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Transfer insider Dean Jones has provided an update on the future of Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira.

The Lowdown: No win in 2023

The Eagles have endured an extremely frustrating start to 2023 and are without a Premier League win in their last nine games.

That form has seen Vieira’s side fall into a potential relegation battle despite being in 12th place. Palace are just five points off the drop zone and face Manchester City, Brighton and Arsenal in their next three fixtures.

The Latest: Jones’ update

Jones shared a story for GiveMeSport in the last 48 hours regarding Vieira. He said that the Palace boss is starting to come under scrutiny and ‘will need a turn of form soon to avoid serious doubts being raised over his position’.

The reporter adds that ‘sources insist the club are hopeful he can turn the situation around and want to remain patient, yet fans are beginning to become vocal about their worrying direction’.

The Verdict: Worrying…

Palace have drawn five and lost four of their nine Premier League games in 2023, failing to score more than one goal in any of those fixtures.

The form is certainly a cause for concern, and if Vieira can’t turn things around relatively quickly, Palace may see themselves sliding down the league table.

Everyone at Selhurst Park are hoping that the Frenchman can get back to winning ways as soon as possible, but if he can’t, it may leave the club with a serious decision to make heading into the run-in.

Aston Villa drew against West Ham United at London Stadium and ended a five-match Premier League skid against the Irons, with the in-form Ollie Watkins scoring his sixth goal in seven matches and World Cup champion Emi Martinez impressing between the sticks.

The point claimed means Villa close the gap on tenth-placed Chelsea to just two points, also only four points behind Brighton & Hove Albion in European contention, though the Seagulls have contested two fewer matches.

With creative midfielder Said Benrahma in inspired fettle, journalist Toby Cudworth waxing lyrical over the “absolutely brilliant” performance, Unai Emery’s outfit had their work cut out to prevent defeat, with the Algerian indeed restoring parity shortly after the Villa opener.

There was a level of resilience to Aston Villa’s play, while several players shone with their creative flair, and among those impressing: Alex Moreno.

How did Moreno perform against West Ham?

Signed from Real Betis for £13m in January, Moreno forged an enthralling, if imperfect display against the Hammers.

From an attacking standpoint, the left-back dazzled and proved why his inclusion will often breed goals, with an exquisite cross finding the goalscorer Ollie Watkins to push the visitors into an early lead.

One former Birmingham Live writer even went as far as to say that the 28-year-old has the “x-factor”, such is the resounding nature of his enterprising work.

Birmingham Live’s Gregg Evans dubbed the marauder a “real threat”, and there is a discernible impact on his teammates when he is provided the platform to inject his flair into the fray.

As per Sofascore, Moreno recorded an impressive match rating of 7.4, with left-winger Jacob Ramsey earning a 7.3 rating; on the alternating side, Leon Bailey’s lowly 6.1 rating was hardly bettered by right-back Matty Cash’s, with a real difference in the effectiveness and fluidity of the respective flanks.

Having made 61 touches, Moreno was withdrawn after 64 minutes, but during his time on the pitch he won six of his 11 ground duels, completed 84% of his passes to complement his assist, made three key passes and completed four of his six dribbles.

Granted, defensively Moreno did not look assured, and while enjoying a fascinating battle with Jarrod Bowen until his substitution, did look to have lost the fight against the dynamic winger after initially impressing.

Nevertheless, his offensive output had a melodious tune, and will have indeed been music to Emery’s ears as the Spanish manager looks to steer his side toward a top-half finish.

Having provided a brilliant assist for Watkins’ goal – undoubtedly the hero of today – Moreno is certainly demonstrating his worth as a creative outlet, and if he can tighten up his defensive game the Lions could wield a deadly force down the left flank.

Chelsea are reportedly one of a number of Premier League clubs ‘keeping close tabs’ on highly-rated Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia currently.

The Lowdown: Chelsea linked with Lavia move

The Blues could have a busy summer transfer window ahead of them, as they look to continue adding top-class talent to their squad ahead of next season.

Midfield is an area of the pitch where further reinforcements are required, in order to bring freshness there and to continue building towards the future.

Jorginho has joined Arsenal, while both N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic are ageing, highlighting the need for fresh blood to come in and add a spark.

One player who has been strongly linked with a move to Chelsea is Lavia, who has caught the eye with his performances for Southampton so far this season.

While Saints are battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League, the 19-year-old has impressed on the whole, starting 16 games in the competition and scoring once for good measure.

It doesn’t look as though Chelsea’s interest is going away, following a new update.

The Latest: Bid expected

According to Football Insider, the Blues are very much in the mix to acquire Lavia’s services this summer, with the youngster ‘attracting strong interest from the Premier League elite’.

Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City are also mentioned in the report, with the latter having a £40million buy-back clause that could be triggered, having moved to Saints from the Etihad last year.

Chelsea have been ‘keeping close tabs’ and are making ‘early moves in sounding out the possibility of a deal’, with sources expecting them to table a bid.

The Verdict: Great young option

The fact that Lavia is being watched by many of the biggest clubs in the country is a testament to how good he is, already becoming such an important player for Saints before even reaching his 20th birthday.

Kevin De Bruyne has backed the Belgian to become a ‘top player’ one day, which is high praise indeed, and he is already performing with such maturity in his defensive midfield role.

Lavia could be exactly what Chelsea are looking for this summer, coming in as a long-term replacement for Kante, who is now 31 years of age and increasingly injury-prone.

Along with Enzo Fernandez and hopefully another midfield signing at the end of the season, he could be part of the next great Blues midfield, combining quality on the ball and hard work off it.

This season, Lavia has enjoyed an 86.7% pass completion rate in the Premier League, as well as averaging 1.9 tackles per game in the competition.

Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland should be fit for his side's crucial Premier League clash with Liverpool, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Just how good has Haaland been this season?

The Norwegian is enjoying a stunning first season at the Etihad, backing up and even surpassing the hype that surrounded his arrival during last summer's transfer window. He has been unplayable at times, scoring 28 goals in 26 league appearances, not to mention the smaller matter of ten strikes in six Champions League outings, too.

Haaland is going to be an absolutely huge player between now and the end of the season, as Pep Guardiola's side look to clinch both league and European glory, but an injury scare has emerged after he was ruled out of the recent international break.

Is striker available for Liverpool clash?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, however, O'Rourke allayed fears over the 22-year-old missing out at home to Liverpool on Saturday lunchtime:

"I think it's more precaution that Haaland was sent home. I'm sure Manchester City don't want to take any risks with Haaland, especially at such a key stage of the season. They want to keep Haaland fit as they try and chase down Arsenal in the title race and look to win the Champions League as well.

"I think it's one of those ones where they’ll say let's give our star striker a bit of a rest, he doesn't need to be playing these games and aggravating any little knock. But I fully expect Haaland to be playing for Manchester City against Liverpool in the first game after the international break."

Could he be the match-winner this weekend?

This is a huge boost for City, assuming Haaland does end up facing the Reds, in what represents one of the biggest remaining fixtures this season. While Jurgen Klopp's men are having a campaign to forget, they still possess top-class talent all over the pitch and they have top-four aspirations to focus on.

It would certainly be no surprise if Haaland ended up being the match-winner at the Etihad this weekend, having scored against Liverpool in their EFL Cup triumph over them earlier in the season, as the Blues look to crank up the pressure on Arsenal.

On the flip side, the idea of him missing out on proceedings is a huge concern, with the Norway international arguably the most formidable striker in world football at the moment, being described as 'astonishing' by Rio Ferdinand earlier this month.

Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has shared some ‘information’ he’s getting on Tottenham and their potential next manager after Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Conte nearing exit?

While Spurs have yet to declare their official intentions in regards to Conte’s future, reports have highly suggested that he is nearing the exit door as things stand.

A plethora of top coaches from both the Premier League and further abroad have been linked with the post as sporting director Fabio Paratici leads the charge.

Mauricio Pochettino is among the big names who are reportedly being considered by Spurs alongside the likes of Roberto De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank (Sky).

Other names like Oliver Glasner and even Maurizio Sarri are also being mentioned as potential candidates by members of the media.

Perhaps the most enticing name to come out in the last 48 hours has been former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, who has just been relieved of his duties and is now allegedly attracting interest from chairman Daniel Levy.

The Latest: Sheth shares Spurs manager ‘information’…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Sky reporter Sheth has shared some ‘information’ he’s getting on Tottenham’s potential next manager and their search.

He claims that Spurs ‘sounded out’ Tuchel before he’s move to Bayern and the Lilywhites are currently doing their ‘due diligence’ on a variety of candidates.

“The information I’m getting is that Tottenham are doing due diligence on lots of managers,” explained Sheth.

“I understand that they might have sounded out Tuchel but it was probably a no go as he was living in Munich and I think he was waiting for the Bayern Munich job to come about.

“He probably didn’t expect it to come about so soon with Nagelsmann in situ and his contract running until 2026. To do that midseason, just ahead of a Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City is a big call from Bayern Munich, but they will have had their reasons.”

The Verdict: Crucial next step…

Tottenham are in the unique position of actually having a fair few credible – and most importantly readily-available – candidates to choose from.

The likes of Enrique and Nagelsmann, both possessing real pedigree as title-winners, are both free agents and Pochettino is in the same boat after leaving Paris-Saint Germain last year.

Spurs could also take their time and appoint Ryan Mason on an interim basis before deciding their next move, though this could be slightly risky given their chase for a top four finish.

The pressure is on Levy and Paratici to take the crucial next step and both club chiefs can’t afford any mis-steps this time.

Liverpool will face Manchester City in the early Premier League kick-off tomorrow at the Etihad Stadium and Jurgen Klopp could be set for a huge injury boost going into the clash.

What's the latest on Darwin Nunez's injury?

The Athletic has revealed that popular Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has returned to full training alongside Luis Diaz.

As per the report, Nunez had to withdraw from the Uruguay squad after needing stitches on an ankle injury sustained against Real Madrid in the Champions League earlier this month, but has since recovered and is in contention to start this weekend when top-flight football resumes.

Will Nunez start against Manchester City?

There is no doubt that the Liverpool boss will be thrilled to have so many of his players back from injury troubles as the squad has been plagued with issues over the entire season so far.

The Reds are currently sixth in the Premier League table and will need to come back with a bang if they are to have any hopes of securing a spot inside the top four over their remaining 12 games as they are seven points adrift of Tottenham Hotspur in fourth going into their meeting with former title rivals Man City.

As a result, the return of Nunez could not have come at a better time for the Merseysiders and his unpredictable presence in the team would likely cause nightmares for Pep Guardiola's defence.

Over 20 league appearances, the 23-year-old – hailed for causing "unadulterated chaos" by journalist Sean Walsh – has scored eight goals, registered three assists and created ten big chances during an emphatic first campaign in England.

That's as well as averaging 3.8 shots, 1.1 key passes and winning 3.2 duels per game, proving he is a huge asset in the Liverpool forward line.

In the 1-0 win over Man City at Anfield earlier this season, Nunez only featured for 18 minutes but made his presence known with three shots at goal, while winning 100% of his ground duels and completing 100% of his dribbles, so given a full 90 minutes to run riot he could be the edge Liverpool desperately need to pick up all three points.

With that being, if Nunez is ready to start on Saturday it should be a no-brainer for Klopp to give him a starring role in the forward line. Indeed, his return is a seismic boost for the German.

When Nicolas Pepe signed for Arsenal in the summer of 2019 there was much fanfare.

It wasn't every day that the Gunners threw such vast sums of money around, as Unai Emery and co smashed the club's transfer record and shelled out £72m on the Ivorian.

Whether the winger had exceptional numbers or not, that was a lot of cash for someone who was still relatively unproven.

That said, when you welcome a new attacker through the door, there is always going to be widespread excitement.

Here was a player who had bagged 22 times in 38 Ligue 1 outings the campaign prior for Lille, proving himself to be one of the best in the French top flight.

Sadly, Pepe has and likely never will live up to his true potential at the Emirates Stadium.

What went wrong for Nicolas Pepe at Arsenal?

After being signed for such a huge price tag, you either sink or swim.

Chelsea are currently feeling the negative impacts of spending upwards of £88.5m on Arsenal target Mykhailo Mudryk in January, with the Ukranian so far having registered just a solitary assist during his nine outings in Blue.

There are worrying parallels to that of Pepe, who has also struggled significantly during his time on English shores.

Overall, the Ivory Coast international has found the net on 27 occasions while also supplying 21 assists. The quality of each goal is well measured too, with few boasting a better left foot across Europe.

Who can forget his dipping curler from the edge of the box against West Ham or his late free-kick against Vitoria Guimares in the Europa League that picked out the top corner.

Sadly, that quality has been few and far between with the 27-year-old largely reduced to a role on the bench.

So unconvincing has the 6-foot wide man's time in the English capital been, that he's now back in France, on loan at Nice. His eight goals across all competitions are unspectacular and suggest that a lack of consistency still plagues Pepe.

That has been his biggest issue since that mega-money move, even if he did score 16 goals across the 2020/21 campaign.

That record is more than handy but the price tag involved always denoted that he should be reaching truly awe-inspiring numbers.

As such, it has rather harshly seen him labelled as the Premier League's "biggest flop" by African football journalist Ezzedine Said.

Pepe's best position is arguably on the right-hand side of an attack and because of that, it's unlikely he'll ever be a regular in this Arsenal team.

After all, the French-born asset has paid the price for Bukayo Saka's emergence on the scene, a young dazzling star who is now 'the best right winger in the world' – as per Arsenal's GOAL correspondent, Charles Watts.

Few would argue against that statement with the 21-year-old having scored three goals at the Winter World Cup, while registering 13 strikes and ten assists for Arsenal throughout the current campaign.

Pepe was always going to struggle to get in ahead of someone like that and it was typical that Saka's first full season of football came during the former Lille star's debut campaign in England.

Of course, the England international did start out as a left-back in this Arsenal side, but his swift progression into becoming a real Premier League star as a right-winger saw Pepe simply forgotten about.

Arsenal's current number 7 only actually played twice on that right-hand side during the 2019/20 campaign, but the following term, after the club's record-signing had scored just eight times, he featured on as many as 20 occasions from the right.

It was from that campaign that Saka leave Pepe in the dust, without a chance of ever reaching his true potential at the club. For the Gunners, that has only been positive. For the £72m man in question, though, it has left him without a permanent home for the 2022/23 campaign.

As a result, few would bet against the £140k-per-week flanker still being in Islington come next term.

West Ham United are plotting a move to bring Flamengo striker Pedro to the Premier League this summer, according to reports.

What's the latest on Pedro's future?

David Moyes signed Danny Ings from Aston Villa in January, but his other options at centre-forward are Michail Antonio and Gianluca Scamacca, who are both facing uncertain futures.

Irons veteran Antonio reportedly admitted to one of his close friends during the final days of the previous window that he could have been on the move, while the latter is a player who the club are open to offers for, with the Italian having failed to impress during his debut season, so reinforcements could well be needed at the end of the campaign.

Brazil international Pedro only joined Flamengo permanently in January 2021 and his contract isn’t set to expire until the end of 2027, but having scored 14 goals and provided three assists in 15 appearances this season, as per Transfermarkt, he has reportedly caught the eye at the London Stadium.

According to Football Insider, West Ham are set to “line up” a deal for Pedro should they avoid relegation from the Premier League. The E20 side have recognised the 25-year-old’s prolific form which has been “brought to the attention” of several unnamed clubs in the English top flight. The Irons will “keep tabs” on their target for the remainder of the current campaign as they look to secure a new forward ahead of the forthcoming season.

Would Pedro be a good signing for West Ham?

West Ham won’t yet know what their budget will be for the summer, as that will likely ride on whether they still have their top-flight status intact, but should they be able to afford Pedro, it would be a massive coup if they manage to secure his services, as he has been hailed an “excellent finisher” by BBC commentator Guy Mowbray.

The Adidas-sponsored striker has posted an impressive 103 goal contributions (81 goals and 22 assists) in 170 Flamengo appearances where the £30k-per-week ace, among strikers at a similar level, currently ranks in the top percentile in various goalscoring departments, as well as in the 95th percentile for shots, via FBref.

The Rio de Janeiro native also knows what it takes to be successful having secured five trophies at his current club, whilst being individually recognised for his efforts having been named the top goalscorer at the FIFA Club World Cup for 2022/23, so this is arguably a no-brainer of a deal to complete should the opportunity arise for the Hammers.

Newcastle United roared to victory yesterday, brushing aside Tottenham Hotspur in the race for top four.

Eddie Howe's men went into the clash in the driving seat, three points ahead with a game in hand. Now, that gap has been extended to six points, with that one-game advantage still intact. The Premier League's Champions League spots now seem all but sewn up.

The former AFC Bournemouth boss is deserving of all the accolades coming his way, and despite spending big in a few key positions, most of their squad is made up of those he inherited. Masterminding the turnaround of Joelinton marked one such point of endearment for the Toon Army, but his work in helping others realise their potential only bolsters his reputation.

For example, many knew the qualities that Fabian Schar possessed, yet under Steve Bruce these were limited. Turgid football did not give way to allowing the Switzerland international to showcase his ball-playing assets, and as such he struggled.

Now, under this free-flowing system that is seemingly destined for Champions League football, the £40k-per-week titan is thriving. His work alongside Sven Botman has been nothing short of exceptional, with his rise to such a level deserving of the same attention that his Brazilian teammate garners.

How did Fabian Schar play vs Spurs?

In the last full season before Howe's arrival, the 31-year-old recorded a miserable 6.64 average Sofascore rating. That has since risen to a meteoric 7.21, as a key component in a defence that has conceded the fewest goals in the whole division.

Yesterday was one of many fine showings from the classy centre-back, as he boasted an 8.2 rating that was upheld by numerous defensive interventions. With four tackles and one interception alongside his seven duels won, via Sofascore, Schar played a key role in prohibiting the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son from getting any joy.

Both cut frustrated figures throughout a game in which they were largely silenced.

However, it was at the other end where he truly shone, recording two assists alongside his two key passes. To have such a decisive input whilst maintaining a 78% pass accuracy is indicative of this quality that Bruce kept under wraps.

Statman Dave even took to Twitter to laud an imperious display from the defender, claiming he was: "Important at both ends."

With Joelinton having gone from being branded one of the worst transfers in recent history to the important cog he is today has been well-documented. Indeed, the big-money Brazilian has seven goals and three assists from his central berth this term.

However, few have been singing the praises of Schar, who this season has played just as big a role in their unlikely European push. He deserves every ounce of credit as his midfield colleague is getting.

Everton have found themselves struggling in another Premier League relegation battle this season and their questionable transfer business has without a doubt contributed to their plight.

The Toffees are currently 18th in the top-flight table following a poor run of form that has seen them unable to pick up all three points from any of their last five fixtures, leaving them in a precarious position going into their final six games of the season.

Indeed, Sean Dyche hasn't had the greatest opportunity to get the very best from his squad with several injuries to key players, whilst morale and confidence would have been low when he inherited the responsibilities of Frank Lampard at Goodison Park.

Not only that, the failure to secure the signing of a prolific and reliable goal-scorer has been a massive contributor to the Merseyside club's downfall, with Richarlison and Anthony Gordon's exits combined with Dominic Calvert-Lewin's injury woes having an adverse effect on the goal contributions and quality in the forward line.

No other Premier League club has scored fewer goals than Everton this season (24) which is a testament to the sticky situation they have found themselves in and a reflection of the opportunity squandered to strengthen the centre-forward position in the winter transfer window.

One player who was reportedly targeted by the Goodison Park outfit was Danny Ings, with the striker instead signing a £15m deal to join West Ham United and that decision could be the catalyst to Everton's first-ever Premier League relegation next month.

Why didn't Everton sign Danny Ings?

When the transfer window opened in January, it was widely expected that Everton would make a forward signing after a promising start in the Premier League turned into a familiar nightmare for the supporters of the club, with poor performances stacking up and a fall into the bottom half leading to panic.

Instead, the powerbrokers at Goodison sacked Lampard, sold their talented prospect in Gordon, and waited until Deadline Day to announce their new manager, spurning further chaos and a clear lack of organisation that led to no signings being made when it mattered most.

There is no doubt that Ings would have been a much better signing than Neal Maupay, with the Everton flop only tallying up one goal in the entire campaign, whilst the Hammers marksman has delivered ten in all competitions so far.

The 30-year-old striker – who was dubbed a "phenomenal finisher" by pundit Noel Whelan – is a renowned Premier League striker with successful spells at Aston Villa and Southampton, as well as being Dyche's go-to target man in front of goal at Turf Moor with Burnley.

Ings has tallied up 70 goals and 19 assists in 199 top-flight appearances, averaging an impressive 41% shot accuracy and delivering 166 shots on target over his career so far, proving that he would've been the perfect fit for the Toffees and at least given them a consistent focal point in Calvert-Lewin's absence.

Now Farhad Moshiri will have to hope that Calvert-Lewin's return from injury will inspire a miracle in front of goal over the remaining fixtures, as the pressure is mounting and Dyche is running out of opportunities to save Everton from their own mistakes.