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West Ham United recorded a vital 1-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers with both sides chasing European qualification for next season.

Tomas Soucek’s second-half strike proved the difference between the two sides as the Hammers climbed to fifth in the Premier League table whilst Wolves remain eighth.

Although the Czech Republic international will get plenty of praise for scoring the decisive goal, teammate Pablo Fornals had an excellent afternoon for the Hammers and looked as though he could be getting back to his best at the perfect time for West Ham.

The Spaniard started the campaign excellently, scoring four goals and assisting two in his first 11 league appearances of the season, but has just one goal in almost four months of Premier League action.

Although he didn’t score or assist against Bruno Lage’s side, the attacking midfielder was certainly influential.

According to SofaScore, Fornals was the Irons’ joint-best player alongside Kurt Zouma, picking up a rating of 8.2/10 whilst making 74 touches, one of the most in his side.

Moreover, the livewire enjoyed an 80% passing accuracy alongside making two key passes and successfully completing three of four attempted dribbles.

However, it was the wide man’s defensive contribution that was so impressive, with the 26-year-old making five tackles and two interceptions whilst winning 75% of his duels as West Ham kept their seventh clean sheet of the Premier League season.

It would’ve certainly been pleasing for Moyes to see a player with plenty of potential look back to his best after a tricky run in the side that has seen little goal contributions.

Since joining the East London outfit from La Liga side Villareal in 2019, Fornals has had a mixed spell in the English capital, making 111 appearances in all competitions whilst scoring 15 goals and assisting 14, a goal contribution every 3.83 matches.

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Now, Moyes will want to see more goals from the Spaniard, an area that’s clearly been lacking in the three seasons at The London Stadium.

The Hammers have a crucial handful of weeks coming up, with Sunday’s win over Wolves a great way to kick-start that run. Following an FA Cup fifth-round clash at Southampton on Wednesday night, the Irons take on Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham in the Premier League as well as two legs against Sevilla in the Europa League round of 16, all before April.

Therefore, the Scotsman will be desperate for his offensive-minded players, such as Fornals, to contribute strong performances. Moreover, there is a particular emphasis on goal scoring with Michail Antonio the club’s only senior striker and as a result goals will have to come from other avenues if the Hammers are to be successful.

In other news: Sold for £23m, now worth 5x less: West Ham played a blinder with “heated” 32 y/o flop

Speaking to GiveMeSport, reliable journalist Michael Bridge of Sky Sports has made an interesting Tottenham player claim as he names two Lilywhites disliked on a personal level at N17.

The Lowdown: Conte begins revamp…

In the January transfer window, Spurs boss Antonio Conte got his first chance to rebuild the club and ship out some of the deadwood.

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Former Lilywhites sensation Dele Alli completed a permanent move to Everton with promising Spanish starlet Bryan Gil leaving Spurs on loan to link up with Valencia.

Another Tottenham duo in club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele and Argentina international Giovani Lo Celso are also currently out on temporary spells.

Bridge, making a claim on the latter pair, has shared an interesting statement.

The Latest: Ndombele and Lo Celso disliked as people…

Speaking to GMS, the Sky reporter says Ndombele and Lo Celso aren’t ‘massively liked as people’ as well as players at Tottenham.

He explained: “Lo Celso and Ndombele, they aren’t massively liked as people, as well as players at Tottenham.” 

The Verdict: Interesting claim…

Lo Celso, who was often criticised for some of his displays at club level for Spurs, had been called a ‘passenger’ at points this season while there have also been repeated question marks surrounding Ndombele’s application.

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News that both men were not particularly loved as characters could come as evidence towards their debatable attitudes at Spurs and why Conte perhaps wanted to see them leave.

Of course, with both players only out on loan, it remains to be seen whether they could still have a future at the club.

In other news: ‘More on that’…The Athletic reporter drops ‘£2.3 billion’ Tottenham claim on Twitter, find out more here.

A Rangers claim has been made regarding the club’s decision not to wear their 150th-anniversary shirt at Ibrox over the weekend in Glasgow.

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has revealed that the Gers did register their special edition jersey prior to the start of the campaign and were, therefore, able to don it on Saturday.

This came after it was suggested that they did not get permission from the SFA or SPFL to change their regular kits in favour of the anniversary shirt.

He initially Tweeted: @SkySportsNews understands the SFA and SPFL did not receive any request from Rangers to wear their special edition kit for today’s match. If a club wishes to wear a different kit from those registered at the start of the season, they would have to seek permission.

The reporter then followed that up with two further updates: “Rangers have told @SkySportsNews today that they did register their special edition kit in the summer.”

“A Hampden source has now confirmed the kit was registered with the SPFL at the start of the season.”

Resolved

The Ibrox faithful will surely be feeling relieved by this latest update as the saga around the incident has now been resolved.

Fans were left confused after it had initially been announced by the club that the shirt was going to be worn against Aberdeen at the weekend.

The commentators on Rangers TV were left clueless too as to the reasons behind the absence of the changed strip but this update on the story has finally provided some clarity on the situation after a puzzling weekend for the supporters.

Luckily, it also means that they still have the chance to see the team wear the kit in a Premiership match this season as it has now officially been registered.

This means that the club will have an option to celebrate 150 years by donning the all-white strip for a game, although it remains to be seen if or when they will exercise it.

This is all hypothetical at the moment and there is a long way to go before this is a viable option, but the Gers could wear it for their final home game at Ibrox, which if they secure the title ahead of Celtic prior to that match, will be quite the occasion with the strip potentially going down in Rangers history.

As a result, Gio van Bronckhorst’s side would be able to do justice to the 150th anniversary by wearing it as they lift silverware. That said, there is plenty of work left to be done to catch up on the Hoops.

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The supporters will also be intrigued to learn that Rangers did not wear their usual blue strip against Aberdeen due to any error on their part. They did not ruin their anniversary because of a pre-season administrative failure and, instead, made their decision on their own.

It would have been a worrying sign of how dealings are being handled behind the scenes had it been a case of a mistake before the start of the campaign. Therefore, fans will be pleased to know that they did not mess up in this particular situation.

AND in other news, 7 G/A in 4 starts: Wilson made huge Rangers blunder on “groundbreaking” £6.3m gem…

Crystal Palace target Boubacar Kamara is not interested in a move to Selhurst Park, Jeunes Footeux report.

The Lowdown: Kamara links

Reliable journalist Alan Nixon revealed at the weekend that Palace backer John Textor is ready to splash the cash in the summer to back Patrick Vieira and name-checked Kamara as a target.

The 22-year-old is into the final four months of his Marseille contract, with his huge contract demands now not appearing to be a problem for the Eagles ahead of a possible free transfer.

Palace joined the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle United and West Ham United in the race for Kamara’s services, but it seems as if their interest may well be short-lived.

The Latest: Not keen

French outlet Jeunes Footeux shared a story regarding Kamara on Tuesday morning and cited Palace’s interest.

However, they said the chances of the midfielder linking up with Vieira are ‘close to zero’ and he is not keen on a move to the club.

The Verdict: Always ambitious…

Kamara appears to be a player in demand due to his ability, age and contract situation, with Jeunes Footeux also claiming Barcelona, ​​​​Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, AS Roma, Juventus and Arsenal are tracking the player.

On that basis, a move to Selhurst Park was always unlikely, but it’s good to know that Textor is willing to back Vieira in his second season in charge.

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Yes, this update on Kamara is a blow, however, the Eagles can now waste no time in turning to look elsewhere when it comes to midfield reinforcements ahead of the summer window.

In other news: ‘I’m told…’ – Journalist drops big Palace transfer claim as Parish prepares big-money offer. 

West Ham could be without three key men for tonight’s crunch-match with Sevilla in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 second leg, with the Hammers currently one-goal down on aggregate.

You’d expect them to have an advantage of their home crowd tonight, but with star winger Jarrod Bowen missing, the job will just be even more difficult than it was before – and it could become even harder should two key players also join the English winger on the sidelines.

Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell are both awaiting late fitness tests to see whether they will be able to take part in the game tonight, after suffering injuries at the weekend against Aston Villa.

“I couldn’t tell you exactly if they’re fit,” West Ham manager David Moyes said yesterday. “They’ve done a little bit of light training. We’re trying to find out if they are fit, that’s really what it is – we’re trying to give them every opportunity to be fit.

“They didn’t train with the team today (Wednesday), but they have done a little bit with the fitness coaches. We’ll wait and assess them tomorrow to see how they are.

“I’ve not named the team and I’ll probably not do that until late tomorrow [Thursday] to see how they are.”

This news will undoubtedly leave the Irons boss nervous, especially as Antonio is currently the Hammers’ only natural option at striker, and after having another solid season for the East London club with him scoring eight Premier League goals in 28 games, Moyes will find it very difficult to replace him if he isn’t able to play tonight.

It’s not just his goals output that the Hammers will miss though, as he has also created seven more in the league this season, making on average 1.5 key passes per game – showing how important his creativity is for the club too.

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Meanwhile, 32-year-old Cresswell has started 22 games in the top flight, scoring once and setting up three, proving he is also still a key asset to the team, and his leadership will surely be missed in such an important game like this one.

In other news: Moyes must unleash “beautiful” £17.5m West Ham gem today, he creates “magical” moments

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s interest in Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard…

What’s the talk?

According to i News, the Magpies have remained in contact with the 29-year-old’s representatives after failing to land him in January, with PIF plotting a revived swoop.

The report claimed that he may have a number of clubs interested in landing him, as he is set to become a free agent upon the expiry of his contract at Old Trafford this summer.

Transformative

A deal to sign the £80k-per-week magician can transform Eddie Howe’s team, as Lingard would bring something different to the table which would allow the 44-year-old to deploy a more progressive approach on the pitch.

The Magpies do not currently own an attacking midfielder with the quality to both score and set up goals from a number 10 position. Joe Willock is the closest player that Howe has to one, in the sense that the 22-year-old has shown that he can score from midfield, but he has faltered this term with just two goals and zero assists in the Premier League.

Last season, Willock and Lingard both enjoyed purple patches as they were on loan to Newcastle and West Ham from Arsenal and Manchester United respectively, but how did their respective runs of form stack up against each other? Here is how they fared for both of their loan clubs during the 2020/21 campaign…

These statistics, provided by SofaScore, highlight the difference in quality between the two players. Whilst they can both score goals in the top flight, Lingard is far more creative and capable of linking the play than Willock, which is why he would be suited to a number 10 position at St  James’ Park.

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The 29-year-old was hailed as “absolutely phenomenal” by talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham last year, and the statistics above illustrate that comment perfectly. The attacking midfielder was sublime on loan with the Hammers after struggling for game-time with the Red Devils, and he is now wasting away at Old Trafford again, starting just one league match all season.

It is now time for the Magpies to rescue him by snapping him up on a free transfer this summer. No Newcastle player has hit nine goals or four assists in the Premier League this season, whilst Lingard did it in 16 games at West Ham. He could transform Howe’s side by coming in as the Magpies’ number 10 and linking up the play to create a vibrant attacking unit with his quality in the middle of the park.

AND in other news, Huge blow as worrying NUFC injury setback emerges which will leave Howe scrambling…

Sunderland must do all that they can to keep Ross Stewart at the club in the summer.

What’s the word?

The Scottish striker is the Black Cats’ top scorer this season and has been vital in their push to get promoted scoring 22 goals and assisting four in 44 appearances.

He also leads the race for the Golden Boot in League One so it’s likely that come next season he will want to be playing at a higher level.

There has been interest from a number of clubs in the Championship as well as Premier League relegation strugglers Norwich City.

Striker problems

Sunderland are ‘down to the bare bones’ when it comes to their firepower up front, with Jermain Defoe recently announcing his immediate retirement having only joined the club back in January.

Former star striker Kevin Phillips has urged manager Alex Neil to wrap Stewart “in cotton wool” because an injury to him between now and the end of the season could be disastrous.

But it’s beyond then that the Black Cats should be worrying about, if they fail to get promoted it makes it even more likely they’ll lose their £2.7k-per-week star man and he would be difficult to replace.

As well as his great goal scoring record he has also proved to be reliable having tallied the most minutes on the pitch out of all the forwards in the whole of League One with 3,544.

The 25-year old also isn’t afraid to track back, he ranks inside the top ten for aerial duals won averaging 5.6 per game which includes when defending set-pieces.

Sunderland must try their hardest to keep Stewart at the Stadium of Light but he could be tempted by Premier League strugglers Norwich.

The Canaries may get relegated, but even so, they would still be one of the top sides in the Championship as history shows.

Stewart is under contract for another season so Norwich would surely have to pay the £450k he is worth according to Transfermarkt. However, they may be able to bargain with the Black Cats who won’t want to risk losing their star man for nothing when his contract eventually does expire.

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Ultimately Stewart is showing form that suggests he is too good to be playing in League One, it’s just whether he’ll be playing in a higher division with or without Sunderland. If it’s the latter, it will surely come as a disaster.

After all, in the words of Ross County chief executive Steven Ferguson, he is “a dream for any manager.”

IN other news: Time to go: Sunderland must finally brutally axe awful flop who’s cost £575k per goal…

Celtic midfielder David Turnbull could return from injury for the crucial weekend meeting with Rangers, according to ex-Hoops striker Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: Hoops face season-defining game

The biggest game of the Scottish Premiership season takes place on Sunday lunchtime, as Ange Postecoglou’s side head to Ibrox to face Rangers.

Celtic are currently three points clear of their bitter rivals at the top of the table, so the importance of the result this weekend is undeniably huge.

Victory for the Hoops would put them in pole position to wrestle back their league crown, although defeat would blow the race even more wide open.

The Latest: Pundit makes Turnbull claim

Turnbull has only featured for Celtic one since December because of a hamstring injury, but speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie claimed that the 22-year-old could feature at Ibrox:

“Turnbull is coming back but we don’t know how fit he is. Is he fit enough to play 90 minutes in an Old Firm? I guarantee you he will certainly be asking to play.

“Everyone wants to play and Ange knows how good Turnbull is on his day.  I think he could play some part, maybe he won’t be risked because we have a tough end to the season and we need everyone fit.

“So maybe he could play half an hour or something like that. I’ve missed watching him because I’m a huge fan of his. Ange will want him back playing so I think he will want to give him some minutes.

“It would be wonderful to see him back because he is a magnificent player.”

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