If Portsmouth is to gain promotion to the Championship, this season has to be that season.

Pompey sits two points behind an automatic promotion spot in fourth place, level with Sunderland who both have a game in hand over second place Barnsley.

With five games to go, it looks like anything can happen heading into the final weeks of the League One season, and for each club looking for that final promotion spot, every game between now and the end of a season is a must-win match.

And for Portsmouth, it will be a record-breaking attempt that can send Kenny Jackett’s side to the Championship. Going into the final five games, it’s easy to claim that Pompey are the inform team out of the teams in second, third and fourth place.

The motivation from winning the EFL Trophy against Sunderland has spurred Portsmouth on to an incredible run of form in the league, winning their last six games, and if they are to really go for that second-place spot they will likely have to extend that winning run to 11 games, which would be a club record.

On paper, it sounds hard to mount such a big winning run with each game as important as the last, but Portsmouth have already shown on this current run and their eight-game winning streak earlier in the season that they are a club who are capable of doing it.

Everything around the club is as positive as it has been in months, and if Pompey can keep up that passion and motivation, there is no doubt the south coast club can secure that second automatic promotion spot in League One.

Portsmouth fans, can Pompey win all their remaining games? Let us know!

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Liverpool fans on Twitter have been busy mocking Manchester United, after they were heard celebrating Manchester City’s goal against Burnley inside Old Trafford before their game against Chelsea kicked off.

It has been somewhat of a turbulent time for the Red Devils. They are struggling themselves, and are being forced to watch as two of their biggest rivals battle it out in one of the most exciting title races in Premier League history.

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

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men could only muster up a draw themselves in their game with the Blues, but luckily for them, they had their city rivals’ win against the Clarets to ease the pain.

Naturally, Liverpool fans found the time to take pity on the 20-time Premier League champions, labelling them as an embarrassment for celebrating their rivals scoring a goal, just so it means another rival loses out in the title race.

Let’s see what the Reds supporters have been saying about United on Twitter…

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A much-changed Southampton side were put to the sword by West Ham at the weekend – a result that, admittedly, means very little to the Saints, whose Premier League survival was secured with a point at St Mary’s Stadium in the previous game, although one player’s performance stood out for all the wrong reasons.

Shane Long has been in great form for the south coast outfit in recent weeks but he was back to his old ways, or perhaps worse, against the Hammers on Saturday. With his future at the club uncertain, will a horror display like this one come back to haunt him when push comes to shove in the summer?

On the chalkboard

The 32-year-old scored some crucial goals for Southampton in April, netting four times in five appearances and impressing with his drive and work-rate – two things that Ralph Hasenhuttl holds highly.

For a long time, the Irishman’s sole purpose was to put pressure on defenders, with the sacrifice in terms of potency in front of goal made in favour of the energy he offers. However, in finding his shooting boots again, the number 7 seemed the perfect fit for Hasenhuttl’s high octane approach and has established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.

Unfortunately, he was unable to keep up his solid run of form and instead took a big, big step backwards at the London Stadium, with his contributions to the team as minimal as it gets.

Why should Southampton be more like Dortmund? Find out in the video below…

A Long afternoon

The former Hull City man attempted zero shots on goal and completed zero dribbles, while his defensive contribution – something  he prides himself on, surely – was also non-existent, as he completed zero tackles and zero interceptions.

Completing a team-low (for players who played more than 45 minutes) 23 passes, the hitman struggled to link up with his teammates, too; it’s certainly difficult to make a case for him to remain at St Mary’s Stadium based on his latest showing. If he has another stinker against Huddersfield next time out, his future will surely be in major doubt.

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Celtic limped past Kilmarnock on Saturday, but despite the poor performance fans are revelling in one truly special moment.

The Bhoys picked up a crucial three points at Parkhead on Saturday, but there was only one thing on everyone’s mind.

Billy McNeill, the club’s greatest ever player and captain who passed away this week at the age of 79, was honoured before the match.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

And despite a fairly drab affair with few clear-cut chances, Jozo Simunovic ensured the day was remembered for all the right reasons, as he rose highest to head home the only goal in the 67th minute.

Not only does Simunovic share the number five shirt with McNeill, the goal came in the 67th minute, leading fans to believe that the magic of the 1967 Lisbon Lions lives on still.

While Neil Lennon is taking some stick for yet another result grinded out in underwhelming fashion, Simunovic’s fitting tribute to McNeill has elicited quite the response on Twitter.

Check out the best of the reactions down below…

It can be all too easy to look at two teams league positions and make some false prejudices. That’s the exact case here too, as with Swansea hosting Middlesbrough later today, the side 15th in the Championship is surely going to be the favourites over the 8th placed bottlers, especially when you factor in the recent form.

At times this season, we’ve seen Swansea playing some incredible football under Graham Potter. It may have taken the ex-Ostersunds manager time to adapt to the Championship, but his brand of football is much better than Tony Pulis’ anti-football.

As the two sides clash, it will be an interesting match-up, and one that if Potters’ side gets going in then they will surely edge it.

TONY PULIS

Tony Pulis is undoubtedly the more experienced gaffer going into this clash, but with experience doesn’t always come advantage, and it’s easy to argue that the Welshman’s football is stagnant and behind the times. Stints with Stoke City, Crystal Palace, West Brom and now Boro in recent times have all brought the same set-piece orientated football, and it’s time he had a rebrand or got out of the game.

In a world where the likes of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are passing teams off the park, Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds are high-pressing their way to glory and Mick Harford’s Luton Town are playing scintillating stuff in the third tier, hoof-ball has no place anywhere in the football league. The EFL is starting to see beautiful football, and whilst Pulis can’t adapt his sides will struggle, as we’ve seen with Boro losing their last four games.

TT GRADE: D

GRAHAM POTTER

There was very little hype and media attention around Graham Potter when he came to Swansea City, especially considering how well picked up on his time at Ostersunds was. The once-unheard of 43-year-old made his name in Sweden, where he miraculously took Ostersunds from a fourth tier club all the way through the Swedish footballing system, into the top flight and even into the Europa League, which he qualified for through winning the Svenska Cup.

His achievements have been incredible, and whilst he may only have Swansea in 15th, the signs have been there. Consistency has been his side’s problem, although he’s shown that his Swans can roll with the punches against the best sides in the country, with their recent FA Cup clash with Manchester City, an unjust 3-2 loss, proving just that. It’s the football that has them standing out, though, and should he add consistency then promotion is a real possibility next season.

TT GRADE: B

TT VERDICT

When comparing Potter and Pulis, it quickly becomes apparent that league position is never a safe barometer with which to compare managers in the Championship.

If given the chance, plenty of Boro fans would be rid of Tony Pulis in a heartbeat, and whilst Swansea may be taking their time to adapt, Potter is certainly the man for the job and is certainly a more apt manager given the current footballing climate than the dinosaur that is Tony Pulis, and that’s why he wins this battle.

أعرب الدولي البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو مهاجم يوفنتوس، عن سعادته بالعودة من جديد لقيادة هجوم البيانكونيري، وتسجيله هدفين، عقب التعافي من الإصابة بـ فيروس كورونا.

وتعرض رونالدو لإصابة بـ فيروس كورونا في 12 أكتوبر الماضي، وغاب عن يوفنتوس في الأربع مباريات الأخيرة، ولم يحقق البيانكونيري خلالها سوى فوز واحد.

طالع أيضًا: بيرلو: يوفنتوس كان جيدًا أمام سبيزيا.. ورونالدو ساعدنا لتحقيق الفوز

اليوم استطاع رونالدو أن يشارك في الشوط الثاني، ويسجل هدفين ويقود البيانكونيري للفوز برباعية مقابل هدف على سبيزيا في الدوري الإيطالي.

وقال النجم البرتغالي في تصريحات لشبكة “سكاي” الإيطالية: “لم يكن لدي أي أعراض، لقد كنت ثابتًا طوال فترة إصابتي، اليوم عدت لأفعل ما أحب، وهو لعب كرة القدم”.

وأضاف: “الدوري الإيطالي تنافسي للغاية، ميلان يقدم أداء رائع، كذلك لاتسيو ونابولي، علينا أن نعمل بجد، لكن الفريق يتعلم وينسجم الآن”.

ورد رونالدو على السخرية من تحليل PCR الأخير والذي أبعده عن مواجهة برشلونة: “عودة كريستيانو هي أهم شيء، ليس أكثر”.

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Tony Pulis is not a popular man on Teesside, with his team have losing six of their previous seven Championship fixtures to slip out of the play-off positions.

One of the many criticisms that the Welshman has received is his reluctance to play Marcus Tavernier, the younger brother of James, who captains Rangers.

Marcus is 20 and clearly has a lot of potential but he has only started two games in the Championship for Boro which, considering their troubles, suggests Pulis does not trust the England Under 21 international.

His recent quotes in which he describes Tavernier as “lackadaisical” appear to back up this view.

The younger Tavernier brother has made 17 appearances for Boro during the current campaign, scoring four goals.

Boro fans though are crying out for some creativity and reacted very angrily to Pulis’ latest comments prior to the win against Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday night.

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Southampton can take another big step towards safety with a win over Wolves this weekend, and will be hoping to capitalise on any lingering emotions after their visitors’ hearts were broken at Wembley last week.

If the west Midlands outfit are at a season-low, then, the Saints are surely on a high – besides their unfortunate loss to Liverpool last time out they have been steadily improving and look sure to stay up if they can maintain their impressive performance standards for the remaining six games.

Paul Merson has offered his predictions ahead of the Saturday clash and the Sky Sports pundit is tipping the St Mary’s Stadium outfit to heap further misery on Nuno Espirito Santo’s side:

“It’s a question of whether or not Wolves have an FA Cup hangover. How are they going to feel after being 2-0 up with 10 minutes or so to go against Watford?

“They threw that away, and I don’t know how they’re thinking. They’ll probably never get another better opportunity than that to reach an FA Cup final. I fancy Southampton.

“They’re better than where they are in the table. And I think Wolves will be just devastated.”

Why should Southampton be more like Dortmund? Find out in the video below…

Indeed, Wolves looked set to progress to the final having gone 2-0 up but capitulated and allowed Watford to come back and win – a rare disappointment for last season’s Championship winners in a season full of positives.

Merson thinks that Southampton should be further up the table than they are and opted for a 2-1 Saints victory in the wake of Wolves’ FA Cup devastation. Will their emotions cost them?

[ad_pod ]It has been claimed by Spanish-speaking media outlet El Chiringuito TV that Germany winger Leroy Sane is eyeing a shock exit from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for this summer.

What’s the word, then?

The 23-year-old is allegedly among seven or eight City players who will seek to leave the club.The other name they revealed to be on the list was Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus although it is not known apart from him and the other aforementioned Citizen who else wants out at the Etihad Stadium.

Sane joined City from FC Schalke 04 in early August 2016 and was an instant hit in Manchester, since making 128 appearances in all competitions and registering 38 goals and 45 assists. He has represented the German national team on 19 occasions and was a shock omission from their FIFA World Cup squad last summer.

Man City must move to avoid total disaster

Without even considering the possible exit of Jesus and whoever else wants to leave, it’s clear that Man City must move to avoid a total disaster – losing Sane.

Both on and off the pitch, the man who scarily still has the prime years of his career ahead of him is one of the Citizens’ and the City Football Group’s most valued commodities.

But just focusing on the German in a footballing sense, he’s a rare talent, a unique mix of speed, flare and born finishing ability that can be deployed in almost every position across the attack.

Who has been the best player in the EPL so far this season? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

There can be little doubting that without Sane, in spite of the abundance of world-class players around him, Guardiola’s men wouldn’t be in the position they are now under the Spaniard.

This season has been telling of that as Blue Moon are in pole position to collect back-to-back Premier League titles at the start of the run-in, thanks in huge part to the pace man’s nine goals and 11 assists in 27 Premier League games – even though his place in the starting XI has recently become contentious.

Letting the starlet go would not only hurt the Sky Blues majorly on the field, it could also weaken their reputation and imperious nature in the transfer market. Losing your key players is a sign of a team in decline and with a chance of collecting a remarkable 2018/2019 treble, Man City certainly aren’t that.

يتواجد الويلزي آرون رامسي، أساسيًا في تشكيل فريقه يوفنتوس الإيطالي أمام فيرينكفاروس المجري بمنافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويلاقي يوفنتوس نظيره المجري، مساء اليوم الأربعاء في العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، ضمن مباريات الجولة الثالثة لدور المجموعات.

طالع تشكيل يوفنتوس ضد فيرينكفاروس

وبحسب الموقع الرسمي للاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا”، أصبح آرون رامسي ثالث لاعب ويلزي يصل إلى 50 مباراة في دوري أبطال أوروبا، بعد رايان جيجز (141) وجاريث بيل (64).

يذكر أن يوفنتوس يحتل وصافة المجموعة برصيد 3 نقاط، ويتصدرها برشلونة بـ 6 نقاط.