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Much to the relief of everyone at Southampton, the Saints managed to secure their first Premier League win of the season with a 1-0 win over Leeds United at St. Mary’s thanks to a goal from on-loan striker Armando Broja after drawing four and losing three of their opening seven league games of their 2021/22 campaign.

Even though the striker managed to score the winning goal and deliver Southampton’s first league win of the campaign, one player that stood out to us in the match was Nathan Redmond, who assisted Broja’s strike.

During the victory against Marcelo Bielsa’s side, Redmond managed to have one shot on target which came after some brilliant interlinking play on the edge of the area.

On top of that, he successfully completed all four dribble attempts, made a whopping six key passes and produced five accurate crosses during a supreme creative display. Furthermore, the winger won five out of the seven ground duels he was involved in, ultimately earning himself an impressive overall match rating of 8.5/10, making him the highest-rated Southampton player on the day according to SofaScore.

Taking into account how Redmond, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £60k-per-week according to Spotrac, had failed to score a goal or provide an assist for the Saints in the league prior to the Leeds win, despite playing in all but one of their matches, shows how important this assist was, not just for the team as a whole but for him individually.

Since joining the club back in the 2016 summer transfer window from fellow Premier League club for an undisclosed fee believed to be worth £10m, the 27-year-old, who is currently valued at £16.2m according to Transfermarkt, has made a total of 208 appearances for the Saints across all competitions in which he has managed to score 28 goals and provide 23 assists along the way.

Additionally, only James Ward-Prowse (119) and Jan Bednarek (111) have made more appearances for Southampton under Ralph Hasenhuttl than Redmond (104), proving how vital he has been for the Saints in recent years under the Austrian’s guidance.

Looking ahead to the rest of the campaign, if Redmond and the Saints can build on this win against Leeds and keep picking up positive results on a consistent basis, then they could put their poor start to the season behind them and cast away any doubts over being involved in a potential relegation battle.

In other news: Ralph could seal perfect Ings replacement at Southampton with move for £4.5m-rated ace – opinion

Rangers will be looking to end thier run of two games without a win in all competitions as they come up against Livingston in the League Cup tomorrow.

After losing 2-0 to Lyon in the Europa League and drawing 1-1 with Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership, the Gers have a chance to get back to winning ways in the cup.

Steven Gerrard could make some changes to his team given that they played on Sunday and that they have another match on Saturday, against Dundee FC in the league.

One player he should unleash against Livington is experienced central defender Leon Balogun. He was rested against Motherwell as he watched on from the bench, despite an impressive start to the campaign.

The former Wigan defender has been in fine form this season and proved that he can be a quality option when called upon by Gerrard. In the league, Balogun has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.15 and helped Rangers to keep two clean sheets in four games.

He has won 64% of his duels in the Premiership and shown that he is a strong centre-back who can be a brick wall in the defence for the Gers. Despite the result ending in a 2-0 defeat, Balogun also caught the eye against Lyon with a superb display, as he recorded a rating of 7.10 and made two interceptions, two tackles, two blocks and two clearances against the French side.

The £14k-per-week powerhouse must, therefore, be unleashed against Livingston to improve Rangers’ chances of progressing through to the next round. He is a quality centre-back who could prevent the opposition from testing his goalkeeper, or at least limit what they can test him with, as he has shown that in his performances in the Premiership and Europa League this season.

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Gerrard must name him in the starting XI and start him alongside Connor Goldson. It could give Rangers a solid platform to build on, allowing the attackers to go about their business without worrying about major defensive errors at the back costing them the game.

At the age of 33, Balogun could also bring some vital experience to the side if Gerrard wants to hand a couple of young players opportunities for this match. The head coach has the chance to play academy products to see what they can do, outside of the Premiership and Europa League, and having a wise old head like Balogun in the side could help ease them through the game.

AND in other news, Gerrard masterstroke: Rangers flop has seen value plummet 66% since Ibrox exit…

A number of Liverpool supporters have bemoaned the news that Alisson and Fabinho could miss two important upcoming games for the Reds.

Jurgen Klopp’s men will look to continue their good start to the season on Saturday evening when they make the trip to Brentford in the Premier League.

Two players who are almost certain to start are Alisson and Fabinho, with the pair becoming two of Jurgen Klopp’s most important players.

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It looks as though Liverpool could have to make do without them for the games against Watford and Atletico Madrid next month, however, according to This is Anfield on Twitter, due to international duty.

Roberto Firmino has not been called up, though, so he will at least be available.

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Liverpool fans react to key Brazil update

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to voice their displeasure at the news, ruing the Reds being without such a key pair.

“Adrian vs Atletico. It’s in God’s hands now”

Credit: @Lfcmino7

“We’re absolutely dusted. Season over right there”

Credit: @ChrisHPE

“IF KELLEHER GETS INJURED IT’LL BE ADRIAN AGAINST ATLETICO ALL OVER AGAIN”

Credit: @Kloppppp

“Get stuffed”

Credit: @erhanlfc

“Don’t need any help feeling more depressed”

Credit: @JotaBelieveIt

“Scaryyyyyyy”

Credit: @izy_dara2

In other news, some Liverpool fans are unhappy at a Reds injury update. Read more here.

Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge has told Football FanCast that Tottenham could still sign Adama Traore late on deadline day.

Traore has been linked with Spurs at various points this summer, although Wolves rejected Tottenham’s £5m loan bid for the Spaniard last week.

Having lost both Erik Lamela and Gareth Bale and failed to replace Carlos Vinicius, Nuno Espirito Santo has been trying to bolster his attacker numbers this summer.

A striker would appear Santo’s priority, but Alasdair Gold recently reported that Traore could be signed instead of a forward, with the Wolves man able to play through the middle, as are the likes of both Heung Min Son and Lucas Moura.

Wolves boss Bruno Lage told Sky Sports that he expects the 25-year-old to remain at the club after their 1-0 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday.

However, with Bryan Gil Tottenham’s only attacking addition, Bridge refused to rule out Traore becoming a Tottenham player before the 11pm deadline.

He told FFC:

“I think with Traore, the offer was £5m loan plus future add-ons. I wouldn’t completely rule that out. I’ve got an inkling about that one.

“Tottenham wanted Martinez and Vlahovic, and they always wanted them with Kane. So, assuming Traore joined it would be Bergwijn, Moura and Son – Spurs think they can get away with a false-nine.”

Sunderland have had a dream start to the 2021/22 campaign with back-to-back wins under Lee Johnson’s stewardship. After beating Wigan 2-1 on the opening day of the League One season, the Black Cats progressed through to the next round of the League Cup with a 2-1 win over Port Vale on Tuesday night.

Josh Hawkes and Aiden O’Brien scored the goals for Sunderland to put them 2-0 up in the second half, with Jamie Proctor pulling one back for Vale with just over 20 minutes to go. Johnson’s side were able to see out the match without any major drama, sealing their spot in the draw for the second round.

Whilst attention may have been drawn to debutant Alex Pritchard’s performance, with an assist for the ex-Norwich playmaker, it was Hawkes who was able to steal the show on the night. Pritchard put in a good display, but Hawkes was outstanding throughout and took his goal brilliantly.

He latched onto the ball in the left-hand side of the box and clinically dispatched his shot into the far corner, despite the best efforts of the goalkeeper and a defender racing to the goal line. It was not an easy chance by any stretch and his sharp finish is sure to have caught a few eyes in the dugout, with Sunderland facing MK Dons away from home on Saturday.

Sunderland Echo reporter Phil Smith handed him a score of 7/10, highlighting his quality in front of goal. He wrote:

“Showed his end product with one fine finish and one effort that drifted just wide of the far post from the best part of 25 yards. Has real quality when he gets sight of goal.”

SofaScore seemingly agreed with Smith’s assessment, as they also rated Hawkes as a 7.0/10 for his display. He completed 85% (22/26) of his passes in the game – compared to Pritchard’s 70% – which shows that he was reliable on the ball and able to find a teammate the majority of the time – rather than being wasteful in possession and causing his team to be hit on the counter-attack.

The dynamo was able to marry an impressive all-around showing with an end product to make the most of his performance. He was able to offer a threat and be a solid option for Sunderland on the ball, whilst also being able to find the back of the net when presented with the opportunity.

Johnson will be delighted with his showing.

AND in other news, Sunderland dealt blow in pursuit of second-tier striker

Newcastle United are among the clubs interested in signing Matthew Hoppe from Schalke 04, according to Football Insider. 

The lowdown

Back in January, he netted a hat-trick on just his third Bundesliga start against Hoffenheim. The 20-year-old striker would then go on to score three more for the team who finished bottom of the table with a mere 16 points.

He already has five United States senior caps under his belt, bagging his first goal for his country in a Gold Cup win over Jamaica in July.

Valued at £4.05m by Transfermarkt, Hoppe isn’t the only Schalke player with whom Newcastle have been linked this summer. Former Liverpool loanee Ozan Kabak was also on their list, but he has seemingly been deemed too expensive (via The Athletic).

The latest

Newcastle, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford are all said to have lodged enquiries about Hoppe, according to Football Insider.

A recruitment source has told the publication that Hoppe’s representatives are due to fly to the UK for talks with ‘a number of clubs’. There will also be further discussions with teams ‘across Europe’.

Hoppe is expected to leave a ‘financially stricken’ Schalke, who seemingly have little choice but to sell one of their ‘premier talents’ this summer following their relegation from the Bundesliga.

The verdict

Newcastle would be wise to capitalise on Schalke’s financial difficulties and sign a special talent like Hoppe for a cut-price fee. To stand out as a reliable goalscorer for a team who struggled so dismally is no mean feat.

Callum Wilson may have the starting centre-forward spot essentially tied down at St James’ Park, but he is nine years Hoppe’s senior. The American should be viewed as a long-term investment and also a potential upgrade on their existing back-ups Joelinton and Dwight Gayle, who managed just five league goals between them in 2020/21 – one fewer than Hoppe on his own.

Wilson is injury-prone, and Newcastle need to do what they can to guard against the very real risk of the 29-year-old being ruled out of action over the coming months. The best way to alleviate that risk is to go and get their American target.

In other news, Newcastle have been applauded after securing this financial boost.

2018 was an exciting year for Celtic and everyone associated with the Hoops and Parkhead.

The Bhoys wrapped up the treble as Brendan Rodgers led his side to a Premiership crown and cup double.

Celtic even reached the group stages of the Champions League, an achievement that’s felt incredibly far-fetched over the last few seasons.

Yet, that year was also one for Peter Lawwell to forget in the transfer window. That’s because the Glaswegian side missed out on a player who’s now one of the first names on the team sheet for the national side.

Coincidentally, he’s also now a regular in the Premier League.

The man in question is a certain John McGinn. The central midfielder was at Hibernian when Celtic tried no fewer than three times to sign from the Edinburgh club.

However, he eventually left for Aston Villa in a deal worth a measly £2m. Speaking after that, McGinn revealed the reasons:

“It was important to weigh up everything and not just go with my heart because I had basically made up my mind I wanted to join Celtic.”

The midfielder added: “But I also had to weigh up in my mind how strong Celtic’s midfield had been for a long time.

“I remember speaking to Brendan Rodgers and he said the important thing I would take from it was I would play games. But Steve Bruce said I would play every game.”

Sadly, it looks as though the club’s new CEO, Dominic McKay, has just repeated that mistake.

Of course, the chief executive officer has to be given praise for his work in the market. Celtic brought in 12 new first-team players over the summer, some of which have already taken to the Premiership like a duck to water; Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada are the primary suspects.

Yet, in this instance, he has made a mistake. Celtic had been scouting a certain Ali McCann long before McKay arrived in Glasgow but on transfer deadline day, they ignored a swoop which allowed him to move to England instead.

It wasn’t a Premier League side that came calling as they did for McGinn, but perhaps more frustratingly it was a club in the second tier.

Preston North End ended up landing the Northern Irishman in the final hours for just £1m.

Similarly to McGinn, he is an all-action midfielder, one that surely would have become an instant name on the team sheet at Paradise.

Last term, the former St Johnstone man was a force going forward and from a defensive point of view. He won 1.7 aerial duels per game and was also victorious in 2.7 tackles a match.

Furthermore, McCann made 1.5 interceptions and also registered 0.8 key passes. For the price tag touted, it’s strange that Celtic decided to ignore him.

This was a golden opportunity on deadline day.

AND in other news, Worse than Edouard: £4.5m-rated Celtic gem who lost 80% duels let Ange down massively…

West Brom midfielder Matheus Pereira is ‘not committed’ to the club, according to newly-appointed Baggies boss Valerien Ismael.

What’s the story?

Pereira has caught the eye with a number of strong performances for West Brom, since signing for the club back in 2019 from the Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon.

The midfielder has been attracting interest from the likes of West Ham, Leeds United and Leicester City in recent months, as they look to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the new season.

West Brom boss Valerien Ismael has recently revealed that Pereira is ‘not committed’ to the club, which will be frustrating to hear for their supporters, with the new league campaign set to get underway on Friday against AFC Bournemouth.

“I have spoken with Matheus for a few weeks. He was clear he wants to leave. He is not committed to the Championship and not committed to us.

“I accept this decision but I have to take my decision and now we need to solve the situation.”

‘World class’ potential

Pereira has certainly made a positive impact since signing for the Baggies, with the midfielder chipping in with eight goals and 20 assists in his first season with the club. That campaign was a memorable one, as the 25-year-old played a crucial role in their promotion-winning season.

But more importantly, Pereira has shown that he can perform to a more than good enough standard in the Premier League, as he scored 12 goals and was on hand to provide six assists in all competitions last term.

With an average Whoscored rating of 6.96 from the 2020/21 season with West Brom, it certainly makes for impressive reading for Pereira, whose future seems as though it’s away from The Hawthorns.

Former West Brom boss Sam Allardyce has previously singled out Pereira for praise, and felt as though he has the potential to go one and become a ‘world class player’ in future seasons.

“I have worked with some world class players in my time.

“I can’t say Matheus is world class but he certainly has the potential to be a top class Premier League player if he continues developing.”

West Brom need players that are going to be committed this term though, otherwise they may find it tough to win promotion back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

They’ve already got some good enough options in similar positions ahead of the new season, and although they might not quite be up to Pereira’s standards, the likes of Callum Robinson and Grady Diangana have already shown that they’re good enough in the Championship.

West Brom will be eager to have Pereira’s future resolved at the earliest of opportunities, as they won’t want to be having any distractions in their bid to win promotion into the top-flight this term. It’s a bold call to make for Ismael, but the club should be looking at getting Pereira out the door as soon as possible, as it’ll give them time to find a suitable replacement for him this summer.

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting to a rumour suggesting that Ben Davies could move to Celtic in the summer transfer window.

The Reds had a disastrous 2020/21 season at centre-back, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all missing the majority of the campaign through injury.

Their lack of availability meant that both Davies and Ozan Kabak were signed in the winter transfer window, but it has been a frustrating time for the former.

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Davies didn’t get a single minute of action after joining from Preston North End and there are now doubts surrounding his future at Anfield.

According to the Daily Mail [via Anfield Watch], Celtic are interested in signing the defender this summer, having also shown an interest back in January. A season-long loan move is mooted, with a host of Championship clubs also believed to be keen.

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Liverpool fans react to Davies exit links

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the update, with sympathy shown but many supporters behind any possible decision from Michael Edwards to sanction a quick exit for Davies.

“Nah that’s cold Michael Edwards”

Credit: @AtheistAkki

“Feel for this lad in fairness. Why was he bought and never given a run?”

Credit: @TouheyMark

“Thanks for the memories Ben, club legend”

Credit: @Ahmed_mansour01

“Would be downright hilarious if we managed to flip him for a huge profit despite never featuring for the club”

Credit: @RevivedDanny

“We could probably sell him to Bournemouth for £20million”

Credit: @ScouseCxfu

“Sell, get a profit when he hasn’t kicked a ball. Let him go and move on”

Credit: @alwilk1

In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited by another transfer rumour which has emerged. Read more here.

Nottingham Forest have been dealt a potential blow in their bid to bring James Garner back to The City Ground this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Jonathan Shrager, with the journalist revealing on Twitter that a number of clubs are interested in taking the Manchester United central midfielder on loan next season, with both Swansea City and Nottingham Forest being named as two clubs that are extremely keen on a deal for the 20-year-old.

However, Shrager goes on to claim that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will wait until all of the United players are back in training before deciding whether or not he would be willing to let the youngster leave the club once again this summer. The Norwegian is also thought to be eager to tie the England U20 international down to a new contract at Old Trafford.

Potential blow for Forest

It seems unlikely that Garner will be a key part of Solskjaer’s first-team plans next season with the likes of Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Donny van de Beek and Fred all appearing ahead of the 20-year-old as viable options in the middle of the park.

However, the fact that the 48-year-old is unsure as to whether he will be allowing the youngster to leave this summer could be a blow to Forest’s hopes of signing the midfielder this summer.

Considering Swansea are also thought to be in the race for the man Fred dubbed an “incredible” player, it should come as a further flow.

Steve Cooper has earned a reputation of being a fantastic coach when it comes to developing younger players, with clubs proposing loan deals to the Swans, rather than visa-versa. Thus, United may think that the £3.6m-rated gem would progress at a faster rate in Wales, rather than at the City Ground.

However, for now, there is nothing more that Chris Hughton and his side can do but wait to see exactly what plans Solskjaer has for Garner next season.

In other news: Imagine him & Grabban: Murphy must seal Forest swoop for £36k-p/w “leader” this summer