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Everton will take on West Ham United when they return to action tomorrow afternoon in east London, and Frank Lampard will be hoping that his team can pick up where they left off in the Premier League after a big three points earned against Newcastle United.

West Ham are in inconsistent form, with just two wins from their last five league games, but they are still chasing their outside chance to secure a Champions League spot at the end of the season. There is no doubt that David Moyes’ side will feel they have everything to play for tomorrow at the London Stadium, and Lampard must do all he can to ruin their opportunity.

With that being said, being wise about team selection tomorrow is imperative to the 43-year-old securing points and raising momentum after crashing out of the FA Cup at Crystal Palace, so picking the right players to deliver in their roles in the team is a must.

The Everton boss must axe Andre Gomes from the side if he wants to impose a real threat on the Hammers on Sunday and should look to his other midfield options to better control the game.

This season, the 28-year-old has made 12 Premier League appearances, losing five out of the last six league games in which he has been involved, with only a two-minute performance in the win over Newcastle before the international break, and his defensive attributes in the centre of the pitch have been questionable.

According to SofaScore, Gomes – who was dubbed a “walking red card” by Greg O’Keeffe – only averages 29.9 touches per game, losing the ball once every three touches during his game-time in the league this season, with only 37% of his duels won and a 77% passing accuracy rate.

Although Lampard has had his midfield options limited due to Allan serving a three-match ban following a red card in his last league game, the 43-year-old still has plenty of options in his squad with Donny Van de Beek, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dele Alli available, while Fabian Delph could make an impact as he is predicted to return for selection next week.

With that in mind, it is high time that the ex-Chelsea boss axes the unreliable Gomes, given how high the stakes are over the remainder of Everton’s Premier League season.

In other news: Everton handed fresh lift as update emerges, Lampard will be buzzing

Liverpool have undoubtedly one of the strongest defences in the Premier League, having conceded just 20 goals in 30 games.

One man who has contributed a lot to the Reds’ impressive defensive displays is Joel Matip, who has appeared in 24 league games so far this season.

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To highlight just how significant the 30-year-old has been for Liverpool in this campaign, only Trent Alexander-Arnold (98) and Fabinho (95) have racked up a higher combination of tackles and interceptions than Matip (81).

Despite the Cameroon international’s effectiveness at the back, it seems as though the Merseyside club could be eyeing up a potential replacement for him.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Goal by journalist Neil Jones, Liverpool are interested in signing Torino defender Gleison Bremer.

Since joining the Italian club back in 2018, the Brazilian has gone on to make 105 appearances across all competitions, chipping in with 13 goals and five assists along the way.

In terms of his defensive capabilities, the 25-year-old has the third-highest number of tackles and interceptions combined (144) throughout Serie A, showing how much of a unit he is at the back in a similar way to Matip.

Labelled a “powerful” figure by Forza Italian Football editor in chief Conor Clancy, Bremer eclipses the Liverpool defender in terms of the number of blocks, tackles and interceptions made this season in their respective domestic leagues.

Taking all this into account, and the fact that Matip is five years older than the £18k-per-week Torino brute, a transfer swoop for the Brazilian defender could be a great investment from the Merseyside club given his obvious talent and relatively young age.

However, the report from Goal claims that Juventus and Inter Milan are also interested in signing the centre-back, which means that the Reds may have a challenge on their hands to get Bremer to Anfield.

That said, to get the opportunity to play in the Premier League under the management of Jurgen Klopp next to a player such as Virgil van Dijk at one of the biggest clubs in England could all be very tempting for the 25-year-old defender.

In other news: Liverpool now plot bid for “unbelievable” £45m-rated dynamo, just imagine him & Salah

According to former West Ham defender Glen Johnson (as shared by football.london), if Jesse Lingard wanted to join the Hammers in the January transfer window, it would already have happened.

The Lowdown: Lingard’s transfer saga with the Hammers

Ever since Lingard’s loan move at West Ham came to an end last summer, the Manchester United midfielder has regularly been linked with a permanent transfer to David Moyes’ side.

From a Hammers perspective, it is easy to see why. During his six-month stint with the club, the 29-year-old played 16 times for the Irons and stunned the footballing world by producing nine goals and five assists in an unbelievable run.

However, life has not been as simple for the midfielder since returning to Old Trafford. Lingard has played just 88 minutes of Premier League football this season, having failed to make the Red Devils’ starting XI once.

With his contract expiring in the summer, the former England international is currently set to leave Man United on a free transfer at the end of the season, with West Ham reportedly interested in securing the player’s signature.

The Latest: Johnson makes Lingard claim

According to former Hammers full-back Glen Johnson (as relayed by football.london), though, Lingard would already be a West Ham player this month if he were truly interested in leaving Man United for good.

The 37-year-old said: “I think if Jesse Lingard really wanted the move himself then it would have happened already. If he genuinely wanted it, then it would have been done.

“He’s not playing at Manchester United. Everyone loved him at West Ham. So if the player wanted to do it, it doesn’t sound like a very difficult deal to do. You can only imagine that he’s trying to stay at Manchester United for whatever reason. I would guess that it’s Jesse that didn’t want to do it and go to anybody else.

“If you were Manchester United you would sell him. And if you were West Ham you would sign him. I think he would be in the West Ham starting XI. I don’t think it would be guaranteed. If he gets there and plays like he did previously he’d nail down a place but I do think they’ve got some good players in that position. I don’t think he would be a guaranteed starter but if he hits the form that he was in before then yes he will be.”

The Verdict: Lingard must not be keen on West Ham return

As suggested by Johnson, it seems that Lingard is not keen on a return to West Ham. Moyes’ previous attempts to lure him back to east London proved unsuccessful, with the English midfielder preferring to stay and fight for his place in the team at Old Trafford.

This is a shame for the 29-year-old’s career, as without regular game-time he will surely not be able to secure a place in the England team ahead of the World Cup later this year. Lingard has made 32 appearances for his country and still has plenty of years left to add to this tally.

With Tottenham also interested in the player, it could become even harder for Moyes to secure Lingard’s signature this month.

In other news – ‘Keeping an eye on’: Journalist drops West Ham transfer news about youngster likened to Gareth Bale

Leeds United are interested in a deal to bring Oscar Mingueza to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish media outlet Diario Sport (via Barca Universal), who claimed that Jesse Marsch has identified the Barcelona centre-back as one of his primary transfer targets this summer, with the American said to be hoping to beef up his defensive options ahead of 2022/23.

The report added that, with the Catalan club being very interested in getting a deal of their own over the line for Leeds winger Raphinha at the end of the current campaign, the 22-year-old defender could be used as something of a bargaining chip in the negotiations between the two clubs.

Marsch’s dream

Considering Leeds’ desperate need to address their defensive frailties ahead next season – the Whites have shipped a league-high 67 goals over their 30 Premier League games so far this term – it is not difficult to understand why Marsch would be interested in a move for Mingueza this summer.

Indeed, after making his Barcelona debut as a result of a defensive injury crisis at Camp Nou in 2020, the £25m-rated centre-back – who can also operate on the right – highly impressed over his 27 LaLiga appearances last season. He helped his side to keep seven clean sheets, scoring two goals and registering two assists, while also averaging 0.7 interceptions, 1.9 tackles, 1.6 clearances and 54.9 passes and winning 3.3 duels per game.

These returns saw the £19k-per-week Spain international earn a very respectable seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.96, ranking him as Barcelona’s 11th-best player in the Spanish top flight last term. That led to football talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbing the 22-year-old his “unexpected hero” of 2020/21.

Should Mingueza go on to replicate this level of form following a potential switch to Elland Road, he would certainly be an upgrade on a number of Marsch’s current options in the heart of his defence. That leads us to believe that Orta must do all he can to secure the signing of the Spaniard this summer.

AND in other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals huge Leeds United development, supporters will be devastated

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Crystal Palace knocked London neighbours Spurs out of the FA Cup on Sunday and, in doing so, progressed to the fifth round; the game could have been very different had the visitors not been hit with a string of injuries to a number of key players, but Spurs fans were more concerned with one of Palace’s players rather than their own.

Andros Townsend netted his seventh goal of the season in all competitions via the penalty spot and could have had a second but failed to fire either side of Paulo Gazzaniga, instead hitting the cutback straight at the Argentine.

The Eagles winger has played for an incredible twelve English clubs, including Newcastle and Championship leaders Leeds, but seems to have found a home at Selhurst Park after spending much 0f his Spurs career out on loan and is currently enjoying what is surely his best season in the Prem.

Naturally an energetic wide-man, the 27-year-old has been converted into an unorthodox striker this season by Roy Hodgson and is becoming quite good at arriving in the box – meanwhile, Spurs’ Fernando Llorente struggled to get any breathing room and took just 38 touches in ninety minutes as he failed to threaten Palace’s stand-in backline.

After netting from the spot, Townsend’s celebrations were muted, the reasoning for which was explained by the man himself on Twitter, leading to many Spurs fans applauding the number 10 for his class; others took it a step further by stating that they wish he was still in white.

Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin may be out for the season but it’s given him a chance to show off his new accessory. Check out the video above to see for yourself…

You can check out the best of the reaction below…

Jesse Marsch has dropped a promising claim on the future of Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville.

What’s been said?

In recent comments cited by Leeds Live, the American manager claimed that – despite being heavily linked with a move away from Elland Road in the January transfer window, as well as recent reports linking the 20-year-old with an exit this summer – the Netherlands U21 international is a big part of his first-team plans.

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Regarding the forward’s future, the 48-year-old said: “I’ve got to find ways to include Summerville, Cree, more, so all three of [Summerville, Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood] are going to be big players here and are important for us moving forward.”

Supporters will be buzzing

Considering the hype surrounding Summerville’s future at the time of his £1.3m arrival at Elland Road back in 2020, the news that Marsch could finally be set to hand the winger an extended run in the first team is sure to have left Leeds supporters buzzing.

Indeed, when questioned about Summerville’s potential shortly after his switch to England, the youngster’s former coach at ADO Den Haag, Chris Powell, spoke incredibly highly of the forward, stating:

“You could see the raw talent he had. He’s only tiny, he’s like five foot nothing but he’s got wonderful balance. One vs one is his strength, against players. He’s quite a free spirit out on the wing, in a good way. He’ll excite you, he’s a bag of tricks.

“There’s some talent there, it’s just how it’s harnessed and what the coaches demand from him. He’s played for the U18s and U19s for Holland so he’s well thought of in Dutch football. His talent isn’t in doubt. He will have to learn how Leeds want him to play, in the U23s, and take it on board. It’s an exciting signing.”

However, despite his undoubted talent, Marcelo Bielsa afforded the £1.8m-rated talent just 118 minutes of Premier League football during his time in charge of the Whites – something which makes it easy to understand why Summerville had hoped to move on to pastures new in January.

Although, after Marsch’s latest comments regarding the £8.4k-per-week player who Ben Parker dubbed a “frightening” talent, it would now very much appear as if there is a future for the Dutchman at Leeds – something that, should the 20-year-old go on to take his opportunity in the first team, could save the club millions of pounds in transfer fees this summer.

AND in other news: Huge boost: Phil Hay drops 6-word Thorp Arch update, it’s great news for Leeds

Eddie Howe will be thrilled that his team rotation paid off this afternoon at Carrow Road, with Newcastle United taking all three points from the game in an impressive performance that has put his side ninth in the Premier League table.

The Magpies took a comfortable 3-0 win from their visit to Norwich, with Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton finding the back of the net to secure their fourth win on the bounce to put them 15 points clear of the relegation zone.

Howe’s men completely dominated in possession, with 55% of the ball over the 90 minutes, taking seven shots on target and completing over 500 passes in what was a masterclass in both an offensive and defensive regard from the North East outfit.

Despite the spotlight being firmly on the goal-scoring moments of the game, Dan Burn yet again provided a solid performance as the unsung hero worked hard to keep the clean sheet this afternoon.

The £19k-per-week titan said in an interview that he wanted to bring his “passion off the pitch, on to it” at his boyhood club, and he certainly delivered in today’s performance with a defensive showing he should be proud of.

The 6ft4 centre-back won 71% of his duels, made six clearances, four interceptions and one tackle, as well as completed 33 of his 40 passes in the clash, really getting stuck into the game and leading his line with a huge presence.

Burn was one of the signings acquired in January to improve the side and boost the chances of survival in the top flight this season, and to say he has been successful in being a part of that is an understatement with Newcastle winning eight, drawing one and losing just three games the defender has been involved in.

Newcastle have now climbed into the top half of the table and are surely safe from the relegation nightmare they had found themselves in earlier in the season, and with players like Burn joining the side the future is looking bright for the club.

AND in other news: NUFC plot £33m bid for “phenomenal” ace with “magical powers”, he’d get SJP rocking

A number of Liverpool supporters are delighted for Caoimhin Kelleher after Jurgen Klopp confirmed he would start next month’s Carabao Cup final.

The Reds outplayed Arsenal at the Emirates on Thursday night, completing a 2-0 win to book their place in the final.

Jurgen Klopp’s men will come up against Chelsea at Wembley on February 27th, as two of the biggest teams in the country lock horns in a huge game.

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Kelleher has played for the majority of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup run, making three appearances and starting at Arsenal, but plenty would have expected a switch to clear number one Alisson for the final.

It looks as though Klopp will show great faith in the 23-year-old, however, confirming on Friday [via Paul Joyce on Twitter] that he will keep his place at Wembley.

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Liverpool fans delighted for Kelleher

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their happiness at the news.

“As he should! Absolutely thrilled for him!”

Credit: @jaimaitai

“Rightly so”

Credit: @JayD_deOne

“Good man-management once again. Any manager would have easily got Alisson to play in the final. This is why Klopp is the best”

Credit: @Benthereds

“Let’s go, next NO.1”

Credit: @LewisLFCtweets

“Deservedly so. Never looks out of place, always looks assured”

Credit: @CassiusBurke

“Fully deserved! He’s also good enough to play!”

Credit: @aaronjacko

In other news, some Liverpool fans are happy with an injury update on one player. Find out who it is here.

Many Wolves fans were critical of Leander Dendoncker during their clash with Southampton on Saturday afternoon. 

Wolves, who started the day ninth in the Premier League, were looking to make it three straight wins in all competitions. They followed up their first Old Trafford victory since 1980 with a 3-0 FA Cup win over Championship Sheffield United.

Southampton were also carrying momentum into the game however, having thrashed Brentford 4-1 in midweek. Ralph Hassenhuttl’s Saints had lost only one of their last seven PL matches.

Bruno Lage made three changes from the side that won at United, with Romain Saiss (AFCON), Ruben Neves (Covid-19) and Marcal dropping out. In came 22-year-old Toti Gomes for his debut, Dendoncker and Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Dendoncker’s struggle vs Saints

The Belgian’s SofaScore rating of 6.3/10 was the lowest in the Wolves side.

He won just one of his ten duels, a success rate of 10%, and was dribbled past four times in total (the most of any player on the field).

Dendoncker tried his luck from the distance in the first half, but The Athletic’s Tim Spiers remarked that it nearly hit the top tier of the stand behind the goal.

And another journalist, Joe Prince-Wright, said he was fortunate to avoid giving away a penalty after a challenge on Oriol Romeu around an hour into the game.

Many WWFC fans slam Dendoncker

“Dendoncker has been atrocious again. Complete ghost in the middle. Moutinho having to do it all himself.”

Credit: @parker_bradley

“That was a rough attempt by Dendoncker”

Credit: @OldGoldAmerica

“Neves and Moutinho work but Dendoncker can’t control the game”

Credit: @WolvesNumber37

“Yeah, let’s never tell Dendoncker to shoot again lol”

Credit: @kcb92

“As much as I was fan of Dendoncker in previous seasons, he’s not the same player anymore. I think it’s time to sell him this window and user the funds towards a decent centre midfielder, as Moutinho’s legs won’t last forever! Get your finger out”

Credit: @spena2k10

“Get him off the pitch he’s been useless again.”

Credit: @Jim96925627

In other news, fans weren’t happy with this transfer news.

As per The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a potentially big boost in their pursuit of Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Spurs in the mix?

The Lilywhites and transfer chief Fabio Paratici are allegedly in the mix to sign Nunez, who seems set to be one of the big name transfers of 2022.

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Benfica’s prolific star, who has scored a quite incredible 24 goals in 24 league appearances so far this season, is now attracting interest from top clubs all over Europe.

Just last week, The Daily Express revealed Tottenham had officials in attendance to run the rule over Nunez during his side’s Champions League quarter-final first leg loss to Liverpool in Portugal.

Meanwhile, A Bola (via Sport Witness) have reported in the last few days that Spurs are in the hunt alongside numerous sides, with The Sun now sharing a potential advantage for manager Antonio Conte.

The Latest: Nunez making decisions…

As per their information, Nunez’ representatives believe he is ‘ready’ to move this summer as they seek a major transfer and weigh moves behind-the-scenes.

This is where Spurs come in, as it is claimed that Hotspur Way is a ‘preferable location’ for the 22-year-old alongside Liverpool and Arsenal.

The Verdict: Boost for Conte?

The Lilywhites, who are without a natural senior alternative to star centre-forward Harry Kane, arguably need to sign one in the summer for Conte if they’re serious about getting back among the Premier League’s elite for 2022/2023.

Already well in contention for a top four place after a stunning turnaround, the summer task is to back Tottenham’s head coach with major signings who can improve his chances of continuing to transform the club while competing on multiple fronts.

Nunez, valued at around £60m, would be a major statement of intent on behalf of Paratici, Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy.

Anfield Index podcaster Hari Sethi, for example, is one football critic who has raved over the Uruguayan’s ability – branding him an ‘absolute beast’ with ‘rapid quick’ speed (Twitter).

South America’s next star in the making would be a more-than adequate addition to back up Kane or even provide real competition for the striking role under Conte.

In other news: Spurs officials sent to club as Paratici now eyes ‘imperious’ ex-Man City man for Conte! Find out more here.