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After rescuing a draw against West Ham last time out in the Premier League, Arsenal return to action on Saturday evening when they take on Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners have had the international break to stew over a real Jekyll and Hyde performance at the London Stadium, where they found themselves 3-0 down before clawing their way back into the contest with a spirited fightback.

A similar kind of first half display surely won’t go unpunished by champions Liverpool, however, and Mikel Arteta will need to ensure that his side get off to a much faster starter this time around.

A couple of injury concerns ahead of the game is likely to have a major impact on his team selection, and with that in mind, here is a look at how the Gunners might line up when Jurgen Klopp’s side come to town.

In goal, Bernd Leno will be hoping to make up for his mistake in the build-up to West Ham’s second goal, when he let Jarrod Bowen’s strike squirm in between his arms.

The back four could see a few changes with the returns of both Gabriel and Cedric, with Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers dropping to the bench after being drafted in against the Hammers.

The Gunners also confirmed that David Luiz will miss the game due to injury, so that could see the comeback of Rob Holding into the centre of defence.

Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey should continue their midfield partnership, with Martin Odegaard once again operating in that all-important number ten role.

Before the game, Arteta confirmed that Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe are major doubts for the game against Klopp’s men. If the duo don’t recover in time, Nicolas Pepe should come in for the former in what would be a big call given that Gabriel Martinelli is surely also pushing for a start.

That will leave Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to go back to the left-hand side, with Alexandre Lacazette keeping his place as the Gunners’ main man up top after his goal against West Ham helped seal the comeback.

Predicted XI: Leno; Cedric, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Xhaka; Pepe, Odegaard, Aubameyang; Lacazette.

Reports in Spain earlier this week claimed that West Ham United are weighing up a summer swoop for Villarreal striker Paco Alcacer, who could be the answer to David Moyes’ search if David Sullivan can seal a deal.

It is suggested that Alcacer has earned a place on the Hammers’ radar after his efforts in La Liga and the Europa League caught the attention of the London Stadium hierarchy, as Moyes lines up reinforcements for a potential season featuring European action next term.

Moyes is well-aware of the need for depth at the centre-forward position after passing on the chance to sign a replacement for Sebastien Haller in January and he intends to correct that decision in the next transfer window.

West Ham are currently without a recognised senior striker after losing Michail Antonio for potentially the rest of the season with a third hamstring injury of the campaign, after scans estimated a four-to-six-week lay-off for the 31-year-old.

Villarreal boss Unai Emery would be loath to lose Alcacer, who is under contract through to the summer of 2025 to further complicate West Ham’s advances. As such, the Irons would be expected to pay as much as €25m (£21.5m) for the 19-cap Spain international.

West Ham have shown some resistance to paying El Submarino Amarillo their alleged asking price, but feel Alcacer’s experience and track record could see him emerge a better option than Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri who was the subject of a rejected £32m bid in January.

Alcacer is also entering his prime at 27 and knows what it takes to succeed outside of Spain, after scoring 26 goals in 47 games with Borussia Dortmund before leaving the Bundesliga outfit following the arrival of Erling Haaland.

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The Villarreal striker also has aspirations of regaining his place in the Spanish national squad after two years outside of Luis Enrique’s plans, and Alcacer is aware that stand-out displays away from the domestic scene represent a strong opportunity to work his way back.

Moyes should be urging Sullivan to now seal a deal with the Estadio de la Ceramica natives to offer Alcacer a chance to show Enrique what he is all about in the Premier League, as the £43,000-per-week forward could prove to be the striker that West Ham are after.

While not a regular starter in games under Emery and being sidelined for nine fixtures due to Achilles and muscle injuries earlier in the term, Alcacer boasts 10 goals in 28 appearances in all competitions this season.

Alcacer was expected to earn his long-awaited recall to the Spain squad in November after scoring nine times in 11 games, as part of a promising partnership with Gerard Moreno that led Emery to laud the forward:

“Paco is a great player for Villarreal. We are very happy with the way he is playing and the goals and assists he is providing,” the ex-Arsenal boss said, via quotes by DPA International.

His hunger to achieve on the pitch is also met off it, with Alcacer’s former Valencia youth coach Vicente Mir once claiming “he’s no lay-about” and praising the striker for always being one of the first to arrive for training and maintaining that attitude after joining Barcelona.

Moyes is a manager who lauds hard-working players and it was down to that reason that the Scottish coach consistently favoured Antonio over Haller, before allowing the Ivory Coast international to join AFC Ajax in January.

Now, Moyes can look to match Antonio with another driven individual in Alcacer, if Sullivan puts any questions over the fee needed to the side and seals a deal with Villarreal.

AND in other news, David Moyes eyes a summer reunion with £75k-p/w enforcer who looked “like he’s on roller-skates” in 2020…

Sunderland centre-forward Charlie Wyke is attracting the interest of a number of Championship clubs this summer, according to reports.

What’s been said?

Football League World claim that Cardiff City are leading the race to sign the striker on a free transfer this summer, with Middlesbrough also thought to be keeping tabs on the 28-year-old ahead of a potential move.

The Sky Sports journalist, Keith Downie, also recently reported that, as well as Boro and Cardiff, both Millwall and Nottingham Forest are also interested in a deal for the Sunderland star, whose contract at the Stadium of Light is set to expire at the end of the season.

Louis-Dreyfus must not repeat Donald’s mistake

Wyke has undeniably been the star of Sunderland’s season so far, with the former Bradford City hitman bagging 25 goals and providing three assists over his 42 League One appearances for the Black Cats, as well as averaging a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.35 – ranking him as the club’s best performer in the third tier.

As such, it is hardly surprising to read that a number of Championship sides are keen ona move for the striker, particularly as, at present, the 28-year-old will be available on a free transfer, with Sunderland yet to agree terms on a new deal with the forward.

It is possible that Wyke is waiting to make a decision on his future until it becomes clear in which league Lee Johnson’s side will be playing their football next season, as the Black Cats – barring a catastrophic collapse – appear to be one of the four sides who will enter the League One play-offs at the end of the regular season.

However, regardless of whether or not Sunderland gain promotion, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus should learn from the mistake of his predecessor, Stewart Donald – who sold Josh Maja in a self-proclaimed “ridiculous” deal, shortly before the striker’s contract expired – regarding the situation of Wyke.

In short, Louis-Dreyfus should offer the £6,000-per-week star, who Lynden Gooch dubbed a “brilliant” player, a new deal that he simply cannot refuse prior to the transfer window opening, as, without his goals this season, Sunderland would not be anywhere near the play-off places. They’ll need him to either help them stay in the Championship next season or make another promotion push.

In other news: Lost possession 22 times: Johnson surely furious with shocking £5k-p/w Sunderland ace – opinion

Southampton have reportedly been scouting Bristol City midfielder Tyreeq Bakinson recently and the 22-year-old could prove to be the ideal long-term replacement for Oriol Romeu at the south coast club.

According to the Bristol Post, Southampton scouts have been in attendance in recent Bristol City fixtures as Ashton Gate and have been admiring the young midfielder’s performances, although the likes of Wolves, Bournemouth and Norwich City are also credited with an interest.

It has been something of a breakthrough season for Bakinson at Bristol City, with previous campaigns having seen him spend time on loan at Newport County and Plymouth Argyle.

The 22-year-old has made 33 appearances in all competitions for the Robins this season, scoring two goals and providing one assist, averaging a 6.49 WhoScored match rating for his performances in the Championship.

WhoScored suggests that Bakinson’s strengths are in his ability to make interceptions and play through balls, as well as his excellent concentration, which immediately marks him out as a potential long-term replacement for Romeu in Southampton’s line-up.

The Spanish midfielder will turn 30 this year and, although you imagine that he can play for a few more years at the top level, it would be good for the Saints to have a replacement lined up.

Ibrahima Diallo has filled in for the former Chelsea man when the latter has been injured this season, and whilst the 21-year-old Frenchman has done a solid job and is strong in the tackle, he lacks the natural height of a defensive-minded midfielder, whereas Bakinson stands at 6 foot 3.

Bakinson also averages more blocks, clearances and interceptions per game than Diallo has done so far this season, which suggests that he could be a more natural replacement for Romeu in this Southampton side.

Therefore, Martin Semmens should consider bringing him to St Mary’s this summer, as he could be an excellent homegrown addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad.

In other news… Bye-bye Jankewitz: Semmens should seal Saints swoop for £3.6m-rated beast

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to build on their recent upturn in form with another three points against Crystal Palace on Sunday evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side have impressed in recent wins against Wolfsberger and Burnley, before picking up another hard-fought win and clean sheet in their game against Fulham earlier this week.

The top four is still a possibility for the North London club but they must win games like these if they are to be in with a chance of securing a strong finish in the Premier League this season.

Here’s how Football FanCast thinks Mourinho will line his side up at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, with three changes from the side that started against Fulham…

Hugo Lloris unsurprisingly keeps his place in goal after recording back-t0-back clean sheets against Burnley and Fulham.

There are two changes in defence, as Mourinho once again rotates his full-backs, as Sergio Reguilon replaces Ben Davies at left-back, whilst Serge Aurier has recovered from his injury and is likely to come in for Matt Doherty.

The midfield duo of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele stays the same after some impressive performances in recent games.

There is one change in attack, as despite playing a big part in the winning goal in midweek, Dele Alli drops to the bench in place of Lucas Moura, as after not starting in the Premier League for so long, Mourinho may not trust the Englishman to start consecutive games in such quick succession.

When the Portuguese manager first took over, he dubbed Alli “fantastic” for his performances and whilst he is starting to show glimpses of rediscovering that form, he is unlikely to play every game considering the number of options Spurs have in his position.

Harry Kane, Heung-Min Son and Gareth Bale complete the attack, and they will be hoping to show a similar level of understanding and potency in attack as they did in the 4-0 win against Burnley in their last home fixture.

And, in other news… Jose must unleash “aggressive” beast vs Palace; he can be the game-changer

Swansea earned a hard-fought three points in their push for promotion on Saturday, as they defeated Luton Town 1-0 in the early kick-off in the Championship.

Connor Hourihane’s early goal was enough to see off the Hatters, who had a number of chances to equalise but couldn’t find a way past Freddie Woodman in the Swans goal.

The result briefly put Steve Cooper’s side in the top-two of the Championship, before Watford’s 2-1 win at Cardiff saw them jump back above the Swans into the automatic spots.

Although it was an important result, some of the performances from Swansea players were below par on Saturday, with Andre Ayew, in particular, disappointing.

As per SofaScore, the experienced striker would earn a 6.4 rating for his display, which was the joint-lowest rating, with Korey Smith, of any Swansea player who started the game.

During his 90 minutes on the pitch, the former Marseille man would have 41 touches of the ball and would complete just 18 passes, which suggests that he was rarely involved, as he has averaged 27.3 passes per game in the Championship so far this season.

Perhaps most disappointingly, the Ghana international struggled to hold the ball up for Swansea in his role as a lone striker, with the Luton defenders, particularly Kai Naismith, having the better of him during the game.

Ayew would win just 4/14 ground duels and just 3/11 of his aerial duels during the game, resulting in an overall tally of 7/25 – which saw him register a disappointing success rate of just 28%.

Naismith meanwhile, would win 15/17 of his duels during the game and earned an impressive 8.3 rating for his display, which definitely suggests that he won the battle between himself and Ayew.

Despite being rarely involved, the 31-year-old striker would also lose possession on 16 occasions, suggesting that his link-up play was nowhere near his usual standards at Kenilworth Road.

The £3.6 million-rated forward was also successful with just 2/7 of his dribbles against Nathan Jones’ side, whilst he failed to register a single shot on target, so he is perhaps fortunate that Swansea were able to come away with a win, as it is clear that he was nowhere near his best against the Hatters as he let Cooper down with an anonymous display.

Carlo Ancelotti has been dealt a blow in Everton’s rumoured pursuit of Nikola Maksimovic, with AS Roma considered to be a ‘welcome destination’ for the SSC Napoli defender.

What’s the word?

According to Forza Roma, Maksimovic could emerge as the Giallorossi’s first purchase of the summer market with the Serbian expected to leave the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Maksimovic’s agent, Fali Ramadani, has been in contact with Roma for some time over a potential transfer, with the centre-back’s Napoli contract due to expire at the end of June.

The Stadio Olimpico is considered to be a ‘welcome destination’ for Maksimovic and further talks between Roma CEO Tiago Pinto and Ramadani are expected to be held soon.

Maksimovic is chasing a €3m-a-season (£49k-p/w) contract at his next club, which Roma are expected to meet with bonuses, as the deal is likely to be his last with a significant salary.

The 29-year-old is also keen to be guaranteed a starring role to ensure he secures a place in Serbia’s squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. But his request may prove problematic for Roma, as the Giallorossi are assessing a potential change in manager.

Any hurdle in Roma’s efforts is likely to play into the hands of their Serie A rivals Inter Milan, as the £11m-rated enforcer is seen as one of the most highly-coveted free agents to-be with interest from at least two other European clubs.

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Everton and West Ham United have been cited as potential destinations by Nicola Shira, who notes that both Premier League sides have approached Ramadani for information.

Should Everton sign Napoli’s Maksimovic?

Ancelotti certainly seems keen to reinforce the Goodison Park backline in the upcoming market, with Maksimovic just one centre-back to have been linked with a move amid question marks over the ability of Everton’s current options to play together.

Prior reports by Il Mattino also suggested Ancelotti had explored a reunion with Maksimovic in January, but Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis demanded close to €10m (£8.5m) to sell the summer free agent.

Everton now have the chance to sign the 25-cap enforcer without owner Farhad Moshiri having to pay his current Serie A side a penny, but would seemingly have to assure Maksimovic of a starting role to beat out Roma, Inter Milan and West Ham’s interest.

Whether Ancelotti is willing to guarantee his former defender that chance remains to be seen, having favoured the 6 ft 3 Maksimovic more as a rotation option during his time in charge at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Maksimovic made a combined 38 appearances across all competitions under the Italian during two seasons together in Naples, but his longest run in the starting line-up for Serie A fixtures lasted just five games.

Ancelotti sang his praises nonetheless, noting in 2018 via quotes by Tutto Napoli: “He has no problems. I am satisfied, he is an excellent defender, complete elastic, fast, he can play both centre-right and centre-left.”

Any interest Ancelotti had in a reunion at Everton will have been dealt a blow by Roma’s plans for further negotiations, it is now up to the Italian to decide if he is willing to give Maksimovic a starring role at Goodison Park next season.

AND in other news, Everton are tracking a £17m striker with “a wealth of talent”…

Many Everton fans have been left reacting to the confirmed Transfer Deadline Day exit of Jonas Lossl to FC Midtjylland.

As per the official website of the Goodison Park faithful, the Denmark international has signed for the club where he started his footballing career.

It leaves the Merseyside club still with Jordan Pickford, Robin Olsen and Joao Virginia, and so the departure of Lossl will not really hurt them too much going into the rest of the 2020/21 term.

The 32-year-old did not even play in a single senior game for the Toffees since his signing from Huddersfield Town (Transfermarkt), and so it was a good idea for Carlo Ancelotti’s team to get him off of the wage books knowing as well that they are very well-covered already in the goalkeeper department.

Everton fan reaction to Lossl exit

These Blues reacted to the exit of Lossl on Twitter, as it seemed as if they were happy to see him leave:

“Weirdest signing in our history”

Credit: @Alexash1878

“Thanks for looking after the bench”

Credit: @efc_cain

“Two more free spots on the bench!”

Credit: @SteveDow1

“Luckiest guy in the world. Made about £3m off Everton for doing absolutely nothing.”

Credit: @danholling

“83 weeks @ 40k a week. That man took £3.2m off this football club…”

Credit: @matti_bigley

“Another one gone!”Credit: @kmatthews17In other news, find out what transfer blow EFC have been dealt by Fabrizio Romano here!

It’s not often that we can find the evidence to criticise Wolves’ midfield.

Nuno Santo has some of the best depth in the Premier League in that position and houses a glittering array of international stars. From Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho to Leander Dendoncker and Romain Saiss, they are players you can traditionally rely on.

Add young American star Owen Otasowie into the equation and their options get even greater.

However, in 2020/21, we’ve seen a slight chink in the armour of Neves and now Moutinho. The former has looked a “shadow of the player we saw last season” according to reporter Alex Dicken, with the Portugal international being forced to play a cameo role from the bench in four outings this season.

Usually, Neves is one of the first names on the team sheet and the same can be said for Moutinho. Despite that, he’s also portrayed a shadow this season, specifically over the last month or so.

The Portuguese was brushed aside with relative ease when Liverpool battered Wolves 4-0 and after receiving a red card against Aston Villa, it just went from bad to worse.

The 35-year-old maestro has since struggled to find his feet after returning from suspension. He found life difficult against a physical Burnley midfield last week and lost possession 12 times. The likes of Ashley Westwood and Josh Brownhill rarely gave him time to settle and Moutinho was once again rather disappointing versus Spurs.

The £100k-a-week midfielder lost the ball 16 times on this occasion and also committed four fouls in what was a sloppy performance. His passing was still tidy – registering a success rate of 90% – but his lack of pace saw him caught out. Twice Moutinho was dribbled past with relative ease by Tottenham players.

With that performance in mind, should Nuno consider dropping him for the clash against United? Quite possibly. If the midfielder struggled against Spurs it’s likely he’d find like tough against the Red Devils’ energetic midfield too.

Leander Dendoncker needs to get his chance.

AND in other news, Wolves ace who’s made “incredible progress” was Nuno’s hero on Sunday…

West Brom have been handed a fresh update in their pursuit of Celta Vigo midfielder Okay Yokuslu.

Last week, the Daily Mail reported that the 28-time Turkey international was one of Sam Allardyce’s main targets this transfer window. However, reports in Spain suggest the La Liga outfit will only consider a permanent move.

That’s according to Faro de Vigo, who refer to the Daily Mail’s story, but go on to claim that Los Celestes boss Eduardo Coudet would only sanction a sale rather than any temporary loan switch.

This hardly comes as a surprise as the 26-year-old has featured 13 times for Celta Vigo on their way to a respectable ninth-place in the Spanish top-flight, and whilst it remains to be seen what sort of fee Yokusui would command, it could be worth Albion’s time to stump up the funds.

Valued at €10m (£9m) by CIES, the versatile midfielder would be an almost instant upgrade to Big Sam’s current midfield, particularly on Romaine Sawyers, who you’d imagine would be most at risk over any central addition.

He’s struggled to adapt to the considerable step-up in quality since their promotion last term – of regulars in the starting XI (ten or more appearances), only club captain Jake Livermore has managed a worse average rating than Sawyers’ 6.29, per WhoScored.

In terms of central midfield options, the 29-year-old sits last for tackles per game (1.6) and similarly for key passes per game (0.4) – even the rarely-seen Lee Peltier and Filip Krovinovic have managed more than the Baggies academy graduate.

On Tuesday night, he was again pretty anonymous, grading the worst midfielder per SofaScore ratings with a 6.6. Sawyers won only two of his five ground duels, failing to combat the impressive Declan Rice, who pretty much ran the show with 75 touches (20 more than the Baggies man) at the London Stadium.

Sawyers was also dribbled past on two occasions, a recurring theme this campaign as he’s ghosted past an average of 1.5x per match.

A swoop for Yokuslu solves this nightmare. The 6 foot 3 brute is an imposing figure at the base of midfield, and that’s seen him manage an average of three aerial duels won per game over the course of his career.

In addition to that, his mean number of tackles throughout the same timespan is 2.2, which would not just rank him above Sawyers, but also put him second behind Connor Gallagher in the current Albion squad.

As Turkish Football outlined in a scouting report of Yokuslu, he’s a ‘fine physical specimen’ and is a ‘swashbuckling midfielder who likes to get stuck in.’

That seems right up Allardyce’s street, so perhaps it’s no surprise to see him linked with the Turkish titan. If there’s any player that he should push sporting director Luke Dowling to sign, then it’s the Celta Vigo man.

Given the Midlands outfit have leaked the most goals in the top-flight this season, his presence in front of the backline could be everything they need and to make matters even better, he’s capable of playing at centre-back too – it’s a win-win, no matter the cost.

AND in other news, “Big and strong” 11-goal powerhouse could bring shades of Salomon Rondon to the Hawthorns