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Rangers managed to reclaim their spot at the top of the Scottish Premiership table as they beat Hibernian 2-1 on Sunday.

Kevin Nisbet headed Hibs in front in the opening 10 minutes before Ryan Porteous was sent off in the 30th minute for a poor challenge on Joe Aribo.

The Gers were able to find the leveller in the 60th minute as Nathan Patterson put the ball on a plate for Kemar Roofe to nod home at the back post. Alfredo Morelos then won the match with his goal, assisted by Borna Barisic, in the 78th minute.

Roofe and Morelos may steal the headlines with their goals, but one player who was an unsung hero in the midfield was summer signing John Lundstram. He found a balance between defensive ballast and impressive play in possession to put in an all-around brilliant display.

Defensively, he was almost faultless for Rangers. Per SofaScore, he made four tackles, three interceptions and one block. He also won 62.5% of his duels on the pitch in the game, winning five of his eight 50/50 battles against Hibernian players.

This shows that he was able to snuff out Hibernian attacks with his defensive awareness and strength. He did not allow the opposition to pass by him easily, which allowed Rangers to dominate the game – contributing to the final result.

On the ball, he was composed and assured in possession to maintain the dominance. Per SofaScore, he had an eye-catching 118 touches of the ball – completing 99 of his 104 attempted passes (95%) and only giving the ball away six times from all of those touches.

Lundstram was efficient with his passing and did not give the ball away on a regular basis. Not only did this stop Hibernian from gaining the ball, but it also allowed Rangers to pile the pressure on the opposition goal and tire the midfield, which then created space for the Gers to work with.

Therefore, the midfield beast was Gerrard’s unsung hero in the match as he did the dirty work so that the forward players could shine in possession of the ball.

Hopefully, the summer arrival from Sheffield United will continue to perform to these standards and maintain his place in the starting XI to improve Gerrard’s side, which is – presumably – why he was brought to the club.

AND in other news, Gerrard masterclass: Rangers beast has seen his value soar 33.3% in less than 2 years…

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have gone wild over a Sky Sports post involving midfielder and fan favourite Tomas Soucek.

The Czech Republic international, signed by manager David Moyes in the summer of 2020, has gone on to become a real favourite at the London Stadium.

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Last season, he was one of the fixtures in a West Ham team which defied all expectation and played a pivotal role in helping the Hammers to European qualification.

The 26-year-old won an outstanding 6.2 aerial duels per 90, more than any other West Ham player, whilst also starting every single Premier League game and making the joint-most tackles (WhoScored).

Now, Sky Sports have dropped a post on Soucek which further supports his ability.

According to their power rankings, a formula which bases a player’s season on 35 different statistics and ‘removes all subjectivity’, Soucek has been the seventh-best player across Europe’s top five leagues since October 2020.

This is above the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Memphis Depay and Harry Kane – with this analysis now sending West Ham fans wild on Twitter.

Find all of their best reactions down below.

West Ham fans erupt over Sky Sports post…

“Man like Tomas!”

Credit: @WestHamViews_

“TOMAS SOUCEK ON A BALLON DOR POST??? INJECT IT”

Credit: @RiceSZN_

“TOMAS SOUCEK IS RANKED AS THE 7TH BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD, THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”

Credit: @FinallyFornals

“We are massive”

Credit: @apearson18_

“Yh we are massive. What a player”

Credit: @HR_whuFC

“Potato Salad is the goat”

Credit: @HammersMighty

“Machine”

Credit: @whu1515

In other news: Newman gifted boost in race to sign ‘outstanding’ star who is ‘very keen’ to join West Ham, find out more here.

Sven Botman appears to have confirmed there was interest in his services from Wolverhampton Wanderers and others during the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Wolves eye Botman

During the summer transfer window, the 6 foot 4 Botman was heavily linked with a move to Molineux (Sky Sports).

Liverpool were also interested in his services (via The Mirror), but he ended up staying with Lille, where he won Ligue 1 last term.

The Latest: Botman discusses interest

Speaking to NOS, Botman discussed the summer window. He had this to say when asked about interest from the likes of Wolves and Liverpool:

“I can’t lie about that.

“(The decision to stay came) from the club. But I didn’t think that was a bad idea in the end.

“I have a starting place and play in the Champions League so it’s certainly not wrong to stay. In football sometimes things go quickly – but I believe in the end everything will work out.”

The Verdict: Looking good

Botman burst onto the scene last term as part of Christophe Galtier’s back four for Les Dogues. All in all, he made 37 appearances in Ligue 1 for Lille as they captured the title from Paris Saint-Germain (Transfermarkt).

They conceded just 23 goals in the division, less than any other side (Sky Sports). He has been compared to Virgil van Dijk, which is obviously huge praise (via Give Me Sport).

Unsurprisingly, £25.2m-valued Botman (Transfermarkt) therefore attracted plenty of interest.

However, while Wolves are currently in 12th place in the Premier League table, their defensive record is impressive – only three sides have conceded less than their six goals, so perhaps the push to sign the towering Dutchman was not as crucial as it appeared.

In other news, this Wolves target is keen on a return to the Premier League.

With Bruno Lage’s Wolverhampton Wanderers side heading into Saturday’s Premier League clash in an excellent run of form, the 45-year-old would have undoubtedly been hoping for yet another positive result against a struggling Leeds United side this afternoon.

With Wolves having taken the lead through Hwang Hee-chan’s early first-half strike, a lead that Lage’s side would maintain as the clock ticked over the 90-minute mark, the Portuguese may well have believed that his team had done enough to secure all three points at Elland Road, despite having not put on anywhere near their best display of the season.

However, a surging 93rd-minute run by Leeds’ second half substitute Joe Gelhardt caused late panic in the Wolves penalty area, with Nelson Semedo clumsily bringing down the 19-year-old and gifting Rodrigo the opportunity to level the scores with practically the last kick of the game, which the Spaniard duly did.

Indeed, Semedo’s carelessness in the dying moments of the match summed up the right wing-back’s afternoon rather aptly, as the 27-year-old was something of a liability in the Wolves defence.

Just 8 passes completed

Having made a £28.8m move from Barcelona to Molineux this summer, Semedo’s Wolves career has gotten off to a rather shaky start, with the defender impressing in some fixtures – such as in the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and the 1-0 win over Southampton – while he has looked some way off the pace in others, with this afternoon certainly falling into the latter category.

Indeed, over the course of the 90 minutes, the £25.2m-rated right-back completed a mere eight passes, failed with both of his attempted long balls, conceded one foul and gave away possession on 11 separate occasions.

However, it was undoubtedly the £84k-per-week defender’s carelessness at the death which let his side down the most on Saturday. If the Portugal international had kept a cooler head in the box – something Conor Coady illustrated perfectly a matter of minutes prior to Semedo’s foul, when the club captain simply shepherded Rodrigo away from goal after the forward had broken through – Wolves would have been celebrating yet another three points in the league tonight.

While there were other players in Lage’s side who turned in below-par displays on Saturday, with neither Leander Dendoncker nor Romain Saiss having their best games in a Wolves shirt, it was perhaps the player who journalist Nathan Judah dubbed “frustrating” who should be most disappointed with his performance.

In other news: Wolves’ £6.3m-rated “breath of fresh air” could cause Lage a major problem next season

After picking up a red card and a three-game ban during their 3-1 Premier League defeat against Chelsea earlier this month, Southampton will welcome their club captain James Ward-Prowse back this weekend for their match against Watford after completing his ban.

However, it seems as though the club could potentially lose their star midfielder on a permanent basis during the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by Football Insider that Ward-Prowse is apparently a “firm target” for fellow Premier League side Newcastle United and their new owners in January to try and strengthen their midfield, given their poor start to the season.

After working his way through Southampton’s youth academy, Ward-Prowse has gone on to make 331 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, scoring 35 goals and providing 42 assists along the way, which is why we feel the Southampton fans would be concerned by the possibility of him leaving in January to Newcastle.

In addition to this, Ward-Prowse had played 90 minutes of all of Southampton’s Premier League games so far this season prior to him getting sent off against Chelsea, proving himself to be a vital cog in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad.

Back in the previous summer transfer window, the 26-year-old, who is currently valued at £28.8m according to Transfermarkt, was heavily linked with a move to Aston Villa, who reportedly put in an offer of £25m which was apparently rejected by Southampton.

After that, Ward-Prowse put pen to paper on a new five-year deal at Southampton, securing his long-term future at St. Mary’s and putting to bed any rumours of him leaving the club.

Taking this into account, Ward-Prowse isn’t likely to leave the club in January for a move to Newcastle given how he said that he is “not finished” at Southampton and still has “a lot left to give” to the club when he signed his latest deal.

Moving forward, even if Newcastle come in with a big offer for the Englishman, they would need a lot more than the financial aspect of things to get Ward-Prowse to leave his boyhood club that he clearly loves playing for.

In other news: Ralph must ruthlessly axe “professional” Saints star on Sat, he struggled vs Chelsea – opinion

Antonio Conte will be in the dugout to take charge of his first game as Tottenham Hotspur boss after being appointed on a one-and-a-half-year deal on Tuesday afternoon.

The Italian’s work permit has come through just in time to lead out his new side later this evening when they welcome Dutch outfit Vitesse to north London in the Europa Conference League.

He will need to spark an instant reaction with Spurs sat third in Group G, having been defeated 1-0 in the Netherlands two weeks ago.

Conte has barely had time to properly implement his own ideas and philosophy, so it will be interesting to see what sort of formation and lineup he opts for.

With that in mind, here’s the XI we’re predicting tonight…

The 52-year-old will want to kickstart his reign with a bang, so we could see much of his first-team squad feature – there could be just three changes from the side that were thrashed 3-0 by Manchester United on Sunday.

That will also include a change in system as Conte’s famed 3-5-2 gets a run out for the very first time.

Spurs club captain and no.1 Hugo Lloris is set to remain between the sticks despite Pierluigi Gollini often being the choice in the competition, whilst we could see a three-man defence of Eric Dier, Cristian Romero and Davinson Sanchez.

On either flank in a new and exciting advanced wing-back role, we’re expecting Sergio Reguilon to come back into the side over Ben Davies, with Emerson Royal continuing on the right.

There are plenty of decisions to be made in the engine room but it’s 21-year-old academy gem Oliver Skipp who is likely to be an unfortunate casualty as Conte may prefer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg occupying a deeper role on his own, allowing Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso freedom further forward.

They will need to get up and down and be industrious in the middle in order to support the two-pronged frontline of Heung-min Son and Harry Kane, who should thrive off each other in the final third.

This change in formation means the £18m-rated Lucas Moura is ruthlessly axed as the Italian is unlikely to utilise wingers in their natural form.

AND in other news, Paratici could transform Conte’s Spurs by signing “special” £63m-rated “absolute gem”…

Guillem Balague has revealed that Newcastle United have now started talks with Kieran Trippier’s representatives over the possibility of signing him.

The Lowdown: Howe relationship

Eddie Howe is certainly expected to be the next permanent manager to take over at St. James’ Park, with reports claiming that he is incoming.

Of course, he knows Trippier very well from his time coaching him at Burnley, as the right-back made 61 appearances in total under the Englishman, scoring four goals and supplying 11 assists in all competitions over two consecutive seasons (Transfermarkt).

Trippier spoke highly of him while he was at the Clarets, claiming that he is a ‘great manager’ who helped him personally (The Burnley Express).

Likewise, Howe has expressed his fondness for the England international, admiring his dedication and claiming that he is ‘one of the best crossers of the ball’ that he has ever worked with (The Bournemouth Echo).

The Latest: Talks underway

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live (via HITC), journalist and La Liga expert Balague has revealed that the North East club have started talks with Trippier’s people over potentially signing him from Atletico:

“I hear from Atletico Madrid that Newcastle are really interested in getting Trippier and they have started negotiations with his people. I am not sure if they will get him or not.”

The Verdict: No-brainer

With the potential of Howe reuniting with Trippier, it is certainly a no-brainer for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium to get a deal over the line.

He will know how to get the best out of the 31-year-old, and Trippier’s relationship with him means that he will work his hardest for the side.

Having won the La Liga title with Atletico ahead of the likes of Real Madrid and FC Barcelona last season, he now brings a lot of experience and a winning mentality, something that the Magpies will need if their ambition is to start winning some trophies.

Offensively, he is also a big upgrade on the likes of Emil Krafth, Jacob Murphy and Javier Manquillo, having averaged more key passes, crosses and long balls than them in their respective domestic leagues so far this term (WhoScored), and so would be a welcome addition by the Toon Army.

In other news, find out what record offer NUFC have prepared for ‘one of the best on the planet’ here!

Leeds United could revisit Eddie Nketiah in the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to TransferMarketWeb, the Whites have enquired about signing the former loanee on a permanent basis as he enters the final six months of his current contract at Arsenal.

However, Victor Orta and co face stiff competition from Premier League rivals West Ham United, who have also asked about the 22-year-old, and Crystal Palace as well as Bundesliga duo Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach.

The report claims the England U21 record-breaker could be available for as little as €12m (£10m) this winter.

Bargain

And that would be an absolute bargain for United to seal.

His loan stint during the 2019/20 season was hardly inspiring before an abrupt and premature return to north London, having scored only five goals in 19 appearances but that actually worked out to a goal every 133 minutes as he played second fiddle to Patrick Bamford.

There is an element of unfinished business here between the £10.8m-rated Gunners gem and Leeds.

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay at the time, Marcelo Bielsa was left rather frustrated by his recall to Arsenal and that he “wanted him to stay,” so perhaps it can be second time lucky.

He did make a good impression on the Argentine during their time together, however.

“He’s a specialist great player with a lot of resources and our play is a collective way of playing and one player needs to adapt to this style,” Bielsa said.

“For this reason when we felt he was part of the team we thought that we were going to feel the same and that he would continue with us. He didn’t take this decision but he is a great player, an excellent professional and he had very good behaviour, he is a gentleman in every sense.”

The 5 foot 11 frontman has bagged 43 goals in Arsenal’s youth setup and carried that natural ability into Mikel Arteta’s senior side whenever given a chance, having scored 15 times, five of which have been in the Premier League.

Nketiah has also been compared to Jermain Defoe for his “very dangerous” nature inside the box by ex-United man Noel Whelan and dubbed “so incredibly prolific” by football scout Jacek Kulig.

For just £10m, Leeds could do no wrong in bringing the young forward back to Elland Road this winter. Orta and Bielsa must look to get it done.

AND in other news, Forget Raphinha: Leeds struck dream deal with £18m-rated “beast” who’s “got it all”…

Writing for 90min, journalist Tom Gott has made a claim involving Tottenham and Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij as he shares an interesting update.

The Lowdown: de Vrij edging closer?

As per numerous recent reports, the Netherlands international is certainly a name on the radar of new Spurs boss Antonio Conte as he plots an overhaul at N17.

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De Vrij shined as a ‘key part’ of the Italian’s 2020/2021 Scudetto-winning side and claims over this past month have hinted that both the manager and player could reunite at Spurs.

Calciomercato.it listed the 29-year-old as one of many Serie A stars being watched by Conte whilst Fichajes, perhaps dropping the most exciting rumour of all, believe it is slightly more advanced.

The Spanish outlet say he is edging ‘closer and closer’ to Tottenham as their manager seeks to solve a ‘severe’ problem in the middle of his defence.

The Latest: de Vrij ‘may relish’ Conte link up…

Writing for 90min, sharing news of Newcastle’s newly-found involvement in the saga of de Vrij’s future, has also made a Spurs claim.

The Magpies have apparently been offered the chance to sign him as both Everton and Tottenham continue to eye a move, but Gott believes the latter team could have one crucial attraction for de Vrij.

Indeed, as explained in the piece, Inter’s colossal centre-back ‘may relish’ a reunion with Conte and there’s also the added ‘bonus’ of Spurs not being in a relegation battle when compared to Newcastle.

The Verdict: Get it done?

We believe Tottenham may well be ahead of their Premier League rivals in the race for de Vrij and managing director Fabio Paratici would be remiss not to take full advantage.

The £116,000-per-week star has been labelled a ‘monster’ by former teammate Mauricio whilst pundits from England also hold him in high esteem.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan branded de Vrij a ‘worldbeater’ who could become a Spurs ‘legend’ alongside Cristian Romero in the centre of defence – even drawing a comparisons to Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.

An experienced international with plenty of pedigree, having amassed over half a century of caps, the only red herring to a potential deal could be de Vrij’s age.

Some sectors believe he’s valued at around £40 million, a high price to pay for a player nearing his twilight phase and the end of his contract which expires in 2023.

If Tottenham can whittle down de Vrij’s price tag significantly, it’s certainly a move worth making.

In other news: Conte and Spurs gifted January boost in race to sign ‘explosive’ playmaker who wants to move, find out more here.

West Brom are back in Championship action tonight with an away clash against Blackpool in their latest attempt at pushing for a promotion place back to the Premier League.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Baggies boss Valerien Ismael could pick for his starting XI to face Blackpool, one figure that featured in West Brom’s 1-0 defeat against Huddersfield Town at the weekend that should not keep their place in the team this time around is Grady Diangana.
In the 61 minutes he was on the pitch before being replaced by Jordan Hugill, Diangana failed to have any sort of useful attacking impact for his side.
The 23-year-old, who is currently valued at £9m according to Transfermarkt, failed to even have one clear shot at goal, didn’t complete any of the two dribbles he attempted and lost possession on 15 occasions, which could be why he was taken off in the second half.
This performance earned Diangana, who has been praised in the past by Ismael for the “huge quality” he has in him, a disappointing overall match rating of 6.4/10, making him one of West Brom’s lowest-rated players on the day according to SofaScore.
Even though Baggies captain Jake Livermore was sent off in the match against Huddersfield, it’s safe to say that Diangana also let Ismael down at the weekend with his underwhelming performance.
With this in mind and the fact that the attacker has only managed to score one goal and provide one assist in the league so far this season despite making 16 appearances, perhaps it would be in the club’s best interest if Ismael dropped Diangana, who has arguably been letting his side down with his lack of goal contributions, from the team on this occasion to see if he could have more of an impact coming off the substitutes bench instead.
In terms of who could come in to replace Diangana, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £25k-per-week according to Salary Sport, if Ismael does drop him tonight, perhaps putting Callum Robinson back in the team after he stayed on the bench at the weekend after managing to score in Ireland’s 3-0 win over Luxembourg during the recent international break.
In other news: Forget Furlong: Ismael must unleash “important” WBA machine, he’d terrify Blackpool – opinion