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Coming off the back of a resounding 5-1 win over FC Porto in the Champions League, Liverpool are back at Anfield in Premier League action as they face off against Manchester City on Sunday.

Goals from Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino secured Liverpool’s latest Champions League victory, following on from their 3-2 win over AC Milan in their first European game of the season.

This latest midweek victory will have undoubtedly provided a big boost around the club as the Reds prepare to take on the current Premier League champions at the weekend.

After starting Liverpool’s previous Premier League match against Brentford on the substitutes’ bench, coming on for Curtis Jones after the interval, the Brazilian striker showed just how much of an attacking threat he can be for the Reds, having scored their final two goals against Porto after replacing Salah in the second half.

This duly led to Firmino being labelled as “exceptional” by his manager Jurgen Klopp.

On The Chalkboard

Unlike Salah, who recently scored his 100th Premier League goal in just 162 matches, Firmino has not been a consistent goalscorer for Liverpool since he arrived on Merseyside back in 2015 from German club Hoffenheim for a fee of £36.9m.

Last season, former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher shared his concern for the 29-year-old, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £180k-per-week according to Spotrac, and his inconsistency when it came to scoring goals.

Despite only managing to score nine goals in 36 Premier League appearances for Liverpool last season, Firmino still managed to pop up when it mattered and score against the likes of Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur (on two occasions), as well as hitting a brace in their 4-2 win at Old Trafford against Manchester United. Those contributions illustrate that he still posses a match-winning quality.

With Pep Guardiola’s side currently boasting the best defensive record in the Premier League so far having only conceded one goal, and Liverpool boasting the best attacking record of the season with 15 goals in six games, it’s certainly set up to be an intriguing affair at the top of the table at the weekend.

Taking this into account, along with Firmino’s two goals in midweek, we feel that he should definitely be in the starting XI to face City on Sunday rather than being another option from the bench once again to see if he can help break down the champions’ stubborn defence.

However, with Diogo Jota starting the season in fine goalscoring form with three goals in the Premier League so far, Klopp should consider trying to fit both him and Firmino into the team on Sunday, as he did during the clash at the Etihad Stadium last season, when the Reds drew 1-1.

In other news… Report reveals exciting Liverpool transfer update, fans will be absolutely buzzing 

Rumoured Wolves transfer target Aaron Ramsey is believed to be keen on returning to the Premier League, having struggled for minutes at Juventus.

The Lowdown: Wolves linked with Ramsey move

Bruno Lage is likely to be looking for midfield reinforcements in January or next summer given their lack of depth in that position and Ramsey is a player who has been linked with a move to Molineux.

The 30-year-old has struggled to make his mark at Juventus since leaving Arsenal in 2019, making just one start in Serie A so far this season despite earning £187,000 per week in Turin.

The Latest: Premier League return mooted

According to Calciomercato, Ramsey is open to the idea of returning to England, giving Wolves hope that they could get their man.

It is claimed that he rejected a move to Molineux in the summer transfer window, with Crystal Palace, Everton and Newcastle United all now in the battle to sign him along with the Midlanders.

The Verdict: Shrewd addition?

At 30, Ramsey is still somewhere close to the peak of his powers and he could be an excellent signing for Wolves if they get him, adding quality in the middle of the park.

He possesses a huge amount of experience at club and international level, scoring 17 goals in 67 appearances for Wales and playing more than 400 times combined for Arsenal and Juventus, and he has the all-round game to thrive under Lage. Indeed, his former Gunners team-mate Sol Campbell has dubbed him a “top, top class player” and “very intelligent”.

Ramsey is admittedly an injury-prone figure, but it would be worth taking the risk for someone who has proven himself at the very top level as a frequent Champions League performer.

In other news, one Wolves player has been linked with a January exit. Find out who it is here.

Aston Villa have now been joined by Tottenham in the race to sign Stoke City defender Harry Souttar, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Villa links

Reports last week suggested that Villa have set their sights on raiding the Championship side in January for the Australia international.

Souttar still has just under four years remaining in his Potters contract and holds a career-high £3.6m Transfermarkt valuation.

The 22-year-old has been a regular under Michael O’Neill this season and has impressed with a 7.36/10 average WhoScored match rating.

But it appears as if Villa will now have to battle Spurs for Souttar’s services…

The Latest: Spurs join race

According to Football Insider, who were informed by a Tottenham source, Spurs are looking to beat Villa in the race for Souttar.

They have watched the centre-back on multiple occasions already this season and are keeping tabs on on his situation ahead of the January window.

The Verdict: Chukwuemeka 2.0

Villa and Johan Lange pipped Daniel Levy in the race to sign teenage forward Caleb Chukwuemeka over the summer, and the two may well battle it out again for Souttar in 2022.

Dean Smith bolstered his defensive ranks over the summer by bringing Axel Tuanzebe in on loan, however, he still has just four senior centre-backs on the books.

Spurs have five, so Souttar may get a better chance of first-team football in the Midlands over north London.

A transfer could well be one to keep a close eye on over the coming months, but it appears as if Villa need Souttar’s services more than Tottenham do.

In other news: ‘Makes a lot of sense’ – Many AVFC fans buzz at Gregg Evans’ ‘exciting’ transfer news. 

Frank McAvennie has now claimed that James McCarthy is ‘not fit enough’, and so that makes him a ‘big problem’ for Celtic.

The Lowdown: Injury problems

McCarthy has had a history of injury problems dating back to his days of playing in the Premier League with the likes of Wigan Athletic, Everton and Crystal Palace.

He has only managed to play in a mere eight games at Parkhead so far this season, and has not yet been able to complete the full 90 minutes (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Available

As cited by The Scotsman, Ange Postecoglou has claimed that McCarthy will be available for the visit of St. Johnstone on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Hoops striker now pundit McAvennie has given his reaction to the news, suggesting that he needs to stay fit so that he can be a mainstay in the side:

“He’s a big problem.

“He is the one Celtic wanted to come in and sit in the middle. That’s an important part of that side.

“It’s not happening because he’s not fit enough. He’s getting more injuries because he’s not fit enough when he does play.

“I don’t know what the situation is, I like him. Turnbull and Rogic are great going forward.

“So we need someone to sit in the midfield and win tackles. That’s what he’s for and he is a good player.

“I don’t think there is anyone else at Celtic who can do that, so we need to be careful with him.”

The Verdict: Don’t rush him

The Celts already have a plethora of options in the middle of the park, and so they do not need to rush McCarthy back just yet.

At 30 years of age now, he is clearly not going to be as fit as he was a few years ago, and with his injury history, he may struggle playing in back-to-back matches.

However, McCarthy’s experience above all is vital to the team, and so he should at least make the bench for the weekend.

In other news, find out which ‘heart-throb’ who ‘the ladies love’ McAvennie wants the Bhoys to sign here!

A new deal for Mohamed Salah could affect Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino’s Liverpool futures, according to journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Salah’s future still up in the air

The Reds were simply incredible in their 5-0 win away to Manchester United on Sunday, with Salah scoring a hat-trick to further add to his place in legend.

The Egyptian King is still yet to sign a new contract with Liverpool, which is causing some concern, considering his status as arguably the world’s best player at the moment.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

The Latest: Pearce makes big claim

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic before Sunday’s game, Pearce claimed that a massive deal for Salah could have a knock-on effect for Mane and Firmino, in terms of one potentially leaving.

In response to a query from one fan on the situation, the journalist replied: “Yes I’d say the outcome of the contract talks with Salah will have an impact on what happens with Mane and Firmino. I would be surprised if all three get new deals. Salah clearly the priority currently.”

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The Verdict: Salah HAS to sign

Keeping Mane and Firmino is clearly important for Liverpool, but Salah is the man they must tie down, even if it means bad news for one of the others eventually.

He is becoming an all-time Reds great before our very eyes, currently enjoying an outstanding season and making himself one of the club’s greatest-ever goalscorers, and at 29 he should still have four or five years at the very top, particularly given the way he looks after himself.

Losing Salah in his prime doesn’t bear thinking about and FSG would likely never be forgiven if they don’t give him exactly what he wants.

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited about one transfer rumour doing the rounds. Read more here.

Southampton fans were far from happy with Ralph Hasenhuttl’s quotes following the Saints’ exit at the hands of Chelsea in the League Cup.

The Saints travelled to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday to face the Blues in the fourth round of the League Cup. The hosts went ahead when Kai Havertz headed in, but Che Adams was able to take the game to penalties. In the end, the European champions progressed, but it was a display full of positives from the St. Mary’s Stadium outfit.

Hasenhuttl spoke to the media after the match, and was clearly happy with what his side produced against the current Premier League leaders. He claimed that his side were the “Pride of London” because of their showing – even though they were unable to progress to the next round.

The comments were shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Hasenhuttl comments below

“Play the same team against Watford. I dare you”

Credit: @TheBig_Borowski

“We lost Ralph”

Credit: @Eliassfc2

“Class! We didn’t win… again.”

Credit: @OllieSoton

“Going out of the cup is amazing. Sack him immediately”

Credit: @cleetus_van

“Yeh, I’d still rather we had played crap and scabbed a 1-0 win. Really had enough of heroic failure”

Credit: @rmbyres

“Still lost though.”

Credit: @SouthernMan7

In other news, Southampton fans were far from happy with this man against Chelsea.

This weekend sees Liverpool continue their push for the Premier League title with a tough clash against West Ham United at the London Stadium on Sunday evening, with the Hammers just two points behing Jurgen Klopp’s side in the table.

Looking ahead to the match in east London, it seems as though the Reds have been handed yet another injury issue which Klopp will need to work around when considering his starting XI against the Irons.

What’s the news?

Speaking ahead of the match against David Moyes’ side, Klopp revealed that Curtis Jones suffered an eye injury in training which kept him out of the club’s midweek Champions League win over Atletico Madrid and will also rule him out of Sunday’s clash. That will surely have a lot of Liverpool fans fuming given the likely accidental nature of the injury on this occasion, on top of the fact that he struggled with a muscle injury he picked up on international duty in October.

So far this season, Jones has made nine appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists in the process and proving himself to be useful midfield option for Klopp, especially in an attacking sense.

Additionally, the 20-year-old has averaged 1.2 shots at goal per game in the Premier League so far this season, as well as an impressive passing accuracy percentage of 94%.

This shows why he will be a big miss for the Reds on Sunday, especially considering that West Ham have conceded fewer goals (11) than the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton prior to today’s fixtures, so Jones’ prowess in the final third of the pitch could have been vital for Liverpool on Sunday.

His absence will also be a big miss for the Reds considering that they have the likes of Naby Keita and James Milner also ruled out with hamstring injuries, leaving Klopp with few midfield options at his disposal when selecting his starting XI.

Those other absences could’ve presented Jones with the perfect opportunity to firmly cement a starting berth in Liverpool’s midfield. Instead, he can only watch on tomorrow evening, which will surely come as a real frustration for him and for Reds fans.

In other news: Forget Salah: FSG must strike a deal with LFC’s “important” machine, Klopp loves him

Eddie Howe may have been dealt his first big blow as Newcastle manager despite being in the hot seat for just over 24 hours…

What’s the word?

Life is never simple at St James’ Park and despite all of the positivity injected in Tyneside following Howe’s arrival, Amanda Staveley and PIF have been handed their next big blow.

Their first major setback as the owners of Newcastle came when Unai Emery decided to reject them to stay at Villarreal.

They have, at least, found a new head coach now but they are struggling to find a figure to lead their transfer strategy.

Marc Overmars was targeted but is set to stay at Ajax but another of their reported targets, Michael Edwards, won’t join either.

It was claimed on Wednesday that Edwards may well join Newcastle but after confirmation landed that he’d be departing Liverpool, it was revealed that the northeast definitely wouldn’t be his next destination.

The Athletic’s James Pearce tweeted: “Understand Michael Edwards’ next destination definitely won’t be Newcastle – despite recent speculation. That job is of no interest to him.”

Gutting

This is a piece of news that will not only deject Howe but it will also be seen as a negative for the club’s supporters who will likely be left feeling gutted by this development.

PIF are keen to make a statement of intent and luring a figure like Edwards to the club would have been one of their biggest messages yet.

After all, the accomplishments that he guided Liverpool to with all of the expertise at his disposal is to be admired.

Under Edwards’ strategy behind the scenes, the Reds secured their first top-flight title in 30 years and also won the Champions League.

Of course, Jurgen Klopp deserves plenty of praise for his coaching methods but the transfer strategy that those above him devised has to be applauded too.

He helped bring players to the club like Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk in swoops that will go down in the club’s history as some of the best business they’ve ever completed.

An assessment from Sky Sports reporter Vinny O’Connor says it all:

“Edwards has been a key figure in Liverpool’s transformation from challengers to title winners both at home and in Europe,” he began.

“It is easy to point to his many success stories at Anfield, with the sporting director having played a big role in bringing Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah, Alisson and Sadio Mane to the club.

“At the same time, Edwards was also integral in the sale of Jordon Ibe, Rhian Brewster and Dominic Solanke for a combined £57.5m, helping to provide manager Jurgen Klopp with further transfer funds.”

With that in mind, he would have been an inspired appointment by PIF, one that not only benefited their future expenditure in the transfer market but also helped them make even more money from player sales.

Howe would surely have loved to have worked under Edwards and the fact the duo won’t link up together over the winter months and beyond will surely leave fans gutted.

AND in other news, PIF could fire a warning at NUFC by signing £18m beast who has a “compass in the foot”…

While Wolverhampton Wanderers very much appear to be a side on the up under the leadership of Bruno Lage, having picked up 13 points from a possible 18 over their last six Premier League fixtures, there are nevertheless a number of issues facing the 45-year-old manager that will be causing him something of a headache.

One such problem is at centre-back, with the Portuguese boss currently only having Conor Coady, Willy Boly, Romain Saiss and Max Kilman available for selection to fill out his three-man defence, with summer signing Yerson Mosquera ruled out until 2022 due to a hamstring injury.

And, with both Boly and Saiss looking likely to miss a number of Wolves’ fixtures in January as a result of their potential participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, Lage is facing the very real possibility of having only two centre-backs available during one of the busiest periods of the Premier League season.

However, in an apparent attempt to soften this blow, it was recently reported that the 45-year-old is considering the option of bringing one of the club’s brightest defensive talents back to Molineux in the winter market, in the shape of Dion Sanderson.

And, considering the sheer amount of potential the 21-year-old quite clearly possesses, this would indeed appear to be a very wise move for Lage to make.

Sanderson could save Wolves millions

Having highly impressed during a loan spell with League One side Sunderland last season, with the centre-back picking up the club’s Supporters Young Player of the Year award, Sanderson was subsequently awarded a new four-year contract at Wolves upon his return to the club this summer, before once again being sent out on loan for the 2021/22 campaign – this time to Birmingham City.

And, over his eight Championship appearances for Lee Bowyer’s side, predominantly playing on the right of a back-three, the £135k-rated man has once again turned heads, helping the Blues keep three clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.5 interceptions, 1.3 tackles, 4.5 clearances and winning 4.1 duels per game.

Not only have these returns seen the youngster average a SofaScore match rating of 6.84, ranking him as Birmingham’s joint 10th-best performer in the league, they have also drawn the 21-year-old a considerable amount of praise, none less so than from his current manager.

Speaking about Sanderson’s potential, Bowyer said: “He is a young lad, and he will improve. He needs to improve on certain things which is why he is here. He is another good lad and wants to improve as a player. He will go as far as he wants to go.”

The centre-back has also been the recipient of kind words from former Sunderland centre-forward Stephen Elliot, who said: “Dion Sanderson has a huge future in the game. [He’s the] best on loan player I’ve seen at [Sunderland] since Johnny Evans. Wise beyond his years on the pitch.”

As such, considering his ability, his suitability to Wolves’ system and Lage’s chronic shortage of options at the back, to say it would be a no brainer for the 45-year-old to recall Sanderson this winter would be something of an understatement.

It is clear for all to see that the defender is more than ready to make the step up to Premier League football, as well as bringing the added bonus of saving Fosun millions of pounds in January transfer fees.

In other news: Lage drops exciting January transfer claim which is sure to have Wolves fans buzzing

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have been left talking after reliable club insider ExWHUemployee’s claim involving new shareholder Daniel Kretinsky.

The Czech billionaire recently completed his purchase of a 27% stake in West Ham, which some believe to be the first domino falling of an eventual full takeover from GSB.

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Kretinsky’s investment into the club, said to be worth over £180 million, has been tipped by reliable reports to bolster manager David Moyes’ transfer backing – even if it won’t be a lavish spending spree (Evening Standard).

As the January transfer window approaches, it will certainly be an interesting period as all eyes turn to whether Moyes will indeed see his targets come in mid-season.

ExWHUemployee, sharing news on how Kretinksy could make this happen, has now dropped a promising claim on his West Ham Way Podcast.

He claims it is said that the magnate’s investment means there will certainly be funds available for transfers – not huge amounts, but more than West Ham have dealt with in previous seasons.

West Ham fans talk…

In response, it’s safe to say many West Ham fans are overjoyed by this update whilst sharing who they’d like the club to target for Moyes.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

“Tarkowski

COYI”

Credit: @mark9726

“Lingard is a must.”

Credit: @charlie16658058

“We are MASSIVE. We don’t even need a lot. Hlozek, Lingard and a CB would be class. Anything else is the best window ever.”

Credit: @SweeneyWestHam

“As fans this is all we’ve been asking for. Not nation-state owned amounts just reasonable investment for Moyes to take us as far as he can.”

Credit: @jjscoyi

“Lingard is happening”

Credit: @KyronWhu

“Don’t mind this cause spending loads of money isn’t always the answer imo. But spending wisely is”

Credit: @RockyWhu

“He’s loading the £300m war chest for the summer window”

Credit: @1bbyWHU

In other news: West Ham readying offer to sign 33-cap World Cup ace as Newman sets sights on brand new target, find out more here.