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Jarrod Bowen proved to be West Ham United’s weakest link in the east London outfit’s one-all draw with Manchester City on Saturday.

Hammers boss David Moyes trusted the winger to begin the Premier League affair for his 17th straight top-flight start, with Bowen not missing a kick-off since the Iron’s 3-2 loss at Liverpool in February whilst he adapted to the club following a January transfer worth in excess of £20million.

But Moyes will have been left underwhelmed with what Bowen was capable of delivering against Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues this weekend, as the attacker struggled to make an impact upon moving centrally to cover for Michail Antonio once the goalscorer was forced off.

Bowen had started with early signs of promise in the midday kick-off by relentlessly harrying Joao Cancelo, though could not turn the hustle into anything worthwhile to go a second game without influencing the scoreline after strikes in wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City.

His efforts brought Moyes’ comments from September back into full focus, having urged the former Hull City attacker to offer more than just an enthusiastic presence.

“[Taking] Jarrod Bowen out of the Championship was always a gamble,” Moyes noted, via quotes by West Ham’s official website. “Most boys take a little bit of time to settle, but Jarrod hit the ground running.

“His goalscoring record at Hull was always around 15 a season, so we want him to add to his count in the Premier League, but his enthusiasm, his speed, his energy – he’s been great round the club, and he’s been a really terrific signing for us.

“I hope I can get more out of him, and for many reasons I really enjoy working with him.”

The 23-year-old could only display enthusiasm against Manchester City, however, as he failed to register a single key pass or shot on goal, while only winning two duels, per SofaScore.

The Leominster-born forward won each of his duels on the ground but only attempted four, while losing each of his two aerial contests, losing possession 11 times, misplacing seven of his 13 attempted passes (meaning a meagre 46.1% pass success rate), failing to connect with a teammate with his only cross and misplacing four of his five attempted long balls.

Right-back Vladimir Coufal was also given no defensive support from the right-sided forward, with Bowen offering just one clearance to zero interceptions or tackles.

Bowen further turned over possession by losing out in two of his three attempted dribbles, as the 23-year-old recorded SofaScore’s lowest match rating by any player for either side at 6.3 out of 10, with Man City ‘keeper Ederson (6.4) the worst-performing member of the visiting team.

Moyes will likely need to bend Bowen’s ear ahead of visiting Liverpool next weekend, but his prior comments calling for the winger to add to his goal output inspired the forward to impress with a brace at home to Wolves and net in the away win over Leicester.

AND in other news, David Moyes must hit the reset button as £27.2m target puts West Ham’s interest in the past.

Carlo Ancelotti is facing some awkward decisions over Lucas Digne’s role in the Everton starting line-up, after the defender proved a source of irritation rather than creation in Saturday’s defeat at home to Manchester United.

Digne returned to the squad following his one-match suspension for being shown a straight red card in October’s loss to Southampton, but was unable to bring the same level of inspiration to the left-channel that supporters have come to expect of the £18million former FC Barcelona man.

Everton’s offensive threat was rather severely held back by Digne, in fact, with the French gem often wasteful when presented with a chance to exploit Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s open defence.

His link-up play with Bernard was perfect, as was his willingness to push forward and get in behind Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but chances for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to strike home his 12th goal of the season were not as forthcoming.

Digne’s deliveries were often overhit or misdirected, allowing for the Red Devils to sweep up possession and soak up the pressure before hitting Everton on the counter, causing the Toffees to drop outside of the top-four after a third-straight Premier League defeat.

It was the first time since November 2006 that Ancelotti has lost three league games on the bounce in his managerial career, and Digne played a key role in ensuring the Italian’s record reset on Saturday as he appeared far from the player Marco Silva claimed has everything.

“Lucas has everything we expect from a professional football player,” Silva told EvertonTV. “Everything. And I am not just talking about his quality – everyone knows his quality.

“I decided last season he was one of my first targets after I met with the club’s owner and our director of football, I did not have doubts about his quality. And he showed that during the season. He has everything as a professional football player.”

The only thing Digne had against Manchester United, however, was the lowest match-rating by an outfield Everton player who started at 6.3 out of 10, per SofaScore.

The £90,000-per-week full-back scored lowly as a result of winning just four duels (3/6 ground, 1/1 aerial), while delivering just two accurate crosses from nine attempts, misplacing four of five attempted long balls and turning over possession 18 times.

Only James Rodriguez lost possession (20) more often than Digne of those who opened the match in royal blue, while the French maestro further failed to beat his marker when attempting his sole dribble of the game.

Digne’s best moment of the match came when his fierce strike rattled the outside of David de Gea’s post just before the half-hour mark, but Ancelotti will surely have been far from impressed by the overall performance given.

Ancelotti now faces some awkward questions over the international break, deciding if he needs to change how Everton attack games and whether he needs to ask Digne to change his role in the side to avoid going a sixth match without a win.

AND in other news, a Carlo Ancelotti outcast could be on his way out of Everton after a potential suitor confirmed interest.

After falling to a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Brighton last time out in the Premier League, Aston Villa will hope to get back to winning ways when they travel south to face West Ham.

Dean Smith’s side have enjoyed a fine start to the new season, with some notable wins over the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal. But some eyebrow-raising losses to the likes of Southampton and Brighton have just served to halt some of the momentum too, and the Villa boss is now also having to contend with a significant injury blow to key man Ross Barkley.

The England international was forced off in the opening moments against the Seagulls with a hamstring injury, and will miss the trip to the London Stadium on Monday night.

A lot of Smith’s pre-match decision-making will centre around how he goes about dealing with that, and below is a look at just how Villa could line up for the game against the Hammers.

Despite a particularly awful display from Tyrone Mings which saw some fans even slam his “arrogance”, Smith is unlikely to make any changes to his back-five, and will hope the Brighton showing was just a minor blip on the road.

John McGinn’s latest below-par display in central midfield meanwhile is surely raising questions about just how long it can continue before the Villa boss decides to drop him from the team, and he could make a huge call by doing so on Monday night.

That could see Conor Hourihane come into the team to offer a bit more guile and creativity to go alongside Douglas Luiz.

And with Smith not exactly having too many options in that number ten role to replace Barkley, Jack Grealish will surely have to move inside, with Trezeguet moving over to the left-flank and 55-cap dynamo Bertrand Traore coming in on the right.

The Burkina Faso international was the man who came on for Barkley against Brighton, setting up Ezri Konsa for the Villa equaliser.

Predicted XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Luiz, Hourihane; Traore, Grealish, Trezeguet; Watkins.

Mike Ashley’s reluctance to sanction any permanent transfers this January will see Newcastle United miss out on forging a winter reunion with Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong.

What’s the word?

According to The Northern Echo, the Toon will focus their January plans on the loan market as Ashley is opposed to committing to any major outlays while he strives to resurrect a deal with Amanda Staveley’s Saudi Arabia-backed consortium to sell the club.

The Magpies will be active in the market looking to improve Steve Bruce’s side, but will only approach Manchester United over a deal for Phil Jones if the Old Trafford natives cover a per cent of his wages, alleged to be around £100,000-per-week, until the end of the season.

Ashley refusing to put his hand in his pocket could also see Bruce miss out on an idyllic winter reinforcement amid plans to sign a striker, as Blackburn CEO Steve Waggott has decreed that Armstrong will only leave Ewood Park this winter if they receive offers worth between £25m and £30million.

“If, say, for example, Leeds United phoned us up in late December, early January saying we have £25m-£30m for Adam Armstrong then I would say to the owners here’s an offer we need to consider,” Waggott told Lancs Live last month.

“But the key is, who is coming in for Adam Armstrong if you sell him? How are you going to use the £30m? Yes, you could use some towards operational losses, but how are you going to build out from losing a player of that magnitude?”

Newcastle sold Armstrong to Rovers in 2018 for a mere £1.75m, though would be due a per cent of any fee through a sell-on clause amid claims the striker would be a perfect option for Brighton and Hove Albion as Graham Potter looks to add more firepower at the Amex.

It has also been suggested the Toon have informed Rovers of their interest in re-signing Armstrong, who currently leads the Championship alongside Ivan Toney for goals scored with 14 each.

Unforgivable from Ashley

If Newcastle’s interest in re-signing Armstrong is true and Ashley will refuse to pay out for the striker amid hopes of resurrecting a sale, Toon fans will have another reason to never forgive the North East giant’s owner.

Armstrong, who Waggott has compared with Alan Shearer, is lighting the Championship on fire this season with his 14 goals in 16 games coming from a mammoth 82 shots, of which 39 have been on target, per WhoScored.

AFC Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke is the next-best performing striker in the second-tier for shots taken so far this season with 53 in 17 games, while ranking second only to Armstrong for on-target efforts, as well, with 23 finding the mark.

Newcastle are starved of offensive options able to contribute anywhere near the same levels as Armstrong, with Callum Wilson leading the scoring charts with seven of the Magpies’ 12 Premier League goals yet only taking a team-high 18 shots.

Joelinton has struck the Toon’s second-most efforts (12) and second-most on-target (5), but only accounts for a single goal thus far – the same as Jacob Murphy and Jeff Hendrick who have taken six and seven shots apiece.

Bruce will struggle to find a striker available on loan in the January window able to offer a vast improvement on his current options and will rue the day Ashley said no to Newcastle reuniting with Armstrong, as they potentially watch him excel elsewhere in the Premier League.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce is in talks for Newcastle United to sign a £75k-p/w international who’s “entering into his prime”.

If there’s one thing you can say about the Glasgow Rangers captain’s career, it’s certainly been a wild ride so far.

James Tavernier has experienced the highs and lows that are both part and parcel of being a professional footballer. It’s a dream job for many, and it’s easy to understand why as there are almost endless opportunities, but this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t require a lot of dedication, hard work and sacrifice.

Tavernier began his career in the Leeds United academy, where he played mostly as a central midfielder, until he moved to Newcastle United in 2008. He went on to make just two appearances for the Magpies, having spent the majority of his time out on loan, before he endured a torrid time at Wigan Athletic.

Rangers signed the Bradford-born full-back from Wigan for an undisclosed fee in 2015. Since then, the 29-year-old has oft been criticised by the fan base, but has been given a new lease of life by Steven Gerrard since he first took charge of the 54-time Scottish champions.

He came under fire after games against Hamilton Academical and Hearts last season, although he has undergone something akin to a redemption arc so far this season, with a tally of 15 goals and 10 assists to his name in total.

It’s perhaps hardly surprising his heroics have led his former manager Mark Warburton to call him “a class act.”

Valued at £4.5m via Transfermarkt, in 15 appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season, Tavernier has scored nine goals and supplied six assists so far, whilst he is averaging 2 shots, 2.3 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

The right-back is just one of two players along with Connor Goldson to have started every single game so far this season, which just goes to show that he is clearly one of Gerrard’s favourites.

He has also received the highest WhoScored rating out of any other Rangers player for his performances, including the ever-reliable Ryan Kent.

Tavernier was heavily linked with Premier League clubs Brighton, Burnley and West Ham in the summer. Is it any wonder, really?

Having scored the goal that secured the Gers’ promotion to the Premiership, now he must help them to regain the title for the first time since the 2010-11 season to fully complete his redemption arc.

AND in other news, Forget Goldson: Rangers’ Leon Balogun stole the show with masterclass vs Liege…

Manchester City full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko is not the answer to West Ham United’s woes, after David Moyes’ side were linked with a January move following Arthur Masuaku’s career-saving knee surgery.

What’s the word?

According to ExWHUemployee, while speaking on the West Ham Way podcast, the Irons will be in the market for a new left-sided defender in January and are considering Zinchenko as a potential option.

Moyes has lost Masuaku for the foreseeable future after the in-form DR Congo international underwent surgery to solve an issue in his knee that had caused the 27-year-old pain for almost two years.

Masuaku had started in all 10 of his Premier League appearances for the season after Moyes altered his system to a five-man defence, but the manager has been forced to revert back to a 4-2-3-1 with Aaron Cresswell fielded on the left-side in West Ham’s last two fixtures.

Zinchenko, who Pep Guardiola describes as an “incredible” talent, has also been linked with a potential move to Wolverhampton Wanderers after the Molineux natives failed with a £19million approach during the summer.

The Midlands outfit are believed to see the 24-year-old’s limited game time as their route in, with Zinchenko playing just 12 minutes in the top-flight thus far this term, though he did start in three of his four Champions League Group Stage outings.

Should West Ham sign him?

West Ham would seemingly face a fight from Guardiola if David Sullivan were to sanction a swoop for Zinchenko, as the Citizens boss responded to speculation of a move to FC Barcelona in October by stating categorically that the £20,000-per-week defender would not be leaving the Etihad Stadium anytime soon.

The benefits of West Ham moving for Zinchenko have to be questioned, as well, despite their need for a new left-back with Cresswell proving against Crystal Palace that he is not going to be Moyes’ long-term answer with an underwhelming performance.

Masuaku’s loss was a “big blow” for the Hammers, in the eyes of former England international Danny Mills, yet Moyes will not find his solution in Zinchenko, who some Man City supporters are urging their club to sell.

In his Champions League outings this term, where Zinchenko has played 260 minutes to date, the 35-cap Ukraine international has only averaged 0.8 successful tackles and 1.3 clearances a game with zero interceptions, while delivering a mere 0.5 accurate crosses with a 12% success rate, per SofaScore.

He could not deliver much over his 19 Premier League appearances last season, either, with 0.7 accurate crosses with a 25% success rate, plus 1.6 tackles, 1.0 clearances and 0.9 interceptions.

Masuaku had been averaging 1.1 accurate crosses with a 30% success rate alongside 0.9 key balls, 1.7 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and 1.3 clearances in the top-flight this term before his injury, and Moyes would see a regression in the position with the addition of Zinchenko.

AND in other news, David Sullivan can land David Moyes his next Declan Rice in a £5.5m teen brute West Ham are tracking.

Fulham are one of the sides being linked with a move for Charlton Athletic winger Alfie Doughty ahead of the January transfer window and Tony Khan must ensure that his side are the ones to sign him.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic, Celtic, Rangers and Fulham are all interested in signing the 21-year-old after his excellent performances with the Addicks in recent seasons.

Following a loan spell with Bromley, the youngster returned to Charlton and was a regular in Lee Bowyer’s side for the second half of the season in the Championship; making 29 appearances, in which he contributed two goals and three assists.

Unfortunately, he was unable to save the club from relegation back to League One, but he has impressed in his performances in League One side, contributing one goal and two assists in seven appearances, before he picked up an injury back in October.

The next Gareth Bale?

The youngster has drawn comparisons to Tottenham Hotspur star Gareth Bale because of the way he started his Charlton career as a left-back, before featuring further forward to great effect.

He is also remarkably quick, with the article from The Athletic praising his “relentless pace” and suggesting that his technical ability is improving all the time.

Whilst Doughty might struggle to adapt to the demands of the Premier League right away, he could certainly be an excellent addition to Scott Parker’s squad at Fulham in the long-term and will seemingly be available for a cut-price, with his contract with the League One side set to expire at the end of this season.

Therefore, Khan must steal the march on Celtic and Rangers by sealing a transfer swoop for Doughty next month, as he looks to be a hugely exciting prospect and his devastating pace could prove to be a great weapon in Fulham’s side in the future.

And, in other news… £60k per week Fulham ace badly let Parker down with his performance vs Southampton

After suffering a disappointing exit in the FA Cup third round against Crawley Town last time out, Leeds United return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon as they take on Brighton at Elland Road.

Marcelo Bielsa will no doubt be reeling from the Whites’ cup exit last week, and given that he made a few changes to the starting line-up on that day, will surely be looking to bring back some of his key first-team stars.

And whilst he may not be the most glamorous or eye-catching name on the team-sheet, there’s no questioning that Luke Ayling has been one of the Leeds boss’ most trusted lieutenants over the past couple of seasons.

The £45k-a-week earning ace has played the full 90 minutes in every single Premier League game this season bar one – and even that was against Arsenal when Bielsa took him off to try and find a goal in the last 20 minutes against ten-man Arsenal.

Ayling has also worn the captain’s armband on six occasions this campaign, including the last three matches in the top-flight, and his leadership at the back is something the Whites could desperately do with even if Liam Cooper makes the starting line-up alongside him.

Described as a “great technician”, Ayling’s presence in the side cannot be underestimated, with Bielsa saying after Leeds’ 3-0 victory over Aston Villa back in late October that he “transmitted serenity to the rest of the team”.

After that damaging defeat to Crawley, it’s vital the Leeds boss brings him back into the fold on Saturday and he can help bring a bit of calmness to the defence again.

Bielsa once said that Ayling was someone “who can solve any problem”. On Saturday, the return of his lynch-pin will go a long way to ensuring the Whites get back to winning ways.

Meanwhile, Leeds must offload this flop who’s yet to play a game for Bielsa…

Tottenham Hotspur are thought to be keen on signing Nikola Milkenovic

What’s the word?

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Spurs are keeping tabs on the Fiorentina colossus ahead of a potential swoop. He told We Are Tottenham TV last week:

“Milenkovic is an interesting situation because his contract expires in two years. At the moment he doesn’t want to extend his contract and Fiorentina knows that he wants to move.

“Let’s see if Tottenham will go for him or not, but for sure he’s appreciated. At the moment he’s not the first choice, but he is appreciated.”

Imagine him & Hojbjerg

It’s no secret that Spurs boss Jose Mourinho would like a new centre-back this window, so perhaps he ought to urge Daniel Levy into making a move this window.

After all, the north Londoners remain firmly in all competitions at the half-way point of the season, meaning there’s a genuine chance they could seal their first piece of silverware since 2008 – especially given they are in the Carabao Cup final.

If Mourinho is to meet such ambitions, then he quite clearly needs that new central defensive option, and there’s surely no one better out there right now considering the 6 foot 5 Serbian doesn’t want to remain at the Serie A outfit for the long-term.

The 23-year-old is also thought to be available for just €25m (£22.5m) as per La Nazione.

Despite being nowhere near his peak, the La Viola powerhouse has been making great strides in the league. Per WhoScored, he’s been their best player, managing a squad-high average rating of 6.94.

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He’s also topped the charts for key defensive attributes, averaging 3.7 aerial duels won, 3.3 clearances, 1.6 tackles and 0.9 blocks per game. This makes him not only an aerial monster but also equally adept when the game is played on the deck as clearly, he’s not an easy man to bypass.

For comparison, this is largely better than all of Mourinho’s current central options as Milenkovic ranks better than Eric Dier and Toby Aldweireld for all but clearances and blocks, whilst he’s clear of Davinson Sanchez in all facets, per WhoScored.

Having such an imposing figure, one that has been likened to Premier League great Nemanja Vidic, could hand Mourinho a perfect spine for the future as he’s only 23.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been a resolute presence just in front of the defence – arguably their player of the season so far, and the ‘captain without the armband’ is only 25.

That’s one solid backbone for the next four to five years, at least.

Also dubbed a “beast” by former coach Ivan Tomic, Milenkovic is evidently a colossal defender and given his comparisons to Vidic, he must be a leader-like figure too – just as Hojbjerg is.

These are all characteristics that’ll suit Mourinho to a tee and thus, the ‘Special One’ must urge Levy into sanctioning a deal for the Fiorentina star this month.

Whilst it would help their immediate quest for silverware immensely, he’d be a piece for the long-term future. Alongside Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp and Tanguy Ndombele, Spurs would be set for many, many years.

AND in other news, Levy struck DREAM deal over £45m-rated “born leader” who’s a “steal”…

When Kemar Roofe was forced off at half-time in the 1-0 Old Firm derby victory at Ibrox, Rangers fans could have been forgiven for feeling rather anxious.

After all, Roofe has been in prolific form for Steven Gerrard’s side so far this season – since his arrival last year, the 28-year-old has bagged 12 goals and two assists in 21 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

And Rangers’ worst fears appeared to be confirmed after Gerrard suggested the Jamaican striker will miss most of January as he works his way back to fitness.

The Light Blues boss has subsequently revealed that Roofe is back in first-team training having shaken off the lingering effects of the thigh strain he picked up in the second Old Firm derby of the season at the start of the month.

Whilst this weekend’s Scottish Premiership clash with Ross County will most likely come too soon for him, Gerrard indicated that he should be back in full training next week, so perhaps fans could see him feature off the bench against Hibernian instead.

Either way there’s no doubting the fact that this will be a “massive” boost for Gerrard, with former Premier League striker Gabriel Agbonlahor insisting the news will give the Rangers manager a welcome headache as he mulls over his options upfront.

Roofe has made 15 Premiership appearances so far this season and has ten goals and two assists to show for his 12 starts, with Rangers currently in title contention at the top of the table just over halfway through the campaign.

After early criticism, he has quickly established himself as a fan favourite with the 54-time Scottish champions, having scored two times in four appearances in the Europa League, including a wonder goal against Standard Liege last year.

With Alfredo Morelos experiencing some patchy form, meaning Gerrard has been forced to rely on Cedric Itten instead, there’s no doubt the Liverpool legend will be delighted to welcome Roofe back into the squad, providing he can stay fit and healthy, as he could provide the cutting edge to propel the Gers towards the title for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

AND in other news, Rangers should unleash Cedric Itten against Ross County…