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Manchester United will welcome heated rivals Manchester City to Old Trafford on Saturday for an anticipated Premier League showdown, which could deploy the Red Devils firmly into title contention with a victory.

After losing his first two matches of the campaign since assuming the managerial role at United in the summer, Erik ten Hag has turned the ship around and will move within one point of their forthcoming second placed opposition with a victory on home turf.

And having lost the away fixture against their city rivals by a chastening 6-3 scoreline, there is an added onus on exacting revenge and turning the tide on the seasonal proceedings.

With the Red Devils currently riding a resounding eight-match winning streak, and Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues having tasted a shock 2-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup quarter finals to Southampton – bottom of the Premier League – in midweek, there will be optimism aplenty that a monumental three points can be added to the growing tally.

In order to achieve this, the frontal efforts will need to be crisp and consistent, not giving the imperious City defence a moments rest; Marcus Rashford is in the form of his career having scored 15 goals and six assists from 25 appearances this term, while the creative ingenuity of Bruno Fernandes as the offensive orchestrator will also be paramount.

However, having broken his goal drought after finding the back of the net against Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup this week, £85m summer signing Antony will be desperate to continue his rise to prominence.

The 23-year-old Brazilian scored a thunderous looping strike against City in the defeat earlier this season, one of the shining lights from a woeful display, and will be hopeful that he can add to his five strikes for his current club on the biggest occasion once again.

As per Sofascore, the 15-cap ace has recorded a solid average league rating of 7.01 since arriving from Ajax Amsterdam last year, averaging 3.4 shots per match and creating 0.9 big chances each outing, also chipping in defensively with 1.4 tackles.

It is this level of output that will embolden his teammates and impress his manager, and he must channel every ounce of his tacking acumen to bypass Ederson’s goal and send the Theatre of Dreams into a cacophony of cheer.

And as per FBref, the “incredible talent” – as praised by his United manager prior to his arrival at the club – ranks within the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s major leagues for total shots, a further illustration of the peppering approach that we will bering against a resolute defence.

If United are to earn a victory against one of the game’s most deadly outfits, they will indeed need to be firing across all cylinders, and the £200k-per-week Antony could finally up his game to the next level with another stellar showing against the formidable opposition.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter has distinguished Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen as one of the leading candidates to assume the elusive talismanic role at Stamford Bridge.

Indeed, the Blues have struggled this term and are currently languishing in tenth place in the Premier League, with the ten-point gulf separating the club between the west London outfit and fourth placed Manchester United an alarming sign considering the wealth of investment pumped into the Stamford Bridge squad since the arrival of new owner Todd Boehly last year.

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Chelsea have indeed highlighted Osimhen, alongside Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, as players capable of leading the line across the coming era for the side, and a bid could be forthcoming before the conclusion of the ongoing winter transfer market.

Signing for Napoli for roughly £71m, the Nigerian sensation has swiftly emerged as one of the hottest commodities in the Serie A and now spearheads an imperious and relentless outfit that high eye atop the table, nine points clear of second-placed AC Milan.

Having signed Mykhaylo Mudryk for £88.5m already this winter, a deal might be viewed as implausible for the aspiring outfit, particularly with the forward’s value now thought to be €140m (£122m), but the cogs could in fact fall into place given the unabating storm that is Boehly’s might on the transfer front.

Huge Auba upgrade

This season, the £93k-per-week Osimhen has clinched 13 goals and four assists from 18 appearances for his soaring outfit in all competitions, blossoming into one of Europe’s superlative strikers with his electric pace and devastating cutting-edge.

With this tally a continuation of the excellent 18 goals the phenom tallied last term – a number he is well on track to surpass this time out – there is a clear growth and nurturing of a natural host of skills that is setting him among the very top forward’s the game has to offer.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 3% of forwards for rate of goals, the top 4% for total shots and the top 9% for touches in the attacking penalty area across Europe’s top five leagues, providing an apt illustration of the paramount importance he has at the head of the ship, evidenced by first place Napoli’s league-high 44 league goals and his career average 2.9 shots per game, merging output with an innate prolific sense.

The “goal machine”, as hailed by reporter Mimi Fawaz, would represent a marked and emphatic upswing from the current deployment of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the club’s forward option; signed from FC Barcelona in the summer – in a deal sending left-back Marcos Alonso going the other way – the 33-year-old Gabonese veteran has only found the net three times from 17 outings since his arrival, and as he approaches his twilight years, the most prudent option certainly seems to fall into Osimhen’s favour.

As the graphic above indicates, it’s evident that the Nigerian international is having a considerably better season as he becomes a larger force year by year. Aubameyang, on the other hand, is a fading force, one Chelsea could do without in their new era.

Bearing this in mind, Chelsea technical director Christopher Vivell would be wise to swoop in the coming weeks; if the funds are indeed available and it would be no detriment to the overall wealth of the football club, then one of the most fearsome forces in world football would be unleashed at the front of a Blues outfit that view only the sky as the limit.

Glasgow Rangers look set to bolster their squad over the coming days as Michael Beale aims to finalise a number of potential incomings at Ibrox.

According to reports, there could soon be a triple swoop for Morgan Whittaker, Todd Cantwell, and Nicolas Raskin in the final week of the January transfer window.

There might be a few more signings if everything goes to plan, and with the 42-year-old previously claiming that he will give youth prospects plenty of chances to impress, it will come as no shock that he looks to add some more up-and-coming talent to the Ibrox ranks.

With that in mind, the Light Blues have been linked with a move for Belgian youngster Noah Sadiki, who is out of contract with Anderlecht at the end of the season.

Beale could uncover his next Trent Alexander-Arnold by signing the highly-rated 18-year-old this month, with the Belgian showing similar traits to the Liverpool right-back. The Rangers boss coached the England defender during his spell at Liverpool U21s, and Alexander-Arnold has since developed into one of the finest attacking full-backs in Europe.

The 24-year-old has registered 64 assists during his career so far, and this season he has completed 78% of his dribbles, made 1.8 key passes per game and grabbed one assist in the Premier League.

Sadiki can play as a winger or a full-back and certainly embodies the same style of play as the Liverpool star, looking to push forward as often as possible. He has claimed one assist this season, along with completing 67% of his dribble attempts and making 0.3 key passes per game.

These aren’t quite on the same level as Alexander-Arnold’s returns, although Sadiki still has plenty of time to develop. Ibrox could be the best place for him to do just that, especially under the tutelage of Beale, who nurtured Alexander-Arnold prior to his emergence in the Liverpool first-team.

The Anderlecht defender – who has been dubbed “highly talented” by talent scout Jacek Kulig – certainly looks to be going places, especially considering that Lille and PSV Eindhoven are also monitoring his progress.

James Taverner won’t be able to play forever, and signing prospects who have time to improve and get a taste of first-team action could be the best philosophy as Rangers eye a potential heir to their current captain, with Sadiki being an excellent choice.

Transfer expert Dean Jones says that Newcastle United are ‘ready to fast track’ a ‘really intriguing’ move for Everton forward Anthony Gordon.

The Lowdown: Interest revived

It was recently reported that the North East club are ‘ready to revive’ their interest in Gordon, and are ‘considering a fresh move’ for him before the transfer window closes.

They were reportedly interested in signing him in the summer, and even had a bid rejected for the Englishman, but now they could return for his signature, with the Toffees struggling in the relegation zone.

The Latest: ‘Ready to fast track’ move

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones says that the St. James’ Park outfit are ‘ready to fast track’ their move for Gordon, in what would be a ‘really intriguing’ deal:

“Newcastle are ready to fast track their move for Anthony Gordon this month.

“They don’t know that Everton will sell now but they do know that the club aren’t in a good state financially, so feel it might be worth a try. It will be really intriguing to see if they can pull it off.”

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The Verdict: Help needed

Even though the Tynesiders have done well to keep six clean sheets in a row in the Premier League, they have only managed to score one goal in their last four league games.

After letting Chris Wood go to Nottingham Forest on loan, they could do with some more forward options, and Gordon could help that.

Incidentally, he has recorded the highest top speed of all players in the top flight so far this term, while Toon legend Alan Shearer has lauded his ‘fearless attitude‘ when he drives with the ball.

Gordon does need to work on his end product, with just three goals and no assists in 16 Premier League matches so far this campaign, but the 21-year-old clearly has a lot of potential, and under a different coach in Eddie Howe, he could go to the next level, like Miguel Almiron’s impressive turn in form.

Southampton have made an ‘offer’ to sign Lecce defensive midfield star Morten Hjulmand with the Serie A side giving a reply.

The Lowdown: Saints eye Hjulmand move…

The Saints have been linked with a move for Hjulmand in this January transfer window with reliable journalists like Fabrizio Romano sharing news of their interest.

Indeed, it is believed that Nathan Jones’ side have been tracking the Dane in recent weeks amid their search for upgrades at St. Mary’s.

Southampton are currently locked in a relegation dog-fight, laying bottom of the table with four wins in 20 and just one victory in their last five games.

The Latest: Southampton make offer…

Now, according to TUTTOmercatoWEB reporter Marco Conterio on social media, the south coast side have made a bid to sign Hjulmand worth around €11 million (£9.6m).

While Lecce have already replied by rejecting the proposal, it is believed Southampton could return with an improved offer.

Conterio stated:

“The #Southampton wants Morten Hjulmand of the #Lecce . 11 million offer rejected by Salento but #SaintsFC can raise for the midfielder.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

The 23-year-old has been a crucial player for Lecce in Serie A this season, leaving little surprise the club require more than £9.6m to let him leave before January 31.

Hjulmand is a colossal defensive presence in front of their back four with only three of his teammates playing more league minutes than the Scandinavian talent.

According to WhoScored, the midfield man ranks as their second-best performer by average match rating and has racked up four Man of the Match awards – more than any Lecce player.

Defensively, the 6 foot 1 colossus averages more successful tackles and interceptions made every game than anyone in Lecce’s squad with Hjulmand proving vital as they steer clear of relegation to Serie B.

In terms of solidarity and real potential, Hjulmand fits the Southampton transfer profile and he could be their next answer to former star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – if they can get a deal done.

Arsenal could make a late offer in a bid to bring Amadou Onana to The Emirates in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Pete O’Rourke, who claimed in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, after seeing a £70m bid turned down by Brighton & Hove Albion for Moises Caicedo, Edu may well be tempted into a late offer for the Everton midfielder – for whom the Toffees are reported to be demanding a figure in the region of £50m to part with this month.

Regarding the Gunners’ interest in the 21-year-old, the journalist said: “He looks like a real top player, and also in the Belgium team as well. So I’m sure Arsenal, as well as a number of other clubs, are keeping tabs on his situation.

“If there’s any chance he can be prised away before the window closes, I’m sure Arsenal and these other interested clubs will maybe make an offer for him.”

Forget Caicedo

While it is undeniable that Caicedo would make a sensational addition to Mikel Arteta’s current options in the heart of his Arsenal side, considering the fact that Brighton are reported have set an astonishing £100m price tag for the Ecuador international, the argument that Onana would be a dream alternative to the 21-year-old is a relatively easy one to make.

Indeed, despite playing for an underperforming Everton side, the £23m-rated talent has nevertheless highly impressed over his 18 Premier League appearances following his £33m move to Goodison Park last summer, making an average of 2.6 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 1.2 clearances and winning 6.8 duels – at a success rate of 58% – per game.

In comparison, over Caicedo’s 18 top-flight fixtures this season, the £16m-rated starlet has made an average of 2.9 tackles, 1.4 interceptions, 0.7 clearances and won 5.8 duels – at a success rate of 57% – per match – all while playing for a side who currently occupy sixth place in the Premier League standings.

Furthermore, Onana has also impressed going forwards, with the £100k-per-week youngster having scored one goal, registered one assist and created one big chance, in addition to taking an average of 1.1 shots, making 0.4 key passes, playing 1.3 long balls and completing 28.1 total passes – at a success rate of 85% – per outing.

These returns have seen the 21-year-old who French journalist Julien Laurens dubbed an “incredible talent” average an extremely impressive Sofascore statistical rating of 6.94, currently ranking him as Everton’s fourth-best outfielder in the top flight of English football.

Further still, Laurens also clearly believes that Onana possesses huge scope for future development, with the journalist and broadcaster revealing in an interview cited by The Echo at the time of his move to Everton:

“I’m as excited as you and I’m not even an Everton fan! So I want to see him here. The good thing is that he really wanted to come to you and not go to West Ham United or other Premier League clubs that were pushing for him. Because he’s an incredible talent, there is no doubt.

“Whether he is a big success straight away or whether you have to wait a little bit – I don’t know. But he’s got all the qualities to succeed in England. I think English football suits him perfectly and he suits English football perfectly in the sense that he’s good on the ball, he’s strong, he’s intelligent, he’s powerful – he’s a [Aurelien] Tchouameni, he’s a Paul Pogba bracket of player.

“The difference maybe [to Pogba] is that he’s a bit more defensive-minded if you ask him to be, and do that kind of work. He’s very happy, he’s not reluctant to defend a lot. He can sit as the holding midfielder.

“You would lose a bit of what makes him quite special in the sense that he’s got the power to do box-to-box, drive the ball and do things like that. But I think he can also be disciplined and be quite good defensively in 50-50s, in the air, in the duels, on the floor. All of that he can do, but I still feel his best role will be having a bit of freedom to run up and down the pitch.”

As such, considering his impressive start to life in England, coupled with his potential for further development and the fact he is available for around half of Caicedo’s £100m asking price, it would indeed appear as if Onana would represent something of a dream alternative to the Brighton wonderkid for Edu to get over the line in the remainder of the transfer window.

Emerson Royal was the best player on the pitch in Tottenham Hotspur’s victory over Manchester City, journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed.

What’s the word?

Spurs produced a battling performance to beat Manchester City 1-0, and whilst there were a number of standout performances in a game which saw Harry Kane become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, but the Brazilian was the best of them all.

Royal has attracted a lot of criticism for his performances this season, but did his best to silence the doubters as he produced a masterclass, engaging Jack Grealish in some entertaining battles on the Spurs right-hand side.

In his player ratings for football.london, Gold rated Royal 10/10 for his display, and heavily sung his praises.

“Kept his place despite the arrival of Porro and he popped up everywhere in the first half, including on the left and through the centre of midfield on occasions.

“Put the ball on a plate for Kane only for the striker to miss the ball early in the second half. Made some great challenges in the second half in a running battle with Grealish, including one perfect one on the England man in the Spurs box.

“His best game in a Tottenham shirt and Grealish was constantly frustrated by his defending. Man of the match.”

Increased competition

Spurs completed the signing of wing-back Pedro Porro on deadline day from Sporting Lisbon, with the idea that the Spaniard would replace Royal, but the Brazilian may have been spurred on by the increased competition in his role.

The City match was deemed too soon for Porro to start, and he remained on the bench whilst Royal delivered an exceptional performance.

Royal won eight out of 12 ground duels, was fouled five times and made six clearances as per SofaScore, and will hope that this performance means he can keep his place ahead of Porro for now.

Journalist Alan Myers says that Everton are evaluating an offer from US investors MSP Sports Capital to potentially become a minority shareholder at the club.

The Lowdown: Investment talks

It has been reported that Everton are in talks to bring some more investment into the club, with owner Farhad Moshiri open to bringing in a minority partner.

One investor Moshiri has allegedly been talking to is MSP, who want a 25% stake in the club, with the total investment adding up to £105m.

The Latest: Everton evaluating offer

Taking to Twitter, Myers says that the Goodison Park outfit are currently evaluating an offer from MSP, and are continuing talks with the US investors over becoming a potential minority shareholder:

“Everton are continuing discussions with US investors MSP Sports Capital with regards to them taking a minority shareholding in the club.

“The club is evaluating the offer from MSP along with other potential options.”

The Verdict: Ownership shake-up needed

The Merseysiders have been in need of a shake-up at board level, with protests from supporters against the ownership apparent before their 1-0 win at home to Arsenal in the Premier League last weekend.

They are stuck in a relegation battle for the second season in a row, and are still in real danger of going down despite their latest victory.

Investment from MSP would not only help the club financially, but would also lend another voice when the board have to make difficult decisions in the future.

Nonetheless, supporters will be hoping that the club can strike an agreement with the investors, and hopefully see the Blues move forward in the right direction.

Insider Pete O’Rourke has claimed that Leeds United fans will hope that breakthrough star Wilfried Gnonto stays at the club rather than making a big move this summer.

What’s the word?

Gnonto arrived at the club for around £3.8m this summer in a deadline-day move from FC Zurich and has been the shining light of an otherwise underwhelming season.

The teenager continued his fine start to life in English football with a stunning performance away at Manchester United in midweek, opening the scoring in the first minute before setting up the second goal in their 2-2 draw, and may start to attract interest from elsewhere.

However, O’Rourke has told Football FanCast that Leeds fans will be desperately hoping he does not leave in the event the club avoid relegation amid potential interest arriving from elsewhere off the back of his fine performances.

O’Rourke said: “He’s definitely got all the tools. He’s already an Italy international as well.

“He’s made a real big impact at Leeds this season. I think for Leeds fans, they’ll be hoping he can stay for as long as possible and that none of the big boys will try and prise him away with a big-money offer in the summer.”

Bargain buy

Gnonto was let go by Inter in 2020, joining Zurich for free, and Leeds brought him to the Premier League for a bargain price with an eye on the future.

The 19-year-old has scored four goals for Leeds this season, and his pace and creativity provide a spark in an otherwise inconsistent team, who recently sacked manager Jesse Marsch.

Indeed, he ranks in the top 9% of wingers for progressive carries and is already a crucial member of the attack as he helps carry the ball forward.

Leeds interim boss Michael Skubala called Gnonto “special”, and if he maintains this level of performance and helps Leeds avoid relegation, he will surely become a hero at Elland Road. Whether that will be enough to see him stay at the club in the long term remains to be seen.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery made a major decision in the January transfer window as the Spaniard allowed Danny Ings to join Premier League rivals West Ham United for £15m.

The English centre-forward had scored six goals in eight top-flight starts for the Villans this season, after managing seven in 22 last term, prior to his exit.

However, his impressive goal return was not enough to convince the manager that the striker had a long-term future at Villa Park and the Hammers swooped in to rescue him last month.

Who could replace Danny Ings at Aston Villa?

Emery opted against bringing in an experienced number nine to take the gem’s place and, instead, signed teenage attacker Jhon Duran from MLS side Chicago Fire.

The 19-year-old, who can play through the middle or out wide, scored eight goals in 27 MLS appearances in 2022 and could be a future star if the dynamo can adapt to life in England and develop into a regular goalscorer in the years to come.

He has scored 17 goals in 79 senior outings in his career and this does not suggest that the January signing is a naturally prolific scorer, as Ings was for Villa.

However, Emery may already have his natural replacement for the now-West Ham star in the form of academy striker Cameron Archer – who is currently on loan at Middlesbrough in the Championship.

How is Cameron Archer performing for Middlesbrough?

The 21-year-old marksman has been on fire since making the move to the Riverside and caught the eye live on Sky Sports on Wednesday night with a brace against second-placed Sheffield United.

With the score level at 1-1, the youngster was first to react to a deflection in the box to thump a weak-footed effort into the roof of the net under pressure from a defender to put Michael Carrick’s side in front.

His second goal was a quick counter from Boro that ended in Archer peeling off the shoulder of the last defender before brilliantly curling the ball into the far corner beyond the goalkeeper.

The gem, who was once dubbed a “goal machine” by reporter Ryan Taylor, has now scored three goals and provided two assists in his last four Championship appearances for the second-tier outfit and this comes after he managed 20 matches for Preston North End in the division last term.

Archer also plundered four goals in two League Cup clashes, and these statistics show that the forward is a lethal finisher.

Journalist Josh Bunting once hailed him as “clinical” and his goal return over the last 18 months backs that up.

The Englishman has scored 47 matches in all competitions since the start of last season and this indicates that the talent could be the natural goalscorer Villa lost when they allowed Ings to depart.

Therefore, Emery could find the three-time England international’s perfect replacement by bringing the youngster back into the first-team fold to compete with Duran and Ollie Watkins next term.