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Aston Villa are currently riding a crest of a wave right now under Unai Emery, with their latest Premier League victory in midweek vaulting them up to seventh spot in the table.

The win at the King Power Stadium was their fifth victory in their previous six matches and now leaves the Villans firmly in the hunt for a European spot for next season.

Nottingham Forest are the visitors today at Villa Park, and it gives the club another chance to continue their ascent up the table, and with the way they are playing right now, anything is possible.

Emery will likely make some changes to the side from midweek given the quick turnaround in games, and this could give a few players an opportunity to impress.

Bertrand Traore had a match-winning cameo against the Foxes, which could give Emery a licence to start the player and allow him to showcase his ability from the first whistle.

Will Bertrand Traore start for Aston Villa against Nottingham Forest?

The winger spent the first half of the season on loan at Turkish side Basaksehir, scoring three goals in 18 matches. However, he was recalled by Emery in January as Villa failed to sign a winger during the transfer window.

Since recovering from injury, he has played three times for the club and his contribution in midweek could be the confidence boost that he requires heading into the final weeks of the campaign.

He has averaged 1.3 shots per game and succeeded with 50% of his attempted dribbles during his three appearances so far, with his average game time of just 21 minutes not giving him the ideal chance to showcase his abilities.

The £17m winger enjoyed a successful first season at the club during 2020/21, registering 14 goal contributions (seven goals and seven assists), and if Emery can bring him back to that level ahead of next term, he could be like a brand-new signing.

His former manager, Dean Smith, lauded Traore at the end of his first campaign, saying: "He's a marvellous technician, I've been really pleased, and I expect better from him next season as well."

There is surely no doubt he has the ability to shine against a Forest side who have conceded 52 goals already this season, and we feel Traore can take advantage of their questionable defending this afternoon and build upon his midweek performance.

Newcastle United have reportedly agreed a deal to finalise a move for West Ham United talent spotter Delroy Banks.

The Lowdown: Banks profiled

As per West Ham’s official website, Ebanks goes to ‘hundreds’ of football games all over the country, and beyond, every season.

The recruitment manager for the U12-23s leads an expansive department of talent spotters at the Academy of Football, assembling extensive information on ‘thousands’ of young footballers each and every year.

Travelling, data analysis, observation and profiling all form part of his daily routine, and now he looks set to move up north.

The Latest: Ebanks deal agreed

As per Football Insider, Newcastle have ‘agreed a deal’ to hire Ebanks, and he is finalising a move to St. James’ Park.

It is believed that he has ‘already started working’ for the North East club, after resigning from his post at the Hammers.

Ebanks has taken on a newly-created recruitment role, in where he becomes their new southern lead scout, and will be based down south searching for rising stars.

The Tynesiders are planning to make many more appointments as part of sporting director Dan Ashworth’s ambitious recruitment drive, and are expanding their scouting network abroad, with up to seven international scouts possibly being appointed.

They are looking to recruit scouts for France; Germany, Holland and Belgium; Spain and Portugal; Italy, Switzerland and Croatia; Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark and Serbia; Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador in addition to Argentina and Uruguay.

Meanwhile, West Ham are looking for a new academy recruitment manager to replace the respected Ebanks.

The Verdict: Top recruitment

Hiring Ebanks from one of their Premier League rivals seems like top recruitment from the Magpies.

Colchester United sporting director Dmitri Halajko, who worked with Ebanks as West Ham’s reserve team manager, has described his former colleague as ‘one of the top guys around in the south’, in a glowing assessment speaking to The Chronicle:

“Del was one of those people where you would always trust his judgement.

“If he said there was a good player at a certain club or out of a club that he wanted to bring in, you wouldn’t feel you had to question it or look at that player yourself. You always knew when they came into training they would be at the level.

“Del’s attention to detail is great.

“He’s also good at personal stuff. He would always be someone who would give you a call and let you know about it personally.

“He wouldn’t just be sending through dossiers on players, which is part and parcel of it. He would give you a call and let you know a few little hints and tips about the player.

“He would also look after the player once they were in as well. He wouldn’t just leave them – he would help settle them in. When the players were maybe struggling or unsettled, he would make it his business to try and do what he could to help.”

Nonetheless, the Toon will be hoping that Ebanks can help spot some gems to sign, amidst the financial muscle that they have.

West Ham United are interested in signing AS Roma defender Chris Smalling, according to a recent report.

The Lowdown: West Ham targeting a defender

It was reported during the January transfer window that the Irons ‘definitely’ wanted to sign a new centre-back, amid links to the likes of Michael Keane and Aaron Long.

However, the Hammers’ only addition in that area of the pitch was Sao Paulo defender Luizao, who is linking up with Mark Robson’s development squad for the time being, so David Moyes may still want another central defensive signing in the summer.

The Latest: Smalling eyed by West Ham

According to a report from 90min, West Ham are one of the clubs who are interested in bringing Smalling back to the Premier League, with Fulham, Everton and Leicester also said to be in the race for his signature.

That said, it currently seems unlikely that the defender will move in the summer, given his desire to stay at Roma, recently telling Sky Sports Italia: “I am very confident [about staying]…I have an option to renew for one year but I hope to stay for more seasons.”

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The Verdict: Worth pursuing?

If the Englishman does not commit to a new deal to extend his stay in Rome beyond the end of the season, then he would be an excellent prospective addition to Moyes’ side, and the West Ham boss will know his qualities well from their time working together at Manchester United.

The 6 foot 4 colossus was at his best in Roma’s recent 2-0 Europa League triumph against RB Salzburg, winning all of his individual duels in a dominant display, while he also won an incredible 11 of the 12 aerial battles that he contested in the 1-0 win against Hellas Verona last weekend.

West Ham’s defence looked solid in the 4-0 victory against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but the 33-year-old Smalling – who has been dubbed ‘outstanding’ by journalist Josh Bunting – would still be worth signing on a two-year deal, as he is still putting in dominant performances at a high level.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans to bolster their squad at the end of the season…

What’s the latest on Tiago Djalo to Newcastle?

According to InterLive, the Magpies are the team most interested in rivalling Italian giants Inter to the signing of Lille central defender Tiago Djalo.

The report claims that the Premier League side are the most ‘fearsome’ opposition for the Serie A outfit, with Dan Ashworth eyeing up a swoop to sign the 22-year-old in the summer transfer window, in the race to land his signature.

It is stated that Lille are looking for a fee of up to €20m (£18m) for the French defender and that Newcastle could be willing to pay it, whilst Inter are unable to reach that number despite agreeing on terms with the player.

Djalo could be Eddie Howe’s own Sergio Ramos

Ligue 1 is host to a number of exceptional central defenders and former Real Madrid and Spain star Sergio Ramos, currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain, is one of them.

The 36-year-old, who has won four Champions League trophies and been capped 180 times by his country, is a serial winner and a vastly-experienced player in European football.

Ashworth could now land head coach Eddie Howe his own version of the PSG enforcer by securing a deal to sign Djalo from Lille ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Like Ramos, the Frenchman is a right-footed centre-back who can also play as a right-back if needed, which highlights his versatility and adaptability.

Alongside their positional flexibility, FBref lists Djalo as one of the most similar players to the Spaniard based on their statistics over the last 365 days.

Both players rank in the top 7% among players in their position for pass completion percentage per 90 in Europe’s top five leagues and European competitions in that time, which shows that they are incredibly efficient with the ball at their feet.

Djalo (0.31) and Ramos (0.35) also complete a similar number of take-ons per 90 and this shows that they are defenders who like to bring the ball out from the back, which occasionally includes needing to dribble past a forward to open up space.

The Lille star, who was once lauded as “dominant” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has made 5.29 tackles, interceptions, and clearances per 90 over the last 365 days and the PSG man’s tally of 5.12 suggests that they are alike in their defensive actions for their respective sides.

Therefore, Djalo, who has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.95 in Ligue 1 this season, could be Howe’s own version of Ramos due to the quality of his passing and play out from the back along with his ability to cut out and clear opposition attacks.

Tony Scott has insisted that Everton’s midfield could be bullies in the Merseyside derby.

The Lowdown: Looking to cause an upset

Not many people will have given Everton the slimmest chance of beating table-toppers Arsenal last weekend, even with a new manager bounce but indeed they managed to pick up a huge win.

Therefore, heading into the Merseyside derby, things appear to be far more balanced than many may have expected just a week ago and that could lead to a fascinating Monday night fixture.

An area of weakness for Liverpool that’s been widely spoken about is their midfield, which could be huge for Everton as Sean Dyche may unleash the likes of Amadou Onana, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye at Anfield.

The Lates: Midfield battle is key

Scott has claimed on The Leg It podcast that if Everton approach the game in the right way, their midfield could run all over Liverpool’s and hand them a major advantage.

He said: (24:50) “I think the only area where Everton look a lot stronger than Liverpool is the midfield.

“Everton have got units in there like Doucoure, Onana and Gueye can get around the pitch and I look at Liverpool’s midfield and I think that’s an area if we can go long to Calvert-Lewin, win them second balls because I think Everton could bully Liverpools’ midfield because it’s been getting walked all over.

The Verdict: Everton will be confident of getting a result

Given the differing fortunes both Everton and Liverpool have experienced in recent years, it would be unthinkable that the Toffees could go to Anfield and win a game, but with Dyche at the helm and Everton playing well against Arsenal, there is no reason why that couldn’t be the case.

If Everton can pick up maximum points on Monday night then it eases the pressure off of them heading into their game against Leeds United next weekend, which is indeed a big relegation six-pointer.

Liverpool are indeed sitting rock-bottom of the Premier League form table so Everton will head into the crunch clash next week with their confidence levels very high and looking to cause an upset against their local rivals if Onana can put in another Man of the Match performance the Reds could struggle against Dyche’s side.

Manchester City’s form since the World Cup break has been inconsistent, to say the least, with Pep Guardiola’s side now seemingly second-favourites for the Premier League title behind Arsenal.

Dropped points against Everton and Manchester United, combined with poor performances against Southampton in the League Cup and in the first half of the Tottenham Hotspur victory have left Guardiola’s side looking like a shadow of the side that dominated for large periods last season.

The Spanish manager didn’t hold back in his criticism of players after the 4-2 win over Spurs last time out, saying:

“We cannot deny how happy we are but we are far away from the team that we were, not in terms of play, we played well in the second half, but there were many things, the competitiveness in terms of what do we have to do that we are far away, far away.

“I don’t recognise my team. My team always have passion, desire, and run and everything.”

A number of players in City’s side have struggled for consistent form since the World Cup break, with Phil Foden one man who has come in for some criticism after failing to pick up where he left off before Christmas.

The England international was on fire in the build-up to Qatar, hitting seven goals in three assists in the Premier League, but he has just one goal contribution since domestic football returned in England, which game in a 4-0 demolition of Chelsea in the FA Cup.

However, it is teammate Bernardo Silva who is perhaps the guiltiest party in Guardiola’s squad, as the Portugal international has now gone 13 games without a single goal contribution.

Silva, who earns £150k-per-week at the Etihad, started the season well, notching two goals and five assists in the top flight, but he is now without a goal since August and without an assist since October, so it is easy to see why he has been on the bench so much recently.

Last summer saw the former Monaco man linked with Barcelona and Guardiola was undoubtedly happy to keep him at the Etihad, considering he has established himself as a “world-class” player during his time at the Etihad, in the opinion of Dion Dublin.

It is perhaps no surprise that City haven’t looked at their creative best when considering Silva’s disappointing run of recent form and the Portuguese maestro must improve his returns in front of goal if he is going to keep his starting spot at the Etihad, or Guardiola may be more willing to part ways with him at the end of the season.

Liverpool progressed through to the fourth round of the FA Cup on Tuesday night as they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 at the Molineux Stadium.

The Reds were left needing a replay against their fellow Premier League side after a 2-2 draw at Anfield earlier this month but were able to overcome them at the second time of asking.

Harvey Elliott scored the only goal of the match in the first half as he brilliantly smashed in an effort from distance. The young midfielder burst through the middle of the pitch on the counter-attack and unleashed a swerving shot that proved to be too much for Jose Sa to deal with.

Jurgen Klopp’s team only had 42% of the possession over the course of the 90 minutes but were able to see off the hosts’ almost endless pressure on their box by defending well and preventing many clear-cut chances for the Wolves attackers.

Whilst Elliott scored the winning, and only, goal of the game, the true FA Cup hero for Liverpool on the night was Spanish international Thiago Alcantara.

The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona magician lined up in midfield alongside Naby Keita and budding young gem Stefan Bajcetic and put in a stunning display in the middle of the park.

He was one of the standout performers for the Reds as the gem caught the eye with his exceptional work in and out of possession during his 75 minutes on the pitch.

Defensively, the Spaniard was a rock for Liverpool as he won seven of his 10 (70%) individual duels – winning 100% of his battles in the air and five of his eight on the ground. The gem also made three interceptions and two tackles and showcased his ability to win the ball back for his side on a number of occasions.

On the ball, Thiago completed three of his four attempted dribbles and 85% of his attempted passes from 78 touches of the ball, creating one chance in the process, as per Sofascore. These statistics show that the dynamo was effective in possession by being efficient with his technical actions – finding teammates on a regular basis and beating opposition players with his dribbling.

Therefore, the central midfielder was the real hero of the night for Liverpool as his play on and off the ball played a significant role in the result, by being composed enough to retain possession for the side and showing off his tenacity by making a number of defensive interventions.

Arsenal are one of the many teams keen on Jude Bellingham…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, the Borussia Dortmund and England sensation is “admired by Arsenal’s recruitment department” but who isn’t? The competition for his signature is fierce, with Premier League rivals Liverpool and European giants Real Madrid seemingly the front-runners.

The Bundesliga outfit are thought to believe he is worth as much as €150m (£130m), so he isn’t going to come cheap either but if sporting director Edu Gaspar can do the unthinkable, then he could well stun the rest of Europe with this seismic raid.

Imagine Bellingham and Felix

It goes without saying but Bellingham would be absolutely perfect for Mikel Arteta’s project at the Emirates Stadium – young, athletic, homegrown with bags of potential.

Imagining the 19-year-old wonderkid as one of the two no.8s in this current tactical system is the stuff of dreams for much of the Gunners faithful but say they go on to win the league, then anything could happen – they are some way clear of Jurgen Klopp’s Reds as things stand.

Bellingham has been in electric form for club and country over the past year – so far this season, he has already bagged nine goals and laid on three assists, as well as finding the net in England’s World Cup opener against Iran.

What makes the teenager the “generational talent” that he has been dubbed by journalist Raphael Honigstein is the fact that he can do everything, those attacking returns are a mere speck on his statistical profile.

Indeed, a total of 87 tackles and interceptions combined and an average of 5.1 progressive passes, via FBref, for Dortmund this term is a testament to that immense quality.

Also hailed as a “phenom” by CBS Sports’ Vivek Jacob and a “monster” by Arsenal’s emerging talent scout Lewis Kinsella, there’s no denying that Bellingham is one of the best young players on the planet right now.

Arsenal could really head into a new era under Arteta if the club were to splash out on the Dortmund gem, though it could be made even better if they fix their striking woes at the same time.

The Athletic also link the north London giants with a move for Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix, who could leave the LaLiga side on loan for around €15m (£13m), so the club wouldn’t have to pay over the odds on top of the £130m for Bellingham.

The Poruguese’s versatility to play most attacking positions not only aids Arteta in finding a solution to Gabriel Jesus’ long-term injury absence but he can also fit in wherever required, thus allowing someone like Gabriel Martinelli to play through the middle.

Felix continued his own impressive form in Qatar by scoring in the Mattress Makers’ first game back, a 2-0 win over Elche CF on December 29th.

As such, Edu must look to shock Europe by landing an incredible double swoop – just imagine Bellingham and Felix alongside the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and the aforementioned Brazilians.

It’s a mouthwatering prospect but one that would need many factors to swing in their favour between now and the end of the season.

AND in other news, Arteta eyes Arsenal move for “incredible” £33m gem, he’s a great Tielemans alternative…

QPR are still looking for a replacement for Michael Beale and the Hoops would do well to prioritise Neil Critchley over Mark Robins.

Following Beale’s move to Rangers last week, the Loftus Road outfit have been linked with a plethora of managers but are yet to decide on the next man to take charge, with time running out before the Championship’s resumption this weekend.

Given that QPR face table-toppers Burnley on Sunday, you would have hoped that they would have sped up the replacement process, but it seems as if the west London side are in no hurry to make a decision.

Two of the main names to be linked with the vacant post at Loftus Road are Critchley and Robins.

The former is a free agent after he was sacked alongside Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa earlier in the season, having swapped a managerial position at Blackpool for an assistant one in the Premier League.

Robins, meanwhile, has gained plaudits for his work with Coventry City, where he has led the Sky Blues from League Two to the Championship, despite a number of off-field issues during his tenure.

Their current positions are the first reason why chief executive Lee Hoos should focus on appointing Critchley, as it will far easier from a financial perspective to get a deal done, as he will require no compensation, whereas Coventry would be well within their rights to demand a big fee for Robins, given that he signed a new contract there earlier this year.

Critchley’s one job in senior management returned a promotion at Blackpool, before he comfortably kept the Tangerines in the Championship the following season, averaging 1.52 points per game in his spell at Bloomfield Road.

This led captain Chris Maxwell to describe his managerial style as “second to none,” which emphasises the respect he has from the players he has managed in his career thus far.

This, again, gives him the edge over Robins, who has averaged 1.49 points per game in his time with Coventry City, albeit across a significantly longer period in charge.

Finally, at 44, Critchley is also eight years younger than Robins, and also has connections in the Premier League thanks to his work with Villa and Liverpool in the past.

Therefore, Hoos should forget about hiring Robins and bring Critchley to Loftus Road as soon as possible, in the hope that he can get the Hoops’ promotion charge back on track. Should he do so, Loftus Road would be rocking once again.

Fabrizio Romano has dropped an update on West Ham United striker Gianluca Scamacca after recent transfer rumours linking him with a move away from the London Stadium. 

The Lowdown: Scamacca linked with West Ham exit

Earlier this week, it was reported that Serie A leaders Napoli are monitoring the 23-year-old in regards to a potential future transfer, even though the Italy striker only joined the Hammers from Sassuolo during the summer in a £35.5m deal.

With rumours emerging that he’s on Napoli’s radar, it seems that Romano has shared an update on the matter.

The Latest: Romano’s update on Scamacca

In a recent column for Caught Offside, Romano gave his response to the recent rumours linking Scamacca with Napoli.

The journalist said: “I was surprised to see some speculation from Italy about Napoli being in for Gianluca Scamacca, who only joined West Ham in the summer.

“My understanding is that Scamacca is happy in London, he always wanted to try this Premier League experience and he’s determined to fight for his place at West Ham. Napoli will not change anything in January, so these rumours are not true as of today.”

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The Verdict: Good news for West Ham

Despite Scamacca only scoring six goals across his 21 appearances for David Moyes’ side this season, it should be a relief to everyone at the London Stadium that Romano has poured cold water on the recent links to Napoli

Across his 13 Premier League appearances, the 23-year-old has the third-highest rate of shots at goal per 90 minutes at the club (2.98) which showcases how much of a goal threat the £90k-per-week centre-forward can offer.

Given how young he still is and the short amount of time that he has been at West Ham, it would be a bad move by the club if were looking to get rid of him any time soon, especially considering the significant amount of money for which he was signed.

However, Moyes and Irons supporters will undoubtedly be hoping that the 23-year-old can start scoring on a more regular basis once domestic football resumes later this month, especially given their lowly position in the Premier League table.