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Wolverhampton Wanderers return to league action this afternoon with a trip to North London to face a turbulent Arsenal side at the Emirates Stadium.

Last time out, Nuno Santo’s men extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to a fifth straight game, which includes a shock victory over reigning champions Manchester City.

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The west Midlands club occupy 12th position having lost only two matches, which puts them alongside four of the top five in terms of defeats, so it’s clear to see that they draw too often.

That needs to change, and the Portuguese native can do so by electing for the subsequent formation…

In the three matches before their midweek Carabao Cup tie, Wolves started the game out in a 3-5-2 before switching to their Championship-winning 3-4-3 system.

The one recurring issue was that they went behind using the first formation in all three games, and they only found a way back into the match when Nuno changed things up.

Therefore, it makes sense to begin this one with the formation that has been working much better.

This means that Adama Traore and Diogo Jota will operate in the half-spaces behind striker Raul Jimenez.

Matt Doherty keeps his place in the starting XI, but only this time, he begins at his natural right wing-back position while Ruben Vinagre is preferred to Jonny just like he was in the City victory.

The most significant change will be the absence of Joao Moutinho, who Nuno has started in nine of their ten matches.

The pair of Ruben Neves and Leander Dendoncker will give Wolves some defensive stability over Arsenal’s midfield three, thus allowing their attacks to come through the wing-backs more often.

As seen in the Belgian’s change to centre-back in the Newcastle game and the fact that his Portuguese partner has been playing too deep this season anyway.

Check out a hilarious review of Wolves’ new ‘Mexico’ kit in the video below…

Perhaps a controversial choice, but one that can pay dividends if it works out.

Much of the talk will be over who replaces Willy Boly after his severe leg injury – the Wolves chief clearly doesn’t fancy either Jesus Vallejo or Max Kilman after they both were on the bench versus Newcastle so Romain Saiss and the returning Ryan Bennett should play either side of skipper Conor Coady.

The 29-year-old should be good to go after returning to training last week.

Sunderland sacked manager Jack Ross less than a week ago, and they could be close to appointing his successor if reports are to be believed.

The Black Cats have been linked with the likes of Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth, Coventry City boss Mark Robins and even ex-England manager Steve McClaren since the managerial vacancy appeared, but they may have edged closer to someone else.

According to a report from The Sun, former Bolton Wanderers manager Phil Parkinson held talks with chairman Stewart Donald over the weekend.

Following Ross’ sacking, Donald said he believed it was time for a change in order to give the tyne-wear side a better chance of gaining promotion this season.

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Parkinson has been out of work since resigning his post from the then-troubled League One club back in August while he has also managed Bradford City and Charlton Athletic.

However, several supporters at the Stadium of Light aren’t best pleased with the potential move for the 51-year-old.

One fan said he felt like it would be Simon Grayson mark two – the current Blackpool boss lasted just four months at the helm back in 2017.

Another member of the Black Cats’ faithful lambasted the possible appointment claiming it would be “underwhelming,” and that even if he were to gain promotion, it would still feel like short-term planning.

Others said they would have rather kept Ross on with one going as far as saying it could be another situation like the one they’ve just got rid of.

Here’s more of the reaction:

Arsenal fans were blown away by William Saliba’s commanding performance for Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 over the weekend.

The defender, who was signed by the Gunners in a £27m deal in the summer, only to be loaned back to the French club, has made two starts in the French top-flight thus far this season.

His second came on Sunday, as Saint-Etienne beat Bordeaux 1-0 thanks to a 92nd-minute goal from Denis Bouanga.

Per WhoScored, the 18-year-old, who was also linked with Tottenham Hotspur prior to agreeing a deal to join the Gunners, had 50 touches of the ball throughout the game, winning three aerial duels and one tackle, while also making three interceptions and two clearances.

Arsenal fans were impressed with his display and a number of fans are now counting down the time towards his return to north London at the end of the season.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

Real Madrid are definitely not short on extraordinary young talents within their squad.

The Galacticos actually have quite the supply of potential superstars with the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes leading the lines. But, there are more players that are bound to grace the spotlight in the not so distant future.

One of those talents is definitely Martin Odegaard, the 20-year-old Galactico currently on loan at Real Sociedad. And how do we know he’s bound to become one of the greats? Well, his numbers definitely don’t lie.

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Real Sociedad’s player of the month for August has certainly continued his breathtaking ascent and is taking the La Liga stage by storm.

The latest proof that can attest to that statement is actually in the latest match he played for his new and temporary team. La Real faced off against Deportivo Alaves at home and Odegaard, for the lack of a better term, dropped a true masterclass. And this is not an overstatement by any stretch of the imagination.

The young 20-year-old midfielder assisted one of the three goals his team netted but that figure is actually pretty low considering he tallied a game-highest ten key passes on the night. That is just utterly ridiculous – the highest average in La Liga so far this season is Jose Campana with 3.7 per game.

Other than that, Odegaard also deployed four through balls, six crosses and managed an overall 84.1% passing accuracy. Interestingly enough, that wasn’t enough to warrant him the highest rating in the team, at least according to Whoscored who bestowed that honour on his teammate, Mikel Oyarzabal, having recorded two goals and one assist.

Even though the young Norwegian is still at the very beginning of his career with just 20 years on his back, suggesting he just might go on to establish himself as a superstar is becoming a less bold statement by the game.

In fact, at this very point in time, it looks likely to be true.

Still, let’s wait and see how he develops in the future but if he continues down this path, Real Madrid could have a place for him in the senior fold very soon.

Some Newcastle fans have taken to Twitter to heap praise on Allan Saint-Maximin, following the 1-0 win over Manchester United at St James’ Park.

The £16.5m summer signing was handed his second Premier League start of the season, and certainly played his part against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.

The Magpies No.10 was in the mood against the Red Devils, driving forward at every opportunity he could and proving to be a real difference maker, creating space with his direct style of dribbling.

It was one of his ventures forward that led to Jetro Willems setting Matty Longstaff up for the winning goal, while Saint-Maximin impressed throughout having recorded a game-high four dribbles.

The 22-year-old also made two key passes on a day when he was one of Newcastle’s best players.

One fan said that the Frenchman is “everything we’ve been missing”, while another said that the former OGC Nice attacker was “key to it all”.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

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Any chances Everton had of signing Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma on a permanent basis this summer have surely ended following news of the west London outfit’s two-window transfer ban from FIFA, but it could be good news for Yerry Mina.

What’s the word, then?

Well, it was announced on Friday that the Blues won’t be able to bring any new players to Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2020 for breaching rules in relation to youth players, which will have a big impact on their squad.

Zouma was sent out on a season-long loan deal to Goodison Park last summer as he looked for more regular football following his return from a serious injury, and he has certainly got it after striking up a strong partnership with Michael Keane at the heart of the defence, making 23 Premier League appearances.

Even if the Merseyside outfit were considering an attempt to bring the 24-year-old north permanently, those hopes are surely over given Maurizio Sarri’s men’s struggles recently and the fact that the soon-to-be out of contract Gary Cahill and David Luiz are getting no younger.

Good news for Mina?

It certainly is.

The Colombia international would have been expected to hit the ground running when he signed in a big-money deal from Barcelona following his impressive showing for his country at the 2018 World Cup, but he simply hasn’t got going yet.

Injuries have played a part but the 24-year-old hasn’t looked convincing or dominant when he has been on the pitch, and Keane and Zouma are clearly Marco Silva’s preferred partnership right now even if the latter was dismissed against Watford.

Without the France international next term though if Chelsea choose to keep him, the South American would have the perfect opportunity to finally kick-start his Everton career.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

When a man who came through the infamous La Masia academy for two years during his youth career arrived at Elland Road, there would have been a sense of excitement.

Perhaps there would also have been an expectation on Rafa Mujica’s shoulders too.

Reflecting upon things, a striker who scored ten times at senior level for Barcelona B may have just had Ryan Edmondson on his toes.

Leeds have a number of young promising attackers, not least in Edmondson himself but also Liam McCarron and Kun Temenuzkhov.

Competition for places in the U23s is fierce but it was perhaps strange that they brought in Mujica and then almost instantly loaned him out.

The 20-year-old was shipped out to the second division in Spain where so far, he’s played just two games for Extremadura UD.

During his loan spell he’s featured for only 30 minutes. Things haven’t gone according to plan for the Spaniard or his team who sit 21st in the Segunda Division without a win.

After six games they’ve scored just four goals and Mujica has rarely been seen. If he’s struggling to get into a poor side the future doesn’t particularly bode well for him ahead of the rest of the campaign.

Leeds stated when they signed the young striker that he’d go straight into the youth setup at Thorp Arch where he would develop his game.

That decision was eventually thrown out the window as he was sent to Spain to continue his progress. On the face of it, it was a decision that made sense, but it’s strange when you’ve only just signed the player.

At the age of 20, you need to be playing but considering Leeds was his first move abroad, time to settle in England should have been considered – especially if they see a future for him.

However, it does serve as good news for Edmondson.

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The teenager has appeared for the Leeds senior team in the past but may have feared for his future when both Mujica and McCarron walked through the door over the summer.

The former has more experience at senior level, playing 78 times as opposed to Edmondson’s two.

But the way things have played out, Edmondson should still feel as though he’s at the top of the pecking order in terms of the academy strikers coming through the ranks.

Mujica is so far struggling to make an impact and with his side doing so badly, confidence is unlikely to be too high.

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford’s latest injury is something of a “mystery”…

What’s the latest?

That’s according to reliable LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross, who provided supporters with a fresh update on the striker’s situation during a recent Q&A.

He said:

“Bamford remains something of a mystery after [Marcelo] Bielsa’s doubtful comments on the striker being back for the Villa game.”

The 28-year-old talisman has missed 17 of their last 18 league matches with a string of problems and it doesn’t seem likely of making a return against Aston Villa in the Premier League next week.

Before the break, the Whites boss expressed his doubts over Bamford featuring down at Villa Park on Wednesday.

“I have my doubts. I’m not sure,” he said (via BirminghamLive). It’s not just about being able to count on him, it’s that he arrives in conditions to develop his game.

“A player who’s gone so long without playing, it opens up a question mark, after he is healthy, [about] how long he needs to show his regularity.”

Worrying news

This will come as a huge cause for concern for many around west Yorkshire as Leeds have really missed his presence in the final third, having finished last season as their top goalscorer on 17 goals.

To make matters worse, Raphinha – who has scored more than anyone in his absence this term – limped off during Brazil’s win over Paraguay late on Tuesday night after opening the scoring.

In the six appearances that Bamford has made in the Premier League this term, he’s proven to be a big influence, scoring twice and also laying on a further two assists but he has played only 22 minutes since mid-September.

The Yorkshire giants are in a fairly comfortable position, sitting seven points clear of the relegation zone, but things can quickly change in this division and many of the sides below them hold games in hand.

Only six teams have scored fewer goals than Leeds this season, four of which are below them in the table. A worrying trend as they rank inside the top five for shots per game (14). That suggests they cannot convert their chances and that’ll be no surprise as they do not have a senior striker fit to slot them home.

The likes of Daniel James, Tyler Roberts and Jack Harrison have all been deployed up front in his absence, to not much success, especially the former two.

So the absence of the man who Liverpool’s title-winning head coach Jurgen Klopp once dubbed an “exceptional player” is certainly a big blow for United heading into their return to action.

Cross’ claim only adds further doubt on whether we will see Bamford back on the pitch anytime soon and that surely will leave many supporters fuming heading into a vital run of games.

AND in other news, Bielsa made a huge January transfer howler at Leeds over £22.5m-rated “special talent” – opinion

Everton youngster Anthony Gordon ‘wants to remain’ at the Toffees ‘for as long as he possibly can’, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Gordon’s performances for Everton

The winger made his debut for the Toffees during the 2019/20 season; but it has been during the current campaign that he has risen to prominence within the Everton squad.

The 21-year-old has made 24 appearances in the Premier League this season and has been labelled as one of the few brightest sparks in a struggling Everton team, plundering three goals and three assists.

His importance to Frank Lampard’s side has been illustrated by his underlying statistics as a winger – among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, he has ranked in the 99th percentile for tackles, the 97th percentile for blocks and the 93rd percentile for pressures (via FB Ref).

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The Latest: Jones’ claim on Gordon

Transfer insider Jones has revealed that Gordon hopes to remain with his boyhood club for a very long time, despite Everton’s current battle for Premier League survival.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, the reporter claimed: “From everything that I can gather from speaking to people, he wants to remain at that club for as long as he possibly can. And so, I’ll be very surprised if Everton tried to cash in on him, that’s not the route to go down right now.”

The Verdict: Depends on their PL finish

Everton currently sit 17th in the Premier League table, just three points ahead of the relegation zone. As a result, a plethora of rumours have arisen linking the Merseyside club’s star players with moves away from Goodison Park.

If the Toffees fail to remain in the top flight, we could see the likes of Gordon being sold to another Premier League club in a bid to generate much-needed funds for the Toffees, who are already operating within limited Financial Fair Play parameters.

However, if Lampard can keep Everton up, Gordon should definitely be playing in a Blues shirt next season, particularly if he is keen on staying at the club for the foreseeable future.

In other news: Everton are reportedly willing to sell this first-team stalwart

An update has emerged on Rangers and their transfer plans to pursue a new forward in the January window…

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Record, the Gers have been keeping tabs on young Millwall striker Zak Lovelace as they track his progress with the English Championship side.

The report claims that the 15-year-old is also the subject of interest from Premier League clubs Leicester and Brighton.

The next Patterson

Giovanni van Bronckhorst could find the next Nathan Patterson for Rangers by securing a deal to sign Lovelace this month.

The 15-year-old has already made his senior debut for Millwall in the English second tier and has been called up by England at under-16 level, showing that he is a young player with plenty of potential.

Lions manager Gary Rowett heaped praise on him after the youngster made his Championship bow, saying: “I thought it was going to be one of those moments where the ball isn’t out of play and there’s a 15-year-old stood on the sidelines ready to make his debut. I was actually quite thankful they had a shot that missed, just because it allowed us to get him on. He had a big, big smile on his face and was desperate to get out there.

“We could have taken the easy route and put a senior player on there because we had Smudge [Matt Smith] left on the bench. But I just felt it was a game where we needed a bit of mobility at the end to stop them getting out.

“Young Zak makes a 50-yard sprint to try and stop them. He showed great appetite. He’s going to have a big career ahead of him, I’m sure.”

He is said to have scored more than 20 goals for the club’s youth teams and this suggests that he has performed well enough for Millwall’s academy to earn himself a first-team chance.

Therefore, he could be an exciting prospect to come in who could be viewed as a player with the scope to go on and make an impact for Van Bronckhorst’s side in the future, much like Patterson did under Steven Gerrard and the Dutchman.

Rangers recently sold the 20-year-old to Everton for a club-record transfer fee after he came through the academy process and made 27 first-team appearances whilst being capped six times by Scotland during his time at Ibrox. Lovelace could come in and replicate that success, given what he has already achieved at such a young age, and the Gers must ensure that they snap him up this month.

AND in other news, “I’d expect”: Expert delivers exciting Rangers claim that’ll leave Ibrox fans buzzing…