After suffering relegation from the Premier League last season, West Bromwich Albion faced a difficult task trying to return to the top flight.

Darren Moore was given the role as head coach on a permanent basis, and some fans were not entirely happy with the decision.

Ten games into the league season and a few supporters may now be changing their minds as the Baggies sit at the top of the table.

Since losing 1-0 to Middlesbrough on August 24, West Brom have not lost a Championship match.

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In midweek, the club were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Crystal Palace in the third round, but they bounced back on Saturday by overcoming Preston 3-2.

Jay Rodriguez opened the scoring for the Baggies before Andrew Hughes found an equaliser in the 71st minute.

An own goal from Ben Davies gave the away side the lead again and Dwight Gayle added a third.

Alan Browne pulled another back for Preston, but it was too late to inspire a second comeback.

On Twitter, West Brom fans were understandably delighted by the result.

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Last season, it would have been bizarre to suggest that Daniel Sturridge should start ahead of any of Liverpool’s front three against Manchester City on Sunday.

However, after recent performances, it is an option that manager Jurgen Klopp might be considering.

Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane were scintillating for the Reds last season, but in the current campaign they have failed to shine collectively.

Salah, in particular, has been let down by his finishing, which is unlike him given that he netted 44 goals in all competitions during his debut season at Anfield.

On Wednesday, Liverpool failed to register a single shot on target, which is a slight concern heading into Sunday’s encounter against the reigning Premier League champions.

With that in mind, we asked you whether Klopp should take a risk and start Sturridge as part of the team’s attack.

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The striker has had to settle for a bit-part role, but has still managed to score four goals in eight appearances in all competitions.

The majority of fans polled are keen for the hitman to be given a chance against City.

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Leeds have suffered multiple injuries so far this season, and they should secure their long-term Pablo Hernandez replacement by moving for Brentford’s Ollie Watkins.

What’s the word?

Leeds fans were furious when Watkins won a penalty for Brentford at Elland Road this weekend, but the young attacker could be the perfect Marcelo Bielsa signing in the near future.

A fully fit Leeds squad gives Bielsa an array of attacking options in the likes of Hernandez, Jack Harrison and Samuel Saiz, but just a couple of injuries has put them down to barebones already.

With Hernandez turning 34 next year and Harrison set to return from his loan spell, Watkins could be the perfect signing to fill the void.

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The perfect fit for Bielsa?

Brentford fans certainly wouldn’t enjoy seeing Watkins go to another Championship club, but the Bees have made their living off scooping up young players for small fees before selling them on.

They could do exactly that with Watkins, and Elland Road would be the perfect destination so long as Bielsa remains in charge.

The 22 year-old has not been at his best in the last couple of weeks, but he has already racked up four goals and two assists this season, showing far superior end product to any of Leeds’ current attacking midfielders.

The pacey youngster can play on either side or through the middle as a number ten, and this versatility would be a huge weapon for Bielsa to have.

Watkins’ wonderful ability on the ball, direct style of play, eye for a pass and tireless work rate would all fit in perfectly with Bielsa’s style, and he could be the perfect replacement for an ageing Hernandez.

So, Leeds fans, would you back a move for Watkins? Do you think you could pull it off? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

[ad_pod ]On October 10, Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah, along with Bristol City’s Lloyd Kelly, broke away from the England under-20s squad in order to train with the senior side for the day, under the watch of national team manager Gareth Southgate.

It’s yet another step forward in Nketiah’s progression, which has picked up rapidly since he made his first appearances at senior level for his club last season.Â

After making his debut for the Gunners as a late substitute in an away Europa League tie against BATE Borisov, Nketiah soon made his Emirates Stadium bow – again from the bench – in a League Cup clash against Norwich City. The 19-year-old scored with his first touch, 15 seconds after coming on, before adding a winner in extra time to see the North London club through to the next round.

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Clearly a talented prospect, Nketiah finished the last campaign with ten first-team appearances under his belt in all competitions. However, despite an impressive pre-season, Nketiah is yet to see action with the senior squad under Unai Emery this season.Â

With opportunities for first team football looking limited, Arsenal ought to send the teenager out on loan in January so that he can gain valuable experience of playing week in week out.

What do you think, Arsenal fans – should Nketiah be allowed out on loan in January or does he have a role to play for Emery this season?

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A slight majority of the Aston Villa fans that answered our recent poll were keen for new boss Dean Smith to make Axel Tuanzebe’s loan move from Manchester United permanent in January.

The 6ft 1in tall 20-year-old has made nine Championship appearances so far this season, but was often played out of position as a right-back by Steve Bruce, despite being one of only two senior centre-backs in the Villa squad.

An England U21 international, this is Tuanzebe’s second season at Villa on loan from Old Trafford, but he is valued at just £1.35m by Transfermarkt and the sheer size of United’s squad means there could be limited first-team opportunities if he does return at the end of this season.

Clearly some Villa fans had reservations over Tuanzebe was good enough to sign permanently, but a small majority of 58 per cent thought that it would be a good option for Smith in his first transfer window. Check out the full results below.

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Everton are keen to be on the front foot in the transfer market, with scouts sent to watch over Bordeaux star Francois Kamano – as per reports by All Nigeria Soccer.

What’s the word?

Key Toffees transfer men were sent on Sunday to the Ligue 1 encounter between Bordeaux and Nice, with Kamano a player the club are mulling over.

The forward can play across the front three attacking positions, with the Guinean adept as the target man or as a winger, where he has regularly featured this season under Eric Bedouet at the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux.

So far in Bordeaux’s 2018/19 campaign, the 5ft 9in tall number 11 has found the net seven times in 11 Ligue 1 appearances, with outings in the Europa League against Slavia Prague and FC Copenhagen joining his CV for the season.

Guinea have also called Kamano up to the senior national side’s Africa Cup of Nations ties against the Ivory Coast, Central African Republic and twice against Rwanda, where he scored his fifth international goal, having regularly featured since 2015.

Where would he slot into Silva’s side?

The Bastia product’s ability to play in a range of positions will allow Marco Silva the opportunity to permanently move Richarlison to the striker slot should the club opt not to bring in a proven centre-forward during the January or following summer windows.

Ademola Lookman has shown himself to be a key squad player for this same reason, but when the Wandsworth-born Londoner has been handed a chance to shine, only in his cameo off the bench against Crystal Palace has the 21-year-old really highlighted his worth to the side.

Should the report from Bordeaux come back in favour of signing Kamano, the forward’s Transfermarkt value of £10.8m would also go firmly in his favour for the fee presenting little risk.

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Arsenal are likely to be seeking midfield reinforcements come the summer as it has been confirmed that the Gunners will be allowing Aaron Ramsey to depart the Emirates Stadium as a free agent at the end of the season, as reported by Sky Sports.

Another player who could find himself without a club in the summer is Cesc Fabregas, as the 31-year-old’s contract with Chelsea is due to expire at the end of the current campaign. The 110-cap Spain international previously spent eight years with the Gunners before his switch to Barcelona in 2011.

The former Arsenal captain recently stated that he would be open to a return to north London, as reported by TalkSport.

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At this stage of his career, the Spanish playmaker can’t play week in week out at the highest level, however, he could provide very able to back up to Mesut Ozil in Unai Emery’s squad. In terms of providing experienced, high quality squad depth, Fabregas would be a terrific option for the Gunners to possess.

What do you think, Arsenal fans – would you like to see Fabregas return to the Emirates?

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The prices of top-level footballers seem to increase year on year, and we are now seeing a trend where elite players are being sold for more than £100m.

World-record fees are broken regularly, and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk became the most expensive centre-back in history when he moved to Anfield from Southampton for £75m in January.

Another Liverpool player has been making headlines of late, and it relates to his contract situation.

According to the Liverpool Echo, the Merseyside club are keen to reward Sadio Mane with a new contract, but the attacker is yet to put pen-to-paper.

At the moment there are no serious concerns that the Senegal international wants to move on given that he still has two years left on his current deal.

However, if Mane were to push for a move, how much could the Reds realistically demand?

The talented star signed from Southampton in 2016 for a fee in the region of £34m, but his price tag is likely to have risen given – he is probably worth more than double now – how crucial he is to Jurgen Klopp’s team.

Mane, who has scored 29 Premier League goals since being a Liverpool player, is one third of a scintillating attack alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

With that in mind, how much do you think Mane is worth in this market?

Let us know by voting below.

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According to Clubcall, Leeds United scouted Argentine forward Ezequiel Ponce at the weekend as the Whites consider a summer move.

What’s the story, then?

Ponce officially belongs to Roma, but has not actually made a first-team appearance for the Italian giants, representing Granada and Lille over the last two seasons.

Ponce moved on loan to AEK Athens during the recent summer transfer window, and he has managed five goals in eight Super League appearances for the Greek side this term.

According to Clubcall, Leeds had scouts in attendance to watch the striker in action against Panathinaikos on Saturday, and the Championship side’s head coach Marcelo Bielsa is now keen on a reunion with the forward.

Bielsa brought Ponce on loan to Lille in 2017, and the pair could now reunite in England, although the deal might be a little complicated to complete.

Is the deal realistic for Leeds?

Well, Ponce is technically on loan at AEK Athens, but the Greek outfit are believed to have the option to sign him permanently for just over £5m next summer.

Things can quickly change in football, however, and if Leeds are prepared to match AEK Athens’ offer for the South American, then it will be up to the player to decide whether he wants to remain in Greece or move to England.

The Whites will surely need to earn promotion to the Premier League to stand a chance of completing a deal, but it could turn out to be a wonderful signing.

Indeed, Ponce will not turn 22 until March, and showed incredible promise during his time at Newell’s Old Boys before moving to Europe.

Leeds are currently top of the Championship after 16 matches of the campaign, and will fancy their chances of gaining promotion back to the top flight this season.

According to a recent report from A Spor (via talkSPORT), Liverpool defender Joel Matip could be set for a move away in the January transfer window. The centre back made the move to Anfield back in 2016 as manager Jurgen Klopp sought to improve his defensive options, only for the 27-year-old to fall down the pecking order to thus call his future at the club into question.

And reports suggest that fellow Premier League side Fulham and Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing up a New Year move for the former Cameroon international, a move Matip must seek to make in January with time seemingly up on his Liverpool career.

The Breakdown

The centre back made the move to Anfield amid much excitement and anticipation given the Reds’ prior defensive struggles under Brendan Rodgers and indeed in the early stages of Klopp’s reign, and the 27-year-old went some way to aiding with those problems by appearing 29 times in the Premier League in his first season at the club, helping the Reds to fourth place.

Yet there were still a few too many occasions in which the backline, including Matip himself, made errors to allow Klopp’s team to still be got-at by opposition forwards, which is why it was hardly surprising to see the Merseyside giants break the transfer record for a defender in luring Virgil van Dijk to the club back in January.

And that spelt bad news for Matip given he managed just 25 Premier League appearances for the club last term, albeit injuries did play a part in his struggles, and that has carried on into this term given the 27-year-old has mustered only one league start for the Reds so far, with the likes of van Dijk, Dejan Lovren, and Joe Gomez seemingly ahead of him in the pecking order.

And with just one minute of action in their last six league matches, alongside featuring just once in their indifferent Champions League campaign, the writing appears to be on the wall for the centre back, who has proven over time to be a woeful Klopp signing given he was brought into Anfield to try and solidify a backline that shipped 50 goals in the 2015/16 campaign, and while that number did reduce the season after, it was clear that he still wasn’t the answer to their problems.

And with Klopp beginning to find an answer in messrs van Dijk, Lovren, and Gomez, time appears to be up on Matip’s Reds career, which is why he must seek to make the move away from Anfield come the New Year.

Liverpool fans… what do you think? Let us know!