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Next season home kit looks banging as Arsenal fan photoshops rumored design on Nicolas Pepe

Here at Thick Accent, we’ve covered a variety of concept and fan made kits before – be it a smashing Spurs kit made off of the Nigeria jersey, or a polarising Arsenal one that was made by inverting the colours of their current home kit.

Today, however, we’re taking a look at an illustration that was made by a Gunners fan and is causing genuine excitement within the Arsenal fan community.

This one is unique in that it is simply the fan’s visualization of what is already pretty much confirmed to be the Londoners’ kits for the 2020-21 season.

The design for the new jersey has been leaked by Footy Headlines – a leading expert in the field – and is currently making the rounds on the internet.

The leaks show patches of the Arsenal jersey that are nearly identical to the current ones, with the exception some uniquely shaped patterns added in.

The patterns look like arrowheads with alternating dark and light red colouring. They are present on the crimson shirts, with the white sleeves looking pristine apart from the sponsorship logo.

While changes might feel incremental at first glance, the jersey is very easily distinguishable from the present kit and looks unique – a tough ask in today’s world considering design palettes have become highly saturated.

Twitter user @LacaZte decided to breathe life into this new template and photoshopped the patterns onto a photo of Arsenal midfielder Nicolas Pepe.

While the patterns will probably look slightly different when the official jersey actually comes out, the visualization is clean and the design looks very appropriate for the kit.

The overall package, one must say, looks solid, with Twitter also reaching the same consensus. Gunners fans can hardly wait for the kit to be introduced.

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Ryan Sessegnon showing exactly the kind of attitude Tottenham fans wanted to see from their players after RB Leipzig defeat

Tottenham Hotspur seem to have a bit of a rebuilding act going on at the moment.

While they did have a far-from-ideal beginning to the season, sliding all the way down to ninth place, Spurs have picked up some form since then and played some encouraging football under new manager Jose Mourinho.

However, their hopes of making a strong end to this season suffered a bit of a setback yesterday, when they had to accept a 1-0 loss against RB Leipzig at home in the Champions League round of sixteen first leg.

While their defence had a decent outing, Spurs were clearly outplayed in midfield by the faster German side, Dele Alli in particular being completely shut out of the game.

Their frontline, missing the likes of Kane and Son, did little to alleviate their troubles, completely stifled by a Leipzig defence playing out of its skin and refusing to be budged by anything that was thrown at it.

However, something that is gathering praise from fans all around is the rapidly improving attitude and work ethic of Spurs players.

This was reflected yesterday when keeper Hugo Lloris didn’t look like he wanted to accept his man of the match award, instead looking to improve himself.

One player that seems to have exemplified this attitude is young talent Ryan Sessegnon. The English left back, still only nineteen, was brought into Spurs as a certain future superstar after his fantastic performance for Fulham last year.

He is definitely what the club needs at present, being solid both in defence and as an attacking option down the wings. While he has had limited game time so far, the lad is a hard worker and has never been caught slacking.

And, on a night where Spurs fans were frustrated by Alli’s off-field antics after being taken off, Sessegnon showed the world what an ideal work ethic should be like despite not even being in the squad for the match.

On his Instagram, soon after the game was done, Ryan posted a story of himself in the gym, getting ready to pump it out.

Compare it with Alli throwing a tantrum and the difference between the two could not be clearer.

This sort of attitude will only help Tottenham, considering they have crucial league matches against Chelsea and Wolves in the next two weeks, and it is great to see a young player like Ryan setting an example.

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The sound when that Haaland shot hit the back of the net in win against PSG

Erling Braut Haaland has, by any measurable parameter, an absolutely monstrous season in the Bundesliga already.

This, despite having played only five games in the league and starting just two of them.

During this time, he has already scored a whopping eight goals, including a hat trick on his club debut for Borussia Dortmund.

Yesterday, he decided to continue this rich vein of form in the Champions League, scoring a magnificent brace as Dortmund got away with a 2-1 victory at home to Paris St Germain.

Linking up with another prodigious talent, English winger Jadon Sancho, the Norwegian lad made lightning fast runs and counter attacks into the box, including one that nearly broke the 60m record.

Of his two goals, however, the second one, coming on the heels of a Neymar’s equaliser, was made of special stuff; it demonstrated his incredible agility, accuracy and shot power simultaneously.

Having gotten a pinpoint pass from teammate Giovanni Reyna, Haaland sprinted across from about twenty yards out, deftly avoiding a defender in the process.

As soon as he reached the edge of the box, not caring for the incoming slide tackle from the opposition, he let the ball fly from his powerful left foot unleashing a shot no goalkeeper could hope to stop.

In fact, the resulting goal bounced of the net so hard that it made a thunderous sound loud enough to be caught on the broadcaster microphones.

https://twitter.com/B_E_T/status/1229889970883760128

While almost no one is left in any doubt that the boy is going to go on to be a superstar in his own right, with the way he’s started, Dortmund fans find it difficult to believe that he isn’t already one.

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(Video) Sadio Mane pulling up Jordan Henderson’s compression pants on the bench is pure friendship goals

In the field of football, true friendships are, all things considered, pretty hard to come by. With their lives being extremely fast paced, and their careers being physically and emotionally demanding, footballers hardly find time to interact on a personal level with their teammates and get to know one another.

That is a crying shame because it is pretty evident that a good team only functions when all its cogs are well oiled. It is therefore, the hallmark of a great manager to make sure his wards get along well and get team morale to a higher level.

Jürgen Klopp seems to be exactly that sort of manager. Putting more focus on teamwork and players training together, he’s made sure that Liverpool has become a close knit unit that is also lethal on the pitch.

A great example of that was seen yesterday, in the Champions League match between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool.

With Jordan Henderson preoccupied with getting ready for the post match interviews after the loss, he failed to realize that the back of his compression shorts were not fully up, giving the world a regrettably ample view of his behind.

Coming to the aid of Hendo, however, was an ever-alert Sadio Mane, who very quickly gathered that his captain was to be caught with his pants down (compression shorts in this case) and, in a sudden move, pulled his shorts up before a lot of people could notice. In fact, if it hadn’t been caught by the live TV cameras, not many people would have known about the incident at all.

Mane, like any good friend, truly had Hendo’s back!

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Liverpool fans take referee Szymon Marciniak’s Wikipedia page to town after Atletico defeat

It isn’t much to say that referees have an extremely hard job. Having to contend with riled up players day every time they are on the pitch, whatever calls they make are maligned by whichever team feels it is being wronged.

However, the truly acrid part of this absolutely thankless gig is the horrible insults that they receive from fans day in and day out.

Indeed, this sort of long term exposure to abuse can have a detrimental impact on the health of these officials – many regularly receive death threats and there have been cases where they’ve taken their own lives.

This is why it is always appreciated when fans manage to criticize refs without being too abrasive about it.

One such incident came yesterday, after Premier League top dogs Liverpool suffered a controversial 1-0 defeat away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 match.

While Liverpool did not look anywhere near their best, their downfall was helped along to a great extent by some sub-par refereeing from match official Szymon Marciniak.

It must be noted that the Polish referee has some history with the Reds, when he gave away a full 6 yellow cards in total to Liverpool players nearly two years ago in a Champions League group stage against PSG.

Last night, he was in abysmal form again, handing out undeserved fouls left and right, including a crucial throw in mistakenly given to Atletico that led to their goal. He even managed to penalize their manager Jürgen Klopp!

The Anfield faithful, though irate at the official, found a very creative and hilarious way to get back at him: they edited his Wikipedia page.

Liverpool fans showing the footballing world that you could very easily pull someone’s leg without being toxic about it.

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(Video) Mason Mount went to all four corners of Stamford Bridge to thank and applaud Chelsea fans after Man United loss

Chelsea have been one of the few teams in the Premier League this season who have not underperformed terribly.

While yes, being in fourth place, a full thirty five points behind leaders Liverpool isn’t an ideal situation for a cash rich team that spends millions of pounds almost every year, but it is still an impressive feat considering that they were banned from buying any players in the last two transfer windows.

With the Blues being unable to fortify their squad, they were forced to rely on the depth of their squad and their youth players, and boy did it pay off handsomely.

Players like Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Fikayo Tomori and Mateo Kovacic have stepped up to the plate, delivering consistent performances on the pitch and helping Chelsea hold on to a Champions League spot.

However, it is Mason Mount that has been a revelation this season.

More than superb on loan at Derby County the season before, the twenty-one-year-old youth academy graduate has quickly risen through the ranks to become a regular starter for the first team this season.

However, it was another aspect about him that came shining through yesterday in the match against Manchester United.

With the Blues playing against the Red Devils at home in Stamford Bridge, Chelsea supporters thronged the stadium hoping to see a memorable victory.

Instead, it all went terribly wrong with United running away 2-0 victors.

While Chelsea will feel robbed by a couple of tight decisions that did not go their way, there is no denying that some of the players dropped absolute stinkers on the night.

Mason Mount, on the other hand, was one of the few bright spots alongside Kovacic in midfield and had a hand in creating a few chances.

However, it was after the match where the lad showed his true class. He went to all four corners of the stadium, applauding and thanking the fans for their attendance and support.

This incident only goes to showcase the amount of maturity and humility he already has at this age, and Blues fans can rest assured that this budding talent has a level head resting on his shoulders.

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Sky Sports graphic paints a very bleak picture for 13th placed Newcastle United

Newcastle seem to be having an absolutely strange season so far. Somehow, the club are at a respectable thirteenth position, just ten points off fourth placed Tottenham, despite having a string of lackluster performances on the pitch.

Many have simply interpreted other teams also underperforming horrendously as the reason for the club being so high in the league. Of course, it must be said that the Magpies do look alright in certain departments, especially defence, where they have shown massive improvement.

Indeed, when Steve Bruce was brought in to replace departing manager Rafa Benitez, reports suggested an exodus of players as a form of protest against owner Mike Ashley. Instead, Bruce now commands a level of begrudging respect from even his detractors.

There is however, a sense of unease when it comes to Newcastle’s attack, as it has seemed lethargic and sluggish on a majority of occasions.

Special focus must be given on their strikers’ profligacy, in large part owed to the horrendous performance of the Magpies’ $52 million dud Joelinton.

Now, a graphic released by football broadcaster Sky Sports has put into stark contrast exactly how abysmal their attack is.

As shown in the picture, the Geordie club is shown to be dead last in almost all of the absolutely crucial aspects of attacking football throughout this season in the league.

This includes number of shots attempted, number of expected goals, number of touches in the opposition’s box and amount of possession of the ball in a game.

The only metric where they aren’t bottom of the table is in goals scored, where they are tied with relegation zone teams Norwich City and Watford. Even in that aspect, only fourteenth placed Crystal Palace has done worse with twenty three goals.

Yes, some credit on them even being as high as thirteenth must go to the relatively solid backline that Newcastle possess. Even then, without some urgent changes to their attacking play, it doesn’t look good for the club’s immediate future.

Check out the reaction from the fans below –

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Odion Ighalo uploaded a whopping 57 Instagram stories after playing 5 minutes for Manchester United

One of the most talked about signings from the January transfer window has to be Orion Ighalo.

The Nigerian forward was snapped up by the Red Devils late into deadline day, as United finally acquired what they were looking for- a makeshift replacement for the injured Marcus Rashford.

Now, while there has been a lot of doubt over Ighalo’s ability, it has to be said that the man has a lot of fans. Even the detractors find it to be undeniable that Odion is very loyal to the club, having been a United fan from his childhood. The lad obviously feels like he is now living his dream, having completed the move to his favourite club.

From the moment that he joined the club, stories have emerged of the effort he’s been putting into training himself for the rigors of the Premier League.

Having been given a second shot at English top flight after parting ways with Watford, the lad is buzzing about the opportunity.

He got a taste of this yesterday, where Manchester United completed a fantastic 2-0 victory over Chelsea that was not without controversy.

Though the man didn’t get significant playtime, coming in for Anthony Martial at the end of regular time for five minutes of injury time, it turned out that he was extremely grateful for whatever he got.

The evidence? Ighalo’s Instagram, where, to fans’ amazement, he put up a whopping 57 stories related to the match.

Most of them were replying to the many people, including his teammates, who congratulated him on his debut, thanking them for their wishes.

Screenshot of Ighalo’s Instagram account after win against Chelsea

Of course, also of note was that he made a minor piece of club history, being the 200th player in a United shirt in the Premier League era, along with being the first Nigerian to ever play for them.

All in all, not a bad start for the lad at the club of his dreams.

Check out the reaction below –

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Football fans react as VAR monitor appears on Liverpool bench during Norwich win

After their Champions League victory last year, Liverpool have become near impenetrable, not having lost a single game throughout all of this season.

This has allowed them to open a commanding twenty five point lead over nearest rivals Manchester City, with it being a certainty that the title is theirs for the taking.

With nothing to troll for when it comes to the footballing side of the Reds, rival fans have often taken to internet with claims that newly-introduced VAR has been a major factor in Liverpool being so dominant in the league.

A conspiracy theory well & truly put to to bed by Sky Sports few days ago –

https://twitter.com/skysportspl/status/1224658653300559872?s=21

Despite the study from Sky Sports, the allegations have increased so much that at this point it is basically a meme, with names like “LiVARpool” being bandied about by fans of other PL clubs.

Which is why the internet exploded when a VAR monitor was spotted being placed on the Liverpool bench during their 1-0 win against Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday.

Football fans on Twitter quipped on about how VAR had now stopped being discreet about its allegiance and even Liverpool fans joined in on the action because why not –

https://twitter.com/MinaminoLFC/status/1229350392263303168
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Inject It: Serge Aurier brushing stewards aside to celebrate with Tottenham fans after 3rd goal against Villa

Tottenham have had, by their own standards, a very sluggish season. Their campaign has been mired with false starts and encouraging wins that have only served as false dawns and failed to get the momentum going. This led to them being in the unfamiliar land that is the middle of the table, and ultimately became Pochettino’s downfall.

Now, while his replacement Jose Mourinho hasn’t exactly brought the team back to its best, the signs of recuperation are encouraging.

Spurs have now has consistently collected points in their past few matches, and yesterday’s thrilling match against Aston Villa will be a massive shot in the arm.

The match started off in the most horrendous fashion for Spurs, with defender Toby Alderweireld unfortunately conceding an own goal in the ninth minute.

However, the Belgian made up for it eighteen minutes later with a goal at the other side. Son Heung-min put them into the lead late in the first half, but Villa’s Bjorn Engels equalised early in the second. At that point the match was very evenly poised.

With pressure mounting on both sides, Spurs were searching desperately for a breakthrough. They needed a win here to even be in contention for the Champions League spot. And finally, deep into extra time, Son struck again, sending the packed away end at Villa Park into raptures.

As Tottenham players mobbed the South Korean near the away end, Serge Aurier, Spurs’ right back, got too involved with the celebrations and decided to jump into the stands.

This proved to be rather unfortunate for the stewards standing pitchside as they were simply pushed away by the player like they were nothing.

Check out the scenes below –

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Videos emerge as Danny Rose squares up to Newcastle fans on a train after defeat against Arsenal

Nothing best describes Newcastle as much as the word paradox. The club has, throughout all of the last decade and a half, taken a tremendous fall from grace as it is no longer the behemoth it once used to be.

Yet, it still enjoys unprecedented levels of support from the Toon, and is very much part of top flight heritage despite the ignominy of the relegations it has been subjected to.

Now, there is a sense of optimism mixed with unease among the Newcastle faithful, and for good reason. While overall, they have had a quite alright season, the board has not inspired any confidence at all in recent years, not having any budget to sign players, firing the experienced Rafa Benitez and instead hiring relative pariah Steve Bruce as manager.

And while Bruce has been respectable so far, Newcastle fans only got a glimmer of hope when they somehow managed to land full-back Danny Rose this winter transfer window.

The England player, arriving from beleaguered Tottenham, has shown that he has buckets of ability, but is yet to fire on all cylinders. He has had a slow start and was caught unawares in yesterday’s match against Arsenal, where the Magpies were hammered 4-0.

Now, fans returning from the game were rather surprised to see some unexpected people in their train – specifically Rose and his teammates Allan Saint-Maximin, Nabil Bentaleb and Christian Atsu.

At first the fans were quite friendly, asking for the usual selfies and autographs. But then a few among them started riling and taking the piss out of the players, needling them over their dubious performance against the Gunners. Rose, not one to take insults lying down, got up immediately and had a minor scuffle with a few people.

The issue was, however, resorted quickly and the impromptu meet and greet session had no further interruption. (Alternate reports later emerged that the fight happened after Rose declined to take a photo with a ten year old fan. The motive remains unclear.)

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Brutal from Celtic fans as they sing x-rated anti-Steven Gerrard chant during Aberdeen win

Steven Gerrard is, without a doubt, one of the greatest players of his generation. He is an automatic lock on the list of Liverpool legends, and is still regarded as one of the greatest captains of all time.

Stevie G, as he is fondly known among the Anfield faithful, had a career at the club that was undeniably spectacular and glittered with success.

Indeed, millions dream of single-handedly leading their team to Champions League glory the way he did against AC Milan back in 2005. Or maybe they aspire to be the sort of player he was when his incredible brace won the game for Liverpool in what is considered one of the greatest FA Cup finals against West Ham back in 2006.

Either way, the man was a conqueror. Everything he touched turned to gold, with one painful exception: the Premier League trophy.

Indeed, throughout his seventeen years at the club, Gerrard failed to lift the league trophy even once, having come second four times.

What he’ll remember, however, is the horror 2013-14 season, were the Reds were in the driving seat throughout the campaign, only to have a shock loss at home to Chelsea, helping Manchester City get to the league title.

More humiliating for Gerrard was that it was a ridiculous slip up, literally, from him that allowed the Blues to win, as the Merseyside club kept waiting for a PL cup to adorn their trophy shelf.

Now, having hung up his boots, Stevie G has had an excellent beginning to his managerial career, coaching Scottish club Rangers with care and shepherding them to second place in their league.

While they are ten points adrift of toppers Celtic, the long-standing rivalry is still very much alive, and reared its head again yesterday.

The incident occurred as Celtic cruised to a regulation 2-1 victory over third placed Aberdeen. Deep into injury time, once the result was confirmed as an absolute certainty, Celtic fans started belting a humorous tune, going along the lines of “have you ever seen Gerrard win the league, have you f**k”, clearly referencing both Gerrard’s failures with Liverpool as well as this year’s title race in the Scottish Premier League. Pure sh*thousery.

The tune was taken up by large sections of the fans and was turned into a rousing cry. It is almost certain to play on the minds of the Rangers faithful, if not Gerrard himself.

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Fashion magazine includes Everton duo in their list of ‘stylish people’ spotted during New York Fashion Week

Amidst all the hustle and bustle that footballers are regularly embroiled in, fans find it very easy to forget that their favourite players can have other hobbies as well.

Take Everton, for example. The club has had a very mediocre season thus far, only collecting thirty six points from twenty five league games so far. This has seriously dented their Champions League hopes, currently being five points adrift of fourth placed Chelsea after playing an extra game. They have, however, had a mini resurgence of sorts, with their big name signings finally beginning to justify their price tag.

One man who has impressed throughout the season, by contrast, is home grown player Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Sheffield-born lad has played at a high level consistently, collecting eleven goals and an assist in his role as a forward so far.

Occasionally providing him support in midfield is Everton youth academy recruit Tom Davies. While the twenty-one-year-old hasn’t had quite the spectacular season, he is certainly very solid in the middle and is one to watch for the future.

Now, off the pitch, one would assume that these two have not a lot in common, but that’s where one would be terribly wrong. The pair have a rather singular passion shared among them, which is fashion.

Indeed, the two of them have been known to keep up their appearances, and have been described as being very prim and proper when it comes to their dressing style.

In such a high profile job, a distinctive passion like this is bound to be noticed sooner or later. And would you know it, the pair, now on a deserved winter break, have been spotted around in the streets of New York City even as they attend one of the biggest annual fashion events in the world, New York Fashion Week.

Fashion outlet The Cut, in particular, decided to feature them in its list of stylish people seen around the NYFW, with a short piece from both players describing their philosophy on fashion.

Their assembly of outfits have garnered widespread praise from both media outlets and netizens online, with several Twitter users commending them on having a “pure” dressing philosophy and being so open about their interests.

While it is undeniable these two players give their all in the matches they play and most definitely prioritise the game first, it is heartwarming to see them indulge in what excites them so freely.

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Photo – Emery and Valverde snapped together after getting sacked from Arsenal and Barcelona respectively

The Bilbao International Football Summit (BIFS) is an annual gathering of footballing talents and executives from the Basque region.

It acts as a showcase for Athletic Bilbao’s ever present philosophy (the club is known to only have Basque players on its teams). The event has only grown in stature throughout the years, and yesterday, at BIFS 20, it decided to honour one of its most famous natives – Ernesto Valverde.

Now, Valverde is nothing short of a legend in Athletic, having played a hundred and seventy league games for the club and having scored forty four goals for them.

The man played a big role in the club being a sizable threat throughout his time at the club from 1990-96. Therefore, even with his dubious managerial tactics during his tenure at Barcelona, his legacy as a player alone makes it completely understandable that the summit would award him for his services to football.

What piqued the curiosity of a lot of people, however, was the other, arguably just as famous Basque resident invited to the function.

That man was Unai Emery, recently having undergone the ignominy of being sacked by Arsenal and now a managerial pariah in the world of football.

They even managed to meet and have a friendly conversation, both being in a unique position where they can actually empathize with the other’s misfortune. The meeting was not a formal occasion, just one that happened at the spur of the moment on the sidelines.

While at the summit, however, the two gave out rather contrasting statements to journalists about their time at their former clubs.

Valverde was calm and measured, looking upon it as a great experience and refusing to focus on the negatives such as the allegations that he was not treated well.

He instead looked forward to his next job that he claims will be “off the beaten path” and something very unique.

Emery, on the other hand, has been far more vociferous in recent times about his fate at both Arsenal and Paris St Germain.

The Spaniard has insisted on fending off criticism about his tactics, instead claiming that he was stifled by the clubs’ boards.

In an interview with France Football, Emery claimed that Arsenal were “already on a downward slope” before he came in and refused to take any of the blame for their abysmal performances.

It remains to be seen how the managers go about rebuilding their shattered careers from here on out, but their statements provide an adequate signal about their intent; one man looks at the future while another dwells in the past.

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Photo – One of the hottest properties in NFL dons personalised Tottenham kit on his birthday

The most underrated aspect of sport, perhaps, lies in how it brings together folks from around the world, irrespective of their nationality amd creed.

And, of all sports known to mankind, it is safe to say that football is the most popular of them all. A truly global game, it is played at a national level in over a hundred and ninety countries, and the clubs at the playing at the highest level have highly dedicated fans in every nook and cranny.

One of those fans decided to make his loyalties very clear a few days ago. This caught a lot of attention because this man is quite famous and is a representative of another very famous sport in his home country, which has brought him a lot of fans.

We are, of course, talking about Josh Jacobs, star rookie for the American football team Las Vegas Raiders (also known as the Oakland Raiders) in the National Football League. The talented running back, who turned 22 on the eleventh of February, decided to show some love for his favourite football club – Tottenham Hotspur.

The lad wore a custom-made Spurs Nike home kit for the current season, with his surname and the number 28 (which otherwise belongs to Spurs’ Tanguy Ndombele) etched across the back. Having worn it on his birthday, it was clear the club meant a lot to him.

Of course, the Alabama native, whose state has a lot of Tottenham supporters, has a lot of good memories linked to the North London side, the most recent being a one off match between the Raiders and Chicago Bears in October last year at the new Tottenham stadium.

Jacobs played a starring role in the game, and that would only have made his experience as a Spurs supporter better.

Needless to say Spurs fans loved the display of support from one of the hottest properties in American football right now.

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(Video) Arsenal legend Ian Wright left stunned by the sheer beauty of new Tottenham stadium

Former striker and a Gooner through & through, Ian Wright could do nothing but admire as the Arsenal legend attended an event at Spurs’ brand spanking new stadium yesterday.

Appearing on behalf of Football Beyond Borders, an educational charity for underprivileged youth, Wright took some time interacting with budding footballers before taking a look around in the massive arena.

Even as an Arsenal man, he had to admit that it was absolutely “magnificent”.

Three grudging admiration was justified, considering he was given a view of the beautiful stadium when it was fully lit at night.

The man was, of course having a hard time admitting that Spurs now had a home ground on par, if not better than the Emirates.

It was quite refreshing, honestly, to see a former player sticking to his loyalties yet being light hearted and keeping his opinions blunt and matter-of-fact.

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Tammy Abraham ‘loves it’ as Chelsea appear firm favorites to land Ajax star Hakim Ziyech

Among the more memorable moments of last year from the world of football, one that stands out was Ajax’s dominant run Europe’s biggest stage, the Champions League.

A bright team comprised of starlets destined for greatness like Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek helped the Dutch side storm into the semi-finals, where they eventually lost to Tottenham Hotspur.

Of course, all of this brilliance in the middle and the back would only have paid off had there been a striker of some calibre up front, and thankfully for the Godenzonen, they had the services of one of the most lethal attackers on the planet at the moment in Hakim Ziyech.

The Moroccan player usually plays as an attacking midfielder for the Dutch giants, netting a fair few amount of goals that are overshadowed by his sheer prolificacy when it comes to providing assists: last season, he scored a staggering sixteen goals and provided thirteen assists in twenty nine league games, and this season he already has six goals and twelve assists from eighteen.

That brings him to a mightily impressive statistic of having a goal contribution in every single game he’s played, a feat very rarely achieved by anyone who’s not a world class player.

Plus, the man just has a natural hunger for goals that perfectly suits his skillset, which includes a left foot to die for:

This, of course, has brought many potential suitors at his door, with Chelsea seemingly having gotten his signature on the dotted line already.

With various reports emerging that Ziyech is almost certainly joining the Blues this summer, the news only became more of a foregone conclusion when the Stamford Bridge faithful noticed this under 433s official Instagram page:

Yes, that was indeed Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham’s official Instagram account hitting the heart icon on the post.

Why wouldn’t he? After all, with Ziyech’s arrival, he would be the most to gain from those pinpoint crosses. Eventually, it turned out that Antoine Rüdiger and Callum Hudson-Odoi have also like that very same post, only fuelling a fan frenzy over the Moroccan playmaker.

It remains to be seen whether Hakim will manage to adapt to the rigors of Premier League and eventually manage to thrive here, but it goes without saying that he definitely has all the tools in his arsenal to do so.

Now, with the “backing” of his various future teammates, Ziyech is sure to be welcomed with open arms and fans will be definitely watching out for more explosive action from the in-form player.