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Crystal Palace travel a short distance to pay a visit to their arch-rivals Brighton and Hove Albion tonight on the south coast, with this being the first Premier League fixture for Patrick Vieira’s side since New Year’s Day.

The rivalry between the two clubs stems from the 1970s after a series of controversial clashes caused a feud between Brighton manager Alan Mullery and Eagles boss Terry Venables.

Current Palace manager Vieira will be hoping to take all three points from the game at the Amex Stadium and move above Leicester City into 10th ahead of the Premier League weekend.

The Frenchman confirmed in his press conference that he is without five senior players for the trip, with James McArthur still out following a hamstring injury from which the £55k-p/w star is yet to recover, despite hope that he would have made a speedier return.

Speaking ahead of the match, Vieira addressed the 32-year-old’s injury and timeframe on a possible return, saying: “There is still a long way to go. I think we’re talking about a couple of weeks.”

Wilfried Zaha, Jordan Ayew and Cheikhou Kouyate are all away with their national teams at the Africa Cup of Nations, while James Tomkins has sustained an injury and the club are waiting on more news as to how long he will be sidelined. However, Vieira is “hopeful” that 6 foot 3 first-choice goalkeeper Vicente Guaita will be available for tonight.

With that being said, we expect two changes to the line-up we saw against the win over Milwall in the FA Cup last weekend, and we think it will look like this…

Despite having only five appearances for Palace this season, we expect that Vieira will give Eberechi Eze the opportunity to remain in the starting line-up after an exemplary performance in the cup win over Milwall.

In terms of the two changes, we can see Jean-Philippe Mateta being swapped out for star striker Odsonne Edouard, who was rested in the cup clash at The Den.

The other change sees Guaita replace Jack Butland in the side, as the Spanish goalkeeper has recovered from a dislocated finger he sustained last month, which ruled him out against Milwall six days ago. The ex-Stoke netminder could have been facing the chop anyway after his goal-causing blunder in Bermondsey.

The rest of the side should stay the same, and Vieira will be hoping that Palace can pick up just their second away league win of the season. A repeat of last year’s 2-1 victory at the Amex wouldn’t go amiss.

In other news: Vieira was dealt this double blow ahead of tonight’s clash

Everton have been drawn to face Championship side Hull City in the third round of the FA Cup. 

The tie will be played at The MKM Stadium between the 7th and 10th of January.

Hull are struggling

Everton have already suffered an upset at the hands of second-tier opposition this season – back in September, Queens Park Rangers knocked them out of the EFL Cup on penalties.

But while QPR are in the play-off places, Hull find themselves down in 19th place. They’re only six points above the relegation zone as the season nears its halfway point.

Can Everton finally end trophy drought?

The FA Cup was the last major trophy won by Everton, way back in 1994/95.

They got within one game of the semifinals at Wembley last season, only to be downed by Manchester City.

The Toffees haven’t been knocked out of the competition by lower-league opposition since 2011 though, when Reading won at Goodison Park.

Everton’s official Twitter account relayed news of the draw, and here’s what supporters made of it, with plenty of pessimism due to the club’s brutal and ongoing trophy drought…

These Everton fans far from optimistic ahead of Hull clash

“[checks where Hull is in the Championship… 19th]. Well, so much for the FA Cup…”

Credit: @dtaylor334

“Oh well, there’s always next season”

Credit: @AndyBlueWalker

“Congratulations Hull”

Credit: @OwenJH_

“We’re getting mauled by the tigers”

Credit: @Manners16

“Hull licking their lips”

Credit: @sludvigs

“Hull away? Well. We had a good run”

Credit: @FoximusPrime81

In other news, fans flocked to this Alex Iwobi revelation. 

An update has emerged on Newcastle United target Hoffenheim midfielder Florian Grillitsch, regarding interest from another English side…

What’s the talk?

According to Sky Germany, via Fussball Transfers, Tottenham have now joined the race for his services alongside the Magpies.

The report claims that he will see out his contract in Germany before joining a new club next summer as a free agent.

Sissoko 2.0

Eddie Howe must ensure that Newcastle are able to beat Spurs to his signature as he could be the club’s new midfield beast moving forward.

The Austrian could finally be the heir to Moussa Sissoko’s throne in the middle of the park, with the Magpies failing to sign an effective enforcer since he left the club. Both players stand at 6 foot 1, 1.87m, and are able to put a shift in across the park at both ends of the pitch.

Sissoko managed one goal and seven assists in his final Premier League campaign for Newcastle, whilst averaging 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game. His height also allowed him to win 1.5 aerial battles per game, which helped the side in terms of defending long balls and set-pieces.

Last season in the Bundesliga, Grillitsch chipped in with two goals and one assist, averaging 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game. He won 1.2 aerial battles per game, which has shot up to 1.5 this term, showing that he can also have an impact in the air.

German coach Julian Nagelsmann was previously effusive in his praise of the range midfielder, saying:

“In my opinion, Flo Grillitsch is one of the best six in the Bundesliga who is already a little under the radar. At least you rarely read anything about him.

“He still has a few construction sites, he knows that, I’ve told him that often enough. But he is an extraordinary footballer and has an incredible ability to determine the rhythm of the game.”

Newcastle’s current defensive midfielder, Isaac Hayden, is averaging a dreadful WhoScored rating of 6.44 in the Premier League. Grillitsch, meanwhile, is averaging a score of 6.98 in the Bundesliga for Hoffenheim – suggesting that he could be a sizeable upgrade on the ex-Arsenal man if he is able to adapt to English football.

It is now down to Howe to work with Nick Hammond to get a deal over the line for the midfield machine as the ex-Bournemouth boss could unearth Sissoko 2.0 for the Magpies and solve their issues in midfield.

AND in other news, Move over Ashworth: NUFC must consider “irate” DoF whose “behaviour’s been a disgrace”…

Antonio Conte must consider offloading one of Tottenham Hotspur’s struggling stars this January as he looks to change their fortunes in north London…

January approaching

The winter transfer window will be the first true sign of what the ‘Conte era’ could look like at Spurs as he’ll be able to make some additions of his own and perhaps shift on those that he does not want at the club.

Currently, his 3-4-3 system only accommodates a certain number of players, so some may find themselves frozen out as an unfortunate consequence of the Italian’s tactics.

Furthermore, the north London outfit have to be somewhat realistic, meaning they may well have to sell before they buy, at least if the 52-year-old and sporting director Fabio Paratici are looking at multiple additions.

Someone who could fit the bill as a potential money-spinner is Giovani Lo Celso, who has failed to set the ground alight in over two years at the club.

Lo Celso’s struggles

Indeed, the Argentina international cost a joint-club-record £55m in August 2019, arriving from LaLiga outfit Real Betis and with Christian Eriksen’s contract situation rumbling on in the background, there was huge hope that he would be the natural heir to his playmaking throne.

But that has not been the case, despite glimpses of promise.

Across 79 appearances for Spurs, the £25m-rated attacking midfielder has only provided eight goals and five assists, averaging a direct goal contribution once every 338.5 minutes – or once every six games, as per Transfermarkt.

When your supposed creative influence isn’t delivering in a shorter space of time than every six games, especially when leading the squad for key passes per 90 (2.1) this term, then it’s a problem and it suggests that the player isn’t performing to a good enough standard.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-news-updates-transfers-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

For comparison, Eriksen managed a goal or assist every 151.6 minutes across six-and-a-half years in N17.

The 25-year-0ld has been a passenger at times, coasting through matches without any sort of involvement, and elements of his game have been woefully poor, such as at set-pieces. It’s been so disappointing that even a social media account highlighting his mistakes has emerged in recent months.

When you consider the amount chairman Daniel Levy paid for him over two years ago and his reported £100k-per-week wages, then the Argentine has cost the club around £850k per appearance, around £5.2m per contribution, and around £8.3m per goal.

It’s hard to argue against him being one of the biggest flops of recent times.

d

For instance, Dele Alli often cops a lot of flak and is even thought to be one player that is available for transfer in January, per The Athletic, but he should not be sold over someone like Lo Celso, based on the above evidence.

Even more so as Conte has publicly revealed his admiration for the Englishman, who was frozen out by both Jose Mourinho and Nuno Santo, whilst another former manager, Tim Sherwood, has backed Alli to become the main no.10 under the Italian.

At just 25, Lo Celso could offer some sort of value if there are any interested parties this January and as such, he must be ruthlessly axed by Conte.

AND in other news, Spurs eye “explosive” £34m-rated gem likened to Lampard, he’s way better than Lo Celso…

Celtic have been dealt a major setback in their bid to bring Daniel Mandroiu to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that, despite Ange Postecoglou’s reported interest in signing the Shamrock Rovers attacking midfielder during the winter market, sources in Ireland now believe that Celtic will be unable to complete a move for the 23-year-old in the coming months.

Postecoglou will be fuming

Considering the vast amount of potential Mandroiu appears to possess, in addition to the fact that Tom Rogic’s recent injury highlighted just how short Celtic currently are of attacking midfield options, the news that a move for the Shamrock Rovers star now looks to be unlikely in January is sure to have left Postecoglou fuming.

Indeed, over his 35 Premier Division appearances this season, the £248k-rated midfielder scored a whopping 15 goals and provided his teammates with six assists, playing a key role in helping his side secure the League of Ireland title.

And, while there is undoubtedly a gulf in standard between that of the Scottish Premiership and the top flight in Ireland, the general opinion of Mandroiu is that he is a player who could easily make the step up, with his former manager at Bohemians, Keith Long, stating of the midfielder:

“Big players perform on big occasions. He’s a very good technical player with an outstanding future ahead of him. I think the sky’s the limit for him. He can be whatever he wants to be.”

Furthermore, aside from the 23-year-old’s own ability, there is also a rather desperate need for a fresh face in attacking midfield at Parkhead, as Postecoglou currently only has the options of Tom Rogic and David Turnbull in the position – something that has seen the Hoops struggle to break down a particularly stubborn opposition already this season.

As such, the news that a deal looks unlikely for Mandroiu in January is sure to come as a major setback for the 56-year-old Bhoys boss, who now looks as if he will have no other choice than to turn his attention elsewhere in the winter market.

In other news: Exciting Celtic transfer development emerges, Ange will be buzzing

As Crystal Palace took on Newcastle United at Selhurst Park today, many Eagles supporters were left blown away by the performance of striker Christian Benteke.

Patrick Vieira’s side, looking to gain some momentum after a fairly inconsistent start to the season, met the Magpies in London this afternoon in what was a fairly entertaining encounter.

The travelling side, fresh off their headline-grabbing takeover, were given a run for their money by Palace who constantly threatened and provided real problems.

One major vocal point of the attack was Benteke, and despite missing some big chances across the 90 minutes, hitting the woodwork twice, his goal summed up just how threatening he actually was.

According to SofaScore, the Belgian had six shots on goal in total and won the vast majority of his duels up against Newcastle – prompting supporters to praise Benteke on social media, who was unlucky to have a second strike ruled out by VAR too.

Find all of their best verdicts down below.

Palace fans blown away by Benteke…

“This is one of the best Benteke performances I can remember. He’s been excellent”

Credit: @TalkCPFC

“Forget the goal, Benteke has been absurdly good in hold-up today”

Credit: @jack_jsteele

“If you cross the ball, Benteke becomes almost unplayable.”

Credit: @CroydonExile1

“Benteke has much more confidence under Vieira”

Credit: @Dave_Winbod

“I can’t believe my eyes benteke back in form??”

Credit: @GhostKingUK

“wow our own benteke”

Credit: @AendeLaw

Queens Park Rangers will be aiming to return to winning ways when they take on an out-of-form Cardiff City in their Championship clash this evening.

Mark Warburton’s charges have failed to secure a victory in any of their last three outings in all competitions, although they did put in a much-improved performance against Nottingham Forest last time out.

An injury-time strike from Jack Colback denied the Hoops all three points on Friday, but that bitter blow wasn’t the only damage done at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

Wing-back Sam McCallum and central defender Jordy de Wijs left the field in the first half due to injury concerns, and the pair may be forced to watch tonight’s clash from the sidelines as a result.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects Warburton to line up at the Cardiff City Stadium, with only two changes from the side that started against Forest…

Senegal international goalkeeper Seny Dieng is set to keep his place between the sticks after a solid start to the season, and it’s set to be a familiar back-three ahead of him.

With de Wijs potentially absent through injury, Warburton is likely to select Rob Dickie, Jimmy Dunne and Yoann Barbet from the off as the capital club go looking for their first league clean sheet in two games.

The engine room could be where the game is won and lost in Wales, and therefore, the £810,000-rated Andre Dozzell may make way for the more defensive-minded Dominic Ball in what would be a big call by the manager.

Completing the midfield setup is likely to be Albert Adomah, Moses Odubajo and club captain Stefan Johansen.

In attack, Ilias Chair and Chris Willock then feature just behind lone striker Lyndon Dykes who deserves to feature after finding the net last time out.

And, in other news…Signed for £0, now worth £3.6m: QPR struck gold over “quality” £11k-p/w magician 

With Ange Postecoglou undoubtedly being desperate for his Celtic side to finally pick up their first points of the season away from Parkhead on Sunday, the 56-year-old will have been delighted to see the Bhoys just about scrape a 2-1 win over Aberdeen.

Indeed, in a game that was far from a classic, a first-half Kyogo Furuhashi strike coupled with an 84th minute Jota goal was enough to cancel out Lewis Ferguson’s second-half equaliser for the Dons, with the Hoops leaving Pittodrie with a much needed three points.

However, while both goalscorers turned in highly impressive performances in the fixture – with Furuhashi and Jota receiving a SofaScore match rating of 7.3 and 7.2 respectively – the display of 19-year-old left-back, Adam Montgomery, will also have delighted both Postecoglou and fans of the club alike.

Two key passes

Despite the fact the appearance was his first-ever start in the Scottish Premiership, the youngster put in a truly commanding display over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch against Aberdeen.

Indeed, the £135k-rated man excelled at the back, making one clearance, one interception and winning six of his nine duels against Stephen Glass’ side.

The teenager who Kieran Tierney dubbed a “good talent” also impressed in an attacking capacity, registering the assist for Jota’s late winner and making two key passes, as well as completing two crosses and three of his four attempted dribbles.

These returns saw the 19-year-old receive a SofaScore match rating of 7.3, ranking the defender as the second-best player, from either side, to feature in the match – running the show for Celtic.

Indeed, the Scotland U21 international’s performance will have come as a huge boost to Postecoglou, as the manager looks set to be without the services of first-choice left-back Greg Taylor for a number of months due to injury.

However, following Montgomery’s performance on Sunday, the 56-year-old will now surely be convinced that the youngster is capable of filling in for the stricken defender, and perhaps even good enough to challenge for a starting spot in the side.

In other news: Forget Bitton: £16k-p/w Celtic “problem” who made just 1 pass failed Ange vs Aberdeen

Everton could receive a significant setback in their progress under new manager Rafa Benitez after star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin was linked with a move to Arsenal.

What’s the story?

The highly-rated 24-year-old has reportedly caught the eye of the Gunners hierarchy following a string of impressive performances, with Mikel Arteta now making him his priority transfer target.

According to Football.London, Arsenal’s technical director Edu and his recruitment team are already working hard on scouting and building a suitable shortlist of forwards to pursue next summer.

The report states that: “Edu’s next task at Arsenal will be bringing in a new top striker, with Mikel Arteta looking likely to lose a number of important forward players at the end of this campaign…

“And it’s expected that the number one standout candidate on that list will be Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.”

With Alexandre Lacazette expected to depart the Emirates Stadium either in January or next summer, Arteta is desperate to bolster his attacking options, and Calvert-Lewin could be the man to do just that.

Everton fans will be worried

Given the England international’s importance to Everton, the club’s supporters will be very worried at this revelation regarding his future.

In recent years, Calvert-Lewin has become a key figure for the Goodison Park outfit, and he enjoyed his most productive season yet last term, bagging 21 goals and providing a further five assists in 39 appearances.

His outstanding performances at club level saw him instated as the first-choice backup to Harry Kane in Gareth Southgate’s England squad during Euro 2020 over the summer, where he made two substitute appearances.

Although he made a couple of cameo appearances throughout the tournament as the Three Lions reached the final, his presence as the only natural alternative to the Tottenham Hotspur star illustrates just how highly Calvert-Lewin is thought of.

The 6 foot 2 target man returned from his international exploits in emphatic form at the start of the current campaign, bagging a goal in each of Everton’s opening three top-flight fixtures before a broken toe sidelined him ever since.

But now Benitez will be determined to convince Calvert-Lewin his long-term future remains on Merseyside as the Spanish tactician looks to build a winning formula at Goodison Park.

And, in other news…Never mind Iwobi: EFC dud who completed just 67% passes had a game to forget vs WHU 

Aston Villa pushed hard to sign Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse in the summer transfer window, and they must now make a renewed attempt to land him in January.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks had suggested that Dean Smith’s side were lining up a swoop for the Saints star, but a deal failed to materialise before the deadline.

Football Insider have now claimed that Villa “pushed hard” to sign the England international and that extensive talks were held over a potential deal.

The report added: “Southampton initially placed a £40m valuation on their academy product but would have accepted an initial lower fee. It is believed that the England international was open to moving to Villa and was keen to accelerate talks at one point.

“There was also interest in Ward-Prowse from a top-six Premier League side. His representatives were able to use the bids and high-level interest in their client to negotiate an improved contract last month.”

Dean Smith needs him

Dubbed a “machine” by his teammates at Southampton, the £27m-rated Ward-Prowse had a fine season in the Premier League last year.

The £75k-a-week earning ace would offer something that Villa really missed last season – goals from midfield. The Saints star managed eight goals in the Premier League, as well as chipping in with seven assists, numbers which are far better than anything that Smith’s current options produced (John McGinn was the closest with three goals).

Sealing a deal for Ward-Prowse, an England international and a captain of a Premier League rival, would be fantastic business for Villa, and it’s no surprise that it has received a lot of backing from the likes of former Three Lions goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

He said: “He would be a great signing for Aston Villa though and in truth, Villa are moving forward faster than Southampton. They are a bigger club as well.

“If he moved I think it would enhance his international opportunities and for that reason I think it is a move the player will try and push through. Southampton will not want to do business but they are a club that will do business at the right price, of that I’m sure. I think Villa can get the deal through if they are willing to pay.”

As per fbref.com, Ward-Prowse’s passes in the Premier League last season progressed for more than 10,000 yards, a real indication of how he is always looking to move things forward rather than keeping things simple.

That stat ranks him 49th in the entire division for 2020/21, a pretty impressive achievement considering that most of the players above him are goalkeepers and defenders – in terms of midfielders, only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Ashley Westwood, Rodri and Granit Xhaka exceeded the 26-year-old’s tally.

While they missed out on his signature in the summer, and Ward-Prowse has since put pen to paper on a new contract at St Mary’s, Villa must surely look to test the waters once again in January.

Meanwhile, Villa had a transfer masterclass with this star…