Southampton duo Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Mohammed Salisu were hailed by journalist Jacob Tanswell for their performance in the 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday afternoon. 

The Lowdown: Vital point

The Saints managed to pick up what could be a vital point in the Premier League relegation battle after a gutsy second-half performance, coming from 3-1 down to level the game up at 3-3 in stoppage time, courtesy of a James Ward-Prowse penalty.

While Ruben Selles’ side still remain bottom of the table after the result, the manager will be delighted by the fight his players showed to claw their way back into the game against a team in contention to qualify for the Champions League.

Given that it was the first time Southampton have scored three in the Premier League all season, the likes of Theo Walcott and Che Adams deserve a lot of credit, however, Tanswell was also full of praise for the defence…

The Latest: Tanswell reacts

Taking to Twitter after the match, Tanswell lauded Maitland-Niles and Salisu for their performances, having struck up an unexpected partnership at centre-back.

The journalist said: “Forster and Ward-Prowse share a big hug at the final whistle. Both very good this afternoon Ruben Selles is serenaded by the Northam. A special mention to Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Mohammed Salisu, the makeshift CB pairing, who were excellent. #SaintsFC keep themselves alive.”

The Verdict: Promising signs

Selles was forced to reshuffle the pack in the first half, with starting centre-back pairing Armel Bella-Kotchap and Jan Bednarek both being withdrawn due to injury issues, in what could’ve been a huge blow to the Saints’ chances of getting anything out of the game.

However, Salisu and Maitland-Niles stepped up to the plate when needed, with the latter player looking particularly impressive, winning all four of the duels that he contested on the ground and in the air, and making five clearances, as per SofaScore.

The former Arsenal man also threatened down the other end of the pitch, winning the crucial late penalty to ensure that his side took something from the game, and Ward-Prowse made no mistake from the spot.

Salisu also had a solid game, displaying a willingness to put his body on the line by blocking three shots, the highest amount of any player on the pitch, while also making six clearances.

Both players have shown their manager they are worthy of keeping their places after the international break, with Southampton travelling to West Ham United in a real relegation six-pointer in their first game back.

Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw with Sporting CP in their Europa League clash in midweek, with Mikel Arteta having to field a makeshift starting XI due to injury issues.

It wasn’t their finest performance all season, with defenders Ben White and Jakub Kiwior – making his debut – underperforming in the tie and the second leg is all to play for.

Fulham are the opponent this afternoon and with the Premier League title race coming into the final stretch, three points are all that matters, especially considering Manchester City are hot on their heels.

With this in mind, Arteta will be looking to field the strongest line-up he has available and with Kiwior struggling against Sporting, the Spaniard should unleash Gabriel Magalhaes at centre-back alongside William Saliba.

Will Arteta unleash Gabriel against Fulham?

The Brazilian has been in fine form in the league this term for the Gunners, ranking as their second-best defender with a Sofascore rating of 7.04/10, just behind Oleksandr Zinchenko, while Kiwior recorded a score of 6.10 on Thursday.

Across 26 matches, he has scored twice, averaged 75.2 touches, holds a 90% pass success rate, and has kept 11 clean sheets during his time on the pitch, forming a solid partnership with Saliba in the process and this has been the cornerstone behind Arsenal’s excellent league form.

The 25-year-old has also chipped in with 1.3 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, and 3.2 clearances per game while winning 4.7 duels each match – a success rate of 62%.

The £50k-per-week centre-back has played an integral part this season and former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell even described him as a “rock” back in 2021 and he appears to have significantly improved since then.

Indeed, writer Connor Humm claimed that the player has “gone to another level” since coming back from the World Cup and he must come back into the starting XI this afternoon as the gem could use his newfound form to dominate the Cottagers.

Fulham have the eighth-best total for goals scored in the league this term as they have enjoyed their first season back in the Premier League, and having narrowly lost to the Gunners in the reverse fixture back in August, Arteta will have to be on his guard, which is why Gabriel must come back into the side to replace Kiwior at the heart of the defence.

Sky Sports have provided a major update on the Manchester United takeover saga following Wednesday’s deadline for second bids.

The Lowdown: Jassim and Ratcliffe

Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have appeared to be the front runners to take over from the Glazers in recent weeks, with both parties holding Old Trafford talks last week.

The pair were set to submit second offers for the club this week, with Fabrizio Romano one of many reporters to state that those bids were made ahead of the 9pm deadline. However, it looks as if that was not the case, with Sky Sports sharing an update late on Wednesday evening.

The Latest: Sky Sports update

Sky Sports shared some ‘huge’ developments regarding a United takeover after the 9pm deadline on Wednesday. Chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol said that both Jassim and Ratcliffe’s bids were not completed in time and have asked for an extension from the Raine Group in New York, describing it as ‘incredible’.

‘This is incredible what we’re about to talk about now. I’ve seen lots of things but I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this.

‘We’ve been telling you that Sheikh Jassim had made a world record bid for Manchester United. I’m now being told by a very, very senior source that the bid has not been received yet. It needed to be sent to the Raine Group in New York, and I’m being told that bid has not been received yet.

‘I’m also being told that Sheikh Jassim’s delegation have asked Raine for an extension and Raine have agreed to accommodate that request. ‘And what’s more, the same goes for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS. Now my understanding is, from being told by someone very senior that said to me ‘why would we lie to you’, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS, the bid has not gone in.’

The Verdict: Crazy

It does seem extremely bizarre that both Jassim and Ratcliffe missed the deadline and have asked for an extension, but it appears as if a takeover involving one of the two isn’t out of the question just yet after their request for an extension was approved – Romano says ‘bids will still go in’.

However, both parties will need to be on the money going forward when it comes to new deadlines, especially as several other groups interested in buying a smaller percentage of United did meet the initial Wednesday deadline.

Jassim and Ratcliffe’s improved offers are set to be world-record bids, worth around £5billion, so it could be an extremely important few days.

football.london journalist Aaron Catterson-Reid praised the performance of Ben White as Arsenal won 3-0 away at Fulham in the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Trossard stars

Leandro Trossard was the star man in an excellent overall Arsenal performance, grabbing all three assists for Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard’s goals in the first half, the first player in Premier League history to do so.

There were some other standout displays in the Gunners team though, as they moved five points clear of Manchester City again in the table.

The Latest: White praised

Taking to Twitter, Catterson-Reid praised a ‘superb’ cross from White on his weaker left foot during the game, and exclaimed ‘what a player’ after an impressive performance:

“That Ben White cross was superb. Weak foot too. What a player.”

The Verdict: Unsung hero

White is almost an unsung hero in the Arsenal team as the forward players usually grab the headlines, but he is performing so well at right-back, even more impressive when you remember that he was originally signed from Brighton and Hove Albion as a central defender.

The England international won two of his duels, and also made one clearance, one key pass and two accurate long balls (SofaScore).

He had 62 touches of the ball in total, the fourth-most in the team, and recorded an impressive 89% pass accuracy, showing how key he is in building up attacks from the back.

Nonetheless, White will be certainly an important player in the run-in for the Premier League title.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have been given a significant update on their links to former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

The Lowdown: Conte exit looming?

Spurs head coach Antonio Conte’s days in north London appear to be numbered with recent reports stating he is more likely than not to leave at the end of this season.

The Premier League top-four hopefuls have been linked with many new manager targets who could potentially replace the Italian, with Pochettino, Roberto De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank all on the radar.

This could be big, big summer for Spurs given their possible managerial vacancy, which is set to dominate headlines, and the fact star striker Harry Kane’s contract is slowly winding down.

Pochettino has been tipped as the favourite to succeed Conte and he would be a popular appointment among the fanbase with supporters calling for a reunion.

The Latest: Pochettino to Spurs update…

According to Football Insider, there has been a significant update on Pochettino’s chances of a Spurs reunion.

It is now claimed that Spurs and the Argentine have already been ‘in contact’ as the north Londoners ‘plot a managerial change’.

Amid a ‘growing appetite’ for change behind-the-scenes, the Tottenham hierarchy have ‘already spoken’ to Pochettino about the managerial position.

The former PSG boss, as per this report, has apparently ‘made it clear’ he would ‘jump at the chance’ to re-join Spurs.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Pochettino would be Conte’s perfect successor for a number of reasons.

The South American has made his love for Spurs very public and clear in recent years, revealing to BT Sport (via The Daily Mail) that they’re ‘his’ club.

Pochettino said:

“For me, it was an amazing journey, amazing time, I still feel that it’s my club, my place.

“I think when you really feel with the commitment and when you feel the people give everything to try to be successful, and they treat you really, really good how they treat us, it’s impossible to forget that.

“That is why I think Tottenham is always going to be a special club for me.”

On top of this, the 51-year-old is proven on a limited budget in the top flight, having gone a prolonged period without seeing a single signing come through the door at Spurs.

Pochettino’s work on a shoe-string attracted praise from pundits like Jamie O’Hara, who called him ‘world class’ for his achievements without sufficient backing.

Journalist Laurie Whitwell has revealed that members of the Qatari consortium interested in buying Manchester United were given the same "red carpet" treatment upon their visit to the club as other interested parties.

What's going on with Manchester United's potential takeover?

Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani's firm, as well as Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has visited the club's facilities following initial opening bids, as well as other potentially interested parties.

These two look to be the frontrunners in the race as they try to acquire full ownership of the club from the Glazer family, but an agreement is yet to be reached.

Amid rumours that the Glazers could change their minds about wanting to sell the club, Whitwell has claimed that the interested parties being welcomed to the club with open arms has shown an indication that the Glazers' position of being open to a sale remains.

Speaking on the Stretford Paddock following Ratcliffe's visit, Whitwell revealed that all interested parties who visited Old Trafford and the training ground in recent weeks were given a big welcome.

He said: "There was some doubt about whether the Glazers were serious about selling. I think it does signal their intent, of sorts, to say, 'ok, we're going to properly exhaust every conversation that we can have about this with a view to selling the club'.

"That will still depend on who bids what and if they're satisfied. I think they've got a price in mind. I think it was an interesting aspect, particularly the fact that you had it on camera – they literally rolled out the red carpet, didn't they? And I'm told that that was the same situation for the Qataris the day before and other investors that they've had conversations with."

Would the Qataris be good for Man United?

Sheikh Jassim's consortium has promised to invest heavily into the infrastructure of the club, as well as the first team and academy, meaning that if they complete a takeover, they could help United develop on and off the pitch for the long term.

They also appear ready to clear the club's debt, which has been one of the biggest problems under the ownership of the Glazers, and as the richest interested party, they appear to be the best option for the future of Man United from a pragmatic point of view.

However, large questions remain over the potential of sportswashing which could occur as a result of their investment, and there has been heavy criticism over links between Jassim and the Qatari government.

It remains to be seen who will come out on top in the race for the ownership of the club, and it is perhaps a good sign that there doesn't appear to be any preferential treatment handed out by the Glazers as they mull over which bid to accept.

Tottenham Hotspur fans are excited as former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique reportedly becomes open to replacing Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Spurs manager change looming?

It has become an open secret that Conte, whose deal runs out at the end of this Premier League campaign, is now looking more and more likely to depart.

Reports suggest that the Italian will not renew terms at Spurs, and while the north Londoners have the option to extend his contract by another 12 months, there is currently little appetite.

Managers across Europe are being linked with the soon-to-be vacant role, especially after Tottenham’s Last 16 defeat to AC Milan in the Champions League.

The Latest: Spurs fans love Enrique development…

One of those names is Enrique, who was most recently in charge of Spain, with journalist Gary Jacob (via The Spurs Express) now claiming that the Spaniard would be open to taking charge of Spurs.

Fans, it’s safe to say, are absolutely thrilled by this update given Enrique’s trophy-winning pedigree in La Liga.

They said:

“Sack conte now before my guy changes his mind” – @THFCDylan02

“interesting” – @Anonymousxylon

“Bring him in” – @OwenTHFC1882

“YESSSSS” – @HKW____

“We should be all over this.” – @justgreg_

“NO WAY” – @OutCastTHFC

The Verdict: Big name…

Having won two La Liga titles with Barca, a Champions League and even a World’s Best Club Coach award, it’s little surprise Lilywhites supporters are enticed by the prospect of Enrique joining.

The 52-year-old would come to London with real prestige, not to mention as a fairly risk-free option financially given his status as a free agent.

Former Tottenham Hotspur player and current talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara is thrilled by the news that Daniel Levy is eyeing a move for former manager Mauricio Pochettino.

The Lowdown: Conte on the way out

Sky Sports’ Melissa Reddy dropped a massive update on Tottenham’s future this week, revealing there is “growing belief” Antonio Conte will depart before the end of this season.

The Italian is of course out of contract in the summer, but work has already begun on finding his replacement, with Reddy revealing a whole host of names on the shortlist.

Indeed, Pochettino is seen as the front-runner, with some members of the playing squad “hankering for the brave, progressive style” the Argentine would bring, but Roberto De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Thomas Tuchel, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank are all in the mix as well.

The Latest: O’Hara reacts

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Hara only has one man in mind for the job, practically begging Levy to bring Pochettino back:

“You don’t need three candidates. Get Pochettino in. Bring that sexy man back that everyone can see. That’s all we need, so get him in.

“There’s candidates and there are good managers out there – you can say Thomas Tuchel and Thomas Frank – but no.

“Pochettino needs to come back to the football club. He’s got unfinished business. He left when Daniel Levy was being tight and now Daniel Levy has realised he can’t do that anymore.”

The Verdict: Slow your roll…

Reddy reports in her update for Sky that Tottenham chiefs will not be ruled by emotion, and we believe that is certainly the right mindset for the hierarchy to hold.

Yes, Pochettino has been called a “genius” by his old Spurs players and drawn praise from greats such as Pep Guardiola, but the other candidates are certainly no pushovers.

Frank’s Brentford lost their first Premier League game since October this weekend, Enrique has won multiple league titles with Barcelona and De Zerbi’s Brighton have the fourth-highest expected goals in the top flight this season, behind only Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.

The Lilywhites chiefs absolutely have to get this appointment right with rumours swirling of possible investments and takeovers, and there’s no guarantee things would go differently the second time around under Pochettino.

Everton produced an epic comeback in their Premier League clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last night and Sean Dyche will be thrilled that his perseverance with Ellis Simms finally paid off in the dying moments of the game.

The Toffees academy graduate has had a rollercoaster season after becoming a key player whilst on loan with Sunderland in the Championship over the first half of the season with his impressive displays ultimately leading to his recall to Goodison Park in January, although his opportunities remained limited until the appointment of the former Burnley boss.

Over Dyche's eight games in charge of the Merseysiders, Simms has featured four times and his faith in the striker finally paid off in west London as the youngster earned his team a crucial point with a goal scored in the 89th minute of action.

Indeed, there is still plenty of work to be done for both Everton to survive in the Premier League this season and Simms to become a prolific presence in front of goal but the draw with Chelsea will surely instil some belief and confidence going into the remaining ten league fixtures.

If Dyche does manage to retain the Toffees' top-flight status it could be a great opportunity to give more academy graduates opportunities to prove their worth in the senior team and Tom Cannon could be the perfect addition to the attacking threat when he returns from his loan with Preston North End.

How is Tom Cannon doing on loan?

Cannon made the move to the Championship club back in the January transfer window and is earning the important first-team football needed to give a better insight into his capabilities.

Over 12 appearances so far, the 20-year-old ace – hailed a "bright spark" by journalist Tom Sandells – has scored three goals, registered one assist and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.2 successful dribbles, two shots on goal and winning four duels per game, proving that he is a huge attacking presence on the pitch.

It seems that Cannon has captured a lot of attention during his short time in the Championship with Hull City manager Liam Rosenior hailing the forward when the club came up against PNE last month:

"I thought Tom Cannon was outstanding, one of the best we've played against by far."

The former Everton U18s and U21s striker penned a new three-year deal in August 2022 after tallying up 97 appearances, 51 goals and 14 assists in the youth set-up, as well as earning three senior appearances in the first team before his temporary move to Lancashire at the turn of the year.

With that being said, the future is looking bright for Cannon and if he can continue to produce a solid output on loan over the remainder of the season, it would put him in good stead to follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned Simms.

Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech will no doubt be looking for a route out of Stamford Bridge in the summer after seeing a January move to PSG fall through and Graham Potter could replace him with academy graduate Harvey Vale.

Could Ziyech leave Chelsea?

Ziyech has endured an underwhelming spell at Chelsea since joining from Ajax in 2020, with the Moroccan failing to replicate the phenomenal form he consistently produced at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

In 165 appearances for the Eredivisie side, he registered 49 goals and 81 assists but has just 14 goals and 11 assists in 102 outings for the Blues.

It seemed as if his Stamford Bridge nightmare would come to an end on deadline day in January when he agreed a loan move to PSG, only for the deal to collapse at the last minute after Chelsea submitted the paperwork late, which is unlikely to improve the 29-year-old's attitude.

This season has been a woeful one for the experienced winger, as he has no goals and just one assist in 13 Premier League appearances, with his 6.47 average rating from WhoScored remarkably ranking him as the 24th-best performer in Potter's squad. Across his whole career for the Blues he only has six league goals to his name.

Roy Keane perhaps put it best when discussing Ziyech on Sky Sports following his wonder goal in the 2-0 win against Spurs last season.

He said (via talkSPORT): “I think the reason he doesn’t play regularly is because he’s inconsistent. He set a good standard today and scored during the week, but he needs to be in line with it.

“To play in one of the big clubs, you have to play weekly and weekly, as talented as he is, but he doesn’t play regularly.”

Chelsea could only dream of an consistent Ziyech this season, however, as the fact is that the £100k-per-week winger has been consistently bad, and Potter must look to replace him in the summer. Especailly as his value nosedives with each week, having already dropped by £23.6m since signing.

Who could replace Ziyech?

Although Todd Boehly would no doubt be willing to spend millions on a replacement, Potter could find a new squad option in Harvey Vale, who has progressed into Chelsea's first team through the academy.

The 19-year-old, who can play as both an attacking midfielder and a winger, has already made five appearances for the senior side and has caught the eye in the Premier League 2 this season, notching three goals and two assists in just nine appearances.

Although a loan spell at Hull City in the Championship didn't go to plan, as he was limited to just three appearances, Vale is still highly rated at Chelsea and will no doubt be given a chance to impress Potter in pre-season.

Teammate Ruben Loftus-Cheek was full of praise for the academy graduate after his display in the 3-2 win against Luton Town last season.

He said: "He did really well, he held his own against some physical and strong players. He didn't look out of place at all. Well done Harvey, I'm sure it felt natural to him. It looked very natural. Hopefully, he can kick on now."

Therefore, if Vale can live up to his potential at Stamford Bridge, there seems no reason why he couldn't replace the wantaway Ziyech in Potter's squad.