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West Ham United overcame a shaky start to secure an impressive 3-1 win over newly-promoted Fulham on Sunday afternoon, with the Hammers clinching a second successive victory in the Premier League in the process.

Goals from Jarrod Bowen, Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio ultimately sealed the points for David Moyes’ resurgent outfit, with the hosts having initially fallen behind at the London Stadium as a result of Andreas Pereira’s stunning early finish.

The Brazilian playmaker had lashed his effort home on the angle past Irons stopper, Lukasz Fabianski, with the former Swansea City man potentially left feeling that he “should have done better” to keep the effort out, in the words of journalist Toby Cudworth.

The veteran ‘keeper was hardly helped by those in front of him, however, with centre-back Kurt Zouma seemingly ambling over to try and close down the former Manchester United man, having been “nowhere near close enough” to the midfielder before he unleashed his shot on goal, according to Sky Sports journalist Ben Grounds.

Such a moment only served to heighten the concerns over the fitness of the one-time Everton loanee, amid reports last month that the imposing colossus is potentially suffering from a degenerative knee issue.

The 27-year-old was not only culpable for that potential early mistake, however, having also failed to win a single duel throughout his 56-touch outing against Marco Silva’s side, while also failing to register a single tackle.

That underwhelming performance ultimately saw the £28.8m-rated man record a match rating of 6.7, as per SofaScore, with that figure the third-worst rating of any of West Ham’s starters on the day, ahead of only the aforementioned Fabianski and new arrival, Thilo Kehrer.

The former Chelsea defender has no doubt been far from at his best of late – as he notably ranks in just the bottom 1% for tackles made among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues as well as in just the top 46% for aerial duels won – with doubts potentially creeping in as to whether he can be relied upon moving forward.

As far as today goes, the £120k-per-week man was seemingly one notable low point on what was an otherwise impressive day for Moyes’ men.

Celtic star James Forrest may be frustrated by the lack of game time he has received under manager Ange Postecoglou this season, according to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph.

The Lowdown: Lack of minutes

Despite signing a three-year contract extension with the Hoops this summer, the 31-year-old has thus far only featured once in the side’s starting XI during the 2022/23 Premiership campaign.

After failing to impress Postecoglou with just one goal and one assist in 16 league games last season, recent injuries have led to a lack of playing time for the winger.

However, in his first start of the season against Hibernian on Saturday, Forrest bagged a stunning hat-trick, bringing his overall career goals at Celtic above the centurion mark with 101 scored.

The Latest: Joseph reacts

Joseph thinks Forrest may be frustrated by his lack of minutes in a Green and White shirt this season.

When asked about whether the player would be annoyed by or understanding of the situation, the Sky Sports man told GiveMeSport:

“I think a bit of both. I think it is expected that he’s not playing at the moment, he was hampered by injuries in that Covid season, and just hasn’t got back to that flying form that we’re so used to seeing.

“Remember the two seasons prior to that Covid year, in each of those seasons, he contributed to 38 goals.

“He either scored or assisted 38 goals in both of the seasons, which just shows you how important a player he was for Celtic.”

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The Verdict: Huge career at Celtic

Whilst the 31-year-old may have fallen down the pecking order at Parkhead under Postecoglou, Forrest remains a very important player for the Hoops.

With a huge 451 appearances for the club, the attacker has helped contribute to the side winning 21 trophies with 200 goal-involvements.

Having been hailed as ‘outstanding’ by the Hoops boss earlier this year, Forrest’s injury woes have certainly been a significant factor in his transition to a rotation player at Celtic Park.

Therefore, whilst this may seem unfair with what the Scotsman has given the club, it is only right Postecoglou plays his best XI – which doesn’t appear to include Forrest for now.

Capitalising on both Wycombe Wanderers and Wrexham showing chinks in their armour of late, Birmingham City continue to sit pretty at the very top of the League One table in the early days of 2025.

A big 3-0 win over Wigan Athletic last time out showed off their ruthlessness in front of goal, with the table-topping Blues only needing seven shots on goal to beat the Latics goalkeeper three times, and to take their mighty points total for the season all the way up to a mammoth 52.

Chris Davies will want to guard against complacency, however, in a division that does throw up the odd surprise result, with this January potentially seeing him alter his squad to ensure promotion becomes a reality.

Birmingham fans of £19k-p/w defender

According to journalist Darren Witcoop via his X account, Birmingham are ‘fans’ of Swansea City centre-back Harry Darling, with the defender’s contract up in the summer in Wales.

Talks over a new deal have been reportedly shelved, with it now being up in the air whether the 25-year-old will pen a new deal or whether he will be moved on, with the Championship side wanting the latter option to come to fruition if they could sell him on during this window.

Darling will be well known to Blues fans having scored at St. Andrew’s last season on the way to the club being relegated, and his top-drawer Championship displays aren’t just reserved for Birmingham, hence interest also coming this January from second tier side Bristol City.

Davies’ promotion hopefuls will hope they can show their ambition again by landing the £19k-per-week target, with Darling arguably a far better option for the Blues in the here and now than taking a punt on Phil Neumann who is reportedly ‘set to sign’ in the coming days from Hannover 96.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

What Darling would offer Birmingham

As much as Neumann would slot in well to the Birmingham back four alongside Christoph Klarer and Krystian Bielik as another imposing presence, Darling could offer this same brute force as a 6 foot 2 figure and lots more based on his season to date at the Swans.

The former Milton Keynes Dons man is more than comfortable going in for duels, but it’s his ball-playing ability that will make him more of an attractive buy than his Hannover counterpart, with two goals and three assists picked up this season in the Championship as a direct result of his cool nature on the ball.

His unerring swagger was also present during his time at Milton Keynes seen in stunning solo strikes like the one above, where Darling nearly tasted promotion glory with his former employers, before moving onto Wales after being poached from the league above.

In total, by the end of his spell at Stadium MK, he amassed a ridiculous ten goals and one assist from 72 appearances, with a further nine goals coming his way when making the leap up a league to reaffirm his status as a confident contributor in attack.

Although Neumann does better the Blues target in terms of ball recoveries and clearances registered this season, he isn’t way out ahead, with Darling actually one-upping the Hannover man in terms of duels won just.

Taking a look at Swansea’s last league game shows off Darling’s prowess aerially even more, with four of his five duels won in this department, leading to Swans boss Luke Williams heralding him as “heroic.”

Whilst the Robins might hold the advantage in this transfer race in being in the Championship, Davies’ side have a reputation for pulling off impressive coups which might well happen again here with Darling’s signature.

Winter transfer window 2025: All the latest deals from England and Scotland

Find out who is on the move this winter with our comprehensive list of done deals from the Premier League, EFL and Scottish Premiership.

By
Stephan Georgiou

Feb 3, 2025

Aston Villa have already made contact with Mauricio Pochettino, who is keen on returning to the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Pochettino speculation

Pochettino was first linked with a move to the Midlands at the end of August and again towards the end of September with Steven Gerrard struggling in his first full season at Villa Park.

The Telegraph revealed on Monday that Villa will make an ‘ambitious attempt to convince Pochettino to step back into management’, with Gerrard facing a pivotal week in charge.

They even claimed that a positive result against Fulham or Brentford may not be enough for Gerrard, and it looks as if NSWE are now officially working on a move for Pochettino.

The Latest: Contact made

Journalist Owen O’Brien took to Twitter shortly after The Telegraph’s update on Monday to share what he knows about the situation.

He said that Pochettino is Villa’s ‘number one choice’ to replace Gerrard, adding:

“Understand contact has already been made between Pochettino’s representatives and Aston Villa, and suggestions are that the 50 y/o is keen on returning to the PL.”

The Verdict: A coup

Should Villa decide to part ways with Gerrard, bringing in Pochettino could be viewed as a major coup by NSWE and Christian Purslow.

The Argentine likes to play an attacking 4-3-3 system and has plenty of experience at the highest level with both Tottenham and PSG. Pochettino also knows exactly what it takes to succeed in England, winning more than half of his 256 games in the Premier League.

Therefore, he could be the ideal man to come in at Villa Park, although with the club’s current struggles, it could be a tough sell for the board.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has confirmed that Kemar Roofe has picked up another injury for Glasgow Rangers which will rule him out for a couple of weeks.

The Lowdown: Injury problems

Roofe has been suffering from a knee injury carried over from last season, but did make his return in the 1-0 win at home to Dundee in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals earlier this month.

He then made another substitute appearance in the 1-1 draw at home to Livingston in the Scottish Premiership last weekend, but has seemingly picked up a fresh injury as he looked to build up his fitness.

The Latest: Couple of weeks out

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of their match against Aberdeen at Ibrox this afternoon, Van Bronckhorst has confirmed that Roofe has picked up another injury, which will rule him out for the next couple of weeks:

“Kemar (Roofe) has picked up an injury so will be missing for a couple weeks.”

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The Verdict: Time to go…

Given that his injury problems are not new, and that he is 29 years of age, the Gers need to consider letting Roofe go over the next couple of transfer windows.

The striker can still offer something to the team, after all he finished as the club’s third-top scorer with 16 goals in all competitions last term, but if he cannot get a run of games together, then it is simply not worth it for the number of injuries that he picks up.

New signing Antonio Colak has settled in very quickly at the Light Blues, with 13 goals in his first 20 games, and so Roofe is almost just a squad player now even when fit.

Nonetheless, his current contract runs out in 2024, so the Teddy Bears have a decision to make over whether to keep a seemingly injury-prone player at the club for longer.

Liverpool have had one of their worst starts to a Premier League season for many years and Jurgen Klopp will be desperately searching for solutions to repair his team’s troublesome form in the top flight.

The Reds are currently ninth in the league table, eight points adrift from Newcastle United in fourth and 15 off the top of the table where Arsenal currently reside on 31 points, but if there is nothing Liverpool loves more it’s a comeback.

With only two league fixtures remaining before club football breaks for the World Cup next month it is now impossible for Liverpool to steal a spot inside the top four before the international tournament. Therefore,  Klopp will have to wait until after Christmas to build some momentum to climb the table in the second half of the season.

The German coach has been tweaking his tactics and formations over the last few weeks in an effort to find the remedy to the poor performances displayed and in many cases, his changes have paid off but in others, it has been a complete disaster.

As a result, Klopp could go back to basics by deploying his famously successful 4-3-3 formation that beat Napoli 2-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday night and play Darwin Nunez in his best position as the centre-forward.

Indeed, Liverpool are experiencing some injury issues to their attacking threat with Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz both recovering from long-term issues, meaning Klopp can’t comfortably deploy an experienced front three, but with Diaz expected back for the Boxing Day clash, the World Cup has dealt the Reds a favour.

Nunez is, of course, capable in the wider positions of the forward line but it is very clear his most comfortable and successful position is in the centre, with the Uruguayan scoring 57 of his 75 career goals in the position and registering 20 of his 22 assists there too.

That isn’t to say that the talented goal machine is struggling in his varied role at Anfield, impressively scoring seven goals and delivering one assist in just 15 appearances with a goal contribution every 92 minutes played.

Letting the 22-year-old – who was hailed “dangerous” by his current manager – have a free run in the most central forward role as consistently as possible alongside Mohammed Salah could spark a great connection between the two goal-hungry stars that could be game-changing for the Reds.

Roberto Firmino has been occupying the striker role in the front three for the majority of the season with eight goals and four assists over 18 appearances, however, the Brazilian fan favourite will be out of contract next summer and if Liverpool have no intention of extending that then they must start building for the future.

With that being said, Nunez must start against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend. He could terrify his opponents and indeed put the frighteners on the rest of the division, something that, in turn, could spark a revival across the entire club.

Aston Villa could well be plotting a move to bolster their wing options in the near future, with recent reports suggesting that Real Madrid maestro, Eden Hazard, is one of those currently linked with a sensational move back to England.

Despite having overseen a solid summer of recruitment, of which seven new faces entered Villa Park, one area that seems to be underperforming of late is out wide.

This may stem from months of training under Steven Gerrard, who struggled to decide if he wanted width or not from his team.

Leon Bailey, Philippe Coutinho and Emiliano Buendia have combined just three goals this campaign so far.

As per reports in Spain, the Villans have now identified that man Hazard as a potential solution to play the “leading role they need to reinforce the attack”.

The suggestion could be that the Belgium international, who is expected to star for his national team in the upcoming World Cup, could be Unai Emery’s answer to the Neymar deal that he conducted whilst at Paris Saint-Germain.

Signed for a world-record £200m fee, the Brazilian was the marquee signing intended to take the Parisian giants to the next level.

Hazard, were he to be signed, could have a similar impact at Villa, albeit just on the domestic stage for now.

Although many stated that the Brazilian was taking a step down, having gone on to record more goal contributions (185) than games (162), he will leave a lasting legacy in France.

Formerly of Chelsea, the 31-year-old certainly left his mark too, but arguably at a higher level in the Premier League.

In 352 appearances for the Cobham club, he scored 110 and assisted 92 on his way to winning the league’s player of the year award in 2015.

He was predicted to “light up” the division after this trophy, and would gladly oblige with a 16-goal haul the season following. Now, despite his powers having somewhat wilted in Spain, he could make good on that prediction one last time in Qatar as he captains his side.

The infamous Galacticos man signed for a reported £150m back in 2019, but has just two years left on his mega £521k-per-week contract.

It, therefore, could make a deal slightly more tenable, despite the apparent gulf between player and club.

The 5-foot-7 trickster has since been struck down with a ludicrous amount of injury issues following the move, having played just 72 times and managed 18 goal contributions.

This poised return to England could be exactly what he needs to get his career back on track, which should have reached unbelievable heights in the Spanish capital.

It is a move that would carry plenty of risks, but to get a player of his stature, who journalist Uche Amako believed was “genuinely world-class”, to a club like Villa, is surely a no-brainer for Emery.

Wolves manager Steve Davis has confirmed that Matheus Nunes is ‘fine and in the squad’ for their Premier League clash at home to Arsenal tonight after a shoulder injury.

The Lowdown: Shoulder injury

Nunes came off with a shoulder injury in the first half of the Old Gold’s 1-1 draw against Brentford at Molineux in late October.

Since then, the 24-year-old has missed their last two games against Brighton and Hove Albion and Leeds United in the top flight and Carabao Cup respectively.

The Latest: Nunes in the squad

However, speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of Wolves’ match against Arsenal tonight, interim boss Steve Davis has confirmed that Nunes has recovered from his injury and is now ‘in the squad’ for the clash at Molineux.

As relayed by journalist Liam Keen via Twitter, Davis said of the midfielder: “He’s fine and in the squad.”

The Verdict: Big boost for Wolves

Having Nunes back and in the squad tonight is no doubt a big boost for Davis and Wolves.

The midfielder ranks highly among his team-mates for average tackles, clearances, shots, key passes and dribbles per game in the Premier League so far this season (WhoScored), and the Old Gold will need their key players on the pitch to have the best possible chance of getting a result against the high-flying Gunners.

Having played in every game for which he has been available this season, Nunes certainly falls into that key player category, and the Molineux faithful will be hoping that he is fit enough to start against Mikel Arteta’s side.

Aston Villa have been backed to look at securing a future move for AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham. 

The Lowdown: Abraham exit rumours

Earlier this month, it was reported in Italy that the Serie A club could consider selling the 25-year-old should a suitable offer come in for him during the upcoming January transfer window.

The Englishman has experience of playing for Villa, having spent the 2018/19 season on loan at the club as they got promoted from the Championship to the Premier League.

It now appears that Unai Emery’s side have been backed to potentially be in the running to sign the player once more, with the club reportedly in pursuit of a marquee striker in the winter.

The Latest: Villa backed to look at Abraham

Speaking to Football Insider, Kevin Campbell discussed the possibility of seeing Abraham returning to Villa Park.

He said of the Roma striker: “I think he would bring something really different to the table. He’s got the size, and he scored 27 goals for a top side last season.

“It hasn’t quite worked out for him this season, but he’s been there and done it. He’s loved already at Aston Villa, too. He can bring something different than the likes of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings, for sure.

“But if he’s available, Villa would have competition. I think the ceiling for Tammy is quite high. I expect Villa will be looking at him.”

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The Verdict: Well worth pursuing

During his time on loan with Villa, the 25-year-old scored 26 goals in 40 appearances, which shows just how capable he is of scoring goals in English football.

In fact, his performances for the Villans were described by former club captain Jack Grealish as being “unbelievable” during that 2018/19 campaign.

Having eventually moved from Chelsea to Roma, where he has since found the net 31 times in 73 appearances, this further highlights how capable a goalscorer he is in multiple environments.

Bearing in mind how only four clubs in the Premier League have a lower rate of shots at goal per 90 minutes than Villa (10.8) this season, this suggests how a player like Abraham, who knows how to be a nuisance for opposition goalkeepers, could be a useful and exciting prospective signing for the club if they were to move for him.

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has promised that there ‘will be a benefit’ to the Championship side’s training camp during the World Cup break.

The Lowdown: Flying out to Dubai

The Black Cats secured a 2-1 victory over Birmingham City almost two weeks ago, so are heading into the international hiatus 15th in the table, just four points outside the playoffs.

The Wearside outfit have now flown out to Dubai for a week-long camp, which will include a friendly match against Al-Shabab before returning home this Sunday.

The Latest: Mowbray’s comments

Speaking to Sunderland’s official website, Mowbray outlined his ambitions for the break and revealed what he hopes the squad will be able to get out of the trip. He said:

“For me, it’s about the bonding and the ability to be together. To have breakfast, lunch, training and on an evening watch the World Cup matches together. There will be a benefit.

“Ally that to some pretty key footballers coming back to fitness, I would hope on the back of that we can reboot our season and win football matches on a regular basis.”

The Verdict: Much-needed break

Sunderland are in a great position at this moment in time, but there’s no doubt that this break will do them the world of good after a jam-packed first half of the season.

The players will be given the perfect opportunity to reset mentally, not to mention that the injured members of the squad can use this break in fixtures to take a step closer to a return to action.

The Black Cats’ first game back will be at home against Millwall, and Mowbray will be hoping that his boys can secure three points to reduce the deficit in the race for the top six.