Gabby Agbonlahor discusses Tom Heaton's chances of returning to starting XI
Gabby Agbonlahor has discussed Tom Heaton‘s chances of winning back his starting place at Aston Villa given the form of Emiliano Martinez. The former Villa striker watched his former club produce a superb performance against Arsenal last weekend, beating the Gunners 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Whilst the performance of a number of Villa players stood out, Spanish ‘keeper Martinez continued his impressive start to life at the club, having signed from Arsenal in the summer for £20m. The 26-year-old has featured in all seven of Villa’s league games so far this term, with his form earning an average match rating of 6.92 out of 10 from WhoScored.
All the latest West Ham live action, transfer news, fixtures, results, match reports, injury latest, opinion and in-depth analysis. Premier League. After the instant successes of Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal at West Ham , their Czech Republic teammate Alex Kral could be next to head to England, as
Benitez is one of the candidates West Ham are interested in to replace David Moyes, who was told on Wednesday his contract would not be renewed. The former Liverpool boss was close to becoming West Ham manager in 2015 until Real Madrid gave him an offer he could not refuse.
The Athletic’s West Ham correspondent Roshane Thomas has told the U Irons podcast that reported interest in Alex Kral could come to fruition.
© Thomas Eisenhuth/Getty Images Sport Czech Republic v Kosovo - UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifier After Russian football expert Arthur Petrosyan confirmed the Hammers’ interest in the 22-year-old central midfielder, who currently plays for Russian Premier League side Spartak Moscow, Thomas hasn’t ruled out the possibility of the move.
Kral, an expert passer with ball-carrying ability, is Tomas Soucek’s midfield partner for the Czech Republic. Therefore, David Moyes‘ contingent of Czech stars could grow, with the Irons having already added Soucek’s compatriot Vladimir Coufal to the squad in the summer window.
Celtic fans keen for club to reignite Robert Snodgrass interest in January
Celtic were linked with Robert Snodgrass in the most recent transfer window and plenty of Hoops supporters want the club to reignite their interest in the West Ham man during the January window. Snodgrass, who recently turned 33, was the subject of a late loan bid from Celtic. However, a move never materialised, with left-back Diego Laxalt being Neil Lennon’s only deadline day addition. Snodgrass remained at London Stadium beyong the deadline, but he has found game-time hard to come by under David Moyes. He has featured in just four games this season for the Hammers, with his current contract set to expire at the end of the campaign.
Slaven Bilic has revealed that West Ham have dropped their interest in Queens Park Rangers Slaven Bilic said West Ham 'not looking at' signing Charlie Austin. Austin hit out at West Ham QPR striker Austin was a reported target for the Hammers in the summer but a move never came to fruition.
Billionaire Interested In Buying West Ham ? Moyes Future In Doubt? The West Ham Week West Ham Fan TV are backed for the season by Ladbrokes. To boost your
Petrosyan claimed the 22-year-old would cost around £16m, given that Spartak only signed him last year from Czech outfit Slavia Prague, the same club from which West Ham signed Soucek and Coufal.
Moyes has rather faced Hobson’s choice in terms of his midfield options this season, with only three natural candidates and having had Mark Noble out injured for a period.
Gallery: Chelsea Predicted XI: Newcastle United (A) (Read Sport)
-
Chelsea Predicted XI: Newcastle United (A)
Chelsea could move to the top of the Premier League table for a period with a win in the early kick-off against Newcastle United at St James’ Park this afternoon.
Frank Lampard‘s side had gathered momentum before the international break and will be hoping to get going where they left off. Meanwhile, Newcastle sit 13th in the table and will be hoping to improve upon their league position as they welcome the Blues to Tyneside.
Unlike plenty of their league rivals, the Blues squad has by and large returned relatively unscathed from the international break and Lampard has almost a full squad from which to choose.
Summer arrival Kai Havertz didn’t join up with the German squad after testing positive for Covid, but the attacking midfielder is unlikely to feature from the start as he has only just returned to individual training. Winger Christian Pulisic has also been training following his release from the USA squad but is a doubt with an ongoing hamstring problem.
The only other doubts come from Thiago Silva and Ben Chilwell, who have endured a heavy workload, as well as a slight back problem for the England left-back.
Here’s how we think the Blues will line up this afternoon…
Declan Rice And Tomas Soucek Finish On International High
West Ham’s central midfield pairing Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek ended the final international break of 2020 on a high as they scored the opening goals in wins for their respective nations. The Hammers’ current on-field captain Rice grabbed his first England goal as the Three Lions ended their UEFA Nations League campaign with a 4-0 win over Iceland. Soucek netted a now-familiar towering header, his fourth goal for his country, to send the Czech Republic on their way to a 2-0 victory over neighbours Slovakia. Right-back Vladimir Coufal played all 90 minutes for the Czechs and will head back to David Moyes’ group to prepare for Sunday’s trip to Sheffield United.
Alex Song helped West Ham beat Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday [GETTY]. "That's why I chose to come here. In Spain nobody was expecting anything from Atletico Madrid and look at how well The way that West Ham are looking now, in the next five years they will be one of the best clubs in England.
West Ham legend Sir Geoff Hurst believes the club's latest transfer target, Craig Bellamy, has the necessary talent to follow in his footsteps at Upton But Hurst hopes the Wales captain can learn from those mistakes. "In any sport you need people who are characters but there has been suspicion.
-
GK - Edouard Mendy
Two wins and two clean sheets for Senegal during the break mean the stopper is in fine form for club and country
-
RB - Reece James
Only eligible for the first of three England games so should be fresh and ready to go
-
CB - Kurt Zouma
Has been in fine form this season and establishing himself as an essential starter alongside Thiago Silva when fit
-
You Will Never Have To Scrub A Toilet Again If You Try This New Toilet Cleaner
Ad BowlSparkle
CB - Antonio Rudiger
Barely featured this season but could deputise for Silva to allow the experienced Brazilian to rest after a frantic few weeks
-
LB - Ben Chilwell
Promptly returned to England training before being rested for the Iceland game. Should be ready to go for this
Former Premier League Striker Tips Michail Antonio To Sign New Contract
Former Everton and Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell has tipped West Ham striker Michail Antonio to sign a new long-term contract at London Stadium in the near future. Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell stated his belief that the club and player will “come to an agreement” over a new deal before the end of the season. The 30-year-old has missed the Hammers’ last two matches with a hamstring injury suffered against Manchester City, a game in which he scored the opening goal in style.
Visitors can take a one-hour cruise around the canals of Bruges (sometimes described as the Venice of the North) or an extended cruise along the rivers and canals linking the F. The British research team is developing pills with microprocessors in them that can text to hospitals directly from inside your body.
This was a throwback performance from England and not in a good way. Too slow, too predictable and too easy to play against, qualification for next summer's European Championships will have to wait. If England are to prosper in a tournament played largely at Wembley next year, they will have to play a
-
CM - Mateo Kovacic
Signed off well for Chelsea against Sheffield United before scoring twice for Croatia. Form should earn him the nod over Jorginho
-
CM - N'Golo Kante
The Frenchman is thriving once again in a Blues shirt and is almost certainly one of the first names on the teamsheet again.
-
RW - Hakim Ziyech
Perhaps the in-form player in the Premier League before the break. Very exciting to see what he can do with more games under his belt
-
CAM - Mason Mount
Another goal and more impressive performances for England have only enhanced his reputation. Holding his own in a squad full of stars
-
Slim Patches: Do They Help You Lose Weight?
Ad SlimPatch
LW - Timo Werner
Will be glad to get back to west London after watching on in horror as his German defensive colleagues conceded six against Spain. Finding his feet for Chelsea
West Ham Player Ratings: Sheffield United (A)
Sebastien Haller was the West Ham hero as David Moyes’ side made it back-to-back 1-0 victories either side of the international break with a hard-fought triumph over Sheffield United on Sunday afternoon. Unchanged from the 1-0 win over Fulham at London Stadium a fortnight ago, the Hammers perhaps had the better of a tight first half consisting of few clearcut chances. The second half began much in the same vein before Haller, who continued to deputise in the absence of Michail Antonio, let fly from the edge of the area after a Pablo Fornals shot was blocked.
-
CF- Tammy Abraham
Will retain his position as the focal point, with Olivier Giroud desperately trying to force a way in. Needs to impress after the Frenchman scored twice in midweek for his country
-
-
However, Thomas believes Kral wouldn’t break up Declan Rice and his national team partner in the Irons’ midfield, saying: “West Ham have been linked with Spartak Moscow midfielder called Alex Kral. He has the same agent as Vladimir Coufal and his valuation is in the region between £12-15 million and it’s a player West Ham are looking at – but not as a first-team regular, more so as a backup for Rice and Soucek.”
Capped 16 times by his nation, Kral has made 16 appearances for his club this season, with two assists to his name.
READ WEST HAM VERDICT
Whilst bereft of central midfield options in his current squad, Moyes is seemingly casting a wide net in terms of transfer targets as we approach the January window.
The links to Kral seem credible enough following Thomas’ endorsement, and at 22 with plenty of senior international caps to his name, the Czech route could well be worth exploring once again for West Ham.
Both Coufal and Soucek have made a strong impression in east London, and they would surely welcome another former teammate with open arms.
West Ham Journalist Discusses Josh King Rumour Which 'Hasn't Gone Away' .
Roshane Thomas, West Ham journalist for The Athletic, has shed some light on the rumours linking the Hammers with a move for Bournemouth striker Josh King on the latest U Irons podcast. David Moyes has been linked with January moves for an abundance of stickers in the upcoming window and Thomas believes King could fit the bill. He said: “The Josh King rumour, it’s not going away, it’s still there. When I compare and contrast Josh King to Sebastien Haller, obviously they’re very different in the sense that Josh King is more versatile; he can play on the flank, he can play up front.
Gabby Agbonlahor has discussed Tom Heaton‘s chances of winning back his starting place at Aston Villa given the form of Emiliano Martinez. The former Villa striker watched his former club produce a superb performance against Arsenal last weekend, beating the Gunners 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Whilst the performance of a number of Villa players stood out, Spanish ‘keeper Martinez continued his impressive start to life at the club, having signed from Arsenal in the summer for £20m. The 26-year-old has featured in all seven of Villa’s league games so far this term, with his form earning an average match rating of 6.92 out of 10 from WhoScored. 
Celtic were linked with Robert Snodgrass in the most recent transfer window and plenty of Hoops supporters want the club to reignite their interest in the West Ham man during the January window. Snodgrass, who recently turned 33, was the subject of a late loan bid from Celtic. However, a move never materialised, with left-back Diego Laxalt being Neil Lennon’s only deadline day addition. Snodgrass remained at London Stadium beyong the deadline, but he has found game-time hard to come by under David Moyes. He has featured in just four games this season for the Hammers, with his current contract set to expire at the end of the campaign. 
West Ham’s central midfield pairing Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek ended the final international break of 2020 on a high as they scored the opening goals in wins for their respective nations. The Hammers’ current on-field captain Rice grabbed his first England goal as the Three Lions ended their UEFA Nations League campaign with a 4-0 win over Iceland. Soucek netted a now-familiar towering header, his fourth goal for his country, to send the Czech Republic on their way to a 2-0 victory over neighbours Slovakia. Right-back Vladimir Coufal played all 90 minutes for the Czechs and will head back to David Moyes’ group to prepare for Sunday’s trip to Sheffield United. 
Former Everton and Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell has tipped West Ham striker Michail Antonio to sign a new long-term contract at London Stadium in the near future. Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell stated his belief that the club and player will “come to an agreement” over a new deal before the end of the season. The 30-year-old has missed the Hammers’ last two matches with a hamstring injury suffered against Manchester City, a game in which he scored the opening goal in style. 
Sebastien Haller was the West Ham hero as David Moyes’ side made it back-to-back 1-0 victories either side of the international break with a hard-fought triumph over Sheffield United on Sunday afternoon. Unchanged from the 1-0 win over Fulham at London Stadium a fortnight ago, the Hammers perhaps had the better of a tight first half consisting of few clearcut chances. The second half began much in the same vein before Haller, who continued to deputise in the absence of Michail Antonio, let fly from the edge of the area after a Pablo Fornals shot was blocked. 
Gabby Agbonlahor discusses Tom Heaton's chances of returning to starting XI 
Celtic fans keen for club to reignite Robert Snodgrass interest in January 
Declan Rice And Tomas Soucek Finish On International High 
Former Premier League Striker Tips Michail Antonio To Sign New Contract 
West Ham Player Ratings: Sheffield United (A) 
Pundit Believes Michail Antonio Could Become A 'Burden' In The Future 
Harvey Elliott suffers injury on loan at Blackburn - but it's not serious 
West Ham Journalist Discusses Josh King Rumour Which 'Hasn't Gone Away' 
