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Alasdair Gold has backed Dejan Kulusevski for the number ten role amid a lack of creative spark in Tottenham Hotspur’s attacking ranks.

The Lowdown: Spurs weaknesses exposed?

Much has been made of Antonio Conte’s first loss of this 2022/2023 campaign with Spurs succumbing to a 2-0 defeat courtesy of Sporting in midweek.

The likes of Emerson Royal were slammed for their Champions League performances as Tottenham fell to two dramatic late goals from Paulinho and Arthur at the José Alvalade Stadium.

Spurs’ lack of cutting edge in the final third has been another point of discussion with supporters crying out for a number ten and creator who can provide that bit of spark.

The Latest: Gold backs Kulusevski for number ten role…

Writing for football.london, Gold has backed Kulusevski to start more often, explaining that Spurs look far more threatening when he is on the pitch.

He says Kulusevski has also admitted that he prefers being a number ten, and as critics explain the need for a player of that mould, Gold writes that Conte ‘already has one right there’ in the 22-year-old.

The Verdict: Bang on the money…

The Sweden international has 16 goal involvements in his first 24 Premier League matches – ten assists and six goals – with Kulusevski proving his threat time and time again.

Gold isn’t the only Spurs source to have heaped praise on the former Parma star with club pundit John Wenham calling the winger ‘phenomenal’ and a ‘hybrid of Kane and Son’ (Football Insider).

Instead of taking to the transfer market, perhaps Conte would be best suited utilising Kulusevski more centrally and getting the player involved more often.

Sunderland’s long wait for a return to the Championship ended this year as they won promotion out of League One at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

The Black Cats spent four, long, years in the third tier of English football and finally made their way back to the second division as they beat Wycombe in the play-off final.

Kristjaan Speakman’s work in the transfer market played a part in their success as he brought in a number of talented and young players to bolster Lee Johnson’s squad in the summer of 2021.

One player the Black Cats landed a dream deal for was English defender Dennis Cirkin, who signed from Premier League side Tottenham on a three-year contract.

Johnson hailed the club’s work to snap him up at the time, telling the club’s website: “To get a player of Dennis’ quality at 19 speaks wonders in terms of what we’re trying to do because he is a top talent and he’s very highly regarded within the game. We have been really happy with the signings we have made so far and we will bank this one, but we will continue our work quietly and efficiently to try and get a couple more over the line.”

The gem quickly established himself as a regular in the Sunderland team and ended up playing 37 times in League One for Johnson and Alex Neil combined.

£1.08m.

This term, Cirkin has played eight games in the Championship and all of his 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game and won 56% of his individual duels, showing off his quality – defensively – at this level as Josh Bunting recently hailed him a “standout” in the team.

At the time of writing (20/09/22), Transfermarkt valued the former Spurs man at £1.8m. This means that his value has rocketed up by 67% in just three months, which illustrates how impressive he has been since arriving at the Stadium of Light in 2021.

Therefore, Sunderland landed a dream deal by signing Cirkin last summer as he has been integral to their success on the pitch and the youngster is growing in value, which makes him a great asset for the club to have now and in the future.

Glasgow Rangers journalist for The Athletic Jordan Campbell was left praising Ryan Jack during Scotland’s 0-0 draw away at Ukraine on Tuesday night.

The Lowdown: Promotion

Scotland earned promotion to League A of the UEFA Nations League with the draw in Ukraine, which kept them at the top of Group B1 after the last round of international fixtures before the FIFA World Cup starts in Qatar in November.

Jack started the match for Steve Clarke’s side, and was substituted off for Stuart Armstrong in the 72nd minute.

The Latest: Jack praise

Taking to Twitter during the game, Campbell praised Jack’s performance, claiming that the central midfielder was ‘looking a lot sharper’ than he did at the start of the season, and that he was ‘controlling possession well’ for his country:

“Ryan Jack controlling possession well the last ten minutes for Scotland. Looking a lot sharper than he did at the start of the season.”

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The Verdict: Regaining sharpness

Jack is slowly but surely regaining his match sharpness after injury problems kept him out for a lot of the last campaign.

The 30-year-old was a calming influence in the middle of the park, winning three of his duels while also recording one successful dribble, two tackles and an 85% overall passing accuracy, the joint-highest of any of his teammates (SofaScore).

Nonetheless, Jack’s form at international level should bode well upon his return to playing for the Gers at Ibrox, where Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team face Hearts away from home in the Scottish Premiership at Saturday lunchtime.

Everton correspondent for The Athletic Patrick Boyland was full of praise for Stanley Mills after the Toffees starlet scored for the U21s away at Harrogate Town on Tuesday night.

The Lowdown: Penalty shootout win

The Goodison Park outfit’s U21s won 4-2 on penalties against League Two Harrogate in the Papa John’s Trophy after a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.

Mills had put the visitors in front, and the captain also scored his penalty in the shootout, wrapping up an impressive overall performance.

The Latest: Mills praised

Taking to Twitter, Boyland praised Mills after he scored with his weaker foot, calling his finish ‘brilliant’:

“Brilliant goal from Stan Mills to put Everton U21s ahead! Struck low and hard into bottom corner from edge of area – on supposedly weaker foot too.”

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The Verdict: Captain’s performance

Mills put in a true captain’s performance, as he guided his young team to an impressive victory against league opposition.

Aside from his well-taken goal, and the penalty that he scored in the shootout, the 18-year-old won three of his duels while recording one successful dribble, clearance and tackle a piece, also creating two chances for his teammates in a dominant display (SofaScore).

Having already made his senior debut in the 1-0 win away at Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup back in August, Mills will be hoping that his impressive performances for the U21s will be catching the eye of Frank Lampard, and so he will want to be given more opportunities in the first team.

Nonetheless, the Englishman played a key part in the win, as the young Toffees returned to Finch Farm with smiles on their faces.

Aston Villa’s underwhelming start to the Premier League season continued following their draw against Leeds United last Sunday.

Steven Gerrard has led his side to just two league wins all season and the pressure appears to be building ever so steadily, and unless Villa can find a rich vein of form before the season halts due to the 2022 World Cup in six weeks, he might be out of a job.

A trip to Nottingham Forest on Monday now awaits the side and it represents an ideal chance for Gerrard to secure a much-needed three points.

The manager has also been handed a double injury boost ahead of the tie too, with Matty Cash and Calum Chambers nearing a return to action.

Aston Villa handed an injury boost

The 42-year-old was speaking to the press ahead of Monday night’s match, saying:

“We’ve got Matty Cash back in full training, he’s been fine all week so he will be available for selection.

“Calum Chambers has done half the session today and we expect him to continue training up until Monday so he’ll be a welcome boost back alongside Cashy.”

This news will surely give Gerrard a significant boost, especially considering his issues in defence. An injury to Diego Carlos against Everton in August was a big blow.

Ashley Young has been deputising for Cash and with an average SofaScore rating of 7.3/10, might feel hard done by if the Polish international comes straight back into the team.

Having Chambers back will also please the manager and give him more options ahead of the Forest tie.

The 27-year-old has only played twice in the league this season but proved that he could be a useful asset to the team. Chambers made 1.5 interceptions, won one tackle, and made just one foul per match while winning 100% of his aerial duels.

Winger Leon Bailey might miss the match, while Luda Augustinsson is ruled out for three weeks so Gerrard isn’t out of the woods yet when it comes to injuries, but having Cash and Chambers back should hopefully soften the blow.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Ivan Toney to north London in the January transfer window.

That’s according to a recent report by Football Insider, who claim that sources have revealed Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici have regularly sent scouts to watch the Brentford centre-forward in action this season, with the 53-year-old manager believed to be hoping to add a powerful and Premier League-proven forward to his Spurs squad this winter.

However, with Manchester United, West Ham United, Newcastle United and Leeds United all reported to be interested in signing the 26-year-old striker in the summer transfer window, as well as Fabrizio Romano revealing that the Bees are likely to demand a figure in the region of £45m in order to part with the attacker, a deal would not appear easy to get over the line for Tottenham.

Conte’s next Lukaku

Considering just how impressive Toney has been for Brentford since their promotion to the Premier League back in 2021, in addition to the centre-forward very much being the type of physical, dangerous and deadly striker Conte likes to have at his disposal, it is easy to see why Spurs would be interested in a move to bring the Brentford star to north London.

Indeed, over his 33 league fixtures last season, the £17.5m-rated forward wasted no time in making his mark in the top flight, scoring 12 goals, registering five assists and creating ten big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.7 shots, making 1.3 key passes and winning 8.6 duels – at a success rate of 53% – per game.

These returns saw the 26-year-old average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.31, not only ranking him as Thomas Franks’ second-best performer in the league last time out but also as the 15th-best player in the Premier League as a whole.

It has been a similar case for the £21k-per-week hitman over his nine league fixtures so far this term, with the striker having already bagged six goals, provided two assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.8 shots, making 1.3 key passes and winning 6.2 duels – per game.

These returns have seen the player who journalist Phil Spencer dubbed an “absolute machine” average an equally astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.31, currently ranking him as Brentford’s best performer in the league, as well as the joint 23rd-best player in the Premier League in its entirety.

And, with Toney quite clearly being a player who is incredibly deadly in the final third, in addition to a real handful for centre-backs as a result of his physical presence up top, there are clear similarities that can be drawn between the Brentford attacker and one of Conte’s former centre-forward sensations – Romelu Lukaku.

Indeed, the £43m-rated Inter Milan loanee was in devastating form under the management of the Italian at the San Siro, scoring 64 goals and registering 17 assists over his 95 appearances under the 53-year-old coach, while the 29-year-old also possesses a similarly imposing physique to that of Toney.

As such, should Paratici be successful in his pursuit of the 26-year-old striker this winter, he could well have unearthed Conte’s next Lukaku at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – a prospect that is sure to be incredibly tantalising for both the Italian manager and Spurs supporters alike.

Arsenal are feeling confident that influential attacker Bukayo Saka will sign a new contract at the club, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Saka on fire for Gunners

The Gunners are flying at the moment, sitting top of the Premier League, and Saka’s form has been a big reason for Mikel Arteta’s side’s current success.

The 21-year-old has registered four goals and assists apiece in ten league appearances this season, being described as a ‘world-class’ player by journalist Terry Flewers.

Saka’s current Arsenal deal expires in the summer of 2024, however, so there is clearly an urgency to nail down his future after summer interest from Manchester City.

The Latest: New deal likely

According to Romano on Twitter, things are progressing well in that respect, with the club hopeful that the Englishman will extend his stay at the Emirates:

“Arsenal are still feeling optimistic on Bukayo Saka’s new deal. Talks have been ongoing for months — it’s a top priority for the club.

“Negotiations will continue in order to reach full agreement.”

The Verdict: Simply have to keep him

Saka represents both the present and the future at Arsenal, already performing at such a high level but having the potential to be one of Europe’s best attacking players.

The thought of him leaving and not signing a new deal doesn’t bear thinking about for Gunners supporters but it would be a big shock if that happened.

There is always the threat of someone like Manchester City coming in with a huge offer but Saka is Arsenal born and bred and must feel that the club is heading in the right direction under Arteta.

After missing out on Djibril Sow during the summer transfer window, it has been suggested that Crystal Palace could return for the Swiss midfielder in January.

Should he make the move to Selhurst Park after the World Cup, he could prove to be Patrick Vieira’s own version of Liverpool star Fabinho, which would surely mark him out as an excellent addition to the Eagles’ squad.

The Athletic have claimed that Palace were keen on signing the Eintracht Frankfurt star on deadline day but could make another move for the 25-year-old in the winter transfer window.

Although the Eagles brought in Cheick Doucoure from RC Lens, Vieira arguably hasn’t replaced the box-to-box role that was offered by Conor Gallagher during his loan spell at the club last season, and the six-foot Sow could offer the French manager something different in midfield.

Sow has made 11 appearances in the Bundesliga so far this season, contributing one goal and averaging a solid 6.65 rating from WhoScored for his performances, while he has also been a mainstay for the German side in the Champions League after their Europa League success last season.

WhoScored claims that Sow excels at passing, through balls, long shots and interceptions, while he has no listed weaknesses, which suggests that he could be an excellent all-round addition to Vieira’s midfield.

Sports reporter Sam Smith commented on Sow and his links to Palace earlier this year, saying:

“First time properly watching Djibril Sow in this first half & been impressed. Progressive on the ball and combative. As per story from deadline day, Palace were very keen on a deal. Talks were still happening late in the day. Definitely one to watch ahead of January.”

According to FBref, Fabinho is the second-most similar player to Sow in terms of style of play, and considering the Brazilian has helped Jurgen Klopp’s side to success in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup since his switch from Monaco, he is surely not a bad player to be likened to.

This season has seen the two players register very similar numbers in terms of expected goals (both 0.2), shot-creating actions (20 vs 21) and tackles and interceptions (27 vs 28) combined.

Therefore, they are both defensive-minded players who can also offer a threat in attack, so Vieira could have a very good player on his hands if Palace can complete a move for Sow in January.

Sheffield Wednesday defender Ben Heneghan is set to be ruled out of the League One game vs Bristol Rovers this evening through injury, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Moore’s concern

The Owls suffered a blow when the 29-year-old was forced off the pitch inside the final 20 minutes of the 1-1 draw against Lincoln last weekend and looked to be in some discomfort.

Darren Moore later admitted that he was ‘concerned’ by the centre-back’s situation, and he is now likely to be sidelined when Joey Barton’s side make the trip to Hillsborough.

The Latest: Heneghan to miss Bristol game

According to Yorkshire Post, Heneghan is ‘expected to miss’ the Bristol clash, though the severity of the injury he’s sustained is currently ‘unknown’.

Dominic Iorfa, or even Liam Palmer, could take his place alongside Mark McGuinness who has now returned to full fitness.

The 6 foot 2 star won’t be the only Wednesday player absent, with Akin Famewo and Reece James both still unavailable for selection.

The Verdict: Setback for Moore

The Owls not having Heneghan at their disposal is a setback for Moore, who will have seen the huge impact the colossus has had on his starting XI this season.

The ‘threat’ from set pieces, as labelled by journalist Josh Bunting, was averaging 6.2 successful aerial duels and 5.2 clearances per league game prior to his injury, making himself a rock at the heart of the backline (WhoScored).

Wednesday securing victory tonight would keep them third in the table and close the gap at the top to just five points, as the boss looks to continue his push for promotion.

Bruno Lage’s decision to bring Hwang Hee-Chan to Wolves on a permanent basis has massively backfired, as the South Korean is one of several attackers to woefully underperform in the Old Gold’s side so far this season.

After a promising loan spell from RB Leipzig last term, which saw the striker contribute five goals in the top flight, Wolves decided to exercise their option to make his move permanent in a deal worth £14m, with that move becoming official on the 1st July after his loan spell ended.

Since he officially became a Wolves player in the summer, his form has fallen off a cliff, as he has been limited to just two starts and eight substitute appearances in the top flight, which have returned no goals and no assists.

Even with the Old Gold’s dreadful form in front of goal, which has seen them notch just six goals in the Premier League so far this season, the South Korea international has still rarely been trusted to play, which is perhaps a damning indictment of what his future looks like at the club.

Sadly, he has failed to perform on his rare opportunities, registering just three shots on target in the Premier League this season, which suggests that the club have paid close to £5m for each shot on target in the top flight so far this campaign.

Hwang’s 6.12 average rating in the Premier League also ranks him as the second-worst player in Steve Davis’ squad of those to make at least one start this season, which emphasises just how poor he has been.

With Wolves’ injury and suspension issues, which sees Raul Jimenez, Sasa Kalajdzic, Pedro Neto and now Diego Costa all likely to miss the next three games, perhaps Hwang will get more of an opportunity to show what he can from the start but in truth, he looks unlikely to be the man to solve the Old Gold’s problems going forward.

Sadly, it seems as if the decision to sign him permanently will have to go down as another big mistake by Lage.