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After 48 matches for Aston Villa and Derby this term, their seasons boil down to one remaining fixture.

On Bank Holiday Monday, the two teams meet today in the play-off final at Wembley. At stake? A place in the Premier League.

The financial implications make this one of the biggest games in football. The pressure couldn’t be higher as Dean Smith’s men take on Frank Lampard’s outfit in the capital.

Who will prevail is anyone’s guess.

What history tells us

Going into this tie most of the omens are on Aston Villa’s side. The Rams have only ever beaten them five times. In the process, they’ve rarely scored a goal either.

It’s a shambolic record for the Derbyshire club who will be hoping to erase those memories of times gone by.

The Villans have already put Derby to the sword on two occasions this term, defeating them 3-0 and 4-0 throughout 2018/19.

However, in terms of play-off finals, Lampard’s side may have the upper hand. They were victorious in the play-off final back in 2007 when a solitary goal from Matt Oakley was enough for them to see off West Brom.

Villa, on the other hand, tasted defeat at Wembley this time last year, losing to Fulham.

Key battle

Jack Grealish and Mason Mount have been two of the most exciting players to watch in the Championship this season and will therefore hold the key on Monday.

Much has been made about Grealish’s future with Villa after the 23-year-old attracted interest from the likes of Crystal Palace and Tottenham.

This may well be his last appearance in a Villa shirt. If it is he’ll be looking for a fitting send-off after already being named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year.

As for Mount, he’s been exceptional since arriving on loan from Chelsea. The midfielder averages a very healthy 2.5 shots per game and his goal threat, as well as his ability to pick a pass, will be massive if Derby are to have any chance of breaking down Villa’s barricades.

Ref in focus

Paul Tierney comes into the play-off final having only refereed one Championship clash all campaign, a 2-0 win for Bristol City over Stoke.

This will be the first major final he’s taken charge of, having only refereed an FA Youth Cup final in his career to date.

Tierney has only shown one red card all season so the omens are good in that regard. However, he does average quite a high percentage of bookings per game so that could be something to look out for, particularly with the play-off final likely to be a feisty affair.

Team news

Villa have two injury concerns going into the play-off final with Orjan Nylan definitely ruled out. James Chester is a doubt but it was highly unlikely he’d start anyway.

The main selection dilemma for Smith will come at right wing. In wide positions this term his players have been particularly inconsistent. Anwar El Ghazi has been the stand out performer so it’s assumed he’ll keep his place. On the right, however, Andre Green and Albert Adomah will be fighting for a starting place, but we expect the latter will replace the former in the XI today.

Conor Hourihane is likely to play over Glenn Whelan too. The latter made a horrendous error in the play-off semi-final first leg, gifting the ball to Dwight Gayle who then went onto score.

For Derby, their main issue will be at left back after Scott Malone was sent off against Leeds last time out.

That means that Ashley Cole will have a monumental task on his hands. At the age of 38, he’s been away from games of this magnitude for some time so will have to rely on all of his experience to keep Villa at bay.

Jack Marriott, scorer of two goals when Derby played Leeds, is set for his first start since March.

حسم مسؤولو الزمالك مصير أحد لاعبي الفريق المعارين، بشأن عودته للفارس الأبيض، في الموسم المقبل.

تنتهي إعارة محمد أشرف روقة مع طلائع الجيش، بانتهاء الموسم الجاري، الذي أسدل الستار عليه بتتويج الأهلي بلقب الدوري المصري للمرة 42 في تاريخه، فيما لا تزال مُنافسات بطولة كأس مصر مُستمرة.

أقرأ ايضًا.. بعد تصريحه المثير للجدل.. الزمالك يستقر على عودة “روقة” في الموسم الجديد

وعلم “بطولات” أن إدارة الزمالك تواصلت مع محمد أشرف روقة، وطلبت منه العودة لصفوف الأبيض بعد انتهاء إعارته لنادي طلائع الجيش.

ومن المقرر أن ينتظم محمد أشرف روقة في تدريبات الزمالك بداية من غد الإثنين، وذلك بناءً على طلب إدارة القلعة البيضاء.

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Tottenham Hotspur lost ground in the race to qualify for the Champions League on Saturday, as they lost 1-0 to AFC Bournemouth.

And fans were left disappointed with the performance of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris at the Vitality Stadium.

Spurs went down to 10 men in the first half, as Heung-Min Son lashed out at Jefferson Lerma by pushing him to the ground and was shown a red card.

Juan Foyth was introduced as a half-time substitute and was dismissed just minutes after coming on, reducing Tottenham to nine men.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side did their best to earn a hard-fought point in the second half but their resistance was ultimately broken in injury time, as Nathan Ake headed home from a corner.

Fans, though, were disappointed with the performance of their captain, first for seemingly abdicating his responsibility as a skipper, as his team-mates lost their heads, and then failing to save Ake’s header.

The France international was left rooted to his line as the Dutchman saw the net ripple.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Arsenal are searching for bargains once again this summer, and Leicester ace Youri Tielemans would fit the bill perfectly, if they can fight off reported interest from Manchester United.

Indeed, the former Anderlecht ace was thought to have been a target for the Gunners over the course of the January transfer window, with El Gol Digital (via Sport Witness’ Naveen Ullal) claiming Unai Emery has requested the midfielder, though HLN recently reported of United’s interest.

The 21-year-old Monaco midfielder is on loan at The King Power Stadium, and – clearly – he’s has been a revelation since Brendan Rodgers took over. He’s notched two goals and three assists since the start of February and his long-range strike against Huddersfield certainly raised eyebrows.

Rodgers has made it clear in press conferences he wants to make the move permanent, but the Telegraph believe it would cost them a club record £40m. That may well be out of Leicester’s reach, but it could be a great long-term buy for Arsenal despite the initial cost.

He’s certainly not a bargain when you look at that figure, but he’s so young that he has the potential to play for the club for the next 10 years. In that case, he looks a bargain, so the Arsenal board need to get a move on.

It’ll be hard to find the cash unless the club let some players go, but they need to decide on who they’re selling quickly so they can start talks with potential summer signings like Tielemans. His high work rate is just what Unai Emery needs in his midfield for his style to work.

With Aaron Ramsey soon departing and Denis Suarez doing a whole lot of nothing since his arrival at the Emirates, moving for the man touted with a move back in January makes total sense.

Of course, Ramsey has impressed throughout his time at the Emirates but Tielemans offers that something special that fans have witnessed on too many occasions in North London.

It’s clear to see the direction this Arsenal team is moving in, and the Belgian would be a perfect fit and a bargain when you take into account the long-term investment. The Arsenal board need to work out a way to finance this move and claim his signature before their rivals do.

Arsenal fans, how much do you think Unai Emery will be able to spend this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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The Yorkshire Evening Post’s chief football writer Phil Hay has put together a Championship squad and manager of the season, and while some Leeds United fans may be surprised that he has snubbed Marcelo Bielsa and opted for Norwich City’s Daniel Farke instead for the latter, he is absolutely spot on.

What’s the word, then?

Well, with the international break in full swing and with just eight fixtures of the league campaign remaining, Hay decided to pick an 18-man squad of the best performing players from this term in England’s second tier, accompanied by the top boss in his opinion.

Given he covers the Yorkshire outfit and generally how easy they have been on the eye throughout the season as they have challenged at the top of the table, it wouldn’t have been any surprise if the Argentine got the nod even if their form has dropped off slightly in recent months.

It was one of those managers who finds himself above the Whites in Farke who was given the accolade though, and it is the right decision.

Why?

Not many people would have chosen Norwich, Sheffield United and Leeds as the clubs fighting for automatic promotion at this stage of the campaign if asked in pre-season, but that is exactly how it has panned out.

Are Leeds set for another spectacular fall from grace? Ingood Nick believes so in the video below…

While Farke has had longer at Carrow Road than the South American has had at Elland Road having been appointed in 2017, he had to deal with the loss of James Maddison, Josh Murphy and Angus Gunn in the summer.

Despite those exits, the Norfolk-based outfit have been playing some outstanding football and have netted 77 goals so far – 14 more than Bielsa’s men – and the German deserves the recognition from Hay, who obviously still has great respect for the experienced man in charge at LS11.

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Phil Foden was in scintillating form for the England Under-21 side on Tuesday evening and his outstanding performance has prompted Owen Hargreaves to make a stunning comparison.

What’s the word?

Manchester City have been crucified at regular intervals for failing to start Foden on a regular basis, and his latest performance is only likely to intensify the prominence of that theme.

The 18-year-old was a class above yesterday, showcasing his immaculate ball control and wonderfully crafted technique within an advanced playmaker role.

It was the type of performance to get fans salivating over what the future holds for Stockport’s answer to Andres Iniesta, and Owen Hargreaves’ post-match comments will certainly add to that feeling.

Indeed, the BT Sport pundit was overwhelmed by the individual display, leaving viewers with little uncertainty about his level of appreciation for the rising star’s ability.

“I think Phil is just one of those types of players – a bit like Paul Scholes – he is one or two steps mentally ahead of everyone else.

“He makes the game look easy, he’s silky smooth, got a wand of a left foot, but his intelligence and smartness is what sets him apart”

Similarities to Paul Scholes?

There is something enigmatic about Foden’s development which suggests he possesses the talent to climb to the highest reaches of the game.

Hargreaves’ comparison appears sensationalist on the surface but the basis of his argument is valid: like Scholes, Foden has a footballing brain which is reserved for the elite players in world football.

He does not require any dominant physical quality to thrive in central midfield; his technical ability and awareness ensure that he will always drift into pockets of space unmarked before casting that left wand of his.

Scholes is one of the greatest technicians English football has ever seen, but Foden, valued at £22.5 million by Transfermarkt, could be the next midfield wizard to blossom into a legend in Manchester.

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What a player Ledley King was by the way.

The one-club man made 313 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur between 1999 and 2012 before being forced into an early retirement.

King hardly trained in the latter stages of his professional career as he desperately attempted to manage his chronic knee issues.

King was ultimately forced to retire in July 2012 at the age of 32, but over 300 appearances for Tottenham is extremely impressive, whilst he also turned out on 21 occasions for the England national team between 2002 and 2010.

Now an ambassador for Tottenham, it would be fair to say that the former centre-back is still a hero with the London club’s fans.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

And many took to social media earlier this week to lavish praise on King – a 2008 League Cup winner with Tottenham – in response to a video which cropped up on the club’s official Twitter account.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the adoring Spurs supporters can be seen below:

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Everton midfielder Kieran Dowell was handed a surprise new role for loan side Sheffield United when they hosted Middlesbrough at Bramall Lane on Wednesday night, and it may have indicated that he can be the club’s surprise Leighton Baines replacement.

On the chalkboard

Well, the 21-year-old moved to the Championship high-flyers on loan until the end of the season during the January transfer window having found first-team opportunities hard to come by under Marco Silva, and he had largely featured in his preferred attacking midfield role to date.

However, Chris Wilder decided to hand the England U21 international a slightly different job by lining him up at left wing-back against Boro, and he certainly didn’t disappoint with an impressive and tireless display as his temporary team kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win.

Dowell will be determined to make a positive impression for the Yorkshire outfit to prove to the Toffees that he has a long-term future at Goodison Park, and his latest display may have done his chances of doing exactly that the world of good.

Baines replacement?

It is clear to see that Lucas Digne will be Everton’s first-choice left-back/wing-back for the foreseeable future, but the Merseyside club don’t have a lot of depth beyond the Frenchman.

In this era of ‘big 6’ dominance, has finishing 7th become as good as winning a trophy? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

That has meant that when he has been absent that veteran Baines has filled in, but sooner or later they will have to find a replacement for the 34-year-old whose contract is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

Dowell may well have just proven that Silva already has his successor in the squad, and that he has the ability and quality to be Digne’s understudy.

Match facts

October 28, 2012
Start time 1730 local (1530 GMT)Sydney Sixers’ attack will be led by Mitchell Starc who has been among the best bowlers of the year in Twenty20s•Associated Press

Big Picture

The Champions League T20 may be the ugly step-sister of the cricketing world, with most fans giving it the cold shoulder, but for many of the players involved the final will be the biggest payday of their lives. With the champions getting a cool $2.5m, the money on offer will bump players, especially those who aren’t part of national teams or aren’t globetrotting T20 specialists, up a tax bracket or two. Adding to the occasion will be the sell-out crowd at one of cricket’s iconic venues, the Wanderers Stadium, which will make it among the biggest audiences some of the domestic players will play in front of.And contesting the final are the two most consistent sides of the tournament. Lions weren’t topping anybody’s list of favourites when the tournament began, but they have exceeded expectations through a combination of teamwork and temperament, keeping their head when things start to get tight. They have plenty going for them. The Wanderers is their home ground, and no one knows the conditions there better than Lions. The diversity in their batting – Twenty20 batting doesn’t get too much more of a contrast than the leg-side biffing of Ghulam Bodi and the surgical precision of Neil McKenzie – has been married to consistency through the tournament. And the bowling has four match-winners: their two imports Dirk Nannes and Sohail Tanvir, their best bowler in the domestic tournament, Chris Morris, and one of the bowlers of the CLT20, Aaron Phangiso.Their one reverse in this tournament came against their opponents in the final, Sydney Sixers. When the Big Bash League was launched a year ago, Sydney Sixers were the butt of jokes for their flamboyantly pink outfits, a colour which they started to refer to as ‘mangenta’. A year on, they have earned the respect of Twenty20 fans after winning the inaugural BBL, and are yet to drop a game in the CLT20.They came into the tournament as one of the leading contenders and have so far lived up to the tag, despite losing the services of Dwayne Bravo and Brett Lee to IPL teams, and that of possibly the most valuable player currently in T20 cricket, Shane Watson, midway through the tournament. They could also be without their captain, Brad Haddin, for the final, as he picked up a thumb injury – though he was fit enough to bat on Friday.

Watch out for…

Steve O’Keefe has opened the innings only three times in T20s: the semi-finals and final of the BBL, and Friday’s CLT20 semi-final against Titans. On all three occasions he has made a significant contribution, including a Man of the Match performance against Titans. In addition, his left-arm spin has been taken for less than a run-a-ball this tournament.Fast bowler Chris Morris was the top wicket-taker in South Africa’s domestic Twenty20 competition last season, and he came into the CLT20 on the back of a 12-wicket haul against Dolphins in a first-class game. He started off quietly in this tournament but hit the headlines with his spell against Delhi Daredevils in the semi-finals, helping his team defend a sub-par score by taking the key wicket of David Warner and then killing off the game with scalp of Kevin Pietersen.

Weather and conditions

Despite gloomy weather forecasts, the showers thankfully stayed away during both semi-finals. The organisers will hope that trend continues for the final as well, when light rain is predicted.

Stats and trivia

• Mitchell Starc is the leading wicket-taker not just in the tournament but in all Twenty20s this year, with an astonishing 56 wickets in 26 matches
• Six of the Lions players who were part of the semi-final have a batting average over 26 in T20s, while the highest among Sydney’s players in the semi-final was Nic Maddinson’s 25.76

Quotes

“I think the middle overs will be important. We’ve dominated that period in almost all our games and I think that will play a massive role once again.”

“Lions are very desperate to win. This is a chance for the domestic teams to showcase their skills at the international stage.”

According to Sky in Italy, via Sky Sports, Tottenham Hotspur target Olivier Giroud is a wanted man in Serie A, which leaves Jose Mourinho staring down the barrel of yet another striker setback.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed that Lazio are keen on signing the Frenchman on a permanent two-and-a-half-year deal, worth €3m (£2.5m) per season.

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But Inter Milan are also said to be keen on bidding for Giroud, as his time at Stamford Bridge appears almost certain to come to a close by the end of play today.

Sky Sports believe that the 33-year-old would be open to a move to Spurs and indeed Tottenham have been credited with an interest.

However, the sudden competition for Giroud’s signature isn’t good news for the Lilywhites.

Another setback

The north Londoners have already missed out on one of their reported targets, and now they could lose out yet again.

Spurs were linked to then-AC Milan striker Krzysztof Piatek, but Mourinho wanted to sign the Pole on loan whereas the Serie A giants preferred a permanent move – resulting in him joining Hertha Berlin for £23.5m.

Calling all transfer experts! How much did each of these Deadline Day signings cost?

Now they could see another strike target slip through their fingers as a number of alternative suitors, who may not view Giroud as simply a stand-in for the injured Harry Kane, emerge ahead of the Friday deadline.

Giroud is likely keen on sourcing regular game time with the 2020 European Championship this summer, and Lazio’s offer a sign that they would trust him to feature often, given his deal would run until 2022.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Mourinho now faces a race against time if he is to secure a player that can deputise in the absence of injured top goalscorer Kane.

And in other news, Alasdair Gold says Spurs targeting two additions before the deadline…