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West Ham United crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening as they suffered a penalty shootout defeat against Blackburn Rovers at the London Stadium.

Jack Vale handed the Ewood Park outfit an early lead before goals from Pablo Fornals and Michail Antonio seemed to be sending David Moyes’ side through to the fourth round.

However, reported West Ham target Ben Brereton-Diaz then responded with a last-gasp equaliser to send the game to the lottery of penalties.

After ten successful penalties from the away side and nine from the Hammers, it was Angelo Ogbonna who stepped up to smash his effort against the crossbar and send Moyes’ side out in their first domestic cup game of the season.

While Ogbonna will be labelled the villain after his wild penalty, it was arguably the performance of summer signing Flynn Downes which was the most disappointing at the London Stadium.

As per SofaScore, the former Swansea City man would earn a 6.8/10 rating for his performance on Wednesday evening, as he featured as a right-winger in Moyes’ 3-4-3 system.

During the 90 minutes, Downes would fail to register a single shot on target, successful long ball or successful cross, which emphasises how little he was involved from an attacking perspective.

He also struggled from a defensive point of view, with just one interception and tackle to his name, while he failed to contribute a single clearance or block.

The young midfielder’s main quality during his time at West Ham has been his ability with the ball but even that looked suspect against a much-changed Blackburn side, as he lost possession 20 times during the game, which was the most of any player on the pitch.

It was no surprise to see the Englishman register a very disappointing pass success rate of just 74%, which is a significant decrease on the 87% he has averaged in the Premier League, which again goes to show just how poor he was with the ball.

Football.London also felt Downes had a poor display, rating him a 6/10 and accusing him of passing the ball back far more often than forwards, which is exactly what Moyes doesn’t need from an advanced midfielder, so he has to show more when he next starts for the Hammers.

With the 2022 World Cup around the corner, there will be a significant Manchester City presence in Qatar given the number of City players that will be at the tournament. 

Pep Guardiola’s side head into the tournament in second place in the Premier League table, following a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Brentford at the Etihad Stadium.

Looking ahead to the tournament in Qatar, the Citizens will have 16 players from their senior squad heading to the Middle East to take part in the competition, which is more than any other club in the Premier League.

Test your knowledge of City and its history with the World Cup with our interactive quiz below.

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in World Cup-bound attacker Mohammed Kudus and will be watching on in Qatar, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Paratici transfer planning…

Spurs’ sporting director Fabio Paratici could turn to the transfer market in January despite making eight major signings in total over the summer.

The Lilywhites secured moves for Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie and a permanent deal for Cristian Romero, although new names have entered Paratici’s thinking for the winter.

Ruslan Malinovksyi of Atalanta is one attacker who has been linked with a move to the Premier League club, and it appears that Kudus is another who’s on the agenda in N17.

The Latest: Spurs eyeing Kudus…

It is believed that the 22-year-old, who has been selected for Ghana’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar, will be watched by officials at Spurs during the tournament, which is set to begin on Sunday.

Corriere dello Sport have claimed (via Sport Witness) that Kudus has ‘ended up in the sights’ of various clubs across Europe, including the north Londoners, who appear set to run the rule over the Ajax star.

The Ghanaian has been in somewhat prolific form this season, bagging five goals in 14 league appearances for the Amsterdam giants.

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The Verdict: Worth it?

The starlet can only get better judging by his age, with Kudus already drawing comparisons to Netherlands icon and AC Milan legend Clarence Seedorf.

Hailed as a ‘really exciting’ player by journalist Rahman Osman, a move for the 22-year-old should well be considered by Paratici and Spurs depending on his price and how he performs with Ghana at the World Cup.

Rangers are currently continuing their search for a new head coach following the recent dismissal of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, with the Dutchman having been relieved of his duties earlier this week following what had been a hugely frustrating start to the season for the Old Firm outfit.

The 47-year-old – who only replaced Steven Gerrard at the helm a year ago – had initially made his mark at Ibrox after guiding the club to the Europa League final and ending the club’s lengthy Scottish Cup drought, although that triumph has been swiftly forgotten amid the current woes.

While the Glasgow side’s miserable Champions League record run had undoubtedly been a factor in the former Feyenoord man’s departure, the club’s domestic form has also been a real point of concern, having slipped nine points behind rivals Celtic at the summit, after also missing out on the league title last term.

As much as it may pain the Light Blues to admit, the club are simply struggling to contend with their Parkhead foes at present, with opposition boss Ange Postecoglou having been something of a revelation since walking through the door last summer.

While the 57-year-old also oversaw a disappointing European campaign of his own this term, as the Bhoys finished bottom of their Champions League group, his Hoops side are currently on a run of 14 wins from their opening 15 Scottish Premiership games.

The former unknown quantity – who has been linked with a move to Premier League side Everton of late – has revived a side that had finished 25 points behind the Gers during the 2020/21 campaign prior to his arrival, helping to spark an almost instant reversal of fortunes at Celtic Park.

With the aim for those at Ibrox to try and derail Postecoglou’s rampant outfit, the club could well be best served turning to the Aussie’s compatriot in Kevin Muscat, with the 49-year-old – who has been linked with the vacancy in recent days – an ideal fit for the task.

The Crawley-born, former Australia international is currently thriving in Japan at Yokohama Marinos, having taken on the job at the J-League side following Postecoglou’s move to Scotland, going on to claim the league title earlier this year.

The former Gers defender – who was part of the side that won the treble in 2003 – had also claimed major honours during his previous stint at A-League outfit Melbourne Victory, having taken on the role in 2013 after the current Celtic boss had moved on to the national team.

Muscat will no doubt have insider knowledge of Postecoglou’s workings having been an assistant to the experienced coach prior to making the step up at Melbourne, with the vacancy at Rangers potentially offering the chance for the ‘apprentice’ to de-throne the ‘master’.

Having followed in the footsteps of his counterpart in his managerial career thus far, the 49-year-old could well now be set to go head to head with his former colleague were he to make the move to Ibrox, with Sydney FC boss Kevin Corica suggesting that Muscat could well thrive at the prospect of that challenge:

“Of course Kevin would take on Ange. He’s very competitive, he’s a fiery character and very good at his job. I’m sure one day he probably will end up at Rangers. I have no doubt he would do a great job there.“It would be fascinating. Kevin obviously took over from Ange at Melbourne Victory and had a very successful period there too. Then he followed Ange to Yokohama and won the league there, just like Ange. Both of them are doing very well and I think both of the are helping Australian coaches as well.”That assessment should well spark intrigue among Gers supporters, with the potential left-field appointment of Muscat – instead of the favourite Mick Beale – seemingly the way to go if the club is keen to match Postecoglou’s impact on the other side of the city.

Mikel Arteta will be hoping to strengthen his Arsenal side when the January transfer window opens and he will be making good use of the World Cup break to assess exactly where his squad needs to improve.

Its most likely Arteta will bring in a central midfielder, with Adrien Rabiot recently being linked, however, there may be a surprise move for Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane, with journalist Dean Jones telling Football FanCast that the Spaniard could utilise his links with the German player from their time together at Manchester City:

“I think there are some nice links between the two.

“And I think in an ideal world, Arsenal would love a signing like Sane to come into the squad for the second half of the season.”

Sane can be Arteta’s own Vinicius Jr

According to Bild (via Teamtalk), Arsenal were linked with Sane during the summer, although Bayern valued the player at £59m and this type of fee might be required to prise him away from the Bundesliga champions in January.

He could be Arteta’s own Vinicius Jr, however, with the two players displaying extremely similar statistics. According to FBref, the Brazilian is third most similar to Sane across Europe’s top five leagues, and considering the impact the youngster has had at Real Madrid recently, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.

This season has seen the two players register very similar statistics with regard to goal contributions (9 to 8), shot-on-target percentage (42.5% to 41.7%), and goal-creating actions per match (0.66 to 0.64).

This proves that the two forwards both excel in the final third and Sane could give Arteta another attacking option that would surely improve his squad.

Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann has even dubbed the 26-year-old as “unbelievable” and with the form that he is in recently, it might prove to be difficult to tempt him back to the Premier League.

Although if Arsenal win the title and secure Champions League football for next season, Arteta may just have a greater chance of landing the former City gem, and what a coup it would be.

Former Premier League goalkeeper and Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has backed both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Yerry Mina to leave Everton in January.

The Lowdown: Everton want wage bill trimmed

As per Football Insider, a ‘source’ from Goodison Park has claimed that the Merseyside club are ‘keen’ on trimming their wage bill, with Doucoure and Mina thought to be on “huge” salaries, among the highest in the squad.

The duo are thought to earn a whopping £120,000-per-week each, which is the joint-highest in the squad along with Alex Iwobi, per FBRef.

The Latest: January exits?

Speaking to Football Insider, Robinson has backed Doucoure and Mina to leave in January, as it would free up room on the wage bill for Frank Lampard to potentially bring in more reinforcements, with both of their contracts set to expire in the summer anyway:

“Mina’s injury record is not good at all.

“Doucoure has been a good player for Everton but given his age and the competition in that area, it might be time for him to move on.

“[Amadou] Onana has been an excellent acquisition. He is only going to get better.

“Frank needs to be given an opportunity to put his own stamp on the team and if that involves players leaving, Doucoure and Mina may make way.

“There has been a slight improvement this year but they are still lacking quality in certain areas. You cannot completely turn it around in one or two transfer windows.

“If Doucoure and Mina offers are accepted, that would free up some room on the wage bill. That may allow Frank to bring in bodies that he wants.”

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The Verdict: Get rid

January presents the only time the Toffees can receive transfer fees for Mina and Doucoure, with their contracts up in a few months.

Thus, they need to cash in on the pair now, at the risk of losing them for free.

Mina has struggled with injury problems throughout his Blues career, and has missed a staggering 55 games in total, while the arrivals of Amadou Onana, Idrissa Gueye and James Garner seem to have pushed Doucoure down the pecking order, with the central midfielder making a mere eight appearances so far this season.

Nonetheless, the extra wages saved could contribute to a significant signing in the window, as Everton look to avoid another relegation battle come the end of the campaign.

Neil Critchley was finally confirmed as QPR’s new manager last Sunday, and the former Blackpool boss will have some big decisions to make at Loftus Road in January.

Having been top of the Championship in October, the Hoops now find themselves ninth in the standings with a negative goal difference after some woeful recent form.

In their last six league games, the west London outfit have managed no wins, only one draw and five losses, with just one goal scored and 10 conceded, which sees them ranked as the most out-of-form team in the league.

Therefore, it is clear that Critchley has a big job on his hands if he is to get the R’s back into promotion contention, and the 44-year-old will need to be ruthless with some of his decisions if he wants to progress with his new club.

One such decision should be to get rid of veteran winger Albert Adomah.

The former Aston Villa man, who turned 35 yesterday, has just one goal in 17 appearances for the Hoops so far this season (14 of those as a substitute), averaging a shocking 6.15 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Championship.

The Ghanaian forward is something of a fans’ favourite at Loftus Road, having made 89 appearances for QPR in total, contributing five goals and nine assists in that time.

He also enamoured himself to the fan base by celebrating with the away end after a penalty shootout win over Leyton Orient in one of the first matches back with fans in attendance in August 2021 after the pandemic had prevented supporters from following the Hoops in person.

However, football is a ruthless business, and he simply doesn’t offer enough on the pitch anymore. That is emphasised by his woeful average rating this season, which ranks him as only the 21st-best performer at Loftus Road.

Considering that he is one of the best-paid players at the club, earning £12.5k per week, Critchley should definitely look to get rid before Adomah’s contract expires in the summer of 2024. Otherwise, he risks costing QPR a significant sum of money despite being a fringe player who is no longer good enough for Championship football at this point in his career.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter wants Todd Boehly to make an offer for AC Milan forward Rafael Leao, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Standout performer

The Portuguese starlet recently made it all the way to the quarter-finals of the World Cup with his country, and despite not starting a game for his country, has been a standout performer at the San Siro Stadium this season.

The Almada native has now entered the final 18 months of his contract and his future is up in the air having not yet put pen to paper on fresh terms, which has seen him attracting interest from the Premier League.

The Latest: Chelsea eyeing Leao

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea’s boss is ‘in love’ with Leao and is set to try and ‘persuade the club’s hierarchy’ to submit an official bid for him in 2023.

The Blues are ‘serious’ about landing him and are currently ‘leading the way’, with their target, dubbed a ‘difference-maker’ by Jacek Kulig, valued at £85m.

The Verdict: Alongside Fofana?

Chelsea are reportedly on the verge of signing David Datro Fofana, and Leao could follow in his footsteps as another attacking reinforcement to make the move to Stamford Bridge.

The winger already has six goals and four assists to his name in just 12 league starts this season and is averaging 3.6 shots per game, highlighting how prolific he can be in the final third (WhoScored).

Potter’s side aren’t quite at the level of being able to challenge for the title, though with the acquisition of a player like Leao, there’s no reason why they couldn’t be seen as serious contenders.

Leeds United remain in the hunt for Matheus Cunha, with one journalist’s assessment of the transfer rumour being a positive one for Victor Orta…

What’s the latest?

Transfer expert Dean Jones has said that the Whites’ pursuit will hinge on the actions of Wolverhampton Wanderers, after his claim on Sunday which noted that Julen Lopetegui’s side were in the “driving seat” for the 23-year-old.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT recently: “If Wolves can’t tie it up, then it will be one to look out for. I was sceptical of Leeds’ interest at first, but there are actually some interesting factors that could make this doable.”

Cunha joined Atletico Madrid from Hertha Berlin in a €25m (£22m) move in the summer of 2021.

A “doable” move

The final word in Jones’ claim will be a refreshing one for Jesse Marsch, who must be keen to reunite with the player with whom he worked at RB Leipzig at a time when Leeds most require an added injection of magic in the final third.

Sitting just two points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, they can be commended for their free-scoring nature as they boast 22 goals from 14 games.

However, having conceded 26 times during that period, it is clear that unless they tighten up at the back, they will need to add even more goals if they want to avoid a relegation scrap akin to last season.

Whilst this season has been somewhat unkind to Cunha, who is without a goal in 17 (mostly substitute) appearances, he has shown on numerous occasions that he can offer a consistent attacking threat to score or create goals.

The 2021/22 campaign saw him register seven goals and seven assists, following up on his eight goals and seven assists in his final season in the Bundesliga.

These performances led his former FC Sion coach Paolo Tramezzani to dub him an “extraordinary boy” with “incredible acceleration”.

Whist ranking in the top 2% for assists will have the likes of Rodrigo salivating at Leeds, what could please Marsch most is the fact that the 23-year-old  also ranks in the top 3% for tackles and the top 4% for interceptions among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues in 2022.

By adding this relentless wizard to his team, the Whites boss could end up benefitting at both ends of the pitch. Should the opportunity arise, it would mark a no-brainer to bring Cunha to Yorkshire in Leeds’ latest bid for Premier League survival.

Leeds United continue to be linked with Newcastle United striker Chris Wood, despite Eddie Howe reportedly viewing him as an important member of his squad…

What’s the latest?

The Magpies manager dubbed the 31-year-old “hugely important” late last week, although the New Zealand marksman continues to be linked with a return to Elland Road.

Ben Jacobs has given his verdict on the transfer rumour, as he told GIVEMESPORT: “I wouldn’t rule out Chris Wood, former Leeds, of course. He’s not getting much game time at Newcastle United at the moment.

“Newcastle are still looking at goalscorers and creative-minded options. I don’t think Leeds would want to sign Wood on a permanent deal, but there might be a loan opportunity there, so that’s one to just keep an eye on.”

Given Leeds’ failed attempts to sign Matheus Cunha, who has agreed to join Wolves, it could make this potential deal even more important for Jesse Marsch.

Better than Cunha

Although it may seem a ludicrous claim to make, signing Wood could actually be a far better deal for the Whites than the one that Wolves secured for Cunha.

Fabrizio Romano reported an obligatory €50m (£44m) fee for the 23-year-old, and with the New Zealand international having only been bought by the Magpies for £25m, the Whites would surely get him for a cut-price fee should they settle on a permanent deal with Newcastle.

Furthermore, Wood already boasts far more Premier League experience than the Brazilian, who has struggled this season for Atletico Madrid.

Having yet to score so far in 17 appearances in 2022/23, he has only managed two assists. In fact, he is yet to hit double figures for goals in a single season whilst playing in one of the top five domestic leagues in Europe.

Meanwhile, Wood enjoyed four consecutive seasons with Burnley in which he scored ten or more goals, which is made even more impressive given that the Clarets were routinely near the relegation zone in the Premier League.

The 6 foot 4 “Kiwi brute”, as journalist Tom Barclay labelled the 31-year-old, also ranks in the top 1% for aerial duels won per 90 among strikers in Europe’s top five leagues in 2022.

These attributes could culminate in a far more effective presence for English football, as opposed to the huge financial risk that Cunha would have posed.

With the squad that Jesse Marsch boasts at Leeds, with tricky wingers who can create for a proper number nine, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise to miss out on Cunha if it means that they will secure a deal with Newcastle for Wood.