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Tottenham Hotspur are within touching distance of a chance to land their first piece of silverware in over 12 years, but standing in their way are Championship promotion hopefuls Brentford in tonight’s Carabao Cup semi-final clash.

Jose Mourinho labelled this match the biggest since he replaced Mauricio Pochettino in November 2019, so we can expect Spurs to come out with a strong lineup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs were handed a rest between their draw with Wolves and their win over Leeds United last time out due to the postponed fixture against Fulham, so that should further hint that we shouldn’t expect too many alterations to the starting XI.

Here’s what we are predicting this evening…

Mourinho will be forced into a couple of changes, at least.

Right-back Matt Doherty is suspended after receiving a late red card against the Whites, whilst Sergio Reguilon, Erik Lamela, Gareth Bale and Giovani Lo Celso are all expected to be absent.

That means Serge Aurier is a shoo-in to return having not featured in Spurs’ last two outings. He’s one of two changes to the backline as Davinson Sanchez gets the nod over the rested Toby Alderweireld.

Both Ben Davies and Eric Dier keep their places.

In midfield, there could also be some fresh legs added in the form of Moussa Sissoko. The £18m-rated Frenchman could take the place of Harry Winks, who has now started three successive matches.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg remains, though Mourinho has a massive call to make on Dele Alli.

The out-of-favour attacking midfielder played 66 minutes against Stoke City in the last round and could reprise that role here over Tanguy Ndombele, who has played more than 70 minutes in back-to-back matches.

We may also see one final change in the attack with Lucas Moura getting an opportunity to impress in this competition once again, which means Steven Bergwijn is axed.

The £36m-rated Brazilian, dubbed a “nightmare” by Dier hasn’t started in the top-flight since October as in need of minutes, whilst the Dutch winger has concerns over his fitness.

Given the importance of the match, both Heung-min Son and Harry Kane should start.

AND in other news, Mourinho will be regretting his decision over £12m gem way better than Doherty…

Leicester have a big battle ahead of them as they prepare to take on Tottenham Hotspur in their next Premier League challenge. The two potential title contenders will lock horns in what will be a massive boost for whoever comes away with the win.

If the Foxes can hurt Spurs on their turf, they will go two points clear of their competition.

Brendan Rodgers has given fans a big chunk of good news ahead of the match, confirming that Timothy Castagne is in contention to start. Having the £50,000 per week Belgian back from his recent hamstring injury is a huge boost that could prove to be crucial against Spurs. Not only will it allow James Justin to take a more attacking role, but it will give Leicester a better chance of defending against Jose Mourinho’s blistering attack.

Castagne must have his wits about him though. After missing seven Premier League games and featuring in just five so far, he could return to the action to face off against one of the deadliest players in the league. Son Heung-min has caused almost every team he’s faced some serious problems this season and he doesn’t look like he’s prepared to show any mercy.

The winger has been linking up beautifully with Harry Kane and is currently the Premier League’s leading goalscorer. Son has tallied a mammoth 11 goals and four assists in 13 games played so far and he will be rubbing his hands together at the idea of facing Castagne.

He will be hoping that the recently injured right-back will be a bit behind his teammates in terms of fitness and will be doing everything he can to try and exploit this potential weakness. Castagne cannot afford to slip up or he will be punished by the South Korean dynamo.

It’s a huge occasion for the returning defender, but if he can keep the Spurs attack at bay, it will be a huge confidence boost for him following his absence.

In other news, Carlton Palmer waxes lyrical about Leicester’s transfer policy…

For the first time in 28 games, Glasgow Rangers were on the losing end of a result as they were defeated 3-2 by St. Mirren on Wednesday, and Bongani Zungu was far from at his best.

The Gers were the favourites in the League Cup quarter-final, but they surprisingly lost. Connor Goldson actually did give them the lead, but Jamie McGrath scored twice to turn things around. A Steven Davis equaliser late on looked to have saved the Ibrox outfit, but Conor McCarthy was on hand to grab the winner in injury time.

Zungu, who was making just his second start for the 54-time Scottish champions since signing for them on loan on transfer deadline day, was poor in the middle of the park. He regularly slowed the game down for the Gers, which contributed to their defeat.

The supporters were far from happy with his display, and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Zungu below

In other news, Stewart Robertson has shared these Gers transfer plans.

Gabby Agbonlahor is naïve to suggest that “the jury is still out” over Allan after Premier League sides have found a way to work-around the Everton star.

What’s he said?

While speaking with Football Insider, the Aston Villa hero suggested the early praise given to Allan following the Brazilian’s £21million move to Goodison Park has been overstated as top-flight sides are already able to nullify his impact on games.

Agbonlahor believes the former SSC Napoli enforcer’s impact on Merseyside came in an initial flurry upon being reunited with Carlo Ancelotti, but that it will not be a be-all and end-all situation should he fail to feature at Fulham on Sunday amid a potential muscle injury.

Ancelotti was full of praise for Allan upon unveiling the 29-year-old this summer, stating how he was convinced the 10-cap international’s passion and energy can improve Everton.

“I think Allan is a fantastic player, he has fantastic energy and quality in midfield,” Ancelotti told EvertonTV. “Our supporters will love him because he plays with a lot of passion.

“He is going to improve the squad and our supporters will love him, for sure. Tactically he is really good. Really strong defensively, he wins a lot of balls. He is aggressive, and he is Brazilian, so he is able to do both – [contribute] with the ball and without the ball.”

But Agbonlahor is beginning to think Allan may not be all that he was made out to be after eight appearances across all competitions.

“I think, with Allan, he’s had a really good start to the season but the last three or four games he hasn’t been as good as I thought he was at the start,” the player-turned-pundit noted.

“Teams have found him out. He hasn’t had the legs in the middle to get the ball back. I’ve seen a lot of attacking players run off Allan. Maybe we all got a bit too excited in his first few games and now teams have found him out.

“He’s not been anywhere near the likes of Douglas Luiz, Fabinho, Thomas Partey in that position. For me, the jury is still out.”

Naïve suggestion from Agbonlahor

While Agbonlahor is entitled to his opinion, it is naïve of the Aston Villa hero to suggest the jury is still out on Allan after his recent performances, as his involvement in Everton’s defeats to Newcastle and Manchester United prior to the international break were among his best displays in royal blue to date.

Allan won 14 ground duels, made six tackles, blocked one shot, completed four of his five attempted dribbles, found teammates with each of his three long balls and completed 88% of his total 51 passes while registering 76 touches at home to the Red Devils, per SofaScore.

His seven ground duels won from 10 was also the most achieved by an Everton player at Newcastle, where he registered a 95% pass success rate from 61 efforts, took 74 touches, played two key balls, blocked one shot, made one interception and again recorded six successful tackles – a team-high at St. James’ Park.

Those performances eclipsed his season averages for touches (63.0), accurate passes (52.0), successful tackles (1.0) and ground duels won (3.0), while only his 7.3 out of 10 match rating achieved against West Bromwich Albion in September eclipses the 7.2 earned against Manchester United yet trails the 7.5/10 registered at Newcastle.

Everton’s form as a whole has suffered a vast decline since opening the Premier League campaign with four wins and a draw to now be winless in three, but Allan has not and it is wrong to suggest teams have found a way to nullify his impact.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti appears set for disappointment with a “great striker” overlooking Everton’s interest.

Sunderland’s season has been a topsy-turvy affair.

Is that really very surprising? It shouldn’t be if you’re familiar with what’s happened in the last five years.

The Black Cats suffered back to back relegations and try as they might, they can’t seem to get out of League One.

Their ambitions of doing so took another meaty blow this week, too.

On the chalkboard

Ahead of Sunderland’s clash with Fleetwood on Friday evening Phil Parkinson delivered some frustrating news in his pre-match press conference.

Speaking to the north-east media, he confirmed that Lynden Gooch had picked up an ankle injury.

Parkinson said: “He’ll have an injection tomorrow [Friday] which we hope will speed up that recovery, but we are probably looking at between two and four weeks without Lynden.”

The manager continued: “That’s a blow because he has been exceptional for us this season, but we have to take the advice of the specialist and make sure that Lynden is right and he is flying for us when he comes back.”

As the Sunderland boss states, the American has been brilliant for the Black Cats this term, scoring two goals and registering a team-high four assists.

The attacking midfielder has been Sunderland’s most consistent performer in the final third so losing him will be a bitter loss.

The solution?

Who Sunderland see as their Gooch replacement in the next few weeks remains to be seen. There have been hints that Elliott Embleton could make a return and play more regularly but this injury may have just handed a lifeline to someone else on the fringes at the Stadium of Light.

That happens to be Aiden McGeady.

Parkinson’s views on the Irishman are quite clear. He transfer listed the winger last season and banished him from the senior squad. With that in mind, it looked as though he’d played his final game for the Mackems.

However, McGeady started for the U23s at the beginning of last week and could well make a first-team return in the future.

Parkinson seemed more positive about the 34-year-old’s chances when questioned about his surprise outing this week, stating: “He came back [this season] with a couple of niggly problems, he has had an injection in his knee which then needed rest, and then we have put together a programme for him similar to the one the lads did in pre-season to get him up to speed.

“I’ve just said to Aiden ‘let’s get you fit, then we’ll sit down and assess everything’, because until he is fit and flying, there’s no discussion to be had really.”

Therefore, for McGeady to even be considered before Gooch comes back he’ll need to get fit.

Playing 60 odd minutes was a good start and if he does prove his sharpness, there is no question he has to be picked. After all, this is someone with unquestionable ability, someone previously described by Neil Lennon as a “mercurial talent.”

It would be a shame to waste him.

In other news, Sunderland could soon discover their NEW Didier Ndong…

Celtic could be slipping into extremely hot water following recent comments from star player Odsonne Edouard. The French striker has been out of action recently due to a positive coronavirus test and it has definitely shown in their performances of late.

The Hoops have struggled since their defeat to Rangers in the Old Firm at Celtic Park and Neil Lennon has come under a lot of scrutiny.

Things could be about to go from bad to worse, with Edouard now discussing a potential move away from the Premiership champions.

Celtic could lose Edouard

Many clubs have been linked to a move for the 22-year-old, who has firmly said that he is currently focusing on this season with Celtic. However, that isn’t to say his future lies with the Scottish outfit.

“I’ve been here for three years, and for sure when the time comes I’ll think about leaving, look for a higher league,” Edouard told Telefoot (via Daily Record). He went on to say that “when the right time comes” he will consider his options regarding a move away from Celtic Park.

This will certainly be a worrying thought for Lennon, who already has a lot on his plate. If Edouard opts to leave the club after this season, the Hoops will need to put their back into scouting out a worthy replacement. The France international already has five goalscoring contributions in seven league appearances this season, continuing his fiery form from last time out.

Last campaign, Edouard notched an astonishing 21 goals and 12 assists in 27 Premiership games (via Transfermarkt). It’s no wonder he has turned heads with these numbers and if Celtic cannot rectify their form this term, the in-form forward may be too tempted to look elsewhere for success.

Whilst the Premiership is dominated by the Hoops, this time they could fall short to Steven Gerrard’s Rangers. Should they lose out on the title to their arch rivals, that could be the deal-breaker to send Edouard into the arms of another club.

If Lennon cannot improve the club’s form, a new deal must be considered. At the moment, the striker is earning £19,000 per week, according to salarysport.com. A bumper new contract with a pay rise could be enough to keep Edouard in the team, but Lennon and co must act fast before an elite side comes knocking.

In other news, Albian Ajeti was a disappointment for Celtic in another Neil Lennon switch up…

Carlo Ancelotti must recall Marcel Brands snubbing FC Barcelona’s approach for Richarlison after Real Madrid were linked with a potential move for Everton’s irresistible striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

What’s the word?

According to TodoFichajes, Madrid have placed Calvert-Lewin on their agenda as Los Blancos begin scouring the market to find Karim Benzema’s replacement at the Santiago Bernabeu having been left unimpressed by Luka Jovic’s form.

The Madrid hierarchy are understood to have no confidence in Jovic being the one to take over from Benzema, just a year after signing the Serbian from Eintracht Frankfurt for around €60million (£53.2m) and awarding the forward a six-year contract on the back of a 27-goal season in Germany.

Los Blancos are expected to attempt moving Jovic on in the upcoming winter market in order to raise funds for his replacement in the Spanish capital, who is thought to be Calvert-Lewin, having only scored twice in 30 games under Zinedine Zidane.

Madrid are said to have already contacted Everton to discuss Calvert-Lewin’s availability, as they are keen to take the lead in any race that may emerge for his services given his form under Ancelotti this term will not have gone unnoticed elsewhere.

Calvert-Lewin is considered one of the great sensations of the new Premier League season after striking seven goals in five games, while stretching his tally to ten for the term thus far across all competitions with a hat-trick against West Ham United in the Carabao Cup.

Real Madrid are preparing a €40m (£36.4m) offer for the 23-year-old and would look to close the deal in June should they fail in offloading Jovic in January.

No need to worry

Despite reports suggesting Madrid consider Calvert-Lewin to be their Benzema successor and that an offer of €40m could be on the cards soon, Ancelotti should have no reason to suspect the striker will be leaving Goodison Park for the Santiago Bernabeu any time soon.

The fee in question alone is reason enough for Ancelotti to scoff at Los Blanco’s alleged interest, as Everton reportedly slapped an £80m asking price on the striker this September amid interest from Manchester United.

That was also before the 23-year-old opened the league season with at least a goal a game, while justifying the Red Devils opting to walk away from their hopes of signing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s attacking target.

Everton refusing to devalue one of their prized assets paid dividends with Calvert-Lewin’s start to the season, and came as the latest signal of intent from the Goodison Park outfit that they wish to strengthen not deplete the options Ancelotti has.

Director of Football Brands immediately snubbed an alleged €100m (£85m) offer for Richarlison back in January as Barcelona’s former Sporting Director Eric Abidal strived to land his long-term target.

Ancelotti had only been at Goodison Park for a month when that offer came through, but will have been buoyed by Brands’ decision and only has to remember those discussions should Madrid come forward with an offer for Calvert-Lewin.

AND in other news, Everton will be in heaven over a 29-year-old whose causing his former side to regret accepting a summer transfer.

Glasgow Rangers are getting ready to face Livingston at Ibrox in their first game in the Scottish Premiership since Steven Gerrard’s side beat Celtic 2-0 at Parkhead in the first Old Firm derby of the season.

Rangers have arguably gone from strength to strength, as they go into the match off the back of a 2-0 win over Standard Liege in the Europa League. James Tavernier opened the scoring from the penalty spot, before a wonder goal from Kemar Roofe secured the victory on Thursday night, whilst Livingston fell to a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Kilmarnock at home last weekend.

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Gerrard almost has a full strength squad to choose from, as the club continue to monitor Borna Barisic after he was sent for a scan on a thigh strain, whilst Nikola Katic and new recruit Bongani Zungu remain the only other absentees.

Here at Football FanCast, we’ve worked on a predicted starting lineup, which sees Gerrard make four changes to the side that beat Standard Liege at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne.

Barisic started both games against Celtic and Standard Liege respectively, before he was replaced just before half-time during the 2-0 Europa League win, with Calvin Bassey expected to start in his absence.

The 20-year-old excelled in a back four consisting of Connor Goldson, Leon Balogun and James Tavernier, so Gerrard could opt for a similar system, or otherwise bring Filip Helander back into the fold to partner Goldson at the back.

Gerrard is hardly short of midfield options, as Steven Davis dropped to the bench to make room for Ryan Jack, so the Rangers boss may decide to ring a change as Jack has only recently returned from injury, whilst Glen Kamara and Scott Arfield continue to stake their claim for a place in the starting line-up.

Meanwhile, Roofe made all the headlines for his extraordinary effort in the midweek win, but Gerrard has warned the striker that he isn’t guaranteed to start against Livingston, saying that Rangers will need to “get him up to speed”. After a month out with a calf injury, his chances of starting seem to be incredibly remote, although we wouldn’t be surprised to see him make an appearance from the bench at some stage in the second half.

This means that Alfredo Morelos will start at the top of the pitch, with Ryan Kent resuming duties on the left wing. However, Ianis Hagi failed to make the most of the opportunity against Standard Liege, as GlasgowLive criticised him for a slow start, saying he “was sloppy in possession at times.”

So, it’s perhaps hardly surprising that Jordan Jones is in contention to start on the opposite flank in what could be his third start this season so far.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers striker Kemar Roofe steals the show against Standard Liege…

Former Glasgow Rangers striker Kevin Kyle has said that the Gers should look to bring in Martin Boyle from Hibernian if Ryan Kent does leave the club this summer.

23-year-old Kent has been the subject of interest from Leeds United over the past couple of weeks – the Whites have even had a £10m bid rejected for the left-winger. Whilst Steven Gerrard will not want to see one of his star players leave, he will need a contingency plan if the Liverpudlian cannot resist the bright lights of the Premier League.

Kyle believes that the Gers should target Boyle if he does depart. He told Open Goal:

“I think Kent, he could be replaced by a (Martin Boyle, of Hibernian).

“What do you want in a winger? You want somebody to get at the full-backs. Martin Boyle does that week in, week out, so why not? I think he would be a very cheap replacement and I think we would get just as much quality. People might disagree with that.

“I’m not saying he’s at the same level (as Kent). What I’m saying is, we’re in the Scottish game. If Martin Boyle is ripping it up for Hibs against most teams, week in, week out, in the Premier League playing with Rangers, Martin Boyle should be able to do the same. Maybe with a bit more quality because he’s surrounded by a bit more quality. In terms of the league he’s in, Martin Boyle would be able to a job for any of the teams, I would think.”

Boyle would certainly be an interesting choice. He has been a regular scorer or provider of goals during his time with Hibs, managing 36 goals and 36 assists in 193 games for the Edinburgh outfit, whilst he also has two goals in three caps for Australia.

Kent, though, cost the Gers £7m, which they paid as much for his potential as for his current ability. He has started to show just how good he can be this term by scoring three in his first five matches, and the fact that the likes of Leeds are eyeing him shows he has a big future ahead of him.

Valued at £900,000 by Transfermarkt, Boyle would certainly be a cheaper option. Whether he could replace Kent, though, is a different discussion.

Let us know what you think below!

The transfer window is always an exciting time of the year for fans as they hope for the team they support to add some good additions to the squad, and a lot of Sheffield Wednesday fans are reacting to their club’s transfer links with Chey Dunkley.

The Star journalist Dom Howe tweeted: “Led to believe #SWFC are interested in signing former Wigan defender Chey Dunkley. The 28-year-old is available on a free transfer, having left Wigan at the end of last season.”

The centre-back is at a good age to be signed and he has good experience in the Championship. He played 26 times in the division last season, keeping seven clean sheets and averaging 3.9 clearances a game, per WhoScored.

The player is valued at £1.08m by Transfermarkt, so the fact that Sheffield Wednesday could get him on a free transfer would seem an astute piece of business. The only worry, however, is that he is only recently fit again after suffering a double leg break in February, so he would need time to recover in order to get match-fit for the 2020/21 season.

Here is what these Owls fans said following the tweet from Howson:

Owls fans, what are your thoughts on the possible signing of Dunkley? Comment below with your views!