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Discover our top six streaming devices and why they should star in your gadget lineup

Calling all cable cutters! It’s an exciting time to be you. 

Streaming devices are the top tier of flexible viewing, bringing all the streaming services you use into one neat location. Whether you’re looking for live coverage of the Premier League or some pithy life lessons from Jose Mourinho in Netflix’s “The Playbook”, you’re covered with the click of a button. If that's not enough, any device worth its salt features 4k and HDR content, so you've always got a front-row seat.

There are a lot of streaming devices to choose from. To fast-track you to the right one for your budget, we've put together our six best and brightest.

What to consider: 

Essential 

• Visual Quality
• Interface 
• Apps in the device library 
• App and content Loading speed
• Pricing

Additional

• Smart device functions 
• Advertisements
• Dolby audio and visual compatibility

Our Top Six Streaming Devices

1. Roku Streaming Stick 4k [$49.99]
2. Roku Express 4k [ $39.99]
3. Nvidia Shield TV [$149.99]
4. Chromecast with Google TV 4k [$49.99]
5. Amazon Firestick 4k max [$54.99]
6. Apple TV 4k [$129.99]

We've weighed up the merits of each, so you can decide which gets the sacred spot in your living room.

Whether you're buying on a budget, or on the hunt for premium visuals that put you a hairbreadth from the action, there's something for you.

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You can also find league and competition schedules for your favorite teams using GOAL's streaming services.

FAQS

Do I have to pay monthly for my device?

No, your streaming device is a one-off purchase. However, streaming services and channels accessed via your streaming device (e.g., Netflix, Amazon Prime, Peacock, Paramount+) will require you to pay a monthly subscription. 

Will I have access to every channel?

Most devices have access to the big streaming apps you need. However, if you’re looking to stream specific leagues and games, it’s essential to check which services broadcast them and whether those services are available through that device.

Are additional features worth the extra cost?

That depends. For most people watching the big game in 4k with HDR is more than enough to feel close to the action. But if you want a cinematic experience with every watch and are willing to invest, the likes of Dolby Audio and visuals will provide a more immersive viewing experience. 

• Best streaming devices

   Best for under $40

  Roku Express 4k

  GOAL / various Get Roku Express at Sam's Club

  Roku Express 4k is hands down the best on the market for those wanting quality streaming on a budget.  It’s one of the only 4k services available for under $50, offering good app variety and loading speeds. Express includes Airplay, so it can be synchronized across Apple devices. It’s an affordable all-rounder. 

• Best all-rounder

  Nvidia Shield TV 4k

  GOAL / various Get the Nvidia Shield at Walmart

  The Nvidia Shield 4k is an accomplished all-rounder. It’s one of the pricier dishes on the menu as a result, but well worth it if it fits your budget. Nvidia Shield TV is an Android device that comes with 4K streaming and HDR, lightning-fast loading, and a responsive, user-friendly dashboard. Its extensive app library gives you up to 5000 channels.

  If that’s not enough, you get all the smart features you could ask for, with built-in Google Assistant, smart home control, network data storage and file sharing, and DVR storage for live TV recording through HDHomeRun.

• Best for under $50

  Chromecast with Google TV 4k

  GOAL / various Get Chrome Cast at Walmart

  Say hello to smart streaming. Chromecast offers 4k, HDR and is a reliable option for live TV.  However, its greatest strengths are its smart device features, offering Google assistance via the voice-controlled remote and smart home control. Chromecast also integrates seamlessly with other Google-run platforms, such as YouTube and Google Photos.

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• Best for speed

  Amazon Fire Stick 4k Max

  GOAL / various Get the Amazon Fire stick at Amazon

  Supporting Wi-Fi 6 and Dolby Vision, the Amazon Fire Stick 4k Max offers impressive loading speeds and high-quality visuals if you have the appropriate router. Similarly to Google Chromecast, the Amazon Fire Stick is well integrated with other services from the provider.  The Fire Stick 4k Max features Alexa to help you search for your favorite channels, as well as smart home control and a huge variety of apps.

Chelsea were hammered this weekend as they succumbed to a 6-0 mauling at the hands of title contenders Manchester City.

The Blues were blown away in an opening 25 minute period which saw the home side go 4-0 up, and could do little to prevent the score being racked up further in the second half either.

It was a timely reminder to onlookers that things are not going well for Sarri at the Bridge, and following a 4-0 humbling at the hands of Bournemouth a few weeks back, we here in the Tavern feel there are a few players who Sarri should be looking to get rid of.

With that, we took a look at the Chelsea squad and the performance today, and picked out THREE players we feel the Blues need to move on quickly and bring in replacements for in order to move forward as a club…

David Luiz

Shambolic today at times, Luiz has never really covered himself in glory throughout his time with the club.

Mistake prone and often out of position, Chelsea need a proper centre half who can dominate much like John Terry did in years gone by. Luiz unfortunately, is anything but a John Terry.

Jorginho

It’s amazing really but Sarri insists on playing the Italian midfielder while trying to utilise Ngolo Kante in a more advanced position.

It’s clear as day for all to see – other than Sarri it seems – that Kante needs to in his holding midfield role, meaning there can be no room for the former Napoli man if that move happens.

Marcos Alonso

What has happened to a left wing-back who was once regarded as the best in the Premier League?

The Spaniard appears disinterested and looks to have his mind elsewhere. For all his talent, Alonso should be sold on by the Blues with a replacement sought in the summer.

Wayne Rooney’s Derby County defender Scott Malone looks set to leave Pride Park this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Derbyshire Live, who claim that Malone is due to leave the Rams upon the expiry of his contract at the end of this season, along with Scott Carson and Florian Jozefzoon.

The £1.8 million-rated left-back, who Frank Lampard signed from Huddersfield Town back in the summer of 2018, has spent the past season on loan at fellow Championship side Millwall and does not look likely to make a return to Pride Park, with the Lions thought to be considering a move for the defender if and when he becomes a free agent.

Malone must go

Having made a total of just 45 Championship appearances for Derby throughout his three years at the club, over which the left-back scored three goals and provided two assists, it would be fair to say that Malone has not exactly made a drastic impression within the Rams side since his arrival.

Indeed, over his 18 second-tier fixtures for the club last season, the left-back gave away possession of the ball an average of 12.7 times per game, in addition to making one error that led directly to a goal and conceding one penalty, culminating in a highly disappointing SofaScore average match rating of 6.55.

As such, there should be absolutely no hesitation on the part of Wayne Rooney when considering the defender’s future at the club this summer, particularly as the 30-year-old is reported to earn a whopping £20,000-per-week.

Once the Rams are free of Malone’s wage commitments, the 35-year-old manager can put this money towards the improvement of his squad this summer, something that, considering how narrow Derby’s escape from dropping down to League One was this season, it appears is desperately needed at the club.

In other news: Forget Waghorn: Derby County “leader” who won 9 duels saved Rooney’s season – opinion

Pep Guardiola has been handed a big boost at Manchester City this week, as despite concerns over Ilkay Gundogan’s wellbeing in midweek after he was on the end of a horror tackle, the German midfielder has confirmed on social media that he will be able for upcoming fixtures.

The former Borussia Dortmund man was one of City’s best performers in the 2-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain but there were serious fears that he would have to come off in the second half after Idrissa Gueye was shown a straight red card for his high challenge on Gundogan, which left him requiring treatment.

Whilst the 30-year-old finished the game, it would not have been surprising if he had carried on due to the adrenaline of the game only to realise afterwards that the injury was more serious than first thought.

However, after being asked by a concerned Man City fan on Twitter, Gundogan was quick to respond, reassuring fans that he is absolutely fine as he said: “All good. Thanks for all your messages”.

Therefore, it would not be a surprise to see him keep his place in Guardiola’s side for City’s important game against Crystal Palace at the weekend, where three points could seal the Premier League title depending on Manchester United’s result against Liverpool the following day.

The £36m-rated ace has been one of City’s top performers so far this season, averaging a 7.29 WhoScored rating for his performances in the Premier League, which is the fourth-best of any player in Guardiola’s squad.

His 12 top-flight goals also rank him as City’s top scorer in the league this season, so Guardiola will undoubtedly be relieved that the tackle from Gueye didn’t result in an injury and that the Germany midfielder should be available for the final few games of the season.

Hopefully he will be able to continue his impressive performances for City and help them potentially win the treble this season.

In other news… Forget Mahrez and KDB: “Exceptional” Man City beast ran the show against PSG

STV presenter Raman Bhardwaj has revealed Celtic are in discussions with Lowland League for their Colts side to play in their league next season.

The Lowdown: Celtic youngsters leaving in numbers

A number of Celtic youngsters have departed the club recently, including goalkeeper Liam Hughes, who left for Liverpool back in January and Cameron Harper, who joined New York Red Bulls in March.

Another Hoops shot-stopper in Vincent Angelini wants to quit Parkhead, and there have also been reports that winger Karamoko Dembele could seal an exit over the coming months.

However, news dropped by Bhardwaj may help the club keep hold of some of their prized assets in the long run.

The Latest: Raman Bhardwaj’s post

Bhardwaj shared the news late on Wednesday night of Celtic and rivals Rangers discussing with the Lowland Leagues to play in their league from next season on Twitter.

He added that if approved, it appears as if it would be for one season only for Celtic’s Colts outfit.

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The Verdict: Could be a huge boost to McKay

To us, should discussions go well and a move be agreed upon, it could be a huge boost in regards to new Celtic CEO Dominic McKay keeping hold of some of the club’s up and coming prospects in the long run.

It would allow Celtic’s academy players to be introduced to senior competition, should loan moves away to other first-team clubs not be available.

By giving the club’s youngsters to test themselves at senior level, not only may it help in their development, but it could also benefit the club when they look to keep hold of some in-demand starlets, something former chief Peter Lawwell often failed to do.

It could also help the Lowland League clubs in regards to finances. The appeal of playing Celtic and Rangers’ youth sides in competition could draw more supporters through the turnstiles, so it seems as if a deal may have a lot of perks for the Hoops.

In other news: 47 y/o drops Eddie Howe announcement claim, find out more here. 

Southampton return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon as they take on Burnley at St Mary’s in the early kick-off, and with captain James Ward-Prowse potentially sidelined for the game, Ralph Hasenhuttl should consider unleashing Alexandre Jankewitz in his midfield.

Ward-Prowse was forced to withdraw early from international duty earlier this week and was sent back to Southampton as a precaution after picking up a calf problem.

The Austrian manager has since confirmed that, whilst he is hopeful the Saints captain will be fit, the 26-year-old hasn’t been training with the squad in the build-up to the game against Sean Dyche’s side.

You may worry that Ward-Prowse’s run of playing 90 minutes in every single Southampton fixture so far this season could soon come to an end, and with Oriol Romeu also sidelined through injury, Hasenhuttl has a big decision to make when it comes to selecting a midfield partner for Ibrahima Diallo.

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Fortunately, Southampton have a more than capable midfielder waiting in the wings in the form of Jankewitz, who has been the name on many Saints fans’ lips this week after some impressive performances with Switzerland at the European Under-21 Championship.

The 19-year-old hasn’t been seen for Southampton since getting himself sent off on his full Premier League debut in the defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier in the season, but Hasenhuttl should put his faith in the teenager to make a much more positive impression against Burnley on Sunday.

If Jankewitz isn’t entrusted with any minutes between now and the end of the season, then you worry that Southampton could lose him permanently in the not-too-distant future, especially after he handed in a transfer request in January as a result of his lack of playing time in the first team.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431″]

The last thing Hasenhuttl wants to do is make Ward-Prowse’s injury worse by selecting him when he’s not fully fit, so he should forget about picking his captain against Dyche’s side on Sunday and instead give Jankewitz another chance to impress.

In other news… No goals this season: Hasenhuttl must axe 25 y/o flop this summer, he’s stealing a living

Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing up a move for Sam Johnstone this summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Athletic’s Steve Madeley claims Spurs have already ‘sent out feelers’ to West Brom over a potential deal for the 28-year-old West Brom goalkeeper, who could be available for as little as £10m in the next transfer window.

Jose Mourinho could even be in the market for two new options between the sticks as Hugo Lloris is thought to be a target for former manager Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain, whilst Paulo Gazzaniga is expected to depart, leaving only Joe Hart, who is the current no.2.

Bye-bye Lloris?

Any move for a shot-stopper of Johnstone’s calibre would surely spell the end for the Frenchman’s time in north London, and perhaps quite rightly too.

The 34-year-old veteran may be part of the side that holds the third-best defensive record in the Premier League, but he’s certainly shown signs of regression in the 18 months Mourinho has been in charge.

There have been a few notable clangers in that time, most recently when letting in a whopping five goals to Everton in the FA Cup. Lloris was soon brandished as Spurs’ “weak link” and also dubbed “lettuce wrists” by Trevor Sinclair and Jason Cundy on talkSPORT.

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Another factor is the fact that most of this squad still remain from that Pochettino era, and if Mourinho is to move on and truly contend for titles, then he ought to kickstart a rebuild and that should begin with Lloris.

He has been at the club for nine years and is the current club captain, though his exit would present the perfect chance for the Portuguese to cement his own mark down at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

In Johnstone, they’d be getting a mighty fine successor as, despite all of West Brom’s struggles, the recently-called-up England man has been their star performer.

“He’s one of the best,” lauded Sam Allardyce back in December, echoing the thoughts of his former boss at Villa, Steve Bruce, who once labelled the glovesman a “diamond” to work with.

No goalkeeper in the Premier League has faced more shots on target (168) than Johnstone, and no goalkeeper has made as many saves either (116). His four saves per 90 minutes is far above that of Lloris (2.77), as per FBRef.

With Lloris being slammed for his weak wrists, it certainly seems like the English colossus could be a viable replacement, and for just £10m, this could be a bargain on Levy’s part.

AND in other news, Spurs could land bargain defensive solution in “complete” 6 foot 4 monster…

After he’d broken onto the scene at Leeds, there would have been a sense of sadness at seeing Jack Clarke move on so soon after showcasing what he could do.

The winger made the step-up to the Premier League with Tottenham back in the summer of 2019, before being sent back on loan to Elland Road for the entire season.

The £9m arrival was once dubbed a “huge talent” by former Leeds assistant Carlos Corberan whilst Marcelo Bielsa hailed him as someone who has “the capacity to create a difference”.

There’s no doubting that he looked a real prospect when he first burst onto the scene, with Noel Whelan waxing-lyrical about him back in 2019, saying:

“He has got a great ability to glide past players. I don’t think I’ve seen a winger really as talented as that, where it looks effortless, just to take somebody on and he really does get you on the edge of your seat, he’s one of those exciting players.”

In fact, after watching the then 18-year-old shine in an impressive 2-0 win against Derby County in the Championship, Gary Lineker took to Twitter to rave about the teenager.

He said: “Not the first Clarke to strut his stuff at Elland Road, but Jack Clarke looks a player. Another talented young English footballer born in 2000.”

But, things just haven’t quite worked out for him since his move to Tottenham, with just three first-team appearances to his name for the Lilywhites.

Clarke has spent most of his time in the past couple of years out on loan at the likes of QPR and Stoke, and it’s been no surprise that according to Transfermarkt, his value is now at a measly £4.5m – exactly half what Spurs paid.

That’s a real indication of just how much of a step backwards his career has taken since Spurs signed him, and exactly why Victor Orta and co made a genius call in allowing him to leave in 2019.

It now seems like Orta  cashed out at the perfect time, getting good money for a young talent who had played just a small handful of first-team games for Leeds.

Meanwhile, Victor Orta pulled off an absolute masterclass for Leeds with this signing…

David Moyes should urge West Ham United to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong and acquire the perfect weapon to pair with Jesse Lingard this summer.

What’s the word?

According to Claret & Hugh, Armstrong has been identified as West Ham’s primary option to fill the void Sebastien Haller left after his £20m move to AFC Ajax in January.

The Irons are expected to focus their efforts on bringing Armstrong to the London Stadium at the end of the season, having opted against a move for the 24-year-old during the winter market.

Moyes weighed up an £8m approach but held off in favour of continuing to build a scouting report on the forward, who Rovers are said to value at £25m after scoring 20 goals in 32 Championship games this season.

Blackburn believe Armstrong is worth a figure in that region after Ollie Watkins sealed a £28m move to Aston Villa last September, having ended the 2019/20 campaign as the second-tier’s joint top-scorer with 26 goals in 49 games.

Rovers may have to accept a slightly lesser sum as Armstrong will enter the final year of his £17,000-per-week contract in the summer, but cannot go too low as Newcastle United will be due 40% of any profit on the £2m they paid the Magpies in 2018.

Moyes has previously been claimed to have carried out personal checks on Armstrong’s progress at Ewood Park, and does not appear to have been put off by his run of four games without a goal before missing Blackburn’s last three with a hamstring injury.

Should West Ham sign Armstrong?

Armstrong emerging as West Ham’s top striker target would suggest Moyes has been pleased with the forward’s efforts despite Blackburn’s downturn in form, which has seen only six of the Championship’s 24 sides claim fewer points since the turn of the year.

That record would be just five of the 24 sides without Armstrong’s winning effort at home to Luton Town on January 30th, the last win the West Denton-born forward was involved in before losing six of the following seven league games.

Rovers boss Tony Mowbray has continued to praise Armstrong’s efforts, despite his side’s result, noting last month that the 5 ft 8 forward is “really special” and has “Premier League quality”.

Mowbray has previously lauded the attacker for his “speed and dynamic movement” that allows Blackburn to play into space, knowing he can attack the ball and create problems for opposing sides to try and contain.

West Ham taking that on board next season could see the Irons acquire the perfect weapon for Lingard to operate in-behind, should the Manchester United talent remain at the London Stadium beyond his loan deal as Moyes currently hopes will be the case.

Only Aaron Cresswell has averaged a higher number of key passes (1.5) per Premier League game for the Hammers this term than Lingard (1.2) has since his winter arrival, but 0.8 of the defender’s chances created have come from corners or free-kicks, per WhoScored.

Of Lingard’s, just 0.2 have come from set-pieces, while Michail Antonio has offered the second-most shots per game (2.2) under Moyes with fewer attempts on goal than Armstrong (4.7) is producing in the Championship as the division’s third-top scorer.

If Moyes can pull off deals with Blackburn and Manchester United this summer, then, West Ham could have an exciting attack next season in Armstrong and Lingard.

AND in other news, West Ham face a £51.5m asking price to sign a dynamic star who grew up learning from Frank Lampard…

Leeds United player Ezgjan Alioski has reportedly agreed to join Galatasaray this summer, bringing an end to his time at Elland Road.

The 29-year-old joined the Whites back in the summer of 2017, making the move from Swiss side FC Lugano. In the years since, the left-back has proven to be a key performer for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, playing an important role in them returning to the Premier League.

In total, Alioski has made 162 appearances for Leeds, scoring 22 goals and also chipping in with 16 assists for good measure. He also has 39 caps to his name for North Macedonia.

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Alioski set to join Galatasaray this summer

Alioski’s £15,000-a-week contract at Elland Road expires in the summer, and it now looks as though he already has his next club sorted.

According to Football Insider, he has agreed a pre-contract with Galatasaray prior to joining them ahead of the start of next season.

Transfer Tavern take

In truth, it has seemed increasingly clear that this would be Alioski’s final season at Leeds, having failed to agree an extension on his current deal.

He will always be remembered as a cult hero for the Whites, though, and someone who largely contributed positively to a great period in the club’s history, featuring prominently as they ended their 16-year top-flight exile last year.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be keen on a move for a hugely experienced Serie A player this summer. Read more here.