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Tottenham Hotspur's chances of finishing inside the Premier League top four are fading after the 2-2 draw against Manchester United on Thursday night, despite some positive signs in the second half.

Spurs fought back from 2-0 down to rescue a point, with Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min getting on the scoresheet in the second half. However, they probably needed three points to keep their Champions League dream alive.

The Lilywhites still trail the Red Devils by six points, despite playing two more games, while Newcastle's emphatic 4-1 win away at Everton means it will also be very hard to catch Eddie Howe's side.

Since our last set of predictions, Tottenham have parted ways with Cristian Stellini, with Ryan Mason taking charge on an interim basis until the end of the season. Here's how we expect their remaining games to finish:

Tottenham fixtures 30 April: Liverpool (a) 6 May: Crystal Palace (h) 13 May: Aston Villa (a) 20 May: Brentford (h) 28 May: Leeds (a) Liverpool v Tottenham

Jurgen Klopp's side have underperformed this season, so this Sunday's encounter at Anfield may prove to be decisive in the race for the Europa League, rather than the Champions League, but Liverpool have started to click at the right time.

The Reds have now won their last three Premier League games, most recently emerging 2-1 winners away at West Ham United, and they will have the opportunity to leapfrog Tottenham in the table with a victory this weekend.

Given the improvement from Liverpool in recent weeks, they are likely to emerge as comfortable winners, particularly considering Anfield is not a happy hunting ground for Spurs, having failed to win there since May 2011.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham

Tottenham v Crystal Palace

Tottenham will need to be winning games like this to stand any chance of finishing inside the top four, and they are likely to take all three points, especially since Crystal Palace have little to play for at this stage of the season.

The returning Roy Hodgson has overseen the Eagles rise up the league table, now sitting eight points clear of the bottom three, and just three points off the all-important 40-point barrier.

With safety more or less confirmed, Palace have started to falter in recent weeks, drawing against Everton, before losing 2-0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, and they are unlikely to pose too much of a threat to Spurs.

Prediction: Tottenham 3-1 Crystal Palace

Aston Villa v Tottenham

Unai Emery has been breaking records as manager of Aston Villa, with his side scoring in all 20 league games since his appointment, which is the most consecutive Premier League matches a team with a new manager has scored in.

At the time of writing, the Villans have won five Premier League home games in a row to put themselves in contention for European qualification, particularly impressing in a resounding 3-0 victory against Newcastle United.

Although there were signs of improvement from Spurs in the second half against Man United, they are unlikely to take anything against such an in-form Villa side.

Prediction: Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham

Tottenham v Brentford

Although their form has started to dry up in recent weeks, winning just one of their last seven games, Brentford are likely to be very happy with their 2022-23 campaign, and they returned to form in their last match.

The Bees ran out 2-0 winners against a struggling Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge, and they now sit ninth in the Premier League table, although it looks very unlikely they will be able to make a late push for Europe.

Despite the victory in their last match, the Bees should not pose too much of a threat for Tottenham, who must win games like this to keep their European dream alive.

Prediction: Tottenham 3-1 Brentford

Leeds v Tottenham

On the final day of the season, Spurs travel to Elland Road to take on a Leeds side who may well be fighting for their lives, given that they are in 16th place, just one point above the bottom three at the time of writing.

Javi Gracia's side have been very disappointing in recent weeks, losing 5-1 at home to Crystal Palace and 6-1 at home to Liverpool, while a 1-1 draw against Leicester City last time out has also done them no favours.

The Lilywhites have won four of their five matches against Leeds since the West Yorkshire club returned to the Premier League, most recently running out 4-3 winners after a late figh back in November.

Both sides have very poor defensive records, with Leeds having conceded the joint-highest amount of any side in the league, therefore it is likely to be a high-scoring game, with Spurs emerging as narrow winners.

Prediction: Leeds 2-3 Tottenham

Predicted run-in points: 9/15 Predicted total points: 63

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is looking ahead to next season already as he eyes a move for a current Premier League midfielder that can take his team to the next level.

What’s the latest on Kalvin Phillips to Aston Villa?

According to Football Insider, Villa have a ‘strong interest’ in Manchester City midfielder Phillips ahead of the summer transfer window and City could demand a fee of around £45m in order to sell him.

The Citizens would be recouping the fee that they splashed out on him last summer while if Emery manages to sign him, he will break the Villa transfer record.

The Spaniard is aiming to take the club to European football and in order to be successful, he will need to bulk up his midfield options.

Could Aston Villa sign Kalvin Phillips?

The Englishman has endured a tough season at City, getting just 353 minutes of action across 14 matches due to injury problems, yet he could still make a difference to the Villa midfield if fully fit.

Emery will no doubt have a clear out in the summer and one player who could leave is Leander Dendoncker, with Football Insider claiming the 51-year-old is preparing to listen to any offers for him at the end of the season.

If the "outstanding" Phillips – as dubbed by Gareth Southgate – brings the form that he displayed whilst at Leeds United in 2021/22, then he would be a major upgrade on the Belgian ahead of next term.

Indeed, last season, the 27-year-old registered more shot-creating actions per game (1.69 to 1.25), won more tackles (25 to 17), interceptions (24 to nine) and succeeded with more take ons (seven to five) proving that he is a much better option from both a defensive and ball-playing point of view than the Belgian.

Across Europe’s top five leagues, Phillips ranks in the top 21% for defensive metrics including tackles, blocks, and interceptions, suggesting that the Villa boss could be signing one of the finest defensive midfielders on the continent when fully fit.

A fee of £45m, providing Phillips stays fit, could represent an excellent investment by Villa and will give Emery the licence to get rid of a few players in the process, Dendoncker included.

West Ham United’s transfer business over the previous decade hasn’t exactly been profitable, with large amounts spent on players who just didn’t live up to expectations.

The likes of Felipe Anderson (£36m), Javier Hernandez (£16m) and more recently Gianluca Scamacca (£35.5m) have failed to perform for the club in line with the major financial outlay that went on securing their services and this has been a colossal waste of money.

One of the worst signings in recent years was that of Issa Diop, who became the club’s record signing when he arrived in the summer of 2018 from Toulouse for a fee of £22m.

Following a bright spell in France, where he had played nearly 100 times for Toulouse, scoring six goals, the then 21-year-old looked as though he could become a mainstay of the West Ham defence for the next few years. It didn’t quite work out that way, unfortunately.

How much did Issa Diop cost West Ham United?

Initial impressions were fairly good, with the defender playing over 30 Premier League matches in his first and second seasons for the club, with Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho even lavishing praise on the young centre-back, describing him as a “monster” during a win against the Old Trafford side in his debut season.

Things started going wrong during the 6 foot 4 defender's third campaign in London. He made just 21 appearances in all competitions, and it was evident that David Moyes didn’t quite rate him, with last term being his worst in a West Ham shirt.

Across 13 league appearances, he averaged a Sofascore rating of just 6.69, with the club keeping just two clean sheets in the games he played in. the Frenchman ranked as low as 17th in the squad for overall performances, and it looked as though his time was coming to an end.

Indeed, Moyes signed Nayef Aguerd and Thilo Kehrer, further pushing Diop down the pecking order, and he was finally sold to Fulham for £15m, a solid enough return given his poor form.

During his four-year spell at the Hammers, Diop ransacked the club for a total of £35m (his £22m transfer fee plus £13m in wages during his 216-week spell) with that well and truly proving to be a colossal waste of money.

Diop is just another name in the vast carousel of recent West Ham signings that haven’t quite made the grade despite considerable hype upon their arrival and transfer business in the future will have to be a lot smarter to avoid big money flops and indeed, relegation scraps.

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou guided his rampant side to victory over Hearts on Wednesday evening in what was the 57-year-old’s 100th game in charge of the Old Firm outfit, with the Hoops coming from behind to seal a 3-1 win at Parkhead.

That triumph – which was the Greek-Aussie’s 74th win of his tenure thus far – has ensured that the Glasgow giants remain nine points above bitter rivals Rangers at the summit, with the Scottish champions looking rather imperious in the pursuit of their league crown.

On that landmark night for the experienced coach, Postecoglou was largely left to thank prolific marksman Kyogo Furuhashi for powering the Bhoys to three points, with the Japan international having simply stolen the show once again in attack.

How did Kyogo perform against Hearts?

With the hosts having suffered an early setback as Josh Ginelly fired Robbie Neilson’s men ahead inside six minutes, up stepped Kyogo to drag his side back into the game, with the 28-year-old producing a stunning, driven cross to tee up compatriot Daizen Maeda at the back post, with the latter man duly prodding home for his tenth goal of the season in all competitions.

That crucial assist had seen the former Vissel Kobe ace showcase his relentless dynamism to latch onto Anthony Ralston’s threaded pass down the flanks, with that expert movement having again been evident as the £19k-per-week man then completed the turnaround on the hour mark.

The diminutive striker showed “ridiculous movement” – in the words of journalist John McGinley – to make space for himself inside the area, before powering his fierce effort past a helpless Zander Clark following a typically pin-point pass from playmaker, Aaron Mooy.

Those two moments of magic – which were followed by a late stunner from substitute Sead Haksabanovic – further rubberstamped the 5 foot 7 gem’s importance to Postecoglou’s side, having again proven himself a truly “clever player”, as per journalist Liam O’Hare.

It is also remarkable that the 16-cap speedster was able to make such an impact despite having largely been on the periphery of the game, as he made just a solitary pass and was restricted to just 14 touches in total in his 70-minute outing – fewer than teammate Joe Hart recorded in the sticks (39).

Even after that starring role – which saw Kyogo record the highest match rating on the night of 7.8, as per Sofascore – Postecoglou was clearly frustrated at the inability to get the in-form asset further involved in proceedings, having stated post-match:

“Kyogo makes fantastic runs and sometimes I get really frustrated that after 18-20 months we still don’t see them. Could he be doing even more damage? Absolutely.

“We didn’t use him well but the beauty of it is that he doesn’t get frustrated, he keeps making those runs.”

It is a credit to the ‘electric’ talent – as described by Glasgow Live’s Matthew Fulton – that he is still able to steal the limelight even with his opportunities restricted, although it is a mouthwatering prospect to think that a player who already boasts 20 Scottish Premiership goals this season could be ‘doing even more damage’.

The rest of the division, beware…

Leeds United caretaker Michael Skubala has had a full week on the training ground with the senior squad as the search for Jesse Marsch’s successor rumbles on.

The U21 boss will continue in his interim role for this afternoon’s clash with Everton, as well as next weekend’s six-pointer with basement boys Southampton.

The Whites walked away with just a point from their double-header against Manchester United but he did manage to get the side playing a little better, just without the returns they desperately need right now.

Skubala is now tasked with a large task of picking up a victory against their relegation rivals in what is sure to be a high-pressure encounter at Goodison Park, where then-league leaders Arsenal lost recently.

The 40-year-old could bolster his charges and throw his name into the hat to get the gig full-time by making some pretty big calls, starting with Marsch favourite Jack Harrison.

Will Jack Harrison start against Everton?

The former Manchester City starlet has been a key player for the west Yorkshire outfit since their return to the Premier League, managing eight goals and eight assists in 2020/21 before another eight-goal return in the following season.

Since then, also via Transfermarkt, Harrison has managed just the one goal this campaign, with the 26-year-old managing only one assist across his last 17 top-flight appearances.

That level of form hardly warrants a start, yet he continues to feature from the off every weekend, and considering Skubala has managed the U21s to great success, he could be better off opting for somoene like Sam Greenwood.

Deployed recently as a no.10, Harrison has failed to create a single big chance, making his place in the role all that more baffling.

It echoes comments from Sky Sports pundit and ex-pro Michael Dawson, who lambasted the £35m-rated winger as “non-existent” back in August, whilst in the past, he has also been described as “awful” by reporter Jake Winderman.

If Skubala wants to truly throw his name in the hat, then he cannot afford to carry Harrison for another outing, especially in a must-win game of this magnitude.

AND in other news, Approach made: Leeds eye move for “special” 52 y/o manager, it’s a big risk from Radz…

Chelsea are still attempting to seal the signing of Enzo Fernandez but Benfica are ‘holding firm’, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Endless Chelsea links

No player has been linked with the Bkues more this month than the Argentine, who is still basking in the glory of his country’s 2022 World Cup success.

Fernandez enjoyed an exceptional tournament in Qatar, being named the Best Young Player, and he is now viewed as one of the finest young midfielders in Europe, ranking highly in several metrics on FBRef’s database.

With time running out in the January transfer window, a new update has emerged regarding Chelsea’s pursuit of the 22-year-old.

The Latest: Fresh update emerges

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Sheth said that the saga is still ‘definitely one to watch’, but Benfica are remaining stubborn:

“It is definitely one to watch but, as it stands with only six days to go in this window, Benfica are standing firm.

“They want that release clause or the deal doesn’t happen and you’ve got to think, with so little time to go, they’re still in the last 16 of the Champions League and how would they bring in a replacement in the time that remains?

“Also, a potential selling club would know that they’ve got £106million burning a hole in their pocket and they’ll just raise the price.”

The Verdict: Late signing would be huge

The longer this situation goes on, the more it looks as though Chelsea may have to wait until the summer to sign Fernandez, given Benfica’s unchanged stance.

That being said, there is still clear hope that the Blues could get their man this month and he is precisely what Graham Potter needs in the middle of the park, having been hailed as ‘spectacular’ by none other than Lionel Messi.

At 22, the £42,000-a-week earning midfield is almost a decade younger than the likes of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic, and he would bring fresh legs, having averaged an incredible 3.8 tackles per game in the Champions League this season.

A midfield signing is desperately needed, in order for Chelsea’s top-four challenge to gain some momentum, and Fernandez looks like the perfect addition given the technical ability and off-the-ball work he possesses.

West Ham United are among the frontrunners to sign Lorient striker Terem Moffi, according to reports.

The Lowdown: West Ham making moves…

Irons manager David Moyes was hugely boosted with a crucial 2-0 win over Everton at the London Stadium today, a result which eases the pressure on his position.

West Ham have also climbed out of the relegation zone with that victory, and it’s a result that the east London club could look to build upon to salvage their season.

Jarrod Bowen’s brace to secure all three points has provided a huge lift, and with 10 days of the January transfer window remaining, things could get better for Moyes with more additions.

The Latest: West Ham ‘leading the way’ for Moffi…

According to club insider ExWHUemployee via Patreon, West Ham and Ligue 1 outfit Nice are ‘leading the way’ for in-form forward Moffi.

While the player is thought to prefer remaining in France, the Hammers are hopeful of convincing him otherwise, coming as the 23-year-old is left out of today’s Lorient matchday squad.

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The Verdict: Get it done…

Over the 2022/23 season. the Nigeria international has bagged a very impressive 12 goals in 17 league starts for the French top-flight side, rivalling the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Jonathan David as the division’s top scorers.

Moffi would provide both quality and the potential to be more of a long-term signing for the Irons, given his age and his evident potential to get even better.

He has been called an ‘explosive talent’ by sections of the press over the last few seasons, with former Lorient boss Christophe Pelissier – now coach of Auxerre – absolutely raving over the 6 foot 3 talent.

He described Moffi as a ‘man of gold’ who ‘ticks all the boxes’ of a high-level player, and judging by plaudits like these, it’s clear why West Ham have taken a real interest in the 23-year-old.

Sky Sports presenter Joe Thomlinson is concerned by the lack of impact Nathan Jones has been able to make at Southampton.

The Lowdown: Worrying times for Southampton

The Saints are currently propping up the Premier League table with just two wins to their name, but they do appear to be addressing their worrying situation.

They’ve already moved to hand Jones some more tools in the form of Mislav Orsic, who arrives on the south coast with an impressive goalscoring record out in Croatia for Dinamo Zagreb.

Jones hasn’t been able to yet put a proper stamp on this Southampton side in terms of new signings, though while that will likely change very soon, the Welsh boss has seemingly changed very little on the pitch, having lost all his league games as manager.

The Latest: Jones has to be doing more

Thomlinson has slammed Jones on the Football Daily YouTube channel for not making a big enough impact on his Southampton side from a tactical point of view since his arrival.

He said: “My biggest concern is that they’ve appointed Nathan Jones prior to the Word Cup, he’s had 5-6 weeks working with this side, solidly, of a group of players… not many of them went to the World Cup.

“And they still don’t have a set formation, there’s still a different XI being put out every time, it doesn’t look like anybody knows what they’re doing out there. That is a massive concern.”

The Verdict: Unsure times ahead for the Saints

This will be very alarming for fans and Sport Republic watching on as their new appointment, who was brought in to drag them away from the threat of relegation, has arguably only made them worse, having now lost five league games in a row.

Southampton are in desperate need of some inspiration from their manager to bring about some fresh ideas that can help them pick up points to stop the rot of this horrid losing streak.

Jones did indeed have a large chunk of time with no distractions to get his ideas across during the World Cup, but it appears as though the squad have only been left confused and uninspired as there are few other explanations as to why they should be losing so many games.

Everton missed out on Ben Brereton Diaz on Deadline Day in the summer and now a new update has emerged on the club’s pursuit of the player ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Peter O’Rourke, Everton could revisit their interest in the Blackburn Rovers striker as he seems no closer to signing a new deal for his current club, despite being out of contract in six months.

Speaking to Football FanCast, O’Rourke claimed:

“I think Frank Lampard has been pretty adamant that they do need to bring in some attacking reinforcements due to their goal-scoring problems and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury issues as well.

“So yeah, sounds like Brereton Diaz [is a target], who Everton were interested in the summer transfer window, I’m sure they will be looking at his situation at Blackburn.

“He’s in the last six months of his contract now and it doesn’t seem he’s any closer to signing a new contract.”

He could save Everton’s season

The Toffees have found themselves once again teetering on the edge of the relegation zone ahead of their return to Premier League action next week.

Everton are currently 17th in the league table after a run of poor performances before the World Cup break and are now just one point clear of the relegation zone.

Despite only managing the squad since January, Frank Lampard has already experienced the difficulty of surviving in a relegation scrap and will be hoping that they can do enough to avoid a struggle for survival over the second half of the season.

Only Wolverhampton Wanderers have scored fewer goals in the top flight so far this season, so the signing of Brereton Diaz in January could be the linchpin in improving the attacking threat and increasing the goal contributions in the team.

The Rovers striker, valued at £20m, has been one of the Championship’s stand-out performers in front of goal over the last 18 months, and has shown no signs of slowing down during the season so far.

Over 23 Championship appearances, Brereton Diaz – who was hailed “elite” by Gary Brazil – has scored nine goals, registered three assists and created five big chances, as well as averaging one key pass, 2.7 shots on goals and 2.8 duels per game.

With that being said, if Lampard could secure the signing of Brereton Diaz in the new year it could transform Everton’s performances and ultimately save their season over the remainder of the campaign.

Wolves are one of several Premier League sides to be linked with Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz and the Chile international’s arrival could see Hwang Hee-chan leave Molineux.

According to 90min, the 23-year-old striker is on the shortlist of a number of top-flight sides including Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, West Ham, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Brighton ahead of the January window.

Brereton Diaz’s contract at Ewood Park is set to expire at the end of the current campaign which leaves the Lancashire outfit with a huge decision to make in the new year, as foreign clubs will be able to approach the striker on a pre-contract deal with the view to signing him on a free transfer.

Blackburn valued the former Nottingham Forest man at £20m during the summer after a hugely impressive campaign in the Championship which saw him hit 22 goals in just 35 appearances in the second tier, averaging a superb 7.06 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

He has continued that strong form into the new season with Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side, with nine league goals to his name thus far, and it is easy to see why Blackburn might demand a significant fee for him in January despite his contract situation, as they will be hoping that he can fire them to promotion to the Premier League.

Rovers currently sit third in the Championship so will fancy their chances of swapping places with Wolves for the 2023/24 campaign, but Julen Lopetegui has been brought in to avoid relegation at all costs.

The Spaniard takes over a side bottom of the top flight with just eight goals to their name, so signing a consistent goalscorer has to be a priority for the former Sevilla boss in January.

In the absence of Raul Jimenez, Pedro Neto and Sasa Kalajdzic for much of the season, the Old Gold have struggled to trouble Premier League defences, and Hwang’s poor form since joining permanently has been a big factor behind that.

After hitting five goals on loan from RB Leipzig last season it was hoped that the South Korea international, once dubbed a “top player,” could have a big impact going forward again in the current campaign.

However, he has struggled for regular game time and has been woeful on his rare starts, with WhoScored awarding him a shocking 6.15 average rating for his performances in the Premier League.

This ranks him as the 21st-best player at Molineux so far this campaign, which suggests that he needs to leave in January and that the “phenomenal” Brereton Diaz would be a significant upgrade in Lopetegui’s squad.