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At this point in the season, only Chelsea (4) and Manchester City (6) have conceded fewer goals in the Premier League than Liverpool (11).

One player that has played a part in Liverpool’s defensive line in this campaign is Joel Matip, who has played in all but three of their 11 Premier League games this season, as well as playing in all of their Champions League games.

In that time, Matip has proven himself to be a very useful defensive outlet for Klopp by racking up an average of 2.6 clearances per game and 1.4 interceptions per game in the league, ultimately earning him high praise from former Reds defender Jamie Carragher who has said that Matip has been better than Virgil van Dijk this season.

Despite his impressive start to the season, the fact that Matip has now hit the age of 30 and has his current contract at the Merseyside club set to expire in 2024, there’s every possibility that he could be on his way out of the club at that point.

With that in mind, Liverpool could already have their ideal heir for Matip in their youth ranks with 20-year-old defender Morgan Boyes.

As a product of Liverpool’s youth academy, Boyes has made a total of 59 appearances between the Merseyside club’s U18 and U23 sides.

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The defender has also made two senior appearances for the Reds, the first of which came during their 5-0 defeat against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup back in December 2019 where he played the full 90 minutes and then in their 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup where he came on as a late substitute in February 2020.

In April 2020, in an interview with the club’s media, Boyes described himself as a “composed” player on the ball and someone who likes to have a laugh with his teammates off the pitch.

This could also make him a suitable heir for Matip given how the Cameroon international has shown off his impressive passing ability in the Premier League this season with an average passing accuracy percentage of 90%.

Moving forward, while Matip may not be in any danger of having Boyes take his place in the team anytime soon, the youngster definitely has what it takes to break into Jurgen Klopp’s team if he manages to make the most out of any opportunities he gets to play with them in the future. As a result, he could potentially save FSG millions in transfer fees as a possible long-term replacement for Matip.

In other news: Forget Jota: Klopp must unleash “unreal” £60k-p/w beast after major Liverpool setback – opinion

Southampton couldn’t continue the good run of form from prior to the recent international break, having won three out of their four previous league games before being beaten 2-1 today by Norwich City.

After taking an early lead with a goal from Che Adams, the Saints didn’t keep that lead for long after Norwich striker Teemu Pukki levelled the scoring just a few minutes later. Grant Hanley scored the winning goal in the second half to give the home side their second win of the season and Dean Smith’s first as their new manager.

One Southampton player who definitely had a day and performance to forget on this occasion was Valentino Livramento.

After recovering from an injury scare which forced him out of international duty, the 19-year-old played the full match at Carrow Road but only won six of his 15 duels, completed just 29 of his 38 passes (with no key passes), completed just one of his three dribbles and lost possession 17 times. He ultimately earned a disappointing overall match rating of 6.4/10, making him the lowest-rated Southampton outfield player to start the match according to SofaScore.

Since joining from fellow Premier League side Chelsea in August in a deal worth a reported £5m, Livramento has played almost every minute of Premier League action for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, cementing his place as their first-choice right-back.

Given his young age and the fact that the Austrian clearly trusts him to perform every week for the Saints, it would be easy to chalk down this disappointing individual performance against Norwich as a bad day at the office and just hope he can improve next time around.

However, if the youngster doesn’t manage to improve on today’s performance and keeps putting in lacklustre displays, his place in the team could be at risk going forward, especially with Hasenhuttl recently revealing that he will be rotating his side throughout the next few weeks and months to navigate the busy winter schedule.

In other news: Ralph could save Southampton millions with £1.8m-rated beast who “fancies himself”

Many Everton fans have been lauding some injury news involving three of their players.

As pictured ahead of their trip to Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Demarai Gray and Andre Gomes are all now in light training at USM Finch Farm after their respective injury setbacks.

Gray has no doubt been one of the Toffees’ key players so far since signing in the summer, being their joint-top scorer in the top flight with three goals while also making two assists and ranking highly among his teammates in terms of shots (two), key passes (1.4) and dribbles (1.5) per match (WhoScored).

Calvert-Lewin scored three goals in his first three games this season before getting injured (experienced option in the middle of the park.

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To have all three back in training is certainly a good sign that they could be back in the team soon.

Everton fans on injury news

These Everton supporters lauded the injury news as it was shared on Twitter, with one Toffees fan describing it as ‘brilliant’:

“It’s a Christmas miracle”

Credit: @miaboughey_

“Be still my beating heart!”

Credit: @just_doodlin86

“This brings a smile to my face”

Credit: @EFCJosh7

“Brilliant news.”

Credit: @nij1878

“This is X-rated pure filth”

Credit: @joewightman10

“Good news indeed. Would be good if any of the players would be available against Liverpool.”

Credit: @PeterPapadopo11

In other news, find out transfer news was slammed by some Everton fans

Following on from their disappointing 1-0 defeat against Huddersfield Town at the weekend, West Brom are back in Championship action tonight as they take on Blackpool away from home.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Baggies boss Valerien Ismael could pick for his starting XI on this occasion, one player that featured at the weekend that should keep their place in the team this time around is Taylor Gardner-Hickman.

During the game against Huddersfield, Gardner-Hickman managed to show Ismael just how much of a useful figure he is for the team in an attacking and defensive sense.

In the full 90 minutes he was on the pitch for, Gardner-Hickman had a total of 93 touches of the ball, completed 34 passes with one of them being a key pass, one of them being an accurate cross and three precise long balls. He also registered two shots at goal, highlighting his attacking intentions and passing range.

As well as this, the 19-year-old did not shirk away from his defensive duties as well having made four tackles, two interceptions and one clearance in the process, ultimately earning himself an overall match rating of 6.8/10 according to SofaScore.

With former West Brom manager Sam Allardyce previously claiming that Gardner-Hickman could become an “important” player for the Midlands club among a number of other young players at West Brom, it seems as though the teenager is proving to Ismael that he is a player that the current manager can rely on this season. That’s perhaps even more so than Darnell Furlong, who came on as a late substitute against Huddersfield but was ultimately unable to secure even a point for the Baggies.

The youngster also managed to impress in West Brom’s recent 1-0 win over Hull City where Birmingham Live said that he “was mostly measured on the ball and made a couple of eye-catching forward passes while possessing plenty of energy.”

Taking all of this into account, Gardner-Hickman’s inclusion in the starting XI tonight would give the Baggies a great chance of securing a positive result with his defensive capabilities giving West Brom some strength at the back as well as his attacking prowess providing the team with some energy going forward to terrify Blackpool, who have scored seven goals less than the Baggies and conceded five more than them.

In other news: Callum Robinson must start against Blackpool

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ start to the 2021/22 campaign was far from ideal.

Bruno Lage endured a rough and tumble beginning as Wolves boss with three straight defeats but his fortunes have swiftly changed.

The Midlands outfit have gone from a lacklustre side under Nuno Santo last term to a team now right in the hunt for European football, something Jeff Shi and Fosun will no doubt be delighted with.

However, they now have to negotiate the murky and choppy waters of the festive period.

A clash against Burnley is first up for Lage and his side in December but they will have to do it without star midfielder Ruben Neves who will miss the visit of the Clarets due to suspension.

Opportunity knocks

Missing Neves is sure to come as a pretty hefty blow to Wolves. After all, his importance to the team has been immense this campaign with the Portuguese maestro failing to miss a match all season and starting all but two Premier League encounters.

What makes this even more troubling is a lack of depth in central areas. Morgan Gibbs-White is out on loan at Sheffield United while Bruno Jordao is out injured.

Joao Moutinho will be relied upon to set the tone but with Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker now preferred in the backline, it will be interesting to see who partners the experienced dynamo in the middle of the park.

One man that Lage should turn to is teenager Luke Cundle.

The 19-year-old now skippers the club’s U23 side and is impressing all the time at youth level. He’s made such impressive strides that he has been training with the senior team ahead of the game with Burnley on Wednesday evening.

That leads us to believe that he could be a viable solution to the manager’s current dilemma and it wouldn’t be a great surprise if he did start the match.

After all, the youngster is tidy on the ball and could provide Wolves with a spark they’re missing with Neves out.

He has found the net on eight occasions during his youth career, laying on 12 assists in the process too.

A rave review from U23 boss, James Collins, tells you why he’s so highly rated at Molineux. He once said: “He’s got an outstanding brain and drives the game, he runs the game and dictates it which is a great skill.

“He’s intelligent, makes good decisions, can attack and defend and when you first see him, you wonder whether he could be a Premier League player because he’s slight and small.”

Collins added: “He’s ready for that step up. Whether that’s with our first team or whether that’s a loan, because watching him [against Birmingham City U23s], I thought he was magnificent.”

With those comments in mind, Lage should definitely turn to the exciting teenager in midweek. He has only ever made two senior appearances but it could just be game-changing for Wolves.

AND in other news, Spiers drops behind the scenes Wolves update ahead of Burnley, fans will be buzzing…

Crystal Palace have been linked with an ambitious move for Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

The 31-year-old appeared set for a switch to Manchester United last summer after it became clear he was keen to return to his homeland, but the Old Trafford outfit refused to match his release clause, meaning the player stayed put.

But now, according to 90min, Trippier is attracting the attention of several Premier League clubs once again ahead of the winter window.

“Manchester United are continuing to be kept informed of his situation while we understand that Everton, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are willing make a move too – if Atletico show an appetite to sell,” reads their report.

Previous reports have claimed that Atleti are set to demand £25 million for the versatile full-back over the coming months, with Newcastle United also a potential destination, although there’s no guarantee he’ll depart in January.

Patrick Vieira can continue his revolution

Over the summer, new manager Patrick Vieira began his Palace revolution by overseeing a mass overhaul of the first-team squad, welcoming the likes of Odsonne Edouard, Michael Olise and Marc Guehi to Selhurst Park.

However, one position that was neglected was right-back. Experienced campaigners Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne offer steady if uninspiring options in that position at present.

Trippier’s arrival, though, would change that, providing Vieira with an attacking threat from full-back and adding an established England international to his ranks.

In recent years, the £77,000-per-week gem has claimed the La Liga crown with Atleti and cemented his place in Gareth Southgate’s national team setup, impressing the Three Lions boss with a string of eye-catching performances.

“He (Trippier) is a very underrated player,” claimed Southgate after England’s victory over Croatia at Euro 2020.

“People are still looking at the player from a few years ago and not at the one who is at Atletico Madrid and playing like a warrior in the last few seasons. He is a big part of what we’ve done over the last few years, and he gave a really good performance.”

And it wasn’t the only time that Southgate has lauded Trippier, dubbing him ‘outstanding’ back in 2018: “Kieran has outstanding quality, and that kind of profile in that position is very important,” he said.

With Trippier producing six assists last term, 1.27 key passes per 90 and putting in 2.40 crosses, compared to Ward’s tallies of one, 0.28 and 0.60, respectively, there’s no doubt that his arrival would continue Palace’s progression under Vieira.

And, in other news…Palace must seal move for “phenomenal” £33k-p/w ace who “gets the crowd on their feet”

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has dropped an injury update concerning Pascal Struijk.

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Whites’ trip to Manchester City on Tuesday evening, the 66-year-old Leeds manager revealed that, despite recovering from a hip injury, the 22-year-old missed the 3-2 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday with a fresh injury to his knee – something that will keep the former Netherlands youth international sidelined this evening.

On the current condition of Struijk, Bielsa said: “He’s not going to be available. Pascal’s injury is not very frequent. An explosive movement made two bones in his feet collide together.

“That does not generate an injury, nor an articulation or muscular. It has the effect of a knock on his bone. That generates pain. Until that pain disappears it’s going to prevent him from playing. Sincerely, in my whole career, I have never seen an injury like that.”

Fans will be terrified

Considering that Struijk is becoming an increasingly important player within Marcelo Bielsa’s first-team squad at Elland Road, coupled with the fact that the Whites are currently in the midst of a rather severe injury crisis, the news that the defender will once again be out of action against the reigning Premier League champions on Tuesday night will undoubtedly terrify fans of the club.

Indeed, over his 12 league appearances so far this season, the £8.1m-rated man has made an average of 1.6 interceptions, 2.3 tackles, 1.4 clearances and has won 3.8 duels per game.

These returns have seen the centre-back average a SofaScore match rating of 6.79, ranking him as Bielsa’s 14th-best performer in the top flight of English football.

As such, with fellow centre-backs Robin Koch and Liam Cooper also currently out of action due to injury, as well as defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Bielsa has once again been left with very limited options in the heart of his defence for the trip to the Eithad, something that does not bode well whatsoever for Leeds’ chances of getting anything out of the game.

In other news: Bielsa must now unleash “predatorial” £16.5k-p/w LUFC dynamo, he’d give Pep nightmares

Given Everton’s spotty run of form in the Premier League, winning just one of their 11 previous league games, the upcoming January transfer window could allow the Merseyside club to strengthen and freshen up their squad to put them in a good shape for the second half of the campaign.

However, it seems as though Everton have been mentioned with a potential move for a player that not only would be a very familiar face to a lot of fans in Merseyside but would also be a player that some fans would not want to see wearing their club’s shirt.

What’s the news?

According to Spanish media outlet Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), Everton are in the frame, alongside fellow Premier League club Newcastle United, for a potential swoop for Barcelona and former Liverpool attacker Philippe Coutinho.

The report claims that the Brazilian is not wanted at Barcelona and that his agent is waiting on the likes of Everton and Newcastle to make a formal approach for Coutinho.

During his time with Liverpool, Coutinho managed to rack up 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances across all competitions before making his mega-money move to Barcelona in a deal worth a reported overall total of £142m in 2018.

With 106 appearances under his belt with the La Liga side, Coutinho’s spell at Barcelona has been widely regarded as a disappointing one, which is presumably why the club are looking to get rid of him despite the huge amount of money they paid for him.

Last month, Coutinho, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £380k-per-week according to Salary Sport, answered some of the criticism thrown his way during his time at Barcelona after being called “lazy” by the Spanish media, which apparently surprised him.

It’s hard to see many Toffees fans being excited about potentially seeing the former Liverpool man, who has scored three goals and provided two assists in the nine games he’s played against Everton, join Rafa Benitez’s squad.

Given how Benitez previously criticised former Everton midfielder James Rodriguez for not wanting to work hard for the team and preferring “a comfortable life and money more than the competition,” it seems as though Coutinho could be the next version of the Colombian at Goodison Park given the doubts over his work rate in Spain.

Overall, it would be worth Farhad Moshiri not risking any further fury at Everton from the supporters by stepping away from a potential move for the Brazilian and looking elsewhere for potential reinforcements in January.

In other news: Everton to be offered £31.5m-rated beast who’s “similar to Xavi”, Rafa would love him…

West Ham United are capable of securing a deal to bring Eden Hazard to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Peter O’Rourke, with the journalist stating his belief in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that David Moyes’ side have the financial capability to seal a deal for the Real Madrid winger this winter, before going on to suggest that the 30-year-old’s signing would be a real signal of intent from the Champions League hopefuls.

Speaking about the Hammers’ reported interest in the Belgium international, O’Rourke said: “West Ham, they can offer him Premier League football, and could match his wages – you can never say never in football. It would be a real signal of intent if West Ham can convince Eden Hazard to move to the London Stadium.”

Lingard 2.0

Considering the success Moyes achieved after signing Jesse Lingard on a four-month loan deal in the second half of last season, with the attacking midfielder going on to bag nine goals and five assists over just 16 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, should the Scottish manager be able to secure a deal for Hazard this winter, he could well repeat his Lingard masterclass of last term.

Indeed, there are clear similarities between the situations of each player, with Hazard having featured in just 13 fixtures for Los Blancos so far this season, only six of which have come as starts – something that was a very similar case to that of Lingard at Manchester United last time out.

However, with the greatest of respect to Lingard, although he is one year the Belgian’s junior, should West Ham be able to secure the £13m-rated Hazard in January, he is undoubtedly a player who has a far higher ceiling regarding potential returns in comparison to the England international.

Indeed, over his 245 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, the £381k-per-week man scored a whopping 81 goals and registered 61 assists, as well as winning two Premier League titles, two Europa League titles and the 2014/15 Premier League player of the year award.

As such, while the man who Rudi Garcia claimed is a “unique” talent with an “irreplaceable style” has not enjoyed the best of times since his £103.5m move to Real Madrid back in 2019, if Moyes can do a similar job on the Belgian to the one he did with Lingard, West Ham could well have a world-beater on their hands for the second half of the current campaign – leading us to believe that the Hammers should do all they can to secure a £21m deal for the winger in the coming weeks.

In other news: “Talks will start”: Ex drops major West Ham transfer update that’ll have fans buzzing

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Patrik Schick to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Mirror, who claim that manager David Moyes is looking to bring in a new centre-forward into the club in the winter market in order to ease the burden on Michail Antonio, who is currently the 58-year-old’s only option as an out-and-out striker.

The report then goes on to state that the Scot has subsequently identified Bayer Leverkusen forward Patrik Schick as one of his primary targets for the position, with it being believed that the West Ham board would have to shell out up to £40m in order to seal a deal for the 25-year-old forward.

The next Ibrahimovic

Considering just how impressive Schick has been in Germany so far this season, it would appear highly advisable for David Moyes and his West Ham transfer team to do everything in their power to land the Czech Republic international in January.

Indeed, over his 14 Bundesliga appearances this term, the £36m-rated man has scored a whopping 16 goals, registered one assist and created one big chance for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 3.2 shots and making 0.6 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player who Leverkusen manager Gerardo Seoane dubbed an “incredible” talent average a rather astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.37, ranking him as joint seventh-best player in the top flight of German football – as well as the second-top goalscorer in the league.

As such, it is clear for all to see that the £82k-per-week centre-forward who Pavel Nedved claimed reminds him of Zlatan Ibrahimovic would not only make an exceptional addition to Antonio in the West Ham attack, he could well go on to eventually take the Jamacia international’s starting spot in the Hammers side.

In other news: Huge boost: West Ham finally receive positive injury update that’ll have Moyes buzzing