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Tottenham Hotspur put the race for the top four in their own hands with a rampant showing against Aston Villa on Saturday evening as midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg delivered a monstrous display.

Heung-min Son was the talisman as he bagged himself a hat-trick, whilst his accompanying attackers – Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski – were the providers with Antonio Conte’s front three contributing an attacking masterclass at Villa Park.

But for all of their counter-attacking exploits in the final third, there had to be some sort of cover and that came from the Danish rock in the heart of the pitch.

Despite being one of three Spurs players to pick up a yellow card, he was a real thorn in Steven Gerrard’s side, often breaking up their play, whilst also looking to get the north Londoners back on the front foot.

As per SofaScore, he led the game for touches (95), ahead of any other Tottenham midfielder or forward by quite some margin, with engine room partner Rodrigo Bentancur managing nearly 30 fewer touches (68).

From his heavy involvement in the proceedings, the £36m-rated machine delivered 92% of his 75 passing attempts (69) – only Ben Davies (95%) and Kane (93%) were better – and recorded a squad-high two interceptions, on top of three tackles, two clearances and eight duels won from 13 battles.

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Elsewhere on the pitch, Hojbjerg looked to be positive on the ball as he registered two successful dribbles and he even had three shots on goal, also via SofaScore.

It’s no wonder he’s been lauded as a “monster” in the past by former Danish international Morten Bisgaard to The Athletic.

football.london’s Alasdair Gold was left impressed by the 26-year-old powerhouse as he handed him a 9/10 in his post-match ratings column, earning better than Kane (8/10) and Kulusevski (8/10).

‘Lead Spurs in the centre of the pitch with his battling and soaking up the tackles that rained in on him. Big performance from the Dane,’ he wrote.

Indeed, it was Hojbjerg’s resolute presence in the engine room that allowed his teammates, namely Son, Kane and Kulusevski to shine in the final third and often, it’s that sort of display that goes unnoticed.

The monster-like Dane was arguably the unsung hero from Spurs’ top-four-boosting win over Villa this weekend.

AND in other news, Forget Son: Spurs’ “ridiculous” £90m-rated machine who won 14 duels ran show at Villa…

Manchester United are targeting River Plate’s “rising star” Enzo Fernández this summer and he could slot straight into the team ahead of Brazilian midfielder Fred.

What’s the story?

United are set for a huge overhaul of their under performing squad before next season and according to The Daily Star, up to four midfielders could leave.

This would leave room for plenty of new additions with one target being Argentinian Fernández.

He currently play’s in South America for River Plate but could be persuaded by the lure of one of Europe’s biggest clubs. However, the Red Devils face competition for him from Real Madrid and local rivals Man City, with the player said to have a £20.6m release clause in his contract.

He’s better than Fred

One of the midfielders he would be competing with, or potentially replacing, at Old Trafford would be Brazilian star Fred. He has had a rollercoaster of a career at United and at 29 years old isn’t getting any younger.

The signing of Fernández could provide the perfect alternative, and if he impresses, the 21-year old could be a mainstay at the Theatre of Dreams for years to come.

He has made 36 appearances for River Plate and in his time at the club has been directly involved in 12 goals from midfield.

When you compare his statistics in the league to that of Fred’s, he excels in most categories. The average number of passes he makes per game is 55.3 compared to the Brazilian’s 48.9.

Fernández is also more of a threat in the air with him winning 1.1 of aerial duels per game compared to Fred’s 0.6.

If United are successful in their bid to sign the Argentinian youngster then it’s likely that he will be one of Erik ten Hag’s first singings as manager at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman is reportedly close to agreeing a deal to take the hot seat at the club and signing Fernández would be the perfect start to his tenure.

He’s known for giving young players a chance having developed some star players during his time at Ajax. It’s a same tradition that is part of the fabric at United and if he was signed it would be a signal of the start of a new era under Erik ten Hag.

IN other news: Manchester United: Anthony Elanga was important in crucial win…

[ad_pod ]Southampton legend Matthew Le Tissier has reacted on Twitter after former Saints player Virgil van Dijk claimed in an interview published on the BBC that he “gave everything” prior to his £75m move to Liverpool in January 2018.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Dutchman quickly established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League during his time at St Mary’s, and it was no surprise when he started to attract admiring glances from some of the bigger clubs in the division, such as Liverpool.

The Merseyside outfit attempted to bring the centre-back to Anfield during the summer of 2017 but Saints reacted by reporting them for an illegal approach, with the defender later handing in a transfer request and reportedly refusing to play for the team.

The summer transfer window ended with the Netherland international remaining on the south coast, and he featured 12 times before finally moving on.

Speaking to BBC about his exit, Van Dijk said: “After the end of August [and the transfer window] I put my head down, played for Southampton and gave everything. I was happy to play because I came back from an eight-month injury.

“When everything happened over the summer, people doubt you. For me, I really didn’t care as I gave everything in games and training.”

How has Le Tissier reacted?

The Sky Sports pundit reacted with two emojis of a thinking face and a surprised face, before going into more detail when replying to another user about Van Dijk’s claim.

Has he got a point?

He certainly has, because you clearly aren’t giving everything if you aren’t helping your team on the pitch.

Despite the fact the former Celtic man was recovering from months out through injury, it also seemed apparent that he wasn’t putting in the maximum effort, with his final appearance in the 4-1 home defeat by Leicester City a prime example of that.

With the Dutchman knowing that a move to Liverpool was on the cards he was never going to be as committed as he once was as a further injury could have prevented a move, no matter what he might be saying about it now.

Rangers’ Joe Aribo failed to make the desired impact in the Old Firm derby on Sunday, according to official club media partners Heart & Hand.

The lowdown

The Gers lost 2-1 against their arch-rivals in a result which could prove to be decisive in the title race.

Celtic are now six points clear at the top of the Premiership with six games to play after Tom Rogic cancelled out Aaron Ramsey’s opener and Cameron Carter-Vickers then scored the winning goal.

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Giovanni van Bronckhorst selected Aribo in the right attacking midfield role in his 4-2-3-1 shape, with Ramsey central and Ryan Kent slotting in on the left.

The Nigerian is one of the most trusted players at the club, starting 28 of the Light Blues’ 32 league matches so far this season.

The latest

During the first half of the game at Ibrox, Heart & Hand tweeted that Aribo was actually landing Rangers in trouble against Celtic.

They made the damning assessment that the 25-year-old was ‘causing us more problems than them’ on Sunday afternoon.

The verdict

What do the stats say about Aribo’s performance?

His SofaScore rating was a rather underwhelming 6.7/1o, the lowest of Rangers’ attacking foursome. The £9m-rated gem wasn’t able to fashion a chance for his team-mates and he didn’t have a shot of any description until the 89th minute of the match.

Furthermore, he lost possession 14 times and came off second best in four of the five aerial duels that he contested, which makes the criticism from Heart & Hand understandable.

Aribo is largely enjoying a fine season, with seven goals and eight assists under his belt, but this was perhaps a day to forget on a most unfortunate occasion to have it.

In other news, Rangers could be hit with a £5m fine

A big Celtic transfer claim has emerged on Australian attacking midfielder Tom Rogic.

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has stated that Ange Postecoglou wants his compatriot to put pen to paper on a fresh contract with the club.

His current deal expires in the summer of 2023 and the Hoops will risk losing him for nothing if they do not agree a new agreement this year.

O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “I think Celtic will be desperate to try to sit down and sort out his long-term future.

“They’ll want to keep him there because I think he’s got that little something extra that Celtic had been missing over the last 12 months.

“He’s been a big factor in their success and trying to win the title this year. If Postecoglou has got anything to do with it, he’ll be pushing Celtic to ensure they keep hold of Tom Rogic.”

Supporters will be buzzing

The supporters will surely be buzzing with this news as it shows that the club are keen to retain the Australian international’s services in the long term.

At the age of 29, Rogic still has plenty to give in a Celtic shirt and his form has warranted an extension. He is not a player in his late 30s and coming towards the end of his career and this means that the Hoops can afford to drop a three or four-year deal on him to ensure that he remains at Parkhead.

In the Premiership this season, he has produced six goals and six assists in 19 starts whilst averaging a SofaScore rating of 6.98. The midfielder has been a constant threat for Celtic in the final third as he has created 1.6 chances per game, showing that he is a key player for Postecoglou with his offensive quality on the pitch.

Rogic is also vastly experienced at this level. He has played 267 matches in all competitions for the club and 161 times in the league, which shows that he has the know-how to perform on a consistent basis. This experience can be vital to young players as they can learn from the Australian by soaking up the knowledge he can impart on them.

Therefore, fans will be eager for him to sign a new contract with the club and will be delighted with this claim from O’Rourke that suggests Postecoglou will push for an agreement to be completed.

AND in other news, Sold in 2019, now facing relegation: Celtic sealed masterclass over “stupid” liability…

Ange Postetcoglou’s Celtic side head into Sunday’s Premiership fixture off the back of arguably their best performance of the season, with the Bhoys comfortably seeing off their Glasgow rivals 3-0 in Wednesday’s Old Firm clash.

As such, spirits will undoubtedly have been high within the Hoops squad at Lennoxtown this week, with the match against Graham Alexander’s Motherwell, coupled with the Gers’ challenging test against third-placed Hearts, very much bringing with it the potential of Celtic moving clear at the top of the Premiership standings.

With Postecoglou recently revealing that the returning Tom Rogic – as well as Daizen Maeda – will be available for selection on Sunday, despite suggestions that the Australian might require a rest after his involvement with his national team, it would seem a wise move for the Bhoys boss to unleash the 29-year-old from the off at Fir Park, as the sight of the attacking midfielder will give Motherwell nightmares.

Postecoglou must unleash Rogic

Indeed, the £1.35m-rated Rogic has always been something of a thorn in the side of Motherwell, with the Aussie having scored five goals and provided his teammates with five assists over his 18 appearances against the Steelmen, including an extremely well-taken winner in Celtic’s 1-0 victory over today’s opponents back in December.

Furthermore, the £15k-per-week midfielder has also been in impressive form over his further 17 Premiership fixtures so far this season, scoring three goals, registering six assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates. These metrics have seen the 29-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 7.00.

As such, considering that the player who Postecoglou dubbed “important” has something of a penchant for making his mark against Motherwell, in addition to his fine form thus far in the current campaign, the Celtic coach simply must unleash the attacking midfielder today, as he could well be a game-changer for the Bhoys.

In other news – Forget Dembele: Postecoglou must now unleash “generational” Celtic prodigy who has “no fear”

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will look to bring in some wide attacking players in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: A summer of change?

Villa have enjoyed a productive season overall, with the new manager slotting in nicely after replacing Dean Smith, even though results haven’t always been impressive.

Gerrard may well be seeking to continuously evolve his squad in terms of quality and depth, and it would be a surprise if some new faces didn’t arrive in the summer.

Anwar El Ghazi and Trezeguet have already been sent out on loan and the 41-year-old may feel that both need to be sold permanently at the end of the season if they have no future under him.

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The Latest: Gerrard eyeing up summer signings

Speaking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke claimed that signing at least one winger would be a key area of focus for Gerrard in the summer market, especially if they decide to offload El Ghazi and Trezeguet for good. The journalist said:

“Villa are probably going to lose a couple of wingers in the summer with El Ghazi out on loan at Everton and Trezeguet out on loan in Turkey.

“So, that’s two wingers who the club will most likely look to move on. So, it’s going to be an area that Steven Gerrard will be looking to strengthen as well.”

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The Verdict: Key area to target

The wide attacking positions certainly appear to be among Villa’s weakest areas of the pitch currently, with Gerrard lacking truly top-class options there who can consistently producing match-winning moments.

Leon Bailey and Emiliano Buendia have only scored three goals between them in 46 Premier League appearances combined this term, which simply isn’t a good enough return.

Liverpool and Manchester City are poster boys for having hugely productive wide players (think Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez), and while Gerrard clearly wouldn’t expect signings of that calibre, it would be ideal for Villa to bring in wide options who could be more prolific than the current crop.

In other news, a source has shared a key Villa transfer update. Read more here.

Rangers have not been shy when it comes to spending money on bringing new players to Ibrox over the past few years to help strengthen their squad.

However, as happens with almost any team, they don’t always secure the signing of every player who gets mentioned with a move to the club.

One example of a player who was publicly named as a potential transfer target for the Ibrox outfit in the past that they will regret not signing is Samuel Eto’o.

Speaking back in 2002, then-Gers boss Alex McLeish named Eto’o as a player he liked after sending his assistant Andy Watson to watch the striker in action in a friendly between Cameroon and Argentina.

After scoring 69 goals in 157 appearances for Real Mallorca, the attacker joined Barcelona in the summer of 2004, where he racked up 130 goals in 199 appearances, winning numerous trophies along the way including two Champions League titles.

With five years at Barcelona under his belt, the Cameroon international then made the move to Italy with Inter Milan, once again winning numerous titles and enforcing his reputation as a deadly goalscorer, finding the back of the net 53 times in 102 appearances.

Following that, Eto’o had spells with numerous clubs across England, Russia, Turkey and Qatar before retiring in 2019 with a grand total of 362 goals to his name in what was undoubtedly a glittering career.

Labelled an “outstanding” character by Pep Guardiola and a “special player” by Jose Mourinho, two of the most successful managers of all time, it’s safe to say that McLeish had a howler by not making sure he secured Eto’o’s signature when he and his assistant were looking at him for Rangers.

Had the 41-year-old joined the Light Blues before he eventually moved to Barcelona, the Gers may have had their hands on what could have become a prolific and iconic goalscorer in the club’s history.

While there would have been no guarantee that Barcelona or any other club would have tried to sign the centre-forward at any point had he joined Rangers in 2002, it still could have been a great sight for the Ibrox faithful to see such a talented attacker in their side.

Either way, McLeish will have to live with his mistake in what will now go down as a classic case of what could have been.

In other news: Rangers had a major disaster on “complete” 243 G/A ace who’s “like Harry Potter”…

A very intriguing claim has emerged behind the scenes at Tottenham Hotspur this week…

What’s the word?

According to reliable football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, chairman Daniel Levy has been delivered some home truths by manager Antonio Conte in recent weeks.

“Spurs maybe just took for granted a little bit of what they had in Poch [Mauricio Pochettino], rather than seeing that everything needed to continuously improve around him,” he revealed to his YouTube channel.

“And hopefully, this is what Conte’s kind of ramming down everyone’s throats, and it might not be the worst thing for Tottenham and a bit of a wake-up call.

“Because like I say, I think Daniel Levy, from my understanding from people within the club, has been hearing some things that maybe he’s just not used to hearing – and Conte’s a man you listen to, hopefully.”

Times changing?

This relationship could either be a recipe for disaster, with the Telegraph’s Matt Law recently describing it as a ‘ticking timebomb’, or a huge success, given the Italian’s trophy record.

That still very much remains to be seen as Conte will be hoping for substantial financial backing during the summer and even then, it may take another window or two to fully transform the playing squad into the sort of team he wants.

Some early measures have been taken, which saw the likes of club-record flop Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso depart on loan, both of whom have options to buy at their new clubs, whilst they did sign two new players, albeit both familiar from sporting director Fabio Paratici’s former club Juventus.

It’s thought that Conte asked for four new additions. Well, he only got half that in Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur – the latter being perhaps the only one he ‘truly’ needed.

There are still gaps to plug at right wing-back, left centre-back and up front.

In the past, Conte has shown that he isn’t afraid to walk away from a project if things don’t go his way. He left Inter Milan in the summer after clinching the Serie A title over differences with the board and there were some fears he may do the same at Spurs this winter, according to reports.

But ultimately, Spurs have long needed a figure like this – someone who is going to tell it like it is – so that should provide supporters with plenty of encouragement. Whether Levy decides to listen and act is another story but time will soon tell if Conte is going to be a success in N17.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Cristian Romero: Conte could secure dream Spurs duo with £54m-rated “Rolls-Royce”…

West Ham faces a centre back crisis ahead of their next Premier League match against Arsenal, with Craig Dawson suspended and Kurt Zouma and Angelo Ogbonna injured.

This could leave a door ajar for a young prospect in the Hammers academy to make the step up and give David Moyes a selection headache.

The onus could fall on Aji Alese but another such player is Levi Laing, the 19-year-old centre back who has featured for the West Ham U23 squad ten times in the Premier League 2 as well as making an appearance in the EFL Trophy in September.

The defender signed his first professional contract back in July 2021 and this runs until 2023, with the option of an extra year. His U23 coach Dmitri Halajko stated: “The progress that he’s made in such a short period of time has been really positive”. The future looks bright for the youngster.

This wasn’t the only praise exuded by admirers, with Mark Robson explaining that Laing was “outstanding” following a performance against Exeter in a 3-0 win for the U23s.

West Ham have been fantastic this season, but with so many games played in Europe and domestically, there is injuries at the heart of the defence, and with Dawson suspended for the next Premier League match, Moyes should have no clams about putting Laing in the mix.

Ogbonna is fast approaching 34 and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, plus his injury woes, there is absolutely no reason why the young Englishman can’t be the long-term heir to the towering centreback in the near future.

Both players are over 6 foot 1 and have a commanding presence in the air. With Ogbonna and Laing sharing traits such as height and the way they play, then it could be an effortless change.

Moyes could end up saving the club millions in the transfer market too, despite European success bringing in added revenue, the future could look bright for the Hammers.

AND in other news, Sources: West Ham eye swoop for “brilliant” 21 y/o, he’s “similar to Eden Hazard