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Newcastle United made it six home wins on the bounce in the Premier League as the Magpies beat a Crystal Palace side fresh from Wembley heartbreak 1-0 at St.James’ Park.

Miguel Almiron’s first-half strike was enough to separate the two sides on Wednesday evening, despite the visitors having the majority of possession with 63.7%.

With the Paraguayan’s first goal of the season enough for victory, the Toon Army will be delighted with their team. However, the performance of striker Chris Wood was certainly quiet with the New Zealand international undoubtedly capable of better displays.

According to SofaScore, the 30-year-old made just 34 touches all evening with the forward playing the full 90 minutes. Moreover, Wood lost possession on 15 occasions, at an average of once every 2.3 touches.

Threat in the final third from the striker was non-existent with the Kiwi finishing the match with zero shots and one attempted dribble that didn’t come off, despite his side having 13 efforts all game, four of which on target.

Wood also struggled to link up with his teammates, completing just over half of his passes at 61% with just 14 ending up successful, a tally lower than goalkeeper Martin Dubravka’s 17.

In fairness to the January signing, the striker did hold the ball up well and was a presence up front, despite the lack of attempts on goal, winning half of his duels.

The 30-year-old has found the back of the net on two occasions since his whopping £25m move from relegation rivals Burnley in January.

Although the fee seems highly inflated for what the striker can provide, the Magpies were desperate for a centre-forward at a time when they were facing the abys and took what they could get.

Moreover, the move for Wood weakened a fellow rival in the quest to avoid the drop in Burnley.

However, with PIF looking to take the North East club to the next level, it could certainly be argued that Wood’s status as a Newcastle regular could expire at the end of the season with stronger reinforcements added to Eddie Howe’s squad over the course of the summer.

The Toon Army have already been linked with Benfica hotshot Darwin Nunez, emphasising the ambition that the new owners plan to showcase in their first summer transfer window at the top of Newcastle United.

Therefore, the New Zealand international will need to have a strong final five games of the season to boost his chances of being a regular under Howe next term.

AND in other news: Forget Almiron: NUFC’s “magic man” who won 13 duels was Howe’s real hero last night

Amid Charlie Cresswell’s recent rise into a first-team star at Leeds United in the past couple of weeks, Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt be keeping a close eye on the academy for could who be the next breakout talent from Thorp Arch.

Back in June, reports claimed that the Whites were monitoring Celtic starlet Leo Hjelde ahead of a potential summer move for him, and the Yorkshire club eventually got a deal done for the teenager.

While he may only have recently turned 18, Hjelde is clearly someone with a lot of potential, having been deployed in numerous positions already, including at left-back and further forward in left-midfield.

And, after seeing him score his first professional goal against Kilmarnock earlier last season, his manager, John Hughes, was quick to shower him with praise.

He said: “He found himself out of the team a little bit, then came on there and got his goal. He’s destined for big, big, big things. He won’t be far away from the Celtic first-team when he goes back, but this is what he needs to be doing.”

Since then, Hjelde has of course made the switch to Elland Road, and has already been making waves at academy level, taking over the leadership mantle from Cresswell in the process.

Speaking after the U23s’ 3-2 win over Oldham in the Papa John’s Trophy earlier this week, Mark Jackson raved: “It was a test for him tonight, to come in and take the armband and lead the team. I challenged him to lead the team and organise, it’s a new system of play for him to get used to so that challenge as well is going to be difficult for him but I’ve got full confidence and I see the qualities in him, which hopefully I can help nurture.

“I did that a lot with Charlie Cresswell throughout the time I worked with him from when he was an U-16, through the 18s and in the 23s as well and I see certain qualities in Leo as well.”

With Liam Cooper the current club captain having turned 30 this past August, Bielsa may be looking at Cresswell as the man to take over the Scotland international’s throne as the next leader of the Whites defence.

But in Hjelde, he could have another hugely exciting option to take that massive leap, and given the fact Jackson has already trusted him to take the armband just months after his initial arrival in Yorkshire, speaks volumes of the natural leadership instincts he possesses.

The 6 foot 2 ace could become a huge part of Leeds’ future going forward.

Meanwhile, Leeds could make a short-term signing in this ace…

Former Premier League star Carlton Palmer insists that defender Kurt Zouma is an excellent signing for West Ham United.

The Hammers have snapped up the France international in a deal worth around £29.8m, per BBC Sport, and he could make his debut after the international break.

Zouma comes in to strengthen the Hammers’ backline after falling down the pecking order at Chelsea.

The France international did not play a single minute at the start of the Premier League season and made 22 starts for the club last season under Thomas Tuchel.

The Hammers have since signed Nikola Vlasic from CSKA Moscow in addition to the loan signing of Alphonse Areola from PSG and Craig Dawson on a permanent deal from Watford.

The 26-year-old has a bulging trophy cabinet from his time at Stamford Bridge, winning two Premier League titles, the League Cup, and the Champions League.

And Palmer is hugely impressed with the signing of the central defender as the Hammers look to improve on last season’s sixth-placed finish.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “First and foremost, I think 30 million is the norm in the Premier League now, 20 million to 30 million, so I think it’s a good signing for them at centre-back.”

With Lee Johnson’s Sunderland side having highly impressed so far this season, picking up 16 points over their opening seven fixtures of the 2021/22 League One campaign heading into Saturday’s fixture against Bolton Wanderers, the 40-year-old Mackems manager would more than likely have been expecting another dominant display against the Trotters.

And, while Ian Evatt’s side put up an extremely resolute fight in the fixture, besting Sunderland in possession of the ball, shots at goal and passes completed, Carl Winchester’s 17th-minute strike proved to be the difference in the match, with the Black Cats extending their unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions, seeing off Bolton 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.

In terms of individual performances, despite the fact that the overall display was not Sunderland’s best of the season by any stretch of the imagination, there were nevertheless a number of players who impressed, none more so than the match-winner himself.

Six interceptions

Having returned to the side after being rested for the 2-0 Carabao Cup victory over Wigan Athletic in midweek, Winchester dominated from right-back, demonstrating exactly why he is currently keeping the Leeds United loanee, Niall Huggins, out of the team.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £180k-rated man highly impressed in defence, making three clearances, six interceptions, four tackles, blocking two shots and winning five duels.

The 28-year-old also looked good going forwards, scoring one goal, making one key pass, completing one cross and drawing one foul for his side.

These returns saw the man the Sunderland Echo journalist James Copley dubbed a “winner” receive a SofaScore match rating of 8.0, with no player from either side achieving a higher score than the £2.4k-per-week defender.

As such, while Huggins did impress while filling in for Winchester in the Carabao Cup win on Tuesday, it is clear to see why the Northern Ireland international is still Johnson’s first choice in the position, as the right-back ran the show against Bolton.

In other news: Johnson drops update on talks with £4.3k-p/w “nightmare”, SAFC fans will be buzzing

Celtic aren’t entirely convinced that defender Liam Scales is at first team level, The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin has reported.

The lowdown

Scales joined Celtic from Irish champions Shamrock Rovers in August for a fee of £540,000. He has only made one senior appearance for the Hoops so far, playing the final 29 minutes of the League Cup win over Championship side Raith Rovers in September.

The 23-year-old recently earned a call-up to the Republic of Ireland squad for their World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan and friendly against Qatar, but didn’t feature in either game.

Ange Postecoglou has also had Carl Starfelt, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Stephen Welsh at his disposal at centre-back.

The latest

A supporter called for Scales and Osaze Urhoghide to be given more game-time in The Athletic’s matchday discussion on Tuesday.

However, Devlin replied that the former Sheffield Wednesday man is ‘quite far away from the level’ of the first team, and ‘there are doubts over Scales too’.

With the Irish defender, the journalist insisted that ‘it’s not about match fitness’, more about ability.

The verdict

It doesn’t look great for Scales. It would be one thing if he were still a teenager making the step-up to the men’s game, but he is 23 years old now and should really be viewed as a serious first team option at Parkhead.

What’s more, his starting prospects are likely to take another hit, with the recovering Christopher Jullien thought to be less than a couple of weeks away from returning to the fold. Scales’ Celtic career could be facing oblivion only a few short weeks after it begun.

In other news, when will these big players return for Celtic? 

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has revealed the latest on Leeds United’s pursuit of Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien in this summer transfer window.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have had a fairly quiet transfer window thus far, with relatively few players coming in – in terms of the first team, the Whites snapped up Junior Firpo from Barcelona and clinched the permanent signing of Jack Harrison.

In a pre-match discussion ahead of Leeds’ Premier League clash against Everton yesterday, Hay delivered an update on where things stand at the moment.

He said: “We’ll have to see if anything materialises in the last week but it’s not looking promising in terms of more arrivals. With O’Brien, Huddersfield want £8m+. Leeds think he’s worth half as much and at this stage, aren’t prepared to go higher. Conor Gallagher was the player they really wanted in that position.”

Hay added: “Most clubs will tell you that before they start bidding for a player, they’ll try and sound him or his agent out to see if he’s actually interested – otherwise it’s a waste of time. The fee is the stumbling block for O’Brien and I don’t think there’s any doubt that he’d like to come but Huddersfield will have a valuation and to be fair, it’s their prerogative to set the price.”

Bielsa will be gutted

Speaking after the 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Manchester United last week, Bielsa moved to cool any talk of potential new signings.

He said: “It’s not probable that any more signings will be made. I’m happy with the players I can count on at the moment. It’s the same group as last season with the substitution of Firpo for Alioski.

“Signings that strengthen the team means a player has to compete with players who already have a position. That means there’s a very high cost to these.

“With regards to this situation, if players don’t arrive there’s disappointment that they don’t arrive. Yes we need more players but only players who are better than what we have, who we can buy. This club have invested. It’s not like this club hasn’t invested.”

While Bielsa was quick to insist that he would be happy to continue with the squad he currently has, he did admit that new signings were needed to strengthen. After missing out on Gallagher like, Hay suggests, a move for O’Brien seems a necessity given the real lack of genuine cover they have for Kalvin Phillips and in the central midfield area.

The difference in valuation according to The Athletic journalist over the Terriers midfielder certainly doesn’t seem like much, especially in the context of the modern market.

Bielsa would surely be gutted if Leeds decided to penny-pinch on a target that his team desperately needs.

Meanwhile, Leeds are now eyeing a late move for this star…

Wolves will look to complete the signing of a new central defender in the January transfer window, according to reliable journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Defender impress for Wolves

Bruno Lage’s side have enjoyed an encouraging first half of the Premier League season, sitting in the top half of the table and eyeing up European football next year.

While entertainment hasn’t always been the order of the day for Wanderers – they have only scored 13 times in 18 matches – defensively they have looked strong.

The likes of Max Kilman, Conor Coady and Romain Saiss have all performed well but it seems as though another centre-back wouldn’t go amiss, especially with Saiss due to depart for AFCON in January.

The Latest: Wanderers keen on centre-back

According to Hatfield, speaking to Give Me Sport, the heart of defence is where Wolves are most keen on strengthening next month:

“I think it’s the position (centre-back) that Wolves are most keen on addressing.”

The Verdict: Squad depth key

The aforementioned trio of Kilman, Coady and Saiss cannot be faulted this season, with Wolves only conceding 14 times in the league, but that doesn’t mean a new signing isn’t needed.

Squad depth is vital, given the relentless nature of the matches and fixture changes, and it may be that one of Wanderers’ regular back-three picks up an injury at some point.

That highlights the need for someone else to come in, with Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic a reported target and someone who could be ideal, having averaged 3.3 aerial duel wins per game this season – more than any Wolves player.

In other news, some Wolves fans are fuming at a refereeing update. Read more here.

Sam Johnstone should not play for West Brom again this season in order to prepare for his inevitable exit, according to reliable journalist Steve Madeley.

The Lowdown: Johnstone set to leave WBA?

The 29-year-old stayed put at the Baggies last summer despite their relegation to the Championship and he has continued to be a key figure in 2021/22, making 36 league appearances.

There does seem to be a potential inevitability about Johnstone moving on, though, with Albion’s promotion hopes effectively over for this season and his contract expiring in June.

The goalkeeper has been strongly linked with a move away in recent months, having been hailed as a ‘wonderful’ player by Micah Richards in the past and winning the WBA Supporters’ Player of the Year award in 2021.

The Latest: Madeley makes big Johnstone claim

Taking to Twitter on Monday as he shared a corresponding article from The Athletic, Madeley claimed that Johnstone should not play for the rest of the season, allowing West Brom to transition and prepare for life without him next term. He claimed:

“Sam Johnstone’s status as a successful Albion player is secure but he should not play again this season – there is no point.”

The Verdict: There’s sense to it

With the Baggies completely out of the promotion picture and with little to play for in the remaining weeks, Madeley’s suggestion does make sense in many ways.

It would give Bruce an opportunity to use others in the role, with those of a West Brom persuasion knowing what Johnstone can offer and also realising that he is coming to the end of his time at the Hawthorns.

In truth, the hope is that a high-quality replacement comes in, given the 29-year-old’s aforementioned influence, but giving David Button a chance to prove himself over the next few weeks shouldn’t do any harm for the time being.

In other news, West Brom reportedly face competition for one player. Find out who it is here.

Sunderland have endured a difficult run of form in League One of late and find themselves seventh in the table after 15 games played.

The Black Cats have at least one game in hand over all of the teams above them in the table but have lost five of their last six matches in all competitions.

Lee Johnson’s side are still in a terrific position to kick on if they are able to get back on the right track and have won nine of their 15 matches, with 28 points already on the board.

Unsung hero

One player who has played a key role in Sunderland’s strong season overall and has been an unsung hero at the heart of the defence is centre-back Tom Flanagan. The Northern Ireland international may not get the credit forward players like Aiden McGeady and Ross Stewart get, but he is equally as important to the cause.

Johnson has a wealth of centre-back options at his disposal and Flanagan has emerged as an undroppable member of his back four. Frederik Alves, Callum Doyle and Bailey Wright provide strong competition for the starting spots in that position, but the 29-year-old has started 14 of the club’s 15 League One matches – highlighting how much the head coach relies on him.

His performances on the pitch back up Johnson’s trust in him. He has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 6.99 in League One – the highest out of all of the defenders at the Stadium of Light. This shows that he has performed to a consistently high level this season and is proving that he can be a reliable option week-in-week-out at this level for Sunderland.

Defensively, he has been sublime. Per SofaScore, the beast has won a whopping 98 duels and made 18 tackles and 14 interceptions. He has also made 70 clearances and won 67% of his ground battles over the course of the season, flexing his defensive strength. Along with that, he has also only been dribbled just past four times all season as he has established himself as a defender who is hard for League One attackers to get past on the deck.

These statistics highlight Flanagan’s excellent displays in the third tier this season and show why he has been an unsung hero for the club. He should be praised as much as the likes of Stewart and McGeady as his solid defending provides the platform for them to work their magic in the final third.

According to a report by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, via Inside Futbol, Tottenham Hotspur may have been gifted a financial boost as they Fiorentina star Dusan Vlahovic.

The Lowdown: Spurs eyeing Vlahovic move…

The 21-year-old has been on Tottenham’s radar for the last few months as transfer chief Fabio Paratici eyes striking reinforcements at N17.

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The Italian is reportedly contemplating swoops for strikers in an effort to bolster new manager Antonio Conte’s options, prompting him to turn to a known summer target in Vlahovic.

The Serbia international looks set to leave his current club eventually after he rejected La Viola contract offers to make him the highest paid player in their club’s history.

His current deal expires in 2023, putting the Serie A outfit under some pressure to sell while they can, with Corriere della Sera now claiming that his price could significantly drop next year.

The Latest: Spurs gifted 2022 price boost?

According to their information (via Inside Futbol), if Fiorentina can’t offload for their desired €70m  (£59.3m) fee in January, they will be prepared to accept a discounted €40m (£33.9m) offer in the summer.

This may gift Tottenham and Paratici a significant financial boost in the race for Vlahovic, but it could also benefit fellow suitors Juventus, who are suffering from financial problems.

The Verdict: Wait or bid?

Saving well over £20m in pursuit of the player would be ideal, but which takes more prevalence for Spurs – signing a striker as soon as possible or operating within their means?

Tottenham recently announced a pre-tax loss of £80.2m for the last financial year, taking their overall debt to £706m and perhaps indicating that they cannot just simply splash the cash.

Taking into account a potentially limited transfer kitty, not to mention Tottenham’s need to strengthen other positions like centre-back, we believe that waiting until next summer could actually be the wise decision.

The 6 foot 3 star, lauded as a ‘phenomenon’ by former Italy international Antonio di Natale, would certainly be worth the wait as Conte eyes a long-term rebuild at his new club.

In other news: ‘Coming from Tottenham’…Journalist makes exciting transfer claim with big offer tabled, find out more here.