Manchester United took another step closer to ending their six-year trophy drought after seeing off Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, with the Red Devils running out 5-0 winners on aggregate following a rather comfortable, second-leg outing at Old Trafford.

Despite suffering some early scares late in the first half – as both Brennan Johnson and Emmanuel Dennis went close to getting on the scoresheet – the hosts never truly appeared in danger of letting their first-leg lead slip, with a raft of changes midway through the second period having subsequently taken the tie away from Steve Cooper’s men.

That triple switch saw Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial all enter the fray to help kill the game off once and for all, with the latter man swiftly making his mark after netting his sixth goal of the season in just 14 games in all competitions.

That lead was then extended just minutes later as midfield machine, Fred, bundled the ball home from close range following clever build-up play from both Bruno Fernandes and Rashford, with Erik ten Hag’s side surging their way to a 12th successive victory on home soil in the process.

Amid what was a rather serene outing for his in-form side, the former Ajax boss will likely have been particularly impressed by the performance of resurgent right-back, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with the Englishman again proving his worth to his manager.

Aside from his notable blip in the defeat to Arsenal – having been culpable for Eddie Nketiah’s opener – the 25-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable return to form following the World Cup break, having more than capitalised on the injury absence of teammate, Diogo Dalot.

The former Crystal Palace man – who has started the last six top-flight games – again proved particularly effective down the right flank against Forest, while also showcasing his adaptability after frequently dropping into an almost central midfield berth when the home side had possession.

Although he remains somewhat erratic on the ball, having squandered possession on 19 occasions, the £50m man does appear far more comfortable going forward as a result of working under Ten Hag, having completed two of his three dribbles on the night, while also making 45 passes and earning four fouls for his side.

Having shown his ‘sense of adventure’ by getting forward repeatedly, as per Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst, Wan-Bissaka also illustrated his much-lauded ball-winning prowess, having won a staggering ten duels in total, including winning nine of his 13 ground duels.

Once praised as the “best one-on-one defender for a full-back in the world”, it does appear that the Croydon-born machine is getting back to his best as a result of his regular run of games, with Dalot set to find it difficult to regain his place in the side.

Another notable element of Wan-Bissaka’s evening was that the number nine was ripped from the back of his shirt at one stage, leaving behind the typical right-back number – two – with that perhaps foreshadowing that he is in line to make that full-back berth his own…

Chelsea have already had a bid rejected for Moises Caicedo this month and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club’s pursuit of the player.

What’s the latest?

According to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs, a move for Caicedo will be “one to watch” as Chelsea could attempt another swoop for the Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder in the remaining days of the transfer window.

When asked on Twitter if Chelsea are likely to sign a midfielder during this window, Jacobs responded:

“That’s the plan… they are being ambitious, and it’s always tough mid-season, but they’ll be pushing for one right up until the window shuts. Caicedo remains one to watch.”

Imagine him & Kovacic

There is no doubt that Caicedo has become one of the hottest young prospects in the Premier League since becoming a consistent feature at his current club and has attracted attention not only from Chelsea but also Liverpool too.

The Blues are definitely in a position to bolster and refresh their midfield personnel especially with Jorginho and N’Golo Kante set for an exit from Stamford Bridge this summer when their contracts expire, so bringing in a defensive-minded midfielder like the Brighton ace would certainly make sense.

Over 18 Premier League appearances this season, the 21-year-old has scored one goal, registered one assist and tallied up an impressive 88% pass completion rate, as well as averaging 73.1 touches, 1.1 key passes, 1.4 interceptions, 2.9 tackles and 5.8 duels per game.

Not only that, the Ecuadorian talent ranks in the top 25% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for pass completion, tackles and interceptions, whilst ranking in the Premier League’s top five players for tackles in the opponent’s half and ninth for passes completed into the final third.

Graham Potter could form a formidable midfield partnership between Caicedo and Mateo Kovacic if the club can secure his signature this month, as combining the pair’s talents could make a huge difference in their efforts to climb the league table over the second half of the season.

The Croatian titan is renowned for his direct and deep-lying playmaking skills – ranking in the top 2% of his positional peers for progressive passes – so having another like-minded midfielder who is also prolific in the defensive traits needed from the deeper role in the centre of the pitch, could spark a great combination for Potter to deploy.

With that being said, if the powerbrokers at Stamford Bridge could secure the signing of Caicedo this month it would a great piece of business to get ahead in their much-needed midfield rebuild, however, it remains to be seen whether the club will be willing to match the player’s hefty £100m price tag over the next few days.

It is not often that Manchester City look toothless in attack but when they visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a curse seems to hold them back.

Pep Guardiola’s side are still yet to score at Spurs’ new ground and in truth, they never looked like doing so on Sunday during a dismal day for their title aspirations.

It was a wonderful day for the hosts who with Antonio Conte watching on from home, looked a great deal more comfortable with assistant manager Cristian Stellini guiding proceedings from the bench.

Whoever devised the game plan got things spot on with the Londoners keeping a consecutive clean sheet against a side who are usually so dangerous in the final third.

However, despite that, it was one man in attack who deserved most of the praise. Indeed, Harry Kane broke the late Jimmy Greave’s record for goals in a Tottenham shirt in what just so happened to be a match-winning goal from the England captain.

It took him to 267 strikes in Spurs colours and this could well be one of his most important with the Lilywhites ultimately winning 1-0, a result that boosts their top-four hopes no end.

In truth, Kane didn’t have too big of a role to play elsewhere but in typical fashion, he popped up when it matters to bounce the ball past Ederson in the first half.

That said, he wasn’t the only man in white to shine on a cracking day for Spurs. The man to supply him with that record-breaking goal was also in top form; Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The Dane won Sky Sports’ Player of the Match award at full-time with the midfield “monster” – as he has notably been dubbed by Morten Bisgaard – shining from start to finish.

Hojbjerg seemed to relish a role that allowed him to get further forward, as he stepped in to steal the ball away from the young Rico Lewis before rolling the ball into Kane for a vital assist.

But he stepped up in other areas too, with a battling and commanding display from the centre of the pitch.

Speaking during Sky’s coverage, Gary Neville declared that he had been “outstanding” throughout his 46 touches of the football while notable PR man Simon Clare put things aptly, remarking that it was a “match-winning” display.

The 27-year-old was a constant nuisance to Manchester City with his 83% pass success rate an indicator of his immense composure.

Winning six duels laid down his defensive acumen while his three tackles were vital in halting any progress Guardiola’s side tried to make.

The only element that let the Dane down happened to be his lack of athleticism. On a few occasions, particularly in the second half on the counter-attack, he lacked the pace to ultimately break away and add a second.

One such chance came late on as he broke free of the defence and tried to lay in Emerson Royal, only for his pass to go begging in a promising area.

Beyond that, he was superb and displayed phenomenal confidence. Indeed, that was shown with a delicate lob from distance in the second period that found the net, only for it to be ruled out for offside.

A goal of that standard would have been everything he deserved for a performance that was of high class.

Liverpool centre-back Joel Matip could leave the club during the summer transfer window, according to an update from reliable journalist Neil Jones.

The Lowdown: Matip a Reds great

The 31-year-old has been a superb servant for the Reds during the Jurgen Klopp era, arriving on a free transfer in 2016 and winning everything there is to win at club level.

Matip has often been first-choice alongside Virgil van Dijk down the years but that has changed following the emergence of Ibrahima Konate, who started last year’s FA Cup and Champions League finals, perhaps proving he is now the go-to man alongside Van Dijk.

The Cameroonian’s current Liverpool deal expires at the end of next season, and there are some question marks over his future at the club.

The Latest: Summer exit on the cards?

According to Goal‘s Jones, Matip is someone who could possibly move on this summer:

“He was Klopp’s first signing as Liverpool manager, but is this the end of the road for the former Cameroon international?

“There have been growing whispers from within the club that Matip may move on this summer. Virgil van Dijk and Konate look to be the Reds’ preferred centre-back pairing going forward, while Joe Gomez signed a long-term contract last summer and provides a homegrown squad option.

“Matip will enter the final year of his deal in the summer, and if a suitable offer was received for the 31-year-old, it would be hard to refuse.”

The Verdict: Keep him until 2024

In truth, selling Matip at the end of this season doesn’t make a huge amount of sense, considering he remains an important figure, being hailed for his ‘huge presence’ by Jamie Carragher.

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Granted, injuries are always an issue, but the wise decision would be to keep him as a squad player until his contract runs down, before allowing him to leave for free.

The £100,000-a-week-earning Matip can continue to be an important figure between now and then – he will be vital in the coming weeks, with both Van Dijk and Konate injured – as he adds to his 180 appearances for Liverpool, and at the age of 31 will hardly command a worthwhile fee this summer anyway.

With several midfielders out of contract and expected to leave at the end of this season, the surgery this time around should be focused on the centre of the park, not in defence.

Aston Villa will not submit to defeat in their January marathon chase for Olympique Marseille midfielder Matteo Guendouzi, with deadline day now looming…

What’s the word?

Villa boss Unai Emery has been a revelation following the maiden phase of his tenure, and after initial promise on the pitch, focus has been shifted to the ongoing transfer window, with several exciting deals already tied up.

The midfield is an area yet untouched by the Spaniard manager, with Guendouzi indeed being eyed for a reunion with his former Arsenal head coach, according to initial reports from L’Equipe.

Rumours of a forthcoming bid have yet to subside, and now, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has stoked the fire and revealed that the French Ligue 1 outfit await further action from Emery’s contingent amid the speculation.

He said: “At the moment, from Marseille, they are still waiting for the official bid. They know about the interest; the player is aware of the interest of Unai Emery but still no official bid.”

Gundogan 2.0

Having won five of the first seven league matches at the wheel after his initial victory over Manchester United, Emery will be satisfied with the progress made, but in order to strike where he desires, the four-time Europa League winner is indeed bolstering the outfit across several departments.

The “incredible” Guendouzi – as hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – has made 82 appearances for Marseille, scoring nine goals and providing 18 assists; comparatively, over 81 outings for Arsenal, he found the back of the net just once and provided five assists.

There is a clear hike in performance, and his development is smoothly progressing, and with Sofascore recording his average rating last season at 7.00 and 6.93 this term, he is evidently emerging as a composed and smooth figure, completing 88% of his passes this year, averaging 1.0 shots per match and 1.2 tackles.

According to FBref, the 23-year-old ranks well across a spread of metrics, sitting in the top 13% of positional peers for touches in the opposition box and progressive passes received, the top 21% for assists and the top 23% for progressive passes – illustrating a dynamic and varied approach to his play that would only enhance the Villa ranks.

Among his comparable players, Guendouzi – who the aforementioned Kulig also once hailed a “monster” – is likened to Manchester City sensation Ilkay Gundogan, and could emulate the gem’s success at the Etihad Stadium with a transfer.

Since arriving in the Premier League for £21m from Borussia Dortmund in 2016, the German Gundogan has made 281 appearances and scored 51 goals, also providing 35 assists.

Cityzen manager Pep Guardiola once remarked Gundogan is “one of the most intelligent players” he had ever seen, with the 66-cap star indeed an integral component for his outfit, winning four Premier League titles, the FA Cup and four League Cups.

And as per WhoScored, the 32-year-old’s career average 88.6% pass success rate and 1.5 shots per game indicate a semblance to Guendouzi that the Frenchman must harness and mould under Emery’s tutelage.

Time is ticking, and if the Villan hierarchy truly wish to match Emery’s ambitious aspirations then a signing of Guendouzi’s ilk to thread the centre together and provide the bedrock from which a multitude of dimensions could stem then the budding French phenom must be signed, he could be the catalyst for impactful change in the Midlands.

Tottenham Hotspur’s new right wing-back Pedro Porro has been touted as a transformational signing for the north London club.

What’s the latest?

The Lilywhites entered the January transfer window with the hopes of landing Porro to bolster Antonio Conte’s options on the right side.

And that is exactly what they have done although they would have hoped for more straightforward negotiations than what they found themselves tangled in.

Porro’s arrival at Spurs was only announced with a matter of minutes remaining before the 11pm deadline following Sporting CP’s issues with the deal over Sunday/Monday.

However, now he is wearing a Spurs shirt, insider Dean Jones has told Football FanCast that this could be a transformational signing for Conte:

“Clearly, it’s a player that they identified a while ago, and put a lot of effort into signing. So I think that Tottenham fans should really have high expectations for this signing. Yeah, could really transform the way they play.”

Different level

Under Conte, Spurs have had the likes of Matt Doherty and Emerson Royal to choose form at right wing-back and neither have been able to provide much of an attacking threat.

Between the two players, across their combined 136 appearances for the north London club they have only been able to provide a return of five goals and 10 assists.

To put that into context, Ivan Perisic arrived in the summer and has already offered a return of nine assists in his 28 appearances across all competitions for Spurs (via Transefrmarkt).

Conte has also had Djed Spence to select but the Italian has not even offered the youngster a single start since he arrived last summer from the Championship.

But in the 23-year-old, Porro, Conte will be hoping to have a much more attack-minded outlet from right wing-back given the Spaniard has already provided Sporting three goals and 11 assists this season.

With Spence out on loan and Doherty no longer playing for Spurs, in comparison to Emerson, Porro will likely provide Spurs a much bigger threat down the right.

Per 90 minutes, Porro has averaged more than double the amount of shot-creating actions as the Brazilian, Emerson, has this season (via Fbref).

And in addition, Porro has attempted well over double the number of dribbles attempted by Emerson this season.

With a massive clash against Manchester City on the weekend it will be interesting to see if the game comes just too soon for Porro but his time in north London will definitely be an intriguing one to keep an eye on.

Chelsea are interested in a move for Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, who has been persistently linked with a move away from Turin this season.

The club have been churning out signings with the force of an unabating storm, with over £400m spent since American businessman Todd Boehly assumed ownership of the club last year, but one area largely neglected is the centre-forward deployment.

According to prominent Italian outlet CalcioMercato, the Serbian sensation Vlahovic could indeed find himself spearheading the Blues’ charge in short time, with Boehly and Christopher Vivell allegedly willing to sweeten a deal for the striker with the offering of Romelu Lukaku within the package.

And with Chelsea’s current centre-forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is now 33 years old and has scored just three times since his summer arrival from Barcelona, unlikely to be the beacon to light the way over the coming seasons, the Old Lady’s 23-year-old marksman could strike home at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s own Haaland

Erling Haaland’s introduction to the Premier League has resulted in cataclysmic consequences for his opposition, with the monstrous 22-year-old having scored a ridiculous 25 times from his first 19 appearances in the competition.

The £51m Manchester City phenomenon is a once-in-a-generation talent, a forward with an innate goal-scoring sense not dissimilar to an animal’s primal instincts; while replicating the former Borussia Dortmund sensation might be fruitless, completing an acquisition with semblance to someone of his ilk could bear fruit for an outfit such as Chelsea.

Vlahovic, who has been a steady presence at the Allianz Stadium since arriving from divisional rivals Fiorentina in a £66.6m deal a year ago, despite Juventus’ internal strife, has chalked up 16 goals from 37 appearances for his current team, following an exceptional spell with la Viola, plundering 49 goals from only 108 appearances during his maiden professional period, to announce himself to European football in resounding fashion.

The “monster” – as dubbed by reporter Carlo Garganese – possesses such a devastating calibre that he has actually been likened to the aforementioned Haaland, with Serbian FA president, Nenad Bjekovic. saying that the 19-cap gem is “better and more complete than Haaland”.

While such an argument can only be made while wading through turbulent waters, it does speak volumes for Vlahovic’s knack at finding the back of the net, and with an expansive pool of talent only growing further in west London, the Juventus talisman could find himself at the front of a machine charged with the finest of oil.

And as per FBref, with the ace residing within the top 14% of forwards in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passes received and the top 17% for total shots, he can harness a poaching prowess and level up at Chelsea.

City’s Haaland is a striker scarcely seen before, such is the inconceivable power of his goal-scoring prowess, but with Vlahovic indeed lauded for boasting a ‘more complete’ skill set to the imperious Norwegian prodigy, he could be the offensive outlet Chelsea need in order to forge an immediate future littered in footballing superiority.

West Ham United endured a surprisingly quiet transfer window given their precarious Premier League position, as the hierarchy refrained from allowing David Moyes to splash any more of their cash.

The Scotsman had previously enjoyed a summer spending spree in which eight new faces arrived at the London Stadium, as he looked to plug gaps and improve the squad.

However, with his team sat just one point outside the relegation zone, it seems the majority of these deals are yet to find their feet.

In this situation, the risk has clearly overpowered the potential reward, and they could still pay the ultimate price should results not turn in their favour.

January did see them linked with another host of potential acquisitions, but in the end, it was only really veteran striker Danny Ings who was brought in to bolster the first-team squad.

However, there were strong links as the month concluded that suggested they might be one of several teams to engage in a late swoop for Nicolo Zaniolo.

The AS Roma attacker was vying for a move from Jose Mourinho’s side, and as such put the Premier League on high alert.

A main deterrent was his reported £35m valuation, of which in the end only Galatasaray were willing to negotiate over. The Turkish club secured the 23-year-old this week, which was a damning indication of his ambition and overall quality, or perhaps the lack of true options that value his quality.

It truly marks this move out as a disaster avoided for Moyes, who could not afford another lucrative transfer blunder after his summer of misspending.

There were little upsides to bringing Zaniolo to east London, especially given how he had just one Serie A goal to his name for this season.

Even looking at the year prior, where he recorded eight goals and nine assists in all competition, it somewhat shrouds another campaign where he scored just two league goals.

Despite journalist Ben Jacobs once dubbing him a “frightening talent”, the fee touted a deal was financially unviable for the Hammers.

Having been similarly lauded in 2019 by Zach Lowy, for his “deadly left foot” and “top vision”, his inability to translate that into tangible goals and assists makes him essentially useless for a team in a relegation battle.

He is hardly an upgrade on their host of out-of-form attackers, of which five players have more league goals than him.

Moyes may have made a few big errors in the summer transfer window, but he avoided a massive one by opting against signing Zaniolo last month.

TalkSport pundit Simon Jordan has slammed the recent links of Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane potentially leaving for Bayern Munich. 

The Lowdown: Bayern interested

A few weeks ago, 90min claimed that the Bundesliga outfit are still ‘interested’ in bringing the Premier League forward to Germany.

Meanwhile, a couple of weeks back, Sky Sports reported that Kane was in fact open to signing a new contract with Antonio Conte’s side.

The 29-year-old’s current deal with Spurs will run out in the summer of 2024, meaning a development one way or the other is perhaps likely in the near future. Otherwise, Spurs will leave themselves open to selling their record goalscorer for free.

The Latest: Kane won’t join Bayern

Jordan said that he couldn’t see the Tottenham striker going to Bayern, when speaking live on TalkSport.

He stated: “I don’t think he’ll go to Bayern Munich. I don’t see him going to Bayern Munich and I don’t see the benefit of it.

“I don’t believe that anyone deserves anything other than the opportunities that you take.”

The Verdict: What does Kane want?

Our view is that it all comes down to what Kane’s priority is. Will he be content with potentially breaking the all-time Premier League goalscoring record should he stay with Spurs, or does he want to win a major trophy?

We wouldn’t be surprised if he does break the all-time record if he stays in the Premier League, having recently hit his 200th top-flight goal at the weekend.

Either way, we are sure Kane will go down as one of the best strikers in the history of the competition, purely based on his goalscoring exploits.

However, a trophy is arguably the only thing missing from his otherwise glittering career.

If he decided to go abroad to Bayern, we don’t think that winning a league title in another country would be a meaningless achievement (a point also put forward by Jordan argued in the same video).

Germany’s top flight may have been dominated by Bayern over the last decade or so, but it’s still one of the top league prizes in European football, so there’s no shame whatsoever in winning it. And given the title race in the Bundesliga is far more open this year, the Bavarians could perhaps do with a lethal striker such as Kane.

We believe that Kane is in control of his own destiny and shouldn’t be shunned for whatever decision he makes.

West Ham missed out on signing Sheraldo Becker on transfer deadline day and the Union Berlin forward could have been the next Marko Arnautovic at the London Stadium.

Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg claimed that Becker received interest from both Everton and West Ham on deadline day but he later reported that the 27-year-old wanted to stay with the Bundesliga side after their sensational start to the 2022/23 campaign.

Urs Fischer’s side sit just one point behind Bayern Munich in the German top flight, with Becker key to their surprise title challenge so far this season with journalist Josh Bunting full of praise for the former Ajax man earlier in the season.

He tweeted: “Sheraldo Becker in this team just fits perfectly, not just clinical but he’s also creative.”

The Suriname international boasts an impressive seven goals and four assists in just 18 Bundesliga appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a superb 6.97 rating for his performances.

Considering no player in David Moyes’ squad has contributed to more than four goals in the Premier League so far this season, it is clear that Becker could have been a quality addition in the final third.

The Hammers are one of the lowest scorers in the division, as both Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio have failed to live up to expectations so far this term, while new signing Danny Ings is set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury on his debut.

With Moyes’ side undoubtedly in a relegation battle this season, with their woes in front of goal a huge factor for their poor form, it seems clear that the Hammers are missing a goalscoring forward such as Arnautovic, with the Austrian hitting 22 goals and 12 assists in 65 appearances for the east London outfit.

Coincidentally, according to FBref, the current Bologna forward is the third-most similar player to Becker when compared to other strikers from Europe’s top leagues.

This season has seen the two forwards register close stats with regard to goals per shot (0.23 vs 0.24), progressive passes (19 vs 22) and dribbles attempted (18 vs 17), with their ability to not only score but create and beat opponents being on a similar level.

Being clearly alike. West Ham may well end up regretting not bringing Becker to the London Stadium on deadline day.