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The veteran Belgian served up two headed goals for the teenage apprentice and then scored himself to end hopes of a third giant-killing for Argyle

Manchester City overcame an FA Cup scare against plucky and wily Plymouth Argyle to win 3-1 thanks to the master Kevin De Bruyne and the apprentice Nico O'Reilly in a tale of three set pieces.

Plymouth centre-back Makysm 'Maxi' Talovyerov stunned the Etihad when he gave the visitors the lead in the fifth round tie with a towering header from a corner while the 19-year-old O'Reilly nodded City level on the stroke of half-time from a De Bruyne free-kick. The pair repeated their double act, this time from a corner, to put Pep Guardiola's side in front in the 76th minute and they never looked back, with De Bruyne sliding in to score a late third to ensure City made it into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the eighth time in nine seasons.

It was City's first game against Argyle since 1989. The visitors are second bottom of the Championship, 39 places below City, but have been experiencing a big resurgence since Wayne Rooney was sacked as coach at the end of 2024 and replaced by Miron Muslic. They pulled off two Cup shocks by winning away at Brentford in the third round and knocking out Liverpool in the fourth round.

Plymouth survived an early onslaught which included Ilkay Gundogan hitting the woodwork and then scored with their first corner and first attempt. Talovyerov – who bears some resemblance to Erling Haaland – climbed high to head home and send the 8,000 fans who had made the 280-mile journey from the south west coast to Manchester into dreamland.

City managed to equalise right on half-time when O'Reilly glanced a De Bruyne free-kick under Conor Hazard to score. The hosts utterly dominated the second half and it was as though there was an invisible force shield around the Plymouth goal as Rico Lewis, substitute Haaland, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva all missed good chances to score.

It fell again to De Bruyne and O'Reilly to finally put City ahead while De Bruyne added an extra shine to his individual performance by scoring in added time. It was his 29th FA Cup goal involvement, more than any player since his competition debut in 2016.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Stefan Ortega (5/10):

  Had a pretty quiet afternoon, facing just one shot.

  Vitor Reis (7/10):

  A solid display, looking far more comfortable than in his previous FA Cup outing at Leyton Orient. Dealt with much of the visitors' aerial threat and was comfortable in possession.

  Nathan Ake (5/10):

  Should have commanded the area better when Plymouth struck and then his game ended prematurely with yet another injury scare as he was removed at the break.

  Nico O'Reilly (8/10):

  Unexpectedly took centre stage with two impressive headers, making it three goals in as many FA Cup games.

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  Midfield

  Bernardo Silva (5/10):

  Gave a tired performance out on the right flank and should have buried his chance in the second half.

  Rico Lewis (5/10):

  Missed two sitters in quick succession as he got forward a lot, effectively playing in midfield throughout as City had to do so little defending.

  Kevin De Bruyne (8/10):

  The perfect game for him to show his class. Was at the heart of City's best moves and had his prints on all of the goals. Enough said.

  Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):

  Controlled the game from deep, benefitting from an opponent that only wanted to defend. Unlucky not to score when he struck the inside of the post.

  Jack Grealish (6/10):

  Hugged the touchline and orchestrated several City moves down the left but ultimately had no end product.

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  Attack

  James McAtee (4/10):

  A bad day at the office. Lost Talovyerov for the goal and didn't cause enough danger in attack as the most advanced midfielder. Couldn't complain when taken off for Haaland just before the hour mark.

  Phil Foden (5/10):

  Another uninspiring display although wasn't helped by the unorthodox shape of the attack. Still, he should have contributed more given the quality of the opponents.

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  Subs & Manager

  Ruben Dias (5/10):

  Gave City more authority at the back and they never looked in trouble when he was on the pitch.

  Erling Haaland (6/10):

  Gave the team a bigger presence in attack and a much-needed focal point. His finishing was blunt, missing two decent chances, but he made amends by setting up De Bruyne.

  Nico Gonzalez (N/A):

  A late addition from the bench, it going slightly better than his first Cup outing at Orient.

  Pep Guardiola (5/10):

  His starting line-up was strange and the decision to play no centre-forward backfired as no-one seemed sure who was supposed to be the lead man. Got away with it and corrected himself by bringing on Haaland.

Glasgow Rangers bounced back yesterday with another crucial Premiership victory following the Ibrox side’s European humiliation last Wednesday evening.

It was far from pretty against Motherwell, with Rangers stuttering to a 2-1 win, but it is another three points on the board, although the Old Firm outfit were missing a few players through injury.

Connor Goldson was the most notable absentee after his injury against Liverpool, but Ryan Jack also went off with a problem on Wednesday, giving Giovanni van Bronckhorst a big decision to make over the coming months.

Van Bronckhorst should ditch Jack

This isn’t a decision that the Dutchman will be taking lightly, especially with the midfielder still arguably in the prime of his career, but his injury record has to be taken into consideration.

Since signing for the club in the summer of 2017, Jack has missed a total of 110 matches for the Ibrox side, a staggering amount in just five seasons. His recent injury sustained against Liverpool will mean he could be out for a further 15, missing a crucial part of the season.

Jack was one of the only shining lights to emerge from Pedro Cainxinha’s reign in Glasgow and he has played an integral part in the club winning their first Premiership title for ten years in 2020/2021.

During that campaign, he averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.14, scoring twice including a stunning volley against Kilmarnock to secure a vital 1-0 victory.

He also had a pass success rate of 90%, took 79.7 touches on average per game, and made one key pass each match also, showcasing his ability to circulate the ball effectively, which was key under Steven Gerrard’s system.

Journalist Jordan Campbell previously dubbed the player as “outstanding” but his recent performances have been far from it. A rating of just 6.55 via SofaScore suggests that he might be out of his depth at Champions League level and this could be another factor in Van Bronckhorst’s decision.

It would be a shame for his Ibrox career to end with him being released for free, but poor performances combined with a woeful injury record means it’s looking increasingly likely that it will end that way.

Aston Villa won only their second Premier League match of the season with a crucial 1-0 victory over Southampton at Villa Park last night.

In truth, it was a scrappy game, and Villa didn’t have to be at their best to take all three points. Jacob Ramsey scored the only goal four minutes before half-time and that’s how it remained.

Southampton were well below par and Ralph Hasenhuttl will be understandably irritated that his team couldn’t pose more of a problem for the home side.

It was a vital three points for Steven Gerrard’s men nonetheless, and a welcome clean sheet to go with it, their first since April. Despite Ramsey scoring the winner and impressing throughout, it was Tyrone Mings who was perhaps the real saviour overall for Villa.

Mings was Gerrard’s saviour

The Englishman has come under criticism in recent weeks due to a series of poor performances, but he was excellent at the heart of Villa’s defence in last night’s win.

He received a rating of 7.4 from SofaScore for his performance, which was the joint-third highest on the pitch behind Ramsey and Lucas Digne, who each scored 7.8.

The former Ipswich defender made two tackles and six clearances while also winning an impressive 100% of his duels (two ground, four aerial) as he stood firm and prevented Southampton from scoring.

With 53 touches and one key pass during the match, Mings didn’t just revert to keeping the Saints at bay – he wanted to get involved and create opportunities from defence as often as he could.

Michael Hincks described the 29-year-old as a “rock” following the final whistle and gave him a rating of eight in the i Paper, also stating that the centre-back was “instrumental in leading” the Villa defensive cause.

Having been snubbed by Gareth Southgate when the England squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures was named in midweek, this was very much a performance which might have proved a few people wrong.

There is still time to impress before the World Cup squad is announced, and if Mings puts in more excellent displays like last night, then he could give his national team boss plenty to ponder.

Manchester United have reportedly ‘largely agreed on personal terms’ with the entourage of PSV Eindhoven star Cody Gakpo.

The Lowdown: Casemiro in

The Red Devils officially unveiled Casemiro as a new Manchester United player on Monday evening.

The holding midfielder took to the Old Trafford pitch prior to the 2-1 win over Liverpool, with a deal thought to be costing the club an initial £60m. It now looks as if United officials are working on their next move, with a busy end to the transfer window in store.

The Latest: Gakpo next?

The Daily Express relayed an update from a Dutch outlet on Monday afternoon regarding Gakpo.

They claim that United ‘largely agreed on personal terms’ with the PSV winger, who shares the same agency as Erik ten Hag.

Fabrizio Romano has also said that the 23-year-old ‘would be prepared to accept Manchester United’ and are ‘waiting’ to see if there will be an official proposal.

The Verdict: Antony alternative?

Gakpo, who has been called a ‘sensational player’ by Football Oranje editor and Dutch football expert Michael Bell, could well be a shrewd alternative to Ajax winger Antony.

The Red Devils are still thought to be keen on the Brazilian and even made a £67.9m offer, so you’d expect that the PSV gem could cost less.

The Dutchman has scored 47 senior goals for club and country and enjoyed his best season in front of goal last year, and with personal terms seemingly agreed, a transfer could go through relatively quickly compared to one for Antony.

West Ham United manager David Moyes couldn’t hide his anger as his side fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest this afternoon. 

The lowdown: Frustrating day

The Hammers must’ve felt that fortunes were conspiring against them in the Midlands as Said Benrahma saw a goal disallowed and struck the bar with a sumptuous free-kick on either side of half-time.

Pablo Fornals also hit the woodwork for the visitors shortly into the second half as the Hammers looked to respond to a Taiwo Awoniyi goal before the break.

However, captain Declan Rice squandered the best chance for the away side as the 23-year-old Englishman saw a penalty saved by Dean Henderson midway through the second 45 following a handball from Scott McKenna.

In the sunshine at the City Ground, Moyes cut a frustrated figure on the sideline as West Ham failed to take anything from their second Premier League clash despite their best efforts…

The latest: ‘Barely concealed fury’

During Sky Sports’ live coverage (15:33), match commentator Adam Bate noted that the Scot was angered watching on as his side failed to find a way back into the contest.

He said: “David Moyes is stalking his technical area in barely concealed fury and it is easy to understand why. West Ham have come agonisingly close to scoring four times here but Henderson still has his clean sheet.”

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The verdict: Sluggish start

It’s now two consecutive defeats for the east Londoners at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, not the start Moyes nor anyone associated with the club would’ve had in mind.

Albeit a much-improved performance from the opening day loss to Manchester City, this was another case of what might’ve been for West Ham and ultimately, another game without a point to show for their efforts.

With a little over two weeks remaining in the transfer market, a frustrated Moyes could well dip into the transfer market once again in order to add to what is currently a misfiring squad.

Leeds United are looking to complete one further move in the transfer window before the season gets underway next weekend…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth, who revealed in a recent column that the Whites were ‘hopeful’ of sealing their seventh signing of the summer in the coming days.

He said:

‘The Whites are hopeful of getting one of their targets through the door before the Premier League opener against Wolves on Saturday August 6 but are currently tight-lipped on the identity of targets and whatever deals are being worked on are yet to leak out.’

The reliable reporter goes on to suggest that a new striker and left-back cover are high on the priority list, whilst the club would also like to bolster their U21 ranks as well.

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Leeds’ seventh signing inbound?

This exciting update is sure to leave much of the Elland Road faithful absolutely thrilled as they can surely expect a new arrival through the door at some point this week.

Indeed, director of football Victor Orta has been a very busy man throughout the summer, signing no fewer than six players. He has had to, of course, replace the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, both of whom have departed permanently.

In comes RB Salzburg duo Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson, RB Leipzig midfielder Tyler Adams, Bayern Munich powerhouse Marc Roca and Feyenoord sensation Luis Sinisterra.

But there are plenty of gaps still to plug as Smyth alludes to.

Junior Firpo’s injury during pre-season has left a void at left-back and perhaps it’s a position that needs to be upgraded anyway, with the former Barcelona man being deemed as a “liability” throughout last season.

Meanwhile, upfront, Patrick Bamford is still without suitable cover, having missed a large chunk of the campaign through injury. Winger Dan James and young striker Joe Gelhardt often had to step up in his absence.

The likes of Martin Terrier of Stade Rennes and Arnaud Kalimuendo of Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with a switch to west Yorkshire, so it’s clear that they are in the market for a new frontman.

All in all, as Smyth suggests, we should expect some sort of movement in the next few days. Leeds supporters will surely be buzzing by this latest development.

AND in other news, Orta can land a major Rodrigo upgrade with Leeds bid for £100k-p/w “magic wand”…

ExWHUemployee has dropped an update on reported West Ham United transfer target Jesse Lingard.

What’s the latest?

In a recent post on Twitter, the West Ham insider revealed that, following reports suggesting that Rob Newman is now closing in on a deal to bring the out-of-contract forward to the London Stadium this summer, he has been informed by a number of sources that a move for the 29-year-old is indeed close.

However, Ex went on to state that he was not prepared to reveal just how close the England international’s switch to east London actually is, as the former Manchester United attacker could yet opt to move elsewhere – having also been linked with a move to Wayne Rooney’s DC United and a number of European clubs in recent weeks.

In his tweet, the insider said: “I have been told by numerous people he is close, but I said I’m not prepared to say how close until I know he has been to [the] training ground and it’s that close – as he can change [his] mind.”

Supporters will love Ex’s update

Considering just how impressive Lingard was during a loan spell at the London Stadium in the second half of the 2022/21 campaign, Ex’s claim that the 32-cap international does now appear to be close to securing a permanent switch to east London this summer is sure to be news the West Ham faithful will love.

Indeed, over his 16 Premier League fixtures for the Hammers in the season before last, the £16.2m-rated attacker was in devastating form for Moyes’ side, scoring nine goals, registering five assists and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.6 shots, making 1.1 key passes and completing 1.1 dribbles per game.

These metrics saw the 29-year-old average a quite breathtaking SofaScore match rating of 7.19, not only ranking him as the Irons’ best performer in the league but also as the 20th-best player in the English top flight as a whole – playing an influential role in West Ham sealing an extremely impressive sixth-place finish that year.

As such, the prospect of the Manchester United academy graduate linking up with the club once again on a full-time basis is sure to be an extremely tantalising one for both Moyes and supporters alike – with Ex’s latest update appearing to suggest that it will not be long before Lingard is back playing his football in claret and blue.

AND in other news: “Signing both not ruled out”: Sky Sports journo drops WHU update, Moyes surely buzzing

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their interest in Inter’s Stefan de Vrij in the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Journalist Paul Brown has claimed that the Dutchman, alongside Villarreal gem Pau Torres, is a player the club have their eye on.

Fabio Paratici is plotting a swoop for a centre-back this summer and the reporter believes that the Inter gem is one of Tottenham’s top targets for that position.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “In terms of defenders, there is still De Vrij at Inter – who Conte is a big fan of – and also Pau Torres, I think, is someone they’ve liked for a long time.

“Those two would look to be in pole position, but there’s plenty of names and I think a few more might crop up in the next few weeks.”

Conte’s new Leonardo Bonucci

The Spurs head coach has managed some extraordinary teams throughout his career in management and worked with world-class players along the way.

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He has managed Juventus, Italy, Chelsea and Inter, among others, and no centre-back has played more times under him than Bonucci. The machine – who has won nine Serie A titles – made 136 appearances under Antonio Conte for Juventus and Italy combined over the course of five campaigns.

In De Vrij, the Italian manager can find his new version of the Old Lady tank by working with him in a second team after managing him at Inter. The Spurs boss previously called the Dutchman “important” and “like Bonucci” and must now snap him up for £15m this summer.

He was once dubbed a “monster” by his former Lazio teammate Mauricio and his statistics in the Serie A in recent seasons back that up.

In the last seven league campaigns in Italy, De Vrij has only averaged a SofaScore rating lower than 7.03 in one year – playing for Inter and Lazio. He has shown remarkable consistency as he has proven that he can produce excellent performances week-in-week-out in Italy.

With Conte at the helm in the 2020/21 campaign, the centre-back averaged a score of 7.03 and played 32 times in the Italian top flight. He won 60% of his duels and helped the team to keep 11 clean sheets as he made himself a player the manager can rely on.

The pair can now reunite at Spurs and De Vrij can be the manager’s new version of Bonucci, becoming a pillar at the back for him in a second team.

AND in other news: Conte could land Spurs masterclass in deal for “explosive” £30m gem, he’s Foden-esque…

Transfer insider Dean Jones has provided an update regarding the contract situation of Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah, revealing FSG will likely make one more ‘take it or leave it’ offer. 

The lowdown: Rumbling on

Fast approaching the final 12 months of a deal at Anfield (Transfermarkt), Liverpool and Salah appeared to have reached an impasse in negotiations for some time now as the Egyptian winger reportedly looks to secure a new deal worth £500,000-per-week.

It’s been suggested that the 30-year-old would even be willing to see out the remainder of his contract and leave the club on a free next summer, a situation that would see the Reds miss out on a potentially huge financial windfall.

As the departure of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich moves ever closer having been in a similar contractual predicament, one informed onlooker has claimed that the club could make one final attempt to keep Salah…

The latest: Jones on Salah

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones suggested that FSG will make one more ‘take it or leave it’ offer to the 83-cap international.

“I think so (Salah could leave for free next summer). Everyone seems pretty clear of the situation, as it stands right now.

“Liverpool set their stall out not to cave in to his demands. I believe there will be one more offer on the table for him this summer – take it or leave it.

“But I don’t think it will be at the level that Mohamed Salah’s representatives put forward.”

The verdict: Compromise needed

Since arriving from AS Roma, the lightning-fast winger – who was lauded by journalist James Pearce for his ‘sensational’ solo strike against Manchester City last October – has directly contributed to an astonishing 219 goals in 254 outings for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

In fact, the £81million-valued Egyptian’s importance to the Reds was never more evident than during last season when he finished as the joint top scorer in the Premier League and ended the campaign with 31 goals and 16 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions.

Despite an apparent desire from all parties to secure fresh terms, it seems increasingly unlikely that Salah will continue to light up Merseyside beyond the 2022/23 campaign as the prolonged contract talks continue to hit a brick wall and the ever-frugal FSG refuse to break their wage structure.

However, one final play to keep the Egyptian King in situ is certainly called for, if only to prolong the need to source what would be an expensive replacement.

Fabrizio Romano has just shared a major transfer boost for manager David Moyes as news emerges on one of his key West Ham United summer targets.

The Lowdown: West Ham plans emerge…

As reported by reliable outlets, the east Londoners have already got plans in place for the looming window as club owners GSB and head of recruitment Rob Newman seemingly aim to back Moyes.

According to The Evening Standard, after West Ham failed to seal a place in the Premier League’s top six last season, it is believed that Moyes has a striker, central midfielder and left-back top of his priorities.

They’ve also been tipped to make Paris-Saint Germain loanee Alphonse Areola’s move a permanent one as veteran mainstay keeper Lukasz Fabianski enters the twilight phase of his career.

As well as this, Moyes has stepped up talks for Morocco international defender Nayef Aguerd, who has been described as a ‘key’ Moyes target.

The Latest: Romano shares Aguerd boost…

As the Hammers attempt a deal for Rennes’ star centre-half, big name reporter Romano has now shared a very promising update as Aguerd eyes a move to Rush Green.

He explained:

“West Ham are progressing in negotiations with Rennes to sign Nayef Aguerd as new centre-back. Talks ongoing with positive feelings, Aguerd wants the move – up to the clubs.

“West Ham are optimistic but still waiting to complete the agreement.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

Described as one of Ligue 1’s best defensive stars over 2021/2022, signing Aguerd for a mooted fee of £13 million could be one of the bargains of this window.

Still just 26-years-old, he has also been called an ‘excellent player’ by members of the French media (Said Amdaa), and his numbers tell the whole story.

The colossal powerhouse made more clearances per 90 than anyone in the Rennes squad, marking himself out as a reliable and assured presence (WhoScored).

It’s clear by his reputation and performances last year he could be a real potential asset for Moyes at West Ham.

In other news: Offer ready: West Ham leap ahead of European giants in race to sign £21m forward! Find out more here.