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Sunderland made their way through to the fifth round of the League Cup on Tuesday night as they beat QPR on penalties away from home.

The Black Cats fought hard to secure a 0-0 draw in normal time, with the Rs having a goal wrongly disallowed for offside and attempting four more shots than the visitors.

Astonishingly, two QPR players completely missed the target from the spot, with Lee Burge saving Charlie Austin’s penalty to allow Sunderland to win the shootout 3-1. Aiden McGeady, Alex Pritchard and Ross Stewart converted their spot-kicks.

Whilst Burge saved a penalty and intimidated the other two enough to miss, it was another player stole the show for Lee Johnson’s side on the night – Carl Winchester.

The versatile Northern Ireland international lined up at right-back and put in an impressive display, full of endeavour and hard work. He was constantly bombing up and down the pitch to provide an outlet for the Black Cats down the right and played an important part in the victory.

Earlier this season, Sunderland journalist James Copley hailed him as a cult hero for the club, saying: “Carl Winchester – fast becoming a cult hero, he got the winner, he’s made that right-back spot his own.”

On the ball, he was heavily involved. – as per SofaScore, he had 75 touches and completed 75% of his passes from the right-back position. He also had two efforts on goal and alleviated pressure from his side by winning an impressive four free-kicks throughout the match.

The defender was not without his faults, though. Winchester only completed two of his seven attempted crosses and long passes and was unsuccessful with his one dribble attempt. However, this gives him something to work on ahead of his next appearance to continue his development as a player.

Defensively, he was very impressive.

Again, as per SofaScore, he won nine duels in the game, including seven of his 13 ground battles.

In addition to that, he made an eye-catching four tackles, three interceptions and one block against the Championship side, proving that he can be a solid defender for the club.

The 28-year-old was also able to get through the 90 minutes without committing a single foul, showing the excellent timing of his challenges.

Therefore, he stole the show for Johnson as he put in an energetic, impressive, performance at right-back as Sunderland booked their place in the next round of the cup.

Burge saved a penalty, but Winchester put in 110% throughout the game and his individual drive typified the spirited display by the club. Hopefully, he will be able to maintain a high level throughout the campaign and become an important member of the starting XI.

According to a source in Italy (via Sport Witness), the ‘auction has started’ for Lille’s Sven Botman ahead of the next transfer window, and Tottenham will provide competition to AC Milan in the race for his signature.

The Lowdown: January’s failed window

After missing out on two of the club’s top targets in both Adama Traore and Luis Diaz due to the moves being hijacked at the last moment, Antonio Conte’s side ended the January window with a late double swoop.

Both Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur were signed from Paratici’s former club Juventus on deadline day, with a number of Spurs departures also taking place.

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The Latest: Paratici ‘wants’ Botman

According to SportMediaSet (via Sport Witness), the ‘auction has started’ for Lille defender Botman ahead of the summer window. Tottenham are said to ‘want’ the player, but face competition from Italy.

At this stage, there have been no indications to suggest what specific efforts are being made by Spurs for the player.

The Verdict: A wanted man

6 foot 4 Botman spent much of the January window being linked with a move to Newcastle United, whose highest offer for the defender totalled £33 million. Lille were firm in their stance, and the Magpies opted for Brighton’s Dan Burn instead. Liverpool have also previously been linked with the Dutchman, and now Tottenham have been pulled back into the picture.

It is no surprise to see so many teams interested in the towering young defender either – he leads his Lille side in clearances and blocks this season, per Whoscored, while also grabbing three goals and completing an impressive 88 per cent of his Ligue 1 pass attempts. To put that into context, no Spurs centre-back boasts a better pass success rate in the Premier League this term.

Described as a ‘great player’ by none other than Paolo Maldini, it is easy to see why Paratici will be in for a tough battle if Spurs want to secure the Dutchman’s signature, but what a signing he could be.

In other news: Pundit drops Tanguy Ndombele verdict

Celtic have reached an agreement with Benfica for the transfer of winger Filipe Jota, according to Portuguese outlet Record, cited by HITC.

The Lowdown: Jota profiled

Jota is 22 years of age and is primarily a left-winger but can also turn out on the right when required.

A Portugal Under-21 international, Jota is thought to be on £7,100-a-week and spent last season on loan at Spanish side Real Valladolid, making 18 appearances.

He’s won two major honours with Benfica and was the top scorer at the 2018 Under-19 European Championships.

The Latest: Agreement reached

According to Record, translated by HITC, a loan agreement has been reached between Celtic and Benfica for Jota.

The report claims that there will be a clause included where the Hoops can make the move permanent during the temporary move.

The Verdict: Ange gets what he was after

Ange Postecoglou was after a winger at the beginning of the month, and it seems as if he’ll be getting just that in a transfer involving Jota.

Dominic McKay also appears to have worked a clever clause in where it could be made permanent, which could be a shrewd move if Jota impresses in Scotland, although a specific fee isn’t included in the recent report.

Jota could well join Georgios Giakoumakis in sealing late moves to Celtic Park, with the attacker expected to undergo a medical in France on Sunday.

In other news: ‘Tremendous’ Celtic ace could now leave Parkhead with Edouard before the deadline; offer made.  

Crystal Palace shared a lengthy interview with attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze on Monday evening.

And, as to be expected, a number of Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to the club’s official Twitter post.

He’s been out of action since May after suffering an Achilles injury in training, which, at first, may have kept him out until 2022.

However, reports last month suggested that Eze is ahead of schedule when it comes to his recovery.

The 23-year-old recently shared a teasing update on his fitness with a seven-second clip online. He was seen running freely on the training pitch, giving Patrick Vieira a possible boost in the near future.

Eze opened up about his injury came about, his possible England call-up for the European Championships and his rehabilitation, with the full video available to view here.

Palace fans react

Palace’s tweet received plenty of interaction, with a number of positive replies from numerous Eagles supporters available to view below.

“I’m seriously in love with this man”

Credit: @robertmeilak

“What a fantastic attitude he has. Brilliant interview.”

Credit: @cmhufc

“Wonderful stuff. Thank you for this”

Credit: @Matchday365

“A young & fantastic player in the making but what an absolute lovely, grounded & decent bloke. Also a fantastic role model & not just as a footballer. We are truly lucky to have him on a number of levels”

Credit: @HC15OnTour

“I’m not sure I’ve heard many players of his age, speak so eloquently. If you get a chance, watch the full interview. It’s more than worth your time!”

Credit: @Pets93

“I love this man…can’t wait to see you back on the pitch”

Credit: @cpfc7791

In other news: ‘Lots of CPFC fans flock to shock Conor Gallagher transfer update. 

With Southampton having scored just six goals in their opening eight Premier League games of the season, it’s safe to say Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have not been in the best attacking form so far in this campaign.

One attacking player that is making a difference away from Southampton is 20-year-old left-midfielder Will Ferry, who is currently on a loan deal from the Saints with League Two club Crawley Town.

Ferry joined Southampton’s U18 side from Bury’s U18s back in the 2017 summer transfer window for an undisclosed fee.

Since then, Ferry has featured in 23 matches for Southampton U18s where he has managed to score seven goals and provide nine assists along the way.

The player has also managed to make 33 appearances for Southampton’s B team, netting five and assisting on seven occasions but has yet to make his senior debut for the Saints.

During his time with Crawley, Ferry has managed to score one goal and provide three assists in ten outings for the club so far this season across all competitions, getting plenty of minutes under his belt which should be very pleasing for Hasenhuttl and the supporters.

In addition to this, Ferry has racked up an average of 1.4 shots per game in League Two as well as 1.3 key passes per game, showing just how much of an attacking threat he has been for the club since his arrival at Crawley.

He’s certainly delivering on the immense promise that made Crawley pounce on his temporary signature with their CEO, Erdem Konyar, saying in August: “Will is an exciting young player.”

Moving forward, if Ferry can keep playing regularly for Crawley until the end of his loan spell and keep adding some more goals and assists to his tally, we feel he could definitely be in contention to eventually make his senior debut for the Saints when he returns at some point.

Given the age of some of Southampton’s current wingers such as Theo Walcott (32) and Nathan Redmond (27), there’s every possibility that Ferry could well be a regular first-team player for the Saints in the future alongside the likes of Nathan Tella and Moussa Djenepo. With that many options on the flanks, however, the boss would have an undoubted dilemma as to who to select.

The Irishman is some way off being Premier League ready but his potential and star qualities lower down the leagues is standing him in good stead.

In other news: Forget JWP: Saints must unleash “aggressive” 22 y/o on Sat, he could terrify Burnley – opinion

Former Premier League striker Nigel Jemson has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer isn’t the right man to bring back success to Old Trafford.

The legendary United frontman, who recently signed a new long-term contract at the club, is approaching the three-year mark since he replaced Jose Mourinho in the dugout.

However, whilst Solskjaer has made the Red Devils top-four regulars once again and led them to a second-place finish last season, he’s been unable to end their four-year wait for silverware since Mourinho’s side lifted the Europa League.

Solskjaer has suffered defeats in three domestic semi-finals and lost at the same stage of the Europa League in 2020 before falling short in the final back in May.

The arrivals of Jadon Sancho and Rafael Varane will boost United’s chances of a first Premier League title for nine seasons, but they dropped two points at Southampton on Sunday and already trail title rivals Chelsea and Liverpool.

When asked about United’s title chances, Jemson told The Transfer Tavern:

“Have they got the squad to win the Premier League? They may have. Have they got the manager to win the Premier League? No, I don’t think so.

“Is he the right man to take Manchester United forward? I don’t think so. All this hype about Ole’s at the wheel and all this. They finished second in the Premier League. If they don’t win a trophy this year, it’s a failure.”

Nick Hammond is reportedly now targeting a move for Diego Carlos in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Hammond busy

With the winter market open, Hammond is set to be a busy man at St. James’ Park over the next few weeks.

He has been hired as a transfer consultant on a short-term deal, and will oversee who comes in and who goes out in the North East this month (Sky Sports), with Kieran Trippier already looking like one player who is coming through the door.

Nonetheless, with the Tyneside outfit currently in the relegation zone, the spending will surely not stop there, as they bid to survive in the Premier League come the end of the season.

The Latest: Carlos targeted

As per The Daily Telegraph, Carlos is now being targeted by Hammond for the Magpies, as a potential alternative to Sven Botman.

They have reportedly already had one bid pushed back for the Netherlands international, and so Carlos may be seen as an easier player to get.

The Verdict: Do it now

With just a few weeks of the window to come, and the fact that they are in the drop zone, the Toon simply cannot afford to wait around.

Thus, if a deal can be done for Carlos now, then they need to act upon it.

Nicknamed ‘The Beast’, the 28-year-old is a no-nonsense central defender that would certainly be up for a relegation dogfight.

He even famously rattled Lionel Messi in a draw between Sevilla and FC Barcelona last season, showing the kind of character that will be needed if Eddie Howe’s team are to pick up the points that they need to stay up.

Currently rated at £40.5m by Transfermarkt, Carlos would likely not come cheap, but if Botman becomes unattainable, then he is certainly not a bad alternative for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium.

In other news, find out which ‘quality’ colossus NUFC are now eyeing here!

Former Scotland defender Alan Hutton has suggested that Celtic may already have opened new contract talks with midfielder Tom Rogic, as per Football Insider. 

The lowdown: Deal talks on hold

This comes after Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou told reporters back in February that a new deal for Rogic was the ‘last thing’ on his mind as the pursuit for the Scottish Premiership title went on.

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Fast approaching the final year of a deal at Parkhead, the club are in danger of losing the 29-year-old on a free next summer or needing to cash in during the upcoming transfer window.

However, Hutton believes that Postecoglou may already have a successor lined up for his compatriot in David Turnbull, while also claiming there are likely ongoing negotiations ‘in the background’.

The latest: Lesson learned?

Speaking to FI, the BBC 5 Live pundit claimed that Celtic would be best served to keep Rogic in the long term, hinting at discussions behind the scenes.

“You’d hope Celtic have learned their lesson. You don’t really want any of your kind of top assets to be walking away for next to nothing or running down contracts.

“He’s been a good servant and I think he’s come back into form since the new manager’s come in. He obviously trusts him.

“You’ve also got other players within the squad to come back, the likes of Turnbull and these sort of guys. They’re in a good place right now but again, moving forward, you never want to lose a top player.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if there were talks going on in the background to try and tie him down to a longer deal. I’m kind of interested to see where it goes and what Celtic’s thinking is.

“Do they stick with the likes of Rogic? Or do they have somebody else in mind to really transform that midfield? It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out. Ultimately, I still think you need someone like that in your squad.”

The verdict: Too good to go

Whilst there can be little doubting Turnbull’s long term future as a Celtic mainstay in attacking midfield, Rogic has matched the output of the 22-year-old so far this season.

When using Transfermarkt to compare the two, the Australian has also provided 16 direct goal contributions – albeit the 51-cap Australia ace has made seven more appearances across all competitions.

Losing a key player for nothing simply isn’t a viable option for the club and as the Bhoys prepare for a possible jaunt into the UEFA Champions League group stages next term, where keeping the experience of the likes of Rogic will be pivotal.

With Ange Postecoglou knowing that his Celtic side simply must pick up all three points on Thursday evening if they were to keep the pace in the Premiership title race, the 56-year-old Bhoys boss will have undoubtedly been delighted with the 1-0 win at Parkhead.

Indeed, over the course of the 90 minutes, Celtic dominated Robbie Neilson’s third-placed Hearts side, enjoying 69% possession of the ball, taking a total of 25 shots at goal compared to the visitor’s nine, creating three big chances and completing 363 more passes than the Jambos.

And, while a great many of the Hoops starting XI deserve high praise for their own respective performances in the match, there is one player in particular who stood out against Hearts – in the shape of centre-back Carl Starfelt.

95 passes completed

Having not featured for Celtic since October due to a hamstring injury, Starfelt was something of a surprise inclusion in Postecoglou’s starting XI on Thursday evening, however, the defender’s commanding display against the Jambos proved that his manager was right to throw him right back into the thick of the action.

Indeed, over his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £2.7m-rated centre-back made one interception, two tackles, five clearances, blocked one shot and won seven of his nine duels – a success rate of 78%.

The £17k-per-week Sweden international also enjoyed a whopping 117 touches of the ball, completed 95 passes, found his target with eight of his nine attempted long balls and made one key pass.

These returns saw the man who 67hailhail’s John McGinley dubbed a “colossus” earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.8 for his efforts, with no player from either side receiving a higher rating than the 26-year-old defender.

As such, with Starfelt very much running the show against Hearts, the centre-back more than proved that his manager’s decision to throw him straight back into the side was the correct call, while the defender’s impressive return to action is undoubtedly something that would appear to bode extremely well for Celtic over the upcoming hectic Christmas period.

In other news: Celtic handed big transfer boost ahead of January, fans will be elated

On Friday night, Scotland secured a place in the World Cup 2022 play-offs, and not for the first time, Billy Gilmour was one of the headline stars of the show, impressing as he won eight of his 10 duels and recorded three shots against Moldova.

The 20-year-old has been hailed as the next big thing for Chelsea and his country for a few years now, and he has proved that in a Scotland shirt he is good enough to start and compete at the highest level internationally after impressive performances at Euro 2020.

Despite being key to Scotland’s most recent successes, the youngster still doesn’t make it regularly into the Norwich side, where he is currently on loan from Chelsea.

Farke snubbed Gilmour at Norwich

Recently-sacked Norwich coach Daniel Farke was questioned time and again as to why he didn’t include Gilmour in his set-up for the struggling Canaries, but the German defended his decisions, saying: “We are not here to develop players for other clubs”.

After Gilmour was snubbed for the sixth time in the victory over Brentford last weekend, Farke was dismissed from his duties as Norwich City head coach, and the club now look to find a new manager to direct them out of a tight relegation battle.

The 20-year-old has shone for the Canaries when given the chance, showing his well-rounded midfield qualities by posting the squad’s third-highest tackling average (2.3 per game) and the second-highest passing accuracy (86.1%) when players who haven’t started a game are disregarded, as per WhoScored.

Gilmour has many admirers

Many voices in football have spoken out on the seemingly unfair treatment of Gilmour at Norwich, with Scotland team-mates and former Premier League managers singing the praises of the youngster.

Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn hailed the 20-year-old as a “world class player”, adding: “He’s going through a rough patch at Norwich and is frustrated not to be playing. But when he’s in the Scotland jersey, he’s always at the top of his game.”

Former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp also chimed in on the isolation of Gilmour at Norwich, telling talkSPORT: “I saw the kid play when he first got in the Chelsea team, I saw him play in the Euros against England, you’d think if you take him at Norwich you’d have half built your team around him.”

Dean Smith is tipped to be named as the new Norwich City manager in the coming days and it will be interesting to see how he utilises Gilmour if indeed he is given the job.

With the Canaries, taking just one win from 11 league games, you would think that channelling the energy and confidence that Gilmour displays in the Scotland team would be a top priority for Norwich moving forward as they look to steady the ship and get out of danger in the Premier League. 

If he is given the chance to replicate his international form at club level, he might yet inspire the Canaries to an escape from another instant relegation.

In other news: Smith may already have his next Grealish in Norwich’s £19.8m-rated “god-given” talent