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Liverpool will make the short trip to Old Trafford this evening for one of the most highly-anticipated fixtures in the Premier League calendar as the Reds take on their fierce rivals Manchester United.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have been in impeccable form against the Red Devils in recent years, with Liverpool scoring 13 goals against them in their last three meetings, conceding just two goals, with their first three consecutive victories against the Mancunians since 2009.

Nevertheless, Liverpool haven’t had the best start to their campaign with two draws in their first two games, however, Man United have been no better losing their opening fixtures, and the Reds will be hoping to give them their defeat third in a row tonight.

The Merseysiders have been struggling with a minor injury crisis at Anfield as Thiago Alcantara, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones, Ibrahima Konate, Diogo Jota, Joel Matip, Caoimhin Kelleher and Calvin Ramsey all sidelined with various injury problems.

Midfield seems to be suffering the most with the injury to star performer Thiago throwing Liverpool into a concerning situation in the centre of the pitch, however, Klopp should be able to comfortably deploy his captain into the team this evening.

Jordan Henderson is one player that the Liverpool manager must unleash in the midfield ahead of a mentally and physically challenging clash at Old Trafford tonight, as there are a number of reasons why the midfielder could be Klopp’s hero this evening.

Out of the 27 meetings the £140k-per-week Liverpool skipper has been involved in over his decade-long tenure with the Merseyside giants, Henderson has won eight, drawn ten and lost nine, and started in both games against Man United last term, playing 90 minutes in the monumental 5-0 and 4-0 victories.

Not only is Henderson extremely experienced in taking points off Liverpool’s biggest rivals, but he is also the leading voice that has guided his team to their first Premier League title, a Champions League victory, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Klopp has previously lauded the unrivalled presence and leadership of his captain, claiming that the 32-year-old is vital to their cause. He once said:

“If anybody who is with us still doesn’t see the quality of Jordan Henderson, then I cannot help them.

“Is Hendo the perfect football player? No. Do I know anybody who is? No. But is he unbelievably important to us? Yes.”

With that being said, starting the Liverpool captain will give his teammates the motivation they need to control the game and take on the challenge to not only secure their first three points of the season but tally up their fourth consecutive victory against their nemesis.

An update has emerged on Sunderland and their interest in Morgan Fox in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Football League World, the Black Cats are one of a number of teams eyeing up a deal to sign the defender before next week’s deadline.

The report claims that Reading and Swansea, along with Sunderland, have made contact with Stoke to enquire about a potential deal to sign the player.

Fox has one year left on his contract with the Championship club and it remains to be seen how much they would demand for his services, or if they are willing to let him go at all.

Potential blinder

Black Cats chief Kristjaan Speakman could play an absolute blinder by snapping up a deal to sign the full-back in the coming days.

Sunderland recently lost Daniel Ballard due to an injury and this has left Alex Neil without one of his starting players in the back three.

Fox has been noted as being capable of playing on the left of a back three, as well as in the heart in a four and as a traditional left-back.

This means that he can offer cover in multiple positions and prevent the club from needing to sign a centre-back and a full-back, as he can provide an option in both areas.

He has the experience at Championship level to suggest that he would be a solid option when called upon too. Throughout his career, the Welshman has racked up 199 appearances in the second tier and could impart his wisdom on the younger players in the squad, helping them to get to grips with the division.

At the age of 28, the 6 foot 1 machine is also far from the end of his career and still has plenty more years left ahead of him. He should be in the peak of his powers as he closes in on his 30s and that means that the defender, who Michael O’Neill dubbed “hungry”, would not be a short-term signing for the club.

As a result, he could be a useful player for Neil to call upon for a number of years, which means that he’d be a valuable addition for long term. as well

It would be a shrewd piece of business to bring in such an experienced and versatile player to bolster the squad, leading us to believe this would be a Speakman blinder.

Journalist Josh Bunting was left shocked by a ‘moment of complete madness’ from defender Steve Cook during Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lowdown

Steve Cooper’s side took to the City Ground to face off against Spurs this afternoon after enjoying a decent start to the Premier League season, having picked up four points from their opening three games. The Tricky Trees duly sat 12th in the league table, and a win over the Lilywhites would have taken them up into the European places.

Antonio Conte’s men were also looking for another three points after a strong start to their campaign, with two wins and a draw in their opening three games of the season.

To Cooper’s dismay, Tottenham got off to an emphatic start, with star striker Harry Kane bagging the opening goal of the game in the fifth minute of play.

The Latest

Returning to the pitch after the half-time interval, a momentary lapse in concentration led to a Spurs penalty in the 54th minute.

Centre-back Steve Cook handled the ball in the Reds’ penalty area, leading to an opposition penalty and a yellow card. To the defender’s relief, Dean Henderson thwarted Kane’s spot kick, keeping Forest in contention for the remainder of the match.

Bunting was left astounded by the defender’s actions, given his wealth of experience playing at the top level.

As a result, the journalist took to Twitter to share his reaction, stating: “Penalty for Tottenham but what is Steve Cook thinking, that’s a moment of complete madness. For a player that experienced that’s just insane. Kane steps up and it is saved by Dean Henderson it’s his second penalty save of the season after keeping out Declan Rice. Excellent save.”

The Verdict

After ten years and 387 appearances playing for Bournemouth, Cook joined Forest in January as the Reds pushed on for Premier League promotion. The 31-year-old went on to play 14 times during the remainder of the Reds’ 2021/22 Championship campaign, eventually helping his team to triumph in the play-offs.

With 170 Premier League games under his belt, the defender certainly has enough experience to help Forest navigate their first top-flight campaign in 23 years.

You can duly see why Bunting was so surprised by Cook’s lapse in concentration, so hopefully he learns from it ahead of Wednesday’s clash against Manchester City and doesn’t repeat the feat then, as he might not get away with it a second time.

Liverpool are one of the clubs keeping an eye on Barcelona star Gavi’s contract situation.

The Lowdown: Gavi contract situation ongoing

The 18-year-old is one of the hottest properties in world football at the moment, bursting onto the scene at Barca and being described as ‘spectacular’ by none other than Camp Nou boss Xavi.

Gavi has already made 51 appearances for his current club, highlighting how special he is, and Liverpool have been linked with a move for him in the past.

The midfielder’s current Barca deal expires at the end of this season, and as of yet, he hasn’t extended his stay in Catalonia.

The Latest: Liverpool eyeing up superstar

According to 90min sources ‘with knowledge of the situation’, Liverpool are one of the clubs to have rekindled their interest in Gavi, holding meetings in recent weeks to keep track of his situation.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are also name-checked, along with European heavyweights Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

However, Barcelona are ‘confident’ he will pen new terms in La Liga.

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The Verdict: New deal feels nailed on

Gavi could be a sensational signing for Liverpool, considering he stands out as one of the best talents of his generation – a Reds midfield that includes him and Jude Bellingham could be something special for years to come.

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That being said, the teenager still feels far more likely to stay on at Barca, considering he has been there since childhood and could want to emulate the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta in being a legendary midfielder there.

It is encouraging to hear that Liverpool are showing an interest in Gavi’s situation, however, and they should pounce at any sign of indecisiveness from the youngster.

Arsenal will want to hold contract talks with William Saliba after his fantastic start to the Premier League season, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Saliba an Arsenal regular

After three loan spells away from north London, the 21-year-old has returned to the Emirates Stadium and has established himself as a mainstay in Mikel Arteta’s starting XI.

The France international has played every minute of Premier League football so far this season, a record he maintained today, having impressively averaged a 7.03 match rating in his opening seven games in the English top-flight and scored in this afternoon’s 3-0 win at Brentford.

The Latest: Contract talks

According to 90min, Arsenal technical director Edu is keen to tie down Saliba with a new contract at the Emirates, following reports that fellow Gunners star Bukayo Saka is also close to extending his stay with the club.

O’Rourke believes that the defender is fully deserving of a new contract after a brilliant start to the season.

Speaking with GiveMeSport about the French youngster, the journalist claimed: “I’m sure the club will want to sit down with him and discuss an improved contract as a reward for his progress.

“And I’m sure Saliba will just be hoping to concentrate on his football and see where the contract talks take him in the end. But I think he’ll be fully deserving of a new contract if that’s what Arsenal are planning to do.”

The Verdict: Huge potential

When looking at the Frenchman’s underlying statistics, it is surprising to see such strong numbers going forward.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, the centre-back ranks in the top 1% for passes attempted, the top 3% for pass completion, the top 4% for dribbles completed and the top 5% for progressive carries.

As a result, Saliba has earned stylistic comparisons to the likes of Bayern Munich’s Lucas Hernandez and Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji.

Having been hailed as ‘superb’ by Arteta himself, it would be no surprise to see the 21-year-old pen a new deal with the Gunners, with the player most definitely included in the manager’s long-term plans at the club judging by his abundant game-time of late.

Saudi Arabian consortium PIF completed their takeover of Newcastle United back in October of last year and almost instantly made their mark in England.

They sacked Steve Bruce and appointed former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe and then backed the English head coach in their first transfer window in charge of the Magpies.

Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier, and Chris Wood all arrived at St. James’ Park on permanent deals, whilst Matt Targett joined on an initial loan from Aston Villa.

The new owners made their presence felt as they bolstered Howe’s squad to give him the best possible chance of avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

PIF, however, narrowly avoided their first major blunder in the transfer market as they failed in a swoop to sign Dele Alli from Tottenham, a player who Harry Redknapp once valued at £100m.

Lee Ryder claimed that the Magpies were in talks throughout January over a transfer for the former MK Dons attacking midfielder, although they were never able to get a deal over the line. It was reported that they attempted to hijack Everton’s move for the England international on deadline day, but they were unable to bring him to Tyneside.

The Newcastle owners will now look back on that failure with a feeling of relief as his journey throughout 2022 suggests that he would have been a disaster at St. James’ Park.

He failed to produce a single goal or assist in 11 Premier League outings in the second half of the 2021/22 campaign for Everton, averaging a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.26 in that time. That score would have placed him 26th in the Magpies squad in terms of WhoScored ratings, below the likes of Jeff Hendrick, Jamal Lewis, and Jacob Murphy.

This suggests that he would have been one of the worst players in Howe’s team and that is why the club dodged a bullet by failing to sign him, as his performances for Everton do not suggest that he was a player Newcastle will regret missing out on.

It is also reported that the flop was on £100k-per-week at Goodison Park and only two Magpies players (Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes) are on more than that as it stands.

Therefore, Alli – if the club had signed him on the same contract – would have been one of the highest-earning, yet worst-performing, players in the squad.

Journalist Josh Bunting claimed that the 26-year-old’s career has “dropped off” after he sealed a loan transfer to Besiktas earlier this summer and, when you compare his recent form to his 18 goals and nine assists in the 2016/17 Premier League campaign for Tottenham, that is a fair assessment of his situation.

PIF avoided their first major blunder with Alli, both from a footballing and financial perspective, and they will be thanking their lucky stars that they were unsuccessful in their attempts to usurp Everton on deadline day back in January.

Southampton ‘remain keen’ on signing PSV Eindhoven winger Cody Gakpo in January, according to journalist Jacque Talbot.

The Lowdown: Summer approach rejected

Premier League clubs Manchester United, Leeds and Everton, alongside the Saints, were all credited with an interest in the 23-year-old over the summer after a standout debut season at the Philips Stadion.

Fabrizio Romano later revealed that the south coast outfit had seen a late deadline day approach rejected, with transfer insider Dean Jones even suggesting that Ralph Hasenhuttl would have to forget about the forward should he be chosen to represent the Netherlands at the World Cup.

The Latest: Southampton want Gakpo

Taking to Twitter, Talbot confirmed that Southampton still want to pursue a deal for Gakpo, with scouts set to be monitoring his progress over the coming months. He wrote:

“Hear Man United, Southampton and Everton remain keen on PSV forward Cody Gakpo and a move is likely during the January transfer window. Club reps will keep tabs over World Cup. Dutch side want club-record fee.”

The Verdict: Long-standing interest

Having made a previous enquiry, PSV will know how keen Southampton are to land Gakpo so this long-standing interest could give them an advantage in the race for his signature.

The Dutchman has made an outstanding 94 goal contributions in 148 appearances in the Eredivisie, with 19 of those coming in just 13 outings this season.

Gakpo, hailed as a ‘sensational player’ by Football Oranje editor and Dutch football expert Michael Bell, offers plenty of versatility having operated both on the left flank and in midfield, and this will be an attractive attribute to Hasenhuttl who will be hoping he can convince his target to make the switch to the St. Mary’s Stadium.

Former Swansea City manager Carlos Carvalhal has emerged as a candidate to replace Bruno Lage at Wolves, according to a new report which has emerged.

The Lowdown: Wolves looking for new manager

Bruno Lage’s sacking was confirmed on Sunday after the drab 2-0 defeat at West Ham the previous day left the Old Gold in the Premier League relegation zone.

Attention must now swiftly turn to who will replace the 46-year-old in the role, with the likes of Julen Lopetegui and Ange Postecoglou emerging as early candidates.

A report from Portugal has seemingly thrown another name into the hat.

The Latest: Carvalhal emerges as Wolves candidate

According to Record [via Sport Witness], Carvalhal ‘would not turn his nose up’ at taking the Wolves job but isn’t interested in taking charge at Hull City, where there is also a managerial vacancy.

The 56-year-old is currently manager of Al Wahda FC in Abu Dhabi, having been appointed earlier in the year.

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The Verdict: Risky appointment?

Carvalhal perhaps doesn’t sound as convincing a prospective appointment as someone like Lopetegui or Postecoglou, given his inconsistent record in England in the past.

Granted, he did largely well with Sheffield Wednesday, guiding them to the Championship play-off final in 2016, but he was only at Swansea for half season before departing following their relegation from the top flight four years ago.

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Carvalhal has plus points – his innovative tactics have earned plenty of column inches and Sergio Conceicao once hailed his ‘stunning brand of football’ – but it feels like there may be stronger, more reliable candidates available than than a manager currently operating outside of Europe.

Scottish champions Celtic are currently preparing for a crucial Champions League group stage showdown with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, with the Old Firm outfit’s hopes of progression currently hanging by a thread ahead of Tuesday’s meeting at Parkhead.

A key talking point heading into that potentially vital encounter is the form of goalkeeper Joe Hart, with the former England number one having faced scrutiny for his role in the defeat to the German giants a week ago.

The 35-year-old made an uncharacteristic mistake to gift Marco Rose’s side a second goal on the night, with the Hoops having only just gotten themselves level moments earlier through Portuguese gem, Jota.

The Shrewsbury-born stopper had produced an errant pass straight to the feet of Dominik Szoboszlai, with the Hungary international duly teeing up teammate Andre Silva to fire the home side back in front.

Following that blunder, the veteran ace had admitted his “mistake” that was ultimately “punished” by such clincial opposition, with that error having come just days after the former Manchester City man was involved in a mix-up with defender Josip Juranovic during the narrow victory over Motherwell.

A poor week in relation to the lofty standards that the £23.5k-per-week man has set during his time in Glasgow over the past year or so, although calls for the 75-cap gem’s head do appear rather premature, particularly following his impressive form up to now.

Pundit Frank McAvennie was notably critical of the goalkeeper’s performance last week, stating that it was an “embarrassing” error by such an experienced figure, while also teasing a possible starting berth for summer signing Benjamin Siegrist by suggesting that the Bhoys have a “damn good keeper in the wings.”

To drop the £1.53m-rated man – who arrived from Tottenham Hotspur last summer – would seemingly be particularly harsh such has been his crucial role in recent times, with Hart having kept an impressive haul of 31 clean sheets in just 66 games in all competitions for the Scottish Premiership side.

That tally includes five clean sheets from just nine top-flight games so far this term, with the evergreen talent showcasing his resilience to produce a fine stop to deny Stevie May in the recent, dramatic victory over St Johnstone.

On a day in which the 6 foot 5 titan had little to do in Perth – having made just two saves against Callum Davidson’s side – that rare intervention showcased his ability to stay focused when it is his side largely in control, with Postecoglou no doubt in need of such an experienced head to be relied upon in the sticks.

Chem Campbell is slowly but surely establishing himself as a first-team player at Wolves and the new manager must consider giving him more chances in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old winger has made four substitute appearances in the Premier League so far this season to take his tally in an Old Gold shirt to six, and he is surely knocking on the door for his first start as a senior Wolves player.

Last season saw the teenager contribute an impressive nine goals and nine assists in the Premier League 2, and considering Wolves’ woes in front of goal so far this campaign, Campbell surely deserves his chance to shine.

The Old Gold are now the lowest scorers in the football league with just three goals in their nine Premier League games thus far and with the likes of Pedro Neto, Sasa Kalajdzic and Raul Jimenez out injured, and Hwang Hee-Chan, Daniel Podence and Goncalo Guedes all struggling, Campbell could be the new manager’s solution.

Bruno Lage may have had doubts about playing the academy graduate on a regular basis as his contract was set to expire at the end of this season, however, it has been suggested that he is on the brink of signing a new contract at Molineux.

Once this behind-the-scenes development has been completed, there seems little reason why the 19-year-old shouldn’t get his chance to impress, and he will be hoping to win over whoever takes over from Lage at Molineux.

Wolves U23 boss, and current interim manager, James Collins was full of praise for Campbell when he made his senior debut against Newcastle United last season.

He said: “He’s always been a very talented boy, but sometimes it takes the really talented boys time to realise that it’s not just talent that gets you through.”

Praise has also been forthcoming from Steve Davis who once claimed that the Birmingham-born prodigy “can produce things out of nothing.”

With two goal contributions to his name in just four Premier League 2 appearances this season, Campbell is more than deserving of a first-team chance under the new Wolves boss, and given time, he could be the man to end the Old Gold’s shocking run of form in front of goal.