Despite losing their previous Premier League game 3-2 against West Ham United going into the latest international break, Liverpool have had a fairly good start to their 2021/22 season, with 22 points on the board in the league and remaining unbeaten in the Champions League and Carabao Cup.

One man who has played a big part in Liverpool’s campaign and deserves a lot of credit is Diogo Jota. With 14 appearances under his belt for the Reds this season across all competitions, the 24-year-old has scored five goals and provided two assists in the process.

As well as his goals and assists, the winger – who is currently valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt – has averaged 2.2 shots and 1.6 key passes in the league, showing how much of a danger he can pose to opponents.

The Portuguese forward has also showed his worth to Jurgen Klopp in the Champions League this season by either providing an assist or scoring a goal in Liverpool’s group games against his former club Atletico Madrid.

With this in mind, it seems as though Jota is having a similar sort of season to last year after joining the Reds from fellow Premier League side Wolves in a deal worth a reported fee of £41m, with 13 goals in 30 appearances in the 2020/21 campaign.

Even though fellow Reds wingers Sadio Mane (eight) and Mohamed Salah (15) have scored more than Jota at this point in the season, the former Wolves man – who has been described as “incredible” by fellow Reds teammate Adrian – has certainly proven himself to be an unsung hero for Klopp who can step up to the plate whenever he’s called upon.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, with Salah and Mane set to spend a period of time away from Anfield in January to take part in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, it’s safe to say that Klopp will be relying on Jota to fill in for the duo when that time comes.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Thankfully, the 24-year-old has proven during his time on Merseyside  that he is capable of doing just that, and he could help the team push closer to the top of the table in the forthcoming absence of Salah and Mane.

In other news: Liverpool handed huge injury boost ahead of Arsenal clash, Klopp will be buzzing

Many Southampton fans have been slamming the performance of Adam Armstrong in their 4-0 loss at Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.

The visitors almost immediately went behind to a second-minute Diogo Jota goal after some fine work by Andy Robertson, before the former Wolves winger got his second just after the half-hour mark.

Thiago and Virgil van Dijk added to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s misery by the full-time whistle, as his team endured a real drubbing at Anfield.

Armstrong was one Saints player who seemed to struggle throughout the game, losing out on two of his duels, while he also missed with four of his goal attempts and failed to record a single successful dribble or key pass (SofaScore).

The striker was guilty of losing the ball on 10 separate occasions, and the fact that he had fewer touches (31) than his own goalkeeper Alex McCarthy (37) (SofaScore) summed up how little impact he had on the match.

Southampton fans slam Armstrong

These Southampton fans slammed the striker’s performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘Championship’ player:

“Perraud – Championship player. Armstrong – Championship player. Saints squad – Championship. Just not good enough.”

Credit: @LoveysShaun

“Better 2nd half. Lyanco is levels above Bednarek. Tella has to start more often. Armstrong was far too wasteful.”

Credit: @CameronSFC

“Adam Armstrong looks broken after 13 games. Buying good Champ players will always be a massive gamble as they can’t always make that step up to the PL”

Credit: @jamiepang

“Adam Armstrong is so so bad.”

Credit: @SB85SB

“I didn’t think there could’ve been a less convincing finisher that Chele but we certainly found him in Armstrong. Shocking”

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Credit: @RJn00b

“Armstrong = The English Carrillo”

Credit: @And_McDougall

In other news, find out whose display against Liverpool was also slammed by many Saints fans

Lurking within Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is an inner child. He is happy when at his most playful but stroppy and dejected when he doesn’t get what he wants.

At the moment, all the Gunners skipper wants is a goal, something that has failed to elude him for the vast majority of his career.

The Gabon international is a ruthless finisher, well so we thought he was anyway. He has found the net on 92 occasions in 162 outings for Arsenal, a record that many will rightfully stand and applaud.

Yet, throughout the current campaign, his level of finishing has been average at best.

He got his account up and running by scoring a hat-trick against West Brom in the Carabao Cup but we’ve not seen the best of him since.

Aubemeyang missed a gilt-edged opportunity from just a matter of yards out in the win over Newcastle last weekend and on Thursday night in the defeat to Manchester United, he was sloppy again.

The striker was fortunate to find himself offside at one moment in the second half, having his blushes spared after missing a tame opportunity when one-on-one with David De Gea following a cross into the area.

There was a sheer lack of conviction to his game and that was typified late on in the match. Gabriel Martinelli drove forward with youthful enthusiasm, taking several United players out of the equation.

However, after finding the club captain and making a darting run into the penalty box, Aubameyang ignored the young Brazilian and instead struck a tame effort right at the goalkeeper.

We are so used to seeing a ruthless finisher inside the 32-year-old but it’s got to a point where if Arsenal are going to have any chance of finishing in the top four, they need to sign a goal scorer. Dusan Vlahovic anyone?

The Fiorentina livewire has been sensational this term and while being linked with a move to the Premier League, has scored 14 goals already in 2021/22.

A devastating finisher like the Serbian would surely go down a treat at the Emirates, especially when you consider the elusive nature of Aubameyang.

He was the very definition of enigmatic on Thursday evening, not only squandering chances to score but failing to press or hold the ball up in a pretty lethargic performance. It was Martin Odegaard who gave away the decisive penalty but it may not have been so crucial had his colleague leading the line turned up at Old Trafford.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Come full time, the attacker had registered just 28 touches of the football, which was 19 fewer than goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

Furthermore, the Gunners talisman only registered 14 passes and won a mere 33% of his physical battles as he was bullied by Harry Maguire and co.

On this evidence, Arsenal need an upgrade, and they need it quick if they are to have a successful season. Aubameyang has offered plenty to this team down the years; he’s won them an FA Cup final and scored some devastating goals but it might just be time to move on.

At the moment, Arteta is clearly being let down by his main man.

Sunderland’s previous League One outing saw them comfortably beat Morecambe 5-0 thanks to goals from Ross Stewart, Nathan Broadhead, Alex Pritchard and Leon Dajaku, making it the second league game of the season where they’ve managed to put five goals past their opponents with the first being their 5-0 victory over Cheltenham Town back in September.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, Sunderland have the opportunity to add even more firepower to their squad after a recent report from The Northern Echo claimed that Lee Johnson is “considering recalling Jack Diamond and Josh Hawkes from their respective loan spells in order to increase his options in the second half of the season.”

Taking into account how many injuries Sunderland have at the moment, particularly in the defensive areas, Johnson could have the mindset of overpowering their opponents in an attacking sense, in the same way they did with Morecambe, to make up for their defensive weaknesses, which could make it a smart move to have the likes of Diamond and Hawkes at his disposal again.

In 12 League Two appearances for Tranmere Rovers, Hawkes has managed to score one goal and provide two assists whilst playing in a number of different midfield and attacking positions.

For Diamond, he has racked up five goals and four assists in 17 appearances for Harrogate Town across League Two and the FA Cup.

This shows why Johnson reportedly wants the duo back at the Wearside club in January to see if they can continue their good starts to the season back at Sunderland and help the Black Cats win promotion back to the Championship.

If Johnson can guarantee Diamond and Hawkes regular playing time back at Sunderland for the remainder of the season, then Kyril Louis-Dreyfus should definitely bring them back in case his squad are struck down with any more injuries that could be a setback for their promotion hopes.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Providing the duo do return in the winter and are able to have a positive impact on the team and their results moving forward, this would be a massive boost for the fans who would undoubtedly be thrilled, especially if the team manages to secure promotion.

In other news: Johnson could solve major SAFC predicament by unleashing “terrific” 21 y/o sensation – opinion

A number of Liverpool supporters have bemoaned an update on Divock Origi, as he allegedly only has six months remaining on his current deal.

The Belgian is an undoubted Reds legend, despite not always being a regular starter during his time at the club.

Origi has produced some of the most iconic moments of Jurgen Klopp’s reign, famously scoring twice against Barcelona in the Champions League in 2019, not to mention netting in the final win over Tottenham in the same year and of course bagging that infamous winner against Everton at Anfield.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

The 26-year-old has also been hugely influential in this season’s title race, most recently against Wolves earlier this month, but according to the Mirror‘s David Maddock [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], his contract expires next summer.

It is an update that seems to have taken some by surprise given that he signed a new deal in 2019, but Transfermarkt’s data also seems to support Maddock’s claim, noting his deal is to 2022 but with a performance-based option.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-14/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans bemoan Origi update

These Liverpool fans reacted negatively to the update on Twitter.

“He deserves at least another 3 years”

Credit: @LFC_marti

“Really??? Thought it was like 2023 or 2024?”

Credit: @LewYNWA

“Wait what?”

Credit: @chasin_mo

“Christ I thought he signed a five year deal after the CL final”

Credit: @lfcj__

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“Renew it please”

Credit: @AnfieldOpinion6

“Awww come on we’re suffering enough now without more bad news”

Credit: @seanbaillie91

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming at another rumour that has emerged. Read more here.

After a disastrous defeat to Manchester City on Tuesday night, Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa will be hoping for an immediate reaction when his side take on Arsenal at the weekend.

The Whites fell to a 7-0 thrashing at the Etihad, and the Leeds manager admitted that his team “have never played so badly in these four years.”

Bielsa could be tempted to make some big changes against the Gunners even with the current injury crisis, and one man who he should seriously consider axing is Jack Harrison.

The winger finally signed on a permanent deal in the summer, and while it would be far too easy to suggest his performances have slipped off as a result of signing on the dotted line, he certainly hasn’t shown anywhere near enough this season.

In fact, in the 14 Premier League games that he has played this season, he is yet to score a single goal, while he has only provided one assist.

With the likes of Raphinha and Patrick Bamford having spells out on the sidelines due to injury at different points of the season, Harrison had the perfect opportunity to grasp the mantle and lead from the front.

Instead, the former City ace has been a shadow of his former self, and it appears he is really struggling for one thing in particular.

Speaking in late October, former Scotland boss Alex McLeish said: “I would put it down to confidence. No player wants to go out and not perform. Maybe he’s trying too hard.

“That is a real killer in any sport, when an individual loses confidence. Him and Leeds are going through a bad run. Leeds have lost that wee bit, last year they were winning one week, the next week losing.”

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

With Arsenal on the horizon, and coming off the back of a woeful defeat, Bielsa could spark some life into this Leeds team by making some big calls, starting with Harrison.

The £13.5m-rated star could do with being taken out of the firing line.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing a move for this South American star…

2021 has been a year filled with joy for Rangers fans as they ended a long wait for a top-flight title with their success last season.

Steven Gerrard guided the Gers to glory to end Celtic’s domination of Scottish football, before heading off to Aston Villa in November of this year.

He was then replaced by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who has won seven of his eight matches in charge of the club in all competitions. This has left the Gers heading into Christmas top of the league table and eight points clear of the Hoops as it stands.

It remains to be seen whether or not the Dutchman will be able to carry on his fantastic start to life in Scotland by winning the Premiership and going far in Europe in 2022, but it is safe to say that 2021 has been a fine year for those assossiated with the club.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Take our big, bumper, Rangers quiz of 2021 and see if you can get 100% – only true die-hards will!

Leeds United ambassador Noel Whelan has bemoaned the hamstring injuries picked up by Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips, describing it as ‘really bad news’ for the club.

The Lowdown: Leeds pair out injured

The Whites have been plagued by injuries throughout the season, which has no doubt played a part in what has been a disappointing campaign to date.

Cooper and Phillips are two of the most high-profile current absentees and, as revealed by Marcelo Bielsa on Friday, the duo are not expected to be back in action until March, which comes as a huge blow to Leeds.

While relegation should still be avoided, not having those two key figures available could make life difficult, and results must start improving in the coming weeks if they are to avoid an uncomfortable run-in to the campaign.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Whelan reacts to news

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan couldn’t hide his frustration at the news that Cooper and Phillips face another couple of months on the sidelines. He rued:

“The injuries looked so innocuous. Usually with a hamstring if you’re not jumping in the air and hitting the clouds, it could just be a tiny tear which could take as little as four weeks.

“But this is really bad news for Leeds United because they are two big players. Phillips, who is one of the best defensive midfield players in the Premier League and is vitally important to how we play. He’s irreplaceable in there.

“And then Cooper is the club captain, and that presence will be missed sorely in the dressing room. You can’t take away the importance of what he gives you in there. It’s like Jordan Henderson at Liverpool – you miss those types of voices.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-29/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Big battle without them

This is a massive couple of months for Leeds, with fringe players simply having to step up to the plate without Cooper and Phillips around. The former has been the Whites’ second-best performer this term as per WhoScored, while the latter boasts one of the highest tackling averages (2.3 per game) within the squad.

Phillips is going to be a particular miss, considering the sparsity of midfield alternatives and the fact that he is England’s reigning Player of the Year, highlighting how talented player he has become.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

A new midfielder may well be needed to be brought in this month to help fill the void, whereas fit-again Diego Llorente and Robin Koch will hopefully forge a strong centre-back pairing without club captain Cooper around. For now, it’s easy to see why Whelan is so worried.

In other news, one Leeds player is set to leave the club this summer. Find out who it is here.

West Ham have approached Aston Villa over a move for centre-back Kortney Hause, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: El Ghazi interest

The 26-year-old isn’t the first Villa player with whom the Hammers have been linked during the January transfer window. David Moyes is also thought to be keen on signing Anwar El Ghazi, with the Irons manager viewing the Dutchman as a versatile attacking option at the London Stadium.

Villa are willing to part ways with the Netherlands international and would prefer a permanent sale, and it now seems as if Hause is also a player of interest.

The Latest: Source shares Hause update

Football Insider, who were informed by a West Ham source, shared a story on Saturday morning regarding Hause.

They claimed that the Hammers have approached Villa over a possible deal, but Steven Gerrard’s side have the option to extend the defender’s stay in the Midlands by a further 12 months.

The report added that, should Villa activate the clause, it would enable them to secure a significantly higher fee for Hause, with his manager open to moving him on if the club can bring in a replacement.

The Verdict: New addition needed first

Villa recently lost Axel Tuanzebe’s services after he cut short his season-long loan spell to join Italian side Napoli. That has left Gerrard with Hause, Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa as first team options in the centre of defence, so Villa certainly need one and possibly two additions at the back if they are to part ways with the 26-year-old.

The £25,000-a-week earner, who journalist Pat Rowe called a defender who ‘dominates players’, made his first start under Gerrard in the recent 2-1 defeat to Brentford, with a number of fans criticising his performance that day.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Incomings are needed at Villa Park before possibly letting Hause leave, but it seems as if a move to the capital could have legs, making it a transfer rumour to watch.

In other news: ‘Heartbroken’ – Many Villa fans react to Gregg Evans’ big transfer development

Pete Graves has now dropped a Newcastle United transfer claim from the new owners.

The Lowdown: Wood confirmed

The St. James’ Park faithful confirmed the signing of Chris Wood from Burnley for an undisclosed fee on Thursday morning, and he has signed a two-and-a-half year deal.

He has been registered in time for their crucial game at home against Watford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, and joins Kieran Trippier to be their second signing in the January transfer window so far.

Nonetheless, there promises to be more on the way, with the likes of Marcos Senesi and Benoit Badiashile recently being linked with a move to the North East and a desperate need for additions in the heart of defence – the Magpies have the second-most goals conceded in the league.

The Latest: Transfer claim from owners

As per Graves, the new owners feel as if Premier League experience will be ‘key’ in their battle to avoid relegation down to the Championship, and so following the signing of Wood, they may go down that route again for their other targets:

“There’s a feeling amongst key members of the ownership that Premier League experience will be key in survival battle.”

The Verdict: Ideal, but not vital

Of course, signing players that have past experience in the top flight is ideal, as they know what to expect and some, like Wood, may have even faced a relegation battle before.

However, you can find unknown gems from outside of the division, and they would often come cheaper, given that you would not be buying directly from one of your rivals – Feyenoord’s Senesi is a prime example, valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Nonetheless, whatever strategy the new owners use, it has to be perfect if they are to give Eddie Howe a chance of keeping them up, and signing Trippier and Wood, who both have experience in the top flight, is certainly a good start.

In other news, find out who NUFC are in ‘advanced talks’ to sign here!