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Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal has been torn into on Sky Sports News following his involvement in the big VAR talking point on Sunday.

Why wasn’t Hakim Ziyech sent off?

The main talking point of the London derby on Sunday was the mess created towards the end of the first half by the officials in deciding whether or not Hakim Ziyech would be sent off.

Stuart Attwell showed the Moroccan a red card after minutes of deliberation following the forward’s push on Emerson which caught the Brazilian in the face.

However, the red card was then taken back by Attwell just seconds after he delivered it following a review on the VAR monitor.

Having agreed with the referee’s final decision, Steven Warnock has slammed Emerson for exaggerating the push from Ziyech when speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch:

(7:30) “I thought was embarrassing from Emerson Royal. I was so angry when I saw it because I’m thinking you’re on VAR now everyone can see what you’re doing. To go down off that.. so he instigates the whole thing by running in banging into the back of Ziyech if it was the other way around and Ziyech had run in and done that on Royal, he’d have hit the deck.”

“And the way he hit the deck I’m thinking what are you trying to instigate? Like why would you even try and do that? I thought it was pathetic from Emerson Royal.

“I was made up it got overturned because straightaway I thought you’ve tried to kid on the ref here, but everyone can see it’s so obvious. I was furious. I cannot stand when players do that.”

Should Ziyech have been sent off?

Ziyech was in the middle of the controversy having been involved in the foul leading up to the pushing which saw him hit with a yellow card.

However, it was Kai Havertz who received a warning for the foul with the German the first player to foul Richarlison before Ziyech took him to the ground.

But there will still be controversy as to whether Ziyech’s red card should have been rescinded by the referee with his push catching Emerson in the face.

There is no doubt the push did not have the force to send Emerson to the ground, however, it was apparent the Brazilian was emphasising the fact he’d been caught by a raised hand.

What saved Ziyech is that his push was seemingly destined for Emerson’s upper body before being deflected up into his face.

A lot of Spurs fans may accept this, but the time it took for Attwell to come to his final verdict is something which will surely frustrate fans across the league.

And whether or not there was enough in the push from Ziyech to send Emerson to the ground, it is apparent the Spurs man was wanting the officials to know that Ziyech had raised his hand to him.

Although Warnock was clearly not impressed with Emerson’s involvement, everyone at Spurs will have been delighted by his latest display in the starting XI.

Throughout the game, Emerson won 13 duels, recorded seven tackles and was able to recover the ball on nine occasions.

This is a far cry from the player who was being booed onto the pitch by his own fans just a matter of months ago.

Under David Moyes, West Ham United rose from a relegation battle in the Premier League and formed a formidable and cohesive unit, qualifying for Europe in the past two campaigns, but over the past few months the hard work has unravelled like a loose ball of yarn.

In order to combat the struggles and loss of fluidity which has resulted in the Irons fighting to stave off relegation instead of maintaining the expectation of pushing the division’s elite for a Champions League berth, Moyes sought to utilise the January transfer window and bring in several faces to try and pump some life back into the London Stadium.

Despite signing Danny Ings from Aston Villa for £15m and 20-year-old Brazilian starlet Luizao for an undisclosed fee from Sao Paulo, there will be an overarching sense within the club that certain targets have slipped through their fingers, and the Hammers remain in danger of dropping out of the Premier League.

One glaring blunder on the transfer front which could have provided the sheen to revitalise West Ham is Sheffield United’s Sander Berge, with Norwegian outlet TV2 reporting that the Irons were among the suitors for the Scandinavian sensation at the backend of the January transfer window.

Berge, who signed for the Blades in 2020 for £22m, has been a vital component to the club’s endeavours this season as they strive to clinch promotion to the Premier League, currently second in the Championship and well on course to go up, sitting 12 points above third-placed Middlesbrough.

Fulham were reported to have been closing in on a £20m transfer for the midfielder on transfer deadline day, a deal which did not materialise, but it shows that a valuable acquisition could have been within Moyes’ grasp had the requisite moves been made.

The “Rolls-Royce”, as lauded by team-mate Rhian Brewster, has made 19 appearances in the Championship this season and recorded a solid Sofascore rating of 6.98. He has been a dynamic presence at Bramall Lane, averaging 1.4 shots, 1.2 key passes and 1.2 tackles per game, notably scoring four goals and supplying three assists from his position as a midfield pivot.

It is this all-encompassing approach that West Ham are lacking this term. While Declan Rice occupies the anchoring role, there has been an evident lapse in offensive fluidity, with data from FBref displaying a dip in productivity in the final third.

The Irons have scored 17 league goals this term, despite their expected goal (xG) tally standing at 25.6, and a vibrant and transitional force such as Berge would surely enhance and hone the Hammers’ offensive prospects.

He could have been a discernible upgrade on Flynn Downes, with the midfielder failing to truly make his mark following his £12m move from Swansea City last summer.

The 24-year-old has made 18 appearances across all competitions for the Hammers since his arrival in east London but has only started three times in the Premier League. He has recorded a lowly Sofascfore rating of 6.62 and averaged just 0.1 key passes per game, while failing to effectively continue on the defensive front with 0.6 tackles and 0.3 interceptions per match and yet to register a direct goal contribution.

Had Moyes succeeded in bringing an industrious and diligent player such as the 32-cap Berge to the London Stadium last month, West Ham’s prospects of succeeding in their endeavours over the business end of the campaign might have been far more fruitful.

As it is, they will have to make do with their existing options and hope that the cogs fall into place to get the machine whirring once again.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to make a fresh move for Sporting CP defender Pedro Porro ‘today’, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Opening bid rejected

The Premier League giants were believed to have cooled their interest in the 23-year-old at the start of the month due to Sporting’s insistence on paying the full release clause, but it’s since been reported that he is in fact Antonio Conte’s number one target.

Romano has claimed that the Lilywhites saw their opening offer for the right-back turned down, with Sporting standing firm in their stance of only being willing to sanction a sale should they receive €45m (£39m) up front, as stated in his contract.

The player, however, is apparently personally keen to make the move to N17, and it sounds like Fabio Paratici isn’t ready to end his pursuit there.

The Latest: Second time lucky?

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday morning, Romano revealed that Spurs are preparing for a new round of negotiations for Porro in the hope of reaching an agreement before the end of the window.

“Understand Tottenham and Sporting will hold new round of talks for Pedro Porro today.

“Tottenham are offering €37m fixed fee plus add-ons, discussing about one player to be included as part of the deal.”

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The Verdict: Splash the cash

Porro has been dubbed a ‘special’ talent by Zach Lowy, and Tottenham may have to splash the cash should they not want to miss out on their primary target.

The Nike-sponsored star has racked up a mightily impressive 11 assists and three goals in 24 appearances this season and currently ranks in the 99th percentile of full-backs for six different statistics, including assists and shot-creating actions.

The Don Benito native also shares the same agent as Heung-Min Son and Richarlison, so this could potentially give Conte’s side an advantage when trying to get a deal over the line.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Declan Rice over the last few months and now a reliable source has given an update on the club’s pursuit of the player in 2023.

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, Liverpool are one of the clubs interested in signing the West Ham United midfielder.

Solhekol claimed, via Sky Sports Transfer Centre:

“Lots of clubs are interested in signing him, for instance, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool as well.

“So, there could well be a bidding war for him if West Ham do decide to sell him.

“We know a lot of clubs are looking for a central midfielder. He’s young, he’s the captain of West Ham and a regular starter for England as well. There will be a lot of clubs interested in him.

“He brings a lot to the table but the price is going to be at least £80m, £90m or £100m. I think West Ham would be looking for something like £100m for Rice.”

Klopp needs him

There is no doubt that Liverpool are in desperate need of a refresh in the centre of the pitch with a number of players either coming to the end of their contracts or reaching the latter stages of their career.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are all set for an Anfield exit at the end of the season, whilst captain Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are both well into their 30s and will likely start to be phased out to make way for the future at the club next season.

As a result, the signing of Declan Rice could be a hugely worthwhile investment despite his expensive price tag as the 24-year-old England international is proving to be one of the hottest young midfield prospects in the Premier League and could offer Liverpool many years of quality in the centre of the pitch.

Over 19 Premier League appearances, Rice has scored one goal, registered two assists and tallied up an incredibly impressive 90% pass completion rate.

He is a well-rounded football, averaging 1.5 interceptions, 2.4 tackles, 1.2 clearances and playing 1.3 key passes per game, displaying that he is not only defensively solid but also a progressive presence that can make an impact in the final third too.

The Reds have been struggling to dominate their opponents in the middle third over their first 18 top-flight outings this season so far with lacklustre and tired displays from the midfield personnel which has seen the team outrun in many of their clashes, with the Premier League reporting that Liverpool were the sixth worst for distance covered in km (1537.6) ahead of the World Cup break.

The Hammers star – who was hailed a “force of nature” by journalist Rob Blanchette – could improve this significantly if the club can secure his signature as Rice recorded the second-best distance covered in the entire Premier League over the same period of time.

With that being said, it is clear that Jurgen Klopp needs a player like Rice to come in and bring the Liverpool midfield back to life, so it will be interesting if the powers at Anfield are willing to meet the transfer valuation West Ham are demanding as the situation is getting desperate at the club in terms of the need for change.

Tottenham Hotspur are set for discussions with Napoli about Tanguy Ndombele, with the Serie A leaders now wanting to make his loan move permanent.

The Lowdown: Ndombele’s loan spell

The Frenchman joined Napoli on loan for the 2022/23 season in August, with the deal including an option to make the move permanent, and it appears as though the Azzurri have already been sufficiently impressed to commence talks about this possibility.

The midfielder – who turns 26 today – has made 18 appearances in all competitions this season, emerging as a vital player for Napoli in their title charge, with Luciano Spalletti’s team eight points clear at the summit of Serie A.

The Latest: Napoli set for Ndombele discussions

Foot Mercato reported on Monday evening that Napoli are able to sign Ndombele permanently for a fee of around £26m, although discussions are set to take place in January about lowering this amount.

While the player himself is in favour of extending his stay in Italy, a permanent deal will hinge upon Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy finding a suitable agreement, with the report claiming that the 60-year-old is renowned as a tough negotiator.

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The Verdict: Best for all parties

The 26-year-old was hailed as ‘fantastic’ by his former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino during his early days in N17 but he failed to kick on, never really managing to convince supporters that he was worth the club-record £63m fee that he cost in 2019.

Last season, the midfielder made just nine appearances in the Premier League, with it becoming clear that he was not up to the standard required to succeed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, his 6.46 rating from WhoScored placing him a lowly 19th in Antonio Conte’s squad.

However, he has clearly impressed Spalletti with his performances in Serie A this season, so Spurs could have a good opportunity to recoup some of the money that they spent on him three-and-a-half years ago.

If Levy risks waiting until the end of the season, when Napoli are presented with the £26m option, Ndombele’s performances may have dipped, and Spurs could end up parting with the Frenchman for far less.

West Ham United will ‘explore’ what has gone wrong for Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Manchester United before making an offer for the right-back, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: West Ham target right-back

Football Insider claim that West Ham are willing to sell Vladimir Coufal for £6m in the January transfer the window, opening the door for David Moyes to bolster his options at right-back with a new signing.

With Wan-Bissaka only making one appearance in the Premier League this season, and that coming way back in August, it has now emerged that he will be allowed to leave by Erik ten Hag in January, with the club now trying to facilitate his exit.

In the same tweet from Fabrizio Romano, the Hammers are named as a potential destination for the full-back, alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers and Crystal Palace.

The Latest: Jones shares the latest

In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, Jones detailed that there is some concern on behalf of West Ham about why the 25-year-old’s career has taken a nosedive after he was showing such promising signs:

“I think the Wan-Bissaka link is probably the one to take most seriously. But obviously, West Ham at the moment have been trying to explore exactly what has gone so wrong for him.

“They want to make sure that he is still the player that they remember him to be and that there are no other issues here.”

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The Verdict: Get it done?

There is good reason for some concern regarding the Englishman’s recent time with the Red Devils, but his lack of minutes is likely to be down to a lack of flexibility to fit the system, rather than Ten Hag having qualms about his defensive acumen.

The former Crystal Palace man has been described as an ‘absolute beast’ by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, and this is evidenced by his remarkable tackling ability, averaging 3.03 per 90 minutes in the past year, in the 97th percentile compared to other players in his position.

During his time with Palace, Wan-Bissaka earned a £50m move to Old Trafford in large part due to his defensive capability, rather than his proficiency going forward, and so he would be suited for a move to West Ham, where he would not be expected to take on attacking responsibilities as frequently as he is for Man United.

Everton had started the 2022/23 campaign off more vibrantly than last term as they looked to completely forget about a relegation-threatened few months.

They had acquired the signatures of James Tarkowski and Conor Coady with the defensive duo playing a big part in their revival.

The pair are nothing flashy but they had steadied the ship, proving to be astute acquisitions at the back.

Indeed, at the beginning of October, Everton were the best defensive side in the Premier League with the Toffees conceding just seven goals.

With that in mind, it would not be a surprise to see Frank Lampard bring in Coady on a permanent transfer once his loan deal expires at the conclusion of the campaign.

Such a deal would see a £4.5m transfer fee paid to Wolves who would be losing an experienced leader.

Coady has been exceptional since signing but if the Merseyside outfit want to sign a more expensive upgrade, they need to look no further than Pau Torres.

Reports in recent times suggest that Everton are one of the sides interested in sealing a move for the Villarreal centre-back, but any ideal could cost upwards of £40m.

Farhad Moshiri may have cost Everton a fortune in transfer disasters since arriving at Goodison Park but in Torres, they’d surely be signing a reliable asset, one who would only bolster an impressive centre-back pairing of Coady and Tarkowski.

It would even allow Lampard to play with a three-man defence, something that benefited Everton so greatly when attempting to stay in the division last season.

You only need to glance over at what he’s done at the World Cup to realise how effective a signing he would be.

He didn’t play in his country’s matches with Costa Rica and Germany but played during the 2-1 defeat to Japan. Now, that might not be a particularly good omen but his qualities on the ball were simply astonishing.

Indeed, the 25-year-old took a gargantuan 194 touches of the ball and completed a staggering 173 passes at a success rate of 92%.

To put those numbers into context, it’s the second-highest number of passes made by one player in a single game in World Cup history, with only Rodri (204) having achieved more. That just so happened to be in the same game against Japan.

Furthermore, it’s 103.2 more passes than the average number of touches Torres has taken in La Liga this term.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that the Spaniard ranks in the top 16% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passes per 90 minutes.

He might not be an elite defender just yet but he typifies the modern-day centre-half. Indeed, he is very much a player capable of carrying the ball out from the back, a statement exemplified by his 0.56 dribbles per 90 – a number that ranks him in the top 5%.

Therefore, if Everton are aiming to bring more composure to their backline, Torres would certainly fit the bill. He was part of a defence that conceded just 37 times in the Spanish top-flight in 2021/22, the joint-fourth best side.

Torres knows an organised and efficient backline when he sees one and that experience could be vital when it comes to digging Lampard’s team out of the current rut they find themselves in.

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a huge boost in the wake of their upcoming match against Stoke City…

What’s the latest?

The Express and Star reported yesterday that Daryl Dike was ready to make his long-awaited injury comeback for the first team as he featured for the U21s on Monday evening.

Having signed in January, the American has only managed to feature three times for the Baggies due to numerous ailments.

It is expected that, having made it through their Premier League 2 encounter unscathed, he may now play a role in their final game before the World Cup.

It’s great news for Corberan

With a misfiring strike force that cost Steve Bruce his job, Carlos Corberan could be set to benefit from his predecessor’s marquee signing now after seemingly having stopped their rut.

With two wins in a row now, ending their run of just one win in 12 in the Championship, the Spaniard has focused on creating a defensive solidity and winning narrowly.

These back-to-back victories were both won by a one-goal margin, with a clean sheet upheld.

To now add the American to this side could see West Brom propel themselves up the table in a flash.

Still just 22 years old, his physical presence and goal-scoring prowess will make for a fine addition to replace the likes of Karlan Grant and Brandon Thomas-Asante, who combined only have five goals this campaign.

Whilst on loan at Barnsley, Dike earned praise for his nine-goal haul in just 22 appearances before returning to Orlando City to score 19 goals in 41 appearances.

Seemingly a consistent goal-scorer at the level required, he could be the final piece to complete Corberan’s side and truly reignite their rise up the table.

What makes the news even sweeter is the fact that despite the U21s’ 5-1 drubbing this week, he managed to score from the spot and complete a full half of football. It will not only build his fitness, but a goal for the forward will help his confidence exponentially.

After what has been a dismal campaign for the team, with just 22 goals scored in 19 games, this could be the catalyst to allow the new manager to unleash his side with the confidence that, should the chances be handed to this forward, he will score them.

His return against the Potters could also be important in helping them achieve three wins on the run for the first time this campaign.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) are reportedly eyeing up a Newcastle United move for Real Betis midfielder Nabil Fekir.

The Lowdown: Midfielder wanted

The Daily Mail’s North East reporter Craig Hope revealed last week that the Tynesiders are set to prioritise the signing of a central midfielder, as they search for an ally for Bruno Guimaraes.

The likes of Leicester City duo James Maddison and Youri Tielemans have been linked, as they could look to strengthen in the January transfer window, or next summer.

The Latest: Fekir interest

As per Spanish sources, the St. James’ Park outfit are preparing an offer for €45m (£39.4m) to try and sign Fekir in the summer.

However, they will face competition from fellow Premier League rivals West Ham United and Arsenal for his signature.

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The Verdict: Too expensive

There is no doubt that Fekir is a quality player, with his goal against HJK Helsinki in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night his injuries, and at 29 years of age, £39.4m is a lot of money to spend on someone that could be on the decline.

A FIFA World Cup winner with France, Fekir has had a decorated career, playing over 300 times for two high-profile clubs in Europe, Lyon and Betis, contributing to over 160 goals (Transfermarkt).

He could help attract other big names to the Magpies in the summer, but they should consider trying to negotiate a much cheaper price if they are serious about signing him.

Sheffield Wednesday trio Jack Hunt, Dominic Iorfa and Mallik Wilks could all start against Leicester City Under-21s, according to journalist Dom Howson.

The Lowdown: Sheff Wed in cup action

The Owls have a brief respite from League One commitments on Tuesday night, as they host the young Foxes in an EFL Trophy clash at Hillsborough.

In truth, even Darren Moore would admit that this competition certainly doesn’t take precedence this season, although a win still isn’t to be sniffed at.

While numerous changes are expected to the starting lineup, it could be that Moore’s team is stronger than some expect.

The Latest: Trio could all start

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Yorkshire Live‘s Howson claimed that key trio Hunt, Iorfa and Wilks could all feature prominently against Leicester:

“There is a strong chance Jack Hunt, Dominic Iorfa and Mallik Wilks will be involved in Sheffield Wednesday’s Papa John’s Trophy dead rubber with Leicester City’s Under-21s tomorrow night.”

The Verdict: Needlessly strong?

This is an intriguing update from Howson, considering the EFL Trophy feels more like a competition to give youngsters playing time in, rather than risk senior figures.

An injury to an important player at Hillsborough would likely cause much frustration among the fanbase when they could instead have been at home recharging the batteries.

That being said, Wednesday do arguably have the biggest squad in League One and Moore will want to retain match fitness in his players, so Hunt, Iorfa and Wilks could all benefit from the minutes, retaining sharpness ahead of the bigger matches to come.