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Sunderland moved into the top six in League One after a late win against fellow play-off competitors Oxford United today, and Alex Neil will surely be delighted to have potential promotion back in his team’s hands with just five games to go.

The Black Cats managed to control possession of the ball (51%) and did well to win the game following the attacking threat that Oxford imposed on them this afternoon. The hosts had more shots on target, nine more shots in total and completed more accurate crosses into the box over the course of the match.

An early advantage was secured for Sunderland when Corry Evans found the net in the 16th minute, but the lead didn’t last all that long as Oxford responded in the 35th minute with a goal from Elliot Moore to level the scores.

A late substitution gave Sunderland exactly what they were searching for throughout the second half when Elliot Embleton was brought on in the 85th minute, scoring just four minutes after replacing his team-mate Jack Clarke to keep the Wearsiders’ promotion dreams alive.

Despite not getting on the scoresheet, the current League One top scorer Ross Stewart was a key component in Sunderland’s attacking output and set an example amongst his fellow forwards, ultimately leading to a priceless win for the visitors at the Kassam Stadium.

As per SofaScore, the 25-year-old earned a rating of 7.2 despite not scoring as he won eight duels, contributed the assist for Evans’ opener in the first half, made two key passes and created two big chances for his team over his 90 minutes on the pitch.

The Sunderland striker recently gained his first senior call-up to the Scotland squad thanks to his impressive season so far. With 22 goals and four assists, Stewart has been attracting interest from Championship clubs such as Swansea, with the Black Cats reportedly planning to secure the striker’s future with a new contract.

Neil’s side now must ensure that their victory today was not in vain by keep up their unbeaten run in League One when they play Shrewsbury next Friday, and a win at the Stadium of Light will surely put Sunderland in a very strong position to secure a play-off berth.

In other news: Sunderland will rue call on “unstoppable” 492-goal ace who has “the strength of Mike Tyson”

As per West Ham United insider Claret & Hugh, coming after the club’s historic 3-0 victory at Lyon in their Europa League quarter-final second leg, things just get better and better as they share a ‘£30 million’ update.

The Lowdown: Hammers make history…

David Moyes’ side made history on Thursday night by impressively cruising past Lyon into the Europa League semi-finals – where they will take on Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt.

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Goals from Craig Dawson, Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen sealed a brilliant win for the Hammers who have made history with their run in Europe so far.

Off the field, this could pay dividends for West Ham and club owners GSB, with C&H sharing the latest financial developments after mid-week.

The Latest: C&H make ‘£30m’ claim…

According to their information, the club have been gifted a major windfall as West Ham’s finances ‘grow and grow’.

They claim, when adding up the competition’s prize money, London Stadium ticket sales and TV revenue, the Irons have earned ‘over £30m so far’ due to their run in the Europa League.

The Verdict: Major boost…

It is unclear whether this money, or even a portion of it, will be allocated to Moyes and head of recruitment Rob Newman’s transfer kitty, but this £30 million boost comes as a fantastic side-effect of West Ham’s dream semi-final push.

If they can get past Frankfurt, or even go on to win the Europa League, it would represent a seismic achievement for West Ham and surely cement Moyes as one of the club’s greatest ever figures.

Standing to make even more if West Ham go further, this is a very exciting time both on and off the field for supporters.

In other news: Sky Sports: Moyes eyeing new West Ham target in £21.6m-rated star who’s set to leave! Find out more here.

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Everton left-back Lucas Digne says the likes of himself and teammate Richarlison need more time if they are to build something good at Goodison Park.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the summer addition from Barcelona was speaking to evertonfc.com ahead of his team’s next match against Cardiff City in Wales on Tuesday night, which comes on the back of a run of five defeats in their previous six fixtures in all competitions.

The Merseyside outfit have slipped down the Premier League standings as a result and are now six points adrift of seventh-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of this weekend’s games, but Digne says the players are working hard to turn things around during the run-in.

Speaking to evertonfc.com, the Frenchman said: “We are giving everything in training and want to continue to work and finish as high as we can.

“We are building something in the Club. We are changing a lot of players, new players, like me, like Richie, we need a bit of time.”

More time needed?

It certainly is.

While the recent form and season in general is once again disappointing given how much money Everton have spent in the transfer window, it once again shows it isn’t easy to build a successful team overnight.

The likes of Digne and Richarlison are still relatively young and need to add more consistency to their game, and patience will be required in order for that to happen over the coming weeks and months.

There is no doubt that there is great potential at Goodison Park, and once Silva has a settled XI that know each other’s strengths inside out, the results will follow on the pitch.

West Ham United returned to winning ways on Sunday afternoon as the Hammers beat relegation-threatened Everton 2-1 at the London Stadium thanks to goals from Aaron Cresswell and Jarrod Bowen.

The former opened the scoring with an excellent free-kick before half-time but saw his side lose their lead when Toffees defender Mason Holgate saw a volley deflect into the back of the net early in the second half.

However, the Irons soon regained their lead as Bowen, back from injury after a month out, tapped the ball into an empty net after Michail Antonio saw a shot parried by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Despite the victory for his side, it was another tricky afternoon for Antonio, who now hasn’t scored a Premier League goal since New Year’s Day.

According to SofaScore, the Jamaica international missed two big chances whilst also having just 43 touches all game. Furthermore, the 32-year-old lost the ball on 13 occasions, an average of every 3.3 touches.

The striker was able to get shots away against a leaky Everton defence that had to deal with being down to ten men in the second half when Michael Keane was shown a second yellow card.

However, none of them were too troublesome with one hitting the target, one going off target and the other blocked.

In fairness to Antonio, the striker did work hard, winning 11 ground duels out of an attempted 17 at a 64.7% success rate whilst also winning half of his aerial duels (two out of four).

Moreover, the 32-year-old provided three key passes, although he failed to complete more than three-quarters of his passes with a passing accuracy of 74%.

There was little defensive contribution either with zero tackles, interceptions, blocks and clearances as well as committing two fouls.

Being David Moyes’ side’s only senior striker certainly comes with baggage and the 32-year-old is carrying high expectations upon his shoulders, with the East London side competing for both European qualification and the Europa League title.

The Jamaica international had started the season in stellar fashion, scoring four goals in his opening three Premier League outings. However, those four goals currently make up half of his league goal tally for the season in April.

There’s no doubt that Moyes will be looking to add at least one striker to his squad in the summer, regardless of how his side finish the campaign.

Whether or not Antonio is going to be in the Scotsman’s plans is still yet to be revealed after another afternoon where the striker let his manager down.

AND in other news: Forget Bowen: West Ham “explosion” with 95 touches showed he’s a “revelation” today

Everton have now been gifted a big injury boost before they play Leicester City at home in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

The Lowdown: Missing in action

Yerry Mina has not played at Goodison Park since February, and since then, they have lost six games in the Premier League and have been knocked out of the FA Cup (Transfermarkt).

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They have clearly missed the colossal Colombia international, and Frank Lampard will want him back and available as soon as possible.

The Latest: Back in training

Taking to Twitter, the Merseyside club have now posted a video of some of the players walking onto the training ground at Finch Farm, including Mina.

They revealed that the Colombia international is now ‘back in training’, but did not confirm whether he would be available against Leicester.

The Verdict: Big boost

Of course, having Mina back in training after so long out is a big boost for Lampard and the Toffees.

His presence is key for the backline, as he has ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average aerial duels won, clearances and blocks made per match in the top flight so far this season (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, Mina will be hungry to get back into action, and will want to help his team get the results needed in order to avoid relegation down to the Championship.

In other news, find out who is now in talks over a new deal at the Blues here!

Tottenham Hotspur are back in action following a busy end to the January transfer window.

Antonio Conte’s side host Brighton and Hove Albion in north London for a fourth-round clash in the FA Cup, where Spurs will be looking to advance in the only piece of silverware on offer this season.

After such a long break without any action, the Italian head coach has been left with plenty of interesting dilemmas over team selection, not at least because he is able to welcome back key players from injury and now has two new signings at his disposal, too.

It’s in defence where there is a decision to be made after Argentina beast Cristian Romero returned to training during the winter break. He should come straight back into the side, taking the place of Japhet Tanganga, who has been a liability in recent games, in the back three.

Indeed, the young academy product has been at fault for a number of goals during their three matches against Chelsea last month and at one stage, looked set to depart for AC Milan.

During their Carabao Cup semi-final exit against the Champions of Europe, the versatile defender was dubbed the “weak link” of the side by the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick as he walked a tightrope following an early booking. He struggled to deal with the threat of Callum Hudson- Odoi all game.

As per SofaScore, he was rated ever so poorly (5.8) as the only player to manage below a 6.3 rating. It was that bad that analyst Statman Dave described the outing as a “horror show” on social media.

Earlier in the season, he received his marching orders for getting into a tussle with Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha and that moment of madness was slammed by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand.

“It’s a lack of experience and rush of blood. He’ll get over it but it cost them today,” he said during the game (via the Daily Mail).

Not to mention his role in League One outfit Morecambe taking the lead in the round prior to this one. He lost his man from a corner. It’s the basics and it happens far to frequently.

As such, Conte must be ruthless in his team selection and axe the £18m-rated calamity against the Seagulls this evening.

AND in other news, Conte concerns emerge at Spurs amid huge transfer claim…

A French source has dropped a fresh update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte.

What’s the talk?

According to a recent report by Le10 Sport (via Sport Witness), a close friend of the 52-year-old Spurs coach has revealed that, despite widespread claims that the Italian is in negotiations to replace Mauricio Pochettino as the Paris Saint-Germain manager this summer, no such talks are taking place, nor has Conte declared his interest in the position at the Parc des Princes.

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However, the source goes on to confirm that PSG are interested in the Tottenham head coach, although, considering the Ligue 1 leaders would be forced to pay a figure in the region of €15m (£12.5m) in order to release the former Inter Milan manager from his contract in north London, plus a similar fee to sack Pochettino, there would be a great many obstacles for the Parisians to overcome in order to get a deal done.

Big twist

Considering the sheer volume of reports suggesting that Conte is very much hoping to secure a move to PSG this summer, the news that a source close to the 52-year-old has all but rubbished this switch is certainly a big twist in the tale – albeit one that Tottenham supporters, as well as Daniel Levy and Fabio Paratici, will be delighted to learn of.

Indeed, the Italian has done a stellar job since taking over at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November of last year, with Spurs climbing from ninth in the Premier League standings to currently sitting just two points off fourth – very much being in with a chance of securing Champions League qualification for the first time since 2018/19.

And, with Levy and Paratici having already committed the best part of £60m on the January signings of both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, it is clear that the Tottenham hierarchy are not only willing to back the 52-year-old in the transfer window, but they also have already done so.

As such, it is undeniable that this latest update is fantastic news for everyone involved with the club, however, with Conte not exactly being known for his longevity, it would appear wise for Spurs supporters to not begin counting their cockerels just yet.

AND in other news: “Not going to be at Tottenham…”: Gold drops update on £118m Spurs talent, time’s up

Sunderland are set for a huge injury lift this week over defender Danny Batth… 

What’s the latest?

According to the Sunderland Echo, the centre-back is hopeful of being back fit and available for selection against Gillingham this weekend in League One.

Sunderland Echo quote the player as saying: “It’s been a niggly injury so we’ve kind of had to let it build up and obviously I’ve been working hard off the pitch in the gym and physically.

“The injury was pretty unfortunate, it was in a blocked tackle. I’ve won the ball and the guy has put all his weight into my ankle. There was no massive damage on the scan, it has just been niggling and niggling so hopefully that’s behind me now and I can crack on.“I’ve just been using the international break to get up to speed.” Buzzing

This update will surely leave Alex Neil buzzing, as having the 31-year-old back will be a major boost to the Sunderland squad heading into the final weeks of the campaign.

The Black Cats are vying for a place in the play-offs and need as many of their best players available as possible to give themselves the greatest chance of making the top six. They are currently seventh and two points off sixth in the table, so Batth’s return will be a timely boost.

He has already proven himself to be a reliable option at a higher level. The defender averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.10 for Stoke as he won 68% of his duels and made 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game in the Championship this season.

This shows that he has the quality to be an outstanding performer in the second tier as he delivered brilliant displays for the Potters. His statistics prove that he is playing below his station at the moment, and Sunderland supporters can look forward to seeing him hit top gear in the coming weeks.

Therefore, he should be able to replicate that form whilst playing at a lower standard of football. His experience and ability as a centre-back should make him an excellent player for Neil to call upon between now and the end of the season, as he could be able to have a huge say in their campaign if he can get back to the form that he showed for Stoke in the Championship.

This is why the 40-year-old will be buzzing that the defender is on his way back from injury and could be in contention to face Gillingham next weekend.

AND in other news, Sold at £9m, now worth £720k: Sunderland played a blinder with “unit” whose career has flopped…

An exciting Sunderland timeline has been set, regarding the attempts to bring in a replacement for Lee Johnson.

What’s the talk?

Black Cats journalist Phil Smith has revealed how he expects the club’s managerial situation to play out throughout the rest of the week.

He told The Roar Podcast, via This Is Futbol: “My understanding of the situation was my expectation was that Mike Dodds and Michael Proctor would support the first-team coaching staff that were in place still, which of course is Phil Jevons and David Priest – the first-team coach and the goalkeeping coach.

“So my expectation was that as a pair, they would help out with training this week. And so I would expect them to be involved if it gets to the case where there isn’t a new manager in place by Saturday.

“But I have to say, I would be surprised and quite disappointed if there wasn’t a head coach in on Saturday.”

Excitement

This news will surely leave Sunderland fans feeling excited as Smith’s comments suggest that he is expecting a new man to be in the dugout by the weekend.

Johnson has been sacked and the Black Cats are currently without a permanent manager in place, which could impact their promotion push unless they act quickly. Leaving the situation up in the air for too long could cause confusion inside and outside of the club, which could then lead to results turning on the pitch as the players do not know who their manager is going to be.

Sunderland are currently third in the League One table and are well within reach of the automatic promotion places and this means that every single game between now and the end of the campaign is crucial. They need points and they need them quickly, which is why this short deadline for the club’s appointment will excite supporters who want to see results as soon as possible.

The Stadium of Light could be buzzing with excitement ahead of kick-off against Doncaster on Saturday if they are introduced to a new head coach for the first time. It could be a fun afternoon for the Black Cats faithful if they are able to return to winning ways with Johnson’s replacement in the dugout, rather than having an interim in charge and the supporters remaining unsure about where the club is heading.

It is now down to Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman to ensure that they are able to get a deal over the line for their number one target in the next two to three days.

AND in other news,  Forget Defoe: Speakman endured deadline day SAFC howler over £3.6k-p/w “leader”…

Tottenham Hotspur have reignited their interest in Antonio Rudiger after a fresh plea from manager Antonio Conte, according to club sources.

What’s the word?

As revealed by Football Insider this week, the north London outfit are back in the race to sign the out-of-contract Chelsea centre-back this summer in a fresh twist behind-the-scenes – just a few months after being ruled out of the running.

The 29-year-old German has been long admired by Spurs and the Italian head coach, who he once managed at Stamford Bridge, having been a top target last summer and during the recent winter window.

It now appears as if the Lilywhites will make another push to seal his signature ahead of some of Europe’s elite, including Barcelona and Bayern Munich, after the 52-year-old made it clear that he wants to be reignited with his ex-star to supremo Daniel Levy.

Conte is believed to be ‘pushing hard’ to sign the free agent and it will now be a test of the chairman’s ambition heading into a big summer of business.

Rudiger coup

Whilst Spurs are far away from being the front-runners to seal the Germany international, if they manage to secure him next season, it would surely be something of a major coup for the club.

They would not only be prising him away from their arch-rivals – the Blues – but he would also fill a big need of Conte’s as he searches for a central defensive addition this summer.

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If Spurs want to keep Conte on board for the long term, then there won’t be a bigger statement of intent than signing Rudiger, who played 45 times under the Italian at Chelsea.

They clearly had a positive relationship with the defender lauding his coach as “very good” during their stint together.

Despite his contractual situation, Rudiger has remained an imperative member of Thomas Tuchel’s side, having featured in 47 games across all competitions, on the back of their Champions League triumph last term.

Across 28 league starts, the £31.5m-rated titan has won an average of 1.8 headers and 1.3 tackles per game, whilst being equally adept on the ball, managing a seasonal passing accuracy of 87.8%, so it’s no wonder Conte retains an interest as his ball-playing and physical ability would be an ideal fit in N17.

Such form for the Blues has led to some high praise indeed.

Premier League great Rio Ferdinand, now a pundit for BT Sport, lauded the 6 foot 3 colossus as an “animal,” with his current boss describing his performance against Real Madrid earlier this month as “world-class” and “outstanding.”

Given his current value, form, ability and suitability to Conte, as evident above, Rudiger would indeed be a major coup for the north Londoners this off-season. Fabio Paratici and his recruitment team must now deliver for Levy as the supremo will want to keep the Italian as happy as possible.

AND in other news, Paratici can land his next Bentancur as Spurs eye £21m talent whose “tempo is perfect”…