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After a barn-storming start to the new Premier League season, it’s been no surprise to see Aston Villa boss Dean Smith look to stick with a tried-and-trusted set-up for these opening few weeks.

Smith’s side went into the international break off the back of a thumping 3-0 victory at Arsenal, which saw them leap up the table into sixth – in fact, if they were to win their game in hand, they would go top of the table on goal difference, ahead of current league leaders Leicester City.

One change the Villa boss may want to make is, bringing Marvelous Nakamba into the side. John McGinn has had a difficult start to the season both at club and international level, and if there were a player in the starting line-up who you could argue has been the worst of a great bunch, then the Scotland international would be that man.

Nakamba has played just 13 minutes of Premier League football this season, and hasn’t taken to the field in the top-flight since he came on for the closing stages of Villa’s 7-2 thrashing of Liverpool early last month.

Of course, much of that is to do with Smith wanting to keep the momentum going, but the midfielder could give Villa an extra dimension to the out-of-form McGinn.

The £7.2m-rated ace goes under the radar with his work in the engine room, and former Villa ace Alan Hutton was quick to point that out earlier in March.

He said: “I think Nakamba’s done well. Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s been a difficult season, it was always going to be a difficult season. I think Nakamba can come out after this season thinking he’s played his part. I think he is probably underrated as well.

“There’s so much focus on the likes of Tyrone, Jack, John, even Wesley. It’s been difficult but I think in terms of underrated, Nakamba. He’s went about his business very well, especially when the spotlight has been on other members of the squad.”

Giving the side some fresh legs could ensure Villa keep shocking the rest of the Premier League, and it might be the first brave selection call that Smith might want to make this season.

West Brom head into a crucial run of matches that could determine their future in the Premier League and arguably, tonight’s game is the most important of them all.

They host Sheffield United at the Hawthorns in a bottom-of-the-table crunch match between the only two sides yet to record a victory in the English top-flight.

And Baggies boss Slaven Bilic may still be without some of his key stars. The Croatian remained coy over the availability of skipper Jake Livermore, so if he is indeed absent once again, there is only one name suited to filling the void.

Sam Field.

The 22-year-old was another player who tested positive for the virus over the international break, an untimely blow having only just returned from a knee problem, but it appears he is back in training and ready to feature once again.

Aside from Livermore, he is the only out-and-out defensive anchor at Bilic’s disposal – you could even argue that he’s more suited to the role of lynchpin more than the captain himself.

In the Championship last season, Field spent his time on loan at league rivals Charlton Athletic, where he would go onto outperform Livermore, Romaine Sawyers and Rekeem Harper for defensive attributes, as per The Athletic, which you can see in the table below.

No team has leaked more goals than Albion this season, so it would be a fair judgement to argue that they are far too easily bypassed in the engine room, which is why a player of Field’s quality is needed.

He rated out better than Livermore in every facet last term – tackles, blocks, possession won and clearances – and it’s not as if the Baggies talisman has covered himself in glory this term either, scoring an own goal on top of managing just 2.7 fouls per 90 minutes, via WhoScored.

Maybe the 31-year-old’s absence is actually a blessing in disguise.

Pretty much every manager to walk through the door in the Midlands has praised Field, so he ought to get a fair crack sooner rather than later.

Bilic claimed he would have “an important role to play” this season, yet the academy grad has been limited to just 239 minutes in all competitions.

Whilst Tony Pulis lauded Field as the best youngster he’s ever seen, he said: “I think he’s going to be a fantastic player for the club. Technically, he’s as good and as gifted as any footballer I’ve seen at that age.”

Even Gary Megson could see it, claiming: “In terms of Sam, I think he’s going to have a great future as a footballer. He’s got a lot of qualities.”

This is absolutely a must-win – a clichéd six-pointer – so the Baggies boss would be a wise man to consider adding Field to the mix. His stability in front of the defence could finally unleash the likes of Conor Gallagher and Matheus Pereira further up the field.

AND in other news, West Brom swoop for “total nightmare” can be Lai’s parting gift…

Southampton were linked with a move for SC Heerenveen midfielder Joey Veerman during the summer and considering his impressive form with the Eredivisie side so far this season, the Saints should return for him in the upcoming January transfer window.

The Saints were touted with an interest in the 22-year-old right at the end of the summer window but Southampton scout Piet Buter suggested at the time that the South Coast club would be more likely to target him in January instead.

He also spoke very highly of the Dutchman, saying:

“He (Veerman) is, of course, a very good football player.

“And it would be foolish not to follow a 21-year-old boy with those qualities; then we are asleep.

“He is a game player with great technique. He has very good insight into the game, a nice pass and takes all corners and free kicks. An interesting player.“

Veerman has enjoyed a superb start to the 2020/21 campaign, having contributed three goals and five assists in 11 Eredivisie appearances, which has seen him average an impressive 7.84 rating (per WhoScored).

This currently ranks him as the fourth-best player in the Dutch top-flight so far this season, so it could definitely be argued that he is ready to make the step up to a Premier League side.

Ralph Hasenhuttl is certainly low on midfield options, with just James Ward-Prowse, Oriol Romeu, Stuart Armstrong and Ibrahima Diallo as senior players in his first-team squad, so perhaps we will see them return for Veerman in the upcoming winter transfer window.

It could certainly be argued that Southampton have a hole in their squad following the departure of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer, so perhaps Veerman could go some way towards replacing the Danish international.

Certainly, his performances in recent seasons have caught the eye, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig identifying why he is playing so well on Twitter, whilst also suggesting that he is a “fantastic box-to-box midfielder”, who is “ready for his big move.”

Meanwhile, in an article for BreakingtheLines, the Dutch midfielder was compared to Barcelona maestro Frenkie De Jong, who also established himself in the Eredivisie with Ajax before earning his big move.

Martin Semmens and the rest of the Southampton board should surely consider a move for Veerman next month, therefore, as his current market value of £5.4 million has soared in recent years, so the Saints could save themselves a lot of money by splashing the cash on him in January, rather than waiting until other sides begin to take notice of the talented youngster, which would surely increase his value further.

And, in other news… 0% duels won, fewer touches than McCarthy: Southampton ace had a nightmare against Brighton…

Wolves have suffered a seismic setback in their pursuit to land Strasbourg defender Mohamed Simakan in January.

Simakan off the table

The 20-year-old has caught the eye of a number of clubs following an impressive breakthrough year in Ligue 1, already amassing 42 games and 3,387 minutes of play (TransferMarkt).

Claims were made by TuttoMercatoWeb that AC Milan were in talks with the French centre-back as they would like him to make the move to the San Siro, with Les Coureurs holding out for bids in the region of between £13.5m and £18m, but Wolves were said to keen to beat the Italian giants to his signature.

However, according to transfer market expert Nicolo Schira, the Rossoneri have come to an agreement with Simakan on a five-year contract, meaning that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side will miss out on securing the services of a player who has been described as a “natural leader” after progressing through the ranks at Marseille (via BTL).

Translated on Twitter, Schira said:

“The hot name for the defence of #ACMilan is Mohamed #Simakan: there is already an agreement with the 2000 class for a contract until 2025. We are now seeking an agreement with the #Strasbourg.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

This will be considered as a big blow to Wolves, who were keen on bolstering their backline with young talent.

With the transfer window looming, Nuno will have to consider an alternative to bring in if he wants to rotate his the members of his usual defensive back three.

Time will tell whether Wolves opt to make another move – or if they will stick with their current options until the end of the campaign.

In other news, Wolves fans laud Tim Spiers’ transfer claim as Nuno eyes Raul Jimenez replacement.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho in recent weeks and the Englishman could well prove to be Liverpool’s next Mohamed Salah.

What’s the word?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano on the Que Golazo podcast, the 20-year-old will depart Dortmund next summer and is set for a Premier League return, with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea scouting him.

Since leaving Manchester City to join the Bundesliga side in 2017, Sancho has established himself as one of the brightest young talents in European football, having contributed a superb 38 goals and 51 assists in 117 appearances.

Manchester United were heavily linked with a move for the £90 million rated youngster during the summer transfer window but were unable to agree a fee with die Schwarzgelben, so Liverpool must now attempt to succeed where their old rivals failed.

Salah replacement?

Certainly, if he were to sign for Liverpool, he could be the man to replace Salah, with the Egyptian having attracted interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona recently which has cast doubt over his long-term future with the Merseyside club.

Whilst the Reds have world-class talent in Salah and Sadio Mane on their wings, with the supremely talented Diogo Jota also available in Jurgen Klopp’s squad, all of these players like to cut inside and often play as auxiliary strikers, so it could be argued that they are lacking an out-and-out winger such as Sancho.

His performances in the Bundesliga last season were certainly at a world-class level, as he contributed 17 goals and 16 assists in just 32 top-flight appearances, resulting in an incredible average rating of 7.64.

When Sancho was just 18, he was dubbed “the perfect footballer” by German football legend Lothar Matthaus and it seems as if he has only got better since then, so surely he would be a superb addition to Liverpool’s squad.

Although Michael Edwards has gained a reputation for completing bargain deals during his time as sporting director at LFC, he must surely consider breaking the bank for Sancho as considering what he has achieved already in his short career, it seems as if he is destined to challenge for the Ballon d’Or in the future, something which he could achieve with Liverpool should he make the move to Merseyside.

And, in other news… Forget Jones: “Out of this world” LFC star who lost possession 31x was Klopp’s worst vs NUFC

Many Liverpool fans blasted BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton after he slated manager Jurgen Klopp and his personality change during the 2020/21 campaign.

A regular on BBC 5 Live, but writing in his Daily Mail column, the former Blackburn Rovers striker believed that the German tactician has lost his calm and collected character from recent years, describing him as going “from Mr Motivator to Mr Moaner.”

Klopp has been desperately unhappy with many aspects of this season, including VAR calls, injuries and scheduling of his squad’s games, which lead to an infamous row with BT Sport journalist Des Kelly.

Despite all of the problems he has encountered and with the severe setbacks to Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, Liverpool still top the Premier League – albeit on goal difference to Manchester United who have a game in hand.

With this in mind, supporters were not impressed with the language that Sutton chose to use, making their feelings clear on social media.

Fans let rip at Sutton

“Couldn’t care less what Chris Sutton has to say”

Credit: @dylxnzi

“Don’t care for Chris Sutton’s opinion”

Credit: @mave2386

“Chris Sutton needs to try to be a manager.”

Credit: @elninoamir

“Funny that coming for the guy who still hasn’t shut up about Rodgers”

Credit: @ChrissyL_LFC

“Who’s Chris Sutton? Never heard of the guy in my life”

Credit: @matabulat96

“He’s up there with the worst of them in my opinion. Pundits that is.”

Credit: @Jonny15371296

In other news, Exclusive: Carlton Palmer discusses options available to Liverpool to replace Georginio Wijnaldum.

David Moyes must unleash Andriy Yarmolenko at striker when West Ham United visit non-league Stockport County for their FA Cup third round tie on Monday night.

Yarmolenko has rarely featured in any competition this term with the 31-year-old making just four starts so far, three of which came during the Hammers’ Carabao Cup campaign.

But the Irons are now down to only one recognised senior centre-forward in Michail Antonio ahead of their trip to Edgeley Park following Sebastien Haller’s £20m exit on Friday, and they can use their encounter with Jim Gannon’s side to discover potential alternatives.

Yarmolenko has struggled to find his role in Moyes’ Premier League plans this term and missed almost a month of action in the run-up to Christmas after testing positive for Coronavirus.

Yet the attacker had impressed when given a chance to display his talents in the EFL Cup, recording his entire five-goal contribution for the campaign to date with two goals and three assists against lower league opposition.

He also averaged 2.3 shots and 2.7 key passes a game across West Ham’s League Cup ties with Charlton Athletic, Hull City and Everton, won 4.3 duels and offered 1.3 successful tackles, per SofaScore.

Yarmolenko could now prove to be a lifesaver for West Ham in the January transfer market, and particularly to co-owner and Chairman David Sullivan, as an impressive showing at striker on Monday night may allow the London Stadium natives to save millions on signing a Haller replacement.

West Ham have been linked with moves for a host of options; including Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah, Bournemouth’s Joshua King – who could cost £15m – RB Salzburg’s £25m-rated Patson Daka and Watford’s Ismaila Sarr, who reports claim the Irons may bid £30m for.

Moyes has experimented with his attacking options already this season by fielding Yarmolenko at centre-forward during his cameo appearances at Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool in October, while starting Jarrod Bowen alongside Haller against Brighton & Hove Albion last month.

His decision to utilise Bowen up top at home to the Amex Stadium natives backfired horrifically, but Yarmolenko’s efforts left an impression on Moyes who was later tipped to put his faith behind the £7m-rated outcast to reap the rewards of his energy in the role.

Yarmolenko has also played centrally for Ukraine at times over the years, and an impressive showing against Stockport on Monday night could see Moyes save Sullivan millions in not having to splash out to land a back-up striker during the January transfer window.

AND in other news, David Sullivan can seal West Ham’s dream Sebastien Haller heir in an “extraordinary” gem.

It was always going to be a hard task, as illustrated by the odds at Betiton.com/en-ie/sport/, but a young Sheffield Wednesday side crashed out of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage on Sunday evening.

Several of Neil Thompson’s current Owls stars gave a good account of themselves against Premier League opposition, though ultimately, it’s back to Championship duty and the small task of surviving in the league from here on out.

The south Yorkshiremen were dominated by Everton at Goodison Park with Carlo Ancelotti’s side having 63% possession as well as racking up a total of 21 attempts at Joe Wildsmith’s goal.

Owls’ goalkeeper was a busy man all night after he recorded the seventh most amount of touches (33) of any visiting player, which means four other out-field starters were largely ineffective.

None more so than the man deployed up top, Callum Paterson.

In 60 minutes of action, he managed only ten touches, meaning he was involved just once every six minutes. He also lost possession 50% of the time from those touches, via SofaScore.

The 26-year-old Scotsman was hugely disappointing in what was an anonymous outing. You could forgive him as he was up against much of a starting top-flight defence, but his failure to link the midfield to the attack meant the Owls literally had next to no chance whilst he was on the pitch.

Paterson also managed the lowest number of passes (five) from any starting player and even then, he only made 50% of his passing attempts (ten), via SofaScore.

YorkshireLive’s Dom Howson graded the forward a 5/10 in his post-match ratings column – the lowest of any Owls player – he wrote:

“As industrious as ever but no sights at goal. Was unable to effectively link the midfield and attack, although there were times when he was forced to feed off scraps.”

With Jack Marriott back from Derby, Josh Windass back from injury and Jordan Rhodes waiting in the wings, Thompson may want to think twice over giving Paterson another runout, especially with another game coming in less than 72 hours.

The £16.5k-per-week ace badly let the Owls caretaker down.

AND in other news, “intimidating” 52 y/o would surely be Sheffield Wednesday’s dream appointment

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Jordan Pickford will not return to the Everton starting line-up against Manchester United, but faces some questions over his selections elsewhere on the pitch on Saturday.

Pickford was absent from the side that beat Leeds United 2-1 on Wednesday night with a rib injury and has failed to overcome the issue in time to travel to Old Trafford, where Robin Olsen will again start in goal.

Everton are also still yet to welcome back Allan or Jean-Philippe Gbamin for selection as the midfielders continue their recovery from hamstring and Achilles injuries, in an otherwise fully fit squad after Fabian Delph’s recent return from a hamstring issue.

So, as Ancelotti looks to build on victory over Leeds with a first win at Old Trafford since beating Manchester United in December 2013, here’s a potential line-up Everton could name…

Ancelotti could not refrain from admitting his surprise at how well Ben Godfrey is performing after a showcase display from the £20m summer signing against Leeds during the week, but may look to return the former Norwich City ace to a wide role in defence against Manchester United.

The Red Devils are one the Premier League’s form sides at the moment as they look to contend with Man City for the title, and will host Everton hot after trashing Southampton 9-0 last time out with eight different players getting on the scoresheet.

A move back to full-back for Godfrey would allow Michael Keane to return to central defence beside Yerry Mina after being rested at Elland Road, and may be partnered by the £8.5m-rated Seamus Coleman after Mason Holgate’s difficult night against Leeds.

Holgate’s failed clearance allowed for the Whites to strike early in the second half and discover a potential route back into the game, and would earn SofaScore’s joint-lowest match rating for any player that started for either side at 6.4 out of 10.

Everton enjoyed success with Godfrey at left-back and Lucas Digne in midfield against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City earlier in the year, while the Frenchman’s overlapping runs returned the assist for Gylfi Sigurdsson’s goal against Leeds.

Richarlison briefly showed signs of promise on the left-wing at Elland Road but was still left searching for his best form in attack, which Ancelotti may look to rediscover with a return to a central role alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The biggest question marks facing Ancelotti ahead of travelling to Manchester United come in midfield with the Italian having to weigh up a potential recall for James Rodriguez and who would step aside for the Colombian, who played no role in the win over Leeds.

Ancelotti could persist without the former Real Madrid playmaker at Old Trafford and instead favour Sigurdsson beside Abdoulaye Doucoure in the engine room, after his imperious showing against Marcelo Bielsa’s men, which would see Andre Gomes fall to the bench after a Man of the Match performance in midweek.

Rodriguez is also an option for the right-wing spot after Alex Iwobi’s struggles on Wednesday night, yet Ancelotti will be expected to persist with the Nigerian for he can offer a higher level of endeavour, speed, fight and focus as Everton strive to avoid a third defeat to Manchester United this season alone.

AND in other news, a £65k-p/w Everton titan faces a fight at Everton after Carlo Ancelotti was left “really surprised” vs Leeds…

Manchester United could well find their next Gary Neville in Norwich City starlet Max Aarons.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent months have revealed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are one of several Premier League clubs tracking the Canaries defender, with Tottenham Hotspur also among the interested parties.

ESPN have recently claimed that the Red Devils remain interested in the £18m-rated 21-year-old, with Solskjaer seeing him as direct competition for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Gary Neville 2.0?

Although Wan-Bissaka got himself on the scoresheet in the 9-o drubbing of nine-man Southampton, it’s fair to say that his attacking contributions have often left a lot to be desired.

In Aarons, however, Solskjaer’s concern about a lack of an attacking full-back would be eased considerably.

Aarons really burst onto the scene at Carrow Road during the 2018-19 campaign, recording two goals and six assists in the Championship. His return of six assists saw him ranked seventh in the charts behind the likes of Emiliano Buendia and Teemu Pukki.

Much like Gary Neville, he has demonstrated that he is capable of making overlapping runs down the right flank for Daniel Farke’s side, as evidenced by his 1.3 successful dribbles per 90 this season. A 50% completion rate suggests that he is, more often than not, successful when he brings the ball out from the back to set his side on the front foot.

In the past season alone, Aarons has scored once in 29 appearances with three assists to show for his 27 starts in the Championship. It’s worth remembering that Neville himself only managed one assist in his first full season in the Premier League.

Farke recently heaped praise on his young charge after his heroics in the Canaries’ 2-0 victory over Bristol City. He said: “The work from Max Aarons for the second was fantastic and Jordan showed this instinct to get the luck with the goal. You have to do this to get the ball over the line.”

The fact that he’s predominantly a right-back would make him the perfect backup option and allow Solskjaer to provide Wan-Bissaka with adequate cover and competition for a place in the starting line-up, whilst he would also add an alternative threat in attack as well.

AND in other news, Woodward can deliver a masterclass with move for long-term Man Utd target Jadon Sancho…