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With Chelsea said to be closing in Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata is set to be the high-profile exit out of Stamford Bridge this month.

And the former Real Madrid man, who has endured a difficult time in west London, could be joined by Emerson.

The Breakdown

According to Sky Italy journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Atletico Madrid, alongside Juventus, are interested in signing the left-back as they look to bolster their options in that area of the pitch.

And while he may only currently be a fringe player in Maurizio Sarri’s squad, Chelsea would still be crazy to sell the 24-year-old.

After a strong start to the season, Marcos Alonso has really struggled with the transition from left-wing back to left-back, often getting caught out of position and dribbled past so easily.

With that in mind, sooner or later, Sarri is going to have to change something there. And Emerson gives him the perfect opportunity to do just that.

The 24-year-old is certainly a defender Sarri can trust despite that not looking like the case right now.

Unlike Alonso, Emerson is quick, can cross, goes for the overlap and, most importantly, is competent when it comes to defending 1v1.

Considering the way the Spaniard has been playing, selling Emerson, the superior full-back, would be one of the worst transfer decisions Chelsea have made in years.

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Since arriving from Lazio in a club-record £36m deal back in the summer (per BBC), Felipe Anderson has made the London Stadium faithful forget all about Dimitri Payet, and has seamlessly slotted in to fill the lack of a creative source since the Frenchman’s departure.

How has he done so far?

The Brazilian attacker started the season quite slowly, as did the Hammers in losing their first four games, but he managed to adapt extremely quickly to show just why he merited such a huge fee.

Having failed to get involved much in his first two games against Liverpool and Bournemouth, Anderson picked up an assist in each of his next two games against Arsenal and AFC Wimbledon. Then there was that incredible showing at home against Manchester United, in which he scored a stunning back-heeled effort past David de Gea, but there was still more to come.

Who should replace Marko Arnautovic if he leaves West Ham? FFC’s James Jones has the answer! Check out the video below to find out…

The 25-year-old embarked on somewhat of a hot streak from the start of November, until the end of 2018. A two-goal haul against Burnley in a 4-2 win, which earned him the Man of the Match award by Whoscored with a 9.49 rating, oozed class, whilst five goals and an assist in his next eight games showed that he had completely settled in east London.

The Verdict 

Having commanded such a huge fee, the pressure was on Anderson to perform immediately and in somewhat difficult circumstances. A new man was in charge in Manuel Pellegrini, the fans were still somewhat annoyed by the events of last season, not helped by the poor start, so all eyes were on the Olympic gold medal winner to lift spirits.

With the likes of Samir Nasri, Robert Snodgrass and Marko Arnautovic, Anderson has the players to help him perform to his best, shown by his eight goals and two assists in 23 Premier League starts in the current campaign.

Anderson also takes 1.7 shots per game, attempts 1.9 dribbles per game and makes 1.8 key passes per game according to Whoscored, which shows that he is never afraid to take the game to the opposition and enjoys being relied on as the creative spark in the Hammers’ lineup.

Sunderland fans have little to shout about at the moment. The club has been unfortunate enough to suffer a double relegation and now reside in League One, where they’re competing with Luton Town and Portsmouth for promotion. However, five years ago today they beat Manchester United on penalties to go to Wembley.

It was exactly five years ago today that 9000 Sunderland fans travelled to Manchester for a night they’ll never forget. Having beaten Manchester United 2-1 at the Stadium of Light in the first-leg the Black Cats travelled to Old Trafford full of hope that they could advance past the Red Devils and reach a Wembley final, and they got there in the most dramatic of fashions.

With the away goals rule only applying after extra-time, Jonny Evans goal forced the game to extra time at 2-2, even though United led on away goals. However, a late Phil Bardsley goal had the fans believing they’d won it before Javier Hernandez dashed their hopes and sent them to penalties. At that point, it was just time for another Sunderland hero to emerge, as Vito Mannone saved two spot-kicks and sent the Mackems to Wembley.

You can read the Sunderland fans’ memories of that famous win here:

The Black Cats will never forget their Old Trafford win, and will hope that one day they can get back to a Wembley final, even if it is a League One playoff.

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West Ham’s Reece Oxford has completed a loan move to Augsburg until the end of the season – this will be his second spell with a German club, having spent the 17/18 season with Borussia Monchengladbach.

The youngster broke onto the scene in 2014 as a 16-year-old and won the man of the match award on his debut against Arsenal – the versatile centre-back was deployed at the base of midfield and enjoyed a match-high 95 per cent passing accuracy and was dispossessed just once.

However, since then he hasn’t had the four or so years in claret and blue that everyone surely expected him to have – the now 20-year-old has made just 17 total appearances for the Hammers, while 19-year-old Declan Rice has become a shoe-in for Manuel Pellegrini.

Who is West Ham’s worst ever signing? Check out the video above for a pretty strong candidate for the dubious honour…

Oxford will now, however, have another crack at the Bundesliga and will hope he can enjoy similar success to the likes of Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson, who have been sensational for Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim, respectively.

Although with Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna the only fit, recognised centre-backs available, the decision to loan out the former England U20 international is a bizarre one and may come back to haunt Pellegrini.

Here’s how the Irons fans reacted to the news on Twitter…

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react after Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to first-team training after a mini injury crisis rocked the squad, as revealed on the club’s official site.

Jurgen Klopp’s side suffered against West Ham without the injured trio, limping to a drab 1-1 draw in a game where their goal was lucky to have stood.

More specifically, whilst Alexander-Arnold has been out, Jurgen Klopp has been forced to deploy both James Milner and Henderson in the role, with the duo being given a torrid time by tricky wingers such as Marc Albrighton, Wilfried Zaha and Felipe Anderson.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

The injury crisis has seen the Reds pick up just five points from their last nine, and in doing so hand the initiative back to Manchester City in the title race.

However, the return of the key trio should see the Merseysiders back to their best, and the news has certainly got Liverpool fans on Twitter talking…

After beating RB Salzburg in Austria on Tuesday, Liverpool have secured their place in the next round of the Champions League.

The Reds ended up topping the group with 13 points, and they will now face one of Real Madrid, Lyon, Atletico Madrid, Atalanta or Borussia Dortmund in the next round of the competition. Given they are the current champions of the competition, they will fancy their chances against any of those sides.

In the BT Sport studio on Wednesday evening (via Metro), Rio Ferdinand, Glenn Hoddle and Peter Crouch all backed the Anfield outfit to lift the trophy once again at the end of the season.

That would certainly be a big ask, especially given they are favourites to win the league title for the first time in 30 years. There is a possibility that that will be their main focus this term. However, back-to-back European titles would be astonishing.

Can they win it for the second time in a row? We ask four of our writers for their verdicts…

Vijievan Jeevathayalan“Having reached two Champions League finals in a row, and winning it last season, Liverpool are the undisputed kings of Europe at the moment. The Reds have the know-how and experience of getting to the latter stages of the competition, and just that psychological advantage of having done it before will count them in good stead. And quite crucially this season, they haven’t been overly reliant on their much-vaunted attack. “Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s strike against Bournemouth last weekend made him the 15th different Liverpool player to score in the Premier League this year – the same amount as they had in the whole of the previous campaign. It’s a testament to their greater strength in depth, and that could well be the key to retaining their European crown. After the heroics of Istanbul, nothing is ever deemed impossible for Liverpool. And so whilst it may seem like a long-shot now, miracles do happen.”Can you name the result these iconic Liverpool images belong to? Give it a go now… Jack Saville“Defending the Champions League would be Klopp’s biggest achievement but I see Liverpool just falling short. They look nailed on to win the Premier League and, while they’ll obviously want to win as many trophies as possible, it’s got to be their priority as the season progresses. With such a healthy lead at the top of the league, the Reds should be able to manage a couple of untimely injuries over the course of the season, but in a knockout competition they’ll be vulnerable if they’re not at full strength. There are so many fantastic teams on the continent who will be looking to take Liverpool’s crown and I expect Juventus or Manchester City will do just that.”James Beavis“Liverpool won’t win the Champions League this season, and in fact I predict they won’t even make the final. The Reds are in such a great position in the top flight at the moment, and that has to be Jurgen Klopp’s priority for the remainder of the campaign in their bid to pick up their first title of this Premier League era. While things are going smoothly at the moment, they will surely hit a rough patch at some stage – especially if they lose a key player like Virgil van Dijk or Sadio Mane to injury – and at that point Klopp will need to look after his squad.“It could even get to a stage where he needs to rest certain players in the Champions League if they have an important league fixture on the horizon. Klopp and Liverpool have been there and done it in Europe’s elite club competition in the previous two years, and now they must focus on winning something they haven’t. Given any potential distractions, I believe they will get beaten in a two-legged clash before the final in Istanbul.”Lewis Blain“Liverpool may seem worthy favourites to clinch back-to-back Champions League triumphs, but fans should get that picture out of their heads as Jurgen Klopp will no doubt have his mind on achieving something they never have. Winning the Premier League has to be the top priority and if he isn’t a hero at Anfield already, then it would send Klopp into god-like status on Merseyside. Push will come to shove later in the season if injuries start to build, making squad rotation key. Given just how far ahead they are currently, it would be fair to suggest that lifting the trophy is a mere formality, but it’s something that will still be a priority as the season goes on considering they are yet to clinch such glory in their history.”In other news, Liverpool are interested in signing this star.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

They got the job done in the end. It was by no means easy, but Liverpool rode out a couple of incredibly nervy moments to seal yet another win in the Premier League, and strengthen their vice-like grip at the top of the table. Just days after securing their passage into the knockout stages of the Champions League as they bid to retain European football’s holy grail, the Reds looked understandably rusty from their travels abroad.

Jurgen Klopp made a couple of changes to his starting line-up against Watford to bring in some fresh energy, but one man who he didn’t leave out, was captain Jordan Henderson. The England international played his 22nd game across all competitions, and he looked decidedly lethargic and loose with his display. Playing as part of two holding midfielders alongside Georginio Wijnaldum, the 29-year-old struggled to get to grips with the pace of the game, and his usually precise use of the ball let him down big time.

Watch Liverpool Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

As per Whoscored, he has a passing accuracy of 81% in the Premier League this season, but on Saturday lunch-time, that dropped to a disappointing 75% – a stat compounded by the fact he was hustled off the ball far too easily, losing possession an incredible 24 times (the joint-second most in his entire team). He completed just five of his ten attempted long balls, whilst his trademark in-swinging crosses also let him down, failing to successfully complete both of his attempts.

His defensive tenacity also deserted him against the Hornets, making just one tackle over the course of the 90 minutes, and failing to make a single interception. The fact he was also dribbled past twice just went to show how off-the-pace he was.

Can you name the result these iconic Liverpool images belong to? Give it a go now…

As his captain, it may be a difficult decision for Klopp to feel like he should take him out of the firing line. But Henderson isn’t a robot, and with this busy Christmas schedule, he like all of his other teammates deserves a chance to just take a breather.

Meanwhile, Liverpool are interested in signing this ace who shone against them in the Champions League.

It has finally happened.

Tottenham Hotspur have now officially confirmed that Toby Alderweireld has signed a new contract with the club that will keep him around until at least 2023.

The 30-year-old centre-back has already made 20 appearances in the ongoing 2019/20 campaign for Spurs and has mustered 179 appearances since joining the team from Atletico Madrid in 2015.

Needless to say, loads of fans were absolutely delighted with this piece of news and were gushing over it on social media and Twitter, showering the defender with praise and just enjoying the moment.

You can see some of their initial reactions down below:

Of course, this has arrived as an early Christmas present for many of them, as it seems, and they also seem to think there’s only one man to thank for that – Jose Mourinho.

Forever a Spurs legend: Honour Pochettino by getting 100% on this all-Poch quiz…

The Special One’s magic did the trick and many of the supporters believe it was actually the Portuguese manager who ultimately convinced him to stay put at Spurs.

But his job is not nearly done, as one fan also pointed out, since both Christian Eriksen and Jan Vertonghen’s contracts need sorting in the near future as well.

We’ll have to wait and see whether the Mourinho effect will be enough to land them two more signatures before time runs out.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund might be a better place for one young prodigy’s development than Manchester United…

According to The Daily Mirror, Arsenal are targeting a swoop in the January transfer window for RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano.

What’s the word?

The Gunners have endured a miserable campaign to date so far, languishing in the bottom half of the table after the half-way stage of the Premier League season. One area of major concern for recently-appointed head coach Mikel Arteta, is their creaking back-line.

Watch Arsenal Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The north Londoners have already conceded 30 goals in just 20 top-flight games, and injuries have no doubt played a major part in that woeful record. The likes of Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney have missed large chunks of the campaign, whilst Calum Chambers was forced off with an issue in the clash against Chelsea.

And now, The Daily Mirror claim Arsenal are ready to back Arteta in the transfer market, and that they are “keeping close tabs on RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano who could be allowed to leave next month with his contract running down”.

The solution

Having been credited with interest in Upamecano in the summer transfer window, the Gunners turning their attentions back towards the 21-year-old is entirely understandable. It’s a player they have already looked at before, and are perhaps confident of how well he would fit into the team right now. And when looking at his numbers this season, it is easy to see why.

Can you name all of these obscure Arsenal signings? Give it a go now!

As per Whoscored, the £45m-rated defender averages an impressive 2.5 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in the Bundesliga. And whilst his stats in terms of the defensive categories are certainly appealing to the Gunners, it’s his numbers with the ball that really makes him the ideal Arteta signing.

The Spaniard was assistant at Manchester City as Pep Guardiola’s side looked to build-up play from the back rather than simply hoofing it forward or going more direct – the Citizens boast the highest average possession in the league (60.3%) and play the most amount of short passes per game too (603).

And in Upamecano, they could have someone who would be entirely comfortable with the ball at his feet. He averages an unbelievable 71.7 passes per game, at an accuracy of 88.8%. Compare that to David Luiz’s stats of 53.4 passes per game and 84.8% accuracy in the Premier League.

A swoop for Upamecano would solve not only Arsenal’s lack of numbers at centre-back, but also bring someone who could fit into Arteta’s style of play.

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans are raving about this star’s “masterclass” against Chelsea.

It’s crunch time for Leeds United.

The Whites have a great chance of being promoted from the Championship, sitting nine points clear of third place, but what they do this month will heavily impact their chances of going up.

With Jack Clarke and Eddie Nketiah being recalled, there’s a gap in Leeds’ squad for another loanee as they now only have four, but the only problem is that their current FFP situation means that they can’t spend all that much in terms of wage contribution for any incoming players.

Phil Hay stated in November that Leeds were right on the limit of FFP so any further spending could put them under the microscope from the FA and EFL.

However, there could be a way around this.

Football Insider reported earlier this week that the Whites slapped a £500k price tag on the head of Lewie Coyle but it remains to be seen whether that was the fee they received after he joined on a permanent transfer on Friday.

We’ve said before here on FFC that Leeds should have considered keeping Coyle, but if that was indeed the money they garnered, they’ve pulled off a brilliant deal.

With just 16 weeks to go until the end of the Championship season, a £500k windfall would leave Leeds with £31,250 more to spend each week from now until the end of the season.

That being said, blowing that on a loanee’s wages may backfire as it’s money Leeds would never see again that could have been spent better in the long-term.

However, if they bring in a player who commands that type of weekly salary and he helps the club on their way to promotion they’d be laughing.

In other news, Leeds may be risking wasting precious resources after Phil Hay’s update.