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Sergio Reguilon endured a horror show on his return to action as Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-1 at West Ham United on Sunday.

The £32m summer signing from Real Madrid had missed the past five weeks of action with a muscle injury sustained in Spurs’ 3-1 win over Sheffield United last month.

Jose Mourinho had rarely tackled Premier League fixtures without the Spaniard before the blow, with Reguilon starting 12 of his 13 prior top-flight appearances and missing just four games.

But he failed to leave a glowing endorsement of his talents on the London Stadium pitch before being hauled off for Dele Alli inside the final quarter of an hour, as Mourinho went aggressive in search of an equalising goal.

The Spurs boss had already shown his ruthless streak at the break whilst the north Londoners were two goals behind after strikes from Michail Antonio and Jesse Lingard, having substituted Japhet Tanganga and Erik Lamela at half-time.

Tanganga’s performance had returned a modest 6.3 out of 10 match rating from SofaScore, with the 21-year-old unable to offer any defensive or attacking contribution while losing possession 10 times.

Yet Reguilon had often performed at a lower standard and could only rise his match rating back to a base six out of 10 by the time his number was shown, having been second best to most of what West Ham threw at him.

Never has the £48k-per-week full-back earned a lower grade for his performances, with his previous worst score for a Premier League game coming against Manchester United in October when Reguilon earned a 6.3 before a 6.2 away to Royal Antwerp in the Europa League.

It was not until the second half that Reguilon was able to win a single duel against the Irons, ending his afternoon with success in just 22% of all challenges. The defender won only two of his six contests on the ground and zero of his three in the air.

He further turned over possession 16 times, committed three fouls – Tanganga made zero – and offered no successful tackles or interceptions, much like his earlier withdrawn teammate.

Reguilon usually contributes significantly more for Mourinho at both ends of the pitch, with the Spain international on average winning 3.1 ground duels with a 47% success rate and 1.0 aerial contests with a 42% success rate. The five-cap full-back further offers 1.7 successful tackles and 1.0 interceptions.

He also left Tottenham’s forward options wanting more from his deliveries with just one of four crosses finding a teammate, yet his efforts matched a seasonal success rate of 26%.

Mourinho would surely have expected to see more from Reguilon on his return to the side, even if Sunday’s defeat was his first outing in more than a month.

AND in other news, Tottenham Hotspur face a £51m asking price to land a “talented” leader this summer…

Steve Bruce has revealed that Newcastle United will boast a near fully fit squad for their trip to Everton on Saturday, as he strives to get the Magpies back to winning ways.

The Toon were without defenders Paul Dummett, Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez and DeAndre Yedlin for their 2-1 loss at home to Leeds United on Tuesday night, in which defeat made it 11-straight winless games for the Tyneside outfit across all competitions.

United have also lost their last six-in-a-row but saw Allan Saint-Maximin make an instant impact from the bench against Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites, and could opt to start the winger at Goodison Park following his recovery from coronavirus.

So, with changes on the cards, here’s a potential line-up Bruce could name when Newcastle visit Everton this Saturday lunchtime…

Karl Darlow was on hand to produce a couple of crucial stops in defeat to Leeds but was beaten by the visitors’ only two shots on target, yet will be expected to retain his place in goal having opened all 20 of Newcastle’s Premier League fixtures this term.

Bruce may also name a mostly unchanged backline at Goodison Park, despite Clark and Dummett’s returns to training, with Yedlin replacing Isaac Hayden at full-back now that the United States international’s visa issues are believed to have been resolved.

“Fede Fernandez won’t make it, unfortunately. Ciaran Clark and Paul Dummett trained yesterday [Thursday] for the first time, so we’ll see how they are. It’s maybe a bit early for the two of them, but we’ll see how they are this morning,” Bruce said.

Hayden returning to midfield with Yedlin recalled will likely see the Arsenal product partner Jonjo Shelvey in the engine room, with Jeff Hendrick again not proving to be Bruce’s answer in the role after questionably being retained for the Leeds defeat after an anonymous showing at Aston Villa.

Jacob Murphy struggled at first against the Whites on Tuesday night and lost the ball in the lead up to the visitors’ opening goal, but rallied in the second period with a couple of inviting crosses before making way for Saint-Maximin.

Murphy may now be given a reprieve, as Ryan Fraser ghosted from wing to wing against Leeds whilst Bruce shifted the Scotland international across the pitch trying to find a role that would see the summer arrival prove the biggest threat.

Miguel Almiron looked his most dangerous after moving in centrally against Leeds and will hope to start in the role against Everton, with Saint-Maximin opening the action on the left. The £29m-rated French maestro has not started a league game since November after suffering with the long-term effects of Covid-19.

Callum Wilson will be expected to start as the sole centre-forward in the Newcastle line-up at Everton after a hard-working performance against Leeds, which failed to return the 28-year-old his first goal of 2021 after six consecutive fruitless outings.

AND in other news, Newcastle could part with a £30k-p/w dynamo before the end of the month…

Sheffield Wednesday sparked plenty of headlines going into Tuesday night’s match yet still managed to pull through on top.

Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri sacked manager Tony Pulis less than 24 hours before kick-off at Hillsborough, whilst it’s thought that the squad haven’t been paid on time for November, let alone December.

Although despite this, they rallied under caretaker boss Neil Thompson to pick up a 2-1 victory against Neil Warnock and Middlesbrough in south Yorkshire.

Callum Paterson slotted home the opener right on the half-hour mark before 19-year-old Liam Shaw bagged his first Wednesday goal ten minutes later.

Boro managed to grab a goal back right after the break, but the home side found their nerve and held on for all three points – a vital victory which moved them to within three points of safety and off the bottom two places.

After the game, the teenage midfielder received most of the plaudits, but there was an underrated showing from one of his teammates that deserves a little more respect.

Once again, Chey Dunkley looked like one of Garry Monk’s only good signings in the heart of defence. A leader without the armband and a solid one at that.

The 28-year-old was a colossal rock at the back, recording six clearances, four interceptions, one tackle and one clearance, via SofaScore.

He also won 100% of his aerial duels, put in one block and ultimately, he ensured that prolific Championship marksman Britt Assombalonga endured a night to forget.

The Boro frontman lost 70% of his duels, fired two attempts off target and was given a paltry 6.3 rating, which was lower than any Owls player.

Dom Howson at YorkshireLive was also extremely impressed by Dunkley as he graded the former Wigan monster an 8/10, he wrote:

“Looked alert and dealt well with the threat of Middlesbrough captain Assombalonga. Has added some much-needed pace, physicality and leadership to the Owls’ rearguard since returning from injury.”

Indeed, Dunkley’s return and Wednesday’s three-game unbeaten run cannot be a mere coincidence. He must be someone any new manager centres his team around if they are to drag themselves out of the mire.

AND in other news, Pundit reveals what Josh Windass has told him about Sheffield Wednesday’s squad…

Manchester City travel to Olympiakos on Wednesday night in the hope of securing their place in the Champions League knockout stages with a win against the Greek side.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won all three of their opening fixtures in Group C and sit comfortably top, so this could be an opportunity for the Citizens to make plenty of changes, with one eye no doubt on Saturday’s game against Burnley in the Premier League.

There are already signs that Guardiola may field a slightly weakened starting 11, with it reported that both Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker haven’t travelled to Greece for Wednesday night’s game.

Meanwhile, the likes of Fernandinho, Benjamin Mendy and Oleksandr Zinchenko have all recovered from injury in time for the Champions League fixture, so will be in contention for a start.

Here’s how Football FanCast thinks Guardiola will line his side up in Piraeus…

Ederson keeps his place in goal but there is plenty of defensive changes that could be made by Guardiola, with Joao Cancelo likely to start at right-back considering Walker has been left at home.

Mendy has a point to prove on Wednesday and must impress at left-back after recovering from injury, as Cancelo has deputised well there so far this season.

Ruben Dias should be rested for this game, with John Stones making a rare start under Guardiola. The England international was linked with a move away during the summer and the former Everton man, who earns £100k per week at City, has made just one Premier League appearance so far this season.

Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan add the experience in midfield, as this game may come too soon for Fernandinho to start but if City are comfortable we may see him make a return from the bench.

Phil Foden should start as an attacking-midfielder, whilst Ferran Torres will be hoping to improve on his impressive return in the Champions League thus far, by starting as a left-winger.

Bernardo Silva can give his confidence a much-needed boost by scoring or assisting in this game, so Guardiola should trust him to start on the right-wing.

Meanwhile, legendary striker Sergio Aguero should get some much-needed minutes under his belt after returning from injury in the recent loss against Tottenham Hotspur, with Gabriel Jesus given a rest unless he is needed to make a difference against Olympiakos.

Aston Villa may have missed a trick by failing to land reported summer transfer target, Eberechi Eze.

What was the story?

Reports from The Guardian back in late July suggested that Dean Smith’s side were interested in signing the attacker from Championship side QPR, but that the club would face significant competition for his signature from fellow Premier League teams.

In the end, Eze completed a switch to Crystal Palace for a fee in the region of £20m, with Villa signing their own wide player in Lyon’s Bertrand Traore. Whilst the former has yet to score for his new team, there’s a real case to be made that Smith should have landed the man from Loftus Road.

Shades of Sterling

With 14 goals and eight assists in just 46 Championship games last season, Eze was a shining light for a QPR team that didn’t even make the play-offs.

The England U21 international possesses a lot of the best characteristics a winger should have, with Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones claiming that he “is a devastating ball-carrier, possessing a glide with the ball that only a unique talent can boast.”

And that dribbling is what QPR’s former manager, Marc Bircham, has previously raved about, saying: “He goes past players easier than Raheem Sterling did. Sterling would beat players with pace or do a trick or a chop – it’s all dynamic movements, but Ebere Eze just glides past players.”

With Traore, Villa have someone who previously played in the Premier League with Chelsea and didn’t make the grade. In Eze, they would have signed a rising talent with real experience of English football, and the potential to develop into a fearsome star at Villa Park.

It may only be a few games into the new Premier League season, but Aston Villa currently find themselves second in the table and with a game in hand on table-topping Everton.

To put it simply, you just couldn’t have scripted a better start for Dean Smith’s side. And as if to underline that point, their remarkable, and truly historic, 7-2 dismantling of reigning champions Liverpool on Sunday night, just made a mockery of the fact that they survived relegation by the skin of their teeth on the final day of last season.

The Villa boss deserves enormous credit for the work he has done, not only for staying up last season or their incredible beginning to this one, but also for getting them promoted in the first place. But whilst he’s someone who of course is always going to be in the public eye, there’s another key man behind the scenes who needs just as much of that love: Johan Lange.

Recruited from FC Copenhagen earlier in the summer to become Villa’s new sporting director, and thus replacing Jesus Garcia Pitarch, Lange had the unenviable task of trying to ensure the Midlands club didn’t just repeat the same mistakes of the 2019 summer transfer window, but also move the team forward.

Villa splashed the cash last summer in the hope of really taking the Premier League by storm, but in end, it was really hit and miss. Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa have formed a rock-solid partnership at the back, but then there were some absolute duds in there too, not least Jota, who left the club just a year after joining.

This summer has seen Villa be far more co-ordinated, structured, and ruthless about their transfer planning and negotiations. Areas that needed strengthening were quickly identified, and reinforced, whilst players who weren’t cutting it – like Jota for example – were moved out with no room for sentiment.

Villa have made five new signings in this transfer window, and all of them have already had moments of brilliance. Emiliano Martinez with a penalty save on his debut. Ollie Watkins with the perfect hat-trick against Liverpool. Even Ross Barkley getting in on the act on his debut too. Things have been far smoother sailing at Villa Park, and their dealings in the market have a lot to do with Lange.

So whilst Smith will rightly get most of the praise, some love needs to be shared with Lange too.

In terms of the first Premier League game of the season, things couldn’t have gone much better for Newcastle United on Saturday night.

The Magpies secured a superb 2-0 win against West Ham away from home, with debutantes Callum Wilson and Jeff Hendrick getting themselves on the score-sheet.

But whilst the duo will rightly take home some of the post-match plaudits, another new boy was equally brilliant: Jamal Lewis.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

The left-back, who joined from relegated Norwich recently, put in a fantastic display, showing exactly why he could be a real star for both now and the future.

As per Sofascore, the 22-year-old provided a team-high three key passes, delivered four crosses into the box, and finished the game with 52 touches – the third-most of any Newcastle player.

And after seeing his debut, Magpies fans flooded to Twitter to hail the young man.

A couple of Newcastle fans seemed excited at the prospect of Lewis developing a fine partnership with Allan Saint-Maximin down the left-hand side.

To think that instead of Danny Rose, Newcastle have ended up signing Jamal Lewis seems like a stroke of genius.

Lewis has got plenty of time to grow even further, and the fact he picked up a season’s worth of Premier League experience with Norwich means he should be able to hit the ground running at St James’ Park, just like he did on Saturday.

The Magpies have got themselves an absolute gem.

Everton could be handed an opportunity to offload one of their biggest mistakes from last summer if fresh reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Premier League rivals Burnley are keen to sign Toffees midfielder Fabian Delph as a direct replacement for Jeff Hendrick, who recently joined Newcastle United.

It’s claimed that Sean Dyche has ‘big interest’ in the 30-year-old but it’s likely to come down to price with the player currently valued at £9m by Transfermarkt.

The Times also believe that Everton would be willing to sell Delph following the arrival of Allan and likely additions of James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucoure.

£17m nightmare

Delph cost a total of £10m with add-ons included after Marco Silva clinched him from title-winning Manchester City, but he’s failed to make such an impact at Goodison Park.

The veteran played just 17 times, averaging 1.6 tackles, 1 clearance and 0.4 key passes per game, via WhoScored, so it’s been quite an underwhelming signing all round.

Strangely, Richard Keys lauded the move, dubbing it as one of the steals of the window – a “robbery” in fact, claiming “he’s Everton’s James Milner. Again – like Luiz and Milner – a top pro.”

Marcel Brands made an exception against his normal profile, claiming that allowances would be made for “older, good value” targets but clearly that’s not been the case with the Englishman.

As per Football Insider, Delph is apparently picking up a whopping £120k-per-week in Merseyside, which means the club have blown around £17m on him already.

Therefore, if the Clarets do indeed try to sign him, Brands and co should absolutely accept whatever they can, especially after Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield revamp.

They simply cannot afford to continue to have Delph sat on the bench or in the stands next season.

If anyone was committing a robbery, it would be Delph on the Toffees rather than what Keys was implying.

AND in other news, Everton swoop for La Liga FLOP is a disaster waiting to happen…

Leeds United embark on their final Championship outing of not just the season, but also for the foreseeable future after clinching the title last week.

And even though, the Yorkshire giants have nothing to play for, they do welcome a side whose fate will be decided at Elland Road tonight.

Charlton Athletic occupy that final relegation spot and need a victory to hold a chance of remaining in the English second-flight. It’s a rather exciting finale at the bottom end of the table as three of six will be gone come 10pm this evening.

Marcelo Bielsa surprisingly tinkered with his starting XI last time out, but will he do the same here? or will the Argentine go full-strength out of respect for those teams fighting for their lives?

Here’s what we are predicting…

We’re expecting there to be as many as six changes as Bielsa, a man of integrity, finishes the season in strong style.

One controversial decision from the weekend was the reintroduction of Kiko Casilla between the sticks but Illan Meslier who has been ever-impressive in the Spaniard’s absence should take the reigns once more.

Whilst in front of him, it could be loan star Ben White’s last ever appearance for the club as he heads back to parent club Brighton this summer.

He’s likely to partner skipper Liam Cooper, who was dropped for the Rams fixture, with Gaetano Berardi out with a serious ACL injury.

Barry Douglas could remain at left-back with Luke Ayling returning in the place of Stuart Dallas, who earns a much-needed rest.

20-year-old centre-back Pascal Struijk has looked impressive in the Kalvin Phillips role, so it would be a shock to see him dropped here whilst fellow youngster Jamie Shackleton should also keep his place after a goal against Derby on Sunday.

Mateusz Klich missed his first game of the season but will surely return here, replacing Pablo Hernandez in midfield.

Another player who took his opportunity at the weekend was Ian Poveda and with Helder Costa out injured, he’s in line for a start whilst £10m man Jack Harrison could partner him on the other wing.

Patrick Bamford may also replace Tyler Roberts upfront.

AND in other news, QSI takeover looking less likely after Phil Hay update…

Leroy Sane might not have played for Manchester City’s first team for more than 10 months but his name has rarely been far from the headlines in recent weeks and months.

The German winger has yet to feature in the 2019/20 Premier League after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the Community Shield against Liverpool last August, although he should be available for Wednesday night’s clash against Arsenal having recovered from that huge setback (as per Sky Sports).

While neither Sane nor his Etihad Stadium team-mates were in action over the last three months, the 24-year-old was regularly in the news amid ongoing speculation linking him with a summer move to Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga champions continue to focus their transfer efforts on trying to sign the Manchester City winger, according to the Daily Mail at the weekend.

Sane actually made a tentative comeback for the under-23 side in a Premier League 2 game against their Arsenal counterparts at the end of February, although he didn’t get the chance to return to first team action before the season was halted three months ago as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the UK.

The contribution of 30 goals over the previous two seasons shows that the German can be a hugely effective presence in Manchester City’s attack, while goals from his preferred left flank were proving hard to come by before the season’s enforced stoppage as Raheem Sterling had not found the net in the first two months of 2020.

It remains to be seen whether Sane will be rusty upon his comeback, having gone so long without playing a competitive first team fixture. However, the 24-year-old has a happy record against Wednesday night’s opponents. He has won five of his previous seven games against Arsenal, with three goals in those fixtures, while Liverpool are the only club against whom he has found the net more often during his professional career.

The continuation of that fine record against the Gunners this week would be the perfect way for Sane to lay the ghosts of his injury anguish and make headlines for what he has done on the pitch rather than what others are speculating about his future off it.

Man City fans, will Sane make a triumphant comeback to action after his 10-month injury layoff? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below!