Liverpool midfielder Stefan Bajcetic has reportedly caught the attention of LaLiga powerhouses Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Bajcetic, 18, scored his first Premier League goal in a short substitute appearance against Aston Villa on Boxing Day, and after impressing in a pair of January FA Cup starts, he forced his way into the first team.

He has started their past four Premier League fixtures as well as Tuesday's Champions League Final rematch against Madrid, indicating a rapid rise in the eyes of Jurgen Klopp.

The Spaniard left Celta Vigo in 2020 to head to the Premier League, but his home country could soon come calling to bring him back.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL TEEN CAPTURES IMAGINATION OF EUROPE'S ELITE

According to Fichajes, both Barcelona and Madrid "have been closely following his evolution", and they believe Bajcetic possesses the qualities necessary to perform at the highest level.

Barcelona reportedly view him as "an ideal piece to form a future midfield with Pedri and Gavi", while Madrid would like him to be the successor to ageing veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

His contract ties him to Anfield until 2027, but the Spanish giants could try to test his transfer value as soon as this off-season.

ROUND-UP

– The Daily Mail is reporting Aston Villa will listen to offers for 30-year-old goalkeeper and World Cup hero Emiliano Martinez after the season with the hope that a significant transfer fee could fund a mini-rebuild.

– Leicester City will look to sell James Maddison at the end of the season if they can not convince him to sign a new contract, with Manchester City, Newcastle United and Tottenham named as interested parties, per Football Insider.

– According to The Telegraph, 31-year-old midfielder N'Golo Kante will sign a new contract to remain at Chelsea.

– Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting Inter will look to move on from wing-backs Denzel Dumfries and Robin Gosens at the end of the season, with Dumfries a potential piece in a swap deal for Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku.

– According to the Evening Standard, Saudi Arabian clubs – including Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr – are circling 30-year-old Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha with the belief he would be open to a Middle East move for the right price.

Thomas Tuchel has been out of a job since being sacked by Chelsea in September but could be on the brink of a return to action. 

The German has previously led top European clubs Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and the Blues, whom he took to the 2020-21 Champions League title.

The 49-year-old has been linked with numerous vacant posts in recent months but reportedly turned down two Premier League offers.

TOP STORY – PSG WILLING TO ADMIT TUCHEL ERROR

PSG have grown frustrated with head coach Christophe Galtier and are ready to move to re-appoint Thomas Tuchel, claims the Evening Standard.

The club sacked Tuchel in December 2020 after two and a half years in charge with the best win percentage in Ligue 1 history.

But PSG are reportedly willing to admit their mistake in letting him go as they try to convince Tuchel to return following their recent run of three straight defeats, which was ended by Sunday's 4-3 win over Lille.

The report claims Tuchel would need assurances from the club, but it is the type of role he has been waiting for, joining a top side competing for major trophies.

ROUND-UP

– Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio is being monitored by Tottenham, according to Football Insider. Spurs will need to compete with Arsenal and Manchester United for the 27-year-old, who is out of contract at the end of this season.

– Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are all circling for Borussia Monchengladbach's Marcus Thuram, reports Talksport. The Athletic claims Thuram will exit Gladbach in the off-season as a free agent, with Bayern Munich also interested.

– Relevo reports Bayern are weighing up a move for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos, with head coach Julian Nagelsmann an admirer, although no contact has been made yet.

– ESPN claims Manchester United and teenage sensation Alejandro Garnacho have agreed in principle to a new five-year contract, warding off interest.

– Manchester United will need to fork out €80million (£71m) to land Tammy Abraham from Roma, reports Calciomercatoweb.

– Juventus will move for Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz after this season, claims Calciomercatoweb. Diaz is currently on loan at Milan, but the Rossoneri will not trigger their option to buy him.

Tottenham called for action after "utterly reprehensible online racist abuse" towards Son Heung-min following their 2-0 derby triumph over West Ham.

Son was dropped to the bench for Sunday's visit of West Ham but scored as a second-half substitute after Emerson Royal's opener in a routine win for Spurs on Sunday.

The South Korea international was allegedly subject to online racial abuse after the victory that moved Tottenham into the top four, albeit having played a game more than fifth-placed Newcastle United.

"We have been made aware of the utterly reprehensible online racist abuse directed at Son Heung-min during today's match, which has been reported by the club," a Tottenham statement read.

"We stand with Sonny and once again call on the social media companies and authorities to take action."

It is not the first instance of concerning abuse directed towards 30-year-old Son, who allegedly suffered similar last season against Chelsea.

Football clubs have called for greater action from social media companies to combat such incidents, with Brentford's Ivan Toney and Birmingham City's Troy Deeney subject to racial abuse this month.

Picking the right time to bring Son Heung-min off the bench allowed Tottenham to kill the game off against West Ham, according to stand-in boss Cristian Stellini.

Son was benched for Sunday's 2-0 victory, as Spurs battled through not having Antonio Conte on the touchline to see off their London rivals and move into the top four of the Premier League.

Richarlison was preferred to Son in the starting XI, but after Emerson Royal had given Spurs the lead, the South Korea international came off the bench to slot home a second and boost his side's top-four hopes.

Son has now scored four goals as a substitute in the Premier League this season, twice as many as any other player, despite only making two appearances off the bench.

Deputising for Conte, who is back in Italy recovering from emergency gallbladder surgery earlier this month, Stellini feels choosing the right time to introduce Son helped Spurs to put the game to bed as he punished the space the Hammers left while pursuing an equaliser.

"Son stayed on the bench, the moment was important," Stellini told Sky Sports. "And it was the moment for Son.

"With the space, Son is an amazing player and we try to use him in this way. It was a good idea.

"Son has a goal so we are happy for him. He has to stay calm and produce his best performance.

"At the moment he is not 100 per cent so we have to manage him."

While he was frustrated with starting on the bench, Son understood the decision and was delighted to come on and help his team, saying: "Nobody wants to sit on the bench but it's a decision you to have accept.

"The pass was really good and my first touch helped to make the goal.

"I tried my best to help the team. I got the chance and I was happy to score."

After Stellini took charge of the 1-0 victory over Manchester City, Conte returned from his surgery for the defeats at Leicester City and Milan. However, the former Chelsea boss returned to Italy to recover further having "underestimated the procedure."

Son praised the work Stellini and his fellow coaches had undertaken in Conte's absence, stating: "If he's [Conte] not here, it's really sad. Sometimes we forget football is not the most important thing. We hope that the gaffer is coming as soon as possible.

"The coaching staff did an amazing job and gave us really good confidence and tactics."

Conte still has an influence on proceedings even in his absence, with Stellini explaining: "Conte sent some texts to the bench and they transferred it to me.

"He is good, he is fine and can be involved in the game so that is fine. Sometimes I want to do things and I ask him and he allows me.

"[It is a] big responsibility but with the responsibility, you have to grow a bit.

"I'm happy because I have Ryan Mason with me to help me a lot and all the staff work hard and we push ourselves in another level to try and cover the gap."

Son Heung-min returned to scoring form to help Tottenham claim a 2-0 victory over West Ham, propelling them into the Premier League's top four.

With Antonio Conte back in Italy recovering from emergency gallbladder surgery earlier this month, stand-in head coach Cristian Stellini was again charged with leading Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Stellini made it two wins from two games in temporary charge as substitute Son sealed the points with his first league goal since January 4 after Emerson nosed Spurs ahead in the 56th minute.

West Ham's defeat leaves them in the bottom three while Spurs, who lost heavily to Leicester City last week then went down to Milan in the Champions League, leapfrogged Newcastle United into fourth place.

There were warning signs for Spurs when Jarrod Bowen blasted wide in the opening minute, though a refereeing decision was the main talking point from a sluggish first half.

Eight days on from Tomas Soucek getting away with a similar incident against Chelsea, team-mate Thilo Kehrer was perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty when Richarlison's pass struck his outstretched arm.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Richarlison were denied by Lukasz Fabianski before Cristian Romero headed over, with Spurs keeping up the pressure after the restart when Harry Kane went close.

That pressure told before the hour – Emerson coolly slotting into the bottom left corner after combining with fellow wing-back Ben Davies.

Bowen almost found an immediate response for West Ham but Fraser Forster was equal to his snapshot.

And West Ham's hopes of a comeback were all but dashed when Son, who had lost his place in the starting XI to Richarlison, finished calmly after linking up with Kane.

Marcus Rashford is in talks over an extension on his Manchester United contract, which currently expires in mid-2024.

Rashford has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season, including a run of 14 strikes in 16 games.

Last off-season, United triggered a one-year option to prevent him becoming a free agent in June but interest in Rashford is ramping up amid his hot form.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD PLACE £120M PRICE ON RASHFORD

Manchester United have slapped a bumper £120 million price tag on in-form forward Marcus Rashford to ward off interest, claims The Daily Star.

Rashford, who is in the form of his life, has been the subject of reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Barcelona are also monitoring Rashford according to the report, with United are desperate to retain his services amid talk of a change of ownership at Old Trafford.

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea and Bayern Munich are among the clubs lining up to sign 19-year-old Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini who is valued at €40m according to Football Italia.

– Manchester City are set to reward Nathan Ake with a new contract offer, which represents a 50 per cent pay rise, according to the Daily Star. The Dutchman's weekly wages will rise from £80,000 to £120,000.

– Juventus will rival Liverpool in trying to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount in the off-season, claims CalciomercatoWeb.

– Fichajes reports Tottenham are looking to sign Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger after this season.

– Newcastle United want to bolster their ranks by luring Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, according to Fichajes. Rabiot's contract expires next season.

– Football Insider reports Liverpool are tracking 19-year-old Independiente defender Kevin Mantilla who impressed during the recent Under-20 South American Under-20 Championship with Colombia. The Reds have held preliminary talks with Mantilla.

Son Heung-min is receiving no guarantees regarding his starting role at Tottenham amid a disappointing campaign on an individual level.

The South Korea star was one of the Premier League's standout players last season, sharing the Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah after scoring 23 times.

But in the 2022-23 season Son has netted just four in 21 league appearances, meaning he looks likely to fall short of 10 top-flight goals for the first time since his debut campaign in England (2015-16, four goals).

Son's per-90-minute averages of 0.2 goals, 0.26 expected goals, 1.0 open-play chances created and 0.36 goal involvements this season are all new lows for him in the Premier League.

Tottenham's lack of options in attack has perhaps contributed to Son keeping his place, but with the fit-again Richarlison pushing for a first start since before the World Cup after returning to action last month, the former Bayer Leverkusen man might find himself benched soon.

Certainly, Stellini – who is standing in for Antonio Conte again after he was ordered to return home to recover from surgery – does not appear to be offering Son any assurances over his place in the team.

"Every time when you pick the team, you have to leave someone on the bench, and normally it is not important the player you have to maybe leave on the bench, it is about the team that has to play," Stellini told reporters ahead of Sunday's visit of West Ham.

"It is important also that some important players stay on the bench for their effort when they come in. This is very important.

"We have experience with Sonny; we have experience with Richarlison; we have experienced with [Dejan] Kulusevski from the bench, they change the game.

"This is normal and it is normal for everyone, not because you have an important player he has to play compulsory.

"If he needs to play sometimes, also he needs to rest because we have a tough fixture [list]. We have a tough moment and we play many times. Sometimes you have to change the player and also to perform better."

Richarlison has made four substitute appearances since recovering from the hamstring injury he sustained in Qatar.

Stellini is "absolutely" convinced the Brazilian is now 100 per cent fit, hinting he sees him as a viable weapon as Spurs look to further their cause for a top-four spot.

Asked if he was looking for a way to fit Richarlison into the side, Stellini said: "Yes, this is our expectation for Richy.

"We were very unlucky with him because [of the injury] in the World Cup. We've missed Richy now for a long time. We missed Richy.

"In the best moment we had him at the start of the season, he was a player who changed our game.

"He changed the pace of the game during the game and when he started. He scored two goals in the Champions League and that was important.

"We've lost him sometimes and we have to accept it and work to have him back at the top, and his performance now I think could be good."

Tottenham's stand-in boss Cristian Stellini said Antonio Conte feels he underestimated the seriousness of his gallbladder surgery. 

Conte had the organ removed at the start of February after experiencing severe abdominal pain and took a short break from Spurs to begin his recovery.

The Italian returned to duties on the training pitch last week before the 4-1 defeat to Leicester City in the Premier League and then oversaw a Champions League defeat to Milan at San Siro.

However, Conte has since had his recovery progress checked out, and it was decided he will need more time away from frontline work.

Stellini will take charge for Sunday's home clash with West Ham, and asked if Conte might need an extended break, he told reporters: "Health is more important than football and this is the reason why the club, Antonio and the doctors decide to take this responsibility and leave Antonio in Italy after the last game.

"We don't know the time. He needs to rest. The doctor thinks about the timing and they have an idea but it is really a feeling from Antonio.

"[The doctor] explained very well that surgery was not an easy surgery. It was an emergency surgery. The inflammation was big and maybe they underestimated this situation. He needs time to be 100 per cent and Antonio not at 100 per cent is not Antonio.

"That creates stress and overstress and this is dangerous after a surgery like that.

"We have a call every day, many times in a day, probably three times per day, but he wants to come back."

Quizzed on the level of authority he has while in temporary charge, Stellini replied: "I have the same authority before he came back but since the moment he came back, Antonio's feeling was that maybe he underestimated the procedure after the surgery.

"Coming close to the [Leicester] game, the stress, the tension he had before the game created some problems. When they checked with the doctor, with the club, they spoke for a long time about this and the decision was this.

"He needs to take it easy again. He will come back soon."

On the pitch, Stellini – who oversaw a 1-0 win over Manchester City earlier this month – is looking for a reaction after the successive defeats.

"I want to see the reaction from the start," he said. "The first minute will be very important for us because we have to show the desire to play the best game we can."

Spurs were dealt another blow this week, with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur ruled out for the rest of the season due to an ACL injury.

A man has been banned from attending football matches for four years after pleading guilty to assaulting Aaron Ramsdale at last month's north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. 

Arsenal goalkeeper Ramsdale was kicked in the back by a home supporter following Arsenal's 2-0 Premier League win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on January 15.

Joseph Watts, a 35-year-old man from east London, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Friday, pleading guilty to assault by beating.

As well as his lengthy ban from attending football matches, Watts has been ordered to pay Ramsdale £100 in compensation and has been given a community order.

Watts was seen climbing onto the advertising hoardings before kicking Ramsdale and turning back into the stands as the goalkeeper collected his belongings from behind the goal following a heated discussion with Spurs forward Richarlison.

The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) described the incident as "unacceptable", while Tottenham said they were "appalled" by Watts' actions.

Tottenham are in need of a lift following back-to-back defeats, and history would suggest it might come at the expense of West Ham in the absence of Antonio Conte.

Head coach Conte made a swift return to the touchline last weekend following gallbladder surgery and watched his side suffer a 4-1 Premier League defeat at Leicester City.

The Italian then oversaw a 1-0 Champions League defeat at Milan on Tuesday, but he has remained on his homeland in order to take time to make a full recovery from his operation.

Cristian Stellini will once again step up to take charge of Tottenham for the foreseeable future, and Conte's assistant's first task is to mastermind a home derby victory over West Ham this weekend.

Stats Perform previews the clash between the London rivals by picking out the standout Opta data.

Five-in-a-row frustration for Hammers

West Ham have lost five consecutive away London derbies since beating Crystal Palace 3-2 on New Year's Day in 2022.

That is their longest such run since a streak of six defeats on the bounce between April 2009 and October 2010.

David Moyes' men draw 1-1 at home to Spurs in August but only once in the past eight seasons have they avoided defeat in both Premier League meetings with Spurs – that being in the 2020-21 campaign.

More home comforts for Spurs?

While Tottenham are smarting from back-to-back losses in all competitions, they beat Premier League leaders Manchester City 1-0 in their last home game.

Although they lost 2-0 in their own backyard to fierce rivals Arsenal in their last London derby, they were unbeaten in five encounters with fellow capital clubs at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before that painful setback.

Not since November 2004 have Spurs lost consecutive home London derbies,

Antonio to torment Tottenham again?

Michail Antonio should be licking his lips at the prospect of facing Tottenham.

The striker has scored in four of the Hammers' past five wins over Spurs, including the only goal of the game in three of those contests.

No player has ever scored in four 1-0 victories against the same opponent in Premier League history.

Hammers can snuff out Spurs set-piece threat

No side have scored from more corners in the Premier League this season than Tottenham's 11.

They might be hard pressed to bring up a dozen this weekend, though, as West Ham have not conceded from a corner this term.

If they are to turn the corner this weekend and get their bid for a top-four finish back on track, Spurs may have to be more creative in open play after firing a blank at San Siro.

Former Juventus, Athletic Bilbao and Spain striker Fernando Llorente has retired from football at the age of 37.

Llorente – who has been without a club since the end of last season – made the announcement to Movistar Plus, confirming the end of an 18-year senior career.

When asked about continuing to play football, he replied "No" and suggested he will instead "keep fit by playing padel."

Llorente began his career with Athletic, where he played for nine seasons for the first team, scoring 84 goals in 262 LaLiga games.

He then earned a move to Serie A giants Juventus, where he scored 16 in 34 league games in his first season, though was unable to repeat that form before he left on a free transfer back to Spain with Sevilla in 2015.

After one season at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, where he scored just four goals in 23 LaLiga appearances but won the Europa League, Llorente moved to the Premier League with Swansea City.

He netted 15 league goals in 33 games for the Swans before signing for Tottenham after an impressive year in Wales.

Llorente struggled for game time at Spurs, though, with Harry Kane the established striker at the club.

Nevertheless, he did play a key role in their run to the 2019 Champions League final, scoring the goal that put Spurs through to the semi-finals at the expense of Manchester City.

Llorente was unable to get back to his previous best in spells at Napoli or Udinese, before playing what turned out to be his final season back in Spain with Eibar in the Segunda Division.

He won three Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia crowns and a Europa League during his club career. Llorente was also part of the Spain squads that won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, earning 24 caps for his country in all, scoring seven goals.

Antonio Conte has acknowledged he underestimated the seriousness of "sudden and serious emergency" that he faced after the Tottenham boss decided to take a break until he has fully recovered.

Italian Conte underwent gallbladder surgery at the start of this month, having suffered severe abdominal pain.

The Spurs head coach was back on the touchline for a 4-1 Premier League defeat at Leicester City last weekend before overseeing a 1-0 defeat at Milan in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie on Tuesday.

Tottenham on Thursday revealed the 53-year-old has remained in Italy at his family home to recuperate and Cristian Stellini will once again take charge of the first team in his absence.

Conte knows he returned too soon and knows he must take time out after a routine post-operation check in his homeland this week.

He wrote on an Instagram story: "My great sense of responsibility towards the club, the players the staff and the fans brought me to anticipate my comeback. Sadly I underestimated the procedure, which wasn't a routine operation but a sudden and serious emergency.

"My body has suffered [for] my impatience and now I am forced to stop until my entire recovery.

"Those who know me understand what a burden this is for me, but it is necessary. Come on you Spurs."

Tottenham said in a statement: "Following a routine post-operation check in Italy yesterday, Antonio Conte will remain at his family home to further and fully recover from his recent gallbladder surgery.

"Health is the most important consideration and everyone at the club wishes him well. Cristian Stellini will assume first-team responsibility."

Fifth-placed Tottenham will attempt to get back on track when they face West Ham at home in a London derby on Sunday.

Antonio Conte is taking a fresh break from his Tottenham duties to continue his recovery from gallbladder surgery.

The head coach had the organ removed at the start of the month after experiencing severe abdominal pain and took a short break from Spurs to begin his recovery.

Conte returned to duties on the training pitch last week before the 4-1 defeat to Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday.

He then also took charge for the 1-0 loss to Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.

However, Conte has since had his recovery progress checked out, and it has been decided he will need more time away from frontline work.

Tottenham said in a statement on Thursday: "Following a routine post-operation check in Italy yesterday, Antonio Conte will remain at his family home to further and fully recover from his recent gallbladder surgery.

"Health is the most important consideration and everyone at the club wishes him well. Cristian Stellini will assume first-team responsibility."

Stellini is Conte's assistant and led the team for their 1-0 win over Manchester City on February 5, while Conte was at home in Turin.

Tottenham have two Premier League home games coming up on successive Sundays, facing West Ham this weekend and Chelsea seven days later.

They then travel to Sheffield United in the FA Cup and to Wolves in the Premier League, before Milan head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the second leg of their last-16 European tie on March 8.

Conte's team sit fifth in the Premier League, two points behind a fourth-placed Newcastle United side who have a game in hand.

Neymar is contracted with Paris Saint-Germain until 2025 but the French champions have reportedly transfer listed him.

The Brazilian forward is on a hefty wage, believed to be around €36 million per year.

Neymar has netted 12 goals in 19 Ligue 1 games this season, adding another five goals in nine appearances in other competitions.

TOP STORY – MEETING HELD AS CHELSEA'S NEYMAR INTEREST DEVELOPS

Le Parisien reports Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has met with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi about a transfer for Neymar.

The report claims the meeting was held in Paris, discussing the conditions around a potential transfer in the next transfer window.

It is claimed that a fee of around €60 million (£53m) has been discussed, although Neymar's significant wages may be a stumbling block to overcome.

ROUND-UP

– Inter defender Denzel Dumfries is set to be the subject of off-season bids from both Arsenal and Manchester United, claims Fichajes. The Premier League duo both see an opportunity to sign the Dutchman below market value.

– Fabrizio Romano reports Barcelona have agreed to sign Mexican right-back Julian Araujo from MLS club LA Galaxy. The deal is worth €4 million, with a contract to be signed up until 2026.

– Sport Bild claims Bayern Munich are monitoring the status of Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, with consideration being put to a bid prior to the next transfer window. Arsenal are also keep tabs on Rashford's situation, according to Football Insider.

– Bild also reports Bayern are still keen on Tottenham forward Harry Kane but will not be drawn into a bidding war for his services, with Manchester United in the hunt too.

– Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants the club to sign Real Sociedad's 24-year-old midfielder Martin Zubimendi, reports Sport.

– Liverpool have held preliminary talks for Torino defender Perr Schuurs, claims Tuttosport.

Thierry Henry believes Harry Kane would have been a better fit at Manchester City than Erling Haaland.

Norway striker Haaland has scored a phenomenal 31 goals in 29 games since joining from Borussia Dortmund, including 25 in 21 Premier League games.

But some pundits have suggested the total sum of City's parts is weaker than in previous seasons due to Haaland's arrival, with Pep Guardiola's side having trailed leaders Arsenal for most of the campaign.

Tottenham striker Kane, Haaland's nearest rival in the Golden Boot race with 17, was previously linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium but a move failed to materialise before the 2021-22 campaign.

Arsenal great Henry, speaking as a pundit on CBS, believes Kane's all-round game would have been a better fit for Pep Guardiola's system than Haaland.

When asked if he would prefer Kane in his side over the prolific Haaland, Henry said: "I would say that if I had to build a team to win. 

"For example, I thought Man City were going to go for Harry Kane. We all know they wanted him but I thought they were going to come back in.

"I thought he is the typical striker for city. I think it would've been better.

"He became complete, he became an all-around player and this is what I like about him.

"We all know what he can do and all know what he can do in the box, but what he does outside of the box now for his team this is something that I have to respect massively. He became for me, over the last two, three years, a complete striker."

Henry believes the arrival of Haaland has made City easier to play against because teams know the gameplan will be to hit their star striker early.

"We all know when Kevin De Bruyne has the ball he can find him," he added.

"There was one piece of advice that Arsene Wenger gave me that stayed with me, he said: 'What can you do when your team is not feeding you?'

"I think he did stop what they were about. They had a certain way of playing. I think they are more predictable."

City face Arsenal in a mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, with the Gunners three points clear having played a game less.