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Tottenham Hotspur bolstered their claims for a top-four finish in the Premier League this season with a stunning come-from-behind victory over Leicester City on Wednesday evening.

The north Londoners are now only eight points behind third-placed Chelsea and do hold four games in hand heading into the second half of the season.

Spurs looked destined for their first league defeat under Antonio Conte until two moments of magic in injury time.

Super-substitute Steven Bergwijn was in the right place at the right time to poke home an equaliser in the 95th minute before he rounded the goalkeeper minutes later and slotted home with the last kick of the game.

There will be plenty of concerns for the way in which they conceded goals though and one player who took plenty of criticism on social media was Japhet Tanganga.

But much of the flak was pretty unfair as he played a big part throughout the 90 minutes – for instance, only one player on either team recorded more touches than he did (91), whilst he also registered three tackles and won 80% of his duels, per SofaScore.

It was Emerson Royal who was hooked at half-time and the Lilywhites instantly looked like a better side with Matt Doherty contributing in the final third.

It’s no surprise Conte is reportedly wanting a new right wing-back this month, despite the Brazilian only joining in the summer in a €30m (£26m) deal from Barcelona.

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‘[The] contrast between him and [Sergio] Reguilon on opposite flank was stark before he was dragged at half-time. No wonder a right-wing-back is high on Conte’s shopping list,’ claimed the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick in his post-match column.

SofaScore graded the 23-year-old as the worst performer on the pitch, having won just one of his three duels (33.3%), whilst he failed to deliver a single cross or dribble from 22 touches.

By comparison, Doherty provided one assist, made 100% of his crossing attempts and registered four key passes (the joint-most in the game).

Given the rumours that Conte isn’t confident in Emerson due to his poor play in attack, the £26m-rated Brazil international did himself no favours and if anything, proved the Italian head coach right in just about every possible way.

Recently dubbed a ‘flop’ by the Daily Mail, it could be a matter of time before Emerson is axed from the starting XI after another dreadful outing.

AND in other news, Sky Sports reporter drops worrying Spurs transfer update…

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has delivered the latest on Aston Villa’s plans for the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

With Steven Gerrard now at the helm at Villa Park, the upcoming transfer window throws up some exciting possibilities for what the new Villa boss could potentially do.

And now, during a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece has confirmed his expectation that the Midlands club will be busy in the transfer market and intimated the kind of areas they might look to strengthen.

He said: “I do expect Villa to be active, 100 per cent. There will be a few sent out for some game time and quality will be added providing Lange can help get deals over the line. It’s a tough market but Gerrard has a huge pull now. Villa will lose Nakamba for 3/4 weeks, likewise if Traore and Trez are passed fit for Egypt and Burkina Faso.

“A left-back will be priority, as will a defensive midfielder and, possibly, a winger. Gerrard still assessing the likes of El Ghazi etc, while likes of Philogene-Bidace and others will be loaned out. Quality will be Villa’s priority in January.”

Villa fans will be excited

Given Gerrard only took over from Dean Smith last month, it’s no surprise that the new Villa manager is intent on making some big signings in the January transfer window and putting his first touches on this squad.

As Preece alluded to, simply the name of Gerrard will make Villa an even more attractive and exciting option than they already were, and he could prove to be the difference-maker in terms of a lure.

With the club also facing issues with injuries – particularly to Danny Ings and Leon Bailey – and AFCON, the need for new players is perhaps even more pressing for Villa than most other sides around the league, so getting those new faces in early will be crucial to ensuring that they don’t slip behind.

Preece’s update is sure to have Villa fans very excited about what could happen next month.

Meanwhile, Gerrard must finally unleash this star…

Tottenham Hotspur could launch a move for Lorenzo Insigne in January, according to emerging claims…

What’s the word?

It’s believed the north London outfit are in pole position to seal the Italian’s signature as Lilywhites head coach Antonio Conte is said to be ‘crazy’ about signing him.

“The closest team to Lorenzo Insigne is Tottenham. Their executive, Fabio Paratici is courting him closely,” journalist Fabio Santini told Il Processo (via Area Napoli).

He later added: “Antonio Conte is crazy about Lorenzo Insigne and would like the player as early as January… Lorenzo Insigne, of course, is flattered by the interest of both Conte and Tottenham, but he is undecided.”

Bargain swoop

The 30-year-old dynamo is out of contract in the summer, so he will either be available for free at the end of the season or for a cut-price in January, should Napoli want to cash in on him.

Valued at €20m (£18m) by CIES Football Observatory, Insigne would be an interesting addition to Conte’s current squad given his versatility in attack – primarily a left-winger, the 53-time international can also play centrally as a striker and as a no.10.

Despite his contractual situation, Insigne remains captain and a regular influence for Luciano Spalletti, providing five goals and six assists in 18 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

He ranks inside their top four players in the Serie A so far and leads the squad in key attacking metrics, averaging 3.5 shots and 2.1 key passes per game, via WhoScored, who also list his major strengths as including his passing ability, finishing and dribbling.

“Insigne is strong and has personality, the way he plays, the way he dribbles reminds me of Messi,” once claimed former teammate Goran Pandev, whilst he has also earned comparisons to Diego Maradona in the past, too.

The diminutive 5 foot 4 maestro has been lauded as having “exceptional” work rate by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino, so that’s another positive in Conte’s books.

On the above evidence, Paratici could land quite the bargain in Insigne, should he try to sign him in January.

AND in other news, Journalist drops exciting behind-the-scenes Antonio Conte claim…

Southampton failed to continue the solid run of form they were enjoying prior to the recent international break by losing 2-1 to Norwich City at the weekend

What made matters even worse was the injury blow suffered to Stuart Armstrong who picked up a calf injury before the match at the weekend. Thus, it can be argued that something will need to change for the Saints moving forward.

One potential change that manager Ralph Hasenhuttl could make to his team that could revolutionise the side is by unleashing midfielder Will Smallbone.

After recovering from a serious knee injury he suffered back in January, the 21-year-old, who is currently valued at £1.8m according to Transfermarkt, was fit enough to be on the substitutes bench against Norwich, showing just how close he is to getting back into action for the Saints.

As a product of Southampton’s youth academy, Smallbone made his senior debut for the club back in January 2020 in an FA Cup victory over Huddersfield Town, making 52 appearances for the U18 side where he scored six goals and provided seven assists.

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He’s also appeared 44 times for their B team, finding the net on seven occasions and bagging six assists.

In the 14 senior appearances he’s made for Southampton, Smallbone, who has been described by Hasenhuttl in the past as a “smart” player, has managed to score one goal and provide two assists, showing his attacking and creative talents on the pitch.

If Smallbone has now fully recovered from his serious injury, Hasenhuttl should definitely start integrating him into the team gradually so he can get back into the swing of things with the rest of his teammates and potentially make the team more dynamic in an attacking regard, like they needed to be against Norwich. Judging by his performances at youth level, he’s definitely got the ability to transform Hasenhuttl’s offence.

Southampton’s next game seeing them take on Liverpool at Anfield, and while this may not be the right game to stick Smallbone in right from the start, it could be worth giving him some minutes in the second half to get the experience under his belt to see if he can make a difference.

In other news: Big blow: Southampton dealt worrying injury setback that will surely have Ralph gutted – opinion

Leeds United centre-back Pascal Struijk is still suffering from a hip injury and will remain unavailable to Marcelo Bielsa, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Struijk missing for Leeds

The Whites enjoyed more stoppage-time drama on Sunday afternoon, drawing 2-2 at home to Brentford in their Premier League clash, thanks to Patrick Bamford’s last-gasp equaliser.

Bamford’s return was another indication that Leeds’ injury problems are slowly easing, but one player who is out is Struijk.

The 22-year-old went off at half-time against Crystal Palace last week after picking up a hip issue and missed Sunday’s clash with the Bees.

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The Latest: Hay gives injury update

Taking to Twitter after the weekend action, Hay confirmed that Struijk was still nursing that injury and is working on making a swift return:

“Struijk has a hip problem and is finishing his recovery.”

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The Verdict: Key figure to have available

Struijk may not be one of the first names on Marcelo Bielsa’s team sheet but he is a strong squad player due to his versatility, with Dominic Matteo claiming he’s ‘got it all’ as a player.

He is capable of playing at both centre-back and in a defensive midfield role, giving his manager more options as he looks to rotate his players during the busy festive period.

The hope is that Struijk is back fit for Saturday’s taxing trip to Chelsea, especially if Kalvin Phillips is injured for the game, having picked up a knock against Brentford.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly eyeing up a loan move for a player. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace welcomed a new era into south London over the summer following the departure of Roy Hodgson after four stable and pragmatic years, with the arrival of several young and exciting signings marking the shift in approach.

The capital club appointed Patrick Vieira as Hodgson’s successor in the dugout following a lengthy recruitment process, but the French tactician wasted no time in putting his own stamp on the first-team squad.

Acquisitions such as Marc Guehi, Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise were ideal fits for his entertaining, possession-orientated style, and they’ve all hit the ground running in the opening weeks of the campaign.

However, it’s a player who was already at Palace prior to the plethora of changes who has arguably given the club’s supporters the most reasons to be cheerful during Vieira’s short reign and beyond.

Tyrick Mitchell rose through the ranks at his boyhood club before being handed his first-team debut by Hodgson back in July 2020 during Project Restart.

Since then, the 22-year-old has gone on to make 34 appearances for the Eagles in all competitions and has now established himself as Palace’s first-choice left-back following the departure of Patrick van Aanholt.

The left-back has excelled in his defensive duties in the early stages of his career, averaging a whopping 3.4 tackles per league game last term – the highest tally amongst his teammates, as per WhoScored.

And now Mitchell is also adding an attacking threat to his game under the tutelage of Vieira, becoming a much more complete modern-day full-back in the process.

As per fbref.com, the youngster has already doubled his number of key passes from last season, hitting six in his ten outings, is now producing one shot-creating action per 90 – up from 0.47 and is now carrying the ball into the final third of this pitch on 1.67 occasions per 90 compared to 0.47 in 2020/21.

His outstanding contributions at both ends of the pitch has seen Mitchell’s market value rise to £10.8m, illustrating how Palace appears to have struck gold over the £28,000-per-week academy graduate.

And, in other news…Palace liability who lost possession 22 times let Vieira down against Newcastle 

Manchester United could find their ideal successor to current manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after being linked with a move for Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers.

What’s the story?

The Norwegian tactician has been coming under increased pressure after a poor run of results in recent weeks, with speculation mounting regarding his position at the Old Trafford helm.

Several star names such as Zinedine Zidane and Ralf Rangnick have been touted as possible replacements, but now a new contender has reportedly jumped to the front of the queue.

According to CaughtOffside, Rodgers is ‘ready to take over’ at United and ‘significant progress’ is already being made over the 48-year-old’s potential appointment.

The report states that: “Sources close to the current managerial situation at United have now informed CaughtOffside that significant progress is being made on appointing Rodgers, though some hurdles remain.

“Although Rodgers is ready to take over at Man Utd, CaughtOffside understands that his preference would be to wait until next season.”

He could be Solskjaer’s ideal successor

Rodgers has established himself as one of the most exciting and promising young managers in the Premier League since joining the Foxes in February 2019.

In 129 matches in charge at the King Power Stadium, the Northern Irishman has averaged 1.77 points per game, consecutive fifth-place finishes as well as winning the FA Cup and Community Shield.

His impressive work in the Midlands comes off the back of two-and-a-half years worth of outstanding success in the Celtic dugout, where he claimed seven major trophies and took the Hoops back to the Champions League.

Although he was ultimately unsuccessful at United’s bitter rivals Liverpool, Rodgers appears to have learned many significant lessons throughout his career since his time on Merseyside.

And the attack-minded coach has been tipped for greatness for many years. His former tutor Jose Mourinho was asked if he was impressed with Rodgers’ time at Leicester back in 2020, and the now Roma boss didn’t hold back in his praise.

“I’m not impressed, I know how good he is,” said Mourinho. “When I met him as a young coach in the academy and coming to join us in the first team and sharing with us many moments, I understood that he was a young guy with a great future.

“So anything he’s doing in his career is not a surprise for me, not at all. He’s very talented, he was and probably still is a guy who likes to study, learn and improve. He’s creative, he knows what he wants. He’s a very good coach. Period. He’s a very good coach, so it’s not a surprise for me.”

Therefore, Rodgers could be the perfect candidate to come in and carry on the good work that Solskjaer has started in the red half of Manchester, adding the final tactical nouse that’s needed to bring silverware back to the Theatre of Dreams.

And, in other news…“I heard”: Romano drops big Man Utd manager update that should leave fans gutted

With Southampton still searching for their first Premier League win of the season, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are set to take on Leeds United at the weekend once the international break has ended.

Ahead of the match against Marcelo Bielsa’s side, who are only two points ahead of the Saints in the league table, Southampton could be without one of their regular players for the clash.

What’s the news?

It has recently been reported by the Daily Echo that Adams has been ruled out of Scotland’s World Cup qualifier against the Faroe Islands and is also a doubt for Southampton’s match at the weekend, which surely won’t make Hasenhuttl happy.

Southampton signed Adams back in the 2019 summer transfer window from Championship club Birmingham City on a five-year deal for a reported fee of £15m.

Since then, the 25-year-old, who is currently valued at £18m according to Transfermarkt has made 83 appearances for the Saints across all competitions, managing to score 13 goals and provide ten assists in the process.

Even though Adams has yet to score a goal for the Saints this season across all competitions and has only managed to provide one assist, we still feel Adams will be a big miss for the club if he can’t play against Leeds.

With the striker racking up 1.4 shots per game, the joint-third highest of any Southampton player in the league so far this season alongside James Ward-Prowse, he has still been an attacking threat. Follow that up with his 1.4 key passes per game, the joint-highest also alongside Ward-Prowse, and it demonstrates why his absence would be felt hard by the boss this weekend.

If Adams does end up being unavailable for the match at the weekend, we feel that Hasenhuttl should give Armando Broja a chance to start. He managed to score in midweek for Albania in their World Cup qualifier against Hungary so is in good form.

However, the manager will undoubtedly be hoping that Adams’ injury is not a serious one so he will be available for selection as soon as possible. The Saints need that first win of the season in order to climb away from the relegation zone.

In other news: Ralph must unleash “perfect” £9m-rated Southampton gem, he’s a real game-changer – opinion

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that the Hoops are in talks with right-back Anthony Ralston over a new deal, as per The Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Konur’s claim

Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur took to Twitter on Friday morning to share details regarding contract discussions with Ralston. He claimed that the Hoops have begun talks to extend the 22-year-old’s deal, which is currently set to expire at the end of the season.

The defender is on £5,500 per week at Parkhead, and it appears as if Konur’s claim regarding Ralston is accurate.

The Latest: Postecoglou’s confirmation

The Daily Record shared a story on Sunday morning, claiming that Postecoglou has confirmed that talks are underway with Ralston over a new deal.

He labelled the right-back as ‘fantastic’ and revealed that interim CEO Michael Nicholson is leading discussions. Postecoglou said:

“In terms of Tony, Michael Nicholson (interim chief executive) is in charge of that area.

“My focus is trying to make sure that Anthony continues his development because he’s been fantastic.

“Contract negotiations will take care of themselves. There’s very little need to feel angst about it.

“The club has a lot of faith in Tony. That’s why they gave him a new contract before I even started here.

“I gave him a chance and you’d have to say he’s grabbed it with both hands so far.”

The Verdict: Over to you, Nicholson…

As Postecoglou mentioned, it is now over to Nicholson to get a new contract over the line. Hopefully that won’t prove too difficult, as Ralston has been a regular for Celtic this season, making 19 appearances in all competitions and missing just two games.

You’d expect the full-back could be in line for a pay rise as he has been the club’s best-rated performer in the Premiership, per WhoScored, so it could be a situation to keep a close eye on over the coming days.

In other news: Lost the ball 46 times, 0 shots on goal, 14 duels lost: Celtic’s worst 3 players vs St Johnstone. 

Celtic were ‘desperate’ to sign Manchester City defender Ko Itakura this summer, according to Schalke 04 sporting director Rouven Schroeder.

The Lowdown: Celtic’s defensive additions

The Hoops were extremely busy over the summer in the transfer market and managed to bring in 12 players. Four of those were centre-backs in Carl Starfelt, Camron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales and Osaze Urhoghide.

They were also seemingly keen on Itakura, who shares the same agency as Mikey Johnston, but the Japanese defender moved to Germany instead.

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The Latest: Schroeder’s comments

Schalke secured Itakura’s services on loan and have the option to make a move permanent next summer for £3.4m.

Their sporting director Schroeder was talking to the media about the 6 foot 1 defender, as relayed by The Scottish Sun, and he said that the Hoops were ‘desperate’ to land the Japan international, revealing:

“It took a lot of patience to sign him from Manchester City.

“For example, Celtic had tracked him for a year and were desperate to sign him, but we managed to beat them to it.”

The Verdict: Ange wants more

Celtic may have missed a trick by missing out on Itakura, who appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high £3.15m Transfermarkt valuation.

Although Ange Postecoglou added four centre-backs to his ranks, it is believed that he wants more options in that department – not surprising given the defensive horror show against Real Betis last week.

That could have been Itakura, described as ‘incredibly fast’, if they had gotten their way, but the Hoops will now need to look elsewhere for centre-back reinforcements ahead of the winter transfer window.

In other news: Front runners: Celtic leading the way to land ‘brilliant’ free agent who Ange has spoken about.