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Last campaign, West Ham’s wingers provided most of the output for the side, Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen carrying massive weight on their shoulders. The Hammers scored 60 goals last campaign, the eighth-highest in the division.

Kudus made 45 appearances for West Ham last season in all competitions, scoring 14 goals, and providing six assists. Bowen made 44 appearances, scoring 20 goals, and providing 10 assists.

The strikers for the Hammers, on the other hand, struggled to provide the goods, only scoring eight goals between them in all competitions last season, Danny Ings scoring once, and Michail Antonio scoring seven times.

Michail Antonio's start to the season

West Ham have started this Premier League campaign slowly, losing two of their opening three fixtures, and winning the other. They haven’t had the easiest of starts, facing Aston Villa who finished fourth last season in their opener, and playing titleholders, Manchester City, in their third game.

Antonio has started all three of the Premier League games so far, taking five shots, yet to have one on target. This is in 206 minutes played, and whilst Antonio does offer many other key attributes, such as hold-up play, and running the channels, that finishing touch hasn’t been there, represented by his 5/10 match rating from 90min against Manchester City.

The 34-year-old has made 311 appearances for the club, scoring 82 goals, providing 40 assists, and totaling 22,266 minutes played, but it may now be time for Lopetegui to make a change in that position.

Fullkrug to be unleashed

Described as an “old-fashioned” centre forward by Ally McCoist, new signing Niclas Füllkrug is waiting in the wings should Lopetegui make a change upfront, having signed from Borussia Dortmund this summer, for a fee of around £27m.

Fullkrug made 46 appearances for Dortmund last season, scoring 16 goals, providing 10 assists, and totaling 3,605 minutes played, including 1,042 minutes in the Champions League, as Dortmund made it all the way to the final, losing 2-0 to Real Madrid.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Fullkrug

Antonio

Goals

0.40

0.31

Assists

0.25

0.09

xG

0.48

0.29

Progressive Carries

0.76

2.37

Progressive Passes

2.28

1.29

Shots Total

2.34

1.56

Shots on Target

0.93

0.71

Shot-Creating Actions

2.52

1.83

Aerials Won

3.49

1.88

Stats taken from FBref

These metrics from last season show exactly what Fullkrug can provide. The German scored at a higher rate, averaging 0.40 goals per 90, compared to Antonio’s 0.31 per 90, as well as providing far more assists, with 0.25 per 90, compared to Antonio’s 0.09.

But it isn’t just his output, Fullkrug also offers far more box threat, winning 3.49 of his aerials per 90, compared to only 1.88 of Antonio’s. Fullkrug has a higher shot volume, taking 2.34 shots per 90, and getting 0.93 on target, whilst Antonio only takes 1.56 shots per 90, getting 0.71 on target.

What Antonio offers, which Fullkrug does necessarily, is ball carrying, but in a team with Kudus and Bowen, they offer such high levels of ball carrying and running in behind, that the striker would not need to, using his energy to effect play in and around the box, which is why he should be unleashed ahead of Antonio.

He has been revealed as an injury doubt ahead of the match but, if fit, the Germany international should be selected to lead the line for the Hammers.

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Spurs considered hiring the Dutchman 18 months ago before he committed to Feyenoord for another year and later succeeded Jurgen Klopp at Anfield

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Arne Slot's decision to stay at Feyenoord in 2023 for one more year has been vindicated. Having just led the Rotterdam giants to their first Eredivisie title in six years, he was linked with the vacant post at Tottenham.

However, he did not make the move to north London, and Spurs instead turned to Celtic's Ange Postecoglou. Slot would instead get his long-awaited shot at Premier League stardom a year later when Liverpool came calling in search of a worthy successor to Jurgen Klopp.

This season, the fortunes of Postecoglou and Slot have wildly differed, though there is a danger of both being left short by their respective employers. Sunday will mark the first meeting between two esteemed underdog coaches who could be heading down a similar path despite their difference in the Premier League table.

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWhy Slot didn't join Spurs

There are disputed accounts of Tottenham's interest in Slot back in May 2023 when they were nearly two months into their hunt for a permanent replacement to Antonio Conte, who infamously threw his toys out of the pram in an extraordinary press conference after watching his side blow a two-goal lead in a 3-3 draw at Southampton.

It's lost to history that 90 percent of Conte's rant was essentially calling his players crap, with the minority aimed at why Spurs have only won one trophy in two decades of Daniel Levy's chairmanship. That, though, is what resonated with the masses. "Tottenham's story is this!" the Italian exclaimed at his highest octave.

Spurs chased Julian Nagelsmann and considered Luis Enrique before they set their sights on Slot, who signed a new Feyenoord contract days after speculation over his future started. Club sources maintain they never made an approach and so weren't necessarily 'rejected', but the optics weren't great.

Slot, meanwhile, outlined his ambitions to lead Feyenoord into the Champions League and revealed his off-field interests played a role in his decision: "It is also the way you work. It's not always that you come into the place where you can work like we can here and be happy, professional-wise but also family-wise."

Given the upheaval at Spurs, that seemed a fair enough reason to stay.

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Slot's commitment to Feyenoord left Tottenham open to further ridicule. They had gone through a similar ordeal only two years prior when they took months to replace Jose Mourinho, eventually appointing Nuno Espirito Santo after his exit from Wolves.

All the while, the club were trying to bat away suggestions Harry Kane, their all-time leading scorer and arguably best player ever, could be sold. Problems were bad enough for any new manager without the threat of the striker leaving too.

After Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique and Slot, Postecoglou emerged as the frontrunner after two hugely successful seasons north of the English-Scottish border with Celtic. By this point, much of the Spurs fanbase were irate and disillusioned with ownership, though most were willing to attach themselves to the charismatic Aussie in hope rather than expectation.

Getty Images SportPostecoglou left short

Indeed, Postecoglou's job was made tougher by Kane's departure only a day before Spurs' Premier League season began. His £86m sale did, at least, fund a transformative window in which several new core players arrived, including Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven and Brennan Johnson.

That still doesn't make up for the departure of a 30-goal striker and the captain of England, for whom a direct replacement wasn't signed until 12 months later. Postecoglou led Tottenham to a respectable fifth-placed Premier League finish when so many had predicted them to crash and burn without Kane, instead improving their final standing by three places from the previous year and instilling an enthralling style of play.

Dominic Solanke, eventually brought in to fill the Kane-shaped void, was the only fully-grown adult brought in by Spurs permanently heading into 2024-25. That's a major reason behind their struggles so far this term, as headed into the weekend sat in tenth.

At their best, Tottenham are the best team to watch in the Premier League and maybe Europe, but they don't have the full squad to sustain that peak. It's brought serious questions over Levy and his on-pitch ambition.

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Getty ImagesAnfield parallels

To Tottenham, Liverpool are what they aspire to be. They are not bankrolled by a nation and spend well within their means, perhaps a little too cautiously at times. Their organic resurgences under Mauricio Pochettino and Klopp, respectively, led to their meeting in the 2019 Champions League final.

Whereas Liverpool had reached a second successive European finale and boasted a history of such experience, there was little about Spurs which suggested belief of heading back to the grandest stage. Hugo Lloris' anecdote about Levy gifting watches to the squad with 'finalists' engraved on them confirmed wider assumptions that the club weren't destroyed by losing.

Those upstairs at Anfield receive some rather harsh criticism from a minority of their supporters for a perceived lack of spending in the transfer market, at least compared to their rivals. In that sense, they are the infinitely more successful version of modern Tottenham, whose fans look over at the transformation on Merseyside and must wonder 'what if'.

Liverpool did, however, have their own troubles initially sourcing the right man to come in for Klopp. Like Spurs, the club played down links to one of their supposed top targets, this time in Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso. Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim, now of Manchester United, was also in their thinking before Slot became the main focus.

Langer’s intensity as coach has led to murmurs of discontent in the Australian dressing room

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2021Tim Paine has insisted that Justin Langer has the full support of the Australian playing group, even as rumblings of dressing-room discontent continued.”We are all 100% behind JL and the job he is doing,” Paine told reporters in Brisbane where he was attending a coaching accreditation programme. “We had a team review at the end of the Indian series, which is a pretty common factor in professional sports. From Justin to our last player, everyone will get feedback they can improve on.Related

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“We will go to the Gold Coast in a couple of weeks to delve a bit deeper into that… we are trying to create an environment to give people feedback. We obviously did not play as well as we (would have) liked against India and we all want to improve, from Justin down.”Reports of tensions behind the scenes have largely centred on Langer’s intensity as head coach of the Australia men’s team. These emerged shortly after the Test series loss against India at the beginning of the year, with Langer acknowledging the result as a “wake-up call”. More recently, a report in newspapers again put the spotlight on his coaching style.Langer has not had an Australia squad together since the end of the series against India, as he was not with the T20I side in New Zealand; he was set to be on the Test tour in South Africa instead, but that trip was postponed.

“We know England are a better side than what they put up. So we’ll take a little bit from it but don’t read too much into it at the same time.”Paine on England’s Test-series loss to New Zealand

Paine won’t be in national colours again until the end of November when Australia face Afghanistan in Hobart ahead of the Ashes series. For the players who are also involved in the T20 World Cup, that Test will be their only long-form preparation before playing England as they face two weeks quarantine on returning to Australia.Although Paine noted England’s struggles in their Test series against New Zealand – which included being bundled for 122 in the second innings at Edgbaston – he wasn’t into much pre-Ashes points-scoring.”New Zealand are a good team. And secondly, I think if we are being realistic, it’s a really different team England put on the field to what we’re probably going to see in the Ashes,” he said. “Keeping it in perspective it certainly wasn’t England’s strongest team.”We know when they come here they’re going to get Ben Stokes, going to have Jofra Archer, they’re probably going to play a spinner, and a few other guys particularly the allrounders who really strengthen their side both ways. We know England are a better side than what they put up. So we’ll take a little bit from it but don’t read too much into it at the same time.”

In a much-needed boost, one Manchester United star is now in line to make his return from injury against Crystal Palace after missing the opening six games of the campaign.

Man Utd injury news

Before the season even got underway, Manchester United found themselves fighting a losing battle on the injury front with new signing Leny Yoro among those to have instantly been ruled out before Mason Mount then added to Erik ten Hag’s woes. Add the 3-0 defeat against Liverpool at Old Trafford to those early blows and it wouldn’t exactly be absurd to suggest that the Red Devils could have enjoyed a better start to the season.

Things could be looking up, however. Ten Hag’s side look to have finally rediscovered their goalscoring boots after defeating Southampton 3-0 last time out in the Premier League and then pushing League One side Barnsley to one side in the Carabao Cup, hitting them for seven at Old Trafford.

Now, as Premier League action returns, Ten Hag looks set to receive yet another boost with his side in pursuit of a third consecutive victory. As confirmed by the Dutchman and relayed by Football365, Rasmus Hojlund is in line to make his return against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park after missing all six games of the current campaign.

The £85,000 a week striker has been missing since suffering an injury blow against Arsenal in the early stages of pre-season, but looks set to hand the Red Devils some much-needed sharpness to what was a blunt attack prior to the international break.

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Ten Hag provided an update on both Hojlund and Mount’s fitness, telling reporters via Football365: “It’s very good news they are back on the pitch. They are back in team training.

“We have to decide whether they are fit enough to start but it is very pleasing they are fit and back in the squad. We have so many games in this block to cover so very happy. We have to make the final call. They did a couple of training (sessions). We have to see how they recover and then tomorrow we will make a final call.”

"Driven" Hojlund could form Zirkzee partnership

With Hojlund now set to return, Manchester United will have the chance to unleash their new strike partnership between the Dane and summer signing Joshua Zirkzee for the first time. It’s a needed partner for Hojlund too, given that he showed plenty of signs that he has all the tools necessary to become a top striker during his debut season if he has the service that a player like Zirkzee can provide.

Goals

10

11

Assists

2

4

Expected Goals

7.6

9

Key Passes

28

43

What’s key to take note of is how both forwards outperformed their expected goals last season, which should mean that the more service they get, the more that Old Trafford will see just how clinical they are in front of goal. Described as “driven” by Ten Hag, Hojlund’s return should hand Manchester United a major boost this weekend

Bernardo Silva admitted that Manchester City are "completely out" of the Premier League title race as he gave his verdict on the disastrous results.

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Man City are going through a rough patchFind themselves sixth in the Premier LeagueSilva admitted his team are out of the raceFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Silva has delivered a stark assessment of the club’s faltering campaign, admitting that their chances of retaining the Premier League title are all but over. Since the end of October, City have endured a shocking dip in form. The reigning champions have managed just two wins in their last 14 games across all competitions, a run marred by nine defeats and three draws. These struggles have seen City tumble down the Premier League table, where they currently sit in sixth place with 31 points after 19 matches.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

To make matters worse, City trails league leaders Liverpool by a staggering 14 points, with the Reds having a game in hand. Their troubles extend beyond domestic competition, as they face elimination from the Champions League, sitting 22nd in the group stage rankings. With only two wins in six group matches, alongside two draws and two losses, their European campaign has also been lacklustre.

WHAT BERNARDO SILVA SAID

Reflecting on the team’s dire situation, Bernardo Silva did not mince words in his evaluation. Speaking to , Silva admitted: "Right now it's about accepting the reality. I'm not looking at Liverpool, I'm sixth or seventh in the league. I cannot be looking at Liverpool or Arsenal or whatever. I'm looking right now at the next game, try and win three points to be fifth, to be fourth and to be third. And then ten games from the end of the season you can start making a little bit of math to see where you can go."

He added: "I would say [the Premier League title is] not impossible because in football there are no impossibles, but right now, Man City is completely out of the title race. There's no question about that. It's too late for us. People always say that you don't win a league until January but you can lose it, and this season the reality is we've lost it."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

With Guardiola’s side grappling with poor form and mounting pressure, their focus will likely shift to securing a top-four finish and advancing in other competitions. City’s next opportunity to salvage their season comes on Saturday when they face West Ham in the Premier League. This fixture provides them with a chance to bounce back and regain some momentum, though the gap to the league’s summit remains daunting.

Get your dose of analysis, stats and colour from Trent Bridge on ESPNcricinfo’s live blog

Sidharth Monga06-Aug-2021Rain has the final say on day threeGetty ImagesNo more play. The rain has won this session. India now have a maximum of 196 overs in which to force a result. I leave you with a teaser from my final report

Ravindra Jadeja pulled out his sword celebration, Jasprit Bumrah hit a six and also his top score in Tests, Mohammed Shami displayed text-book defensive pushes, and Mohammed Siraj had some fun too as India’s much-maligned lower order took them into a position of strength, a first-innings lead of 95 runs, in the Trent Bridge Test. Not before KL Rahul added 27 to his already fine overnight 57.Rain, though, frustrated them as only 49.2 overs of cricket was possible on the third day, England playing out the 11.1 bowled to them without the loss of a wicket. India now had a maximum of 196 overs to force a result in.Not long ago, in the World Test Championship final in the same country but against a different opponent, India lost their seventh wicket on 205, the same score as here, but lost the remaining three for 12 runs. Then the last four added 28 in the second innings. The difference in two lower orders – home ones generally tend to outscore their opponents – was believed to be the difference between the two sides leading into the series.

Then Ben Stokes pulled out.5.40pmOkay the rain is back, and the resumption is pushed back to 6.10pm.5.25pmThe rain has cleared out, and we are set for a resumption at 5.45pm. Remember we can play on till 7.30pm.England catch a breather5.10pmTwenty-five minutes into the final session of the day, England catch a break with the rain arriving without any forecast. It is not very dark, and it is windy, so we are not expecting this to be a long shower. England 25 for 0 in 11.1 overs, Burns 11 off 38, Sibley 9 off 33. Batting has looked slightly easier than the first time around, which shows in how India are operating with two slips and a gully, but by no means would you call it easy out there. Be back soon.Tea. (And cakes for India)4.25pmEngland go to tea at 11 for 0 with largely uneventful six overs behind them. They still trail by 84. Yet another session that belonged to India with their score going for 205 for 7 to 278. Interestingly India opened with Bumrah and Siraj, and not Shami.

Congratulations @jimmy9 Fantastic to see a fast bowler get up there. #legend @ECB_cricket

— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) August 6, 2021