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Celtic beat Aberdeen 1-0 last Saturday thanks to Scott Sinclair’s inventive backheel just after the hour-mark, but one other moment in the game stood out for slightly different reasons.

Celtic’s French striker Odsonne Edouard looked to be through on goal in the first half, but the youngster was then cleaned out by Aberdeen centre-back Scott McKenna, who was actually a summer target for the Bhoys and the subject of a rejected £3.5m bid in August.

As the two sides met on Saturday, with the ball in the air, McKenna’s tackle was almost at waist height and forced Edouard off with a dead leg, but somehow it went unpunished by referee Bobby Madden. It should however put Brendan Rodgers off from going back in for the 21-year-old centre-back in January.

So, Celtic fans, now you’ve seen this side of the Scotland international’s game up close, would you still be urging Rodgers to sign him or is he just too clumsy to be a success with the Hoops. Have your say by voting in the poll below. 

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If it were up to Chelsea fans, Eden Hazard would win the Premier League of the Month award without even giving the other nominees a thought.

The Chelsea forward has been nominated alongside the likes of Willy Bolly (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton), Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal) and James Maddison (Leicester City).

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Hazard has been in fine form of late, lighting up the Premier League with his trademark runs and dribbles. He however scored a total of five goals in four matches in September, including a hat-trick against Cardiff City. His goal vs Liverpool on Saturday seems to be a fan favourite, although the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

The 27-year-old looks to be playing some of his best football since joining the club and fans are relieved to see him doing well after captaining Belgium to third place at the summer’s World Cup.

Here are some of the Twitter reactions to Hazard’s nomination:

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Aston Villa have struggled to find consistency this season and a 3-3 draw with Preston on Tuesday night extended a woeful run of form to one victory in their past ten matches in all competitions.

Throwing away a two-goal lead at home against the Championship strugglers, Villa fought back late on to snatch a point but it could have been even more if Glenn Whelan managed to score his last-gasp penalty.

While the draw increased the pressure on Steve Bruce and ultimately cost him his job, there was a shining light for Villa fans from the performance of John McGinn – who has become an instant hit at Villa Park since signing for the club in the summer.

The 23-year-old laid on an assist for Tammy Abraham’s goal, Villa’s second of the night, and attracted praise from fans on social media who believe they have secured themselves a gem in the Scotland international.

We have gathered some of the best reactions to McGinn’s performance below.

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According to a recent report from The Daily Record, Eddie Howe is one name on the Aston Villa managerial shortlist. The 40-year-old is currently in charge of Premier League side Bournemouth and has been since returning to the South Coast outfit back in 2012, in which time he has overseen a meteoric rise to help the Cherries become an established top-flight club.

And the marvellous job he has done at the Vitality Stadium appears to have interested managerless Championship side Aston Villa, who are reportedly keen on the Englishman replacing Steve Bruce at Villa Park following the latter’s sacking at the start of the month.

And while the ambition is clearly there in targeting someone like Howe for the role, these recent links with the 40-year-old, a manager that is simply not going to make the move to Villa Park given his current situation at Bournemouth, should be of worry to Villa fans, as it suggests that the club’s hierarchy have got no idea what they are doing.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Bruce’s departure was becoming increasingly inevitable given the bad run his team were on prior to his sacking earlier this month, and since then several names have been linked with the vacant post, including Thierry Henry, Brendan Rodgers, and of course Bournemouth boss Howe.

And while Howe is without doubt one of the most highly-rated young managers in the country at present given the job he is doing at Bournemouth, he simply isn’t going to leave a side sat sixth in the Premier League for one 15th in the Championship, regardless of how big a club Villa are.

In fact, it’s arguable that Howe could well get a job at a top Premier League club in the coming years having taken Bournemouth from the depths of League Two to becoming an established side in the top-flight in recent times, a team that are currently the best of the rest in sitting sixth in the top tier.

And while some Villa fans have taken to Twitter to laugh off the rumours linking Howe with the Villa Park hotseat, it does suggest that the club’s hierarchy haven’t really got much of an idea of what they are doing when it comes to finding Bruce’s successor.

Obviously, Howe would be an excellent appointment and one that would excite several Villa fans, but they are realistic to know that it simply won’t happen – and when one looks at the other names in the frame, there are doubts about some of them as well.

Arsenal legend Henry may well have been on the Belgium coaching staff since 2016, but he has no prior experience of being the number one man – he was one of the best players the Premier League has ever seen during his playing days, but the jury is still out on his management credentials.

Yes, the Villa hierarchy may well get it right in terms of replacing Bruce, but some of the signs coming out of the club at present suggest a board that haven’t really got much of an idea on what they are doing – the Howe links only serve to highlight that even further.

Villa fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to a recent report from The Sun, Ryan Fraser is set to begin contract talks with Bournemouth about improving his current deal at the Vitality Stadium. The 24-year-old has been at the South Coast outfit since leaving Scottish club Aberdeen back in 2013 and has since gone on to play 143 times for the Cherries, although he is arguably embarking on his best spell at the club in the present.

And reports suggest that Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth are seeking to tie him down to a new deal in a bid to fend off potential suitors, and Leicester City should be keeping a close eye on those developments, as Fraser appears to be the ideal replacement for the underwhelming Foxes summer signing Rachid Ghezzal.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Claude Puel’s men were left with a sizable hole to fill following the departure of Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City during the summer, prompting the Frenchman to bring Mahrez’s Algerian teammate Ghezzal to the King Power Stadium in a bid to somewhat compensate for his departure.

Yet 26-year-old Ghezzal has since struggled to convince of his qualities with just one goal in his six Premier League appearances this term, and with just three of those coming as starts, it seems that manager Puel isn’t entirely sold on the winger’s capabilities either.

Thus, one wonders exactly what the future holds for Ghezzal at Leicester, but with Demarai Gray set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury, Puel may already be thinking about how he can replace the former come the January window – Fraser is one man he must be keeping an eye on.

The Scotland international has often been in and around the Bournemouth first team since his move to the South Coast little over five years ago, but he has certainly produced the goods during his time at the club with 19 goals and 18 assists in 143 games.

And with a combined eight goals and 11 assists in his last two full seasons in the Premier League, the 24-year-old has slowly but surely become more effective in the final third for Howe’s team – but he has taken it to another level so far this term.

Fraser has scored three goals and laid on three assists in just eight league appearances so far this season to help the Cherries to sixth place in the Premier League table, all six contributions of which helping Howe’s side to victory.

Thus, not only is the Scottish ace contributing, but he’s doing it when it matters most to gain Bournemouth much-needed points – it’s a far cry away from the level of performance Ghezzal is currently producing.

And that is why Puel must be keeping an eye on Fraser and his contract developments, as any inkling that he may not sign on at Bournemouth must be seized upon by the Midlands outfit in a bid to replace the awful Ghezzal.

Leicester fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to reports in The Sun, Genoa striker and Chelsea target Krzysztof Piatek has had a £35m price tag slapped on his head, and their Premier League rivals West Ham United should join the chase for his signature.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun report that Blues boss Maurizio Sarri wants to bring the in-form 23-year-old to Stamford Bridge having grown frustrated with Alvaro Morata, and the west London outfit are said to have made their intentions clear about a potential move during the January transfer window.

However, The Sun report that the Serie A outfit are determined to get as much money as possible for the Poland international if they are to lose him midway through the campaign, and they want £35m – 10 times what they paid for him in the summer.

The 23-year-old has scored a remarkable 17 goals – 13 for his club and four for his country – already this term to cement his place as one of the most clinical finishers in European football right now.

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Why should West Ham join the chase?

Despite having Marko Arnautovic up top, there has been little strength in depth behind the Austrian with both Javier Hernandez and Andy Carroll struggling because of illness and injury respectively this season.

The east London outfit have been linked with a January move for Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud, and while he would be a great short-term addition they could get a player that they are more likely to have for a number of years in Piatek.

His goalscoring record speaks for itself and given the money they paid for Felipe Anderson during the summer, the £35m price tag is now presumably well within their reach.

The 23-year-old is the sort of player that West Ham should be targeting if they want success in the coming years.

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed in his pre-Southampton press conference (via Manchester Evening News) that Kevin De Bruyne would be out for six weeks with a fresh knee injury, but the Catalan boss certainly did his best to put a positive spin on the news.

What did he say?

“I was so sad, I didn’t see him after the game. The next day he’ll be strong again, he’ll spend the time with his new boy. Hopefully we’ll be in the knockout of the Champions League when he comes back. That will help us in the last part, that he will be fresh and help us reach our targets.

“He will be treated by Dr Cugat and he’ll be treated here. He’ll be in a really good place to deal with the problem…”

“… Gundo (Ilkay Gundogan) is training with the team and before the game against Fulham in the cup he said he wasn’t comfortable 100 per cent.”

What did he really mean?

City will of course miss De Bruyne, but so far this season they have been able to get by without him and still remain at the top of the Premier League. Guardiola clearly thinks that the time off will do his Belgian superstar good too.

De Bruyne played through the whole summer as Belgium finished third in the World Cup, but the Carabao Cup win over Fulham on Thursday was his first domestic start of the season having suffered a similar knee injury in August.

Now though, Guardiola has confirmed that De Bruyne will have time with his family and newborn son, whilst also visiting the seemingly magic Dr Cugat, all of which could certainly help with the midfielder’s state of mind.

A chance to step up

Guardiola’s comments about the return to fitness of Gundogan will also offer comfort to City fans. The German midfielder has missed six games in all competitions with a hamstring injury, but he will get the chance to step up in De Bruyne’s absence.

The 28-year-old has already netted once and provided two assists this season despite making only six starts, and his quality will certainly help the Citizens.

As well as Gundogan, Bernardo Silva has taken up the mantle of creative midfielder this season, and the diminutive Portuguese international has been in spellbinding form. With five goals and two assists, Silva will no doubt continue to shine from a deeper position now that De Bruyne has suffered another setback.

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In comparison to other professions, the career of a footballer is a short one, the average player will retire by the age of 35.

So you can forgive footballers for wanting to play as long as they can, especially when big financial gains can be made overseas.

In recent years top Premier League players have moved to China and the United States to use their high profile name, to earn huge amounts of cash and also help develop the sport in the region, but more importantly keep playing.

Once these players have made the move away from the Premier League, they become the forgotten men, so in this article we take a look at the players who once lit up the Premier League and are still playing in their golden years.

Didier Drogba

Chelsea fan favourite Dider Drogba won every trophy with at Stamford Bridge, most notably scoring the winner in the Champions League final in 2012.

After 11 years in London, Drogba moved to Montreal to play for the city’s MLS team Montreal Impact in 2015. With 21 goals in 33 games, Drogba attracted interested from Brazilian team Corinthians but he declined a move and instead became Player-Owner of Phoenix Rising.

Tim Cahill

Now aged 38, Cahill rose to popularity thanks to his eight year spell at Everton, in which he scored 56 Premier League goals. The Australian made a return to his first British club, Millwall last season, playing 10 games, without a goal.

After representing Australia in 2018 World Cup finals, Cahill announced his international retirement, but is still hoping to get another deal to play domestic football.

Lucio

A World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, defender Lucio is remembered for being one of the hardest players of his generation. Since leaving Inter Milan in 2012, he has had a host of spells at different clubs in Brazil, and now plies his trade at Brasiliense at the tender age of 40!

Ilker Casillas

There is no other word for Ilker Casillas than legend. The former Real Madrid star left Spain in 2015 after making over 500 league appearances for the Galacticos.

He moved to Porto in a bid for first team football, and in May 2018 he renewed his contract for another year to play into his 38th birthday.

Joe Cole

Now here is a guy who could definitely still play for a Premier League club had he not struggled with injuries throughout his career.

At the age of 36, Joe Cole is now into his third season with Tampa Bay Rowdies and has made over 50 league appearances for the club.

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, via Sport Witness, West Ham forward Xande Silva is remaining confident despite his lack of game time this season.

The 21-year-old is yet to feature for West Ham since joining from Vitória Guimarães in the summer, despite starring for the under-23 team, scoring five goals in five matches.

It has been seen so many times in the past that players who are struggling for game time lose hope and let their head drop. This subsequently results in managers being less inclined to pick them, and so begins a vicious cycle whereby the player and manager become more discouraged.

However, Silva’s buoyant approach will only reflect positively with The Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini, meaning he should have no problem turning to the forward when needed.

The positive thing is for Silva, West Ham have an ever-increasing injury list, meaning his long-awaited debut may be coming in the near future. With the long-term injury to Andriy Yarmolenko, West Ham may find themselves thin on the ground at some point.

More importantly, from Silva’s perspective, Pellegrini does not seem to be averse to giving younger players an opportunity. This has been shown by his heavy reliance on midfielder Declan Rice, who is only 19 years of age. Additionally, in light of the injury to the Ukrainian, the Chilean has also turned to 20-year-old Grady Diangana. Silva must be given a huge confidence boost by these young players that are thriving at the London Stadium, and surely knows that if his attitude stays the same, he’ll be playing alongside them too.

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Moussa Sissoko appears to have turned his Tottenham Hotspur career around.

To be honest, Sissoko had become a bit of a joke figure at Tottenham, with many of the club’s supporters criticising his every movement.

The 29-year-old has been in excellent form in recent weeks, however, starting each of Tottenham’s last five Premier League matches.

Sissoko put in another strong performance against Crystal Palace last time out, and his form has led to a return to the senior France squad.

Sissoko’s form has been even more important when considering Tottenham’s issues in midfield, with Victor Wanyama, Mousa Dembele and Christian Eriksen all having their injury problems.

The Tottenham fans have once again been on social media paying tribute to the 6ft 2in ace, and it really has been some turnaround for the powerful midfielder in the early months of this season.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: