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Vladimir Coufal, Said Benrahma and Kurt Zouma were all below par as West Ham United fell to a 2-1 defeat against Arsenal at the London Stadium this afternoon.

The Hammers were dealt a fatal blow in their quest for Champions League qualification through the Premier League as goals from Rob Holding and Gabriel came either side of a Jarrod Bowen equaliser.

David Moyes rang the changes to the starting line-up as the Irons’ ongoing Europa League exploits take centre stage, but this was still a performance full of endeavour and spirit from those in claret and blue.

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However, as reflected in statistics from Sofascore, some West Ham were off the pace, and we have crunched the numbers to dig deep into those disappointing displays…

Said Benrahma (6.4)

Benrahma was unable to have his usual positive impact in an attacking sense and was ultimately replaced on 81 minutes by Andriy Yarmolenko with the Hammers in search of an equaliser.

Whilst on the pitch, the Algerian attacker misplaced five of his seven crosses, lost possession 11 times and came out on the wrong side of six of his seven duels before being taken off.

Kurt Zouma (6.3)

Back in Premier League action having made a return from injury in midweek against Eintracht Frankfurt, the 26-year-old struggled to recapture his best form against Arsenal today.

The Frenchman was beaten in six of his 10 duels, lost possession of the ball six times and misplaced three long balls in a forgettable match for the centre-back.

Vladimir Coufal (6.1)

This was a rather inauspicious display from the usually dependable Czech Republic international.

Featuring for the entire contest, the 29-year-old right-back lost possession 21 times, failed to find a team-mate with five of his six crosses and lost eight of his 11 duels overall.

In other news: Moyes gifted ‘advantage’ as he eyes ‘massive signing’ West Ham supporters would love! Find out more here.

Former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips has reacted to news involving Tottenham Hotspur defender Ryan Sessegnon, saying the youngster must be doing something special behind the scenes. 

The lowdown: New deal talks

This comes following a report from Football Insider claiming that a Spurs source had confirmed the club have ‘opened talks’ with the 21-year-old regarding a new deal.

Signed from Fulham as a hot prospect, Sessegnon spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, where he made 29 appearances across all competitions before returning to north London.

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Since arriving back in N17, the England youth international has continued to strive for a regular first-team role but missed some time through injuries, and talks of an extended contract have shocked at least one onlooker…

The latest: Phillips reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-Sunderland striker and current Sky Sports pundit Phillips admitted his ‘surprise’ over Sessegnon’s potential fresh terms.

“He’s clearly done a lot behind the scenes and in training to impress Conte.

“However, have we seen that translate onto the pitch? You would say probably not, so it’s a surprise to see him get a new contract.

“He’s still obviously a very young kid, still developing and learning – and learning from one of the best managers in world football.

“It’s great for him and his development that Tottenham are looking to extend – but I’d like to see him really kick on and cement a regular place now.

“That has to be his priority for next season.”

The verdict: Spot on

Despite a continued battle with injuries, the 18-cap England Under 21 starlet, who was described as ‘fantastic’ by Jose Mourinho when the Portuguese manager was in situ at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, certainly appears to be a favourite of Antonio Conte’s.

So far this season Sessegnon has made 11 Premier League appearances, providing one assist whilst also missing 24 games through fitness issues – most of the time, if the player is fit, he starts.

Hopefully, the talented youngster can put those problems behind him and become a regular star for Spurs.

In other news: Tottenham expected to move for ‘phenomenal’ £101m star after Conte request, find out more here.

Gabby Agbonlahor has been reacting to some Glasgow Rangers injury news that he has now heard ahead of the Europa League final on Wednesday.

The Lowdown: Rangers team news

Speaking to the media before the Gers’ 3-1 win in the Premiership on Saturday, Giovanni van Bronckhorst admitted that he is hopeful that Kemar Roofe will be ready to play in the European showpiece after missing out on the Light Blues’ last few games through injury.

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Ianis Hagi was included in the club’s photoshoot for the match against Eintracht Frankfurt, and the Romanian has hinted on Twitter that he could also be available.

The Latest: Agbonlahor reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa and England striker Agbonlahor – who regularly contributes for Sky Sports – has claimed that it would be a ‘big boost’ to have both players back for the final and would be ‘exciting’ for everyone at Rangers.

The 35-year-old said: “100 per cent, that would be a big boost. I’m sure Van Bronckhorst will want as big of a squad as possible.

“There are a lot of good players in that squad. I can’t pick between Rangers and Celtic in terms of quality of players.

“Van Bronckhorst will be happy to have the players back and then he will make a decision on who deserves to start and what formation is best depending on how Frankfurt play.

“It’s exciting for everyone involved with Rangers.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Rangers fans will certainly have their fingers crossed that both Roofe and Hagi can play a part in what is a huge fixture for the Ibrox club.

The duo have contributed three goals and one assist between them in the Europa League already, while they have also ranked highly among their team-mates in terms of average shots per game (WhoScored).

With Alfredo Morelos injured, the Light Blues will need to find a cutting edge from somewhere against Eintracht Frankfurt, and these two could help to provide it.

In other news, find out what ‘bizarre’ update has left these Gers podcasters fuming

Leeds United have recently been linked with a move for Chelsea centre-back Jake Clarke-Salter, and it looks as if Victor Orta is already planning for life back in the Championship.

The Lowdown: Championship loans

Clarke-Salter has been on the books with Chelsea since 2018 after progressing through and signing a professional deal from the Stamford Bridge academy.

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Since then however, Clarke-Salter’s career in Blue has been a complete flop – he has made just two senior appearances for the club and has had to settle for earning senior experience with loan spells at five separate teams.

His latest move away from the Premier League giants came with Coventry City in what was a third Championship loan spell following stints with Sunderland and Birmingham City.

The Latest: Clarke-Salter contact

The Whites have made contact with Chelsea ahead of a possible summer swoop for Clarke-Salter. According to The Sun, Leeds chiefs, and therefore director of football Orta, have made an enquiry regarding the centre-back.

The 24-year-old, who has also been linked with Sheffield United and PSV, is out of contract at Stamford Bridge a the end of the season, however, the Blues do have an option to extend his deal by a further 12 months.

The Verdict: A second-tier signing

Leeds are in the bottom three and appear to be on the verge of relegation with just two games remaining and a number of senior stars out through injury and suspension.

Therefore, we feel Orta is already making transfer plans for life back in the Championship with a move for Clarke-Salter.

He is on £5,000-a-week, valued at just £1.8m by Transfermarkt and has made more appearances in the Championship than any other division. The Englishman has completely failed to make the grade at Chelsea, so you’d expect that an exit is inevitable at some point.

A defensive overhaul is reportedly being planned under Jesse Marsch ahead of his first full season in charge, and if the Whites go down, they could lose seven-figure signings like Raphinha and Robin Koch and replace them with players like Clarke-Salter, who has just one game of Premier League experience under his belt.

In other news: Phil Hay says £15k-p/w Leeds man will now leave Elland Road over the coming weeks. 

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Yannick Carrasco to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a claim made by Juanfe Sanz (via Sport Witness), with the El Chiringuito journalist suggesting that Fabio Paratici has now submitted an offer to Atletico Madrid regarding a deal for the versatile left-winger.

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Sport Witness go on to state that the 28-year-old has a release clause of €60m (£51m) written into his contract at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, with Spurs reported to have been willing to pay this figure in the January transfer window.

Carrasco would be “unreal” for Spurs

Considering just how impressive Carrasco has been for Atleti this season, it is not difficult to understand why Antonio Conte would be interested in a deal to bring the forward to north London this summer.

Indeed, over his 33 LaLiga appearances in the current campaign, the £42.5m-rated winger – who can also be deployed at left midfield or left wing-back – has been in sensational form for Diego Simeone’s side, scoring six goals, registering six assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.5 shots, making 1.5 key passes and completing 2.6 dribbles per game.

The £141k-per-week Belgium international has also impressed in a defensive capacity, making an average of 0.6 interceptions, 0.9 tackles, 0.4 clearances and winning 4.9 duels – at a success rate of 51% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the player who Josh Bunting dubbed “underrated” and Phil Kitromilides labelled “unreal” average a quite remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.07, ranking him as Atletico’s third-best performer in the Spanish top flight.

Furthermore, according to FBref data, the 28-year-old also ranks in the top 1% of wing-backs in Europe’s big five leagues for dribbles completed per 90, as well as the top 1% for npxG, the top 2% for shots, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive carries and the top 2% for npxG+xA over the last 365 days.

As such, it is clear for all to see that Carrasco would be something of an unreal fit for Conte’s left wing-back role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, leading us to believe that Paratici must do everything he can to convince the Belgian of a move to north London this summer.

AND in other news: Paratici could land Kulu 2.0 as Spurs eye £17m signing, he would “explode” under Conte

Everton are in desperate need to make changes this summer following a worrying season that saw the side embroiled in a Premier League relegation battle, and now a new transfer target has emerged.

What’s the latest?

According to 90min, Everton have joined the race to sign Leeds United winger Jack Harrison.

As per the report, the Toffees are showing interest in the player alongside fellow Premier League club West Ham United and are keeping an eye on his situation as Leeds are unlikely to let him go if Raphinha leaves this summer.

Lampard loves him

With the speculation surrounding Richarlison’s future and a move away from Goodison Park a possibility this summer, the signing of Harrison would be a huge coup for Lampard and a worthy replacement for the Brazilian winger should he leave.

Lampard already holds the Leeds star in high regard and was full of praise hailing him “one of the best” in an interview with Sky Sports after beating the Yorkshire side 3-0 at Goodison Park.

In fact, the former Chelsea boss and Harrison played together in the MLS at New York City so there is clearly a connection there and Lampard has the experience with the player to know his strengths and abilities that can be deployed at Goodison Park next season.

The £60k-per-week gem who was hailed “explosive” by Jesse Marsch, has scored eight goals and contributed one assist, creating three big chances, making 1.2 key passes, 1.6 tackles and taking 1.2 shots on average per game in 35 Premier League appearances, proving he can be a reliable attacking threat.

If Richarlison was to leave this summer, Harrison could form a formidable strike partnership with fellow Englishman Dominic Calvert-Lewin and improve Everton’s chances of having a better campaign next season by linking up with the striker to increase the number of goals scored and ultimately avoid another relegation battle.

After all, this is a player who has found the net 28 times since arriving at Leeds, initially being brought to the club by Marcelo Bielsa.

With that being said, Lampard will need to act fast if he wants to secure the signing as West Ham United can offer the Leeds winger European football next season which would surely be an attractive prospect for Harrison.

AND in other news: “I’m told..”: Journo delivers big Everton transfer claim that’ll delight supporters

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur forward Steven Bergwijn.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Italian journalist revealed that, following reports that suggest the 24-year-old could be set to leave Spurs this summer, there is indeed a serious chance that the Netherlands international moves onto pastures new in the coming weeks – particularly since Fabio Paratici’s capture of Ivan Perisic.

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In his tweet, the transfer insider said: “There is a serious chance for Steven Bergwijn to leave Tottenham in the summer, as Perisic is joining the club too. The plan is still the same. Ajax have his name on their list since January but there are many clubs interested in him, race still open.”

Supporters will be buzzing

While it is undeniable that Bergwijn is a player who boasts a great deal of talent and potential for future growth, when considering his current market valuation, hefty weekly wage and lack of game time under Antonio Conte, the news that the winger is set to depart north London this summer is sure to have left the Tottenham faithful buzzing.

Indeed, the £26m-rated forward has started just one Premier League fixture since the Italian’s appointment as Nuno Espirito Santo’s successor last November, playing a total of 275 league minutes over the past six months.

Furthermore, with the Dutchman reported to be earning around £75k-per-week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – ranking him as the club’s seventh-highest paid player – it is clear that if the 24-year-old is set to remain a backup option for Conte in 2022/23, this is money that could easily be put to better use by the 52-year-old in the summer market.

As such, while Bergwijn has provided Spurs with some memorable moments during his two and a half year stay – including a stunning volley in a 2-0 win over Manchester City on his debut and a stoppage-time brace to seal an incredible 3-2 comeback victory over Leicester City earlier this season – the fact that the former PSV Eindhoven starlet looks set to move on to pastures new this summer is undoubtedly a good move by Paratici, Conte, Daniel Levy and the club.

AND in other news: Contact made: Paratici in talks for £99k-p/w Spurs target, he’s “similar to Laporte”

Celtic are reportedly on the verge of finalising the signing of Bayern Munich youngster Christopher Scott, according to GhanaSoccerNet. 

The lowdown: Rising star

A product of Bayer Leverkusen’s youth system, the youngster was snapped up by the Bundesliga champions in 2020 and has since graduated through the academy setup at the Allianz Arena.

The 19-year-old attacking midfielder boasts a glowing record across youth and reserve team levels, scoring 44 times and providing 17 assists in 114 appearances.

Despite already making two senior outings for Bayern, it appears as though the Hoops could be set to land the talented teenager…

The latest: Celtic ‘closing in’ on Scott

As per GhanaSoccerNet, Celtic are ‘closing in’ on the capture of Scott as Ange Postecoglou attempts to strengthen the Lennoxtown ranks once again.

It is claimed that the Parkhead hierarchy must meet a £250,000 asking price for compensation in order to seal a deal for the Germany under-20 starlet, who has been stylistically compared to Chelsea star Kai Havertz.

The report added that the Hoops ‘remain favourites’ to sign the prospect described as possessing ‘good speed’ by Hansi Flick amidst reported interest from Brentford.

The verdict: Exciting times

Having already shown his outstanding eye for talent in the transfer market, the prospect of Postecoglou potentially bringing in a Germany youth international from Bayern Munich is enough to whet the appetite for what could be to come at Parkhead next season.

During the 2021/22 season, Scott lit up the German fourth tier and displayed a penchant for influencing matches from deep with seven goals and six assists in 24 appearances, playing across a plethora of positions to highlight a wide-ranging versatility in the process.

Following the departure of prolific midfielder Tom Rogic from Parkhead, signing the £1.08m-rated Scott would be a superb piece of business, especially for the mooted compensation fee.

In other news: Ex-BBC man makes ‘unbelievable’ Celtic claim, read more here

The famed Liverpool frontline of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mane have powered the club back to where they belong, winning trophies.

Under Klopp, the trio have been key in the Red’s ascent back to the top of English football and have scored a mind-boggling 374 goals between them for the club.

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This incredible triumvirate might soon be coming to an end, however. Mane has sparked rumours of his future recently, with a move from Liverpool looking likely as he has one year left on his current contract.

A switch to the Bundesliga looks most likely, with Barcelona and Bayern Munich both declaring their interest in the Senegal international.

This news will be disappointing to the Anfield faithful who have watched Mane grow and dazzle during his trophy-laden six-year spell at the club, although there might just be a brief glimmer of hope.

Journalist Paul Joyce has dropped a major update on the future of Mane via Twitter:

“Liverpool have turned down Bayern Munich’s opening bid for Sadio Mane.

“It was for £21m guaranteed, plus £4m in add-ons payable if, for example, Bayern won the Champions League.”

Although it looks like Bayern are going to make a second offer, it shows that Klopp won’t get lowballed with an offer that he doesn’t think represents the true value of the player.

The 30-year-old has had a fantastic season, scoring 23 goals in 51 matches for Liverpool, whilst also shining for Senegal as they won their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations crown.

As a result of not just his overall goal tally, but particularly his displays this term, the fact Liverpool have turned down this opening bid will delight fans.

They will be determined to see him back next season for another tilt at the Premier League title or Champions League crown as he is the master of important goals.

The Senegal international scored five during their European pursuit in 2021/22, including two strikes over their matches with Villarreal in the semi-finals.

Should he move then they can take solace from the fact Klopp’s recent recruitment strategy has been second to none recently but it would be a blow either way if he heads for the exit door.

That’s why news of a rejected bid serves as great news for the Anfield outfit.

And in other news, Forget Tchouameni: LFC eye a move for “outstanding” £60m ace, he’s “one of the best”

Following on from Aston Villa’s rather aggressive strategy in bringing players in, they may look to do the same in getting rid of players, with a trio of first-team names potentially on their way out of Villa Park.

In a surprising twist, Danny Ings is one of the named players that could depart this summer.

What’s the word

That is according to Josh Holland via GIVEMESPORT who said this:

“I think they [Aston Villa] could be in trouble. Douglas Luiz, Sanson and Ings, they are my three that I think we could see moving away from Villa Park.“

As per Football Insider, Brighton would serve as a potential destination for former Liverpool striker Ings, who has completed just one campaign with Villa.

Supporters surely worried

Despite inconsistent minutes for Aston Villa in the second half of the campaign, Ings has still managed to deliver the goods up top, racking up an impressive seven goals and six assists in 30 appearances for Gerrard’s side.

Which is why it comes as a shock that the three-cap England international would be allowed to leave after just one season, particularly bearing in mind Villa’s lack of quality depth in the centre-forward position.

Keeping in mind the club’s ambition to break into the top six of the Premier League, the departure of a star studded striker like Ings would come as a blow to Gerrard – especially given the fact that they would need to fork out a large fee for an adequate replacement in a market where reliable goal scorers are rare and often come with inflated price-tags.

Whats more, £100k-per-week Ings knows the league well and has a point to prove in this next season, as he will join Ollie Watkins in making a strong case to earn a call-up to England’s World Cup squad.

At 29, Ings is in the prime of his career, so selling a striker who hit 22 goals in the Premier League just two seasons ago would be a big mistake for Villa and one that’ll surely worry their supporters.

In other news: Gerrard now given green light on AVFC move for “goal machine”, he’s the next Ferguson