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When Raul Jimenez suffered a horrendous fractured skull against Arsenal back in November, there were big fears for Wolves given his impressive contributions up top – he’s scored 47 goals in just 110 games for the club.

And since Jimenez went down, the Old Gold have won just four of their last 14 matches. It’s been a torrid period for Nuno Santo who has watched his side capitulate in recent months.

They have kept a solitary clean sheet in the Premier League since October, but their win over Arsenal on this occasion will have done them wonders.

The confidence was back in full swing and it was hardly a surprise that with a robust striker in Willian Jose to aim for in attack, they improved. Though, despite goals from Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, it was Pedro Neto who put the Gunners to the sword.

Neto is having a tremendous season and despite Wolves’ struggles, he has taken on the mantle as their chief creator with ease. With Jimenez out, the Portugal international is very quickly becoming their diamond in the rough.

His performances have continued with the same vigour in recent months and his tally of four goals and four assists are bettered by no one in the Wolves squad this season.

The 20-year-old has been quite the force this term and he demonstrated that against Arsenal. Neto gave Hector Bellerin a torrid time and when the Gunners went down to ten and then nine men, he exploited the open spaces ruthlessly.

Neto provided two key passes during the game and such was the space he received on the left that he attempted eight crosses. That was the highest number of balls into the area of anyone on the pitch.

On top of that, the youngster terrorised Bellerin by completing a massive five dribbles. That tally was significantly up on his season average of 2.2 dribbles per game.

He has been a threatening ball of energy for the entire season and ranks among one of the most intense runners in the Premier League – sitting high up on the list of players with the most sprints per 90 minutes.

If anything typified Neto, it would be a piece of descriptive tweeting from Tim Spiers on Tuesday evening. As the winger drove past two Arsenal players in the second half, he said: “Neto twists into the box like a champion slalom skier.”

It was the perfect way to express Neto’s qualities. He is a radiant attacking weapon capable of upsetting even the sternest of defences.

Arsenal had conceded just once in the Premier League since Boxing Day but they found life difficult against the Portuguese this week.

It’s a testament to how much he’s improved and to his overall qualities. He has fast become Nuno’s star man at Molineux.

AND in other news, Drop him: Wolves liability who lost 66% of his duels continues to let Nuno down…

Southampton have been dealt a huge blow ahead of their game against Leicester City on Saturday, as Danny Ings has been ruled out after testing positive for the current viral outbreak.

Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed in his pre-match conference on Thursday that the England international would be forced to sit out the game against the Foxes after a positive test, as he will now have to self-isolate due to the government’s guidelines.

This comes as a big blow for the Austrian as he saw his side fail to score in three games over the Christmas period that Ings missed through injury before the former Liverpool man returned to score the winner against his old side in the Saints’ last Premier League fixture.

It is an important game against Brendan Rodgers’ side on Saturday evening, with both sides having enjoyed an impressive start to the season which sees them challenging for a top-four spot, so to have your top scorer missing is obviously a huge blow for the South Coast club.

So far this season, the 28-year-old has managed seven goals and three assists in just 13 top-flight appearances for Southampton, averaging a superb 7.17 rating.

The Englishman is picking up where he left off last season, where he finished as the second joint-top scorer in the Premier League, despite a disjointed season so far where injuries, and now the current viral outbreak, have ruled him out of matches.

Last season, Eddie Howe was full of praise for the striker, saying:

“The most impressive thing about Danny is, of course, he’s an outstanding player.”

“Technically he’s very good, plays with real intelligence and the way he’s come back from his disappointments, the injury setbacks he’s had, the way he’s fought back and kept his mental strength has been hugely impressive.”

Hasenhuttl will surely be frustrated to have his top goalscorer missing for the game against Leicester and he now faces a dilemma on who to select up front alongside Che Adams, who should return after missing the game against Liverpool with a concussion.

And, in other news… Southampton signing England U21 gem would cast doubt over the future of Hasenhuttl favourite

The France forward was clinical in front of goal while the Italian goalkeeper made seven excellent saves to lift Luis Enrique's side to the summit

Kylian Mbappe grabbed the goals at one end, and Gianluigi Donnarumma kept Paris Saint-Germain alive at the other as Luis Enrique's side saw off an adventurous Reims on Saturday. Despite being out-shot and failing to control the game for long periods, Mbappe's hat-trick and Donnarumma's glut of saves secured a 3-0 win that was harder-earned than the scoreline suggested.

Mbappe opened the scoring after three minutes, guiding a volley into the bottom corner after a fine piece of set-up play from Ousmane Dembele. Reims almost equalised immediately, though, when Junya Ito had the ball in the net — only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside in the build-up. The home side had further chances, too, as they peppered the PSG goal for most of the first half, forcing Donnarumma into three sharp saves.

Mbappe found a crucial second after the break, though, as Carlos Soler burst down the left, and played a perfectly-weighted pass for the oncoming Frenchman — who couldn't miss from three yards out. Reims goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf made one impressive stop keep Mbappe from completing his treble, but the France captain couldn't be denied at the second time of asking, as he drifted into space inside the box and curled a cut-back into the far corner to kill the game for good.

GOAL rates PSG's players from Stade Auguste-Delaune II…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (9/10):

  Made a few neat saves in the first half to keep his side ahead. Was even better after the break. Arguably his best showing in a PSG shirt so far.

  Carlos Soler (6/10):

  A puzzling inclusion at right-back. Assisted Mbappe's second, but was nightmarish defensively.

  Marquinhos (8/10):

  Made a couple of crucial blocks inside the first 10 minutes to protect the lead. Equally important in the second half. PSG's captain is nearing his best.

  Milan Skriniar (6/10):

  The muscle at the back for the Parisians, though he wasn't always the most comfortable on the ball.

  Nordi Mukiele (6/10):

  A solid run out for a player who is still working his way back from injury. Kept things tidy, and didn't do much wrong.

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  Midfield

  Warren Zaire-Emery (6/10):

  A bit quieter than usual as Reims controlled the middle of the park. Some good moments, but is clearly more effective with a bigger defensive midfielder alongside him.

  Fabian Ruiz (6/10):

  Looked overwhelmed by Reims' midfield in the first half, but was much better as his side grew into the game after the break.

  Lee Kang-In (7/10):

  Made plenty of driving runs, and got most of his distribution right, too. He's been impressive recently.

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  Attack

  Ousmane Dembele (6/10):

  Set up the Parisians' opener, even if his assist was probably an overhit cross to Mbappe. Impactful otherwise, but his final pass was lacking.

  Goncalo Ramos (4/10):

  Handed a start with Kolo Muani suspended. Only lasted 45 minutes. He's struggling in Paris.

  Kylian Mbappe (9/10):

  Took his first goal wonderfully with a signature driven finish. Angled his run perfectly to bag his second. Made a tricky third look easy. Moved to a more central position in the second half, where he was even more involved. The world's best?

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  Subs & Manager

  Vitinha (7/10):

  Introduced at half-time to offer some midfield control. Was crucial in PSG's revival after the break.

  Bradley Barcola (7/10):

  An exciting cameo. Assisted Mbappe's third.

  Cher Ndour (N/A):

  No time to make an impact.

  Lucas Hernandez (N/A):

  Prevented any late blushes with a solid 10 minutes.

  Luis Enrique (7/10):

  Made some odd decisions, including Soler at full-back and starting a rather light midfield. His side grabbed an early goal, were second-best for long stretches, and turned it on for the last 30 minutes. Not perfect, but very good.

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Fulham have completed the signing of Havard Nordtveit on loan from Bundesliga club Hoffenheim, the Premier League side have confirmed via their official website.

What’s the word?

Nordtveit is well aware of the rigours of English football and spent part of his career at Arsenal between 2007 and 2011, though he failed to make his first-team debut for the club.

He also spent the 2016-17 season at West Ham United, making a total of 21 appearances for the club, per Transfermarkt.

Nordtveit has struggled for minutes at Hoffenheim thus far this season, however, playing eight times in the Bundesliga and three times in the Champions League.

He has now returned to English football with Fulham, as they attempt to climb their way out of the relegation zone.

Claudio Ranieri’s men are currently 19th with 17 points, six points behind 17th-placed Burnley.

Strange addition

While Nordtveit bolsters Fulham’s squad, there were precious few signs at West Ham that he was cut out for English football.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

The midfielder struggled to nail down a first-team spot in east London and made just 11 starts in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt.

It remains to be seen if Ranieri can bring the best out of the Norway international – he has won a total of 45 caps.

Fulham had best hope he hits the ground running though as they attempt to move away from the relegation zone.

Despite claiming an impressive 2-1 win over Everton last week in the Premier League, Aston Villa manager Dean Smith must consider dropping Bertrand Traore for Sunday afternoon’s clash against Manchester United.

While the Burkina Faso international claimed the assist for Anwar El Ghazi’s goal, the winger hasn’t been consistent enough over these past few weeks to warrant still being in the starting line-up.

Alan Hutton has raised his concerns about Traore and the rest of Villa’s attack recently, saying that it’s looked a “struggle” to score goals.

He said: “Defensively, they’ve been strong but moving forward they just don’t create enough. Simple as that. They have tried different things, whether it be Trezeguet, Traore, Anwar, Ross Barkley coming off the bench. It looks a struggle at times.”

In response to Hutton’s comments, former Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie spoke exclusively to Football FanCast about how Traore, among others, has really failed to step up in Jack Grealish’s absence.

He said: “I think what Hutts is talking about is that with Jack not being in the frame, you need standout players, you need exciting players that are going to step up to the plate and fulfil Jack’s role, because otherwise you’re going to get branded as almost a one-man team.

“So, yes, I’m totally, totally with Hutts on that because when you’ve got someone of his (Traore) ability, that’s where he needs to come on and be that player.”

With no goals in the Premier League since mid-February, Traore just hasn’t shown the kind of cutting edge up front which Smith has desperately needed from him, especially with Grealish out injured – in fact, as per Whoscored, out of the last ten matches he has played for Villa, only once has he gone above a 7.0 match rating.

With high-flying Manchester United to come on Sunday, Smith will need all his players in form and on song, and he can’t afford to be carrying any passengers in his team.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/villa-dean-smith-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-premier-league-buendia-berge-mcneil-trezeguet-villa-park” title=”Read the latest Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

The £55,000-a-week Traore has been ineffective for a while now, and it’s about time Smith takes him out of the firing line.

Meanwhile, Villa must land this £60m-rated star in the summer…

Jisheng Gao has seemingly been handed a huge boost at Southampton this week, as Bayern Munich have appointed Julian Nagelsmann as their new manager, a move which should see Ralph Hasenhuttl remain at St Mary’s.

The Austrian had been touted as a potential replacement for Hans-Dieter Flick at the Allianz Arena, after he announced that he wanted to leave the Bundesliga side following their Champions League exit against PSG.

Although Southampton have struggled in the second half of this season, Hasenhuttl has won a lot of plaudits for the way in which his side plays, whilst he has also impressed in the Bundesliga in the past with RB Leipzig, so could definitely have been an attractive option for Die Roten.

Saints fans were clearly behind Hasenhuttl in the summer after a superb end to last season which saw them comfortably avoid relegation, with a poll run by The Athletic revealing that they had the most optimistic fans ahead of the new season.

The South Coast club were able to continue that fine run of form into the new campaign and they topped the Premier League table for the first time in their history after recording a 2-0 win against Newcastle United back in November.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/southampton-saints-ralph-hasenhuttl-martin-semmens-st-marys” title=”Latest Southampton news, transfer rumours and more”]

He earned a lot of praise from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola earlier in the season, with the Spanish manager suggesting that he is an “exceptional manager”.

Unfortunately, the Saints have capitulated since the turn of the year, although injury problems and a serious lack of squad depth have certainly played their part.

Hasenhuttl has promised a rebuild this summer and there is no major reason why the Saints can’t push on next season should he be backed in the transfer window.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431″]

Therefore, it is a big relief for Gao and Southampton fans that Bayern Munich are appointing RB Leipzig boss Nagelsmann, as if they had made an approach for Hasenhuttl, surely the opportunity to manage the current Champions League holders would have been too good for him to turn down.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Vestergaard: Semmens should seal Saints swoop for £4.5m-rated beast 

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer believes Sergio Aguero could join Marcelo Bielsa’s side in what would be an astonishing summer move.

The Manchester City striker is set to leave the Etihad at the end of the season when his contract expires and, according to 90min, Leeds are keen on bringing him to Elland Road.

The same outlet reports that Chelsea are also interested in signing Aguero, meaning the Whites could face some serious competition for the 32-year-old’s signature.

Palmer, however, still thinks Aguero to Leeds is a possibility, though he believes the Argentina international’s wages could be a potential stumbling block.

On the rumours that Leeds could move for Aguero in the summer, the ex-Whites player told FFC in an exclusive interview:

“I was thinking about this today; it could be a possibility because Sergio wouldn’t have to move – obviously he lives in Manchester. I think at Sergio’s age, he wouldn’t want to go anywhere and be a bit-part.

“So, you know, when they’re talking about top clubs like Chelsea and whatever, if he’s not guaranteed of playing every week, which I think he’s going to fall into that category now with his injuries and with his age, Leeds could be a good shout. The problem that would be, I would assume, would be his salary.”

Outside of England, Aguero, who managed to score 23 goals in all competitions last season, is said to be attracting interest from the likes of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

Many Everton fans have been left to laud a transfer update by Paul Joyce on Max Aarons.

Writing in his latest piece for The Times, the football journalist has claimed that the Goodison Park faithful have ‘identified’ the Norwich City ace as a potential option at right-back in the summer window and will look to ‘haggle down’ his £30m asking price.

Aarons is reportedly ‘keen’ on moving to Merseyside, but the Canaries are not budging on their valuation for a player who still has three years left on his current deal at Carrow Road remaining.

With Seamus Coleman at 32 years of age now, Carlo Ancelotti’s team certainly need to think about finding a long-term replacement for the Republic of Ireland international, and at 21 years old and clearly with a lot of potential, Aarons could well fit the bill for the Toffees.

Everton fans on Joyce’s Aarons transfer update

These Blues lauded the transfer update on Aarons on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far as to claim that the England U21 international would be a ‘perfect’ replacement for Coleman:

“Fans “identified” Max Aarons more than a year ago. Get it done @Everton”

Credit: @toffeejones

“Yippeeeee”

Credit: @EkoRifky

“Yes please”

Credit: @Reservoirfrogs_

“Be a boss signing that”

Credit: @joshuanorman97

“Perfect Coleman replacement and it seems that Aarons is interested in coming”

Credit: @taylor_davies77

“This is very much needed”
Credit: @jacnnor
In other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano transfer update Toffees have flocked to here!

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to right their midweek wrongs when they return to Premier League action this evening.

Jose Mourinho’s side head to the Midlands to face an Aston Villa side who are just one place behind them in the standings ahead of kickoff.

The north London giants embarrassingly crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday night, so now a desperate push for the top four is required if Spurs are to get back into the Champions League.

But tonight’s encounter is no mean feat, and Mourinho has plenty to ponder…

On the Chalkboard

Individual defensive mistakes were once again the root cause of much of Spurs’ woes, so the Portuguese boss ought to make some changes to his backline, especially as Villa now have a prolific option in Ollie Watkins.

Mourinho was reportedly interested in signing the 25-year-old as a back-up to Harry Kane during the summer window, but he was always playing a losing game – firstly, no one wants to be a second choice, and secondly, he cost a whopping £33m with add-ons.

But boy, has that transfer paid off for Dean Smith. Watkins has bagged 12 times in all competitions this season, including a hat-trick against Liverpool and a brace against arch-rivals, Arsenal. Clearly, the “lethal” talisman likes to turn up for the big occasion.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-spurs-news-mourinho-levy-gossip” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs news, rumours and more!”]

Given the number of issues Spurs have had at the back, it seems like a recipe for disaster if Mourinho were to start both Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier – the pair were dubbed the worst partnership in the league by ex-Spurs midfielder and talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara.

On the latter, he added: “As a centre-half, he just looks lost around the box. In my opinion, he needs to be dropped.”

And we’re inclined to agree. As we outlined after the Europa League game, the long-serving star badly let down the fanbase. Evening Standard reporter Dan Kilpatrick claimed the 27-year-old endured a ‘wretched’ night, claiming: ‘Defensively all over the shop and passing was poor. Gave away silly fouls.’

Watkins averages 2.8 shots per game and is fouled an average of 1.3 times per outing too, via WhoScored. So based on his midweek display, £85k-per-week Dier has no place to be starting as he’ll get torn apart, especially as he has only managed 0.8 tackles per match, too.

Another key ability of Watkins is his pace and acceleration, something that isn’t on Dier’s side either – speaking to Football Insider this week, pundit Alan Hutton claimed the Spurs centre-back “gets exposed at times with a lack of pace.”

Often lambasted as a “liability” amongst the fanbase, the £26m-rated calamity should be axed from Mourinho’s starting XI tonight. If he starts, he could well be haunted by Watkins all night, and then the pressure will only mount on the likes of Harry Kane and Gareth Bale to deliver.

AND in other news, Levy’s genius: Spurs struck dream deal over £45m-rated gem dubbed “phenomenal” by Gold…

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting to a fresh update on Udinese star Rodrigo De Paul, who remains a transfer target for the Reds.

It has been a bitterly disappointing season for Jurgen Klopp’s men, whose only hope of rescuing their campaign is by winning the Champions League in May.

Liverpool’s defence of their Premier League title has fizzled out in frustrating fashion, with injuries hampering the squad hugely and six home defeats in a row almost impossible to comprehend.

It could be that the Reds’ squad needs freshening up this summer, as Klopp ensures his group of players don’t grow stagnant, having largely all played together for a sustained period of time now.

[freshpress-poll id=“348883″]

One player who continues to be linked with a move to Anfield is De Paul, who is enjoying an excellent season for Udinese, chipping in with five goals and assists apiece in Serie A.

Speaking to Calciomercato [via Sport Witness], Udinese’s general director Pierpaolo Marino has dropped a claim on the midfielder’s future – and goalkeeper Juan Musso – with at least €40million expected to be required to prise him away:

“It takes a lot of money to get them, but it’s not like we went looking for potential buyers. I don’t have the problem of needing to advertise them. If someone doesn’t realise how strong they are, selfishly, it’s better for me”.

Liverpool fans react to Rodrigo De Paul rumour

Here are the best fan reactions on Twitter, as Liverpool supporters provided their thoughts on the matter.

“Not even worth €20m”

Credit: @Ufukhanius

“I just hope we end up signing him.. The lad is good, he’s just like Coutinho.”

Credit: @ahead_ochuko

“Forget this guy get Aouar, he’s 23 and is way better anyways”

Credit: @157_khan

“I can see Udinese would be reluctant in selling De Paul everything goes through him”

Credit: @SerikiDaniel

“They are losing money so we can get a good deal”

Credit: @_dylan_gill

“€40m for De Paul is still an absolute bargain. He’s an absolute star. Aouar would be also great but we don’t have a good relationship with Lyon which will make it difficult to sign him”

Credit: @Euro_Royalty6

In other news, Liverpool fans are worried about the form of two key players. Read about them here.