Tottenham fans are likely waking up this morning with the headache only a severe hangover or an inexplicable result can induce. In some cases, it will be a mix of both – the former being a consequence of the latter.

Indeed, we’ve seen Mauricio Pochettino field weakened teams in cup competitions frequently throughout his White Hart Lane tenure, but the Lilywhites were almost at their strongest last night, with Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Kyle Walker, Victor Wanyama, Mousa Dembele and Toby Alderweireld all featuring from the start.

[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’]

Nonetheless, Spurs just couldn’t get going against Belgian outfit Gent and eventually found themselves on the receiving end of a 1-0 defeat courtesy of a Jeremy Perbet winner just before the hour mark – although Kane will rue his effort that smacked against the woodwork.

Considering how impressive they’ve been in the Premier League this season, Spurs’ big names disappointed last night. But one who didn’t let himself down was Dembele – undoubtedly the best of a bad bunch at the Ghelamco Arena.

As our infographic shows, it was a busy evening for the Belgium international, taking three efforts at goal, providing three chances for his team-mates and completing six dribbles – the last two statistics being the best returns of any player involved in last night’s game.

He also weighed in defensively with one tackle and perhaps most impressively of all, recorded a 96% pass completion rate; once again, the best return of any player for either side.

[ad_pod id=’Shoot-Xmas-Survey’ align=’left’]

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Manchester United look to have booked their slot in the last 16 of the Europa League with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Ligue 1 side Saint-Etienne. The return leg is obviously a hurdle Jose Mourinho’s side have to overcome, but considering Les Verts’ tally of 33 league goals – the lowest in the French top tier’s top six – it seems unlikely they will have the mix of firepower and defensive solidity to secure the scoreline they need.

[ad_pod id=’now-tv’ align=’centre’]

Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted all three of the Red Devils’ strikes at Old Trafford and has, quite rightly, been lauded as the Man of the Match, but although the 35-year-old was vital in his role on the night, Ander Herrera in midfield was just as important once again.

The Spaniard once again did the hard work in the middle of the pitch, with his 108 touches and 93 passes the highest returns of any player on the turf in Manchester. On top of that, he was Man United’s joint top tackler with five made, while his three interceptions and two fouls illustrate how involved in the play he was across the 90 minutes.

[ad_pod id=’Shoot-Xmas-Survey’ align=’left’]

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Arsenal have struggled defensively for a number of years, despite boasting players of an international calibre that are amongst the best in the division, so it’s no surprise to see the North London outfit once again linked with defensive signings.

Reports have stated Arsenal have seen a fresh approach for Juventus defender Daniele Rugani turned down by the Italian giants, who insist their 22-year-old starlet is not for sale at any price- although it remains to be seen whether that will be the end of it.

Looking at Rugani’s statistics, it’s clear he would be a top signing and it suggests Arsenal should not give up their pursuit any time soon.

In his 12 appearances this season, Rugani has shown he is not afraid to get stuck in, making 10 tackles and conceding 12 fouls, whilst he’s been strong and cutting out opposition chances with 19 aerial duels won and 15 interceptions.

On top of this, 89% passing accuracy shows he has the ability on the ball to fit into Arsenal’s passing style of play.

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

Southampton full-back Sam McQueen has expressed his joy in receiving his first ever call-up to the England Under-21 squad.

The 22-year-old’s international career has been pretty much non-existent until now.

This season under manager Claude Puel, McQueen was given a chance to shine in defence when a shift needed to be made following Virgil van Dijk’s injury.

So far, the young player has started four Premier League games and has come off the bench in a further six.

McQueen also played twice in both the FA Cup and EFL Cup, and made three appearances in the Europa League earlier in the campaign.

His performances have been rewarded with a call-up to Aidy Boothroyd’s Young Lions squad, who will face Germany and Denmark on March 24 and March 27 respectively.

McQueen has been part of the Southampton setup since 2003 when he joined the academy as an eight year old.

He went on to make his first-team debut in 2014, but did not feature in a Premier League game until this season in a 3-1 win over Burnley in October.

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=‘center’]

Brendan Rodgers’ stunning work with Celtic this season has seen the Bhoys look increasingly likely to make it a domestic clean sweep during his first campaign in Scotland.

The signings of Moussa Dembele and Scott Sinclair have been widely heralded as the Hoops’ best in years, though it’s not only the aforementioned pair who have sparked such success.

Rodgers’ work in revitalising midfielder Stuart Armstrong from a rather unconvincing left winger in a stale 4-2-3-1 setup, into a free-flowing hybrid of a No.8 and No.10 has seen him called into the Scotland squad.

In what was looking like an increasingly dark period for the Tartan Army, his debut on Sunday night against Slovenia earned rave reviews from national manager Gordon Strachan.

A former Dundee United midfielder, Armstrong has been touted as a potential target for Everton, though it’s probably fair to say not too much is know about him south of the border.

So, who exactly is the 24-year-old? We here at FFC take a closer look…

Kevin Kilbane has claimed that Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has a better relationship with fans than David Moyes does at Sunderland.

The Black Cats are in a similar position to where their North-East rivals were last season in that they are on the verge of getting relegated from the Premier League.

In the 2015-16 campaign, Benitez was appointed Magpies boss in March, and even though the club failed to retain their top-flight status, there was confidence that the Spaniard would immediately guide them back.

It seems as though the confidence was well placed as Newcastle have a 10-point cushion in the automatic promotion spots with five games left to play.

In contrast, Sunderland are 10 points from safety in the Premier League with seven matches left on their schedule.

Kilbane believes that Moyes, who had failed spells at Manchester United and Real Sociedad after leaving Everton in 2013, does not carry the same aura as his counterpart.

He told BBC Sport:

“[Moyes] has not really done much to win the fans over with anything he has said, and that is the biggest difference between his situation and Rafael Benitez’s at Newcastle when they went down last year.

“There was a real positivity about Benitez when he was appointed in March 2016 and, at the end of the season, the fans were right behind him, saying the club had to persuade him to stay. They did, and they are reaping the rewards now.

“I don’t think there is anything like the same feeling towards Moyes on Wearside as there was towards Benitez on Tyneside.”

Rangers fans have responded hilariously to reports that link Celtic duo Moussa Dembele and Kieran Tierney with big money moves away from Glasgow.

The Daily Record reported that Arsene Wenger is set to stay at Arsenal and will have a massive £200m transfer kitty to spend on a summer splurge. Two names said to be high on his wish-list are Dembele and Tierney.

Both players have had fantastic seasons in the Hoops, top performers in a side that is currently unbeaten in domestic football and on the road towards a rare treble of trophies.

They both excelled in the UEFA Champions League too and have been consistently linked with English Premier League clubs all season.

Rangers fans are having none of it though, clearly believing that both are overrated and don’t have what it takes to make it at Arsenal.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the rumours…

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

As reported by The Evening Times, legendary Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner has criticised Scott Brown for the way he conducted himself as captain during Sunday’s game against Ross County.

What’s the story?

In a series of events that’s dominated headlines in Scotland all week, Scott Brown played a pivotal role. When Alex Schalk dived and subsequently won a penalty, the Celtic players were incensed that the decision was given. Minutes later Brown scythed down the scorer of the penalty, Liam Boyce, receiving a red card in the process.

It was a decision the Celtic captain is lucky hasn’t ruled him out of this weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final. Only delays caused by the Easter holidays prevented the SFA hearing his appeal ahead of the clash, meaning that in lodging an appeal, he can now play at Hampden.

Now a Celtic legend has criticise the captain for reacting to the incident and letting a rush of blood to the head have an impact on his game.

As quoted by The Evening Times, Bonner said:

You cannot have an excuse for what he did. He’s the captain, and it’s just a lack of responsibility. I don’t care what’s happened in the game, he’s the one who should be calming the other players down. I know you’re aggrieved by what’s happened, with the penalty and so on. He should have just kept a calm head.

Certainly it’s a view shared by some Celtic fans, who took to Twitter in the aftermath to criticise the Hoops hero.

However some took the opposite view, believing that the tackle on Liam Boyce wasn’t even a red card.

What’s certain is that Scott Brown is going to play a pivotal role for the Hoops on Sunday and supporters everywhere will be delighted he can lead his team out at the national stadium.

As reported in an exclusive by The Express, Jose Mourinho is planning a significant rebuild of his Manchester United midfield this summer with a move for two stars of French football.

What’s the story?

It’s no secret that Man United are not where they want to be right now. Mourinho was brought into the club with ambitions of league titles and UEFA Champions League nights but they’ve been found wanting on both fronts this season, at risk of not even making the top four.

In order to turn things around, Mourinho will likely have to wheel and deal in the upcoming transfer window.

The Express reckon he has already identified two targets, Paris Saint-Germain’s Blaise Matuidi and Monaco’s Bernardo Silva. Both have been in excellent form this season and that means they have a high price tag on their heads.

The paper say Silva is rated at £50m while Matuidi could cost as much as £30m. Are these the right deals United need to transform their midfield?

Worth the cash?

Bernardo Silva could well end up being the next global superstar to come out of Portugal. He’s taken the UEFA Champions League by storm this season, helping Monaco reach the semi-final stage. At just 22 he has the whole world ahead of him. With 9 goals and 10 assists this season, it’s clear he could add a real attacking edge to the United midfield.

Matuidi is of course a player with less flair but could play a very important role for United who haven’t found the perfect blend in the heart of the midfield, when you scratch past the surface anyway. The likes of Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera are fantastic but past that there is little depth going forward. Michael Carrick is ageing and Marouane Fellaini is too inconsistent.

Moves for these players would certainly show ambition and likely be popular with supporters. The question, can Mourinho get the deals done?

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed that goalkeeper Adrian will be at London Stadium for another season, having activated an option in his contract to extend his deal another year.

The Spaniard, whose contract was set to run out at the end of this season, has been in and out of the side in the Hammers maiden season in Stratford, with Darren Randolph exchanging duties with the 30-year-old.

“Adrian is out of contract but we have an option, and we activated that option. He is our player and we are happy with him,” Bilic told the London Evening Standard ahead of their final game of the season against Burnley this weekend.

Adrian started the season as first choice, however, a number of mistakes early on lead to Bilic swapping in Irish international Randolph until he made one too many foul-ups and Adrian was back in.

Hammers fans have been calling for improvement in between the sticks, meaning that it is unclear as to whether Adrian’s extension means he will be playing a regular role or not come next season.