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West Ham United were dealt a major blow in their quest for a top-six finish on Sunday afternoon as the Hammers were beaten 2-0 away at Brentford with second-half goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney downing David Moyes’ side.

It was a major disappointment in West London for the East London outfit, particularly after securing a 1-1 draw against Lyon in the Europa League in midweek as well as important Premier League victories against Everton and Aston Villa in recent weeks.

Left-back Aaron Cresswell was particularly subject to criticism online from the West Ham faithful and despite the talent on display for West Ham, the visitors only managed just one shot on target all game as numerous forwards struggled to make an impact.

It was a particularly quiet afternoon for Manuel Lanzini who returned to action for the first time since being involved in a serious car crash last week.

According to SofaScore, the attacking midfielder failed to win a single duel whilst also mustering zero shots in a 57-minute appearance in West London.

Moreover, the Argentinian failed to attempt a single cross, long ball or dribble whilst also offering zero key passes.

There was also little defensive contribution from the 29-year-old as well, with Lanzini failing to offer a single tackle, clearance, interception or block.

Naturally, after such a scary incident, the experience can leave you shaken up. Therefore, there could be a suggestion that Lanzini wasn’t ready to return to action, at least starting for Moyes’ side.

It was a massive opportunity missed for the Hammers after Manchester United’s defeat at Everton yesterday with every game now massive until the end of the season in the race for a top-six finish.

Therefore, Moyes will need all of his players to show up when called upon and the same applies for Lanzini.

The attacking midfielder has endured a mixed campaign, scoring just four goals in the Premier League this season whilst being entrusted to feature in 36 matches across all competitions.

With the likes of Pablo Fornals, Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen all able to play in attacking midfield, the 29-year-old will have to be wary that game time could soon be limited if performances like Sundays are to be repeated.

In other news: Moyes plotting WHU bid for “electric” £27m-rated sensation, it could be bye-bye Bowen

Aston Villa will be ‘keeping an eye’ on the situation at Burnley following links to winger Dwight McNeil, The Birmingham Mail’s Richard Cusack writes.

The lowdown

Burnley announced on Friday that they had parted company with manager Sean Dyche after 10 years in charge.

The Clarets, 18th in the table and four points from safety with eight games remaining, are facing the prospect of relegation after six seasons in the top flight.

It was Dyche who handed McNeil his debut in 17/18, and the 50-year-old picked him for almost every Premier League match across the last three seasons.

The Athletic’s Andy Jones reported last summer that Steven Gerrard’s predecessor, Dean Smith, had personally scouted McNeil, and Cusack wrote in January that Gerrard could possibly revisit the move this year.

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The latest

Aston Villa are ‘likely’ to be monitoring events at Turf Moor, Cusack writes, because the squad is ‘laden with talent’.

He picks out McNeil as a player Villa are said to admire and says that he ‘might well be available’ come the summer.

However, The Villans would potentially face competition, with other teams ‘no doubt’ considering a move too.

The verdict

McNeil has actually endured something of a difficult season. He’s only managed to record one goal involvement, when in the last three campaigns he’d managed at least seven.

He was even booed by his own supporters during last month’s 4-0 home defeat against Chelsea.

Villa may prefer to focus on how good McNeil can be at his best, whilst simultaneously hoping that this low-key season has driven the £19.8million-rated Englishman’s value down.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has previously described him as a player with ‘real quality’ who should be commanding the attention of sides competing for Europe.

In other news, Pete O’Rourke makes this claim about an attacking target.

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Manchester City got the first trophy of the season on the board on Sunday, but Liverpool fans have found a reason to be optimistic despite their title rival’s success.

Liverpool clawed themselves back to the top of the league this weekend, drawing 0-0 at Old Trafford in a really poor match.

Manchester United offered very little going forward barring the odd set piece flashed across goal, and Jurgen Klopp’s side were equally incapable of breaking down their opponents.

Meanwhile, their title rivals beat Chelsea on penalties to retain the Carabao Cup, with ex-Red Raheem Sterling scoring the winning spot kick.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Pep Guardiola’s side though, as both Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho left Sunday’s cup final, and Guardiola confirmed they could have serious problems.

“(They both) felt something, muscular, they will be out for some weeks,” the Spaniard said, as reported by GOAL.com’s Sam Lee.

Laporte has become City’s most trustworthy centre back this season, while Fernandinho’s absence could be an even bigger loss – the Brazilian missed the defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Wolverhampton Wanderers have had their hopes of signing the next Diogo Jota boosted by Valencia after the Spanish side agreed to let Goncalo Guedes leave permanently.

What’s the news?

The La Liga outfit have made their intentions clear – they are willing to let their Portuguese starlet leave permanently this summer.

They signed him from French Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain on loan in 2017, making his transfer a permanent one the following year.

According to Calciomercato, Valencia have decided that the 25-year-old ‘can leave’, although it is claimed that they will only sell for €40m (£33m) – the same fee that they paid to Paris Saint-Germain four years ago.

Guedes is not short of admirers, with Jose Mourinho’s Roma reportedly monitoring the 25-year-old for several months.

Wolves’ next Jota

Wolves have struggled to create chances this season, scoring just 31 goals and creating a measly 33 big chances

Francisco Trincao, who is on loan from Barcelona, has disappointed this season, offering just two goals and one assist in 24 appearances, and he has consequently struggled for game-time as of late.

It seems clear that the Old Gold require a fresh source of creativity, and a move for Guedes can not only solve their problem, but could also have echoes of their shrewd capture of Jota. The current Liverpool star made an instant impression after joining Wolves on loan in 2017, with 17 league goals that season persuading the Black Country outfit to sign him permanently.

He left for Anfield in 2020 having netted 44 goals and supplied 19 assists in 131 appearances, and Wolves may well be hoping for a similar return from his compatriot Guedes.

Currently sat on 11 goals, the 25-year-old is enduring his best domestic campaign to date and is Valencia’s top scorer in La Liga this season.

It’s not just his goal-threat which has stood out, as he has also demonstrated ability as an out-and-out creator. In the Valencia squad this season, Guedes has created the highest amount of big chances with seven and is joint-top with fellow prospect Carlos Soler in terms of assists, with five.

His ball-carrying ability is one of his best attributes and has helped Valencia progress on the pitch this season. His 1.8 successful dribbles per match rank him highest in Los Che’s squad in La Liga.

Considering that Wolves have struggled to create and score goals this season, a move for Guedes makes sense and should be prioritised. In turn, Bruno Lage may just end up recruiting Jota 2.0 at Molineux.

In 0ther news – Wolves need to avoid signing Barcelona flop this summer

Tottenham Hotspur could finally offload Giovani Lo Celso this summer, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the word?

Speaking on a recent episode of his ‘Here We Go’ podcast this week, he delivered an update on the 26-year-old’s situation as he continues to impress on loan to LaLiga outfit Villarreal.

“Tottenham are still waiting for Villarreal to make an official proposal.

“From what I’m told, they want to discuss on Villarreal’s side with Tottenham to sign Lo Celso on a permanent deal or to keep the player for one more season.

“But Tottenham want real money so there will be a discussion this summer,” he said.

Summer budget boost?

After arriving in a joint club-record £55m deal from Real Betis in the summer of 2019, the Argentina international failed to live up to the heights of such a price tag, delivering only eight goals and six assists across an injury-barren stint of 84 appearances.

He fell even more out of favour following the arrival of Antonio Conte in the dugout and soon after, he was shipped out on loan.

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Lo Celso has been described as “a little bit awkward” around the dressing room by football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, as well as being dubbed as “unacceptable” by club insider John Wenham to Football Insider due to his inability to finish a game.

Whilst it didn’t work out in north London, it appears as if the £25m-rated midfielder has found his feet back in Spain, where he currently rates out as Unai Emery’s fifth-best domestic and European performer, via WhoScored.

He’s averaged 1.6 and 3.3 tackles per game across LaLiga and the Champions League and has proven to be a creative influence in the final third, especially in the latter competition, where he’s averaging 2.3 key passes per outing.

It’s no wonder the Yellow Submarines are considering a permanent swoop for him in the summer and it is one that the Spurs hierarchy should snatch at instead of trying to integrate him back into the squad.

Those around N17 will surely be delighted as it could hand Conte a big financial boost heading into his second transfer window in charge.

AND in other news, “Paratici went to watch”: Alasdair Gold drops Spurs transfer claim, it could be shades of Kyle Walker…

Aston Villa winger Trezeguet could still leave the club over the coming weeks and has interest from Turkey, according to Birmingham Live.

The Lowdown: Trezeguet’s injury-hit season

Trezeguet, who Gregg Evans felt was the ‘scapegoat’ early in his Villa career, has made just one appearance all season.

The Egyptian has missed the majority of the campaign with a knee problem, with Steven Gerrard describing the 27-year-old as a ‘unique situation’ last month.

He’s currently away with his country at the Africa Cup of Nations, where Egypt are in the final against Senegal, and it seems as if his time in the Midlands could be up this month.

The Latest: Interest from Turkey

According to Birmingham Live, Trezeguet may still depart the club this winter and has interest from Turkey, with their transfer window not closing until Tuesday.

He has been included in Gerrard’s revised Premier League squad list for the second half of the season but now has two days to seal a move to Turkey.

The Verdict: Time to go?

Should Trezeguet leave, Gerrard would be left with four wingers, two on either side, which should be more than enough for the remainder of the season. Ollie Watkins has also turned out on the wing under Gerrard, so a move away for Trezeguet could be best for all parties involved.

Johan Lange will have to be quick, though, especially as sides in the Super Lig have until Tuesday to finalise their winter business.

Villa forked out £9m for Trezeguet back in 2019 and he is still valued at that figure, so you’d expect Villa may be looking at recouping the majority of that in any permanent transfer.

In other news: Villa and Lange now set to sign another young gem for Gerrard; personal terms agreed. 

Sunderland have a chance to tighten their grip on a play-off position as they face Rotherham at the Stadium of Light tonight.

The Black Cats are fourth in the League One table and one point ahead of Sheffield Wednesday in seventh, with one match left to play after this game on Wearside.

Alex Neil’s men won 5-1 last time out against Cambridge and will surely be looking to bring that positive momentum into this meeting with Paul Warne’s visitors.

How many changes will Neil make to his side for this clash? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the team from Saturday, with Alex Pritchard, Callum Doyle and Dan Neil all coming in.

Starting off in defence, Doyle may come back in at centre-back to replace the injured Carl Winchester. The Northern Ireland international suffered a groin injury against Cambridge and it remains to be seen when he will be able to return for the Black Cats.

However, the on-loan Manchester City defender has started 32 League One matches this season and made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game. This shows that he is a player who Neil can rely upon as he has been a regular starter for the majority of the campaign.

In midfield, the head coach might bring in young Dan Neil to replace Luke O’Nien. Against Cambridge, the ex-Wycombe man – who former Black Cats manager Jack Ross once dubbed “awkward to get past” – was underwhelming as he missed a ‘big chance’ and recorded a SofaScore rating of 6.6 – the lowest of all the outfield players outside of the injured Winchester.

This may open the door for Neil to come into the team. The academy product has produced three goals and seven assists from midfield this season and has the potential to be a match-winner for Sunderland tonight.

Finally, we are predicting that Pritchard will start. Mark Cooper once dubbed him an “immense” player and that is exactly what the 28-year-old has been for the Black Cats. The maestro has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.10 in League One this season, chipping in with four goals and seven assists, and that is why he should return to the XI. 

AND in other news, Double blow as Sunderland hit with a huge setback ahead of final two games

A worrying injury setback has emerged involving Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar…

What’s the latest?

According to The Chronicle, the Switzerland centre-back has pulled out of his country’s matches over the international break after suffering a knock this week. The report claimed that the Magpies are set to assess his situation in the coming days to get a grasp on the severity of the issue.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery tweeted: “The Swiss Football Federation confirms Fabian Schar will play no part in the upcoming friendlies against England and Kosovo due to an adductor problem.”

Scrambling

This update will surely leave Eddie Howe scrambling, as losing Schar would be a huge blow to Newcastle heading into the final couple of months of the Premier League campaign.

The defender has been in fine form since the turn of the year and has established a strong partnership with Dan Burn at the back. His performances recently led to Howe saying: “Fabian is someone I’ve always admired. A really good footballing centre-back. The most important thing for me is, if you take away the football side, he’s defended very well.”

Schar has played 10 Premier League matches in 2022 and played a crucial role in the club’s rise from the bottom three to 14th in the table as it stands. Newcastle have lost just two of his 10 outings this year and both of them came in 1-0 losses, away to Chelsea and Everton respectively.

He went unbeaten in his first eight games of the year as the Magpies won six out those matches, keeping three clean sheets along the way. Schar also played his part at the other end of the pitch, scoring in the win over Brighton and setting up Joe Willock’s goal to beat Brentford.

In 19 league appearances this term, the Swiss tank has averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.87. He has been a reliable performer throughout the campaign, and the Magpies’ recent record with him in the team suggests that it would be a huge blow to lose him as they have been stringing together excellent results of late.

Therefore, Howe will be scrambling to ensure that Newcastle get the best possible treatment for Schar in order for him to be back fit and ready to play as quickly as possible. Based on the defender’s performances in the top flight, the Magpies will surely be fuming if he is unable to select the 30-year-old in the club’s upcoming fixtures.

AND in other news, NUFC eye £49.5m-rated “phenomenon” who’s a “work of art”, he’d ignite St James’ Park…

A big Sunderland update has emerged on their efforts to find a successor to Lee Johnson at the Stadium of Light…

What’s the talk?

Kristjaan Speakman has revealed the stage at which the Black Cats are at in terms of finding their new head coach, following the 2-1 defeat to Doncaster on Saturday.

He told Sunderland’s official Twitter account: “At the moment, we are putting together that shortlist.”

Fuming

Sunderland fans will surely be fuming with this news as it suggests that there has been a lack of progress in the last week. Johnson was sacked after the 6-0 defeat to Bolton and Speakman’s comments indicate that they are still not close to appointing his successor.

FFC published an article earlier this week suggesting that fans would be buzzing with an appointment prior to the Doncaster match due to the importance of the game. Every match is now crucial with the club vying for automatic promotion in League One and they could not afford to waste their time as it may well result in adverse results that affect their chances of finishing in the top two.

They failed to bring a head coach in ahead of the clash and ended up losing 2-1 to bottom-of-the-league Doncaster at the weekend. This shows that our prediction was true that a lack of progress on the manager front could lead to performances on the pitch faltering and this now increases the emphasis on the need for speed in Speakman’s search.

Fans will, therefore, be fuming that he has said they are still putting together a shortlist one week on from the decision to let Johnson go. They have seemingly failed to quickly identify their ideal candidate to replace the ex-Bristol City coach and the result against the Dons was them paying the price for their failure.

The supporters will be frustrated by the time it is taking to bring a boss in, with their grip on their automatic promotion dream loosening with each defeat.

Why sack a manager if you have no clear plan in place with an idea of who you want to bring in? The lack of progress this week suggests that it was a knee-jerk decision after the hammering against Bolton and the fans may see it the same way, which is why they will be angry with this situation.

Perhaps that is harsh and they may well have been unlucky in their negotiations this week – it is impossible to say. The important thing is that Speakman works hard to resolve the head coach position as quickly as possible in the coming days.

AND in other news, “At the moment”: Big SAFC managerial update emerges that’ll leave fans fuming…

Liverpool and FSG could be set for unprecedented levels of incoming prize money according to finance expert Dr Dan Plumley.

The lowdown: History in the making…

Jurgen Klopp’s side stand just ten games away from a potential history redefining season as the Reds go in search of a never-seen-before quadruple.

Having already lifted the Carabao Cup in February, the Anfield club stand on the brink of something remarkable as a UEFA Champions League semi-final tie with Villarreal awaits before an FA Cup final with Chelsea at Wembley.

Between all of that, Klopp’s men continue their quest for a second Premier League title in three seasons after returning to the summit with a resounding 4-0 victory over Manchester United.

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The latest: Expert predicts windfall

Speaking to Football Insider, Dr Plumley claimed that a ”huge” financial boost could be added to the potential trophy haul.

“If they win the FA Cup, they’ll have got £3.4m in prize money. If they finish runners up, it’ll be £2.4m. Those are the numbers in terms of direct prize money. There’s a bit more for TV money, but it’s not massive.

“What they are looking to is the added value with sponsors, clients and new commercial partners. If they can point to being treble winners or even quadruple winners, that would give them huge leverage.

“We still refer back to the Man United treble-winning team in 1999, so you can use that status to your advantage. But imagine a quadruple. It’s unheard of in the modern game.”

The verdict: Better and Better

Things couldn’t get much better at Anfield right now as the club thrives both commercially and in its main objective as a football team.

To add to the potential glorious season, it has been reported this week that ownership group FSG are in the process of sounding out a new shirt sponsor to replace Standard Chartered.

Operating extensively under the tag of a sell to buy club, any additional incoming funds will act as a welcome boost to the coffers as Jurgen Klopp and incoming sporting director Julian Ward look to bolster the squad in the summer transfer market.

Were Liverpool to even participate in every possible match this season it would be a remarkable achievement, one that in itself would bring about untold riches in TV revenue.

In other news, one Liverpool player has been backed to leave this summer. Find out who it is here.