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Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side return to Premier League action this afternoon as Norwich City visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The 52-year-old’s reign at Spurs has got off to an impressive start – embarrassing UEFA Europa Conference League defeat aside – with the club picking up seven points from the Italian’s first three league games in charge.

However, while Newcastle United’s win over Burnley on Saturday means that the Canaries come into the fixture as the 20th placed side in the top flight, Dean Smith’s men are currently on a run of four games without defeat in the league, with Conte undoubtedly being well aware that Spurs will have to be at their best if they are to pick up all three points in North London.

So, will the 52-year-old make any changes to the side that started the 2-0 win over Brentford on Thursday evening? Here’s how we’re predicting Tottenham will line up against City, along with the latest team and injury news.

With Antonio Conte recently confirming that Giovani Lo Celso – as well as long-term absentee Cristian Romero – will once again miss out on Sunday’s fixture due to injury, we expect the Spurs coach to make two changes to his starting XI against Norwich.

Indeed, as previously mentioned, Conte will know that Norwich can pose something of a threat despite their lowly league standing, leading us to believe the Italian will not rotate his squad too much – something which will likely be saved for Thursday evening’s European fixture against Stade Rennais.

As such, the back six of Hugo Lloris, Ben Davies, Eric Dier, Davison Sanchez, Sergio Reguilon and Emerson remains unchanged from midweek.

The first alteration comes in the middle of the park, with Tanguy Ndombele – who Noel Whelan dubbed a “frustrating” player – taking the place of 21-year-old Oliver Skipp, in a bid to increase the fluidity of the Tottenham attack.

The second change comes in the front three, with the £80k-per-week Lucas Moura dropping to the bench after a disappointing performance against Brentford, being replaced by Steven Bergwijn – who Conte recently took the time to praise.

Speaking about the potential of the 24-year-old winger, the former Inter Milan boss said: “I think Steven could also be a good option. We have a world-class striker as a number nine in Harry [Kane]… but in the past, I have seen that Son played in this position. Honestly, I prefer Son to play as a number 10 that he is now playing.

“I like to have a point of reference as a number nine. Steven is working and we are utilising him also in this position, in the three positions of the striker. Steven could be a good option on the day that I want to give a rest to Harry.”

With that in mind, it must be the Dutchman’s chance to shine in attack for the Lilywhites.

In other news: Conte offered £157k-p/w beast who’s “impossible to mark”, he’d solve a huge THFC issue

Gio van Bronckhorst’s Rangers side were left frustrated as they failed to pick up all three points on their return to Premiership action this month.

The Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by Aberdeen in their first match after the winter break, with Lewis Ferguson’s second-half penalty canceling out Ianis Hagi’s goal in the first half.

Forget Goldson

One player who struggled in the match was central defender Connor Goldson, who received a SofaScore rating of 6.6 for his performance. He only completed 59% of his attempted passes and lost 100% of his ground duels as he failed to impress.

Elsewhere in the Premiership on the same night, Ibrox-bound defender John Souttar caught the eye with an excellent showing for Hearts. Rangers have agreed a deal to sign the centre-back at the end of the season when his contract at his current club officially expires and he is continuing to show off his superb form.

It has been reported that the Gers would be interested in bringing him to Glasgow this month instead of waiting until the summer and this latest display, coupled with Goldson’s unimpressive one, highlights exactly why they need to do it.

Souttar was given a SofaScore rating of 7.6 for his display against St. Johnstone, with the colossus winning 70% of his duels and completing 84% of his passes. He also completed 100% of his two dribble attempts and made one block, one interception and two tackles – as per SofaScore.

This shows the level of quality he can provide at this level and these are the kind of performances he could bring to Rangers, potentially replacing Goldson.

Gers sporting director Ross Wilson hailed the beast upon the announcement of the deal to sign him on a pre-contract earlier this month, saying:

“We are really looking forward to John joining Rangers and continuing his development under Gio, our coaching and support staff.

“John is a full Scotland international and has so much potential ahead for the coming years. I have really enjoyed getting to know John across all of our conversations so far and I can see how excited he and his family are to be joining Rangers. We are equally excited to welcome John to Ibrox.”

The Glasgow giants are evidently keen to see him playing for the club next season and now need to do all they can to bring him in during the current window. Goldson’s contract is up at the end of the campaign and the Gers cannot afford to allow performances like the one against Aberdeen to become common-place as he begins to think about where he will be playing next term.

Therefore, Wilson must strike an instant deal to get Souttar playing for Rangers this month instead of waiting until the summer.

AND in other news, 7 duels won: “Brilliant” Rangers gem with 100% dribble success was Gvb’s shining light…

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly now eyeing up a move for Scottish centre-forward Jacob Brown in the summer.

The Lowdown: Contract expiring

Brown’s contract at Stoke City expires in 2023, so he and the Potters have a decision to make over the summer as to whether he should be sold now for a fee, signed to fresh terms or allowed to leave for free next year.

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They are reportedly planning to open up talks over a new deal, but it is not guaranteed that he will sign.

The Latest: Rangers interest

As per Football League World, the Ibrox faithful are now interested in signing Brown this summer, as well as West Ham United, Brentford and Burnley.

While Stoke are keen to give him an extension, a tempting offer may be too hard for him to turn down.

The Verdict: Sign

Given that his contract is running down, Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team may be able to get Brown on the cheap, and so snapping him up in the summer seems like a no-brainer.

Described as a player with an ‘incredible’ work rate and having ‘fantastic energy’ by his manager Michael O’Neill, he is one that should quickly become a favourite with the supporters, added to the 13 goals and five assists that he has managed in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

Brown even recently went viral after being involved in a rather bizarre scuffle with Bristol City player David Bentley, showing the type of passion the Ibrox faithful would love to get behind.

In other news, find out what big transfer twist this Gers insider has now dropped here!

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey believes it was the ‘correct’ decision to only award Leeds United’s Tyler Roberts a yellow card against Chelsea.

Leeds drew 0-0 at home to Thomas Tuchel’s in-form Blues side last Saturday, in what represented a good point for Marcelo Bielsa’s men.

They went toe-to-toe with their big-spending opponents throughout at Elland Road, with the draw meaning they currently sit 12th in the table.

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One of the key decisions of the game saw Roberts receive a booking after a challenge on Jorginho in the second half, a punishment befitting of the crime according to Halsey.

Halsey believes right decision was made in Leeds-Chelsea clash

Speaking to This Is Futbol, Halsey claimed Kevin Friend was right not to send the Leeds ace off, with the correct decision ultimately made:

“It wasn’t violent conduct; you knew it straight away. It’s just his follow-through and he’s gone onto the back of his calf so for me, in that instance it’s not violent conduct, I think the yellow card was correct.

“I think that had it been a serious situation, VAR would have got involved in that situation.”

Transfer Tavern take

Halsey is right in his assessment, with Roberts’ tackle no doubt a little on the reckless side, but certainly not malicious and warranting a sending off.

If players are receiving their marching orders for challenges of that ilk, the number of red cards will be off the scale before too long.

In other news, Leeds are ‘thinking seriously’ about making an addition in one key area this summer. Find out more here.

Lots of Wolves supporters have been talking about a potential return for Matt Doherty in the summer transfer window.

Football Insider have recently reported about Doherty, saying that Wolves are open to bringing the Irishman back to the club in the summer but only if Spurs are looking to lower their asking price for the defender in the summer.

The report states that while Nelson Semedo has shown signs of improvement after a slow start, he doesn’t offer the same sort of goal threat as Doherty did during his time at Molineux.

Doherty has made only 15 appearances in the Premier League, getting a couple of assists. He has played seven times in the Europa League too.

The former Molineux favourite is currently valued at £16.20 million, but it was at around £18 million when he arrived at the north London side.

The news about Doherty was relayed on Twitter by Talking Wolves. Lots of Wolves supporters made their views clear about a potential return for the Irishman.

What did Wolves fans make of the news about Doherty?

“Never go back….sends a negative message to the squad.”

Credit: @WV1Wolf

“If the point was to sell him to get someone else, then why are we re-signing him?? Makes no sense. If this is true, it is absolutely ridiculous.”

Credit: @iamrockymstar

“Given the reports of us having limited transfer funds, I don’t see this happening, not a priority.”

Credit: @GavinderPawar

“No thanks. Semedo is better and hoever has a higher ceiling. Never go backwards.”Credit: @k3ym4n6″I think this is bad business I would only play him as a midfielder.”Credit: @SamCl0ver”The buying him basically means a mistake was made selling him. Nuno is too stubborn and obstinate to admit that.”Credit: @Gregvegas67In other news, Wolves are looking to sign a Real Madrid youth graduate – read more here.

Graham Roberts has been impressed with Leonardo Spinazzola’s performances at Euro 2020 and believes he would be a fantastic signing for Tottenham Hotspur.

Italy have emerged as one of the frontrunners for the competition after two genuinely terrific performances.

Roberto Mancini’s side opened their campaign with a 3-0 win over Turkey, and followed that up with an impressive 3-0 victory over Switzerland on Wednesday.

They subsequently became the first team to reach the knockout stages of the competition, with Roma’s Spinazzola an impressive performer.

The 28-year-old played in both games, emerging as an impressive performer with his continuous bursts forward, and while he has played at left wing-back, he is naturally right-footed which suggests he could replace the likes of Serge Aurier on the opposite flank.

Reports have suggested that Spurs are watching his performances, and new sporting director Fabio Paratici should be well aware of him given he has only recently left Juventus.

And Roberts thinks he would be a top signing; Transfermarkt value the full-back, who can play on the right or the left, at £23.4m.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Roberts said: “He was brilliant. He was really, really good.

“Left wing-back, he was really, really good. I think he did look good the other night, I liked him. He was always in and around the goal area, he was always back.”

Sheffield Wednesday gave their survival hopes an almighty boost on Tuesday night as they defeated Blackburn Rovers 1-0 at Hillsborough Stadium to move to within four points of safety.

In the absence of manager Darren Moore from the dugout, the Owls edged this close affair thanks to a 37th-minute strike from Josh Windass, taking his tally for the season to nine goals.

And whilst he deserves plenty of plaudits – he did receive YorkshireLive’s ‘Man of the Match’ award – there was another name who was potentially Wednesday’s unsung hero on the night.

Joey Pelupessy.

Keeping that clean sheet was just as important as the 27-year-old finding the net and it was the Dutchman’s bustling energy and drive in the heart of midfield that was most notable, and ultimately infectious towards his teammates.

You’re never going to get anything fancy from the Jos Luhukay signing and truth be told, he’s rarely looked fantastic in an Owls shirt but against Rovers, he has to be given more credit.

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The 27-year-old beast won 83% of his duels – five of six – to dominate his battles and drive Wednesday forward, often giving the ball to Barry Bannan to provide some sort of creativity.

But it is often that dirty work that goes unnoticed. He also chipped in with four successful tackles, which was the most of any player on the pitch – either home or away – and also managed an Owls-high two interceptions, only further proving his ability to read the game perfectly on Tuesday night.

Furthermore, he was a hard man to shake off. From his 36 touches, he only lost possession three times – by far the lowest of any starter on the pitch. He even made 75% of his long balls, and 88% of his 25 passing attempts, as per SofaScore.

These figures were all better than his averages for the campaign, where he has featured 36 times, too.

The Star summed it up perfecting in their post-game column, describing Pelupessy’s display as “unflashy but assured,” also adding: “Wednesday won the midfield battle and Pelupessy was a part of that.”

Indeed that was certainly the case and as a result, Pelupessy was Moore’s, assistant Jamie Smith’s, and the Owls’ unsung hero from this wonderful victory.

He and the side must now back it up with another win this weekend.

AND in other news, “He’s someone who’s always..” – Exclusive: Palmer drops Sheff Weds player claim amid club issues…

A number of Manchester City fans are delighted with comments from defender Ruben Dias.

The Citizens completed the signing of the 24-year-old from Benfica last summer for the fee of £65m (BBC) and he has proven to be an outstanding capture for Pep Guardiola.

So far this season, he has made 47 appearances in all competitions for the club (Transfermarkt) and has been a rock at the heart of the back four. Such has been the level of his performances that he has even been tipped to be named the Premier League’s Player of the Season.

It seems that the £63m-valued centre-back (Transfermarkt) also doesn’t lack any confidence in himself, either. During a recent interview, he was asked for his view as to who is the best ever Portuguese defender. With little hesitation, he mentioned himself, even above the likes of the decorated Ricardo Carvalho.

Dias’ comments were shared on Twitter by @City_Chief and they attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These took to the social media platform to revel in the 24-year-old’s self-affirmation.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the comments from Dias

“the arrogance”

Credit: @CaesarrKeene

“Elite”

Credit: @idc14D

“Love the mentality”

Credit: @fyehd2

“Guy’s got an arrogance to win. I love it…”

Credit: @padderr

“I love how he knows how good he is”

Credit: @ohzai17

“the ultimate hype man”

Credit: @radar2hz

In other news, numerous Man City fans slammed this man’s performance against Newcastle.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have an exciting summer in store.

For once, they won’t target the next generation and instead, they’ll look towards building a more impressive first-team squad.

The plan, according to those close to the club, is that they’ll bring greater numbers to improve the depth in the senior set-up.

One area they simply have to bolster is their attack.

Raul Jimenez will be back in time for the new season but if this term has told them anything, it’s that they struggle when he’s absent.

Willian Jose has one goal to his name and Fabio Silva has endured a sluggish start to life in the Midlands, beating the goalkeeper on four occasions.

If Wolves have desires of improving their firepower they should look no further than the stellar Ivan Toney.

The Brentford striker has been electrifying in the Championship this season and as a result, has caught the eye of plenty in the Premier League.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast earlier this year, Barry Fry, who worked with Toney at Peterborough, said: “If Brentford don’t go up half of the Premier League will want Ivan. Even if they do go up, some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League will want Ivan Toney.”

According to TEAMtalk, one of the teams monitoring his situation in London are Wolves.

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They will have to part ways with £30m in order to lure him to Molineux but it would certainly be worth it.

The 25-year-old has scored a marvellous 31 times this term; that’s the highest number of goals a player has ever mustered in a single Championship season.

He might be playing at a level below the Premier League but you’d back him to do it in the top-flight.

In a separate interview with Peterborough Today, Fry commented: “He’s turned into a tremendous all-round footballer. It’s important to remember Ivan is not just an exceptional goal-scoring forward, he’s also an outstanding defender.”

A threat in both boxes, his ability to bully opponents is incredibly similar to Jimenez.

Wolves haven’t totally got their recruitment right in recent years but this would be an astute signing, possibly their best one since Pedro Neto joined the club in 2019.

Last summer they signed the inconsistent Silva and Nelson Semedo but Jeff Shi deserves credit for the deal to bring Neto to English football.

He’s enjoyed a breakthrough campaign this term, scoring five goals and registering six assists with some eye-catching displays where he’s created moments of magic from nowhere.

With Wolves aiming to secure European football again, then a duo of Toney and Neto would be truly mouth-watering.

In the words of Brentford boss Thomas Frank, Toney is a “special player.” He’s hit 57 goals in the last two seasons alone; this would be a hard situation for Wolves to turn down.

AND in other news, 21x possession lost: £100k-p/w Wolves dud massively let Nuno Santo down last night…

Former Southampton star Carlton Palmer insists that goalkeeper Fraser Forster could join Celtic on a free transfer next summer once his contract expires.

The 6 ft 7 goalkeeper has enjoyed a number of spells at the Scottish champions in recent seasons.

Forster spent the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons on loan at the club, before making that move permanent in 2012. He remained there for two years and joined Southampton, but returned to the Hoops for the 2019/20 season.

In the 19/20 season, Forster made 39 appearances for the club, but he struggled for minutes upon his return to Southampton, playing 13 times in all competitions.

He has been on the bench thus far this term, apart from the EFL Cup clash with Newport County, which the Saints won 8-0.

His contract is set to expire at the end of this season and Palmer believes that a move to Celtic could happen once the season is over.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “Absolutely, he’s got an affinity with the supporters there so, yeah, I could easily see that happening, with Celtic also in the financial position that they’re in, I think he’d be a good fit on a free.

“I could definitely see that happening.”