Chris Sutton and Alistair Bruce-Ball took calls from fans and discussed various topics on BBC’s 5 Live 606 podcast, including the current Liverpool team and how they measure up against some of Premier League’s best.

Following Jurgen Klopp’s 3-0 defeat to Watford, an Arsenal fan called the podcast to gloat and was saying that this Liverpool side is not as strong as their famous Invincibles side following their loss to Watford, depriving them of the chance to match that incredible haul.

Still, Sutton was having none of it, showering the Reds with praise and stating that they are even better than Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles from back in the day.

Here’s what he said on BBC’s 5 Live 606 podcast (29/2/2020): “This Liverpool team this season is far better than the Invincibles. Let’s get it right. They’ve been sensational. This is the most one-sided race ever in the Premier League.”

Making such a claim is surely a brave thing to do for Sutton but it’s also really difficult to say anything against the machine Klopp has managed to assemble at Anfield. Frankly, this defeat to Watford, as big and as surprising as it may be, doesn’t really mean much in the grand scheme of things. Indeed, Liverpool are still on course for the Premier League crown in an incredibly dominant fashion, invincible or not.

And even with that defeat under their belts, this season has been nothing short of sensational and successful for them, given they could win more than one trophy in a season – something that Gunners outfit failed to do.

Liverpool fans, do you think this team edges out the Invincibles? Do you agree with Sutton’s verdict on your squad? Let us know in the comments down below!

Jonathan David has set the Belgian Jupiler League alight so far this season.

The Canada international has scored 18 goals and provided eight assists in Belgium’s top flight.

That sees him joint-top of the goal scoring charts, sharing first spot with former Norwich City striker Dieumerci Mbokani.

He is already a star for his country, as well, having managed 11 goals in 12 caps. Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, who starred in the Bavarian outfit’s 3-0 win over Chelsea in the Champions League, is not the only one of the Canucks to be making waves in Europe.

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His form has seen him attract interest from none other than Manchester United. According to The Daily Mail, they are currently scouting the 20-year-old, with Arsenal, Leicester City and Everton also all linked with the Gent ace.

January saw one attacking player arrive at Old Trafford in the form of Bruno Fernandes, but there is certainly room for another attacking midfielder in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad, primarily due to Jesse Lingard’s troubles.

The 27-year-old’s stock was relatively high after he had scored eight goals and provided six assists in the Premier League two seasons ago – he even started five of England’s seven World Cup matches as they made the semi-finals – but a lot has changed since then.

Off-the-field incidents have not helped the former Birmingham City loanee, and he has failed to register a single goal or assist in the top flight this season.

There is a significant gulf in quality between the Jupiler League and the Premier League, though, which means it makes more sense in comparing the duo’s respective performances and stats from the Europa League.

Still, even in that competition, it is the Canadian who leads the way.

Neither has managed an assist, but David has the more goals with three compared to the England international’s one. The former has, in all fairness, started more than twice as many games, but Lingard has appeared in six clashes himself, with them both averaging 1.4 shots per match. The Gent man, clearly, is more clinical in front of the target.

Both attacking midfielders, David leads the way in every single relevant department, other than key passes – they both average 0.9 per match. He comes out on top in terms of successful dribbles – he has completed 62% compared to 50% – whilst he has won 50% of his duels compared to Lingard’s 41%.

In the fouls won department, as well, it is the younger of the two who comes out on top, having earned 2.9 free-kicks per match compared to 0.9.

All of this makes bad reading for Lingard.

The Warrington-born man has long been lambasted by portions of his own fanbase and his struggle in recent seasons suggests that he is lacking the necessary level of quality to justify his place at one of world football’s most successful clubs.

Even at the age of just 27, Lingard’s best days may already be behind him and David would be a suitable upgrade for the Red Devils to sign in the summer.

When Ryan Sessegnon arrived from Fulham last summer for a fee in the region of £25m, there were no doubt big hopes for what the England U21 international could go on to achieve at Tottenham.

However, his first few months in north London have been disappointing to say the least, making just 11 appearances across all competitions and scoring just one goal. Injuries have of course played their part, but it is surely a sense of frustration that the 19-year-old hasn’t had too much time on the pitch.

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And a potential swoop for Bournemouth’s Ryan Fraser would do little to help that. According to 90min, Spurs are one of a number of Premier League sides who are all monitoring the Scotland international’s situation with the Cherries – the winger’s current contract with Eddie Howe’s side runs out at the end of the campaign, and would therefore be able to leave on a free transfer.

Fraser’s arrival would further drop Sessegnon down the pecking order in north London, and it’s a position that is already relatively well-stocked as it is. Jose Mourinho can call upon the likes of Heung-min Son, Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura, amongst others, to play out on the left-hand side, so the 19-year-old would find it even more difficult to break into the starting line-up on a regular basis.

And Fraser’s stats this season point to a player who may be a bit of a one-season wonder. Last year, the Scotland ace netted seven goals and provided 14 assists in the Premier League, but this campaign has seen his numbers drop off dramatically. He has found the back of the net just once in the top-flight, whilst his assists total lies at a measly four.

Rather than bringing in a player who hasn’t consistently delivered in the top-flight, and would further stunt Sessegnon’s career progress, Mourinho would do well to swerve a move for Fraser this summer. Placing his faith in a starlet already at the club, and giving him the chance to shine would be the much smarter move to make.

Meanwhile, Tottenham goalkeeper Michel Vorm’s howler is a mistake down to Daniel Levy and Jose Mourinho.

Crystal Palace are showing an interest in signing Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi, as reported by The Express.

They enquired about signing the Belgian during the January transfer window, but were quoted £45m by the Premier League high-flyers.

Batshuayi has been a sporadic figure at Stamford Bridge, making just five starts and 19 substitute appearances across the campaign this term, scoring six goals, and may be allowed to leave, especially as he will only have one year left on his contract by the time the summer comes around.

With this in mind, FFC writers have given their verdict about whether the Eagles should make the move for the Belgian.

Viji Jeevathayalan

“Having struck six times in 13 games during his initial period at Selhurst Park, Batshuayi will know all about playing for Crystal Palace. And more importantly, Roy Hodgson will know first-hand what he can bring to the table. Effectively, it takes away some of the risk value with making a big-money move for him, as the Eagles have already seen what he can do for them.

“Giving him a consistent run in the first-team week-in and week-out can bring the best out of Batshuayi – just look at his record at Marseille where he scored 33 goals in 78 games. All he needs is an opportunity, and for a manager to place his trust in him. Hodgson has shown him before that he could be that man for him. Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman must not hesitate in attempting to lure the Belgian back to Selhurst Park.”

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Lewis Blain

“Just how many more chances is Batshuayi going to get in the Premier League? He may have had a successful period at Palace last year, but he’s clearly failed to act upon that and stake a claim under Frank Lampard for Chelsea. The striker position was there for the taking in the summer, and when he’s been given an opportunity to prove his credentials, he has failed his manager.

“Per Transfermarkt, the Belgian has bagged just one goal in the top-flight and that came back in October. There’s nothing to suggest that he’d come back to Selhurst Park and pick up where he left off. Steve Parish would be making a grave mistake in signing the 26-year-old. Talk about cats having nine lives – Batshuayi is just not up to the physical standard that the PL demands.”

Did he really play for us?! No Palace fan has managed to name all of these obscure Eagles signings….

Billy Meyers

“I think Crystal Palace should try to avoid a romantic reunion with Michy Batshuayi. For all the good work that he did while on loan at Selhurst Park – he scored five goals in nine Premier League starts, and also netted in the FA Cup quarter-finals – he quite simply isn’t what the Eagles need right now. 

“Roy Hodgson has an ageing Crystal Palace squad on his hands right now, and younger players than 26-year-old Batshuayi need to be targeted. While that may not seem too old, the Eagles have only handed Premier League appearances to three players under the age of 26 this term – Brandon Pierrick, Jairo Riedewald and Max Meyer. 

“The squad is only going to get older, so the money that would be spent on the Belgium international must instead be invested in an overhaul – players such as 33-year-old Vicente Guaita, 34-year-old Gary Cahill and 30-year-old Joel Ward must be handed youthful competition this summer. 

“In that respect, as good a finisher as Batshuayi is, Palace need to move on.”

Danny Lewis

“Only Norwich City and Newcastle United have scored fewer Premier League goals than Palace this season, so they could use someone who is prolific in the opposition box. He may not have had many games, but Batshuayi has shown how effective he can be, scoring the winner against Ajax in the Champions League, as well as the opener in a 2-1 FA Cup win against Hull City.

“Therefore, Palace should definitely be making a move for the Belgian, especially if the quoted price from January is reduced by Chelsea.”

Meanwhile, Palace fans are demanding one player is used by their national team.

Leeds United were very close to landing teenage sensation Erling Braut Haaland before he opted to sign for Austrian outfit RB Salzburg instead, it has been revealed.

What’s been said?

In a parallel universe, Alf-Inge’s son could have been replicating the feat of playing for the west Yorkshire side in the Premier League, but instead, he’s living it up at Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

The 19-year-old was born in Leeds just after his father’s three-year spell at the club and just as he departed for Manchester City.

Key figures at Elland Road tried to spark a reunion whilst the striking sensation was still at Molde, but Haaland went with the Austrian champions instead with them offering wages way beyond what Leeds could offer.

Phil Hay wrote the following passage in The Athletic’s latest piece on the rising star, he said:

Huge near miss

The striker conundrum, not one that Bielsa particularly sees as a dilemma, but rather from the fans’ perspective is an interesting dynamic at the Championship leaders.

They have often torn apart 13-goal talisman Patrick Bamford for being a “fraud” though that hasn’t stopped the Argentine commander from putting unwavering faith in him as he’s started all but one league game this term.

Eddie Nketiah didn’t last long as his second-string while Jean-Kevin Augustin has only had three short attempts at being his backup since joining from Red Bull’s other club, Leipzig.

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Oh, how it could have been ever so much different for those baying Leeds fans. It could have even been a different dynamic on where the Yorkshiremen find themselves, considering they’ve been out of the top-flight for 16 years now.

Might Haaland have proved to be the difference last – or even this – season?

Leeds were evidently on the cusp of securing a pure gem of a player before Salzburg snatched him from their grasp – they were even prepared to pay the teenager a wage that was only bettered by the likes of Pontus Jansson and Samuel Saiz.

Call yourself a Leeds expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?

The Norway hotshot has gone on to find the net 40 times in just 33 appearances so far this campaign.

If only that was in the white colours of Leeds.

And in other Leeds news, fans react to Stuart Dallas’ STRONG twitter message…

Manchester City star Sergio Aguero is immortalised in the club’s history books having established himself as the club’s all-time top goal scorer.

The diminutive Argentine announced himself to the supporters in a manner that suggested something special was in the making.

He came off the substitutes bench to make his debut in a home fixture against Swansea City on the opening day of the 2011/12 Premier League season, scoring two goals and providing an assist in a breathtaking 31 minute cameo.

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Two away day victories at Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur followed before Aguero was handed his first start at the Etihad Stadium against Wigan Athletic.

And if his debut hadn’t already set the tone, then what happened next marked the birth of a future legendary striker in the English game.

Named alongside Carlos Tevez in attack, Aguero scored his first hat-trick for the club in a comprehensive victory for the title-chasing hosts.

A video showcasing all three of his goals can be seen below.

What becomes immediately apparent, particularly for the third goal, is David Silva’s input.

El Mago provides two of the assists on the day and the mesmerising footwork which precedes his through ball to Aguero for the third is simply a thing of beauty.

And the contribution from Silva, rather intriguingly, marked the beginning of the most potent partnership Aguero has forged during his esteemed career.

According to Transfermarkt, Aguero and Silva have combined to goal scoring effect on 44 occasions, with Diego Forlan a close second having achieved 39 joint goal participations.

The Spanish wizard has provided his Argentinian teammate with an assist 35 times in the 275 games they’ve played alongside one another.

Perhaps supporters could sense the emergence of something special during the comfortable 3-0 win over Wigan, but even the most optimistic of minds may have doubted whether a striker of Aguero’s pedigree would stick around for as long as he has.

Stick around Aguero has, though, and now he and Silva can look back on his first hat-trick as the beginning of an incredible journey they have been on together.

According to an exclusive report by Italian media outlet AreaNapoli, Tottenham Hotspur are ‘strong’ on Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard.

The crux of the report is actually about the interest in Napoli centre-forward Arkadiusz Milik by Spurs’ Premier League rivals Everton, before it goes on to say that the Toffees and the north London outfit are also both interested in the Scottish Premiership star.

Indeed, it is no surprise that he is receiving admiring glances from elsewhere given he has scored 60 goals in 126 games for Celtic, and at 22 years of age looks to have a high ceiling to improve and get even better in a top European league.

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Tottenham certainly need another striker option given they only have Harry Kane and Troy Parrott available, with Jose Mourinho clearly not ready to trust in the latter given he has barely featured at all in the absence of the injured England captain since the start of January.

Here, FFC writers give their verdict on whether Edouard would be a good addition…

Ben Goodwin

“There is absolutely no question Edouard is good enough to play deputy to Kane and even displace him depending on form and fitness.

“The French starlet is an end product machine, racking up 46 goals and assists in 45 appearances this season. What is even more impressive for a striker is that 19 of those 46 are assists, so he could replace Christian Eriksen’s creativity.

“If fans are concerned about the standard of the Scottish Premier League they shouldn’t be, as he has dominated Europe this season, grabbing four goal involvements in five Champions League games and seven in eight Europa League showings.

“At 22 years of age with no injury issues to report, Edouard could genuinely be Kane’s successor.”

Lewis Blain

“The potential arrival of Odsonne Eduoard would be bad news for Parrott with the teenage sensation barely getting a look-in as it is, but ultimately, it is a move that Jose Mourinho just has to make.

“Celtic’s leading talisman would become the perfect foil for Kane, and let’s be honest, he needs some kind of support having carried the weight of Spurs on his back for quite some time. As soon as the Englishman got injured this season, their season turned sour – knocked out of all cup competitions and some seven points adrift of the top four.

“27 goals in 46 appearances this campaign is an impressive tally and despite plying his trade in Scotland, he’s managed to look just as impressive in UCL qualification as well as in the Europa League. Spurs fans can forget Parrott, Eduoard is the long-term heir to Kane’s golden throne.

“It would be an absurd decision from Levy to avoid landing him.”

James Beavis

“There is no doubt that Edouard has proven that he is a good player during his time at Celtic, but I think Tottenham need to buy a player more established and experienced if they are going to get a new striker this summer.

“Asking the 22-year-old to step in for a large Harry Kane absence – like the one that is currently ongoing following his serious hamstring injury suffered on January 1 – would be a risk, given he has only scored goals regularly in Scotland.

“Spurs would be much better off going for another older player like Fernando Llorente, who won’t moan about a lack of game time and can be relied on to step in and do a job when needed.

“Who’s to say that Edouard would be happy to sit on the substitutes’ bench for a prolonged period of time anyway? He could easily get unhappy very quickly.

“Tottenham should look elsewhere.”

In other Tottenham news, Tanguy Ndombele has responded when asked whether he prefers PSG or Barcelona, amid recent exit links…

Somerset may not have enjoyed the best of seasons on the field but membership of the Junior Sabres section of the Club is running at an all time high.The 2002 figures of the membership category that includes all youngsters up to the age of twenty one shows that this season 827 young people joined the club, an increase of nearly one hundred on 2001.Membership secretary Jo Arnold told me: " Over the last five years the junior membership has almost doubled which is a very healthy sign for the future of the club, and means that all the hard work of trying to attract youngsters to join the club is paying off. It really is very encouraging."This season has seen the introduction of `Stumpy’ the friendly dragon mascot who made his first appearance at the County Ground in May.Stumpy has become a very popular addition to the Junior Sabres scene, and has achieved something of a cult following, to the point that a song entitled `Here comes Stumpy’ has been recorded by a local band.After his strenuous summer Stumpy is taking a well earned rest, but Jo Arnold is planning to keep him very much in Junior Sabres minds during the closed season.With Christmas approaching Jo is asking all Junior Sabre members to send in their designs for a Stumpy Christmas card and she is also hoping to produce a 2003 Stumpy Calendar and Stumpy mug, all of which will make ideal Christmas presents.Jo Arnold is already setting her sights on next season. She told me: "What I would really like to see next season is for the Junior Sabres to top the 1000 mark," and judging by the amount of interest that there has already been this is more than possible.

Liverpool are certainly enjoying their glory days at the moment, having already won their sixth European title and scooping both the Club World Cup and Super Cup this season.

With their first ever Premier League win also on the horizon, it’s hard to imagine a time when the Reds weren’t cruising. But Liverpool have had a lot to fume about over the years; here are just three moments that really stirred the pot.

Philippe Coutinho’s ‘back injury’

Not long after signing a new five-year deal with the club, Coutinho was heavily linked to his dream move to Barcelona and eventually put in a transfer request. Of course, everyone knows how that story ended, and some Liverpool fans still haven’t forgiven him – but it’s the build-up of events that stung the worst.

The Brazilian was out of action for the Reds following an apparent back injury he had sustained ‘due to stress’. However, the sympathy from fans soon turned into hostility after Coutinho netted a goal for his country against Ecuador in the World Cup qualifiers.

Apparently never injured at all, the 27-year-old went on to complete the move to La Liga shortly after. His actions leading up to his departure still leaves an extremely sour taste in the mouths of Liverpool fans.

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Steven Gerrard’s transfer request

Despite devoting 17 years of his career to Anfield and leading his side to one of the club’s most historic ever wins in the 2005 Champions League, fans still can’t forgive Gerrard’s Chelsea temptation.

It was during a dark time in the Scouser’s career and Liverpool simply weren’t performing well enough in the league. After Chelsea showed interest, Gerrard handed in a transfer request just weeks after that night in Istanbul and the red half of Merseyside went into turmoil. Photos of shirt burning filled the media as Kopites prepared to see the back of their captain.

Of course, it all had a happy ending, but it was perhaps one of the most outrageous events in the club’s timeline.

Mamadou Sakho and Christian Benteke celebrate

One moment that really ruffled the feathers of the Liverpool fans was following recently departed Benteke’s goal against his former side in 2017. The Belgian’s goal secured an equaliser against the Reds which he relished in front of the Crystal Palace fans.

Sakho was on loan with the Eagles at the time prior to his permanent move and made the mistake of joining Benteke in his celebrations by performing a handshake on the touchline. Naturally, Liverpool fans hit the roof over the disrespect to the club he was still legally tied to.

Despite his apologies since the incident, Reds fans haven’t forgiven him over his complete lack of regard and professionalism.

Michael Vaughan, the former England captain, believes Alastair Cook’s wealth of experience at international level gives him a head start after taking over the Test captaincy from Andrew Strauss who retired from professional cricket on Wednesday.Cook, who has been England’s one-day captain since last year, will take charge for the first time on the tour of India which starts in October and already has 83 Tests to his name.”He is unquestionably England’s most experienced leader to have got the job,” Vaughan told ESPNcricinfo . “He has played 83 Test matches for England. When I got the job I had played 31, Straussy had got the job when he played 50, Nasser Hussain got the job when he had played 47. Even if Cook is still a young boy he is the most experienced guy to ever have taken the role. So he should be in a great position to lead the team.”Strauss’ retirement was the latest instalment of a difficult year for England who are also having to deal with the ongoing Kevin Pietersen stand-off. The Test side has lost six of 11 matches this year to concede the No. 1 ranking to South Africa cumulating in the recent 2-0 series loss to them. However, Vaughan said the basis of English cricket remained solid and there was no need for Cook to press the panic button.According to Vaughan, who was handed the captaincy in 2003, after Nasser Hussain called time on the role after the first Test against South Africa at Edgbaston, most captains assume the captaincy job in equally “tricky” situations. Vaughan led England for five years, starting with the onerous task of phasing out some of his senior team-mates to allow the “new generation” help him reach his goal.”Whenever you get the job you never get in a great circumstance,” he said while promoting the Extreme Sailing Series in Cardiff. “I got the role when there were a lot of senior players around and clearly that transition of bringing in new players has to happen.”So I had to kind of oversee how we were going to rid of the legendary or senior guys who had performed well for England for a number of years and bring a new generation and change the mentality of the team. We had lost to Australia for many, many series. I had to change the mentality of beating the great Australian side. That was my role.”

Who is the right partner for Cook?

The right man to occupy the vacant opening slot left behind by Strauss should be a specialist opener according to Michael Vaughan instead of a middle-order player being moved up.

There has been discussion that one of Jonathan Trott, the current No. 3, or Ian Bell should go alongside Cook. Such a move, Vaughan cautioned, could be counter-productive. “I have heard rumours about Trott or even Bell to move up and open the batting,” he said. “I would advise them to pick an opening batsman, who has done it from an early age. The best openers in the game historically come from people who have done all their lives. Cook and Strauss did that as little boys.”

Another reason Vaughan felt the move could backfire was because an opening batsman generally was more adept at moving down order whereas a middle-order batsman can struggle to settle against the new ball.

“You can go from opening to No.3, but, I am not so sure you can move in time from middle order to open. It is a very specialist position so I would advise them to pick who they feel is the best opening batsman to go with Cook and leave the experience in the middle order. So Trott and Bell, we need those kind of players in the middle of the innings particularly in the parts of the world like India.”

Similarly, it was a difficult time when Strauss took over in the midst of the Pietersen-Peter Moores dispute in 2009. Despite such incidents, Vaughan stressed, England have always held the advantage of having a ready back-up in place. “When Straussy got the role there was a fall-out between Pietersen and Peter Moores, but there was a still a good element of players around. There has been a system for a while now, what I describe as a conveyor belt where England would keep producing players.”And now Cook gets the role again in a tricky circumstance: England have lost six in their last eleven Tests, the Pietersen situation, how does he manage that, only he knows best how to manage that. It is actually good because you can start from afresh and move forward.”Paying tribute to Strauss, Vaughan called him a “good captain,” someone who would always fall in the bracket of the best men to lead England this generation. Equally impressive for Vaughan was the timing of Strauss’ retirement.”The respect side was always there,” Vaughan said. “The way he dealt with people was outstanding. The way he dealt with media was outstanding. And he has won games for England and managed to score runs as a captain. He is right up there with the captains of last 20 years. Andrew Strauss would be in that group that got mentioned quite often. He has done a good job and he has gone out at the right time.”It was Vaughan the captain who handed Strauss his Test cap on debut against New Zealand at Lord’s. A decade later Strauss finished an illustrious career standing next to Vaughan among the most successful Test captains for England. Vaughan had 26 wins alongside 11 losses during his 51-match tenure while Strauss had 24 wins and 11 losses in the 50 Tests at the helm. Yet, according to Vaughan, neither man was destined to be a leader.”I certainly did not think on my debut I would captain England, never mind going on to lead England 51 times and win 26 of those Tests,” Vaughan said. ” I never even expected that. And I never expected Andrew Strauss to have 50 Tests as captain when I gave him the Test cap. When I retired in 2008 Kevin Pietersen got the role and I did not see an opportunity for Strauss to get the job. But it came out of circumstance.”Vaughan called Strauss selfless, a modern leader. “He is very self-deprecating, always looked out for others and the team before himself. That is what makes a good leader in this era, someone who really looks at the rest before he looks at himself. That is really good.”On the August 30, Michael Vaughan is making his way down to Cardiff for the Extreme Sailing Series, Extreme 40 Catamaran race weekend. Raced by many of the world’s best sailors, including Ian Williams the skipper of the GAC Pindar team and three tims World Match Racing Tour champion, the race will take place on Cardiff bay over four days with the event open to the public.