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With three matches in the space of a week, West Ham boss David Moyes has some tricky decisions to make as he targets top spot in Group H.

The Irons have already advanced into the knockout stages of the Europa League but can seal first place with a win over Austrian outfit Rapid Wien this evening, so it leaves him with a dilemma in terms of team selection.

There’s the small test of defending Premier League champions Manchester City on Sunday before finally returning to the London Stadium to host Brighton and Hove Albion next Wednesday.

Moyes will also be looking for a reaction after a run of seven games without defeat was put to an abrupt end last weekend, with the Hammers being defeated by Wolverhampton Wanderers in an utterly drab affair.

West Ham talisman Michail Antonio’s struggles in front of goal continued but he also looked rather fatigued, having travelled back from Jamaica in midweek.

It’s now one goal from nine matches across all competitions from the 31-year-old, a disappointing return considering he began the season on fire with six goals and four assists in just seven appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

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Indeed, the £10.8m-rated Irons frontman “looked knackered” at full-time, according to The Athletic’s Roshane Thomas, and that’s hardly a surprise given the sheer volume of minutes he’s played this campaign (1,368), compared to this time last season (530).

Antonio, who is on around £70k-per-week, is hugely important to the Hammers’ success and will need to be fully fit and firing if they are to stand a chance of a result against Pep Guardiola’s side, especially after they defeated Paris Saint-Germain this week.

Only Jarrod Bowen (7.35) and Declan Rice (7.39) have managed a better average WhoScored rating than the 31-year-old (7.29) this campaign, whilst no one scored more goals than him last season.

Dubbed a “complete monster” and an “absolute revelation” by Daily Star journalist Paul Brown to GIVEMESPORT, Antonio is clearly a vital part of Moyes’ set-up in east London right now but his poor injury track record is worrying, so he ought to be rested for this trip.

It would be a ruthless call to make with the top spot on the line but a necessary one for the greater good of their season. Moyes must axe Antonio from his starting XI over in Austria tonight.

AND in other news, West Ham could discover their next Declan Rice in “clinical” 19 y/o “on the radar” of Moyes…

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a huge boost concerning Ben Davies.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a claim made by Alasdair Gold, with the journalist revealing in a recent post on Twitter that, following the versatile left-back’s return to north London after withdrawing from the Wales squad, there has been a positive update regarding the 28-year-old.

Gold went on to explain in a subsequent report for football.london that the defender pulled out of his country’s friendly against the Czech Republic tomorrow evening due to feeling tightness in one of his quad muscles, although it is expected he will be available for the visit of Newcastle United on Sunday.

In his tweet, the journalist said: “Good news on Ben Davies.”

Conte will be buzzing

Considering how important a player Davies has been for Conte since the 52-year-old’s arrival in north London last year, the news that the Welshman should be available for selection this weekend is sure to have left the Italian buzzing.

Indeed, following the former Inter Milan manager’s appointment at Spurs back in November, the £16.2m-rated man has featured in all but one of the 27 fixtures the Italian has overseen at the club – with 25 of these outings coming as starts, primarily on the left of Tottenham’s three-man backline.

And, with Sky Sports reporter, Michael Bridge, recently stating in an interview with GIVEMESPORT that the position will undoubtedly be one which Conte and Fabio Paratici will be targeting a new signing in the summer transfer window, it is clear to see just how short Spurs currently are on the left of their defence.

As such, should the £93k-per-week Davies indeed be fit to face Newcastle this Sunday, it will certainly come as a huge boost to the 52-year-old coach – particularly with the race for a top-four finish being as close as it is.

AND in other news: Paratici can land THFC the next Vieira in “superb” 18 y/o with “world-class potential”

As per The Sun, La Liga giants Barcelona have now given the green-light for Tottenham target Ousmane Dembele to leave on loan until the end of this season.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye move…

The Lilywhites and manager Antonio Conte have been heavily linked with a possible move for the Catalans forward with Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness) even lifting the lid on an offer from Spurs chief Fabio Paratici.

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In another update, the same outlet claimed that Spurs were set to push for his signing in January, with Paratici apparently eyeing ‘quality players zero cost’ for the north London club.

Barcelona director Mateu Alemany recently confirmed that Dembele has no future at Barca after new contract talks stalled, claiming that the player has been told to ‘leave immediately’ as the club ‘expect’ him to move before deadline day (The Sun).

In a possible boost for Spurs, The Sun have now shared what Barca are willing to do to make that happen.

The Latest: Barca green-light loan…

According to their sources, the Spanish side ‘will let him go in a £3m loan deal’ until the end of 2021/2022 when his current deal expires.

However, Spurs may face competition from the likes of Chelsea and Newcastle – who The Sun claim are interested parties in the race to sign Dembele this month.

The Verdict: Time to pounce?

It looks more than likely that the 24-year-old, signed for a huge £97 million in 2017, may well be on his way out of the Catalan club – but should Tottenham take advantage and sign him on a temporary deal?

The France international’s history of hamstring problems combined with a lucrative £210,000-per-week wage packet point to a risky bit of business from Spurs’ perspective, but on loan, these factors are mitigated somewhat given they won’t be investing in a permanent transfer.

While pundit Carlton Palmer thinks he would be a ‘crazy signing’ due to the reasons mentioned above, Dembele’s quality could also be of use to Conte over an initial end-of-season period.

Called ‘better’ than Paris-Saint Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe by Barca president Joan Laporta, he is very highly rated within some sectors and perhaps he could find another home under Conte at Spurs – even for a short time.

In other news: Spurs ‘edging closer’ to signing ‘massive’ £15m defender, find out more here.

A key Newcastle United transfer update has emerged, regarding what position they are looking to strengthen in…

What’s the talk?

Athletic journalist Chris Waugh has revealed that the Magpies are in the market to add at least one new striker to their squad this month, although they are not close to completing any deal as it stands.

In the Q&A section of his piece on The Athletic, Waugh replied to a fan asking about Steve Nickson and the pursuit of a forward:

“In terms of Nickson, you’re right that he was working within restrictions under Ashley and, hopefully, that may have changed. The players identified do seem impressive so far, so let’s hope they can manage to sign some of them. As for his long-term future, there has been no rush to remove him, but I think substantive decisions will be deferred until a CEO and director of football are in place, then they can determine the long-term direction of the club.

“In terms of strikers, they are very much actively looking to recruit at least one but, as you say, it’s a very difficult window and hard to secure one even during the summer, so it’s proving tricky, but they will keep attempting to lure one. I don’t believe anything is close, though, and I think they see beyond Gayle now.”

Delight

Newcastle fans will surely be delighted with this update as the club are in desperate need of more goalscorers in the squad heading into the second half of the campaign.

This was shown in full view on Saturday as the Magpies lost 1-0 to Cambridge in the FA Cup. They managed 19 shots, nine on target, against the League One outfit and were unable to find a way past Dimitar Mitov as they wasted chance after chance at St. James’ Park.

In the Premier League this season, only Allan Saint-Maximin (four) and Callum Wilson (six) have scored more than one goal. This also highlights how little Eddie Howe has in the striking department and why fans will be buzzing with Waugh’s latest claim.

Goals win games and Newcastle have only won one league match all season, which is why they could benefit greatly from bringing some extra firepower to the side. They could improve their chances of winning games and dragging themselves out of the dropzone by signing a player who could come in and score six or seven goals in the next five months.

Therefore, fans will be delighted that the club are working hard on a deal to sign a striker and are aware that the position needs attention alongside other areas. It is now down to the likes of Nickson, Howe and Nick Hammond to identify the right targets and get them in before the window slams shut at the end of the month.

AND in other news, “Intensifying efforts”: Ornstein drops NUFC transfer update that’ll have fans buzzing…

After PIF’s takeover of Newcastle United was confirmed a number of months ago, we were all expectant and excited to see the type of talent they could lure to St James’ Park.

Sadly, and rather unsurprisingly, however, they have found life difficult during the winter.

January is always a tricky time to recruit and the club’s new owners are finding that our swiftly.

What’s the word?

News broke on Wednesday that Newcastle were trying to complete a deal to bring Jesse Lingard to the club.

However, the Magpies have been rebuffed in their attempts to lands the Manchester United playmaker and it’s thought he’d prefer another move to the capital.

As a result, the Toon are considering making moves for two other players, one of which is Tottenham’s Dele Alli.

That’s according to 90min who report that the England international is an alternative to Lingard this winter.

It’s thought Spurs had set an asking price of £25m according to a separate report last year.

The new Gazza?

A few years ago Darren Anderton was incredibly effusive in his praise for Dele, hailing the creative midfielder as a “freak of a talent.”

Indeed, that talent is clearly still lurking in the 25-year-old but there is a sense that he needs a fresh start elsewhere in order to discover that.

After all, the playmaker has scored just twice in all competitions this term and has only registered one assist too.

That is a far cry from the numbers we saw him rack up in the early stages of his career. In 2015/16, Dele amassed as many as ten goals and nine assists in the top-flight, then went even better in the campaign after that, scoring 18 times with another nine assists to his name.

2017/18 was also productive for the attacking midfielder who racked up nine goals and 11 assists.

With that kind of dynamism in mind, he could well become Newcastle’s next Paul Gascoigne if he finds his form again.

Gazza was a wonderful player in his prime and scored 133 times during his career.

The duo have also been compared previously by none other than Barcelona manager, Xavi. He once said: “There are some very promising young English midfield players and there is no doubt he is very special.

“He is very talented, very technical. I can understand why the Tottenham fans are hoping he is the next Paul Gascoigne.

“For me, Gascoigne was an inspiration when I was developing, one of the best midfield players I have ever seen. It is important not to put pressure on Dele with these comparisons but I can see why fans are excited.”

Of course, his form has subsided since that comparison but there is certainly a belief that he can get back to his best with new tools and resources.

Newcastle must make that happen.

AND in other news, “From sources” – Fabrizio Romano drops big NUFC transfer update that’ll delight fans…

With 2021 nearing towards its conclusion, it’s safe to say it’s been a rollercoaster of a ride for Aston Villa fans this year.

After safely securing Premier League football for another year last season, the Villans started off this campaign in dire straits, with Dean Smith eventually seeing a poor run of form lose his managerial job.

In his place, Steven Gerrard took over the reins, and the former Liverpool captain has quickly set about turning things around at Villa Park, and the feelgood factor is well and truly back.

Whether it was some momentous victories against some of the Premier League’s heavyweights – both home and away – or making a real splash in the transfer market in the summer, Villa have had some standout moments in 2021.

And, with that in mind, here on FFC we’ve put together a bumper quiz to test the most passionate of Villa fans on how well they remember their team’s ongoings from this year.

With 15 questions to answer, can you prove to yourself and everyone else that you’re a TRUE Villa fan?!

Have a go below!

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has confirmed that Ianis Hagi and Alfredo Morelos will both be ‘missing’ for Glasgow Rangers on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Hagi timeframe

Van Bronckhorst revealed back in February that Hagi will likely even miss the start of next season, as well as the rest of this, after suffering a damaging knee injury.

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Of course, that timeframe could be shortened if the Romania international is able to speed up his recovery through rehab, but for now he will be ruled out for the foreseeable future, and he won’t be the only one missing on Sunday.

The Latest: Early team news

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of their Old Firm clash against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, van Bronckhorst confirmed that both Morelos and Hagi will be ‘missing’.

The Dutch manager thinks that the striker will be out for at least a ‘couple of weeks’, after he was spotted on crutches at Glasgow Airport.

The Verdict: Double blow

Of course, it is a double blow for the Teddy Bears that they will be without two of their key players in what looks to be their biggest game of the league campaign so far.

Both Hagi and Morelos rank in the top seven performers for the Light Blues in the league this term, while the latter is their top scorer with 11 goals and has also contributed seven assists (WhoScored).

Hagi is more of a creative influence, having ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average key passes, crosses and through balls per game (WhoScored), and both of them can form a formidable partnership when they are on song.

In other news, find out who Frank McAvennie thinks ‘will start’ for Gers here!

An insider from Tottenham Hotspur is now expecting starlet Charlie Sayers to sign for the north London club soon.

The Lowdown: Impressed

Spurs are reportedly ‘impressed’ with the Southend United left-back, who has spent the last few weeks on trial with the Lilywhites, according to club insider John Wenham.

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Wenham, who runs the social media channel Lilywhite Rose, was ‘told’ that Sayers was starting on trial for Tottenham’s under-18 side away to Fulham in the Premier League Cup on 27 November.

He has played in six games for Southend in the National League so far this season, and at just 17 years of age, he is an up-and-coming prospect.

The Latest: Expected to sign

Speaking to Football Insider, Wenham is now expecting Sayers to sign for Tottenham soon after impressing them while on trial. He revealed:

“Tottenham have very good links with Southend.

“People are asking why a first-team player at Southend is coming for a trial at Tottenham.

“He trained with the Under-23s last week and if he has anything about himself he will be looking to take the left-back spot in the 23s.

“This comes after the departure of Dennis Cirkin last summer (2021), there is a space for a natural left-footer in that side.

“Does he see a move to Tottenham’s Under-23s with the chance of breaking into the first team at a later date as a risk worth taking?

“I think he probably does. I’m also told he’s a massive Spurs fan.

“I’m sure Tottenham and Southend will soon come to an agreement to take over the rest of his contract.

“The club are impressed with him, they wouldn’t have offered him a trial if they weren’t.”

The Verdict: One for the future

At 17, Sayers is certainly a player for the future, and Tottenham clearly hold him in high regard for him to be taken on trial.

Of course, Antonio Conte currently has Sergio Reguilon and Ben Davies as options at left-back in his senior squad, but the latter has been playing as a central defender in the past few matches in the Italian’s new system, so there may just be an opening up for grabs in the squad.

It will no doubt be interesting to see what Spurs’ plans are for Sayers should they end up signing him as expected, whether they use him in the first team, the academy or send him out on loan, but it certainly seems as if the 17-year-old has a bright future ahead of him.

In other news, these were Spurs’ three worst players against Brentford

With a loan move for Philippe Coutinho and a permanent deal for Lucas Digne already secured this month, Aston Villa and Steven Gerrard have been making no qualms in terms of flexing their finances and ability to attract players.

Looking ahead to the remainder of the window, one player that the Villans have been linked with in recent weeks that would certainly be an attractive prospect for Gerrard to have in his team and improve them is Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez.

Gomez joined Liverpool back in the 2015 summer transfer window from Charlton Athletic in a deal worth a reported fee of £3.5m.

Since then, the Englishman has made a total of 131 appearances across all competitions for the Merseyside club, winning the Premier League and Champions League along the way.

Labelled as an “unbelievable” player by fellow Reds defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gomez has found regular game time hard to come by this season, particularly in the Premier League with just three substitute appearances under his belt.

This suggests that should Villa make an approach to Gomez and his representatives this month over a potential deal, perhaps the promise of regular playing time under Gerrard’s guidance would be tempting for the defender.

From Villa’s point of view, they have a space in their squad for a player like the England international given how they recently said goodbye to Axel Tuanzebe after his loan deal was cut short by Manchester United.

Someone of Gomez’s calibre could well rival the likes of Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause for a place in the starting XI, thus sealing Gerrard a dream deal. He has already sealed one player who used to be at his former employers and bringing in another individual well known to him would surely be ideal, especially when it comes to building a working relationship.

Speaking of Mings, in a recent poll ran by Football FanCast, 66% of Villa fans think the England international is a liability for the team after his shaky performance in their 3-1 defeat against Chelsea, where he was at fault for Romelu Lukaku’s goal, further highlighting the need for a new defender to come in this month.

As for Gerrard, someone with obvious connections at Liverpool, it would undoubtedly be a dream move for him to have someone like Gomez in his side that has experience of playing at the top level under a manager such as Jurgen Klopp to potentially improve him even further.

Before the window closes, Villa should definitely test the waters to see if Gomez would be willing to make the move to the Midlands and if the Anfield outfit would be willing to let their £22.5m-rated centre-half go halfway through the season.

In other news: Imagine him & Coutinho: Gerrard can form scary AVFC duo with “clever” £43k-p/w gem – opinion

A worrying Newcastle United injury update has emerged, after Jamal Lewis suffered a blow against Liverpool on Thursday…

What’s the latest?

Magpies boss Eddie Howe has revealed what caused the young defender to be withdrawn from the match in the first-half. He told The Chronicle:

“It looked bad.

“It’s a hamstring injury, which is a surprise with Jamal because he’s obviously so athletic. He’s been excellent in terms of his athletic work for us so far, so for that to happen so early in the game, I was surprised.”

Gutted

Newcastle fans will surely be gutted with this update for multiple reasons. Firstly, the fact that it is a hamstring injury is a worrying prospect, as they can range from days, to weeks, to months, of recovery being needed before the player is able to return.

This means that Lewis could potentially miss a large chunk of the campaign, especially given Howe’s claim that it “looked bad”. Supporters will now be concerned about the severity of the injury and just how many matches he will be out for.

Secondly, they will be disappointed for the player himself. He had only been back in the side for three Premier League matches prior to Thursday night, playing against Norwich, Burnley and Leicester. His resurgence has now been stopped in its tracks and it is a major shame for the young full-back, as he could have established himself in the side and enjoyed a run of games in the team, revitalised under the new leadership.

Finally, fans will be gutted because it means that Matt Ritchie may be required to come back in at left-back for the foreseeable future. He gave the supporters a glimpse of what they have not been missing with a disappointing display off the bench against Liverpool.

In 75 minutes on the pitch, he failed to compete in a single ground or aerial duel. He made zero tackles and completed just 19 passes, attempting zero crosses from left-back in the match. This shows that he struggled to make a positive impact at either end, which is another reason why fans will be gutted by this injury to Lewis.

Hopefully, it will not keep the Northern Ireland international out for a prolonged period of time and he will be able to return for the start of January, or even Boxing Day if he is able to complete a speedy recovery.

AND in other news, NUFC liability who lost 83% duels badly betrayed Howe, Shearer thinks he’s a “danger”…