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West Ham United will be looking to break into the top-six in the Premier League when they welcome local rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the London Stadium this afternoon.

David Moyes’ side extended their 100% record in the Europa League on Thursday night after defeating Belgian outfit Genk 3-0, so they will head into kickoff buoyed by confidence.

And one of the standout performers from that encounter ought to feature today in Issa Diop.

The 24-year-old centre-back has slipped down the pecking order even more since the arrival of fellow countryman Kurt Zouma in the summer transfer window but he has been given opportunities outside of the Premier League and has pretty much impressed each time.

Diop’s four appearances across the Europa League and Carabao Cup have returned four clean sheets. By comparison, the Hammers have kept just two in their eight league outings so far this campaign.

Therefore, it could be wise to unleash the Frenchman with the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son heading to east London.

As per WhoScored, the £13.5m-rated colossus has been their fourth-best player in Europe, where he is averaging two tackles (second-most) and 2.6 aerials won (third-most) per game.

Neither of Moyes’ first-choice league pairing of Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna are managing more than 0.9 tackles per outing. That will need to improve if they are to stop Kane and Spurs’ top-scorer, Son.

This is why Diop must be considered, perhaps taking the place of the latter, as he and the Champions League winner looked excellent together against Dinamo Zagreb.

Jose Mourinho once dubbed the £22m signing a “monster” in September 2018 for dominating Paul Pogba and co, but performances of that calibre have been far and few between ever since then.

However, that looks to be changing.

“I thought Diop was absolutely magnificent,” claimed Irons assistant manager Stuart Pearce, via The Athletic, after their 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.

“The longer the game went on the more of a colossus he looked at the back and he’s still in relative terms, a very young man for a central defender so we’re absolutely delighted to have Issa at this club.”

Son has bagged four goals already this campaign, also averaging 2.9 shots and 1.4 dribbles per game, whilst Kane is threatening to add to his solitary strike with an average of 2.4 shots per match, via WhoScored.

Evidently, Moyes needs a rock at the back to put a stop to the pair running riot at the London Stadium, which is why Diop should be selected this afternoon.

AND in other news, Moyes must axe “special” £18m West Ham passenger v Spurs, he’s been abysmal for months…

At the beginning of the summer it looked as though Ruben Neves was a certainty to follow Nuno Santo through the exit door and leave Wolves.

However, current boss Bruno Lage will be thanking his lucky stars that he’s been able to keep the Portuguese ace at Molineux.

Neves initially appeared expendable with a variety of teams interested and Wolves keen to make money on the central midfielder.

Arsenal had been keen on him at one stage while Manchester United are still thought to have him on their radar.

Bruno Lage admitted last week that every player has his price but after Wolves’ 1-0 defeat to Tottenham, he will be doing everything in his power to keep in the Midlands.

Neves didn’t find the net with a long-range thunderbolt that we’ve become accustomed to seeing throughout the years but this was still a virtuoso performance.

Against Champions League regulars Spurs, the 24-year-old was simply outstanding in the middle of the park, glueing things together with an admirable work rate. Going forward he was a constant threat with his vision and when the visitors countered, he was often there to break it up.

It was a display worthy of interest from the Premier League’s elite and this should increase speculation surrounding his future.

Combative in the middle of the park, Neves won a whopping six tackles and was only dribbled past on one occasion. Considering that Nuno wanted his Spurs team to play on the counterattack, this was especially eye-catching.

When he got on the ball, the £58k-per-week earner was outstanding. He strode forward to complete five key passes, one of which Adama Traore really should have found the net with.

Neves found himself in a vacant pocket before threading an inch-perfect ball into Traore who stuck his shot straight at Hugo Lloris.

Their Spanish roadrunner was a constant thorn in the heart of the Spurs backline and did everything but score as the Old Gold somehow spurned 25 attempts at goal.

What specifically caught the eye was the range of passing in Neves’ locker. The Portugal international was successful with 16 of his 19 long balls, ultimately completing 81% of his passes in general.

This was a display that will have Lage delighted. If Wolves can finally start tucking away those balls from Neves then they will become a force to be reckoned with again.

AND in other news, Wolves make enquiry to sign “fearless” 6ft5 colossus, he’s a big upgrade on Saiss…

Liverpool have taken 18 points out of 18 points from their Champions League group, and as of Tuesday evening Jurgen Klopp’s side have set a new record in Champions League history.

The Reds are the only English side to win every single group stage game in the Champions League since it began back in 1992, after beating AC Milan 2-1 at the San Siro, in their final group stage fixture of the tournament.

One player that has been integral to the record breaking success they’ve had in Europe so far is Divock Origi.

Despite being transfer listed by the club this summer, Origi has come back into his own this season and seems to be on a mission to prove everybody wrong.

Liverpool made a number of changes to their side on Tuesday evening, rotating in the likes of Nathaniel Phillips who made his 2021/22 season debut tonight and teenager, Tyler Morton into the side, for a game that meant very little for the travelling team, as they had already qualified in their fourth game of the group over a month ago.

AC Milan did start the game well, with the home side taking the lead early into the first half with Fikayo Tomori netting in the 29th minute of the game at the San Siro, but they could not hold back from the inevitable Mo Salah, who scored his 20th goal of the campaign in 21 games.

Origi went on to kill the game with a 55th-minute winner, proving in 43 touches exactly why he’s still in the squad, securing Liverpool their sixth win in a row and heading back to the North West taking every single point possible.

The goal-scoring gem has been making an impact in all of his performances so far for the club this season, with five goals and two assists in just ten appearances, and cements even further the reason Klopp referred to him as a “legend” in his post-match press conference last weekend.

The German tactician told the media; ‘He’s an incredible striker, for different reasons he did not play that often but I hope one day he finds a manager that plays him more than I do.”

‘He’s one of the best finishers I’ve ever seen in my life.”

With the January transfer window imminent, it will be curious to see if Klopp and FSG are still interested in taking offers for the striker after speculation Newcastle are interested in signing him in the new year, or if they plan to keep the frontman in the squad and continue to utilise his goal-scoring habits in the second half of the season.

Salah has been the club’s go-to man this season but it’s time to forget about him for a moment because there’s another man in town making plenty of headlines himself; a certain Mr Origi.

In other news: Liverpool must secure new deal for Joe Gomez

Southampton are hitting a bad run of form, losing their two games in the Premier League and will be hoping to take maximum points from their home game against Leicester City this evening.

Ralph Hasenhuttl has given an injury update that will leave Saints fans buzzing as two players return to the side, with only one player missing from action for tonight’s game which could give the side a much needed boost.

“As of today I have 21 players on the pitch working with us. It was only Stuey (Stuart Armstrong) who has not part of the squad today,” Hasenhuttl said in his pre-match press conference.

“Also, Jack Stephens is back. The rest of the players were with us today.”

Jack Stephens’ return will be warmly welcomed by the supporters, as he will certainly strengthen the backline after an awful defensive performance from Southampton last weekend at Anfield, resulting in four goals conceded.

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Stephens only has six appearances for Saints this season, after sustaining a knee injury in the goalless draw with Manchester City in September where he was predicted to be out for up to 12 weeks, but is now available to play and could offer the quality in the defensive line that is clearly desperately needed, which we imagine will leave Hasenhuttl thrilled.

Another player set to make their return to the side is Ibrahima Diallo, who was left out of the trip to Anfield after rolling his ankle in the training sessions ahead of the game. The midfielder is confirmed to be back in action and could easily be picked for the starting lineup against Leicester.

The 22-year-old has had a great individual impact on the Southampton side despite being a defensive midfielder. Hasenhuttl has attempted to play him on many occasions as an advanced right-sided 10, which has seen Diallo offer a dimension to Southampton’s attacking prowess scoring one goal and assisting once too in his thirteen appearances so far, as well as still having those key defensive attributes in his locker.

Having both Stephens and Diallo back to full fitness, and only Armstrong side-lined should give the manager a lot of options to build the right tactical plan to secure the three points Saints need. Thus, he will be buzzing with the latest update from the club’s physios.

In other news: Hasenhuttl must unleash Redmond against Leicester

Kevin Campbell has offered his thoughts on what Aston Villa will do next in their pursuit of James Ward-Prowse.

What’s the talk?

Kevin Campbell believes that Aston Villa are preparing a new offer for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse, after testing the water with an opening salvo that was rejected by the south coast outfit.

He told Football Insider:

“He’s a great player. Aston Villa like to do this, don’t they?

“They tested the water with Smith-Rowe and now they are doing it with Ward-Prowse. They are putting a soft offer in to see if they can get the price before they come back with a new offer, it’s coming.

“Southampton are good at that game though, they have done well with transfers over the years.

“Villa won’t hold back, they know they have money but they want to spend it wisely.”

Smith needs him

NSWE must splash the cash to land Ward-Prowse from Southampton this summer as he could be a sublime addition to Dean Smith’s squad. He is a proven Premier League performer at the perfect age to kick on to the next level and he could help further plug the gap left by Jack Grealish’s departure to Manchester City.

Smith needs players who can come in and provide creativity as Grealish’s exit has left a gigantic hole in that department. The former Villa captain averaged an exceptional 3.1 key passes per game in the Premier League last term, with Ollie Watkins’ 1.2 the next-highest aside from Ross Barkley – who has returned to Chelsea following his loan spell.

This suggests that the ex-Brentford coach would be delighted to add a player to his squad who has proven that he can create chances at Premier League level, which is exactly what Ward-Prowse is. The Saints ace averaged 1.6 key passes per game from central midfield last term, ending the season with seven assists and eight goals to his name in the top-flight.

He was named Southampton’s Player of the Season at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl lauding him as “outstanding”. The Austrian told the Daily Echo: “It’s not surprising for me, a player who played every minute this season is unbelievable.

“His physicality and his performances are outstanding. That’s our captain on the pitch and he is on the way that he is a very important player for this club for the long-term, I think.”

The £75k-per-week dynamo averaged an excellent WhoScored rating of 7.07 and is only 26-years-old. This shows that he already has the ability to perform consistently week-in-week-out in the Premier League, whilst still having his peak years ahead of him to improve and develop as a player – potentially with the help of Smith’s coaching.

Villa fans should hope that Campbell is right and that their club make another effort to get the England star to Villa Park.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Mings: Villa must secure swoop for 26y/o beast who Smith would love…

Alan Hutton has been left stunned as Leeds United plan to expand their stadium capacity to 55,000, as reported by Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Fans begin to return to their rightful home

As Leeds United prepare for 2021/22, they will be looking to maximise all available avenues to improve on their impressive ninth placed finish last time out.

Marcelo Bielsa will be excited to gain an edge on their rivals through additions to the playing squad.

Advantageously, the permanent return of fans in Premier League stadiums next season also looks increasingly likely, as Wembley gets set to host 60,000 supporters for the EUR0 2020 semi-final and final contests [BBC].

The Whites had previously been permitted to host 8000 supporters in their last home match of the 2020/21 campaign at home to West Bromwich Albion [BBC].

Now, the Elland Road faithful could be set for even bigger developments regarding their match-day experience, something even ex-pro turned pundit Hutton has been buzzing about.

The Latest: Hutton has his say on ‘absolutely brilliant’ Leeds United plans

Speaking in an interview with Football Insider regarding a potential uptake in stadium capacity to 55,000, he said:

“That’d be special. That’s the only thing I can say, that’d be special.

“It’s a special stadium anyway, I think the fans are absolutely brilliant. They sing from minute one to 95. They always back their team and to pack even more fans in there, I think will be incredible.

“It’ll be incredible to go and see. It’s an iconic stadium for me, growing up with the likes of Woodgate, Robbie Keane, all those guys that were there.

“The fans have always backed them all the way. To make it even bigger with even more fans in there, it’d be some experience to play there.” [Football Insider].

The Verdict: Huge boost for Leeds if it happens

Elland Road contains a raucous atmosphere at the worst of times, which would only multiply with more supporters in weekly attendance.

This would also give the Leeds United players a lift in times of need, as vocal backing from a wall of Whites supporters would be a mouth-watering prospect to perform in front of; something Hutton eloquently points out.

All things considered, there is no reason to suggest why this would not be a beneficial move for Leeds United, in the immediate and longer-term, both on the pitch and in terms of finances behind the scenes, as football continues to deal in an uncertain financial climate due to the pandemic.

In other news, a pundit has tipped Kalvin Phillips to join one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Wolves tried their best to acquire some big signings in the summer window but they ultimately fell short as they ran out of time before the market closed.

It was a busy transfer deadline day for Bruno Lage without actually signing someone.

On the chalkboard

Hwang Hee-chan had arrived on loan from RB Leipzig just a few days before the window slammed shut but they weren’t able to build on that.

They pursued Lille’s Sven Botman and Renato Sanches but the former was too expensive and a future fee after a proposed loan move couldn’t be agreed for the latter.

Wolves chased Duje Caleta-Car and Kieffer Moore as well but both of those faces remained at their current club.

It’s already been claimed that Lage could revisit a move for Caleta-Car in January but we think the Molineux outfit should focus their efforts elsewhere.

Phenomenal Franck

One player that Wolves reportedly lodged a bid for in the summer of 2019 was Franck Kessie.

The powerful midfield general currently plays for AC Milan in Serie A and was the subject of a €25m (£21.3m) offer from the Midlands club when Nuno Santo was still in charge.

He is now rated at £49.5m according to Transfermarkt but they could stumble upon a bargain with the midfielder now thought to be available on the cheap.

Calciomercato reported last week that he might be available for as little as €9m (£7.5m) due to his contract expiring next summer.

With that in mind, Wolves simply have to explore another swoop for the Ivorian.

He could prove to be a huge upgrade in the middle of the park, not just because of his physicality but also because of his ability to score goals.

Last season, the 24-year-old found the net on 13 occasions, a tally that heavily eclipsed every single player at Wolves in 2020/21. For context, Pedro Neto and Ruben Neves were their top scorers on just five strikes.

Kessie registered an additional four assists, proving to be a destructive asset with the ball at his feet. An intelligent box-to-box midfielder, he completed 1.2 dribbles per match but also registered 1.4 tackles.

Speaking about his game, Former Milan manager Vincenzo Montella could barely contain his excitement, saying: “He is an extraordinary player, a sublime intelligence.”

The vast majority of Wolves’ central players lack dynamism and an ability to break forward. Neves and Joao Moutinho sit as the quarterback’s in Lage’s team so Kessie could completely revamp how they play in that department.

This would clearly be an excellent signing for the club.

AND in other news, Wolves may be hit with crushing blow after behind the scenes claim, Lage surely gutted…

Taking to Twitter, journalist Toby Cudworth of 90min has made a West Ham United transfer claim involving Sparta Prague striker Adam Hlozek.

The Lowdown: West Ham in summer striker hunt…

It is no secret that failing to sign a striker comes as possibly the only down side to what ended up being quite a productive transfer window.

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For the majority of the summer, West Ham had just Alphonse Areola on loan from Paris-Saint Germain to show for their efforts, but in the last hurdle, everything changed.

Indeed, manager David Moyes managed to bring in the likes of Kurt Zouma, Alex Kral and Nikola Vlasic very late on – but unfortunately for the Scotsman, his side are still without an alternative to Michail Antonio up front.

The Latest: Cudworth drops Hlozek transfer claim…

Writing on his social media, 90min’s Cudworth explains that West Ham still have their eyes on forward options even after the window’s closure.

One of the options linked with a summer move, exciting young Sparta striker Hlozek, is apparently still very much on GSB’s transfer radar as West Ham continue to scour the Czech Republic.

“WHUFC still very interested in teenage sensation Adam Hlozek, despite not making a move this summer,” explained the reporter.

“I have no doubt agents Soucek, Coufal and now Kral know their mission for current and future Czech international duties.”

The Verdict: Good option?

The teenage sensation, while coming as a very promising talent, can also hold on his own at senior level judging by his goalscoring record last year.

He bagged a quite incredible 15 goals and eight assists in just 19 Fortuna Liga appearances over 2020/2021 and has started this campaign equally well – netting three and assisting another two already (Transfermarkt).

Lauded as ‘extraordinary’ by agent Pavel Paska (Aktualne.cz), Hlozek comes as a very exciting target for West Ham and it will be interesting to see how January pans out.

In other news: ‘Unbelievable’, ‘This is the one’…BBC pundit in awe of what has happened at West Ham, find out more here.

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has delivered a major update on Aston Villa’s transfer pursuit of Man Utd defender Axel Tuanzebe.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that the centre-back could be set for a reunion with Dean Smith, having of course played under the Villa boss during their time in the Championship.

And now, Preece has said: “As for Axel. Villa will keep tabs on that. Engels could look to move and that opens up a slot at RCB. Could be one to watch.”

Perfect for Dean Smith

The £7.2m-rated centre-back has earned rave reviews for his displays even during his limited game-time this season, earning special praise from United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after helping to stop PSG and Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League earlier in the year.

He said: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have. Sometimes you’ll get in a foot race with Mbappe and you have to run with him and we know Axel’s qualities, he’s a top defender.”

Former Villa man Lee Hendrie has previously delivered his verdict on a potential move for Tuanzebe, suggesting that the ball is really in the defender’s court about whether he would want to battle for his place at Villa Park.

He said: “It’s whether Axel wants to come in and actually fight for a place. The two at the moment (Mings and Konsa), basically they’re picked week in, week out if you look at it. I just think he isn’t going to overtake Mings and Konsa at this current time.”

Given the £50k-a-week earning ace has already played under Smith, he should be able to hit the ground running, especially with his experience of Premier League football at United too.

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If there is a deal to be done, then Villa should be all over it in the summer.

Meanwhile, a journo has dropped major Villa’s transfer plans after Buendia…

Wolverhampton Wanderers were dealt another major blow in their hunt for European qualification as Bruno Lage’s men lost 1-0 at Turf Moor to relegation-battling Burnley in the Premier League.

Matej Vydra’s second-half strike proved the difference between the two sides, with the visitors keeping 64% of the ball, but managing just four shots on target.

Having lost 1-0 to Newcastle last time out, it’s another sucker punch for the West Midlands outfit, who remain eighth. Although, they are three points behind seventh-placed West Ham with a game in hand.

No Wolves player particularly covered themselves in glory, however, it was another tough afternoon for young striker Fabio Silva.

The 19-year-old hasn’t been short of opportunities this term, particularly recently with Raul Jimenez’s suspension, making 20 Premier League appearances thus far.

However, the trip to Turf Moor was another game that added to the Portuguese’s run without a goal this season.

During his 67-minute spell in Lancashire, the striker managed to only make a measly 21 touches, with goalkeeper Jose Sa touching the ball over twice as much with 44 touches.

The 19-year-old’s only efforts on goal ended up being two blocked shots, with none hitting the target.

As well as little threat in the final third, the Portuguese once again struggled to link up with his teammates, producing just seven successful passes with an accuracy of 54%.

There was very little defensive contribution too, with the striker losing 71% of his duels as well as offering zero blocks, clearances, interceptions or tackles.

With Silva previously labelled as a “hindrance” by Wolves journalist Liam Keen, unlocking the youngster’s potential is still a puzzle that Lage is trying to solve, with the forward’s struggles not necessarily a surprise with Wolves the Premier League’s fifth-lowest goalscorers with just 33 goals in 33 matches.

However, what will be a concern for both the Wolves manager and the fanbase is the lack of efforts on goal that the striker produces just 0.8 shots per game, compared to the 1.8 of first choice forward Jimenez, who has six goals this season.

Having paid a whopping £35.6m for Silva’s services, Fosun will be desperate to see the colossal fee justified by seeing Lage unleash the best of his young fellow countryman.

Although, the 19-year-old’s predicament is also down to him to solve, having struggled last year too with just four goals, and can no longer afford to let Lage down.

AND in other news: Wolves now plot bid to sign “unique” £31.5m-rated livewire, just imagine him & Jimenez