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Sunderland will take on Arsenal in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after the draw took place on Saturday.

As to be expected, a number of Black Cats supporters were quick to give their thoughts to the news when it was announced via the club’s social media channels.

Sunderland are the only team outside of the Premier League left in the competition following a penalty shootout win over Queens Park Rangers in midweek. Lee Johnson admitted after the game that he would like to face either Arsenal or Tottenham in the last eight, and he has got his wish with a trip to the Emirates Stadium.

The quarter-final will be played in the week commencing 20 December, with Sunderland having 10 League One fixtures before then.

Sunderland fans react

Sunderland posted on their official Twitter channel regarding the cup draw with Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime and here is what these fans had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘mental’ that the Black Cats were drawn against Mikel Arteta’s side, whose character has been called into question in recent months.

“Here we go!”

Credit: @gavingeorge88

“Finally a draw that might actually earn us some money”

Credit: @DreamingDejaVu

“mental that a League One team will be in the semis for the Carabao”

Credit: @richard_acw

“Fantastic! I was worried we would get a big club”

Credit: @Dale_seaham

“We’ve been waiting for this for so many years, it feels so good … the boy is finally coming home”

Credit: @_EAEGG

“Fantastic. Doesn’t matter if we lose, this season is about promotion but I bet they underestimate us. Anything can happen.”

Credit: @petercarneyH

In other news: Many SAFC fans slam ‘appalling’ ace who lost 75% of his duels vs Rotherham. 

Chelsea are the front-runners to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice during the summer transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Rice continues to shine

The 23-year-old is again enjoying a fantastic season for the Hammers, shining in the middle of the park and producing a string of influential performances.

Rice has started 23 out of 24 Premier League games for David Moyes’ side in 2021/22 to date, averaging 2.3 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game.

Speculation continues to surround the England international’s future, however, as big clubs eye up a potentially huge move in the summer – it would reportedly cost £120m to lure him away.

The Latest: Worrying Chelsea claim emerges

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones, a ‘transfer insider’, claimed Chelsea are still the favourites to land Rice at the end of the season, revealing information from sources ‘that know him very well’:

“A big decision for Declan Rice, one that he wouldn’t take easily.

“I know people that know him very well, so I get quite a good inside track on where his minds at, and he’s very, very focused and determined, but there’s no doubt his head was turned when Chelsea came sniffing, and so I still say that’s his number one landing spot.”

The Verdict: Logical next move?

As painful as it is from a West Ham perspective, it is only logical that Rice could end up back at Stamford Bridge, having spent part of his youth career there and supporting the Blues growing up.

It would afford him the opportunity of staying in London and almost guarantee Champions League football, too, although a top-four finish for Moyes’ men this season could play a big part in him staying put at the London Stadium.

It is absolutely vital that the Hammers do all they can to keep hold of someone hailed as ‘exceptional’ by Pep Guardiola, but it is going to be difficult, given his ever-growing reputation.

In other news, David Moyes is reportedly targeting a West Ham signing. Find out who the player in question is here.

With no wins from their opening two Premier League games of the season, Leeds United will be hoping for another happy hunting when they make the trip to Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side produced one of their finest displays of the campaign last term when they beat the Clarets 4-0 at Turf Moor, thanks to goals from Mateusz Klich, Jack Harrison and a brace from Rodrigo too.

But while the forwards fired on all cylinders, Diego Llorente’s presence at the back, especially in the absence of club captain Liam Cooper, built the cornerstone of such an impressive performance and result – he finished the game with the highest match rating of any defender on the pitch for either side as per Sofascore.

And, following his comeback from injury in midweek against Crewe in the Carabao Cup second round, Bielsa must unleash him in the Premier League for the first time this season when the Whites head back to Turf Moor.

The “imperious” Spaniard became a regular Leeds’ defence in the final few weeks of last campaign, starting 13 of the last 14 games in the top-flight and coming up with some impressive performances – not least netting a late equaliser against Liverpool.

He earned a WhoScored match rating of 6.90, which marked him out as the Whites’ second-best centre-back after Cooper, who was also the actually the only player at the club to win more headers per game than Llorente’s 2.2.

Given that ability to win the aerial challenges, the Spain international will be a vital presence at the back to deal with the likes of Chris Wood up front, while he will be equally valuable when it comes to set-pieces and handling the likes of James Tarkowski and Ben Mee.

The £18m-rated ace could well be Bielsa’s game-changer in helping to counter Burnley’s physical approach.

Meanwhile, Leeds are plotting a late swoop for this “phenomenon”…

Tottenham Hotspur could be gifted a second chance at signing Marco Asensio in January, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Spanish publication Sport claim the 25-year-old midfielder is getting closer to leaving Real Madrid, having been frozen out by their new manager Carlo Ancelotti.

It’s thought that the Spaniard is far from happy with his role under the former Everton boss, who has not afforded him any league starts and a recent appearance on the substitutes bench against Valencia has nudged him towards an exit at the Bernabeu.

Recently, other reports in Spain suggested that Asensio was a ‘big target’ for Nuno Santo and Spurs in the summer, so the door could well open for the north London outfit to seal his signature this time around.

Second chance worth taking?

But is he a player that Spurs need or should want? The short answer is probably not.

There is no denying that Nuno’s squad is starved of creativity and that extra edge in the final third – as per The Athletic, they sit rock-bottom in the Premier League for expected goals (xG), registering a total of just 4.42.

They have also generated the second-fewest number of shots (46) and only created two big chances from their opening five matches.

The only player to be averaging above one key pass per outing, Steven Bergwijn (1.3), is currently out through injury, to make matters worse for the Portuguese head coach.

But going by Asensio’s overall record at the La Liga giants, he does not seem to be the likely solution to their problems, having only provided 37 goals and 22 assists across 198 appearances, via Transfermarkt – prior to his performance on Wednesday night.

That was direct contribution every 172 minutes.

It’s also hard to imagine that a player who has featured for only 140 minutes in 2021/22 will be able to hit the ground running in a completely different country so quickly.

If he did try to sign Asensio, new Lilywhites sporting director Fabio Paratici could make the first major blunder of his Spurs career to date.

AND in other news, Spurs must regret not signing “exceptional” £31.5m-rated speed demon after PL masterclass…

As per Football League World, a significant update has emerged on the future of Tottenham Hotspur winger Jack Clarke.

The Lowdown: Clarke struggles continue…

Since his move to N17 from Leeds United in 2019 for an initial £10 million fee, it’s safe to say the youngster’s Tottenham career has been a complete non-starter so far.

The 20-year-old has since endured several Football League stints out on loan in an effort to nurture his development, most recently Stoke City for the second half of last campaign as Spurs sanctioned his 2021 January loan move.

Now, as per FLW, Nuno Espirito Santo has personally sent a message to the player.

The Latest: Spurs set to sanction another move away…

According to their sources, the Spurs head coach has now told Clarke he is free to leave as a plethora of lower league clubs take interest in signing him on loan.

As well as this, Tottenham are now ‘ready to sanction’ another move away for the attacker after his most recent temporary move to the bet365 stadium in January last year.

AFC Bournemouth are apparently the most keen to snap him up mid-season with Spurs’ stance made crystal clear.

The Verdict: Last chance saloon?

With his contract expiring at the end of next season in 2023, we believe it could be last chance for Clarke to resurrect his career and prove to Spurs he still possesses the quality to come good.

Signed after an impressive start to his original career at Leeds, the forward simply must rediscover that form and send Nuno his own message that he may have a part to play in future.

In other news: Not just Winks & Alli: Paratici told to sell vulnerable senior man who’s stuck in a rut at Spurs, find out more here.

Express & Star reporter Luke Hatfield has called for Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign Goncalo Guedes even if Adama Traore fails to seal his exit.

Wolves appear poised to make a big-money bid for Valencia winger Guedes ahead of the transfer window closing next week.

Bruno Lage, who was appointed as Wolves’ new head coach in June, worked with the 24-year-old during his time in Benfica’s youth system.

Guedes has started both of Valencia’s La Liga fixtures so far this season, although both of those outings have come in the centre forward role.

The interest comes while rumours of Adama Traore heading to Tottenham Hotspur continue to rumble on, with reports suggesting ex-Wolves chief Nuno Espirito Santo is looking to reunite with the Spain international by striking a loan deal with the view to a permanent £40million transfer.

But Hatfield has urged Lage to push through the move for Guedes regardless of whether Traore remains at the club.

He told The Transfer Tavern: “He has shown quality abroad and I think he’d be a good signing regardless of whether Traore was to leave Molineux.

“He fits the bill in terms of being an exciting, attacking player. The football Wolves have played at the start of the season has certainly given fans hope of a bit more excitement.

“I think he would be a fantastic signing for Wolves even if Traore doesn’t go.”

Taking to Twitter, journalist Rudy Galetti of Sportitalia TV has made a Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Inter Milan shot stopper Samir Handanovic.

The Lowdown: Paratici eyeing new keepers?

Even though it seems as if Tottenham number one Hugo Lloris is likely to pen a one-year extension at the club, the future of number two Pierluigi Gollini is up in the air.

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Reports even claim the Lilywhites could decide to cut short his loan spell and send him back to Atalanta despite having the option to sign him on a permanent deal at the end of 2021/2022 (L’Eco di Bergamo via The Spurs Web).

This comes amid ‘concerns’ those within Tottenham have over Gollini’s fitness as they weigh up making his move a permanent one (The Athletic), but it appears Spurs may also have their eye on alternative options already.

The Latest: Galetti makes Handanovic claim…

Taking to Twitter, reporter Galetti has shared news on a brand new target for Conte and transfer chief Fabio Paratici as news emerges on Handanovic.

The 37-year-old’s contract at the San Siro expires this year, meaning he is now free to negotiate pre-contract summer moves with overseas clubs.

Tottenham have apparently taken an interest in doing this and Handanovic now ‘could arrive’ in England as a free agent later in 2022.

It is also believed that Conte has personally ‘asked for’ his former keeper as Spurs keep tabs.

The Verdict: Right call?

Arguably solid for a quick-fix, the 81-cap Slovenia international is a player Conte certainly knows well and played regularly during his time at Inter Milan.

Over the last two seasons, Handanovic has been a mainstay in the Nerazzurri starting line up but came under-fire for some of his unreliable performances near the end of 2021.

He has, however, stood out with brilliant performances as well since then and his experience working under Conte could be of real benefit to Tottenham.

A seasoned and experienced shot stopper with plenty of time at the top level, he has also been called a ‘monster’ by his goalkeeping teammate Michele Di Gregorio, currently on loan at Serie B side Monza.

On a free deal, Handanovic certainly shouldn’t be dismissed as an option should Gollini leave.

In other news: ‘I’ve been told this morning’…Sky journalist shares ‘breaking’ Spurs transfer news on live TV, find out more here.

When Roy Hodgson ended his four-year spell at Crystal Palace last season, the direction that the club was heading in looked entirely negative.

The Eagles had an ageing squad with a number of contracts expiring and faced the task of replacing the 74-year-old manager, who initially retired and now of course finds himself as Watford boss.

Crystal Palace had it all to do, but delivered in every possible aspect.

The somewhat risky appointment of Patrick Vieira has so far turned out to be astute, whilst the arrivals of Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen, Michael Olise and Conor Gallagher, to name a few, have been nothing short of sensational.

The latter, Gallagher, has made waves at Selhurst Park this season, scoring eight goals and providing three assists over his 27 top-flight appearances, proving himself as a Premier League starter with real potential under Vieira.

There is a slight downside to this deal though.

The 22-year-old who has been described as “incredible” by his manager is of course on loan from fellow London outfit, Chelsea. And the performances that he has produced in a Palace shirt this season have drastically elevated his price tag.

At the start of his loan, Gallagher was rated at £13.5m, already a dramatic increase from his £4.86m valuation upon his temporary switch to West Bromwich Albion the season prior.

His efforts for Palace this season have enticed the London club to vie for a permanent deal, come the end of the season.

Though, with Thomas Tuchel understood to be a huge admirer of Gallagher, along with competition from a number of other clubs, the permanent capture of Gallagher could now prove difficult for the Eagles.

It is said that a whopping £50m would be just enough to start a conversation for the transfer of the £22.5m-rated midfielder, who is under contract at the Blues until 2025.

With the World Cup just around the corner, the £17k-per-week Gallagher’s future remains uncertain, with some believing his best chance of securing a place in Southgate’s England set-up would be to remain at Selhurst Park.

If that is the case, the 22-year-old could cost Palace a hefty fee, with his quoted £50m price tag sure to leave a nasty taste in the mouths of the Palace faithful.

Indeed, many will be wondering why Palace did not attempt to sign Gallagher on a permanent basis last summer, for what could well have been a fraction of his potential cost at the end of the current campaign.

AND in other news: Crystal Palace eye £5m-rated versatile gem, he’s better than Clyne

Despite being just two points off the top spot in the League One table at the moment, Sunderland are in the midst of a big injury crisis with the likes of Niall Huggins, Denver Hume, Dennis Cirkin and Luke O’Nien all out.

One other injury concern they have is with winger Aiden McGeady, who suffered a knee ligament injury last month and isn’t expected to be back until the new year.

With this in mind, Sunderland manager Lee Johnson could now have the opportunity to unleash one of the club’s youth talents to see if he has what it takes to perform in the senior side on a regular basis while McGeady is out on the sidelines.

21-year-old attacker Benjamin Mbunga Kimpioka joined Sunderland’s U18 side back in the 2016 summer transfer window and has since gone on to make a total of 94 appearances for the club’s U18 and U23 sides, scoring 28 goals and providing ten assists in the process.

Labelled in the past as a “terrific” player by Elliott Dickman, Kimpioka has also had loan spells away from Sunderland with Southend United and Torquay United.

Even though he has made 16 senior appearances for the Black Cats, Kimpioka only made his first league appearance this season during their recent 5-0 win over Morecambe where he came on for a 15-minute cameo.

Despite predominantly playing as a centre-forward, Kimpioka has played on both the left and right wings throughout his career so far, racking up 14 goals and six assists in 47 appearances in those positions.

With this in mind and the fact that McGeady will be out for the next few weeks, this could be a great time for Kimpioka to have a consistent run in the team to show Johnson that he is ready to be a regular senior figure for the club given his clear talent in front of goal across numerous attacking positions and solve the predicament of having McGeady unavailable.

However, with the majority of Sunderland’s injury issues coming in the defensive positions, it seems likely that Johnson will be more concerned with that area of the pitch rather than the attack, especially with Nathan Broadhead and Ross Stewart scoring 14 goals between them in the league so far this season.

In other news: Johnson must seal Sunderland swoop for “aggressive” £1.8m-rated beast – opinion

According to a report from the Daily Star, Tottenham Hotspur are considering a move for Bayern Munich forward Serge Gnabry with 

The lowdown: Rise to stardom

The 26-year-old has undergone a bizarre rise to prominence on the elite European stage having struggled at Arsenal and West Brom before rediscovering form back in Germany.

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Gnabry only mustered 11 Premier League appearances during spells across the two English clubs and was sold to Werder Bremen for £4.5million in 2016 (Daily Mail).

Now a return to north London could be on the cards…

The latest: Conte ‘pushing’

As per the report from the Daily Star, Tottenham are considering an ‘ambitious swoop’ for the German international.

This comes as manager Antonio Conte is personally ‘pushing the club to table a cut-price deal’ for Gnabry given his contract situation, telling Spurs make a move.

Described as a ‘contract rebel’, Gnabry is set to become a free agent in 2023 (Transfermarkt) and Bayern are could be ‘willing to listen to offers’ for the man once hailed as ‘world class’ by Rio Ferdinand.

The report states that the Bundesliga giants ‘won’t be held to ransom’ by the 31-cap Germany ace, sparking interest from the Lilywhites.

The verdict: Make it happen

So far this season Gnabry has scored 16 times and provided 10 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions and would be a superb addition to Conte’s squad at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the Italian, alongside transfer chief Fabio Paratici, attempts to strengthen the N17 ranks.

Predominantly a right-winger, the versatile attacker can operate across the frontline and would provide an alternative to Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski and the potentially outgoing Steven Bergwijn whilst also being capable of operating centrally.

Boasting a superb 7.34 average Sofascore rating this season, the Stuttgart-born star keeps illustrious company alongside Leroy Sane, Neymar and Mohamed Salah when using the Fbref comparison tool and would therefore be a top-level capture despite the previous links with elsewhere in north London.

In other news: Tottenham officials dispatched to club as they allegedly eye ‘unbelievable’ £33m man for Conte! Find out more here.