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After thrashing Liverpool 7-2 last time out in the Premier League, the last thing Aston Villa would surely have wanted was the international to come.

Dean Smith’s side would have been desperate to keep the momentum going, but instead, have had to wait almost two weeks for their next competitive fixture, with a trip to Leicester on Sunday night.

Both teams arrive having enjoyed an excellent start to the new season, with Villa having won their opening three games, and Leicester winning three and losing one.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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The two sides are locked level on nine points, and a victory for either of them would lay down another major marker of what they hope to achieve this season. For Smith and his team, trying to replicate their superb performance against Liverpool will be the ultimate goal, and below is a look at just how the Villa boss might try and do just that.

In goal, Emiliano Martinez will continue in between the sticks after his summer arrival from Arsenal, with the Argentine having kept two clean sheets in his opening three Premier League games for the club.

In front of him, Smith will be reluctant to tinker with a back-line that has served him well thus far, and that should see Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Matt Targett continue.

The big couple of questions that the Villa boss will have to answer ahead of the game, is how Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and Conor Hourihane fare in training given their long and arduous exploits whilst on international duty.

Given that Luiz had to come back from South America following Brazil’s 4-2 win over Peru, Smith may feel that the central midfielder could be the one to give a breather to, with Marvelous Nakamba coming in as a direct replacement.

Further forward, summer signing and 52-cap international Bertrand Traore will surely be itching to start for his new side in the Premier League, and that could see Trezeguet drop to the bench.

The likes of Ross Barkley, Jack Grealish and Ollie Watkins will all be hoping to get on the score-sheet once again after running riot against Liverpool last time out.

Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Nakamba, McGinn, Traore, Barkley, Grealish; Watkins.

After rescuing a point against Wolves thanks to a late free-kick from Jacob Murphy, Newcastle welcome one of the Premier League’s high-fliers in Everton on Sunday.

The Toffees have enjoyed a barn-storming start to the new season, with four wins from six, but did taste defeat for the first time when they lost 3-0 to Southampton last week.

Ahead of the game, Magpies boss Steve Bruce has a couple of big calls to make, both in defence and further forward, and with that in mind, below is a look at how the Tyneside club could line up.

The big dilemma for Bruce is of course the fitness of captain Jamaal Lascelles, with the Newcastle boss delivering an update on the centre-back’s status ahead of the Everton game in his pre-match press conference.

He said: “We’ve only got one major concern from last week: the captain, who limped off. He’s got a foot injury and we’ll see how he is in the next 48 hours. But everyone else is OK.”

If Lascelles doesn’t pass a late fitness check, Ciaran Clark could return in defence, with Bruce likely to stick with the same back-five that ultimately helped earn a point against Wolves.

With Jeff Hendrick the only recognised central midfielder in the game at Molineux, Bruce may consider giving him some added help in the engine room, and that could see Isaac Hayden being drafted in for Ryan Fraser.

Further forward, Miguel Almiron’s latest disaster in the Premier League may see the £20m ace drop out, with Joelinton’s added height and presence potentially very useful to combat the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Yerry Mina at set-pieces.

Predicted XI: Darlow; Murphy, Schar, Clark, Fernandez, Lewis; Hendrick, Hayden; Saint-Maximin, Wilson, Joelinton.

Harry Wilson starred for Wales in Wednesday’s Nations League clash against Finland as Ryan Giggs’ men rode out a comfortable 3-1 win. The Liverpool ace – currently on loan with Cardiff City – struck first to give his country the opener just before the half hour mark.

According to Sofascore, Wilson also contributed a key pass, one tackle and drew three fouls as the Finnish struggled to deal with his attacking threat. Shrewsbury Town midfielder and former Wales international Dave Edwards took to Twitter to praise the 23-year-old, branding his performance as “unplayable”.

The Whites were linked to a move for the winger over the summer, but no move materialised as several other clubs also eyed up his services. However, now he appears to be completely out of favour at Liverpool, Leeds could have an opening to reignite their interest.

Should Leeds sign Harry Wilson?

Wilson was originally part of a £40million plan devised by Michael Edwards to raise cash for their spending during the transfer window. The attacker was named alongside Marko Grujic, seemingly valuing each player at £20million each as the Reds looked to fund moves for big targets.

Neither men left the Merseyside permanently outfit though, and Wilson returned to his native to represent Cardiff for the remainder of the season on loan. He has already gotten off the mark for the Bluebirds, bagging two goals and an assist in five Championship appearances. His spell with Cardiff could become another club he shines for.

Wilson’s best loan stint came during his time with Derby during the 2018/19 season. The versatile attacker scored 15 Championship goals for the Rams and contributed a further three assists – totalling 18 goals and six assists for the season (via Transfermarkt).

Wilson also has a mean long-range shot and could certainly add a whole new attacking dynamic to Leeds’ team. Rather than playing short passes to target man Patrick Bamford, the Welshman’s ability to pull the trigger from outside the box could catch the opposition off-guard and make the Whites all the more lethal.

The Liverpool man’s current £60,000 per week contract runs out next summer, which could be very attractive to Victor Orta and co.

In other news, Signing Dele Alli would be a huge boost to Patrick Bamford’s game…

A resilient Manchester United fought back to see off a spirited West Ham in the London Stadium that saw the Red Devils record their ninth away win in a row in the Premier League.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side bounced back from their midweek Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain at Old Trafford to climb to fourth in the table.

However, it didn’t exactly go to plan, as United went in 1-0 down after Tomas Soucek buried a header at the far post.

But goals from Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood and impact substitute Marcus Rashford in the second half spared Solskjaer’s blushes as United moved two points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the table.

Bruno Fernandes pulled the strings, Pogba looked back to his very best, but this doesn’t excuse the abysmal display by others who were fortunate enough to be entrusted with a start, none more so than Anthony Martial, who has seemed devoid of confidence since the start of the season. The Frenchman’s market value is estimated at €90m, which is roughly £81m, via the CIES Football Observatory (CIES). 

If their calculations are to be believed, he had nothing to show for it – SofaScore graded the 25-year-old with a terrible rating of 6.2 out of ten – the worst out of any United player on the pitch including Edinson Cavani (6.5) – as he lost possession 10 times, won just two duels from nine attempts, was caught offside twice, dribbled past once and only took one shot on target.

The Daily Mirror gave Martial a 4/10 and claimed he ‘failed to look a threat and his disappointing season continues,’ whilst The Manchester Evening News went even further in their scathing assessment, insisting he was ‘weak on the ball and West Ham preyed on his flakiness.’

It’s no wonder, then, that the passenger was replaced by Juan Mata, although we do have to ask the question why he even started at the London Stadium in the first place, and he ought to be nervously looking over his shoulder after Greenwood and Rashford got themselves on the scoresheet, so his place in the starting line-up can no longer be guaranteed.

He came close to levelling the score after he latched onto a sensational pass from Fernandes shortly after the break but was flagged offside to sum up his frustrating night.

Martial’s sixth start of the campaign could be his last for quite some time after his poor performance with next week’s home fixture against derby rivals Manchester City firmly in the front of Solskjaer’s mind. There’s no doubt the United boss will have to reconsider his options ahead of what will be a hotly-contested clash towards the top of the table.

AND in other news, Forget Sancho: Manchester United must swoop for Erling Braut Haaland…

After coming through the youth system at Nottingham Forest, Jamaal Lascelles unsurprisingly became a cornerstone of the club’s first-team just a few years into his career.

The 6 foot 2 centre-back played 65 times for the club, before both he and Karl Darlow completed a double switch to Newcastle in the summer of 2014, with Alan Pardew waxing lyrical about his new signings.

He said: “It is a real coup to have signed two of the finest young talents in English football outside of the Premier League. Jamaal and Karl will be a big part of the future of this club.

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“They have both performed outstandingly in the Championship over the last couple of years and I have no doubt they will be able step up to this level once they return from their loan at Nottingham Forest.”

The move left then Forest boss Stuart Pearce both angry and upset, saying: “We had an offer from Newcastle that I was made aware of last week. The figures that were mentioned – I said I would not do that deal when I was asked the question. I thought I could push their value up and that would be worth more in the long run.

“The first thing I heard today about things was when Jamaal Lascelles came in and told me that he had a medical at Newcastle at 2pm. That disappointed me greatly.”

But whilst Lascelles’ exit from Forest may still leave a bitter taste, there’s no questioning that he’s made a big success of his career since. He’s played over 100 times in the Premier League for Newcastle, and is also the Magpies’ club captain too.

This season he has played in every single Magpies game that he has been available for, helping them earn some big results against the likes of Everton and Tottenham respectively.

After coming through the academy at Forest, leaving the club would no doubt have been a gut-wrenching exit. But his rise since then has been impressive.

Liverpool have been linked with LOSC Lille midfielder Renato Sanches recently and the 23-year-old could prove to be the Reds’ replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum.

According to Le10 Sport, Jurgen Klopp is a big admirer of Sanches and believes that he could be the ideal replacement for Wijnaldum, who looks increasingly likely to leave the Merseyside club this summer when his contract expires.

Whilst the former Bayern Munich man struggle in his last spell in the Premier League with Swansea City on loan, his performances since joining the Ligue 1 side have demonstrated that he has a lot of quality.

Last season, the Portuguese international made 19 appearances in the French top-flight, contributing three goals and one assist, which helped him average a superb 7.13 rating.

He has continued his strong form with Les Dogues this season, averaging a solid 6.98 rating across his eight appearances in Ligue 1.

Despite being just 23-years-old, the midfielder already has 22 caps for his country and was one of the stars of Portugal’s Euro 2016 campaign, which saw them win the competition.

Liverpool also may be able to take advantage of Lille’s worrying financial situation to sign the £18 million-rated midfielder on a cut-price deal, suggesting that this is definitely a transfer that Michael Edwards could complete.

Earlier this year, Lille coach Christophe Galtier lauded the midfielder’s recent displays, saying:

“He has a capacity to play. He has personality, his balance is excellent. He’s a high-level player who needs to apply his qualities in service of the team.”

Considering WhoScored rates Sanches’ passing, dribbling and defensive contribution amongst his strongest attributes, it definitely seems as if he could replace Wijnaldum in this team, as his style of play could prove to be a perfect fit with the Reds.

The Dutch midfielder is undoubtedly going to be a tough player for the Merseyside club to supersede, considering he has featured 206 times for Klopp’s side, contributing 20 goals and 16 assists, whilst also writing himself into Liverpool folklore after his brace against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final.

However, the Reds cannot afford to not replace the 30-year-old, and it seems as if Sanches could be the ideal man to step in at Anfield, so long as he doesn’t replicate his performances with Swansea City from the last time he was in England.

And, in other news… Forget Firmino: LFC beast was Klopp’s true hero vs Spurs

Manchester United beat Everton in a 2-0 win at Goodison Park to set up a semi-final with Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

Edinson Cavani opened the scoring in the 88th minute shortly before Anthony Martial doubled their advantage with just seconds to spare, with the two strikers working in tandem to break the deadlock.

Cavani will take the plaudits for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side and rightly so but it was Martial who proved to be the difference between the two sides as he finished the game with a tally of one goal and an assist.

However, not everyone in the famous Red Devils jersey were at the races against the Toffees, in particular Donny van de Beek, who badly let Solskjaer down during his 67′ minutes before he was replaced by Martial.

His substitution was likely a reflection of his poor performance overall rather than a tactical decision ahead of the Premier League clash with Leicester City on Boxing Day.

The 23-year-old Dutch international, who earns around £108,000-per-week at Old Trafford, was a complete passenger playing out-of-position on the left wing, as he won just three out of his six duels overall (50%), and was dribbled past twice, as per SofaScore.

It’s fair to say that he struggled to get a foothold in the game, only completing a meagre 23 passes out of 29, which is a rather dismal total, especially when you consider the fact that Paul Pogba himself provided 46 out of his 57 passes at Goodison Park.

This was backed up by The Manchester Evening News’ Dominic Booth, who claimed he was ‘much quieter after the break and replaced.’

Van de Beek, who cost United £35m in the summer, failed to record a single shot on target or register a single assist, via SofaScore.

Having not started in any of United’s past three Premier League fixtures, the stage was arguably set for the Dutchman to make his mark, but now he’s going to find it even harder to break into the starting XI after he let the manager down immensely with his lacklustre display last night.

It’s no wonder Van de Beek was hauled off after half-time and he ought to be wary with both Pogba and Bruno Fernandes impressing in recent weeks whilst Martial and Marcus Rashford featured off the bench.

His seventh start of the season could be his last for some time after that showing, with a tough trip to Leicester City next on the agenda.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Former Hull City striker Dean Smith says Jadon Sancho shouldn’t join Manchester United…

Carlo Ancelotti can solve a long-running Everton worry by finalising a permanent transfer for on-loan AS Roma goalkeeper Robin Olsen.

What’s the word?

According to Nico Schira, the Goodison Park natives are working on a €6.5m (£6m) deal that will see Olsen remain on Merseyside beyond his season-long loan spell.

The Toffees are prepared to offer the Sweden international a three-year contract to stay at the club he has featured for on three occasions across all competitions, while disrupting Jordan Pickford’s relentless run between the sticks by starting two Premier League games.

Ancelotti has confirmed his intentions to retain Olsen beyond his 12-month loan spell, but is willing to wait until the summer if Roma prove tough to negotiate with.

“We are pleased to have him here. He is a goalkeeper with experience, so I think we are going to talk with him and his agent to find a solution for him to be here permanently. It can be for January or in June,” said Ancelotti, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo.

“The games that he played he did well. He was comfortable, he was calm, he was quiet. I think he gives good support to Jordan also.”

Should Everton retain Olsen?

Ancelotti is clearly impressed by what Olsen has brought to Goodison Park since joining Everton in the final hours of Deadline Day in October, and has seen the £17,000-per-week ‘keeper record one clean sheet in his three appearances to date.

Olsen’s sole shut out to date came during Everton’s 2-0 win over Leicester City when the Toffees visited the King Power Stadium last month, at a time the Foxes boasted the third-most lethal offence in the Premier League having scored 24 times in their prior 12 games.

The Swede later returned to guard the net against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup quarter-final but conceded twice in a 2-0 defeat, with Ancelotti seemingly of the thinking that the 42-cap international is of a similar standard to Pickford.

Now seeking a deal to retain Olsen beyond his temporary terms could well see Ancelotti solve the long-running worry at Goodison Park of having top-level competition for Pickford, who saw out the threat posed by Joel Robles, Maarten Stekelenburg and Jonas Lossl without a sweat.

Pickford had started 120 straight Premier League games for Everton following his £30m arrival in 2017 until Olsen did what his predecessors could not and take over the role when fielded at Newcastle in November, proving his potential ability to keep the Sunderland product on his toes.

AND in other news, a rarely-seen £11m Everton “luxury” may have played his final game at Goodison Park.

In the last few years, it’s been hard to fault Wolves. They play eye-catching counter-attacking football and with a solid core, found themselves competing for European honours.

They would have done so this season too if it wasn’t for Arsenal’s FA Cup win at the end of the last campaign,

Yet, they haven’t covered themselves in much glory this term. They have won just two of their last ten games and without Raul Jimenez, they look a shadow of their former selves.

That run of ten games have coincided with a fractured skull for the Mexican and the goals have dried up without him. Since his absence was confirmed, Nuno Santo’s team have scored three goals in one match on just a solitary occasion.

Thus, there is now talk of relegation among some members of the Molineux fanbase. Their hopes of improving do not look likely to grow either with any big investment in the playing squad looking unlikely at this time.

One player who has repeatedly been mentioned in the same breath as Wolves this month is Inter midfielder Christian Eriksen.

Gianluca Di Marzio reported last week that Wolves have been in direct contact with the player’s entourage over a possible move but nothing has materialised since.

Eriksen only joined Inter a year ago and is currently rated at £31.5m so could be a costly deal for the Midlands side to pursue.

Though, if he does arrive back in the Premier League, he could be the perfect successor to Joao Moutinho. Now, when you assess Eriksen, you’ll traditionally think of his goal-scoring abilities from attacking midfield. After all, he netted 69 goals in 305 appearances for Tottenham.

However, at Inter, Antonio Conte has just discovered a new role for the Dane – one that sees him play in a deep-lying role familiar with Moutinho.

The 28-year-old first played in that role last week when the Italian giants beat Fiorentina 2-1 after extra time. Eriksen was influential, proving to be a lynchpin at the base of Conte’s midfield.

He completed four key passes – more than anyone on the pitch, while he also won possession back more often than any of his teammates and completed more passes in the opposing team’s half than any other player.

For a deep-lying midfielder, that’s really all you can ask for. It’s no surprise to see that Jamie Redknapp once said that if you give him time and space, he will “destroy” teams. That was evidently the case against La Viola.

Coincidentally, they’re the same attributes that Moutinho has so routinely brought to Molineux. Like Eriksen, he is adept at picking a pass, completing 2.2 key passes a game in his first season at Wolves and producing two a match last term.

He is also excellent at winning the ball back, just as the Denmark international did last week for Inter. For context, Moutinho has won an impressive 2.4 tackles per match in 2020/21.

Eriksen hasn’t traditionally played in this role very often but he’s now shown that he has what it takes. The midfielder would be an astute acquisition from Jeff Shi.

AND in other news, Worse than Coady: Wolves star who made just 1 tackle all game betrayed Nuno…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer has dropped his verdict on Phil Jones amid reports linking him with a move to the Hawthorns this transfer window.

Earlier in the month, the forgotten Manchester United centre-back was mooted as a loan target for the Baggies, as per the Daily Star.

They claimed that the 28-year-old colossus was free to leave the Red Devils this month and that they were prepared to pay a sizeable portion of his £120k-per-week wages, even if he remains under contract until 2023.

Jones hasn’t featured for United this season but Albion’s defensive issues continue to increase tenfold after they leaked another five goals to Manchester City on Tuesday night.

It means Sam Allardyce’s men hold the worst defensive record in the Premier League, conceding 12 more goals than any other side, while no team across Europe’s elite divisions has leaked as many goals at home than West Brom.

And Palmer believes Jones could help solve their backline problems…

He told FFC:

“Big Sam’s always fancied him. He has always fancied Phil Jones – big, strong, athletic.

“I haven’t seen Phil play for ages, I thought he’d do really well at Manchester United because he’s got serious pace about him and he’s athletic. It’s just not worked out for him at all.

“Sam certainly needs quality throughout his side. He needs a central defender. And Sam gets the best out of people. It could be a good fit for both Phil and West Brom.”

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The 27-time England international may have not featured in a competitive game since January 2019, but he is someone that Big Sam knows very well from their time at Blackburn Rovers.

Indeed, Allardyce dubbed the young Jones a “leader” who would one day go onto captain England – he was partially right, at least.

The £5.4m-rated defender has played 200 times in the Premier League and over 30 times in Europe, per Transfermarkt; vast experience that is lacking in abundance in this current Albion squad.

Clearly, if fit, he’d be a welcome addition at the Hawthorns.

AND in other news, 3 new signings, no Sawyers: How West Brom’s XI may look after deadline day…