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Newcastle United lost their third successive Premier League match on Sunday as they were hammered 5-1 by Tottenham away from home.

The Magpies failed to capitalise on their lead in the first half as Fabian Schar’s free-kick found a way past Hugo Lloris and into the bottom corner.

Ben Davies soon equalised for the hosts with a flicked header, before goals from Heung-Min Son, Matt Doherty, Emerson Royal and Steven Bergwijn sealed a fantastic win for Antonio Conte’s men.

A number of players failed to showcase the best of their talents in the drubbing and one man who struggled badly was centre-forward Chris Wood.

The attacker, who scored five goals in four games for his country over the break, has not been able to hit his best form since making the switch to St. James’ Park in January. He has scored once in 11 Premier League matches for the Toon since the club paid £25m to sign him from relegation rivals Burnley in the winter window.

Frank McAvennie said earlier this year that the New Zealand international is “struggling” and his performance against Spurs was in line with that comment. He caught the eye in the wrong way as it was noticeable how anonymous he was throughout the match at the top end of the pitch.

Off the ball, he did very little. As per SofaScore, he did not win a single ground duel and failed to make any clearances, tackles, interceptions or blocks. This shows that he did not successfully press from the front to force Tottenham players into making mistakes, putting more pressure on the Magpies defence as their striker was not leading the defensive effort.

In possession, he was useless. As per SofaScore, he only completed six passes in his 70 minutes on the field, completing 60% of his attempts to find a teammate. He had one shot, that was off target, and did not complete any dribbles, key passes, long balls or crosses as he lost the ball six times from 15 touches.

This shows that he offered nothing to the team as an offensive threat. He did not make himself enough of a nuisance to the opposition defence and failed to get himself involved in the game. Instead of forcing the issue and trying to impose himself on Spurs, he struggled to get a touch of the ball.

The Magpies flop had fewer touches (15) than Martin Dubravka (38) and Howe will surely be hoping for more involvement from his number nine, irrespective of how the match went. It was a disappointing showing and his struggles continue…

AND in other news, PIF set to “lead the race” to sign forward for NUFC who will be a “joy to watch”…

Leeds United reporter Conor McGilligan has been reacting to a transfer update on Robin Koch.

The Lowdown: Koch to go?

The Whites defender has been in and out of the team this season, failing to nail down a regular role at the back.

The German did fill in for Kalvin Phillips in a defensive midfield role since the turn of the year but has been a substitute in Leeds’ recent upturn in form over the last three games and might not be confident of getting into the line-up for the visit to Watford on Saturday.

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According to Football Insider, the club will listen to offers for Koch in the summer, with a fee in the region of £10m-£11m thought to be enough to prompt a deal.

Leeds are thought to be planning a defensive overhaul ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first season in charge, with Koch potentially moving on from Elland Road.

The Latest: McGilligan reacts to Koch exit reports

McGilligan, who works for Leeds Live, took to Twitter in response to the update regarding Koch. He feels that the 25-year-old has ‘way more potential’ than Diego Llorente, describing a possible exit for the former as an ‘absolutely bizarre decision’.

When asked if he thought Koch should be allowed to leave, the journalist firmly replied:

“Absolutely not. Llorente goes over Koch ability wise for me, you’ve also got to look at the age of both – way more potential for Robin. Would be an absolutely bizarre decision.”

The Verdict: Leeds’ worst-rated defender…

You can see why Leeds are considering parting ways with Koch this summer in what could well be a summer shake-up at Elland Road, should Marsch steer the club to Premier League safety.

As per WhoScored, Koch has struggled this season with an average match rating of just 6.32/10, with fellow centre-backs Liam Cooper, Pascal Struijk and Llorente all outperforming the German.

He has actually been the club’s worst-rated senior performer and has also missed 38 games through injury and illness since arriving in Yorkshire, so if one of the four were to go, it wouldn’t be a shock if Koch was the man to be jettisoned, despite McGilligan’s protestations.

In other news: Leeds and Marsch handed early injury boost as ‘strong’ player may now return v Watford  

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According to The Sun, West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is a summer target for Premier League champions Manchester City.

The report has claimed that City could expect to pay as much as £70m for the 20-year-old, who has been in impressive form for the Hammers this season.

Rice recently signed a new long-term contract with West Ham, meaning that he is contracted to the capital outfit until the summer of 2024.

As a result, the Hammers are in a very, very strong position to negotiate, should a huge bid arrive in this summer’s transfer window.

The West Ham fans have been on social media reacting to the transfer report.

And it would be fair to say that the supporters are absolutely desperate for their club to keep hold of the 6ft 1in midfielder.

Many even feel that £70m would not be enough to sign the London-born youngster.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Liverpool are expected to add to their squad depth in the attacking areas of the pitch this summer, even after signing Luis Diaz in January for £37.5m from Porto.

With Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah all currently set to be out of contract at the end of next season, it seems likely that Jurgen Klopp will be on the lookout for potential replacements, with Ismaila Sarr being the latest name linked with the Anfield club.

What’s the news?

The 24-year-oldhas become hot property once again after his agent Thierno Seydi told Afrique Sports: “It’s clear there are chances he leaves this year from Watford.”

According to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport, Liverpool have since reignited their pursuit of the Watford winger, after Goal reported earlier in the season that the Merseyside club didn’t follow up on their interest last summer.

The report added that the Reds could face competition from Serie A giants AC Milan, who are also keen on the Senegalese attacker with a price tag of £41m.

Liverpool’s future match-winner?

The 24-year-old has scored five Premier League goals in 16 appearances this season, having struggled with injuries and missing part of the campaign due to the Africa Cup of Nations, which left the likes of Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster wishing for his return.

The English veteran said of Sarr’s ability earlier this year: “It’s scary, isn’t it, really? It’s almost like everything seems to just be off the cuff. Every single time he gets the ball, even he doesn’t know what he’s going to do, but it will end up being good either way.

“Once he can start to really drill down on what he knows he can do, yeah, the world is his oyster. Honestly, like I say, the speed and the awareness, the touch, the precision, he’s got all of it. He just now needs all of it to connect and be in control of it too.”

“It’s great to have him back, he’s a game-winner, it’s as simple as that. He’ll win us games, but it puts the opposition on the backfoot as well and I think that’s the important part.”

Having scored important goals against the likes of Manchester United and Aston Villa, along with a brace in a 3-2 victory against Norwich earlier in the season, it’s understandable why Foster views the 24-year-old as a match-winner; and in a Liverpool side who create plenty of chances per game and excel with pacey attackers, Sarr could thrive.

In the 2019/20 season, he single-handedly ended the Reds’ incredible unbeaten run with the performance of his career, scoring two goals and setting up another in a shock 3-0 win over the runaway league leaders, also completing two dribbles and winning more than half of his duels.

Klopp probably still has that performance from February 2020 in the back of his mind ahead of the summer, and FSG must try to ensure that Sarr does the damage for Liverpool rather than to them by bringing him to Anfield as a long-term successor to their current attacking behemoths.

In other news: Klopp could unearth the “new Zlatan” as Liverpool make bid to sign £58.7m star

Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes it would be a ‘big coup’ if Leeds bring Barcelona’s Sergino Dest to Elland Road this summer, GiveMeSport report.

The Lowdown: Dest links

Leeds were linked with a move for Dest at the end of March, with sources suggesting that the right-back is on Victor Orta’s radar alongside RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson.

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The 21-year-old has played as a full-back and winger on both flanks this season but is primarily a right-back.

The USA international still has over three years remaining on his Nou Camp deal, and O’Rourke has been having his say on a possible deal for the £16.2m-rated defender.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to GiveMeSport, O’Rourke said that ‘it would be a big, big coup’ if Leeds managed to land Dest over the coming months, believing that he may be a man in demand this summer.

“I can see Leeds monitoring his situation. It would be a big, big coup if they were able to bring him to Elland Road in the summer.

“I’m sure there will be a lot of clubs looking at Dest, who has performed well for the United States over the last couple of years, especially if Barcelona are willing to sell him.”

The Verdict: Interesting…

Raphinha has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, so Leeds could look to enquire over bringing Dest to Yorkshire plus receiving cash in a deal for the Leeds star – it may even give them a head start on other sides looking to sign Dest.

Some supporters may be cautious, though, with Junior Firpo not exactly starring in his first campaign after signing from the Catalan giants last summer.

Dest does look like a promising talent who is also extremely versatile, so a move to link up with fellow countryman Jesse Marsch could be one to watch over the coming months.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano reveals big transfer blow for Leeds as key 21 y/o target now set to move elsewhere

Everton have had a hectic January transfer window, making three signings early in the month and sacking their manager, Rafa Benitez, soon after, with all the attention firmly on the appointment of the next manager, Moshiri could be lining up a last-minute bid that could add a fourth new player to the squad.

What’s the word?

According to TEAMtalk, Everton are one of the three Premier League clubs interested in signing Armando Broja, who is currently on loan at Southampton from Chelsea.

The Toffees reportedly join Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the race to sign the 20-year-old striker, with just four days left to go in the January transfer window.

The report claims that Southampton are keen to keep Broja with them at St Mary’s, but with many Premier League clubs now showing interest in the youngster, it could be a challenge for them to hold onto him.

Lukaku 2.0

Everton are no strangers to attracting young Chelsea talent, with the potential signing of Broja similar to the £28m club-record signing at the time of Romelu Lukaku back in 2014, when the Belgian goal machine was just 21 years old.

Lukaku was a huge success at Everton, scoring 87 goals and bagging 29 assists in just 166 appearances for the club, with a goal involvement every 120 minutes for the Toffees, so the club could be onto their next Chelsea swoop to potentially emulate the success of their former striker.

The £8.1m-rated monster who was hailed “dangerous” by his current manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, has been making his mark on the Southampton team with 21 appearances and seven goals, five of those have been scored in the Premier League.

However, goals aren’t the only attribute that Broja has been excelling in, according to One Versus One the youngster has been using his 6 foot2 stature to impose himself on opponents, making 170 aerial challenges this season so far, and ranking 8th in the Premier League for completing aerial duels, proving that he is not afraid to get stuck into the game away from just scoring goals.

There has been real upset and aggravation amongst fans with a protest staged last night at Goodison Park, so bringing in young players with bags of potential could be a move for Moshiri that could potentially settle the current outrage.

That’s especially if Broja could come in and make an instant impact in changing the fate of the Toffees nightmare season, and helping the side climb back into a safe position in the Premier League table.

In other news: David Ornstein drops major Everton manager update

A big Newcastle United update has emerged on Brentford striker Ivan Toney… 

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Magpies are one of the teams showing an interest in signing the English centre-forward at the end of the season.

The report claims that it would cost a sizeable fee of around £50m to prise him away from the London club, with Arsenal, Everton and West Ham also keen on him.

Meanwhile, a Football Insider source suggests an asking price of £30m has been slapped on his shoulders with Newcastle keeping tabs.

Imagine him & Allan Saint-Maximin

By signing the Bees frontman this summer, Eddie Howe can seal a dream duo by pairing him with French attacker Saint-Maximin.

Toney has shown, this season, that he can thrive as part of a two-pronged attack as he has built an exciting relationship with Bryan Mbuemo. The Brentford pair have 16 goals and 11 assists in the Premier League between them and this shows that they have been superb together in the top flight.

Since making the jump up from the Championship, the Englishman has taken to the division like a duck to water – earning plenty of plaudits along the way.

Bees boss Thomas Frank has been effusive in his praise of the goal machine. He said:

“Ivan is very intelligent, because he’s reflecting, and he deserves a lot of praise himself for also coming into a well-run club and listening to all the small bits and adding extra layers to his development and performance.

“If you want to be a top player you need to work hard, constantly reflect and want to learn and then of course you need to have that confidence that he’s got so naturally.He’s coming across so fantastically: he’s humble, calm, but with a mindset of a lion.”

His statistics back up the acclaim as he has produced 12 goals and four assists in 27 league starts, averaging a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.33. He has been able to regularly provide quality on the pitch and still has room to improve at the age of 26, which is why he can be a fantastic signing for the Magpies.

Now, imagine him lining up alongside Saint-Maximin in black and white. The French winger has five goals and three assists in the Premier League and has created 1.4 chances per game. This suggests that he can supply Toney with the opportunities he needs to find the back of the net, whilst Toney’s assists suggest he can also put the ex-Nice man into positions to score for himself. Simply mouthwatering.

AND in other news, Howe can unearth his own Ginola in Newcastle’s rarely-seen 19 y/o “bright talent”…

According to Italian news outlet Messaggero Veneto, Udinese forward Gerard Deulofeu is being targeted by West Ham ahead of a potential €20m (£16.6m) summer transfer.

The former Watford winger has had an exceptional season in Serie A, scoring nine goals in 25 appearances and setting up two more, as he has transitioned effectively into becoming a striker.

His versatility could be a key reason behind the east London club’s interest, due to Michail Antonio being the only natural striker at the club and the Spaniard’s ability to also operate as a left winger.

While Deulofeu’s career has seemingly been revived in Italy, this would be his fourth stint in England – and if his previous spells are anything to go by, could it be an unsuccessful signing from a West Ham perspective? Our writers give their verdicts below….

 Vijievan Jeevathayalan

“With just 20 goals in 127 games in his time in the Premier League, Deulofeu would be hugely underwhelming as a potential summer signing. The former Everton and Watford man showed flashes of his brilliance in England, but really struggled to deliver anywhere near the kind of consistent form that would suggest a third spell in the top flight would see him finally bring the goods.

“West Ham have taken several steps forward under David Moyes, and with a place in the Europa League quarter-finals already secured, and being well-placed in the Premier League for another impressive finish, the Hammers should be looking at real statement signings this summer. Deulofeu simply doesn’t fit the bill, and Moyes would be making a major howler to push through a move for the Spaniard. It’d quite frankly be a complete waste from GSB.”

James Thompson

“If West Ham were to make a move to bring Gerard Deulofeu back to the Premier League after his stints with Watford and Everton, this would be a really uninspiring move from GSB.

“Having scored just four goals in his previous season in England with Watford, it’s hard to see the Spaniard winning a battle against the likes of Said Benrahma, Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals or Manuel Lanzini to become a regular first-team figure for David Moyes.

“With the summer transfer window in mind, if the Hammers are going to be in the market for another attacking player, Deulofeu should be nowhere near the top of their transfer target list.”

Daniel Emery

“It would be a surprising move from the Hammers given their wealth of options in the attacking midfield areas. Bowen, Vlasic, Benrahma, Fornals, Yarmolenko and Lanzini can all play in the positions behind the striker and I struggle to see where Deulofeu would fit in.

“He predominantly plays off the right and his 10 goals and four assists since the start of last season do not suggest that he has the quality to displace Bowen, who has 16 goals and 15 assists in the same time, from that role.

“The Spaniard is not an upgrade on what they have and, at 28, is not an up-and-coming prospect who they can look to bed in over time. This deal is a must-avoid.”

In other news – Imagine him and Antonio: West Ham must land £18m-rated “weapon” likened to Beckham

Speaking to Give Me Sport, journalist Pete O’Rourke has shared his thoughts on Tottenham Hotspur defender Matt Doherty and manager Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Doherty linked with January exit…

At the start of January, Doherty was one of the main players linked with a move away from north London amid Conte’s mooted N17 rebuild.

Alas, despite the rumours, Tottenham’s wing-back remained and actually featured fairly regularly throughout last month – even attracting praise from figures around the club.

Club insider John Wenham lavished the Republic of Ireland international following some of his ‘best’ performances in a Lilywhites jersey, but following on, O’Rourke has shared an opposing belief involving Doherty.

The Latest: O’Rourke not convinced…

Speaking to GMS, the reporter has shared his belief that Conte doesn’t actually trust the 29-year-old – taking into account the Italian’s chase for a right-wing-back in January.

“Doherty’s been in and out in recent weeks, but I’m not sure Conte fully trusts him,” he explained.

“If he had signed another right wing-back in January, that would have pushed him down the pecking order.”

The Verdict: Fresh start…

We believe O’Rourke may actually have a point given Tottenham and transfer chief Fabio Paratici’s chase for makeshift RWB top target Adama Traore for the majority of last month.

However, after that move was hijacked by Barcelona, Doherty may have a chance to revitalise his Spurs career under Conte going by some of his impressive outings.

Former Spurs boss Jose Mourinho once called the defender ‘impeccable’ (Alasdair Gold) but it remains to be seen whether Doherty can work his way into becoming a fully fledged regular under Conte ahead of the final few months of 2021/2022.

In other news: Tottenham offer new deal to ‘top’ player after he blew Nuno away, find out more here.

Ahead of a huge game for Liverpool against arch rivals Manchester United tonight, manager Jurgen Klopp must brutally axe “superstar” Mohamed Salah from his starting XI.

On the chalkboard

The Egyptian has had a great season this year, but his performance against Manchester City in the recent FA Cup semi final was far from memorising.

He was hardly in the game and only touched the ball 38 times, which was less than goalkeeper Alisson.

Liverpool are now fortunate enough to be blessed with plenty of options for their front three and we think Klopp should go for a combination that doesn’t include Salah.

With two goals in the cup game against City, Sadio Mane is one of the obvious choices to start, Luis Diaz also deserves to keep his place in the side, and Diogo Jota should be brought in to complete the trio.

Statistics show that Jota can be more of a threat from open play than Salah, with his number of expected non penalty goals higher than the 29-year olds.

Despite the recent poor run of form, Salah’s team mates have leapt to his defence. Andy Robertson praised his work rate as “different class” when speaking to the Athletic.

Jurgen Klopp also spoke after the cup game against City saying that it’s “a completely normal spell” he’s going through and that the goals will eventually come.

Whilst he’s likely to find his form again soon, perhaps a spell out of the team will benefit him? All of Liverpool’s games between now and the end of the season are crucial if they want to beat Manchester City to the title and go all the way in the Champions League and FA Cup.

But derby games against Manchester United are always more difficult. Klopp should play Salah in the easier games until he regains his form or they risk dropping points.

There are also no guarantees that Salah will be a Liverpool player in the future as he’s still not signed a new deal committing his future to the club.

So maybe now is a good time for them to get used to winning without him.

While Anfield may be shocked at such a huge decision, it might just be the right call.

IN other news: Liverpool now targeting “special” £49.5m-rated star, he’s the dream Salah replacement – opinion…