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West Brom emerged 3-2 victors over QPR on Tuesday with a dramatic, injury-time winner from Jake Livermore enough to ensure the Baggies took all three points from Loftus Road and crept to within one point of third-place Leeds.

The Whites have somewhat fallen off in recent weeks having lost their lead at the top of the Championship to Norwich and are now level on points with Sheffield United, although they have a game in hand.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men host Bolton on Saturday and they will be hoping to climb back into pole position, although West Brom’s win means the title race has surely become a four horse race now, making life that little bit more difficult for Leeds.

Who do you want to see promoted this year? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked their 3 favoured teams in the video below…

The Yorkshire outfit cannot afford to drop many more points if they want to secure automatic promotion and they square off with both the Baggies and the Blades in the next month in what will be six-pointers.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful had to say on Twitter as Darren Moore’s side entered title contention…

With back-to-back 0-0 draws following quite a considerable gap in matches, Liverpool aren’t producing the thrilling football they did before the New Year. 

Indeed, it’s the first time this season that Jurgen Klopp’s men have played consecutive goalless draws in all competitions, as that fiery chemistry of their attacking trio just isn’t there anymore.

It doesn’t seem like the hot-weather training in Marbella’s worked in Klopp’s favour in reinvigorating his side’s momentum. In comparison, they’ve looked quite lacking in the attacking front and not been as sleek as they were in the first half of the season.

So much so that, against Bayern Munich, the Reds created a plethora of chances in front of a buzzing Anfield, but only had two shots on target.

Liverpool were even more frustrating against an injury-ravaged Manchester United at Old Trafford. Even after watching their rivals suffer three injuries, Liverpool were shallow going forward, with Mohammed Salah having yet another forgettable outing against the Red Devils.

They looked too predictable and one-dimensional against United, keeping on moving through the right and relying on James Milner’s crossing, which was extremely ineffective. After losing Roberto Firmino, Liverpool lost the drive in attack and even though Sadio Mane ran at United’s defence, they couldn’t break their resolve.

The fact that Liverpool only had one shot on target, a weak shot from Daniel Sturridge, against United proves something’s wrong with their confidence. Maybe the pressure from Manchester City’s catching up to them, but Liverpool seems to have run out of ideas and options at the wrong time.

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John Obi Mikel joined Chinese side Tianjin TEDA in January 2017, as a 29-year-old. Now 31, the midfielder plays for Championship outfit Middlesbrough, having joined Tony Pulis’ squad as a free agent in January.

The 85-cap Nigeria international has impressed in his time at the Riverside Stadium so far. He is obviously a top class player, having previously enjoyed great success with Chelsea.

In his decade at Stamford Bridge, Obi Mikel massed plenty of silverware, including two Premier League titles, three FA Cup winners’ medals, and one Champions League triumph.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Since his return to England, Obi Mikel has reminded everyone of his quality, and now admits that he left for the less competitive environment of Chinese football too early in his career.

What he said

In an interview with the Telegraph, Obi Mikel says of his time in China: “It was two years of a huge culture shock…When you have been at a club like Chelsea in the Premier League, for 11 years, it was very hard to adapt to how things were done. It isn’t at the elite level, let’s put it that way…I did wonder if I had made a big mistake”

The midfielder continued: “I will never say I regret it…As a life experience, I enjoyed it. Professionally, it was tough, but I had some good times…I certainly wouldn’t say to anyone under the age of 30 to go there. They will regret it if they do.”

Making up for lost time

Now back in England, Obi Mikel is looking to make up for lost time and is keen for further success with Boro. As quoted by Teesside Live, the veteran has made it clear that he would consider promotion with Middlesbrough this season to be amongst his finest professional successes: “If we manage to pull it off, it would be amazing. It would be up there as one of my greatest achievements.”

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Tottenham Hotspur launched a loan move for Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale, according to BBC Sport journalist Guillem Balague.

Chairman Daniel Levy, per the report, attempted to bring the Wales international back to the club where he made his name.

What’s the word?

Bale left Spurs in 2013, joining Real in a then-world record deal worth £85million.

He has won four Champions League titles in Spain but has endured a difficult season at the Santiago Bernabeu and has routinely been booed by his own supporters.

Real, of course, were eliminated from Europe’s premier club competition last week, as they were thumped 4-1 by Ajax in Spain.

They are also effectively out of the running in the Liga title race and Balague claims that Spurs wanted to capitalise by launching a loan bid for Bale.

However, so low was the proposal that it never actually reached Real, as Levy was hopeful that his current would subsidise the majority of his reported £650,000-per-week wages.

Classic Levy

This is an opportunistic move that could well have been a masterstroke.

Bale was an icon at Spurs, making his breakthrough at the club and becoming a genuinely world-class player in north London.

A return is a romantic notion that fans continue to dream of but it is perhaps unlikely to ever come to fruition.

Such are his wages, Real would have to keep paying him, but it cannot hurt to ask the question.

Levy, it seems, did just that.

Real may well have said yes, just to help Bale avoid the prospect of yet more criticism in Madrid; that they didn’t is nobody’s fault, the chairman made the only bid that was possible for Spurs from a financial perspective.

Newcastle salvaged a 2-2 draw with the last kick of the game at Bournemouth on Saturday, but it could have been so different, without an odd penalty decision, and a defensive lapse that showed just how much the Magpies rely on their captain, Jamaal Lascelles.

Federico Fernandez’s error that led to the goal looked like it had gifted the home side a win, and was the type of mistake Lascelles was prone to making in the early days of his Newcastle career.

But error-strewn games like that are a thing of the past for Lascelles, and his consistent, reliable performances are the linchpin of the Magpies’ defence, and as much was highlighted at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, without the skipper being anywhere near the pitch.

Fernandez looked a shadow of the player that looked like an inspired, bargain signing by Rafa Benitez in the summer, and will be rueing a missed opportunity to show the manager and fans that he deserves a starting spot on a regular occasion.

His passing was poor, and it was a similar case for his positional play. However, what most fans will remember from him, was when he sloppily gave the ball away to Dominic Solanke on the edge of his own box, which saw the former Liverpool player lay it off for Josh King to fire home.

Fernandez was saved by Matt Ritchie’s wonder strike in injury time, but the black and whites will not be so fortunate in other games.

These types of defensive errors from open play are what Rafa prides his teams on not making, and having talked the player up before the game, he will be bitterly disappointed at the former Swansea man’s contribution.

Newcastle now have the international break, plus a couple of extra days — with them not playing next until their trip to Arsenal on Monday Night Football — to get their skipper fit again, and it will be a huge relief to Rafa if he is.

What are your thoughts Newcastle fans? If Lascelles is not fit, would you keep faith with Fernandez? Let us know below…

Well, what a shambles that was! Nottingham Forest simply don’t deserve to reach the play-offs if they can’t even beat rock-bottom Ipswich. It’s still possible, but their recent form has been so hit and miss that it’s looking far too much to ask.

Saturday’s game was the PERFECT way to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat to fellow play-off challengers Aston Villa, but instead, they dropped two big points and could have lost the game if it wasn’t for an own goal before half-time.

A club the size of Forest should be challenging for promotion every season as a minimum expectation, and until the last month or so, Martin O’Neill and his squad would have been confident of claiming a play-off spot. Now, their form has dipped and teams like Villa have stepped up in their place.

Two losses, one draw and one win if far too inconsistent to be in with a shout for promotion at the end of the season. Their next two games are against Swansea and Rotherham, which are both winnable fixtures, and they’ll have to win both to get back on track with where to clubs feels it should be.

It’s tight between them in 11thand the play-off places, but there’s seven close-knit teams battling between them and 6th spot, meaning a slip up will mean at least one of those will capitalise on any points dropped. It’s not as if there’s only a couple of teams who can get lucky by slipping up at the same time as their rivals.

This Forest form isn’t good enough to take them into the play-offs, and they don’t deserve to be there. Indeed, they’re going to have to up their game after the international break or face a very boring end to the season.

Forest fans, what do you think needs to change for the club’s form to improve? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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According to Tuttomercatoweb, Liverpool are ‘serious’ about potentially signing Juventus forward Paulo Dybala, who will be no stranger to regular Champions League watchers.

Indeed, Dybala is widely revered as one of Europe’s most talented attackers even if his form has dipped a little this season, but what do the experts think of the Argentine ace? Who does he remind them of and what will he bring to the Premier League? Read on to find out with our three expert views…

Ian Darke, ESPN and BT Sport commentator

As quoted by The Express, the veteran commentator had this to say about the 25-year-old back in December 2017:

“Dybala, he’s obviously a stylish player, there’s something of the Roberto Baggio about him I think. He’s a lovely player.”

Indeed, the Juventus man does ooze confidence on the ball, which sometimes seems to never lose contact with his foot when he moves with it – qualities of Old Lady legend Baggio.

The Italian netted 78 goals in 141 appearances for the Serie A champions before going on to play for both Milan clubs. Baggio played behind the striker too, and is widely regarded as one of the generational greats – will Dybala amount to similar status and, if he does, will it be in Liverpool red?

Paul Pogba, former Juventus teammate

The Manchester United man, formerly of Juventus, spoke very highly of his former teammate in 2017:

“I call Dybala ‘Square R2’. That’s the combination you press on PlayStation to do a turn and shot. He always scores like that. Has he surprised me? No, because I always said he was a phenomenon. To do what he has done, playing for Juve, is something phenomenal.”

The Frenchman’s gaming analogy will not be lost on the Allianz Stadium faithful who get to see Dybala glide across the pitch on a weekly basis – indeed, the Juve number 10 often makes it look so easy and is a tricky customer for any side.

Swiss outfit BSC Young Boys found that out the hard way when they made the trip to Turin earlier in the season – Dybala was at his scintillating best and netted all three of his side’s goals, while also scoring the consolation in the Old Lady’s second leg loss.

Gabriele Marcotti, ESPN’s Italian football expert

Another man full of praise for Dybala is Marcotti, who knows everything there is to know about Italian football – his verdict from back in the summer, though, doesn’t bode well for the Reds…

“I’m not sure Dybala would be a great fit for Liverpool. He’s a phenomenal footballer, but I’m not sure he really is the type of guy with the engine to naturally fit into that front three, which frankly I think are pretty good the way they are now.”

A recurrence in the experts’ assessments is the word ‘phenomenal’ – one that doesn’t and shouldn’t get thrown around often in the world of football. Undoubtedly, Anfield would be receiving a top, top talent, although Marcotti doesn’t seem to think he has the work-rate to succeed in Liverpool’s front three.

Watch “Jurgen Klopp’s” hilarious masterplan for winning the title in the video below…

Perhaps the number 10 could instead lift the creative burden off the shoulders of Roberto Firmino – the Brazilian has been doing pretty much all the ‘playmaking’ since the departure of countryman Philippe Coutinho.

What do you think, Liverpool fans? Would you like to see Dybala in red? Let us know in the comments below…

A missing spark is disabling West Ham United from taking things to a whole new level.

Despite having improved considerably under Manuel Pellegrini, there are obviously some missing ingredients in their game which are seemingly holding them back.

However, with the right signings, the Hammers can take another step forward into challenging for the European spots. That’s got to be the goal, right?

With that in mind, Jack Grealish’s potential signing would, not only be one of intent, but one which evolves their inconsistent attack into among the best in the league. Indeed, according to reports (via the Mirror), they’re keen on the Aston Villa man and might make a move in the summer.

While the Irons are surely bound to face stiff competition for Grealish, signing him could be like striking gold. The England hopeful is enjoying a stellar season with the Villains, becoming their creative lynchpin and taking the Championship by storm after a long-term injury derailed his earlier progress. Now, having scored 4 goals and assisted 5, the 23-year-old’s stolen the show multiple times with his brilliance.

As Manuel Lanzini struggles to find back his old, majestic form after his horrible injury and Felipe Anderson quite inconsistent, Grealish could be a breath of fresh air. He brings workmanship, creativity, swagger in attack, and considering his rising potential, he can work slowly towards making West Ham’s attack among the best in England.

No one is sure just what will happen to Lanzini after such a long time out of the game, so David Gold and David Sullivan must launch an ambitious move for someone like Grealish, who is valued at £18 million (by Transfermarkt), as he would offer as much of a guarantee of a great No.10 as you can get.

Be it creating clever goals or scoring lethal ones, Grealish does it all. If West Ham truly wants to make that jump forward to take place among heavyweights, they need to get the chequebooks ready to fend off competition and sign the clinical midfielder to unlock their inconsistent attack.

West Ham fans, do you think the Hammers should push for Grealish’ signature? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

Chelsea have a lot of big decisions to make this summer with a transfer ban currently hanging over their heads, while the futures of various players remain uncertain.

And one of those players includes Pedro, who is said to be attracting interest from two Serie A giants.

The Breakdown

The Daily Express reports both AC Milan and Inter Milan are keen on the 31-year-old, though Chelsea could be reluctant to sell due to the sanction handed to them by FIFA.

The Blues, of course, could still end up getting their ban frozen. But even if they cannot, they should still consider selling Pedro in order to give some younger names the chance to impose themselves.

Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic, for example, could easily be Maurizio Sarri’s first-choice wingers next season if Pedro ends up leaving alongside Eden Hazard.

Meanwhile, there is still Willian and other players out on loan and in the youth ranks who could take up cover spots if Sarri is worried about numbers amid the transfer ban.

Perhaps not the most glamorous crop of wide men to some Chelsea supporters, but the Blues have to make something work should Hazard leave and their transfer ban remain in play.

And by moving on Pedro to allow the likes of Hudson-Odoi and Pulisic to get genuine opportunities, they could end up doing just that.

Ultimately, the duo could be the club’s future with their talent, but they will not get the chance to show and prove that until some of the older names in the squad such as Pedro are moved on.

Chelsea fans, should the club keep hold of Pedro? Join the discussion by commenting below.

It has been a frustrating four years for Lucas Joao at Sheffield Wednesday.

The Portuguese forward, who is valued at £1.8 million (by Transfermarkt), joined the club in 2015 from Primeira Liga side Nacional amidst a wave of excitement yet he ultimately failed to deliver in his first season despite making 40 appearances in the Championship. A struggle to adapt to English football saw him score just six times as the Owls were beaten 1-0 in the play-off final by Hull City.

A poor start to the following campaign culminated in Joao being loaned out to Blackburn Rovers in the 2017 January transfer window. Although he would show glimmers of his attacking ability for the Blue and Whites, the 25-year-old was unable to save the club from suffering their first relegation to the third tier in 38 years.

After returning to Hillsborough last season, Joao posted his best total of goals for the club (9) as the Owls finished in an underwhelming position of 15th in the Championship. Despite already matching this haul for the current campaign, it has become clear that the forward may be surplus to requirements in the summer as manager Steve Bruce looks to build his own squad of players.

According to the Sun via HITC, the Owls are looking to offload Joao but will only accept offers in the region of £8m. Whereas some fans would argue that he still has something to offer for the club, when you consider that Bruce has six other strikers to choose from it is clear that he needs to downsize ahead of the 2019/20 season.

With Steven Fletcher top-scoring for Wednesday and Gary Hooper returning to form after a long period spent on the sidelines, it may be time for Joao to leave. A new start for the Portugal international could help revive a career which has unfortunately failed to take-off since he made the move to Yorkshire four years ago.

What do you think Owls fans? Should Bruce sell Joao in the summer? Or does he deserve one final chance to impress at Hillsborough? Get in touch below.