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Manchester City’s run of four straight wins in all competitions came to an end as they failed to break down Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s side came into the game off the back of wins over Norwich, Arsenal, Leicester and RB Leipzig, scoring 17 goals in the process, but were unable to continue their positive momentum as they were held to a 0-0 draw by the Saints.

Although City struggled in attack as they only managed one shot on target all afternoon, they were able to show defensive resolve to ensure that Southampton did not come away from the match with all three points.

One player in particular who contributed heavily to the clean sheet was Portugal international Ruben Dias. The centre-back was a shining light on an otherwise dismal afternoon for City as his superb play at the back helped Guardiola’s team to pick up a point.

Defensively, Dias was outstanding. As per SofaScore, Dias won eight duels during the game, including six of his eight in the air. This shows that he was up to the physical challenge placed on him by the Saints as he won his personal battles. He also made six clearances, one tackle, three interceptions and an eye-catching four blocks to stop the opposition from troubling Ederson’s goal.

The fact he was able to make four blocks shows that his positioning was exceptional. Dias was able to put himself into positions where he could get his body in the way of Southampton shots, which shows bravery and tactical intelligence.

He also caught the eye in possession. As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old had 102 touches of the ball and completed 90% of his passes, including three of his five long pass attempts. Along with that, he also created two chances for his teammates from centre-back, although he was let down by their finishing.

These statistics show that Dias was superb defensively and in possession of the ball to build up the play, but his team-mates were unable to do the rest of the job to ensure victory. Regardless of the disappointing result, though, Guardiola will surely be pleased to see such a complete performance from the former Benfica man.

Hopefully Dias will continue to be as solid as ever at the back for City and provide them with the platform for his attacking team-mates to make the chances count at the other end.

In other news, Joleon Lescott thinks Man City should have made a move for this superstar striker in the summer.

Everton have already made their first signing of Ukrainian left-back, Vitaliy Mykolenko, on the opening day of the transfer window, and on the fourth day, it looks like they could be making their second on the opposite side of the defence line, as a new transfer update emerges.

What’s the word?

Transfer insider, Fabrizio Romano, has taken to his Twitter account this morning to give fans an update on the current situation on potential Toffees signing, Nathan Patterson.

He updated his 1.3 million Twitter followers on the progress:

“Nathan Patterson now prepared to undergo his medical tests as new Everton player. Personal terms fully agreed, just waiting for contract signing. Here we go confirmed. #EFC.”

Adding further information on the deal, Romano reports:

“Rangers will receive £12m plus bonuses for Patterson. Paperworks now – then official statement.”

Fans will be buzzing

The 20 year old right back has been making waves in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers, and impressed back in November when he scored his first goal and assisted Che Adams’ second for the Scotland national side against Moldova in a World Cup Qualifier that landed the nation a play-off place to compete for a spot at the Qatar World Cup at the end of this year.

Everton have been in extremely poor form, finding themselves 15th in the Premier League with three defeats and only one win in their last five games, registering five wins in total and picking up just 19 points over the season so far.

The defensive line has been the topic of conversation over the last few months for the Toffees as manager, Rafa Benitez was rumoured to have a fall out with Lucas Digne, resulting in a new left back signing and speculation of a move for the Frenchman, who hasn’t been seen in the side since the Merseyside Derby.

Seamus Coleman, who has completed retiring as his contract ends in under 18 months.

It seems the Patterson signing could confirm the intentions to phase out the 33-year-old who has been part of the Everton team this season that have conceded 32 goals and managed only three clean sheets so far.

We expect fans will be buzzing to see a fresh pair of legs added into the team that has a number of ageing players, especially in the right back position, where the need for a Coleman replacement has become rather desperate this term.

In other news: Speculation over Lucas Digne’s future mounting

Liverpool have had no issues when it comes to scoring goals in their latest Premier League season.

With 30 league games played, the Reds have found the back of the net 77 times, which is more than any other top-flight side have managed to score in this campaign.

One figure, in particular, that has contributed a lot towards Liverpool’s attacking power over recent months is winger Mohamed Salah.

Having appeared in 28 league games, the 29-year-old Egyptian has scored 20 goals and provided ten assists along the way, which is more league contributions than any other Reds player has been able to deliver.

Despite the 29-year-old’s deadliness in front of goal, it seems as though the Merseyside club could be looking to bring in another attacking talent that could potentially dethrone the iconic Liverpool star in the near future.

What’s the news?

According to journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, West Ham United winger Jarrod Bowen is one name on a list of players identified by the Reds for a potential summer transfer move.

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Since arriving at the east London club back in the 2020 January transfer window from Hull City, the Englishman has scored 22 goals and provided 21 assists in 93 appearances across all competitions, prior to their Europa League clash against Lyon.

‘Massive’ signing for Liverpool

With nine goals and eight assists to his name in 29 league appearances in this campaign, the 25-year-old has earned himself an overall performance rating of 7.23/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated player in David Moyes’ squad. With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that he was dubbed a “massive” player for the club by Pablo Fornals.

To highlight how much of an attacking threat the £75m-valued former Hull star is, he has managed to rack up more shots on target this season (29) than the likes of Diogo Jota, Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling among many others.

While Salah may have more goal contributions than Bowen, the West Ham figure has proven himself to be a much more defensive-minded attacker by making 55 tackles and 45 interceptions more than the £90m-rated gem.

Having been labelled as an “unbelievable” player by Klopp in the past, as well as being a “special” talent by Sporting Index, Bowen would certainly be a solid addition to Liverpool’s already attack-heavy squad.

Taking into account how the Hammers star is a few years younger than Salah, he could well be a potential replacement for the Reds winger if his contract situation doesn’t sort itself out and he ends up leaving.

In other news: Liverpool now plot bid for £144m-rated “phenomenon”, he’s even better than Salah…

With Liverpool having lost Harvey Elliott to a serious ankle injury back in September, followed by Roberto Firmino picking up a hamstring injury earlier this month, it’s safe to say Jurgen Klopp has not had much luck when it comes to having all of his attacking options available to him this season.

With the latest international break underway, it seemed as though the Reds could have been struck with another injury issue to one of their key attacking players.

However, there has been a development that will surely be a big relief to everyone at the Merseyside club.

What’s the news?

After being forced off the pitch during Senegal’s recent World Cup qualifying clash with Togo after 28 minutes with a suspected injury, Senegal coach Aliou Cisse revealed that Mane’s injury is not a serious one and that he was taken off as a precaution, which should be great news for Klopp.

Given how the 29-year-old, who is currently valued at £76.5m according to Transfermarkt, has managed to score eight goals in 15 games across all competitions so far this season, this shows just how important he is to the team and why it will be a big relief that his injury, on this occasion, was not a serious one.

In addition to his goals, the winger has also managed to rack up an average of 3.4 shots at goal per game in the Premier League and an overall season rating of 7.24/10, making him Liverpool’s fourth-highest rated player according to WhoScored, highlighting how much of a vital figure he is for the club.

Moving forward, with Senegal set to play Congo on Sunday in their next World Cup qualifying match, everyone at Liverpool will undoubtedly be hoping that Mane will be able to get through this game unscathed and then return back to Merseyside ready to take on Arsenal when the Premier League returns later this month.

If Mane is fit to play against Mikel Arteta’s side, then he will surely give the Reds a better chance of securing a win against the north London club, who are on a good run of form at the moment, remaining unbeaten in their eight previous league games, having also conceded just one goal in their last three matches.

In other news: FSG could secure perfect Milner heir at Liverpool with “phenomenal” £58.5m-rated beast – opinion

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will run the rule over loaned-out Frederic Guilbert in the summer, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece says. 

The lowdown

Villa paid £4.5million to sign Guilbert, a right-back, from SM Caen back in 2019, and he made 25 Premier League appearances during their first season back in the top flight.

Last January, half a season on from the arrival of Matty Cash from Nottingham Forest, he sealed a loan move to RC Strasbourg.

That spell in Alsace was extended in the summer and will run to the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

Guilbert, who’s valued at £5.4million by Transfermarkt, has featured in the Ligue 1 outfit’s last 17 games, starting 14.

His £40,000-per-week Villa contract has 18 months left to run.

The latest

Preece was asked in a fan Q & A whether Gerrard would give Guilbert a chance to challenge Matty Cash ahead of the 2022/23 season.

“He’ll have a good look at him in the summer before a decision is made,” he replied. “He’s been doing well in France!”

The verdict

Guilbert could be worth a try. Since his switch to Strasbourg a year ago, he’s impressively laid on seven assists in 33 matches.

Compare that to Cash, who’s in the midst of something of a barren run in that department. His last Premier League assist came way back in December 2020.

Gerrard may want more production from full-back, which was a key part of his success at Rangers.

And that could open the door for the 27-year-old, who may still harbour hopes of resurrecting his Villa career.

In other news, Tyrone Mings reacts to this huge Villa boost.

Marcelo Biela’s Leeds United go in search of their second Premier League win of the season as they face Norwich at Carrow Road today.

The Whites are up against a Norwich side who sit bottom of the table and lost 7-0 to Chelsea in their last league match. Meanwhile, Leeds lost 2-0 to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup in their last game, exiting in the last 16 of the competition.

How many changes will Bielsa make to his side for today? Here is our predicted XI for the match…

We are predicting that he will make five alterations to the team from midweek, with Junior Firpo, Liam Cooper, Mateusz Klich, Raphinha and Joe Gelhardt all coming in.

Starting at centre-back, Cooper could return in place of Pascal Struijk. The Leeds captain has started every league match this season and his place on the bench against the Gunners yielded a much-needed rest for the Scotland international.

Bielsa has ruled Luke Ayling, Robin Koch and Patrick Bamford out of contention, whilst admitting that Firpo, Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips are set to be available for selection. He told The Athletic: “There is no precise return date for the injuries of Ayling, Bamford and Koch.

“(Junior) Firpo and Raphinha are likely to be available. (Jamie) Shackleton is likely to be available. (Kalvin Phillips) is fine to return.”

We published an article explaining why Firpo should start at left-back, with Stuart Dallas having struggled against Arsenal. The 30-year-old lost 70% of his duels in the match and had a 0% success rate from his attempted dribbles and crosses throughout the game.

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Out wide, Raphinha could replace summer signing Dan James. We have outlined why the 23-year-old flop should be axed from the team, and Bielsa could now start the Brazilian ahead of him against Norwich, with Jack Harrison switching over to the left. Raphinha has three goals in eight Premier League matches this season and could add to his tally today against a struggling Canaries side.

Finally, we are predicting that Klich and Gelhardt will play ahead of Tyler Roberts and Adam Forshaw in midfield. The latter duo failed to impress in midweek and were replaced by the former pair before the 60th minute, perhaps indicating that Bielsa is looking at them to start against Norwich. It could be a huge chance for young Gelhardt to prove his worth if he is handed a place in the starting XI.

AND in other news, Sold for £10m, now a Championship outcast: Leeds had a blinder with “special” 24 y/o…

Graeme Jones’ first match in charge of Newcastle United ended in disappointment as their winless start to the Premier League season continued against Crystal Palace with a 1-1 draw.

Christian Benteke fired the hosts in front on 56 minutes before Callum Wilson rescued a draw shortly afterwards with a sensational overhead kick into the top corner. The Magpies remain 19th in the Premier League table and are three points off safety, whilst they are only two points ahead of bottom side Norwich.

One player in particular who let Jones down with his display against the Eagles was Allan Saint-Maximin.

The French winger, who is usually the bright spark for the Magpies, was disappointing throughout the game before being taken off for Joelinton in the second half. Saint-Maximin is used to being the star of the show with his tricky, brilliant performances and has so often been a game-changer for the club, but he was unable to showcase his best qualities in the first match after Steve Bruce’s dismissal.

In the eight games prior to today, he had produced two goals and three assists. This shows that he has the ability to provide quality in the final third, which is why he let Jones down this afternoon with his dreadful showing against Palace.

As per SofaScore, Saint-Maximin lost five of his nine duels, including five of his seven ground duels. He also failed to make a single tackle as he was dribbled past once, with zero clearances or blocks, whilst making just one interception for his team. This shows that he was a lightweight in his defensive duties, allowing Palace to get past him too easily.

On the ball, he was not his usual self either. As per SofaScore, he had a dribble success rate of 0% and only completed five of his 12 attempted passes (42%). The 24-year-old also failed to complete a single cross or long ball and lost possession a whopping 19 times from 31 touches.

Along with his lack of defensive nous, Saint-Maximin was unable to effectively use his dribbling skills to create chances for himself and others. Normally so lively in the final third, he was far from his best today and ended up letting Jones down at Selhurst Park.

AND in other news, Ba 2.0: PIF could land goalscoring sensation with NUFC swoop for “incredible” beast…

West Ham United star Declan Rice has been linked with a move to Manchester United next summer, via ESPN.

The Lowdown: Rice shines for Hammers

Rice, valued at £63 million, has gotten better and better since breaking onto the scene in the 2017/18 season. Originally a centre-back and a defensive midfielder, the 22-year-old has drastically improved on his game and is now one of David Moyes’ most well-rounded players.

After a strong Euro 2020 with England, Rice returns to the London Stadium this season with European football to dig his teeth in and continues to attract the interest of the top six.

Being close friends with Chelsea’s Mason Mount has previously seen him linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, but with no official offer over the summer, Rice remains a Hammer.

The Latest: United keen next summer

As per ESPN sources, Manchester United ‘remain keen’ on securing the signature of Rice, after opting not to sign a midfielder in the previous transfer window.

The report also states that sources have said a striker and a midfielder are on the list for next summer and Rice is among a number of options that will be looked at come the end of the season.

Rice is under contract until 2024  and it is likely that the Hammers would have to lower their valuation of the midfielder if he is to move on in the future.

The Verdict: New contract or move on

There have been previous reports linking Rice to sign a new contract at the London Stadium, but with no new deal on the horizon just yet, it may be a case of cashing in for a massive fee if he does not agree to extend his stay.

Rice was called an ‘excellent player’ by Alan Shearer for his impressive performances last season and United’s pulling power would be hard to turn down if they came in with a bid in the region of the Hammers’ enormous £100m asking price.

Yes, his departure would hurt the fans, but playing in the Champions League and playing with the best is something Rice wants so if the right offer is made, it could be the best move for all parties to make it happen.

In other news, Stuart Pearce has been full of praise for current Hammers ace. Find out more here.

Newcastle United are looking into a potential January deal for Lille centre-back Sven Botman, according to The Athletic. 

The lowdown

21-year-old Botman was ‘heavily linked’ with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in January 2020 and has admirers at a host of top clubs.

He’s described the Premier League as a ‘beautiful competition’ with an appealing style of football, so it would perhaps be no surprise to see his next move take him to England.

The Dutchman has also compared himself to Sergio Ramos and said he adopts a ‘killing attitude’ on the pitch.

The latest

‘Newcastle United exploring [the] possibility of signing’ Botman during the mid-season window, The Athletic’s David Ornstein says.

He’s ‘among [the] leading NUFC targets’, but it will take an ‘exceptional’ offer in the region of £40million to recruit him in the winter.

Lille don’t want to lose him midway through their European campaign, and they’re also expecting further offers in the summer.

He only earns £18,000 per week at present, but Botman would allegedly be near ‘the summit’ of Newcastle’s earning list if he moved to St James’ Park.

While the pursuit is ‘driven by the head of recruitment Steve Nickson’, manager Eddie Howe apparently approves of the 6 foot 4 colossus.

The verdict

Botman could be described as a ball-playing centre-half. Among positional peers in the top five leagues, he ranks in the 78th percentile for passes attempted, and the 80th for progressive passes (via FBRef).

In addition to helping Howe’s side build attacks though, he could shore them up defensively too. Last season, he was virtually ever-present in a Lille side that beat Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title while conceding just 23 goals.

Given the calibre of player, and of competition for his signature, this would be a real statement signing for the Magpies.

In other news, this PL defender has also been tipped to join NUFC.

West Ham United are battling Napoli for the signing of Villarreal left-back Pervis Estupinan, according to Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

The Ecuador international only joined Villarreal in September 2020, leaving Watford in a £14.76m deal after they were relegated from the Premier League last summer.

The Hornets had previously loaned him out to three different Spanish clubs and never handed him a competitive debut (via Sky Sports).

Estupinan made 33 appearances for Unai Emery’s side in all competitions, including four in the Europa League as he helped Villarreal to lift the trophy after beating Manchester United on penalties in the final.

It may be difficult to prise him away from The Yellow Submarine, though, given that they committed him to a seven-year contract on his arrival.

The latest

The report from Corriere dello Sport (via Sport Witness) stated that West Ham are now in the frame for the 23-year-old, along with Luciano Spaletti’s Napoli.

While the Serie A outfit have been pursuing the move for longer, the Irons could have the advantage in this transfer race because they ‘don’t seem to have any economic problems’.

The verdict

This would be a slightly superfluous move for the Hammers. They already have two good left-back options in the form of Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku, whose respective WhoScored average match ratings for 2020/21 were 6.81 and 6.89, both of which far outshone Estupinan’s 6.53.

On top of that, Villarreal would be within their rights to demand a hefty sum of money less than 12 months on from signing the Ecuadorian.

There are bigger priorities to be addressed – namely a centre-back, a backup forward and an alternative to Jesse Lingard if he isn’t going to be returning permanently – so the Irons shouldn’t be too dismayed if they don’t manage to sign the Villarreal full-back.

In other news, West Ham are plotting a new bid for this transfer target.