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In yet another underwhelming Northwest derby, it had become clear by half-time that it was Liverpool’s match to lose after an already injury-hit Manchester United were forced to make three substitutions during the first 45 minutes and settle for Marcus Rashford leading the line despite suffering an obvious injury.

Any points missed would be dropped for Liverpool, especially in the context of the Premier League title race, and gained for a weakened United, but the visitors failed to take advantage of that opportunity in what transpired to be a disappointing ninety minutes for both teams.

But it could have all been very different for Liverpool had Jurgen Klopp reacted to events at half-time with the boldness, intelligence and astuteness required to win trophies through a daring substitution – swapping centre-back Joel Matip for playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri and accordingly pushing Fabinho back into defence.

Here’s why the switch-up would have won the game for Liverpool…

Fabinho at centre-half

With Rashford clearly unable to press from centre-forward as he played through an injury, Liverpool’s centre-backs were luxury to the most space on the pitch on Sunday.

Tellingly, Matip recorded the second-most touches of the ball of any Liverpool player but while he certainly wasn’t pedestrian with possession, aside from one marauding run into the opposition box his impact offensively was inevitably limited.

And considering United really weren’t offering much in attack by that stage of the game, the Cameroonian’s defensive qualities only became increasingly irrelevant.

Fabinho would have been the ideal candidate to serve a dual role alongside Virgil van Dijk – helping him stop counter-attacks before stepping into midfield to try and create an overload in deep-lying pockets, which in turn would have helped make space further forward.

Fabinho’s forward passing is probably the best and most consistent of any player at the club as well, so he would have been perfect for pushing balls through a packed midfield.

Giving McTominay problems

Without meaning to sound disrespectful, Scott McTominay was the obvious weak link in Manchester United’s starting XI. It ultimately ended up being a decent performance from the Red Devils academy product despite looking nervy in stages, but largely because nobody really tested him as the midfield anchor. By the full time whistle, he hadn’t made a single tackle.

More than any Liverpool player, Shaqiri was best-suited for the job  of troubling McTominay as a natural No.10. Yes, McTominay would have always dominated him in purely physical battles, but the Swiss has the guile and trickery to take advantage of the 22-year-old’s inexperience.

A few direct runs at McTominany would have made matters very interesting, especially if Shaqiri forced the towering midfielder into a booking. But McTominay was left largely unscathed by what’s supposed to be one of the most fearsome attacks in Europe, undertaking a relatively simple job of screening in front of an isolated Daniel Sturridge. Opportunity missed.

Celtic may have romped to a 7-0 defeat last weekend but it wasn’t a victory without negatives for Ange Postecoglou’s Hoops.

That’s because both David Turnbull and Giorgos Giakoumakis came away from the clash with injuries.

What’s the word?

With Celtic six points ahead of Rangers in the race for the Premiership title, ordinarily, this wouldn’t be a big blow.

However, the two sides now meet again in the Scottish Cup semi-finals on Sunday, meaning that missing either of them could prove significant.

Fortunately, there is slim hope over Giakoumakis being fit enough to play with Postecoglou teasing that the problem didn’t look too bad.

He said: “Nothing concrete yet. Again, we’re still waiting for the final scans on it.

“Hopefully, it’s not too bad. He feels like it’s not too bad, but until we get the information we won’t know.”

A boost for the Hoops?

Although the severity of the problem is uncertain, it’s a relief to Celtic supporters and indeed the manager that he hasn’t been ruled out entirely.

After all, the Greek has been superb since establishing himself as a key cog in the wheel of their side during 2022.

Giakoumakis already has two hat-tricks this calendar year, bagging 13 goals in all competitions.

It has been an injury-hit spell for the forward since moving to Glasgow last summer but he has proven his fitness of late and terrorised Premiership defences in the process.

With Kyogo Furuhashi only just returning from his own period on the sidelines, it will be vital to have a fit and firing Giakoumakis in the side.

Of course, the comeback of Kyogo would soften the blow of losing another forward but it’s hardly ideal for the manager if he can’t call upon someone who has been so impressive of late.

Celtic have already won one domestic honour this term and a win on Sunday would boost their chances of winning the treble. Therefore, it’s crucial that their powerful Greek can play a part.

AND in other news, Ange is starting to unearth Celtic’s new Stuart Armstrong in “silky” £405k-rated gem…

West Bromwich Albion succumbed to a first home defeat since February as Steve Bruce’s side lost 3-1 to Stoke City in the Championship this afternoon.A Jake Livermore own goal in the first half got the Potters underway before Jacob Brown doubled the visitors’ lead in the second half.There were hopes of a comeback when Callum Robinson halved the deficit with 17 minutes to go but those were ultimately extinguished when Lewis Baker scored the clincher for Michael O’Neil’s men deep into added time.It was a lacklustre display from the Baggies, who will probably be desperate to see the back end of the campaign given their 11th-placed position, with any chance of sneaking into the play-offs all but over.Having spent last term in the Premier League, Albion’s first season back in the Championship has certainly been a disappointment, particularly with results like today’s.What has also been a disappointment is the West Brom tenure of winger Grady Diangana so far.The 23-year-old West Ham youth product was sold by West Ham at the start of last season after the winger impressed on loan at The Hawthorns in the 2019/20 campaign.The transfer gained plenty of attention, not for the fee or context of the move but for the public outburst from West Ham captain Mark Noble, who tweeted: “As captain of this football club I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left, great kid with a great future!!!!!”

However, the signs of a great future have still yet to be shown at West Brom by Diangana, who endured a tricky afternoon against the Potters today and let his manager down.

According to SofaScore, the 23-year-old had fewer touches of the ball (30) in his 58 minutes on the pitch than goalkeeper Sam Johnstone (42). Moreover, the winger lost the ball on 12 occasions, an average of every 2.5 touches, had no shots and attempted just two dribbles, completing neither.

There was little defensive contribution either, with the 23-year-old failing to make a single clearance, block or interception and winning just one tackle. Furthermore, Diangana lost six of his eight duels (75%).

On a more positive note, the winger’s passing was mostly accurate, with an 88% success rate, whilst he also completed two long balls. However, it was largely an afternoon to forget for the Englishman.

That’s a phrase which has been thrown around frequently about the winger since making his move to West Brom permanent, with Diangana scoring just three goals since leaving east London for good.

Two of those have come this season, along with just one assist, in 37 Championship appearances, so there needs to be more end product from the player.

The season appears to be all but over for Albion, with 2022/23 being Bruce’s first full campaign in charge of the Baggies.

Whether or not that will end positively will become clear over time, but what is certain is that Diangana will need to show signs of improving his contributions for West Brom, as otherwise he may well be on the move again.

In other news: West Brom now set for big disaster over “unbelievable” £7.2m-rated gem

Newcastle have been dealt a frustrating late injury twist over central defender Dan Burn…

What’s the latest?

Magpies boss Eddie Howe has revealed that the January signing from Brighton may miss out against Everton on Tuesday night, with a knock potentially keeping him from making his debut for the club.

Howe told The Chronicle: “As for the other guys, I can’t wait to see them, again transition them into the team. I think they are experienced Premier League players.

“The only thing is Dan has a slight toe problem that has been aggravating him the last few days. Which hopefully is nothing too serious, small thing that can sometimes be a big thing.”

Fuming

This late twist will surely leave fans fuming as it suggests that Burn is not fit enough to start the match, with the defender potentially being expected to make his Magpies debut.

There is no shying away from how poor Newcastle have been defensively this season and he was the only centre-back brought in during January. This means that there could be a weight of expectation on his broad shoulders to come in and solve their issues in defence.

Only Norwich (45) have conceded more goals in the Premier League than the Magpies (43) and this highlights how disappointing they have been at the back this term. They have been far from good enough at defending their own goal and the current crop of players have shown little sign of major improvement, which is why the signing of Burn was crucial in January.

The English centre-back averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.96 in the Premier League this season. This shows that he is able to consistently deliver quality performances at this level, with Brighton conceding just 23 goals in 22 top-flight matches – 20 goals fewer than Newcastle have let in.

Burn could therefore improve Howe’s backline and increase the Magpies’ chances of being able to keep clean sheets, bolstering their chances of winning matches throughout the rest of the campaign. This is why fans will be fuming that he appears set to miss out against Everton due to this toe injury which is currently afflicting him.

Supporters will be gutted if they head down to St James’ Park tonight hoping to see the colossus in action and then read the teamsheet to see that he is out of the matchday squad. However, there is no need for Howe to risk him and play through the injury, as it could result in further issues down the line.

AND in other news, Major blow: Newcastle dealt big setback ahead of Everton which will leave fans gutted…

Manchester United have been linked with a big-money move for Benfica forward Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Nunez profiled

Nunez, described as an ‘absolute beast’ earlier this month during a podcast discussing his display against Liverpool, has been on fire in front of goal this season, with the Uruguay international netting 33 times in 38 games in all competitions.

The 22-year-old has played as a centre-forward, second striker and left winger during the current campaign, starring in all three positions.

Nunez only joined the Portuguese giants back in 2020 and is under contract until 2025, but it looks as if the Red Devils are keen on a potential club-record deal.

The Latest: United interest

Sports Witness relayed an update from Correio da Manha on Tuesday, name-checking United with an interest in Nunez.

They said that the Red Devils have been ‘very attentive’ to Nunez this season, more so than any Premier League side.

The ‘big news’ from the story was potential finances in a move, with Benfica believing they can break the record of Joao Felix’s move to Atletico Madrid, which cost €120m (£99.7m).

The Verdict: Interesting…

It looks as if a move for Nunez could set United back over £100m, however, marquee signings are needed in an Old Trafford rebuild this summer.

Erik ten Hag looks like he’ll be the man to lead that rebuild ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and he’ll know all about Nunez after he scored the goal to dump Ajax out of the Champions League back in March.

Edinson Cavani will depart United over the coming months, which will leave Cristiano Ronaldo as the only recognised senior striker at the club.

Therefore, investing in Nunez, who appears to be a star of the future, could be a wise move, and it seems as if the club are working on a possible club-record deal.

In other news: ‘Problems…’ – Fabrizio Romano now shares fresh blow for Man Utd and Erik ten Hag on Twitter. 

There was a ‘huge let-off’ for Calvin Bassey and Rangers during their Scottish Premiership clash with Hearts on Sunday, in the words of BBC Sport’s Colin Moffat. 

The lowdown

Rangers won 5-0 at Ibrox after a double from Alfredo Morelos and strikes from Glen Kamara, Scott Arfield and Fashion Sakala, moving back within a point of title rivals Celtic after The Hoops’ own 4-0 win against Motherwell earlier on Sunday.

But perhaps things could have played out differently had Bassey, making his 15th league start in succession, been punished for his error at 1-0.

Three minutes into the second half, the Nigerian defender saw a backpass intercepted by Cammy Devlin, but the Hearts man fired his shot off target.

The latest

Moffat, who was providing live text commentary for BBC Sport, called the backpass ‘woefully short’.

He added that ‘Devlin has to do a lot better with that gift’, having let Bassey and Rangers off the hook.

The verdict

In general, it was a mixed afternoon for Bassey against the Edinburgh outfit.

In the build-up to the first goal, he’d picked out Ryan Kent with what Heart & Hand called a ‘defence-splitting pass’.

But over the course of the game, he gave possession away 31 times – ten more than anybody else on the pitch.

Not one of his four crosses found a team-mate, and he also lost half of his 14 ground duels.

Bassey was also shown a yellow card, contributing to a match rating of 6.9/10.

In other news, Rangers have been gifted a contract boost.

Manchester United have been linked with Pau Torres as a potential new signing this summer, and now Fabrizio Romano has dropped a fresh update on their pursuit for the player.

What’s the latest?

The Italian journalist and transfer insider took to his Twitter account to confirm the club’s pursuit of the Villarreal centre-back.

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Romano tweeted: “Pau Torres is attracting interest from top clubs again as his release clause will be valid this summer: €55/60m, available until the end of the market.

“Manchester United and Manchester City are both interested – Chelsea have also sent their scouts to follow him.”

Supporters will be excited

If the appointment of Erik ten Hag wasn’t enough to excite supporters of Man United, the opportunity being explored to improve the defensive system in the team will surely leave fans even more excited.

One of the biggest problems that have been identified at the club is the poor defensive play in the team, with the side conceding the most goals of the top eight in the league which has contributed to their struggles this season.

With that being said, the £50m Torres could be a huge breath of fresh air for the club, proving how influential he can be in the back-line for Unai Emery’s side, leading them to success.

Last season Villarreal won the Europa League with the 25-year-old playing a key role, and now the team have qualified for their first Champions League semi-final since 2006 which is an impressive achievement for Torres who has been an important part of the process playing every single game in the European competition.

The 6 f00t 2 star has tallied up impressive statistics this season in La Liga too, proving successful in 80% of his dribbles, winning the majority of his duels (67%), making 4.5 clearances on average per game and has a 94% pass accuracy in his own half, proving that he has an influential presence and is progressive on the ball.

The Red Devils have crashed out of every competition squandering their chances of winning a trophy, and their problems extend to the Premier League too as the side is struggling to qualify for the Champions League with just four games left to go, and six points adrift from the top four.

Acquiring a signing like Torres to improve the defence at Old Trafford could make a huge difference to the team next season and could put Manchester United in a better position to make progress in the league and cup competitions going forward.

AND in other news: Ten Hag now personally asks Man Utd to sign £111m “diamond”, major coup is inbound

Alan Hutton has now dropped a big Glasgow Rangers transfer claim on Cedric Itten.

The Lowdown: Exit on the cards?

As per Football Insider, a source from the Ibrox faithful has revealed that the club are now ‘open’ to letting Itten go out on loan again in the summer, or even letting him go completely.

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The Switzerland international spent the first half of the season on loan at German side Greuther Furth, where he scored two goals, but has since been recalled back by Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Transfermarkt).

However, he has not been picked for a matchday squad since the 3-0 loss away at Celtic in the Scottish Premiership back in early February.

The Latest: Hutton reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Teddy Bears right-back Hutton has claimed that Itten will now be ‘moving on’ this summer:

“It’s more what we haven’t seen from him.

“He came back into the fold but hasn’t been involved a lot under the new manager. You just think that maybe he’s had a look at him and thought that the options ahead of him are good enough.

“There’s no space for him in the matchday squads – which can be difficult when you have to leave players out.

“I do feel for him that way.

“But the bigger picture is that it hasn’t worked out for him, and that can be how it works out – sometimes it doesn’t run smoothly.

“In the summer he needs to be thinking about his future and playing football. You’d think that he’ll be moving on to pastures new.”

The Verdict: Sell

The Light Blues should not waste their time with any more loans for Itten, and instead should be looking to sell the striker on permanently.

He is simply £14,000-per-week to stay, and when he has played, he has not exactly lit the world alight, with just seven goals in two seasons in a Gers shirt.

Nonetheless, RFC already have plenty of forward options, and so Itten would not be missed.

In other news, find out which ‘excellent’ attacker Rangers are now eyeing here!

West Ham United boss David Moyes could now be set for real backing this summer as a club insider shares some ‘£150 million’ news out of Rush Green.

The Lowdown: Moyes eyeing fresh faces…

Reliable reports indicate that Moyes and the Hammers are eyeing a real summer overhaul amid their chase for Champions League qualification and chase for unprecedented Europa League silverware.

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The Times claim that West Ham’s boss could want as many as four major signings in the next window, including a possible goalkeeper, left-sided centre-half, central midfield player and, of course, a striker.

His transfer kitty to acquire this many fresh faces will be a crucial determining factor as Moyes aims to build upon another impressive campaign over-all.

Club insider Claret & Hugh, sharing an update on star man Declan Rice’s future, have also dropped news in their piece on just how much Moyes will be allocated to spend.

The Latest: C&H make big-money claim…

The Irons source, making a claim in the last line of their article, say that West Ham and Moyes will be backed with a ‘£150m’ kitty.

They also state that the club are ‘set to spend in the summer’ as this potentially exciting update emerges ahead of what could be a very interesting summer window.

The Verdict: Promising…

The lack of finalised moves in January could be made up for in the summer going by this news.

West Ham are certainly short in a number of positions, namely centre-back amid their current injury crisis, while striker Michail Antonio is still their only recognised option up front.

If the Irons are to maintain their place among the Premier League’s best, they will need sufficient backing, and it will certainly be intriguing to see if GSB do indeed grant Moyes the signings he requires with this big £150m kitty.

In other news: ‘Deal is there to be done’ – West Ham insider makes exciting striker claim as price drops by £20m, find out more here.

West Ham United are currently failing in a bid to bring Darwin Nunez to the London Stadium on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by David Ornstein, who revealed in a recent article for The Athletic that, despite it being reported West Ham had agreed a fee with Benfica regarding the transfer of the 22-year-old, Nunez has informed David Moyes that he has no intention of joining the Irons this month, and he is hoping to move to a Champions League side in the summer.

In his report, the transfer insider wrote: “West Ham also enquired about Benfica’s Darwin Nunez, but sources have told The Athletic that the player was not interested in the move and is hopeful of joining a Champions League club in the summer.”

Fans will be furious

With the clock ticking down to Monday evening’s transfer deadline, the news that West Ham have failed in their bid for Nunez is sure to have left the London Stadium faithful furious with Moyes.

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Indeed, while the Benfica hitman would have made a fantastic addition to the 58-year-old’s first-team squad, in truth, a deal to sign one of the hottest prospects in European football never appeared to be overly likely – with ExWHUemployee even revealing at the time of the Hammers’ bid that the club’s chances of landing the £28.8m-rated striker were extremely slim.

And, with Moyes undoubtedly being aware that this was the case at the time of his bid for the Uruguay international, exactly why the Scot left making a move for a striker, when he himself admitted the position was his upmost priority this month, until the final day of the window is beyond us.

Indeed, should West Ham fail to bring in a new centre-forward over what remains of the January transfer window, it would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to the club’s top-four chances this season – a setback that Moyes could quite easily have avoided.

In other news: “We have…”: WHU insider drops huge deadline day development, Moyes is finally acting