All posts by z3u9t.icu

Now that the 2022 January transfer window has opened, this will spark a flurry of potential transfer deals across a range of clubs as they aim to strengthen their squads.

At Aston Villa, it has previously been reported that manager Steven Gerrard will be given the backing from the owners to make whatever changes to the club that he thinks will benefit them in terms of bringing new players in.

With this in mind, it could prove to be a very busy month for the Midlands club, on and off the pitch.

After making just nine Premier League appearances for Villa since joining on loan from Manchester United back in August, and with just eight minutes of league action since Gerrard’s took over from Dean Smith as Villa’s manager in November, it seems as though Axel Tuanzebe could be on his way out of the club.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently shared a post on his official Twitter account claiming that a deal has been worked out between United and Napoli that will see Tuanzebe spend the rest of the season on loan with the Italian club.

Taking this into account, it could be worth Villa bringing a new defender in to take Tuanzebe’s place in the squad so they aren’t depleted in that area.

Having been linked with a transfer move for Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez in recent weeks, this update about Tuanzebe could now pave the way for Villa and Gerrard to finally secure a deal for the defender, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £85k-per-week according to Salary Sport, and bring him to Villa Park.

With a total of 82 appearances in the Premier League, Gomez would certainly bring a decent amount of experience with him to Villa as well as an elite winning mentality having won the Premier League and Champions League during his time at Anfield.

Labelled as a “sensational” player in the past by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Gomez has found regular game time in the Premier League hard to come by this season with just three fairly short substitute appearances under his belt so far, which could result in a move to Villa being quite tempting for him if he’d get regular playing time under Gerrard’s guidance.

Moving forward, if Tuanzebe is set to leave Villa in the coming days, the club should be turning their attention to securing a deal for Gomez as soon as they can so the team doesn’t suffer should any of their other defenders end up with injuries or a positive virus test.

In other news: Forget Trezeguet: NSWE dropped AVFC transfer clanger with “horrible” £5.4m-rated dud – opinion

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

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French publication Le10 Sport (via Sport Witness), who claim that David Moyes’ side have made an offer of around €15m (£12.5m) for the 19-year-old Stade Reims centre-forward, with the Ligue 1 side and the France U21 international believed to be taking time to reflect on the proposal before getting back to West Ham with a decision.

The report goes on to state that Newcastle United are also interested in a move for the teenager this month, with it even being suggested that the Magpies had tabled a €35m (£29m) offer for the striker, however, according to Le10 Sport, Reims have only received one bid for Ekitike at present, and that is from the Hammers.

The next Mbappe

Considering the sheer amount of potential that Ekitike quite clearly possesses, in addition to West Ham’s rather desperate need for much greater depth at centre-forward, it is unsurprising to learn of Moyes’ interest in a move for the 19-year-old this January.

Indeed, over his 17 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season, the £5.4m-rated centre-forward has been in astonishing form for Reims, having already scored eight goals, registered three assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the highest scoring teenager in Europe’s top five leagues average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.88, ranking him as the French side’s 11th-best performer in the division.

Furthermore, as a result of his rapid rise and impressive return of goals at such a young age, many in France have drawn comparisons between Ekitike and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, with Graeme Bailey stating on Twitter: “Many in France believe he could be the next Mbappe.”

As such, should the West Ham board indeed manage to seal a deal for the player who is said to possess “the mentality of Kobe Bryant in a 19-year-old’s body” this month, it would appear that Moyes could very much have an extremely exciting prospect on his hands in the second half of the current campaign.

And, who knows, should Ekitike continue his current rate of development following a potential switch to East London in January, the 58-year-old manager may even be in possession of the next Mbappe – something that is undoubtedly an extremely exciting thought for everyone involved with the Hammers.

In other news: “I’ve been told”: Ex drops teasing transfer claim that will have West Ham fans buzzing

Leeds United return to east London for the second time in a week to face West Ham United in the Premier League this afternoon.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side will be looking for revenge at the London Stadium after the Irons knocked them out of the FA Cup at the third-round stage last weekend.

The Argentine has had to deal with numerous injury problems throughout the season but there have been signs of that alleviating ahead of kick-off, which means the manager has a little more room to breathe in terms of team selection.

As such, there is a particularly huge call to make with Daniel James as the club-record summer signing has been woefully out of form since his £30m move from Manchester United.

To his credit, he has been one of several players to have been asked to carry the burden of the Whites’ attacking play in the absence of leading talisman Patrick Bamford.

However, he has still not really delivered anything of note.

Indeed, as per WhoScored, the Wales international has managed an average rating of 6.56 per game (the ninth-best in the team) and he has struggled to have much of an influence in the final third.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news-2″ title=”Read the latest Leeds news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

There are five players who are more creative than him, having averaged only 0.9 key passes per game, whilst 0.8 dribbles per league outing sees him rank eighth in the whole squad for that statistic – a worrying sign considering he’s a winger by trade.

Former top-flight striker turned pundit Darren Bent summed James up well, back in November 2020 – when he was still at Old Trafford.

“The only thing about Dan James at times, for me, he’s a little bit headless,” he told Football Insider. “He’s shown great potential, when he first went to United he played really well, scored a few goals but at times he for me he’s fouled or he shoots sometimes when he should pass it, he’ll pass when he should shoot.”

Returns of just two goals and two assists from 17 appearances just aren’t good enough from your big-money star, so it’s time for Bielsa to be ruthless in his team selection by axing the £16.2m-rated lightweight.

The Hammers bullied him last weekend, he cannot be carried once again here this afternoon.

AND in other news, Junior Firpo confirms injury update in huge Leeds United boost…

Everton have had a nightmare season so far, with the side just six points off the relegation zone and Rafa Benitez on the brink of being sacked.

As a result, the club could really do without anymore bad news, but it has now been revealed an important player may be snapped up by another club.

What’s the word?

According to Spanish news outlet Fichajes, Real Madrid are interested in signing Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure in a possible move with Carlo Ancelotti reportedly wanting to reunite with his former player in Spain this summer.

The 29-year-old was signed by Ancelotti at Goodison Park back in September 2020, and the player has gone on to become an important player at Everton, with his contract set to end with his current club in June 2023.

One final disaster

The French midfielder has given Everton some fantastic moments in his time at the club, and with the Toffees in the situation they are currently in after a terrible season so far, fans will be fuming to see one of their players leave.

Doucoure has made 51 appearances, netting five goals and offering seven assists during his time at the club so far, with the midfielder making his biggest impact during the first seven games, scoring twice.

Despite Everton’s struggle this season, he is in the top three Premier League players for assists outside of the box this season according to One Versus One.

Real Madrid are currently in a much stronger position than Everton right now, sitting at the top of La Liga, playing Champions League football whilst being a club with huge pulling power due to their success and glittering trophy cabinet, so it will be hard for Everton to keep hold of the £22.5m-rated star who was hailed a “revelation” by journalist, David Prentice.

Everton are on the brink of sacking Benitez, and if they could bring in a manager that could turn around their season and get the best out of the players, it could be an opportunity to keep Doucoure at the club, even if Ancelotti did come knocking for him in the summer.

However, if the Spaniard stays and ends up sanctioning the Frenchman’s sale, it would undoubtedly be his final disaster.

Moshiri will need to make big changes and make important decisions that can put the club in a better position as soon as possible to make sure their most influential players aren’t picked off by other clubs in the summer.

In other news: Rafael Benitez wants to bring in a centre-back

Newcastle United have reportedly now enquired about signing Adam Webster before the January transfer window shuts.

The Lowdown: Brighton raid

The Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has recently reported that the St. James’ Park faithful have had an £8m bid rejected from Brighton and Hove Albion to sign Dan Burn.

With links to Webster emerging as well, it seems as if the North East club could be looking to raid the Seagulls with just a few days left of the window remaining.

The Latest: Webster enquiry

As per journalist Alan Nixon, the Tyneside outfit have now made contact over the possibility of signing Webster, but warns that the price will be ‘big’:

“Newcastle. Surprise late enquiry for centre half Adam Webster at Brighton. Right age, Prem experience. Price would be big all the same.”

The Verdict: Burn over Webster

While Webster could be a solid signing for the Magpies, given his experience in the Premier League, Burn would be a better, and potentially cheaper option for them.

Webster is two years younger, and as Nixon says, a big transfer fee could be needed to sign him, whereas Burn is 29, and his contract is up next summer, meaning that he is likely to go for cheaper.

Comparing their stats in the top flight so far this season, Burn is actually averaging more tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game than Webster (WhoScored), and so the Toon might as well save a bit of change to sign the local lad, born in Blyth, instead.

In other news, find out what Bruno Guimaraes twist has now emerged here!

Leeds United’s hopes of keeping hold of midfielder Kalvin Phillips, and the identity of his next club if he does move on, will hinge on whether or not they avoid relegation, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Phillips’ future up in the air

The 26-year-old has suffered a frustrating season for the Whites, not playing a single minute since December because of a serious hamstring injury.

Talk has intensified over Phillips’ future in recent months, with a host of clubs linked with signing him amid Leeds’ Premier League relegation battle. Aston Villa and West Ham have been two particularly prominent suitors of late.

Hay has now addressed where the England midfielder’s future is likely to lie, depending on what happens at Elland Road over the next two months.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Hay on Kalvin Phillips

Writing in a Monday morning mailbag for The Athletic, the journalist admitted with regards to Phillips’ future that everything could depend on whether or not Leeds go down in May. He stated:

“If Leeds go down, all bets would be off. Players such as Phillips would need to find themselves Premier League clubs and would have to be open to whatever offers were on the table.

“But if Leeds stay up, and they’ve given themselves a huge chance of that by winning the last two games, I’d find it odd to see him go to Villa or West Ham United — two of the clubs linked with him recently.

“Phillips turns 27 this year and because of his age, doesn’t have an endless line of future big moves in him. Given his development and his progress at international level with England, the target for him, if he was to leave, would surely be relatively-secure Champions League football most seasons. Anything less would feel like him selling himself short. But we all know Villa have been on his case for a while.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-39/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Perfect incentive to stay up

If ever Jesse Marsch and his players needed an incentive to stay up, it is this, with Phillips arguably the most important player in the current Leeds squad.

He has matured into a truly formidable midfielder – one who is England’s reigning Player of the Year – dominating midfield battles and averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the league this season.

Losing Phillips would be an almighty blow but it would be impossible to begrudge him a move if Leeds are back playing in the Championship, with the boyhood Whites fan already doing a stint in that division when he could have played at a higher level.

In other news, Leeds could make a loan signing this summer. Find out who the player in question is here.

Newcastle United are interested in Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips and could offer him £120,000 per week, according to The Mirror.

The Lowdown: Phillips makes Leeds return

The England international appears to be a wanted man this summer, with Aston Villa also keen on his services and even readying a £60m summer bid.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-41/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-04-02T155252Z_391313781_UP1EI421841M9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-SOU-REPORT.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The 26-year-old made a timely return from a hamstring injury last Saturday for Jesse Marsch’s side in the 1-1 draw with Southampton. He came off the bench in the second half and now looks to be in contention for a first start since December against Watford this coming weekend.

The Latest: Big-money contract

The Mirror’s Simon Bird shared a column on both Raphinha and Phillips on Monday morning.

When it came to the England star, the reporter claimed that Newcastle, who have the richest owners in the world, are interested in the midfielder and could offer him £120,000 per week, which would be a 380% increase on his current £25,000-a-week wage at Elland Road.

The Verdict: More likely to stay than Raphinha?

Phillips has recently demanded a new contract in Yorkshire, telling Andrea Radrizzani that he is happy to pen new terms at his boyhood club.

On that basis, it looks as if the midfielder is more likely to stay at the club than Raphinha, so it is now up to Radrizzani and co to meet Phillips’ demands.

He hasn’t extended his contract since 2019 when Leeds were still a Championship side, so you’d like to think that the club would be willing to offer him a huge pay rise to match the likes of Rodrigo, who is thought to be on £100,000 per week.

In other news: ‘Bad news from Elland Road…’ – Big Leeds injury update now emerges on Joe Gelhardt. 

EPL Round 32 Preview

As the 2021/22 English Premier League campaign hurtles towards its conclusion, there are still plenty of questions that remain unanswered.

Will Manchester United miss out on Champions League football at the expense of Arsenal? Which three teams will lose their top-flight status and drop down into the EFL Championship? But most importantly, who will be crowned Premier League champions?

In what is shaping up to be an intriguing weekend of action, Flashscore provides the perfect place to keep up to date with all the stories from the Premier League matches, including the Premier League live scores, previews and on-the-whistle match reports.

With a full fixture list of Premier League action on its way, some of the answers to those questions may begin to look a little clearer. Here is everything you need to look out for during this weekend’s Premier League matches.

Manchester City face Liverpool in clash of the title-chasing titans

Football matches are rarely as big as this during a title race. Separated by one point at the top of the Premier League table with just eight matches left to play, Sunday’s clash between Manchester City and Liverpool is unquestionably the most-anticipated game of the season.

While the outcome may not definitively decide who lifts the Premier League trophy in May, its result will likely give the victors a much-needed boost heading into the final stretch. Should City triumph, it will move the reigning champions four points clear at the top. Whereas a Liverpool victory will see the Reds leapfrog their opponents into first place.

As if the ramifications couldn’t already be more consequential, both teams enter this clash on the back of crucial Champions League quarter-final ties. Liverpool made the journey to the Portuguese capital to face Benfica, while City welcomed Spanish champions Atletico Madrid to the Etihad Stadium.

With the second legs to come after Sunday’s Premier League meeting, the respective managers will no doubt head into the fixture trying to juggle their best starting-11s. Much to the relief of both Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, neither side have any major injury concerns, with the only notable absentee City defender Ruben Dias.

Having been injured just before the international break, initial estimates suggested Dias could be out for between four and six weeks with a hamstring problem. One month later and the Portuguese international is yet to return, with major doubts surrounding his inclusion this weekend.

It’s likely Dias could be involved during next Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool, but Sunday is looking like a week too soon for the 24-year-old.

His absence in the centre of City’s defence will breed confidence into Liverpool’s attack, who will look to get at the patched-up backline. No side in the division has scored more goals than Liverpool this season, with their tally of 77, a lengthy seven clear of City’s 70.

What’s more, Liverpool has found the net in each of their last five Premier League away matches and have only drawn a blank on the road once all season. December’s 1-0 defeat to Leicester City was the last time the Reds failed to score in the league when playing away from home.

While the likes of Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Saido Mane are enough to strike fear into any back-four, City’s defensive record is not something to be scoffed at. Boasting the strongest defence in the division this season, the Blues have registered five clean sheets from their last nine matches at the Etihad Stadium

However, City’s only clean sheet at home against Liverpool since 2017 came in the 2019/20 meeting, when the Reds had already wrapped up the league title. Scorers in nine of their previous 11 visits to the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool will fancy their chances of denying City another shutout this weekend.

Yet, as far as recent results at the Etihad Stadium go for Liverpool, their head-to-head record won’t inspire Reds supporters too much. Liverpool are winless in their previous five trips to East Manchester in the league, with their last victory coming in November 2015.

Should Klopp’s men want to climb to the top of the Premier League table, bucking that run will be of paramount importance, and they head into the match in stellar form. A run of 10 matches unbeaten in the league has Liverpool fans dreaming of a second title in three seasons, having ended their wait for a Premier League crown back in 2020.

As for City, their shaky form of late has allowed Liverpool the chance to regain a foothold in the championship battle. However, the Blues did settle the nerves with a confident 2-0 win over Burnley in their last league fixture. A return to home comforts could prove a blessing for City, as they’ve lost just one league game at the Etihad stadium since the beginning of November.

A contest that is set to be watched across the globe, both City and Liverpool will be desperate to make a statement this weekend and dent their closest rivals’ title bid. Likely to be a frantic affair at the Etihad Stadium, expect plenty of goals, action and unfiltered drama, as one team takes a step closer to being crowned Premier League champions.

Chelsea looking to bounce back after bruising Brentford defeat

Alongside the ongoing title race, a cutthroat battle for the remaining Champions League places is beginning to shape up. Five teams are expected to fight it out for two positions within the top four, with plenty of twists and turns expected along the way.

In pole position to finish inside the Champions League positions are current third-place outfit Chelsea, who suffered a humiliating defeat to relegation-threatened Brentford last time out. A loss that ended a strong run of form for Thomas Tuchel’s men, now leaves them with work to do if they wish to be involved in next year’s Champions League.

However, the worries for Tuchel and co. continue to pile up, as a testing trip to the South Coast to play Southampton awaits the Blues in their next league outing on Saturday, having only just scraped past the Saints last time around.

An 84th minute Timo Werner winner secured the points for Chelsea back in October, who at that point had been hoping to be involved in a title race themselves. A sharp decline from thereon in meant Tuchel’s men slipped away and will now be forced to concentrate their efforts elsewhere.

With the chance of a Champions League and FA Cup double still alive, it may be the case that Tuchel uses this trip to Southampton as an opportunity to rotate his starting-11 ahead of Tuesday’s second leg against Real Madrid. An emphatic record against the Saints suggests Chelsea may not have too much to worry about, having lost just one of their last 14 meetings.

Bad news for Southampton, who are already in the midst of a troublesome run. Saturday’s draw against Leeds United ended a spell of four straight defeats across all competitions for the Saints, who had scored just three goals in that time while conceding a worrisome 12.

If their head-to-head record is anything to go by, Chelsea are expected to escape Saint Mary’s Stadium unscathed, yet should the unthinkable happen and the Blues drop points, it’s likely the result won’t be too damaging for their top-four hopes.

Arsenal gunning for top four spot ahead of Brighton meeting

One of the stories of the season, Mikel Arteta’s resurgence as Arsenal boss has seen him lead his side to the brink of Champions League football for the first time since 2016/17.

Topping their group ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal’s last foray into the Champions League five years ago started off strongly, before ending in disappointment. Losing 10-2 on aggregate to Bayern Munich across both legs of their round-of-16 tie, the Gunners have been absent from Europe’s premier competition ever since.

Yet, despite a shaky start to their current Premier League campaign, a remarkable turnaround from Arsenal has seen them catapulted into the top four mix. With their Champions League fate now in their own hands, the side from North London will look to fend off the efforts of rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Man United in order to get across the line.

The next step on their Champions League quest sees them take on a Brighton side who are without a win in any of their previous seven matches. A goalless draw at home to Norwich City on Saturday was the latest stuttering performance from a team that had entered the new year with an outside shot of European football themselves.

Instead, their recent performances have seen Brighton plummet to the bottom of the form table, with no side in the league having taken fewer points from their last 10 matches. Something Arsenal will look to capitalise on, the Gunners will be fancying their chances on Saturday afternoon.

Despite a stalemate the last time these two met in October, Arsenal had won both of last season’s meetings and will be keen to make it three victories from four matches against the Seagulls. Despite this, Brighton has more often than not been a thorn in Arsenal’s side at times, having won three of the five meetings before that, while drawing the other two.

It’s unlikely to be an easy afternoon in the dugout for Arteta, but as one of the divisions’ form sides, the Gunners should have enough to bypass an underwhelming Brighton team.

Man United and Spurs facing tough tests in race for top four

Looking to capitalise on any slip-ups from the top four contenders are United and Tottenham, who will have to rely on results elsewhere if they wish to be playing Champions League football next season.

Held at home by Leicester City last weekend, United slumped to yet another disappointing result, as their Champions League hopes begin to drift away. It looks as if the Red Devils could be condemned to the Europa League, unless they can turn the tide from recent weeks, starting with a visit to strugglers Everton.

Involved in yet another draw the last time the two met in October, United will be keen to avenge the stalemate when they travel to Goodison on Saturday afternoon. It’s just two wins in the last seven matches against the Toffees for United, with a tricky test expected this weekend.

Everton are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the division, with a first relegation out of the Premier League hanging over their heads. Points are the only currency Everton can afford to deal in right now, as Frank Lampard looks to steer his side away from the drop zone.

Much like United, Tottenham also have work to do between now and the end of the campaign if they wish to finish inside the top four, with a trip to Aston Villa awaiting Spurs this weekend.

Demolishing a hapless Newcastle United side last time out, Antonio Conte’s side made it three wins on the bounce, as the feel-good factor is starting to return to North London. Victorious over Villa in the reverse fixture, Spurs will be eyeing up a fourth Premier League win on the bounce this weekend.

History suggests a Tottenham victory is likely, as they’re unbeaten away at Villa Park since January 2008. A run of 11 games without a defeat, it’s likely to be yet another profitable visit to the West Midlands for Spurs on Saturday.

Relegation battle hots up as season conclusion draws closer

At the opposite end of the table, the futures of various clubs in the division are hanging by a thread, as the battle to avoid the drop begins to hot up.

After their titanic clash with fellow relegation candidates Everton in midweek, Burnley returns to Premier League action with a six-pointer against bottom-placed Norwich City. While the Canaries’ time as a Premier League club may be coming to an end, Burnley will be looking to use the fixture as a springboard for survival.

The Clarets failed to beat Norwich the last time the two met, but a victory at Carrow Road this weekend would go a long way in helping their bid to stay up.

However, perhaps the biggest match at the bottom of the table this weekend will come from Vicarage Road, where Watford welcomes the visit of Leeds United.

Since taking over the Yorkshire-based outfit, Jesse Marsch has transformed Leeds’ fortunes, losing just two of his opening five matches. A frustrating draw at home to Southampton last weekend was eased by the fact that Leeds are now eight points clear of 18th-placed Watford, having played a game more.

Watford themselves pushed Liverpool close on Saturday afternoon, but it ultimately wasn’t to be for the Hornets. With daunting fixtures against City, Leicester and Chelsea still to come, Roy Hodgson’s side can ill-afford anymore dropped points against relegation rivals.

Elsewhere on Matchday 32 of the Premier League season

Kicking the weekend off in style, Newcastle will host a European-chasing Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday evening. Humbled by Spurs last weekend, Eddie Howe’s side will be keen to finish the season off strong, having distanced themselves from the drop zone.

For Wolves, Champions League football had once looked like a real prospect, yet a run of two wins in six games between mid-February and early March hampered their hopes. On the rise yet again, the Wanderers know only a victory will keep them in touch with the continental positions.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace will make their final preparations ahead of next weekend’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea with a visit to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester City. Both sides could be looking to rotate their starting-11, with the Foxes involved in a Europa Conference League quarter-final against PSV Eindhoven the following Thursday.

Whereas, Brentford will be eyeing up a famous league double over West Ham United on Sunday, having triumphed against the Hammers back in October. An outside bet for a top-four spot, West Ham will be hoping to sting a Bees side that sits above them in the form table.

Remember, you can keep up to date with all the latest Premier League team news, live scores and match reports on the Flashscore app.

Photo by Unsplash

Sunderland moved into the top six in League One after a late win against fellow play-off competitors Oxford United today, and Alex Neil will surely be delighted to have potential promotion back in his team’s hands with just five games to go.

The Black Cats managed to control possession of the ball (51%) and did well to win the game following the attacking threat that Oxford imposed on them this afternoon. The hosts had more shots on target, nine more shots in total and completed more accurate crosses into the box over the course of the match.

An early advantage was secured for Sunderland when Corry Evans found the net in the 16th minute, but the lead didn’t last all that long as Oxford responded in the 35th minute with a goal from Elliot Moore to level the scores.

A late substitution gave Sunderland exactly what they were searching for throughout the second half when Elliot Embleton was brought on in the 85th minute, scoring just four minutes after replacing his team-mate Jack Clarke to keep the Wearsiders’ promotion dreams alive.

Despite not getting on the scoresheet, the current League One top scorer Ross Stewart was a key component in Sunderland’s attacking output and set an example amongst his fellow forwards, ultimately leading to a priceless win for the visitors at the Kassam Stadium.

As per SofaScore, the 25-year-old earned a rating of 7.2 despite not scoring as he won eight duels, contributed the assist for Evans’ opener in the first half, made two key passes and created two big chances for his team over his 90 minutes on the pitch.

The Sunderland striker recently gained his first senior call-up to the Scotland squad thanks to his impressive season so far. With 22 goals and four assists, Stewart has been attracting interest from Championship clubs such as Swansea, with the Black Cats reportedly planning to secure the striker’s future with a new contract.

Neil’s side now must ensure that their victory today was not in vain by keep up their unbeaten run in League One when they play Shrewsbury next Friday, and a win at the Stadium of Light will surely put Sunderland in a very strong position to secure a play-off berth.

In other news: Sunderland will rue call on “unstoppable” 492-goal ace who has “the strength of Mike Tyson”

Celtic are back in action tomorrow with another Old Firm clash, this time in the Scottish Cup semi-final as the Glasgow rivals face off for a place in the final.

Their last game saw the Bhoys pick up another three points thanks to a blistering 7-0 victory against St. Johnstone at Celtic Park.

As for Rangers, they were in action on Thursday as they took it to extra time to secure their place in the semi-finals of the Europa League, eventually defeating Sporting Braga 3-1 at Ibrox.

Looking ahead to this latest showdown, it seems as though the Hoops have been handed a big injury boost that could have a huge impact on whether or not they secure a win on this occasion.

What’s the news?

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash, Ange Postecoglou revealed in his latest press conference that Hoops midfielder David Turnbull is fit enough to play after picking up a knock in last weekend’s league game.

The midfielder had only just come back from a big injury last month before picking up this knock against Saints.

However, now that the Hoops boss has shared this news, it will be a huge weight off a lot of people’s shoulders at Parkhead.

Great news for Postecoglou

In terms of what the 22-year-old offers his side, having scored five goals and provided five assists in 21 league appearances this season, the midfielder is a creative and attacking threat from the middle of the pitch.

In those appearances, the former Motherwell star has earned himself an overall WhoScored performance rating of 7.56, making him the highest-rated player currently in the squad.

With Rangers in the way of seeing Celtic make it to the final, having a player who is able to unlock teams by creating goalscoring chances or scoring goals himself such as Turnbull could well be the difference between winning and losing.

To highlight how dangerous the Scottish international is, only Liel Abada (78) has made more shots at goal in the league than Turnbull (69), who has also completed the second-highest number of crosses (141) for the Hoops this season, behind only Jota (190).

Taking this into account, it’s safe to say that having the midfield maestro available this weekend is great news for Postecoglou and Celtic’s chances of getting to the final.

AND in other news: Hammond howler: Celtic had a nightmare on “bizarre” flop who cost £1.1m per goal