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Tottenham Hotspur head to the northeast as the Premier League gets back underway this weekend following the international break.

Jose Mourinho’s side will be looking to build on their 2-0 win at Aston Villa last time out but must be wary that many will still not be over their week of embarrassment which saw them defeated in the north London derby and knocked out of the Europa League.

In the absence of Heung-min Son through injury, the Spurs boss surprisingly opted for a 4-4-2 formation, something he’s rarely used since his days at Inter Milan. Evidently it paid off, but the Lilywhites will have the services of their free-scoring left winger this time around. With that in mind, Mourinho has a tactical decision to make.

On the Chalkboard

Given that they not only won but also kept a clean sheet, it’ll be hard to make any vast changes to the line-up, but Son starts every game when he is fit and should come straight back in.

Perhaps Giovani Lo Celso can be the expendable member of that starting XI. He began on the right flank before being withdrawn after 66 minutes against Villa. As per SofaScore ratings, he was Spurs’ worst-ranked player and the only one to manage below 7.0 aside from Sergio Reguilon, who went off injured.

Uncharacteristically, the Argentine playmaker managed only 29 touches and 22 passes throughout his time on the pitch and failed to deliver a single accurate cross, per SofaScore

If Lo Celso cannot play centrally, then it’s not worth forcing the £27m-rated dynamo into the line-up, as you’re only limiting his true potential.

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Speaking about the former PSG man’s impact last season, Harry Winks revealed to The Guardian that his favoured position was indeed through the middle.

“He’s done really well. He’s starting to show his quality now and I think he’s playing in the favourite position, which is probably a little bit more central midfield, but he has done really well, explained Winks. “He is a technically gifted player. But he is not afraid to get stuck in when he needs to as well.”

Lo Celso is usually among Spurs’ most creative players, managing 0.8 key passes per game (joint fourth-best) and 0.18 expected assists per 90 (fifth-best) and that has largely come in the number 10 role, if not in a deeper number eight position.

Only 15 of his 58 recorded Spurs appearances have come out wide, where he has contributed towards two goals, compared to nine when played through the middle.

Lo Celso must be dropped at St James’ Park, as ruthless as it would be. He’s merely wasted on the flank, and Son needs to come straight back into the side.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Spurs legend tips youngster to challenge first-team next season

Allan Saint-Maximin inspired a stunning Newcastle United comeback on Saturday afternoon to hand a boost to Steve Bruce’s hopes of staying in the Premier League this season, but another name arguably stole the show at Turf Moor.

The Magpies were heading for a frustrating result until the Frenchman’s 57th-minute introduction as he came off the bench to score and assist two goals in quick succession.

He first found Jacob Murphy before a superb solo effort was rifled home, both within eight minutes of coming onto the pitch.

And whilst he deserves plenty of plaudits, Newcastle’s opening goalscorer deserves just as much, having made a considerable impact throughout the 90 minutes.

Indeed, Murphy was amongst Bruce’s highest-rated starters (7.4), as per SofaScore ratings and this was something echoed by ChronicleLive’s Lee Ryder, who claimed the wing-back bounced back from an indifferent opening half to form a brilliant partnership with Saint-Maximin.

The 26-year-old was one of the Magpies’ most influential players as he recorded 66 touches, a feat only bettered by Jonjo Shelvey – understandably as he’s supposed to dictate play from the engine room.

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But that merely showed how Newcastle relied on Murphy down that right flank, he only got better when Bruce replaced the struggling forward duo of Joelinton and Dwight Gayle.

The 5 foot 9 dynamo also managed to provide two accurate crosses and pulled off one successful dribble but he too contributed defensively to great effect.

As per SofaScore, Murphy made two tackles, which was only bettered by one player on the pitch – Erik Pieters (six), who the Magpies star often went to battle with.

By comparison, central defensive duo Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez combined for the same number of tackles. Murphy also chipped in with one interception and one block too.

The £25k-per-week dynamo earned the glowing praise of Alan Shearer on Twitter as he couldn’t contain his excitement at the victory, so whilst Saint-Maximin will be the main name spoken about, you cannot ignore the industrious contribution of the former Norwich City graduate.

He’s still set to be out of contract in the summer, so the Magpies hierarchy will need to act on Bruce’s wishes sooner rather than later after that display.

AND in other news, “There’s rumours” – Exclusive: Marcus Bent drops big claim on ex-player returning to Newcastle…

Former Crystal Palace striker Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that he expects Patrick van Aanholt to leave the club this summer.

The Dutchman is one of a host of senior first-team players out of contract at Selhurst Park at the end of the season.

Despite uncertainty surrounding his future, van Aanholt has continued to be Palace’s first-choice left-back, but has been offered a pre-contract agreement with Turkish giants Galatasaray, with talks apparently ongoing.

Reports also believe that there’s Premier League interest in the ex-Chelsea man, who reached 200 top-flight appearances earlier in the campaign.

Van Aanholt has been one of the most attacking full-backs in recent years, and is joint 12th on the all-time list for most Premier League goals by defenders having scored 20 times for both Palace and former side Sunderland.

Bent praised the £55,000-a-week left-back’s contribution to the Palace cause, but told Football FanCast he doesn’t expect him to be there next term:

“I think he’s done well over the last few seasons, but with Palace not challenging for anything, maybe that’s his reason for moving.

“I’m not going to put it down to money because I don’t speak to him, but it looks like he’s running his contract down to move on a free.”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has tipped Amad Diallo to win a starting position at Manchester United.

Diallo, who joined Manchester United from Atalanta for £37m back in January, stole the headlines in the first leg of the Red Devils’ last-16 tie against AC Milan in the Europa League, coming off the bench to score a fantastic header.

The 18-year-old has barely seen any action since then, but Palmer is confident supporters will see more of him next season.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Diallo, the ex-England international said:

“Listen, he’s a talent. They paid a lot of money for him, so they’ve not bought him to be sitting in the reserves or sitting on the bench. There’s a lot of football that’s played in the season. Man United will finish second, so they’ll be in the Champions League, so there’ll be a lot of football to be played. So, yeah, they’ll be looking to get him more starts and more appearances, but he’s 18. He’s got time on his side.”

Diallo’s cameo in that 1-1 draw with Stefano Pioli’s side at Old Trafford was certainly a bright one. Still, it is not that much of a surprise to see him outside of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting XI at present.

The Norwegian coach is currently blessed with a host of quality attacking options, giving Diallo a lot of competition. This season, Solskjaer has been able to call upon the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood.

The former Cardiff City manager also has the speedy Dan James available to him, with the Welsh winger starting to pick up a bit of form, managing to grab a couple of Premier League goals for himself last month.

Manchester United prospect James Garner sent Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a timely reminder of his obvious potential after scoring his first goal for Nottingham Forest against Derby County in the East Midlands derby on Friday night.

Garner scored his first senior goal in only his seventh appearance for Chris Hughton’s side since swapping Old Trafford for the City Ground on loan until the end of the season last month following an unsuccessful spell with Watford.

Hughton threw Garner in at the deep end by handing him his first start in the 2-1 win over Coventry City at the start of the year, helping his side end a winless run of three games in the Championship.

Since then, he has gone on to make seven appearances in the English second division with his first professional goal to show for his six starts, earning praise from former Newcastle United midfielder Jack Colback.

He said: “I thought James Garner’s debut on was fantastic. He was moving the ball around really well and spraying some good passes around the pitch so it was a strong performance but when you consider he has joined from Manchester United, you know he’ll have that quality.”

Despite his age, the 19-year-old has already drawn comparisons to club legend and current backroom staff member Michael Carrick, and it’s easy to why after such an impressive performance.

Garner opened the scoring in the first half after he fired home a first-time effort from the edge of the box beneath the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Colin Kazim-Richards’ late equaliser meant Forest were forced to be more defensive in the closing stages yet Garner stuck to his defensive duties diligently, finishing the game with one block and two interceptions to his name from the full 90′ minutes, as per SofaScore.

He also boasted a fine 71% pass accuracy with only a handful of his passes going astray (10), while he also completed one successful dribble from the same number of attempts, which suggests that he was a constant thorn in Wayne Rooney’s side.

Garner additionally also took a staggering three shots on target, with four attempts on goal in total throughout the entire game, which greatly exceeds Nemanja Matic’s efforts in the Premier League this season with the 32-year-old only recording 0.3 shots per 90 in 13 top-flight appearances, per SofaScore.

Now, with United reportedly eyeing a move for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, Garner’s heroics will send a timely reminder back to Solskjaer that he is worth keeping an eye on for the future over the remainder of the campaign.

AND in other news, Max Aarons would be a major upgrade on Man Utd outcast Diogo Dalot…

As West Ham United fell to a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United, coming as a potential bump in the race for a Champions League qualifying spot, many Hammers fans weren’t impressed with the performance of striker Michail Antonio – with one supporter going as far as to label him a ‘donkey’.

The Englishman debatably looked isolated up front and failed to have any meaningful impact on the game going forward as some West Ham fans refused to shy away from the critiquing their usual favourite.

Craig Dawson’s own goal cemented defeat for David Moyes’ men, and despite still having a game in hand on fourth-placed Chelsea, they next host London rivals Arsenal in what could be a difficult encounter.

Antonio’s performance in particular left these supporters unimpressed, with SofaScore revealing that he lost the ball 19 times and was among the lowest rated players in the squad. Just 13 of his 25 passes found a team-mate, while his only shot all night was blocked down.

Making their feelings known on social media, here’s what these Hammers fans had to say.

West Ham fans blast Antonio

“Antonio is the worst footballer I’ve ever seen play. West ham fans who think he’s slightly good don’t know anything about football”

Credit: @Zayd_Beitar

“Antonio thinking he’s Messi dropping deep to pick the ball up and do nothing with.

Confidence of CR7 ability of a donkey”

Credit: @Aaron_Parris

“I hope Maguire lets Antonio out of his pocket to get on the bus home”

Credit: @paulf6466

“Antonio hasn’t had a good game since the Villa away game! His work rate has been non existent, his hold up play been rubbish! He just hasn’t been a threat to anyone lately”

Credit: @joegreene2

“He’s had a terrible game. Agreed.”

Credit: @goose_jz

“Michail Antonio is not a good football player”

Credit: @DavidMoyes__

“Antonio’s hold up is terrible”

Credit: @westhamtransfer

“Antonio has been poor for a while, his performances at the start of the season seem to of made him invincible”

Credit: @ParlourPD

In other news: West Ham are eyeing this 19-goal ‘phenomenon’, find out more here.

Celtic will have one thing on their mind this summer – building the squad and coaching staff to mount a title challenge.

The Hoops have surrendered their grasp of the Premiership title and it has cost Neil Lennon his job.

What’s the word?

One area where they may look to improve is offensively. Odsonne Edouard has regularly been linked with a move away and the latest on his situation is that Liverpool are interested in securing his services.

That’s according to Anfield Central, who reported this week that the Reds were ready to structure a deal which would see Divock Origi go in the opposite direction.

The Belgian has received minimal game-time this season and thus could leave Merseyside when the window opens this summer.

Edouard has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs in recent months, with West Ham and Leicester also reportedly interested in the Frenchman.

Ideal replacement

Origi has only scored once this season but that isn’t a fair barometer of the striker’s abilities. After all, he has started just twice in the Premier League throughout 2020/21,

The Belgian has a habit of scoring big goals, however. Whether it was against Barcelona in the 2018/19 Champions League or in the final itself, he is often the man for the big occasion.

Origi is still only 25 and you sense there is far more to come from a player who has had two successful loan spells away from Liverpool in the past.

He scored seven times during a short stint with Wolfsburg after netting nine times for Lille in 2014/15. Despite his lack of game-time, he has also scored 35 goals for Liverpool. You don’t manage that sort of tally without having a bit of quality about you.

Brendan Rodgers also rates him highly, something which should add to the lure of him replacing Edouard. Just as he did with the Frenchman, the former Celtic manager was the man who initially signed Origi for Liverpool.

Speaking about the forward in previous years, Rodgers noted: “We had him [Origi] at Melwood, the scouting team there had a wonderful presentation showing him from 15 years of age and we showed him how we would like to progress his game.”

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Rodgers added: “He is a great talent. He hasn’t been allowed to show it as much as he would like because of the talent that is there [at Liverpool].”

If a player is good enough for Rodgers, then he’s certainly good enough for Celtic.

Origi feels like the type of player who could thrive in the Scottish game and get his career back on track. It would also be cost-effective including him in a deal with Edouard.

AND in other news, 4 dribbles, 4 key passes: Keane surely licking his lips at Celtic star’s int’l display…

Carlo Ancelotti faces a key decision over his midfield selection at Everton after Andre Gomes impressed once again in Wednesday night’s 2-1 win over Leeds United.

The former FC Barcelona man returned to the starting line-up to open the action at Elland Road beside Abdoulaye Doucoure, having fallen to the bench for Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United.

Gomes would have expected to feature from the off against Steve Bruce’s relegation-threatened Toon after turning in a sublime showing against Leicester City last week, while Ancelotti was without his £20m summer signing Doucoure through suspension.

Gomes had to excel defensively to help Everton thwart Brendan Rodgers’ high-flying Foxes amid their battle for a potential top-four finish, but was able to play on the front foot at Leeds with Doucoure dominating from box-to-box.

Lucas Digne was sent flying down the left-hand channel by a perfectly weighted pass from Gomes to kick-off the move which led to Gylfi Sigurdsson breaking the deadlock, with the full-back able get into a dangerous position and deliver a threatening cross into the box.

With Everton rarely seeing the ball, ending the match with just 36.8% of the possession, the visitors had to be safe with it. And no one was safer than Gomes, among those who started in royal blue, with the 27-year-old completing 97% of his 35 passes – only missing a teammate twice, per WhoScored.

Ancelotti singled Gomes out for particular praise following the full-time whistle at Elland Road, given the level of his performance in what was only his seventh start in the Premier League this season.

“In my opinion, tonight, the best player on the pitch was Andre Gomes,” the Italian said. “He played technically, physically, tactically a fantastic game. This is the real Andre Gomes. The real Andre Gomes that we need.”

As well as being safe in possession, Gomes further created one goalscoring opportunity in a game that saw star forward Richarlison depart the action after 80 minutes without a key pass or shot on target next to his name.

Gomes further dribbled past the joint-most players (4) with Leeds’ £23m forward Raphinha on Wednesday night, but from three fewer attempts to the Brazilian’s seven having, emerged successful in all four of his runs at Elland Road. The £18m-rated gem looking at home beside a more resolute defensive midfielder.

Ancelotti now faces a headache in the making over his midfield selection, as he will soon have to decide between benching Gomes, who Darren Bent describes as “wonderful”, for Allan, with the Brazilian expected to be back from a hamstring injury in the imminent future.

Allan had started all 12 of his Premier League appearances since joining Everton from Serie A side SSC Napoli last summer, in which he anchored the side with a team-high 3.4 successful tackles per game, among those to have featured more than once, per WhoScored.

Doucoure would be expected to start over Gomes in a fully-fit side, with only defenders Michael Keane (60.2) and Yerry Mina (59.1) dictating the pace of matches with a higher volume of total passes (51.4) than the powerful Frenchman. He further creates the fifth-most chances (0.8 key balls) and takes the fifth-most shots (0.7) in the Everton squad, among those to have featured multiple times this term.

Gomes does not offer the same creative presence with just 0.3 shots and 0.5 key balls, and he fell out of the starting line-up whilst struggling to thrive in a 4-3-3 at the start of the season.

So, if Ancelotti is to unlock the 29-cap Portugal international’s max potential, he must decide whether to revisit a system that did not suit Gomes’ style, or to axe the midfielder at the moment he is rediscovering the form lost after a horrific fracture-dislocation of his right ankle.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti faces a continued problem in a £9m man after Everton’s January transfer failings…

It seems Glasgow Rangers have set their sights on yet another left-back after the arrival of Calvin Bassey from Leicester City, but it looks like Ross Wilson may be hard pressed to secure his services.

What’s the word?

Rangers are reportedly interested in signing Alfie Doughty from Charlton Athletic.

That’s according to The Athletic, who claim Rangers are closely monitoring his situation after he was on the receiving end of two rejected bids from their arch rivals Celtic.

It’s claimed that Premier League club Fulham are also keen to land the Charlton youngster, who has been heavily linked with a move away from the Addicks.

Doughty, 21, has been in impressive form this season, providing one goal and two assists in seven appearances in League One so far, via Transfermarkt, earning comparisons with the likes of Gareth Bale in the process.

Borna Barisic 2.0?

Steven Gerrard’s undisputed first-choice left-back Borna Barisic has been subjected to transfer talk in recent weeks as his incredible run of form has attracted interest from clubs south of the border over the past 12 months and who knows what will happen when the transfer market opens in a matter of days.

Bassey has turned out to be a total revelation ever since he first arrived at Ibrox but Wilson must consider sanctioning a move for Doughty in the summer, as not only would he be able to jostle for position with Barisic and Bassey, but he’d also be able to provide cover and competition in the midfield as well.

While Rangers may be able to tie him down to a pre-contract agreement in January, they may be better served waiting until the summer, as he will essentially be available for free.

Charlton boss Lee Bowyer was effusive in his praise for the youngster after his impressive display during the 3-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday last year, saying: “I thought he was outstanding.

“He’s not a left-back. He had to fill in at left-back and he was excellent from start to finish. Defensively and attacking. He was playing at Bromley two weeks ago and now he’s playing against Sheffield Wednesday and playing well. Against top wingers, as well. Their wingers are as good as any other in this division.

“He’s just shown that [he can play Championship football]. He was excellent. You can’t just fluke what he’s done there. But you have to be careful because they’ll blow up and you can kill their confidence. If they make a mistake, it’s how they handle that. Today we had no choice, but would I trust him to play again? Yes.”

Despite Bowyer’s initial protestations, Doughty has shown he is fully capable of filling in in the midfield or on the left flank if required. Per WhoScored, he has made ten appearances in total this season, while he is averaging 2.4 tackles per game across all competitions. By comparison, even Barisic has only managed 1.3 tackles on average per game, via WhoScored.

This kind of defensive contribution would be most welcome at the Govan-based Glaswegian giants and to be able to sign a versatile player who is capable of playing second-fiddle to Barisic and challenging the likes of Bassey and Ryan Kent for a place in the starting line-up makes this potential move a no-brainer. Get it done, Gers, before it’s too late.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers defender Connor Goldson stole the show against St. Mirren…

Despite Timothy Fosu-Mensah’s recent departure to Bayer Leverkusen, Manchester United still have a lot of work to do over the course of the January transfer window.

The Red Devils find themselves in the Premier League title race this season, and if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side do intend to get their hands on the elusive trophy then they should also look to offload a large chunk of the deadwood that is bogging them down.

What’s the word?

According to Argentine journalist Nahuel Ferreira, via Sport Witness, £16m man Marcos Rojo ‘seeks to terminate his contract’ with the Red Devils.

Whilst several reports have suggested Boca Juniors are leading the race to sign the former Argentina international on a free transfer, it’s claimed Mexican side Cruz Azul have held initial discussions with his representatives over a possible move.

However, Ferreira suggested United have still yet to decide whether or not they will allow Rojo to leave in this transfer window, although the club have apparently confirmed his current deal will not be renewed.

What are they waiting for?

Ed Woodward has done a pretty decent job when it comes to shifting some of the deadwood with the likes of Fosu-Mensah, Alexis Sanchez and Chris Smalling all heading for the Old Trafford exit in recent times.

However, much of the same old mediocrity still remains to this day, none more so than the out of favour defender Rojo, who has fallen down the pecking order under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and is quite frankly a waste of time, energy and resources.

Once tipped for greatness by Louis van Gaal – say no more – it’s fair to say that Rojo’s career hasn’t quite panned out as he might have expected.

The 30-year-old, who has to be seen as wasting the Glazers’ money considering he earns around £80,000-per-week at Old Trafford, has not made a first-team appearance for more than a year and has been deemed surplus to requirements by Solskjaer with his last outing coming by way of the 3-1 victory over Brighton back in November 2019.

Solskjaer could look to offload the £5.4m-rated outcast and use his excessive wages to sign another big-name defender, with Dayot Upamecano reportedly at the top of his list of transfer targets.

It’s sad to say it, but the stats don’t lie and it seems like he’s served his purpose at Old Trafford. He hasn’t played a Premier League game in over a year and has made just one appearance in the Super Liga this season during an injury-stricken campaign in his homeland.

Just last season, he only averaged two clearances per game in three top-flight appearances, which is way below the six he was averaging in the 2017-18 season and the 6.8 he was producing the season prior to that, which seems to suggest he is well past his prime.

With Upamecano and Nikola Milenkovic two long-term targets, it’s almost certain Rojo will be forced to make room, particularly following the rise to prominence of Axel Tuanzebe this season.

United should just rid themselves of Rojo once and for all, even if they have to take a substantial hit.

AND in other news, Manchester United must offload Jesse Lingard in January…