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Wolverhampton Wanderers could not have picked a better time to play Chelsea, with the west London outfit struggling recently, and having sacked Graham Potter, they will have Frank Lampard back in the dugout on an interim basis.

Julen Lopetegui started off well at Wolves, but the Old Gold haven’t won since the start of March, and with things extremely tight at the bottom of the Premier League table, a win against the Blues could go a long way to securing safety come the end of the season.

The Molineux side had the perfect chance to move further clear of the relegation zone against Nottingham Forest last week, but they stumbled to a 1-1 draw and Lopetegui could make a few changes in response.

One player we think must be unleashed against Chelsea is winger Adama Traore, whose pace and strength could seriously test their fragile backline.

Will Adama Traore start for Wolves against Chelsea?

The Spaniard started against Forest last week, succeeding with two dribble attempts, making one key pass and winning seven duels during the tight encounter, but he couldn’t push his side towards a winner.

Chelsea have conceded 30 goals this season, and although they could receive a 'new manager boost' with Lampard arriving in midweek, Wolves will have other plans in order to make his first match back one to forget.

Traore hasn’t quite been at his swashbuckling best this season, scoring just twice in the league and creating only four big chances – but there is an argument to say the better the opposition, the better he plays.

Against Tottenham Hotspur last month, the £55k-per-week speedster scored the winner, hit the woodwork and made one key pass in a fine 45-minute display, proving that when he is on form, the 27-year-old can cause havoc to opposition defences. He also assisted in Wolves' 3-0 win over Liverpool in February.

He enjoyed a loan spell back with Barcelona last season in a bid to gain some more game time and get back to his best, and Xavi was full of praise for Traore, saying: "Adama has matured a lot. And physically, he is a beast, a monster… In 1v1 situations, you cannot beat him. Adama is the perfect winger for me. I am convinced that he will be great for us."

His hot-and-cold nature is certainly problematic, but Lopetegui should give him another chance this afternoon, especially with Pedro Neto still battling back to full fitness.

The winger may just deliver again when it matters most and secure Wolves a precious three points, which could go a long way in the relegation battle.

Arsenal are 'willing to pay' the 'jaw-dropping' price tag to sign Declan Rice from West Ham this summer, according to reports.

What's the latest on Rice leaving West Ham?

The England international has been heavily linked with a move away from east London, with Irons boss David Moyes facing a real battle to keep his club captain. Indeed, Rice is set to be a highly sought-after player when the transfer window opens, as Mikel Arteta, Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool are all apparently set to battle for his signature.

Currently in pole position to clinch their first Premier League title in nearly 20 years, Arsenal and sporting director Edu are already thought to be planning ahead on how best to strengthen Arteta's options ahead of the next campaign.

Rice is thought to be a top target for the Gunners, despite the January signing of midfielder Jorginho from Stamford Bridge – and reports have suggested it is inevitable the midfielder will depart West Ham in 2023.

Now, an update by journalist Pete O'Rourke, writing in a Football Insider column, says Arsenal are absolutely determined to sign the 24-year-old. It is believed that the north Londoners are 'willing to meet' Rice's 'jaw-dropping' price tag of £100 million+, with Arteta being a 'huge admirer' personally.

The Arsenal boss also believes his side have a potential ace up their sleeve – with the theory that clinching this 22/23 domestic crown will put them in the 'driving seat' to capture Rice.

What could Rice bring to Arsenal?

The former Chelsea academy starlet has been a revelation for Moyes and a key, key player in their last two European qualification campaigns. As per WhoScored, Rice is as pivotal as ever to West Ham – standing out as their best-performing player by average match rating whist playing more league minutes than any of his teammates.

Called 'sensational' by members of the media, the Hammers midfielder has also registered more interceptions per 90 in the English top flight than any West Ham player – all while averaging the highest pass accuracy (88.9%) out of any regular in Moyes' side (WhoScored).

Stats like this indicate he could add both composure and an element of defensive solidarity to Arteta's team next season, with defensive midfield players thought to be high on Arsenal's agenda.

Former England star Joe Cole was also ecstatic in his praise for Rice at international level during the most recent break, calling him the 'best player' by a mile against Italy.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is eyeing another raid on former club Ajax for Mohammed Kudus, according to talkSPORT.

The Lowdown: Kudus keen on Old Trafford

Kudus made 42 appearances under Ten Hag, contributing to nine goals, and he seems to be keen on a reunion over the summer.

Reports earlier this month stated that there has already been contact over a potential Old Trafford transfer for the Ghana international, who is interested in a move and has told friends of his desire to play for Ten Hag again.

The Latest: Transfer update

TalkSPORT provided an update on Kudus and United in the last 48 hours, claiming that Ten Hag is personally behind a move for the versatile attacker and has placed the player on his list of summer targets.

Ten Hag has continued to track Kudus after signing him for Ajax and appears to be on a transfer shortlist that includes Harry Kane.

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The Verdict: Get it done

You could say that a move for Kudus alongside a new centre-forward like Kane in the summer would be beneficial. The 22-year-old has contributed to a career-best 21 goals during the current campaign and has mainly turned out as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder or centre-forward in recent years.

Called a ‘world class’ talent by former Dutch Footballer Jan van Halst, he would provide a versatile option for Ten Hag in both midfield and attack which could come in handy next season, especially with United on course to be playing in four separate competitions again in 2022/23.

He could even turn out as a right-winger if required, so Kudus could be the next to link up with Ten Hag from Ajax, following in the footsteps of Lisandro Martinez and Antony.

Everton reporter for The Liverpool Echo Joe Thomas was shocked by Idrissa Gueye’s mistake in the build-up to Arsenal’s second goal on Wednesday night.

The Lowdown: Heavy defeat

Everton were made to suffer against the Premier League leaders in the end as two goals from Gabriel Martinelli and one each from Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were enough to give the home side all three points at the Emirates Stadium.

The visitors seemed to be going well for the first 40 minutes, but two goals shortly before the half-time whistle effectively killed the game off.

The Latest: Gueye mistake

Taking to Twitter, Thomas was critical of Gueye in the build-up to Martinelli’s first goal in first-half stoppage time, as he dwelled on the ball for far too long in a dangerous area before Saka pounced on him and fed Martinelli to score:

“Gueye is jogging towards his own goal, I think he thinks the ref has blown for a foul further up the pitch. Saka plays on and nips the ball from Gueye’s toes and it falls to Martinelli, who pokes beyond Pickford. From the sublime to the stunningly ridiculous.”

The Verdict: Really poor…

The mistake itself from Gueye was really poor, but what made matters worse was that it came just before the half-time whistle. The Toffees then went into the break 2-0 down instead of 1-0, and gave themselves a mountain to climb in the second half.

This is not the first time that Gueye has been criticised for his performances under Sean Dyche, and there have even been calls for him to be replaced for next season.

Nonetheless, the midfielder must step up his performances if he wants to keep his starting place for the next crucial run of matches.

Journalist Chris Waugh has insisted that people inside the Newcastle United dressing room recognise that the players are ‘jaded’.

The Lowdown: Newcastle now in a slump

Despite being on a 17-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, sitting in the top four and with a cup final on the horizon, it appears as though Newcastle are struggling to find form following the World Cup.

The Magpies have drawn five out of their last six games in the league, which has seen them drop points against relegation-threatened outfits Bournemouth, Leeds United and West Ham.

It appears that something mooted in recent weeks is how tired and jaded the Newcastle players now look after putting so much into their season to find themselves in this marvellous position.

The Latest: Players starting to look tired

Waugh has revealed on Pod on the Tyne that people from inside the Newcastle dressing room are now of the belief that the squad is looking jaded and tired heading into the cup final.

He said: “For the first time, I exchanged a few messages with people inside the dressing room, there was even an acceptance that they probably were jaded down there [Bournemouth] – and that was from people even inside the dressing room.

“So I think there is an acceptance they’ve reached a stage of the season both physically, in terms of just the number of players who’ve gone down and who they’re having to use over and over again; Eddie Howe has sort of 14 or 15 players he calls upon over and over again, which says a lot about squad depth.

“But then also psychologically, the fact that it probably has slipped towards Wembley that this cup final – for a lot of players, the majority of players in that dressing room haven’t won something before. There are some, the likes of Sean Longstaff and Dan Burn, who obviously have that emotional connection with the club and how huge a day out they realise that’s going to be.”

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The Verdict: Momentum key for the cup final

It is only natural that the Newcastle squad are starting to feel tired and leggy given how much that the core group of players have been playing thus far, but they shouldn’t be short of motivation.

That is because they welcome Liverpool to St James’ Park on Saturday as they look to avenge the Reds – who are the only team to have beaten them in the league this season – while players will be looking to earn their place in the cup final next weekend.

If the players head into the Liverpool game with an eye on the cup final, they risk not being fully focused and potentially more at risk of picking up an injury by not going full-heartedly into tackles and challenges, while a poor performance could also see them fall out of favour with Howe at the worst possible time.

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that potential Tottenham Hotspur January transfer signing Nicolo Zaniolo could be “absolute fire”.

What’s the word?

With now less than a week remaining in the winter market, it remains to be seen what big deals are still to be completed by teams in the Premier League.

Spurs, however, will be delighted to have hijacked Everton’s move for Arnaut Danjuma recently and look set to make him their own.

Despite that, there have also been reports suggesting another attacking player could be joining the club with Zaniolo linked heavily too.

While speaking about the player on Chasing Green Arrows, Jones seemed pretty excited about the player arriving in England this winter.

The journalist said: “He’s had a tricky time at Roma, he’s such a good player. He’s had a tricky time, he’s had some injury problems, some real tough injuries as well for someone of his age, and the style of play that he has.

“But he is an exciting footballer. And I’ve given it a medium [likelihood] rating because there’s levels of competition here involved. And because we can’t be sure exactly how he takes to the Premier League and that he can stay fit.

“So I don’t want to go hype him up too much. If he was to fulfil his potential, though, this signing would be absolute fire.”

Worth the risk?

Antonio Conte has made it clear that he wants new signings this winter and the Italian probably won’t be satisfied with just Danjuma arriving as the club fight to maintain their status as a Champions League side.

Zaniolo could be a pretty exciting prospect – Jones certainly seems to think so – however, his injury record is something to consider.

After all, at the age of 23, he has already suffered two cruciate ligament ruptures, while a series of other fitness issues have slowed him down in recent seasons.

What’s more, the player’s attitude has come under some scrutiny of late with Roma fans booing him for a recent disappointing display in a Serie A game.

Manchester City star Joao Cancelo could be unhappy at the club amid links with moves away, Luke Edwards has claimed.

What’s the word?

The Portugal star has lost his seemingly guaranteed place in the side, with youngster Rico Lewis starting ahead of him in some of their recent matches, while he has been linked with a number of overseas clubs, according to The Telegraph.

The 28-year-old has been outstanding throughout his City career, but seems to have hit a rocky patch since being sent off against Fulham back in November.

Speaking on the BBC’s Transfer Gossip Daily podcast, journalist Edwards claimed that Cancelo may not be happy right now given that he has been dropped, but this is unlikely to lead to a transfer.

He said: “I thought he was happy in Manchester, he was voted in the PFA Team of the Year last year, I’ve seen quite a lot of Manchester City and I thought he was one of their best players last season.

“I wasn’t particularly aware that he was playing badly this year, but this is Pep Guardiola – he criticised Kevin De Bruyne’s form, Grealish has been dropped, Foden hasn’t been in the team. This is what he’s like. What this story probably tells you is that Cancelo isn’t very happy. I suspect there is an element of that in there.

“Footballers tend to be a little bit like small children – spoiled small children, at that. He’s lost his place in the team and this is like a very polite way of throwing his toys out the pram and indicating that he’s not particularly happy.

“I think Manchester City will just ignore it. And I think Pep Guardiola, it won’t bother him in the slightest. I don’t think there’s any danger of him leaving this month.”

Unlikely to move

It would likely take a huge offer to convince City to part ways with such a crucial player, and Cancelo is arguably still one of the best around in his position.

He ranks in the top 2% of full-backs for shots, passes, progressive passes and dribbles, highlighting his excellence in attack, and it will surely only be a matter of time before he regains his spot in the side in the long term. In fact, he played the full 90 minutes against Manchester United this weekend.

City are starting to falter in the title race as they find themselves five points behind Arsenal following their defeat in that Manchester derby, and they will need to find their own form again if they are to defend their title. Perhaps reinstating Cancelo’s starting place and keeping him happy will go some way to doing that.

Tottenham Hotspur are now monitoring Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha for a transfer swoop, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Palhinha’s form

Palhinha only joined Fulham in the summer, arriving for a fee of £20m, but he has already impressed considerably for Marco Silva’s side, ranked as their best-performing midfielder in the Premier League, averaging a 7.16 match rating.

Given this fantastic start to life in England, it was perhaps inevitable that the top clubs would come calling, and now two of the so-called ‘big six’ appear to be interested in signing the Portugal international…

The Latest: Conte eyeing Palhinha

According to transfer expert Dean Jones (speaking to Give Me Sport), both Tottenham and Liverpool are casting an eye over the 27-year-old for a potential summer move, with the Reds having him on their radar even before he moved to Fulham.

However, a deal may prove to be difficult, as the Cottagers do not want to lose him, as they know that they have a gem on their hands and believe the player is absolutely vital to their team.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Tottenham’s priorities in this window have been identified as an attacking player and a right-back, so the former Sporting CP man isn’t a requirement, but landing him in the summer could prove to be a fantastic bit of business.

Hailed as ‘outstanding’ for his performance against Liverpool back in August, the maestro has gone from strength to strength as the weeks have gone by, later being praised by football writer Mark Carruthers for his work-rate and timing of challenges.

Antonio Conte already has Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as a defensive option in the midfield, but Palhinha has outclassed him by quite a large margin over the past year, averaging more tackles, blocks, clearances and aerials won per 90 than the Dane, and so signing him would upgrade the central-midfield area considerably.

Liverpool crashed out of the League Cup last night at the hands of bitter rivals Manchester City, in what was a hard-fought encounter.

Finishing 3-2, the Cityzens did dominate large parts of the game. Boasting 57% of the ball, their 18 shots and nine on target dwarfed the seven and two on target from the reds, via Sofascore.

Admittedly, the score line somewhat flattered Jurgen Klopp’s men, but it shows that the game was clearly winnable.

Where it was lost was in the midfield, with a weak showing from a makeshift trio.

Arguably the most disappointing performer from the night came from those three, with youngster Harvey Elliott once again struggling to compete with the incomparable quality Pep Guardiola boasts.

The 19-year-old has become something of a mainstay in the side for the Merseyside outfit, having already made 42 appearances despite only signing in 2019.

However, besting the likes of Kevin De Bruyne is a task few have accomplished, and the teenager was the latest to fail miserably last night.

Having been dragged off after 57 minutes, his 5.9 rating was the worst of any player on the pitch. Elliott was invisible, and only recorded 32 touches all game.

Even goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher recorded more (62).

Whilst he maintained an 88% pass accuracy, it was his work rate and defensive deficiencies that made him such a villain for the travelling support.

Having competed in seven duels, the former Fulham man would win just one, marking an 86% failure rate.

He would not make a single tackle, clearance, block or interception, and was also dribbled past once, as per Sofascore.

This performance allowed the Belgian maestro the freedom of the Etihad, as he strolled around the park making 72 touches and recording two vital assists.

Despite winning the trophy last season, Klopp’s men, unfortunately, failed in their trophy defence as Man City marched on. They are now on track to win the competition for the fifth time in the last six years.

Whilst there were a few disappointments to note throughout the game, Elliott stood out as the key failure in their midfield. It allowed Guardiola’s key man to thrive, and he unsurprisingly was the game changer.

Manchester United are pushing hard to extend youngster Alejandro Garnacho’s stay at the club, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Garnacho a special prospect

The 18-year-old has burst onto the scene in explosive fashion at United, looking like one of the most exciting young prospects there in years.

Garnacho dramatically scored a last-gasp winner at Fulham in his side’s final Premier League game before the World Cup break, and he has two goals and assists apiece in total this season.

Worryingly, the Argentine is out of contract at United at the end of this season, however, so they desperately need to try and sort a new deal as soon as possible.

The Latest: New deal close?

Writing on Twitter on Monday, Romano claimed that the Red Devils are working hard on securing a new contract for Garnacho:

“Man United will push again to extend Alejandro Garnacho’s contract, talks are ongoing.”

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The Verdict: Simply have to tie him down

At this point, it would be an absolutely huge blow for United to lose Garnacho next summer, especially as it would mean him departing on a free transfer.

He is a special young footballer who they need to tie down for many years to come, also making sure they are in a strong bargaining position, should another club ever come calling.

United colleague Lisandro Martinez has said that Garnacho has ‘no ceiling’ as a player, which is massive praise, and he possesses both the natural ability and touch of arrogance that could make him the next great attacking hero at Old Trafford.