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David Moyes has confirmed that West Ham United will be without midfielder Pablo Fornals against Arsenal on Sunday due to injury, which should prove beneficial for Jarrod Bowen.

Fornals was forced to sit out the Irons’ 1-0 defeat to Manchester United last week after sustaining a groin issue and is not expected to overcome the blow in time for the London derby.

The Spaniard had regained a regular role in Moyes’ plans before the Hammers’ trip to Old Trafford, with the 25-year-old starting three straight Premier League fixtures.

Fornals had only enjoyed a single six-minute cameo in West Ham’s previous three top-flight games before opening the action against Tottenham Hotspur last month, and remained in the side for subsequent meetings with Manchester City and Leeds United.

Moyes will once again be unable to field the £16.2m-rated playmaker when West Ham host Mikel Arteta’s Gunners this weekend, as one of several players due to be sidelined.

“We’ve got just about everybody the same [as last week],” Moyes said on Friday. “Pablo Fornals is improving, and, on the injury front, Angelo Ogbonna is closing in and getting much closer to fitness but he’s a wee bit away.

“Arthur Masuaku and Andriy Yarmolenko are both getting much closer, as well, so hopefully, it won’t be too long until we’re back to a full squad.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-west-ham-news-and-views” title=” The latest West Ham news and views!”]

The international break which follows Sunday’s London derby should prove vastly beneficial for West Ham with Ogbonna (ankle), Fornals, Masuaku and Yarmolenko (knee) all seemingly moving closer to making their returns from injuries.

However, as Arsenal’s visit to the London Stadium will likely prove too early for some if not all, those who featured yet struggled against Manchester United will likely be given a reprieve and the chance to prove their worth this weekend.

Bowen will almost certainly fall into that category after his efforts alongside Michail Antonio in a two-man strike partnership left Moyes vastly underwhelmed at Old Trafford.

“We thought tonight that the way we would play with two up, Jarrod and Michail as two forwards to start with, we thought that might give them a problem to start with, so I saw that as being positive in a different way,” Moyes said, via quotes by football.london.

“But ultimately, we got better as the game went on when we brought on Manu [Lanzini] and Said [Benrahma] I would say that. I would also say Man United might have been better than they were and that the team that was out did not concede any goals, only one from a set-piece at that time and it was only after that that you can judge it.”

Bowen should expect to be kept in the starting line-up against Arsenal as Moyes will be able to return the former Hull City forward to his natural wide position with Fornals unavailable.

Moyes had moved the winger centrally to accommodate for Jesse Lingard being ineligible to face his parent club, but the Manchester United loanee is in line to make his return on Sunday.

A switch back to a 4-2-3-1 with Bowen on the right should help to see the £27m-rated maestro – who Darren Bent has described as an “example” for Said Benrahma to follow – find the form which eluded him last week and impressed Jamie Carragher earlier in the campaign.

“Bowen, he has been a brilliant signing for him [Moyes],” Carragher said on Sky Sports, via quotes shared by Hammers News, after scoring the winner against Aston Villa on November 30.

“He’s just one of those players, he always nicks a goal every three or four games, you just see him on the scoresheet. And again, he’s got a vital goal for them. He does really well on that right-side coming inside and he’s been a great signing for them.”

AND in other news, a West Ham winter target is set to be available for £17m this summer…

Leicester City came from behind to claim a point against Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening.

Kelechi Iheanacho got the all-important goal to haul the Foxes level following Matej Vydra’s early opener.

Brendan Rodgers’ men probed for a winner in the second-half but could not get past a stubborn Burnley rearguard – the catalyst of all of their creativity being winger Marc Albrighton.

The former Aston Villa man was only introduced in the 67th minute of the game as he replaced Iheanacho but he certainly left an impression during his brief cameo.

He managed to get 21 touches of the ball according to WhoScored – six more than Foxes star Jamie Vardy who played the full game – and was extremely positive in going forwards.

He made two key passes during the match, as well as having two shots at goal, one being a powerful effort that was just kept out by Burnley stopper Nick Pope.

Albrighton’s general play was also very crisp and composed, too, racking up a 93.8% pass accuracy which was only bettered by fellow Leicester substitute Sidnei Tavares.

It was certainly an impressive performance then from the £4.5m-rated Leicester man and may well see him earn a few more starts as the season begins to draw to a close.

With regular wideman Harvey Barnes set to be out injured with a knee injury for a few more weeks according to Brendan Rodgers, it now gives Albrighton the perfect opportunity to stake a claim in the starting XI and build on his Turf Moor appearance.

After all, his season statistics are not the most convincing having only scored once and provided three assists in all competitions.

But, the winger’s energetic and lively display after coming off the bench against the Clarets on Wednesday should surely see Albrighton become an excellent option for the Foxes over these coming days.

In other news, Leicester links to Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim continue to baffle…

Gary Mabbutt has told Football FanCast that Tottenham Hotspur can beat Dinamo Zagreb as long as Jose Mourinho unleashes the full force of his attack in the Europa League Round of 16.

Spurs have progressed to the last-16 after a series of thumping wins in the competition.

Mourinho’s side beat Wolfsberger 8-1 on aggregate in the last-16, and also beat Ludogorets 3-1 and 4-0 in the group stages, while beating LASK 3-0.

There were some poor results too; a 1-0 loss to Royal Antwerp marked perhaps the nadir of Mourinho’s reign, while a 3-3 draw with LASK was notable mainly for the lack of defensive organisation.

But Spurs have progressed to within spitting distance of the quarter final and the draw with Zagreb could be seen as favourable.

Indeed, Manchester United drew AC Milan, while the likes of Arsenal, Ajax, and Roma were all drawn elsewhere.

Mabbutt admits that the draw could have been tougher, but he thinks Zagreb are a fine team who will provide a stern test.

The Croatian outfit conceded just once in the group stages, coming through a group including Wolfsberger, Feyenoord, and CSKA Moscow.

Mabbutt told FFC: “Yes. I mean, of course, when we look at the teams who are involved in the draw, there are teams you think, oh, I’d like to avoid those. But yeah, any team to get to this stage in the Europa League, obviously, are fantastic teams. And certainly there are ones that you would prefer to avoid more than others.

“Zagreb, I think, if you look at their records in European competition, never got past the last 16 in the Europa League, so hoping the same thing happens this year.

“But yeah, in fact, last year, they actually set a European record for going nearly the whole of the group stage without conceding a goal. They conceded that going into the last 15 minutes of their sixth group stage match. So again, obviously, as a manager, you look at that, and you see that they may be quite strong defensively.”

And, as a result, Mabbutt believes Spurs need to top-load the team and bring in some of the strongest attacking players available to Mourinho in order to breach Zagreb’s defences.

Indeed, he has insisted that if Mourinho can get the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, and Gareth Bale all firing, no team in the world would want to come up against them.

He added: “Well, if I was a manager, I would make sure that I keep my defence strong and then throw everything I’ve got at them, and unleash Kane, Son, Bale. If you’ve got a team, you’ve got players like, Harry Kane, Son, Gareth Bale, Dele Alli, Lamela, Ndombele. If you’ve got all those players on top form, there’s not a team in the world would like to face those players now.”

Recent Leeds recruit Rodrigo has made some interesting comments on his preferred position to play in. Speaking to BBC Sport, the £57,000 per week summer signing admitted that he is most comfortable operating just behind the striker.

Despite being pegged as a centre-forward, the Spaniard would rather play in support of Patrick Bamford in order to maximise threat in front of goal.

According to Transfermarkt, Rodrigo has made just four appearances in his preferred role out of his total 18 as a Leeds player. In other matches, the 29-year-old has been deployed as either a striker or attacking midfielder.

Voicing his preference and where he feels most clinical may have thrown a spanner in the works for Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentinian rarely strays from his 4-1-4-1 staple formation, which leaves little room for Rodrigo to operate in his favoured role.

However, his comments may make Bielsa sit up and listen and start to experiment more with his lineups. Leeds have struggled in attack recently, winning just four of their last ten fixtures across all competitions. Their unstoppable flair from last season seems to have dimmed since their promotion and they must dig deep to rediscover it.

The Premier League is a cruel mistress and it can chew up and spit out the lesser prepared teams with ease. After 16 years away from the top flight, the Whites can’t afford to fall at the first hurdle.

Bielsa must dare to do something different and catch his opponents off guard. Although they bagged an impressive 5-0 win over West Brom last month, Leeds have been very inconsistent with finding the back of the net. They also rely heavily on Bamford, who is the club’s leading scorer by a landslide right now, with 10 goals to the next in line’s three, via BBC Sport.

Switching up his formation and trusting in players like Rodrigo’s ability could transfer Leeds and spark up their clinical nature once again.

In other news, Marcus Tavernier would be ideal Jack Harrison replacement…

David Moyes risks laying bare West Ham United’s desperation by pursuing a deal to sign a free-agent to solve his lack of depth at striker after Sebastien Haller’s exit.

What’s the word?

According to Irons insider ExWHUemployee, while speaking on The West Ham Way podcast, Moyes could look to explore the free-agent market after refusing to sign a centre-forward during the mid-season window.

The Hammers boss was adamant that he would not bring a player in “just for the sake of it”, and instead opted to keep the £20m raised from Haller joining Ajax to put toward his budget for the summer.

But things have only gotten worse at the London Stadium since that decision, with doubt now lingering over Michail Antonio’s fitness after showing signs of serious fatigue at Fulham and being rested for the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United.

West Ham have also lost Andriy Yarmolenko for the foreseeable, after the Ukraine winger sustained knee ligament damage at Old Trafford while leading the line in the absence of Antonio.

Teen prospect Mipo Odubeko came on to replace Yarmolenko but struggled to get going and was eventually replaced in extra-time, yet he and Jarrod Bowen may be Moyes’ only options for when the Irons host Sheffield United on Monday night.

Hammers insider ExWHUemployee believes the situation could force the club to look into signing a free-agent to help add depth until the end of the season, but West Ham currently have no active plans in place.

Laying West Ham’s desperation bare

Moyes potentially now looking at adding a free-agent to support Antonio would prove his decision not to sign a striker in January was a huge blunder, and one that will lay bare his desperation to atone for the mistake.

West Ham will not be blessed with that many great options should they hit the scrapheap, either, with ex-Chelsea forward Diego Costa the only free-agent striker with a TransferMarkt valuation above £3.5m after he agreed to have his £265,000-per-week Atletico Madrid contract terminated early.

Costa departed the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in December as Atleti sought to reduce their wage bill, and agreed to tear up the final six months of his deal after spending periods out since September with coronavirus, a hamstring injury and deep-vein thrombosis.

The Spaniard returned earlier than expected to score the last of his 83 career goals for Los Colchoneros in a 3-1 La Liga win over Elche in December, and was linked with a move to the London Stadium in January.

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass urged West Ham to make a move for Costa while speaking exclusively to Football FanCast last month, but reports by football.london on Deadline Day claimed there was no truth in the rumours of a move to the Hammers.

If Costa is still not a target, other free-agents to consider include Daniel Sturridge – who has been without a club since March – Alexandre Pato – without a club since August – and Wilfried Bony – who has played 10 games since April 2019.

Clearly, then, the options are not great, so it remains to be seen if even desperation will force Moyes into accepting he was wrong and now signing someone no one else wants.

AND in other news, West Ham will have to pay in excess of £26.5m to land a prolific 18 goal striker in the summer…

Sunderland players will have a rare opportunity to spend their Christmas at home.

Unfortunately, it’s not exactly come about in ideal circumstances. Over ten players have tested positive for the dreaded pandemic and thus, the Academy of Light is closed and three games have been postponed.

Yet, Lee Johnson and Kristjaan Speakman still need to be switched on.

On the chalkboard

Sunderland’s main problem this season, specifically under Phil Parkinson, was having players capable of going beyond a defender.

Charlie Wyke has been among the goals but he’s not someone that will get in behind and race away. With Chris Maguire out of form and Aiden McGeady alienated until Johnson arrived, you can see why there has been some attacking pedigree lacking.

Consequently, the new manager wants players capable of stretching the play in January.

Of course, the emergence of Jack Diamond has given Johnson another option to consider but he is still an incredibly raw talent.

Perhaps the help of a Premier League youngster could do the trick?

The solution

Potential buyer William Storey admitted last weekend that he has plans to bring in young academy players from Premier League U23 sides if he seals a takeover. Thus, The Sunderland Echo pieced together a list of possible targets.

One name to emerge was Manchester United hotshot Anthony Elanga. Aged 18, they don’t come much younger than that at senior level, but he’d be an astute capture for a Mackems side in dire need of a pace injection.

Elanga is capable of playing through the middle as a striker or on the left-wing and he has the ability to cause havoc wherever he’s played. The teenager has scored six goals and registered three assists in all competitions at youth level this season and would arrive at the Stadium of Light with a glowing reputation.

Speaking during a Manchester United youth game, Leicester television commentators labelled him a “speedball” before Red Devils legend Gary Neville compared the technique of his finish to a certain Thierry Henry.

“He’s a nightmare to play against,” Neville added. If this doesn’t get you excited, nothing will. Elanga is a prestigious talent capable of ripping it up in League One if he’s given enough license.

He’d be an exceptional capture but like all signings, someone must lose out. On this occasion, it would probably be Danny Graham, a forward who hasn’t scored all season.

The experienced striker was signed for a second spell in the summer but hasn’t exactly done very well. Thus Elanga would simply have to take his place in the squad if he joins on loan.

AND in other news, Storey can secure IMMEDIATE success in Jan with genius Sunderland strategy…

Sheffield Wednesday are still looking for their fifth permanent manager in three years following the sacking of Tony Pulis nearly a month ago.

The 63-year-old was given his marching orders by Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri after a run of games which saw the Yorkshiremen win just once in ten outings.

Pulis was soon thrown under the bus by the Thai businessman for a variety of reasons, but what stuck out most was how unhappy he was with the style of football on offer.

Chansiri told reporters in a virtual press conference, via talkSPORT: “I was not convinced about his style of play so it was not the right choice,” before adding: “I told him I don’t like the old English style but he told me he wouldn’t play like that, his tactics would depend on the opponents.”

This is something he’ll have to get right with his next appointment and he ought to look no further than Slavisa Jokanovic, who has been linked with the vacant managerial role in the past week.

The 52-year-old has twice won promotion from the Championship, taking both Watford and then Fulham up to the Premier League, which ultimately will be the Owls’ long-term goal should they stave off relegation this campaign.

It’s been over 20 years since top-flight football was played at Hillsborough Stadium.

Aside from his obvious ability to improve teams drastically, Jokanovic has always been lauded for his exciting and attacking brand of football. Indeed, his Cottagers were once dubbed the ‘Man City of the Championship’ by the Guardian’s Paul MacInnes.

In addition to that, the Premier League’s official website wrote this about that very side: “They play attractive football based on movement and domination of the ball.”

Former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe once lauded the Serbian as an “outstanding coach” to Sky Sports, and added: “The style of play is one that draws a lot of praise, a lot of plaudits last year for the way they did it.”

While Jordi Cruyff, who appointed him at Maccabi Tel Aviv, also praised his coaching ability, he said: “He played various systems. He does like to play from behind but he also likes to adapt himself to moments that he might not have control of. I think his reading of the game was very good.”

The Owls have endured many a playing style over the years, but this type of football is most comparable to that of the Ron Atkinson era, the very man to guide Wednesday to League Cup glory in 1991.

ExaminerLive described his side as “attractive” and “entertaining,” claiming that they had a “swashbuckling style of play,” so it’s easy to see why so many would be keen to see Jokanovic appointed.

Time is running out this January for any new hire, so Chansiri ought to act sooner rather than later and there isn’t a better candidate than the two-time promotion winner out there right now.

He could bring shades of Atkinson back to south Yorkshire.

AND in other news, Forget Murphy: Owls must secure future for £20k-p/w ace who Pulis dubbed a “top player”…

Should Danny Ings leave Southampton in the near future, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur having been linked with a move for the 28-year-old in recent times, Ralph Hasenhuttl might be able to trust academy talent Dan N’Lundulu to step up as the striker’s replacement.

Ings has been in superb form in the last two seasons, finishing as the joint-second top scorer in the Premier League last season, after notching 22 goals in the top-flight, whilst he has started this season in a similar vein, having contributed five goals and two assists in seven Premier League appearances, resulting in a superb average rating of 7.52 (per WhoScored).

Therefore, it is unsurprising that the former Liverpool man has been linked with sides such as Spurs in recent times, and with his contract at Southampton set to expire at the end of next season, perhaps the Saints should start to consider how they can replace him.

Fortunately for the South Coast club, their excellent academy has produced some superb talents over the years, and 21-year-old Dan N’Lundulu could be the next man off the production line to make it as a Premier League player with the Saints.

The striker was poached from Chelsea’s youth team back in 2013 and he has progressed through the various academy sides at Southampton and is now surely knocking on Hasenhuttl’s door for a first-team spot.

The youngster has scored five goals in five Premier League 2 games so far this season, including a hat-trick in their last game against Manchester City U23s, which resulted in a 5-2 win for the Saints (per Transfermarkt).

N’Lundulu was rewarded for his efforts with a first-team debut for Southampton in their 2-0 win against Everton recently, as he came on as a late substitute in the victory against the Toffees (per Transfermarkt).

Perhaps, with Ings not expected to be back until next month, we will see N’Lundulu given more of a chance to shine in Hasenhuttl’s side over the coming weeks, although he will do well to replace the in-form Che Adams at the moment.

It will be interesting to see how N’Lundulu progresses over the next couple of seasons and whether he can be the man to replace Ings should the 28-year-old depart Southampton in the near future.

West Brom came out victorious in the battle of the bottom two in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

Slaven Bilic’s side defeated Sheffield United at the Hawthorns to finally pick up their first win of the 2020/21 campaign, meaning the rock bottom Blades are now the only winless side remaining in the English top-flight.

Many of the plaudits will go to midfield loan star Conor Gallagher as he bagged the all-important goal in the first half. He was left unmarked on the edge of the area, firing home amongst a heavily-crowded penalty area.

Although, it was another Baggies player that ran the show for Bilic – Matheus Pereira.

The 24-year-old, who is valued at €20m (£18m), was the orchestrator of the engine room, recording a total of 72 touches, and had he been supplying a better frontline, then Albion may well have had a field day on their own patch.

Per SofaScore, Pereira made 36 passes at a success rate of 84%, of which nine were key passes. He also managed three shots, two dribbles, two clearances and one tackle.

BirminghamLive’s Joseph Chapman graded the Brazilian playmaker’s display a 9/10, and claimed: “The Pereira we’ve wanted to see at this level all season. One glorious ball over the top meant for Grant deserved an assist, but for the striker’s mis-control. Some of his through balls were quite mesmeric.”

It really is no wonder the club want to hand him a fresh contract despite only just signing permanently this summer. Pereira could see his £30k-per-week wages rise substantially, as per John Percy at the Telegraph.

Part of the reason for his success against the Blades was the fact that he was finally deployed as a number ten, rather than a winger. No other player on the pitch had more touches, key passes or crosses.

That only emphasises how crucial his impact was on Saturday night.

Now it’s on Bilic to keep him in the role as the Baggies nudged out of the dropzone with the victory.

AND in other news, West Brom must thank Guochuan Lai for his £18m finest parting gift…

Glasgow Rangers ran riot over Celtic at Parkhead on Saturday to move four points clear of their Old Firm rivals at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.

Steven Gerrard’s side dominated the derby from start to finish to record a 2-0 win at Celtic Park, and they are currently enjoying a 14-game unbeaten streak as a result – dating back to the 1-0 win away at Aberdeen – meaning they are early favourites to reclaim the title.

The Light Blues took an early lead when Connor Goldson headed them in front and the centre-back doubled the lead after the restart. But one player stood out from the rest.

James Tavernier put in a performance to remember as Rangers romped to victory over their arch-rivals. It was announced last month that the club captain had been named Premiership Player of the Month after scoring three goals in September.

And Tavernier certainly lived up to pre-match expectations as he ran up and down the flank with abandon, combining with Brandon Barker and Ryan Kent on multiple occasions.

Per SofaScore, the 28-year-old showed exactly what he has to offer, as he won 66% of his aerials duels whilst he supplied the assist for the opening goal and provided one key pass, as well as made two clearances, two tackles and one interception. A look at his heatmap shows the workhorse put in a shift with acres of space down the right wing.

As is often the case, a workmanlike performance can often go unnoticed, especially when a player like Goldson steals the limelight. But his contributions cannot be ignored, especially when you consider the fact that his sublime free kick enabled his teammate to open the scoring after just eight minutes on the clock.

Moreover, Celtic failed to muster a single shot on target, which speaks volumes. Whilst Neil Lennon’s side may argue that they were without Odsonne Edouard and Ryan Christie, it’s hard to deny the fact that they were outclassed in almost every area of the pitch.

It’s perhaps hardly surprising that Tavernier attracted interest from West Ham in the summer. One thing is for sure, the Gers must keep the £4.5m-rated ace at all costs, as it is highly unlikely that he will be short of suitors in the winter transfer window.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must keep Glen Kamara at all costs after Pukki comments…