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West Ham United may well hope that Declan Rice does not turn in another brilliant performance against Manchester City on Wednesday.

The Sun reported earlier this month that City were lining up a raid on English talent in the summer, with £50million-rated Rice on a shortlist also including Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell.

On the chalkboard

Rice has been in exceptional form for the Hammers thus far this season, turning in superb performances against both Arsenal and Liverpool.

In the former game, he scored his first senior goal for the Irons as they won 1-0 but another sterling display could be something of a double-edged sword.

City will have scouted Rice prior to Wednesday’s game, of course, but he could offer Pep Guardiola a timely reminder of his attributes if he repeats his previous displays against top-six opposition at the London Stadium.

With Fernandinho injured during the Carabao Cup final, defensive midfield appears to be the one position where City lack the depth so prevalent across the board.

A move for Rice makes all the sense in the world, then, but he remains the jewel in the Hammers’ crown this season.

Indeed, he has made himself indispensable to manager Manuel Pellegrini, playing 28 times in all competitions, and finding himself in contention for an England call-up after declaring his intention to play for the Three Lions over the Republic of Ireland.

Per WhoScored, Rice makes an average of 2.8 tackles per game, along with 1.6 interceptions and 0.4 fouls. On the ball, he averages a pass completion rate of 86.2%, from 44.3 passes per game.

Proving his worth to City on Wednesday, then, would benefit the Hammers on the night but may ultimately see him exit the London Stadium this summer.

Perfect for City

Rice appears to fit the exact profile of player that City need.

Fernandinho is injury-prone and will be 34 in May, with Guardiola needing to bring in fresh blood to compete in the position.

West Ham are sure to demand a pretty penny but the champions have the resources required to buy practically any player in world football.

A £50m move would thoroughly compensate the east London side but they are unlikely to find a replacement any time soon.

Ultimately, they may have to hope Rice flops on Wednesday and that City decide to turn their attention elsewhere, such is the pricelessness of the midfielder to the Hammers.

[ad_pod ]Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed after his Burnley pre-match press conference on Thursday, via the club’s official website, that he is hopeful that Ben Davies will be available for the trip to Burnley on Saturday, which would be timely given Danny Rose is reportedly ill.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Davies has been out of action ever since suffering a groin injury in the Carabao Cup against Chelsea last month, but Pochettino confirmed that he is back in training and therefore could be selected for the Premier League clash against Sean Dyche’s men.

The north London outfit’s boss told Spurs TV when asked about Davies and Harry Kane’s fitness: “We need to assess them, there is still one training session more but they are doing well and I hope they will be available.”

The 25-year-old’s return to action would certainly be timely given Football.London’s Spurs correspondent Alasdair Gold confirmed via his official Twitter account that Rose has been suffering from illness – which of course could make him a doubt to face the Clarets.

Who gets the nod if Davies and Rose both fine?

It would be a tough decision for Pochettino.

Would you rather your club won the Premier League or Champions League? In the video below, Pl>ymaker FC’s Matty believes English clubs have already decided…

The fact that the former has been injured and the latter has just been ill would suggest that the Argentine would be taking less of a risk if he opted to go with the England international however, and he has arguably been in much better form than his Welsh teammate in recent months.

The 28-year-old has the quality to really hurt Burnley from an attacking point of view at Turf Moor, while he has the tenacity to deal with anything the hosts might throw at him when he is defending as Tottenham look to stay in the Premier League title race by picking up another crucial three points.

Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has criticised Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in his latest set of Premier League predictions ahead of the weekend fixtures.

What did he say?

Well, the Scot was talking about the Toffees’ comeback 3-2 win against Watford at Vicarage Road last weekend, labelling them as “absolutely abysmal” while they were 2-0 down.

However, while he then proceeded to pick out Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and previous match-winner Theo Walcott for general praise, their stopper teammate wasn’t so lucky.

Nicholas told Sky Sports: “The form of Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been promising, while Walcott has improved, with his pace and movement a constant threat. Richarlison is down the left and they have some tidy enough midfielders to complement their attack but it is the defence that is the worry.

“They look so vulnerable. Jordan Pickford cannot be branded as England’s No. 1. He looks off it.”

Did he really play for us?! No Everton fan has managed to name all of these obscure Toffees players….

Is he right?

He’s certainly right about them defensively even though they lie ninth in the Premier League standings, given they have conceded 37 times in their 25 top-flight matches this term – to put that into perspective, the tally is only two fewer than Watford and one fewer than Bournemouth.

It’s fair to say that Pickford hasn’t been in brilliant form either for the Toffees, and he was rightly called into question by The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland following the collapse against Newcastle United earlier this month, having been stood behind his line when he ‘saved’ the Magpies’ equalising goal.

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His distribution may be one of his big strengths, but he has his weaknesses too and one of those is his general failure to command his penalty area effectively.

His manager Carlo Ancelotti has already backed him publicly, but you still get the feeling the England number one may have plenty to prove to his manager between now and the end of the season.

In other Everton news, Toffees fans have been feverishly discussing a Scottish Premiership star with 19 goals in 22 league games this season, with one saying they’d “take him at Everton”…

Marcelo Bielsa will continue to face selection problems ahead of the visit of Derby County on Friday evening as Leeds United look to consolidate their advantage at the summit of the Championship table. 

Discussion over January transfers and Bielsa’s relentlessly consistent rhetoric will continue to dominate the month, particularly if the Whites recent struggles continue in the coming weeks.

Injury concerns are once again driving the narrative and prompting fans to recommend signings at every given opportunity, but Bielsa’s insistence on internal promotion and improvement, which has been vindicated by the performances of a handful of youngsters, hints that acquisitions are more unlikely than probable.

Not only are Leeds facing the prospect of tackling the Rams without Barry Douglas, Pablo Hernandez and a whole host of senior players, they will also be without Kalvin Phillips who remains suspended after being shown a straight red card against Nottingham Forest.

The holding midfielder has been forced to fill in as a central defender of late, with injuries to Gaetano Berardi and Liam Cooper leaving Bielsa desperately short of options.

A rising list of absentees has handed another Leeds prodigy, Aapo Halme, the opportunity to step up to the starting eleven. Like Jack Clarke and Jamie Shackleton, Halme has showcased a top level of maturity and competency when stepping into the side, and his performances have given Sky Sports journalist, Simeon Gholam, reason to believe that he could start on Friday evening.

‘A suspension for Kalvin Phillips means Halme could be used in central defence again against Derby.

‘He is a big presence at 6ft 5ins and also is useful with his feet, fitting Bielsa’s requirements for a central defender well.’

The Finnish colossus is hugely inexperienced at this level but he has demonstrated enough promise on his recent outings to suggest he can be trusted in the hugely anticipated clash with Derby.

An added weight of importance is pressing on Leeds ahead of the fixture, with the need to break a three-match losing streak putting the players in a situation which they are yet to face this season, so Halme will certainly need to be at his razor sharp best to give his side the best possible chance of keeping a clean sheet.

And, if he does indeed keep his place in the side from the FA Cup defeat against QPR, his height could cause Derby all kinds of problems from set-piece situations, as it did when he notched his first goal for the club at Loftus Road.

Leeds fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini made a splash in the summer transfer window by signing nine new faces.

Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sanchez were added to the midfield, but both are currently on the sidelines with injuries.

Mark Noble, Declan Rice and Pedro Obiang currently occupy the three-man midfield, but if one of them were to get injured, the Hammers’ options are minimal.

Perhaps Pellegrini should dip into the January market for cover, and Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a target that they could consider.

The England international, who was one of the surprise packages for his country at the 2018 World Cup, has struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge this season following Maurizio Sarri’s appointment as manager.

The 22-year-old, who is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, has featured in just three matches this season – two in the Premier League and one in the Europa League.

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Given that Ross Barkley is now ahead of him in the pecking order, Loftus-Cheek may be open to a loan move away in the winter.

Would he provide decent midfield cover at West Ham?

Let us know by voting below.

West Ham United have been one of the busier Premier League clubs in the summer transfer window.

Since Manuel Pellegrini was appointed as manager, the East London outfit have recruited seven new players.

Felipe Anderson is the most recent face through the welcome gates, while Jack Wilshere and Andriy Yarmolenko have also signed up.

Understandably, the majority of transfer news surrounding the Hammers has been in relation to incomings, but a story has now emerged about a possible departure.

According to Sky Sports News, Barcelona have contact West Ham about the availability of youngster Domingos Quina.

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The report claims that the Premier League outfit are prepared to sell for around £600,000 as the teenager is in the final year of his contract.

It is believed that Werder Bremen and Hoffenheim are also interested in the attacking midfielder, who joined West Ham from Chelsea in 2016.

Supporters have been giving their take on the situation, and there have been a mixture of views.

Comment from discussion Barcelona enquire about West Ham wonderkid Domingos Quina.Comment from discussion Barcelona enquire about West Ham wonderkid Domingos Quina.Comment from discussion Barcelona enquire about West Ham wonderkid Domingos Quina.Comment from discussion Barcelona enquire about West Ham wonderkid Domingos Quina.Comment from discussion Barcelona enquire about West Ham wonderkid Domingos Quina.Comment from discussion Barcelona enquire about West Ham wonderkid Domingos Quina.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has named his first team of the Premier League season for the visit of Leicester City to the Emirates Stadium on Friday.

With Alexis Sanchez missing because of abdominal issues, Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck start behind debutant and club-record signing Alexandre Lacazette, while Hector Bellerin and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain fill the right and left wing-back positions respectively.

Mohamed Elneny partners Granit Xhaka in the middle of the park with a three-man defence of Sead Kolasinac, Nacho Monreal and Rob Holding behind them, with captain Laurent Koscielny missing because of injury and Shkodran Mustafi only fit enough to start on the substitutes’ bench.

Arsenal supporters were quick to have their say on the starting line-up via social media, and they were divided with their opinions.

While some were concerned that the defence will cost them against the likes of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, others were pleased with the team and expect an opening day victory.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Tottenham Hotspur are once again finding themselves linked with the services of Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha, with The Daily Express stating Mauricio Pochettino’s side are planning another swoop this summer following failure to secure a deal in the previous two transfer windows.

The 24-year-old, who flopped at Manchester United after making just two Premier League appearances in two-years, has got his career back-on-track since returning to Crystal Palace and should make a step-up this summer.

Whilst Spurs are blessed with impressive attacking options, the stats show Wilfried Zaha would be an ideal addition to Mauricio Pochettino’s side and a swoop should definitely be made.

With six assists and four goals this season, Zaha has been one of few bright sparks for a struggling Crystal Palace side but his most impressive contribution is the fact he’s completed a whopping 127 take-ons; a number only Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez can better.

Zaha would excel out-wide with Mauricio Pochettino’s side, creating a deadly attacking quintet alongside Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-Min, so Spurs should definitely push to complete a deal.

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After the 6-0 thrashing at Hull City on Saturday, Charlton sit second from bottom in the Championship, with 20 points from 27 games. They are four points from safety, so it’s not over for the Addicks just yet, but their recent form is dreadful. No wins in six and four defeats sit amongst the underwhelming stats. It’s no surprise that they are in the relegation mire. League One awaits them, it would seem.

At points last year, the fans protested and with recent actions and more planned, the fans are clearly less than pleased with Belgian owner, Roland Duchatelet. According to the South London Press, the fans have formed a new group, CARD (Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet) that intends to bring an extra focus to their demands for Duchatelet to sell-up. Various unsettled supporter factions have joined under the flag of CARD to initiate short and medium term actions to impact the club. These combined actions over a period of time will, they hope, force change within the club’s senior management.

It’s difficult being a devoted fan of your club isn’t it? On the one hand you see the need for a change and the only way to vent your displeasure is to protest and begin actions you otherwise wouldn’t condone. On the other hand, you don’t want to damage the club you love. But, sometimes needs must and this is where your average Charlton fan now sits. Forced to watch the club being run by the hands of those that appear not to have a clue and seeing your team slide ever nearer to the next level in the football ladder isn’t easy at all

The former Addicks Chief Executive, Peter Varney, tried to bring in a new investor recently, but sadly for Charlton fans, that looks less likely now. The owners of the club are saying that the team is not for sale, this could drag on! Duchatelet bought the club two years ago, but despite what Varney had done in the past, neither Duchatelet or Chief Executive Katrien Meire will meet him to discuss the situation further.

In 2010, with Varney at the helm and Chris Powell as manager, Charlton won promotion to the Championship with a record points total and things started to look better. Fans sang that they had their Charlton back, but once again, they feel as though their club no longer belongs to them. We say fans, but those at the helm of the club described them as customers, never a good way of winning over the crowd. According to the Board in a recent statement, only 2% of the fan base are unhappy, a figure scorned at by supporters. Although three new faces have arrived at The Valley, the off-field activities seem to be unsettling the first-team and this is now reflected in the merry-go-round of managers and the decline in results.

Since Powell left in March 2014 and under Duchatelet’s stewardship, Charlton have seen five managers come and go. Jose Riga was appointed manager after Powell, but was not asked to stay once Charlton had fled from relegation issues that season. Whilst Riga moved on to Blackpool, the club turned to Bob Peeters, who lasted less than a year, then interim manager Damian Matthew – he lasted days before Guy Luzon, who steered the club to 12th place last season was replaced by Karel Fraeye, who was sacked in mid-January this year. Now Duchatelet has re-appointed Riga whose first game in charge was the 6-0 mauling at the the hands of Hull. Duchatelet and Riga have history. Not just previously at The Valley, but Duchatelet appointed Riga as manager of Belgian club, Standard Liege, before selling them in the summer of 2015. Yet again, fans there were unhappy at the sale of their star players, so this owner is used to unhappy ‘customers’. FYI, Duchatelet holds interest in five clubs across Europe in total.

So what next for the former family club that did so much to get back to The Valley in 1992? Further loan players could at least bolster the team’s depth and confidence, but this comes with a real element of risk. Once you start to get a couple of positive results under your belt, then there is often a continuation, so perhaps a win or two could breed some positivity. A current goal difference of -32 is unpleasant reading, but 10 remaining home games gives them a chance. In two weeks’ time, Charlton travel to another relegation side, Rotherham, and that will be a crunch game.

The club is in a state of flux at the moment and the fans are unhappy. However, at this moment, it is the team that needs all the help they can get.

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Ben White, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus could all be in contention for starting berths when Arsenal face Brentford in the Premier League.

Article continues below

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Club captain pushing for recallBrazilian striker & England defender also in the mixRamsdale to replace Raya between the sticksWHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners are due to make the short trip from north to west London on Saturday for a meeting with the Bees. They will make that journey having dropped just nine points through their opening 12 games in the 2023-24 campaign – with the plan being to piece together another title challenge.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT ARTETA SAID

Mikel Arteta is hoyes ping to have a number of senior stars available after the international break, with club captain Odegaard having been out of action since facing West Ham in the Carabao Cup on November 1. Arteta said when asked for an update on the Norwegian midfielder: “We have another training session today but he's been progressing well. Hopefully he will be available.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Brazilian striker Jesus has been absent for Arsenal since October 24, but he figured for his country in a 2026 World Cup qualifying clash with Argentina and could get game time against Brentford. Arteta added: “He is available. He played 97 minutes in a really competitive match. We have another session. They had a really long flight and I have to see the condition of every single player to make the final call on the line up.”

Arteta went on to say when asked if England international defender White, who has been out since mid-November, will be available: “Again, if he’s able to train today he’ll be in contention to play. it's a question to be resolved in the next few hours.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arsenal will definitely be without Thomas Partey, as he recovers from a thigh problem, while Fabio Vieira is suspended following his red card against Burnley. Aaron Ramsdale will make his first Premier League appearance since September between the sticks, as on-loan goalkeeper David Raya is ineligible against his parent club.