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Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has hailed Cameron Carter-Vickers’ performance in the Hoops’ 2-2 draw away to Rangers, describing him as ‘immense’.

The Lowdown: Celtic snatch point at Rangers

Ange Postecoglou’s side went into their trip to Ibrox with a nine-point lead over their rivals in the Scottish Premiership title race, making a win for the hosts almost essential.

While Celtic may not have earned all three points in the end, Kyogo Furuhashi’s late equaliser proved to be priceless, ensuring Rangers made no ground on them and the Hoops will certainly be the happier side as the dust settles.

In truth, Ange’s side were never at their best in the match but their ability to get something from a game with late goals shone through again.

The Latest: Sutton hails ‘immense’ CCV

Taking to Twitter after the match, Sutton assessed matters fairly, giving Carter-Vickers special praise:

“Celtic got away with that. CCV was immense. Too many players way off it. Mooy excellent when he came on. Juranovic would have struggled to impress any watching scouts… would Willie Collum in the VAR hut have awarded a penalty had a Celtic player handled the ball like Goldson??”

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The Verdict: Superb performance

On a day when numerous individuals struggled to find their best form, Carter-Vickers was largely magnificent and deserves all the plaudits that come his way.

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The American was physically strong throughout, winning five out of six aerial duels, making five clearances and also enjoying an 89% pass completion rate (71% on long balls), with one late tussle summing up his brilliance.

This was an afternoon that again showed how important Carter-Vickers is to this Celtic side and he is one of the best centre-backs to have represented them in recent years.

David Moyes will be looking to improve his West Ham United side during the January transfer window, especially considering how poor the team have been in the Premier League this term.

The London side have claimed just four wins in 15 matches and are languishing near the relegation zone in 16th place, a far cry from their seventh-place finish last season.

Moyes will surely strengthen next month, while subsequently getting rid of a few players who haven’t contributed enough in the opening few months of the campaign.

With West Ham showing interest in Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri according to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), it could give Moyes to licence to ditch Michail Antonio.

The Scot could secure a deal for the Sevilla striker for a fee of €40m (£35m) and despite the player scoring just twice in 15 matches this term, his previous form for the La Liga side, combined with his impressive World Cup performances, could see Moyes swoop for the 25-year-old.

En-Nesyri scored twice while taking 1.3 shots on average during his seven matches as Morocco became the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the competition.

The striker’s best season at Sevilla came during 2020/2021, with the player scoring 24 goals across all competitions. His form led journalist Aaron West to dub him as “unreal” and Moyes could certainly get the Moroccan back to his goalscoring best after his performances in Qatar.

Antonio has scored just two league goals this season (five overall) and he has struggled to have the same impact compared to last season, where the striker netted 13 times in total.

It’s clear that Moyes needs more options to lead the line, and despite Antonio scoring 66 goals during his West Ham career, it could be time for him to move either in January or at the end of the season.

En-Nesyri would be an excellent addition to the squad, and by luring the Sevilla sensation to London, Moyes could ruthlessly ditch Antonio.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Sofyan Amrabat caused a shock at the World Cup as Morocco knocked 2010 champions Spain out to advance to the quarter-finals.

According to reports in Italy, Spurs are continuing to track his situation at Fiorentina, with his contract set to expire in 2024. Fabio Paratici and co came forward with interest last year but did not sign him in the end.

90min journalist Sean Walsh also claimed that the Lilywhites “remain interested” in the midfielder but now face competition from Premier League rivals Liverpool.

Meanwhile, the Atlas Lions have been the surprise package in Qatar, having topped a tough Group F that contained both Belgium, one of the favourites for the tournament, and Croatia, who too are in the last eight.

And after stunning the Red Devils, Luis Enrique’s side were the next nation to be conquered by the north African underdogs, with Amrabat playing a starring role.

At the heart of a resolute defensive display – described as a “masterclass” by analyst Sam McGuire – Amrabat was a key cog in Walid Regragui’s counter-attack tactic. They soaked up the dominant Spain possession before hitting them on the break and whilst it took penalties to see them into the next round, Morocco by far had the better chances.

As per FBref, the La Viola powerhouse was central to it all as he won 100% of his four tackles, despite playing against the next generation of potential Balon d’Or talent in Gavi and Pedri, as well as veteran Sergio Busquets, who has won it all.

Amrabat’s stubborn presence also saw Morocco win three free-kicks, whilst he was an absolute rock defensively, winning one interception, recovering the ball nine times and only losing one of eight duels, via Sofascore.

Speaking about his performance, journalist Mimi Fawaz said: “Sofyan Amrabat has been solid for Morocco in their midfield. His work rate and performances he’s put in at this #FIFAWorldCup deserves praise,” whilst writer John McAuley dubbed him “immense”.

It was a stark contrast to the performances of current Spurs star Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who exited at the group stages with a very underwhelming Denmark side. The Antonio Conte regular averaged fewer defensive contributions (interceptions, tackles and duels won) than Amrabat at the tournament.

The Morocco “monster” – as lauded by ECHO journalist Charlotte Coates – could very much be a shrewd signing by Paratici in January, given his likely price tag of around €30m (£26m) as he could continue to outclass the Danish favourite in north London.

AND in other news, Spurs handed World Cup injury blow to £16m “Rolls-Royce”, it’s worrying news for Conte…

Liverpool would be making a ‘really exciting signing’ if they were to land West Ham United’s Declan Rice, according to former professional turned pundit Tam McManus.

The Lowdown: Reds monitoring Rice

The Premier League giants, according to a claim by Football Insider on Monday, are monitoring the midfielder at the World Cup after he was named in Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad to represent England in Qatar.

The Reds have also held a long-term interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, though the Irons 23-year-old might be easier to secure given there isn’t the same number of competitors battling it out for his signature.

The Latest: McManus’ comments

Speaking to Football Insider, McManus claimed that Liverpool would be better off pursuing Rice and believes that he is a more realistic target than that of his Three Lions teammate. He said:

“Liverpool are lacking legs and energy in the middle of the park.

“Rice has that in spades. They are playing with Thiago and Fabinho in there, they are both good footballers but the game has changed now.

“You have to be able to get up and down the park quickly and I think Rice would be a really exciting signing for them.

“I know they have been linked with Jude Bellingham as well so it is clear they are in the market for a blockbuster midfield player.

“Whether it’s Bellingham or Rice, both of them would walk into that Liverpool team. It’s who is available. If Rice has a good World Cup, is he going to stay at West Ham in a relegation battle?

“If you are Rice, you want to play for a team in the Champions League, a team challenging for titles.

“I think Rice is more realistic than Bellingham.”

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The Verdict: Perfect for Klopp

Jurgen Klopp loves his midfielders to hold a major influence both going forward and defensively, so Rice’s reputation as a ‘dominator’ could mean he fits the profile of player required.

The Kingston-born talent has made 23 goal contributions during his time at the London Stadium and currently has a remarkable 90.4% pass success rate in the top flight.

Rice’s ability to remain calm in possession, alongside his natural ease to move up the pitch, makes him the ideal candidate to put pen to paper at Anfield in 2023.

Leeds United are looking into the possibility of signing a new striker during the January transfer window, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Leeds short on goals

The Whites have toiled during the early months of the Premier League season and their lack of attacking threat has been evident too often.

Jesse Marsch’s side haven’t scored more than once in a game since the 5-2 defeat away to Brentford in early September, highlighting their struggles.

Patrick Bamford is yet to find the net in eight appearances this season and it seems clear that reinforcements are needed when January arrives.

The Latest: New striker in January?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Leeds will be looking to bring in a new striker at the next available opportunity:

“I’m told they are drawing up names at the moment. I think that’s the main pressure right now. It shouldn’t be on Jesse Marsch, it should be on the club helping him find a solution to getting them the goals they need.”

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The Verdict: Vital piece of business

If the Whites manage to acquire the services of a new striker in January, it has the potential to be a season-changing piece of business by the club.

With Bamford arguably not quite the force he was, and both he and Rodrigo not without injury problems, some fresh blood could ignite Leeds’ attack and cause teams more problems.

To not sign anybody would feel like a big risk at this point, with Leeds possibly finding themselves in another relegation battle if results don’t begin to improve soon.

Transfer expert Rudy Galetti has revealed that Newcastle United are one of the teams ‘most interested’ in signing Benfica left-back Alejandro Grimaldo.

The Lowdown: Left-back issues

Matt Targett started the season off as Eddie Howe’s number one left-back, but has been limited to just 25 minutes of football in the St. James’ Park outfit’s last five games in the Premier League, not even coming off of the bench in the last two (Transfermarkt).

Dan Burn, who is more of a central defender by trade, has been playing ahead of Targett at left-back in recent matches, suggesting that there could be an issue in that position going forward.

The Latest: Grimaldo interest

Taking to Twitter, Galetti has revealed that the North East club, as well as Juventus, are ‘most interested’ in Grimaldo, who could leave Benfica next year:

“Alejandro #Grimaldo could leave #Benfica in 2023. Like last May, the clubs most interested in the left-back are #Juventus and #Newcastle. Now, the Italian team is ready to make a first contractual proposal to the Spanish player.”

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The Verdict: Get it done

With uncertainties over Targett at left-back, this is a deal that the Tynesiders should be looking to get done in 2023.

Given that his contract expires in the summer, they would be able to sign Grimaldo for a cut-price deal in the January transfer window, or could wait until the summer to sign him as a free agent.

The 27-year-old is vastly experienced at the highest level, having played over 250 times for Benfica, including featuring in all five UEFA Champions League group matches this season, scoring one goal and making two assists (Transfermarkt).

Interestingly, Grimaldo actually shares the same agent as Howe, so this is a deal that could accelerate quickly on the right terms.

Arsenal are very much a club on the up at present, with Mikel Arteta having enjoyed an incredibly successful transfer window over the summer, adding the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira and Marquinhos to his first team squad, as well as moving a number of the Gunners’ deadwood onto pastures new – be that on a temporary or permanent basis.

This hard work in the off-season has seen the north London side start the 2022/23 Premier League campaign in emphatic fashion, with the Spaniard’s side currently sitting at the top of the league table – having won six and lost one of their opening seven fixtures of the season, scoring 17 goals and conceding just seven in the process.

Indeed, the £45m acquisition of Jesus looks to have been a particularly wise move by the 40-year-old manager, with the 25-year-old centre-forward having already scored four goals, registered three assists and created three big chances over his seven Premier League fixtures this season, as well as taking an average of 3.4 shots, making 1.9 key passes and completing 2.6 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the former Manchester City striker average a simply sensational SofaScore match rating of 7.34, not only ranking him as Arsenal’s second-best performer in the league but also as the joint 21st-best player in the division as a whole – a quite remarkable feat considering the Brazilian has only been at the club for a little over two months.

And, considering his devastating start to life in north London, there is one former Arsenal signing who would arguably have been the perfect addition to Jesus in Arteta’s attacking arsenal at The Emirates Stadium – Thierry Henry.

Indeed, Arsene Wenger’s £11m signing from Juventus back in August of 1999 is already a deal written into the history of the Gunners, with Henry ultimately going on to become one of the greatest forwards the Premier League has ever seen – scoring a quite astonishing 228 goals and providing 103 assists over his 376 appearances for the club.

Aside from his evident ability in the final third and desire to create opportunities for his teammates, the Frenchman’s composure in possession, his raw pace when running at defenders and his Brazilian-esque trickery on the ball are all traits that could easily be attributed to the Gunners’ current attacking star.

Furthermore, with both players being able to operate on the left-wing, a partnership of Henry and Jesus in Arsenal’s front three would have allowed Arteta to rotate the two players as and when he felt it was required – something that would wreak havoc for centre-backs and full-backs of the Gunners’ opponents.

As such, the argument that Henry’s addition would be perfect for Arteta’s current Arsenal side is an extremely easy one to make, as the 45-year-old’s undoubted ability going forwards would very much appear to be the icing on the Spaniard’s already incredibly tantalising attacking cake.

Rangers endured a miserable return to Champions League action on Wednesday evening, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox side succumbing to a hefty 4-0 defeat at the hands of Eredivisie giants Ajax, in Amsterdam.

The Gers boss would no doubt have been looking for a response from his players following Saturday’s dismal Old Firm derby display, although the Dutchman’s woes were only compounded as his side were once again totally outclassed.

Buoyed by the individual genius of young Mohammed Kudus, the hosts ran riot in what was a brutal first-half display from Alfred Schreuder’s men, racing into a three-goal lead as the Glasgow side’s defensive deficiencies were laid bare.

As BBC Sport’s Tom English quipped, it was like “men against mannequins” in the Johan Cruyff Arena, with the visitors simply struggling to get any sort of foothold in what was their first group stage match in the competition since the 2010/11 season.

Even a raft of half-time changes – which included the withdrawal of skipper James Tavernier – could not prevent further torment, as former Tottenham Hotspur flop Steven Bergwijn slotted late on following a lax backpass from substitute Ryan Jack.

While the decision to replace the aforementioned Tavernier – who was shrugged off far too easily in the build-up to Kudus’ wonder-strike to make it 3-0 – will likely grab the headlines, one man who again failed to deliver was United States international, James Sands.

The 22-year-old has been something of a makeshift option at centre-back amid the injury woes to the likes of Ben Davies and John Souttar, with that possible unsuitability to the role seemingly playing its part in what was another measly performance.

Pundit Mark Hateley had previously suggested that the youngster was something of a “problem” in that defensive berth during the defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise last month, while he was simply run ragged by Celtic’s fluid forward line at the weekend.

It was a similar story in Holland as he was notably one of a handful of players who simply stood by as Edson Alvarez powered in an early free header, while he also helped guide Steven Berhuis’ effort into his own net midway through the first half.

Although that deflection was somewhat unfortunate, it seemingly epitomised his overall unconvincing display alongside Connor Goldson, as he lost possession on average once every 4.6 touches, while recording a pass accuracy of just 77%.

As journalist Josh Bunting suggested, it is “absolutely ridiculous” that both the £2.7m-rated man – and teammate Scott Wright – have gone from being previously peripheral figures last season to first-choice regulars under Van Bronckhorst this term, with their lack of quality perhaps beginning to show.

The American’s struggles were also laid bare in contrast to the unerringly composed display of former Ibrox colossus Calvin Bassey for the opposition, with the Nigeria international notably losing possession just five times from his rather remarkable haul of 150 touches, while so often popping up in different positions across the pitch as a sign of his side’s dominance.

That performance from the one-time Leicester City man – who left the Scottish Premiership side for a club-record fee of £23m earlier this summer – has only served to heighten the void that he left behind with the Gers, with Sands seemingly not the solution in that left centre-back berth.

On what was a chastening night for all concerned, the latter man was particularly eye-catching for all the wrong reasons.

Newcastle United have been gifted an injury boost before they play Manchester City at home in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Tough ask

Despite their good start to the season, from which they have collected four points from their first two games in the Premier League, getting anything out of Man City will be a tough ask for the St. James’ Park outfit.

City have also started the season off strongly, with maximum points from their first two matches, and look hungry to retain their top-flight title once more.

The Latest: Fraser update

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Eddie Howe has revealed that he hopes that Ryan Fraser will be ‘fit and available’, after he was withdrawn from the squad that drew 0-0 away at Brighton and Hove Albion last week:

“Ryan Fraser we hope will be fit and available. He had a back spasm late last week so he was a late withdrawal from the Brighton game.”

The Verdict: Boost

The North East club will need all of their experienced players available to give them the best possible chance of getting anything from City, and so having Fraser back would be a boost.

The Scotland international picked up a handy two goals and three assists in the Premier League last season, and ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average key passes and crosses per game (WhoScored).

His delivery could be key against Pep Guardiola’s side, especially if Chris Wood is thrown on from the bench late on.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ‘closing in’ on the signing of Udinese defender Destiny Udogie, according to The Telegraph. 

The lowdown: Udogie profiled

A product of the youth system at Hellas Verona, Udogie, called ‘extraordinary’ by former manager Gabriele Cioffi, made the switch to fellow Serie A outfit Udinese for £3.6million in July following a successful loan spell.

The 19-year-old Italy youth international has made 44 senior club appearances to date, directly contributing to eight goals in the process, and has recently attracted the attention of Premier League champions Manchester City.

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Despite only recently completing a transfer to his current club, now it appears as though another switch could be on the horizon for Udogie as Fabio Paratici began talks earlier this week.

The latest: Telegraph drop Udogie update

As per The Telegraph, Tottenham are now believed to be ‘close to agreeing deal’ to sign the four-cap Under 21 starlet, who is known for his tenacious style and elite athleticism with ‘top pace and physicality’.

It’s claimed that Spurs will pay £21million for the talented left-back with Udinese requesting to loan him back for the duration of the 2022/23 campaign.

The report cites ‘sources in Italy’ who have suggested an ‘agreement has been reached’ that will see the teenager arrive in N17, potentially alongside compatriot Nicolo Zaniolo from AS Roma.

Zaniolo is believed to be an ‘obsession’ of Antonio Conte’s and the boss has apparently requested Paratici signs the young midfield maestro as well.

The verdict: Exciting capture

Clearly one for the future given the likelihood of an immediate loan return to Italy, signing Udogie can still be heralded as a sensational capture for Paratici and the Lilywhites moreover.

With a 33-year-old Ivan Perisic already in situ, opportunities for the marauding Italian left-back would’ve been few and far between under Conte in the short term, therefore, sanctioning the loan back to Udinese makes an abundance of sense for all parties.

Predominantly operating as a left-wing back like in Conte’s own preferred 3-5-2 formation, last season, Udgoie scored five times and provided three assists in 35 Serie A outings, earning a 6.84 Sofascore rating whilst winning 1.8 tackles on average per game – highlighting impressive defensive acumen to accompany an obvious attacking threat.

Sharing similar stylistic traits with Renan Lodi, Ansgar Knauff and Tottenham outcast Sergio Reguilon (Fbref), he appears to be readymade to replace Perisic in the long run.