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Referee Paul Tierney and the VAR officials may well have made a big mistake late on in the recent Leeds United draw after they failed to award a penalty for a challenge on Rodrigo.

What’s the latest on the possible Leeds penalty?

On Saturday afternoon in the Premier League, the Whites played host to Brighton and Hove Albion as they looked to pick up a positive result amid their relegation fears.

In the end, one goal from Patrick Bamford and another from Jack Harrison (who had scored an own goal to put the Seagulls ahead) was enough to see Javi Gracia and his new side pick up a point in a 2-2 draw.

However, with the scores still level and just minutes left on the clock, Rodrigo burst into the Brighton box and appeared to be fouled by Adam Webster who slid in to clear the ball.

The referee played on but this footage suggests it probably should have been a foul.

Did Rodrigo deserve a penalty for Leeds against Brighton?

It’s clear to see that Joel Veltman comes in to help win the ball and he makes his challenge cleanly. This may be why referee Tierney allowed play to go on as if there was no foul

Despite that, though, Webster also made a tackle and appears to take Rodrigo out with plenty of contact before he gets any kind of touch on the ball.

It feels like one of those decisions where if the referee had given a penalty, VAR wouldn’t have overturned it. However, the officials didn’t feel it was a bad enough mistake for Tierney to then review his call at the monitor.

In the end, that penalty shout went ignored and so Leeds had to settle for just a point when they could have stolen all three right at the death. As they sit inside the relegation zone, they’ll be hoping this key call doesn’t come back to haunt them at the end of the season.

When Arsenal sold Konstantinos Mavropanos to German Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart last summer, following a sequence of loan spells, the endearing Gunners support barely batted an eyelid, but given his recent exploits following his failed stint in north London, there must be a few rueful gazes cast towards the failure to unlock the potential of the dynamic defender.

Having signed Mavropanos for just £2m from Greek outfit PAS Giannina in 2018, the centre-back only went on to make eight appearances for his former side before being shipped out on loan to FC Nurnberg and Stuttgart, with the latter tying down a permanent deal for the ace last summer, worth about £3.5m.

How is Konstantinos Mavropanos getting on now?

According to CIES Football Observatory, the 6 foot 4 colossus is valued at about £18m right now, and given the likes of West Ham United were interested in pursuing a deal for the player at roughly this fee last year, it is clear that he is blossoming into one of the shrewder options on the market.

Arsenal are currently the Premier League’s table-toppers, and the established central defensive pairing of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba would take some usurping, but Mavropanos possesses all the acumen to forge a way into manager Mikel Arteta’s plans, and his sale can only be deemed premature.

While hindsight is a wonderful thing, the Gunners board must be kicking themselves for not offering the stage to Mavropanos for a second shot at the Emirates, given his steady ascension towards prominence over the three years spent out on loan in Germany.

As per FBref, the Greek giant ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs for total shots, 6% for shot-creating actions, 1% for successful take-ons and 2% for interceptions per 90, and this remarkable, spherical scope of his skill set proves that he exemplifies the traits desired for the perfect modern-day defender.

Once praised for his “exuberance” and hailed as “fearless” by Gunners legend Ian Wright, the 25-year-old titan has recorded an exemplary average league rating this term of 7.39, as per Sofascore, and given Stuttgart teeter just two points away from the bottom two of the division, it is an ominous thought to consider where they might be situated had Mavropanos’ loan deal not been made permanent last year.

Having scored two goals and one assist, completing 82% of his passes and averaging 0.5 key passes per match, also demonstrating his defensive aptitude with 3.4 clearances and 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game, the £22k-per-week gem embodies the ball-playing and all-encompassing nature that Arteta demands.

While Arsenal are firing at full-throttle right now, chasing Premier League glory and in the last-16 of the Europa League, the addition of a dynamic centre-back such as Mavropanos could be the perfect solution to battling across multiple fronts, and given his current transfer value – which will ostensibly continue to rise as he forges further laudable displays – Edu made a big blunder on this particular ace.

Newcastle United were forced to settle for just a point in a goalless draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the Premier League last weekend.

The Magpies have now drawn three of their last four Premier League matches 0-0 and Eddie Howe may be concerned by the recent struggles his team has had in the final third.

Dan Ashworth and the Toon head coach could now use the remaining days left in the January transfer window to bring in attacking reinforcements in order to bolster the side’s chances of retaining their place in the top four for the rest of the season.

Howe has been forced to rely on underperforming players off the bench at times due to the lack of quality in depth in his current options at the top end of the pitch.

Jacob Murphy was brought on as a substitute in all three of the 0-0 draws and was unable to be a difference-maker for the side, which came as no shock given his record in the Premier League.

The former Norwich attacker has produced five goals and eight assists in 113 top-flight appearances in his career and has been directly involved in two goals in the current campaign – starting five matches and coming off the bench in 15.

Quite simply, the Englishman has not proven that he has the quality to come on and win games for the club and that is why bringing in a new attacker could improve the team.

One player who could come in as an upgrade on Murphy out wide is Chelsea forward Hakim Ziyech. Journalist Ben Jacobs recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Magpies are one of the clubs who have “looked” at a potential deal to sign the 29-year-old wizard, whilst admitting that the winger “could” still leave Stamford Bridge before the end of the month.

The dynamo, who has been capped 50 times by Morocco, has never been a regular for the Blues, with no more than 23 Premier League appearances in a single campaign, but has shown flashes of quality with six goals and seven assists in 33 top-flight starts since joining the London club.

Ziyech, who was dubbed a “magician” by both former Chelsea TV employee Jake Heasman and journalist Peter Hall, arrived in England after a phenomenal spell for Ajax. He scored 49 goals and assisted 81 in 165 matches in all competitions for the Dutch giants as he produced goal contributions on a regular basis.

Newcastle could now find the upgrade on Murphy that could elevate their attack, off the bench and from the start, by bringing the Moroccan international in and helping him to rediscover his best form in the final third.

West Ham have been credited with an interest in Stoke City defender Harry Souttar recently and the Australian centre-back could be the ideal man to replace Craig Dawson should he depart the London Stadium this month.

According to the Daily Record, West Ham, Wolves and Leicester City are all keen on signing the 24-year-old after his standout performances at the World Cup in Qatar, although it is currently Brendan Rodgers’ side who are said to be leading the race for the £25m-valued star.

The Scottish-born centre-back made his return from an ACL injury to join up with Graham Arnold’s side at the World Cup recently and played a huge part in the Socceroos reaching the round of 16, where they were defeated by eventual winners Argentina.

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell was full of praise for Souttar’s performances, with WhoScored also ranking him as the top performer in Australia’s squad, after helping them to wins and clean sheets against Tunisia and Denmark in the group stages.

Campbell said: “Big Harry Souttar. An absolute monster of a defender. Huge, quick, can head it and is also fairly comfortable on the ball.”

David Moyes may soon be in need of a defender with these qualities, as reports suggest that Dawson could leave West Ham this month having come close to an exit during the summer, as the 32-year-old seeks a move north to be closer to his family.

While the experienced defender has established himself as something of a club icon in his spell at the London Stadium, playing a huge part in their success in the Premier League and the Europa League last season, he was perhaps always likely to be on the periphery of Moyes’ squad following the summer addition of Nayef Aguerd.

Standing at 6 foot 6, Souttar could be the ideal man to replace Dawson’s aerial threat, with WhoScored suggesting that both players excel at aerial duels, while the Australia international’s superb record of six goals in 14 caps suggests that he could be equally dangerous from set pieces.

Throughout their respective careers, the Aussie has won a whopping 5.1 aerial battles per game compared to the Irons defender’s record of 3.3. In that regard, therefore, sporting director Mark Noble could even source the coaching staff an ugprade.

Moyes will definitely need more depth at the back if Dawson leaves and therefore he should look to Souttar as his replacement, as all the signs suggest that he is simply a younger, quicker and taller version of the former West Brom and Watford star.

Everton have been knocked out of the FA Cup for 2023 after losing 3-1 to Manchester United at Old Trafford, and Frank Lampard will certainly be feeling the pressure after another defeat.

The Toffees are currently 18th in the Premier League and facing another difficult relegation scrap, while also being knocked out of both domestic cups at an early juncture.

Although Everton have suffered another setback in their campaign, they definitely brought a game to their northwest rivals, with 42% possession and five shots on target while also recording more tackles, clearances and successful duels than their hosts over the course of the night in an end-to-end display.

In the first half, United took the lead early on when Antony was assisted by Marcus Rashford in the fourth minute, although it was quickly followed up with an equaliser from Conor Coady after an epic goalkeeping blunder sent De Gea searching for the ball.

In the second half, the two teams came out with aggression and a fight to finish off the clash in their own favour. Coady found the net again but unfortunately it was at the wrong end as Marcus Rashford tried his luck against the Everton defence, giving United the lead.

Although Dominic Calvert-Lewin thought he had equalised in the 74th minute in a seemingly well-worked attacking play between the striker and Demarai Gray, it was stricken off by VAR due to the latter running offside when making his run into the final third.

The game was eventually put to bed when Rashford converted the hosts’ third and final goal after Alejandro Garnacho was brought down in the penalty box, ending the game with another disappointing defeat but a lot for Lampard to reflect upon as the players put up a fight throughout to stay in contention.

One player who let his manager down badly on the night, though, was defender Ben Godfrey, who failed to replicate the heroics he displayed against Erling Haaland in the Premier League last weekend.

The centre-back played the full 90 minutes at Old Trafford and was at fault for two of the three goals, whilst also showing some poor touches in possession.

He allowed Rashford to breeze past him with ease for the opening goal and failed to catch up with the winger in time to block the cross, which ended up at Antony’s feet for a tap-in. The former Norwich man then tripped Garnacho in the 96th minute and allowed United to kill off the game with the third and final goal from the penalty spot.

As per Sofascore, he lost five of his eight individual duels (63%), and this suggests that he was off the pace as the opposition forwards were able to get the better of him more often than not.

Godfrey also struggled on the ball as he gifted possession back to the hosts 12 times from 44 touches – the same number of touches as Jordan Pickford on the night – and only completed 77% of his attempted passes, as per Sofascore.

Therefore, the 24-year-old let Lampard down badly as he put in a weak performance at the back which ultimately cost his side a place in the FA Cup fourth round.

Tottenham Hotspur forward Son Heung-Min’s performances have now started to concern pundit and Lilywhites fan John Wenham, after another poor display against Aston Villa.

The Lowdown: Son’s poor start

Son has scored three goals in 15 Premier League appearances so far this season, and all of them came in one match, during the 6-2 victory against Leicester City back in September.

This is a huge drop off from the level that the South Korean was at last season, finishing level on goals with Mohamed Salah as the top scorer in the division, with 23, and he has now been the subject of criticism for his subpar displays.

The Latest: Wenham reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, Spurs ‘expert’ Wenham detailed his frustration with the 30-year-old’s recent form:

“Son’s lack of form is a real concern now.

“He was horrendous against Aston Villa. I love Sonny to bits as a player, and I always have but he was absolutely horrendous.

“Nothing can go right for him. He has still only scored in one league game, that hattrick against Leicester.

“We are talking about a player who won the golden boot last year with 23 league goals. He looks so far off it this season.

“He ripped off his protective mask in angst against Villa and don’t know if that was to gee him up or something.

“He was really, really poor. His passing was horrendous. He offered no pressing from the front as well. It is just not good enough from him and it’s a real shame because we need him.”

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The Verdict: Must improve

Lauded as a ‘special player’ by former Liverpool man Daniel Sturridge, Son has been nothing short of fantastic for Spurs since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, scoring a remarkable 136 goals in 346 appearances.

However, the 108-time South Korea international is currently enduring one of his only real dips in form since joining the club, and he has now not contributed either a goal or an assist in his last eight matches at club level.

If Antonio Conte’s side are to stand any chance of finishing in the top four once again, the Italian needs his best players to perform, and so he will be hoping that the forward puts in an improved performance against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

QPR were linked with Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer during the summer and now that Neil Critchley has arrived at Loftus Road, the Hoops may hold an advantage in any January negotiations.

After Archer impressed on loan with Preston North End last season, hitting seven goals for the Lilywhites in the second half of the Championship campaign, as well as four goals in four games for England U21s, he had a number of suitors including QPR during the summer.

It was even suggested that the Hoops were the favourites to bring in the 21-year-old earlier this year due to their Michael Beale connection but in the end, Steven Gerrard decided to keep him at the club.

However, he has struggled for regular game time under both Gerrard and new manager Unai Emery, making just seven substitute appearances in all competitions this season, which suggests that he could be available on loan when the transfer window re-opens next month.

Considering QPR have managed just one goal in their last six Championship fixtures, it seems clear that Critchley needs some added firepower in January, and he may be able to use his Aston Villa connections to finally bring the promising youngster to Loftus Road.

The former Blackpool boss will have worked closely with Archer during his spell as Aston Villa assistant manager, which might just hand the Hoops an advantage in what is likely to be a fiercely-contested transfer race to sign the striker.

During his time at Preston last season, the Villa youngster earned a lot of praise from manager Ryan Lowe.

He said: “Cameron has got an abundance of talent.

“It is getting him in the right places, I don’t want him coming short all the time, I want him to be on the shoulder, sniffing around, being proactive, not reactive.

“His quality levels are fantastic, he’s bullish, strong, he can roll, he has got that little burst of pace too.”

If the Hoops are going to get their promotion hopes back on track under Critchley, it seems clear that they need more quality in attack, and a statement loan signing such as Archer would certainly do the trick.

Whether Liverpool dip into the market this winter will emerge from obscurity in the coming weeks, but if they do, the centre of the park simply must be the target. 

What’s the word?

With high-profile names such as Jude Bellingham and Enzo Fernandez flying around like litter in a storm, it is easy to forget that there are some shrewd signings just waiting around the corner, with Liverpool known for making calculated, composed swoops under boss Jurgen Klopp’s tutelage.

Sheffield United’s Sander Berge is one such name that may find itself etched into the Anfield dressing room shortly, with French publication Jeunes Footeux reporting that the Reds are among the train of top European outfits vying for his signature. 

The piece continues to state that Sporting Director Julian Ward will contest against Chelsea for Berge, touted at around £17m, with both teams likely enticed by the relatively low fee and the player’s robust presence in the midfield, with Premier League-proven experience. 

Henderson 2.0

Taking a leaf from their own book, Liverpool could continue the trend of signing domestic talents and churning them through their machine to raise the gear on their performance. 

One signing bearing semblance to the prospective transfer is the deal for current Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.

Signing the 20-year-old Henderson from Sunderland in 2011, for a reported £20m, the rest, as they say, is history, with the former Black Cat going on to win eight honours for the Reds, including the Premier League and the Champions League. 

Still yet to reach the midpoint of his twenties, Berge would arrive slightly later in his footballing epoch, but with bundles of potential still yet to be unravelled.

At 24 years old, he has already tasted European football with Genk, while suffering the bitter taste of relegation with the Blades more recently, although Klopp’s past swoops for relegated players such as Gini Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri worked out somewhat well, to say the least. 

Berge has made 80 appearances for United, scoring 11 goals and assisting a further nine, demonstrating a tendency to find success on the forward front while not neglecting his defensive and deep-lying playmaking duties, much like Henderson, that have earned him the interest from such prominent suitors. 

Playing in the Championship with the high-flying Blades, the 32-cap Norway international ranks within the top 5% for dribbles completed, 3% for touches in the opposing penalty box and 4% for non-penalty goals when compared to midfielders across Europe’s ‘next eight’ leagues, as per FBref.

Hailed as a “Rolls-Royce” by teammate Rhian Brewster, Berge is capable of stepping back into the Premier League and starring for a top side, with his dip into the Championship after his reported £22m move a real testament to his strength, resilience and conduct, a triad of tests passed with flying colours. 

Taking Henderson’s baton, Berge could assume the role the 74-cap England international currently plays in the team, slowly integrating into the fray and becoming a new figure capable of taking over and leading Liverpool toward a new era of glory.

Whether the midfield maestro finds himself at the centre of a concrete transfer offer in the near future will indeed remain to be seen, but with such excellent consistent performances that go in tandem with the Blades’ surge to second place in the Championship, a deal may yet be forged as the door soon opens for the winter transfer window.

Leeds United’s push to return to the Premier League in 2020 created plenty of heroes at Elland Road, as they finally crawled out of the Championship and back to the big time since 2004.

Whilst Marcelo Bielsa was lauded as a legend in Yorkshire, there was a solid spine to the side that ensured their dominance resulted in a title win.

Patrick Bamford excelled with his goalscoring exploits, whilst Kalvin Phillips held down the midfield with poise and power.

However, loanee Ben White was the true rock that underpinned their defence success. In that campaign, they conceded just 35 goals throughout the 46-game season.

A Brighton & Hove Albion player, his presence in the Whites’ side was always to be short-lived, although fans quickly fell in love with him.

This love developed into a long transfer saga, when the Seagulls slapped a huge price tag on the English defender knowing his stock was at its highest.

Victor Orta would not budge on his own valuation, however, and after playing a season at the Amex White was later sold to Arsenal for a whopping £50m fee.

And, despite a somewhat shaky start last season, this campaign has seen White earn huge acclaim as he has deputised across the whole back line for Mikel Arteta’s sensational new-look Gunners.

Finding his main place at right-back, he gives a huge solidity that has seen his side concede only ten goals in the Premier League this season as they sit top of the tree.

The £120k-per-week stalwart was laughed at for his initial price tag yet has somehow managed to turn himself into a bargain.

He ranks in the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 17% for progressive carries of centre-backs in Europe’s big five leagues, outlining him as a fine ball-playing defender who can get stuck in too.

This is proven in his average of 2.4 tackles and 1.6 clearances per Premier League game so far this season. The 24-year-old perfectly pairs finesse with the attributes that saw him labelled “solid” by journalist Clint Smith.

Leeds will be kicking themselves that they didn’t just fork over whatever Brighton wanted now, given how he has gone on to be at the core of a title-chasing defence.

Wolverhampton Wanderers slipped to their third Premier League defeat of the season as Manchester City emerged from Molineux with all three points on Saturday.

The writing was on the wall the moment Jack Grealish put the visitors ahead before a minute was even on the clock and it means Wolves have scored just three goals in the league this term.

Despite their goalscoring woes continuing, Bruno Lage might have to make a decision regarding his midfield, with Joao Moutinho failing to have the same level of influence on matches this season.

Following the defeat, Ian Whittell from the Daily Mail gave the £100k-per-week Wolves midfielder a rating of just 6/10 following the encounter, stating the following of his below-par display:

“Wasted a couple of free-kicks just outside the City area and while there was no questioning his work rate, he only occasionally posed a threat.”

The international break means there will be no Premier League football for nearly two weeks, but Lage must surely unleash a new signing in the first match back.

On the chalkboard

Malian midfielder Boubacar Traore arrived at Wolves in the summer on a season-long loan from French club Metz, with Lage holding the option to make the move permanent if specific clauses are activated.

The 21-year-old has been a largely peripheral figure until Saturday when he came off the bench and played the remaining 20 minutes against Man City.

This brief spell on the pitch proved why Lage brought him to England in the first place. He received a rating of 7/10 on SofaScore, the second highest on the Wolves’ side behind Ruben Neves (7.2).

Furthermore, Traore won both of his ground duels, made two tackles and one interception, as well blocking one shot.

The youngster appeared as though he didn’t let the occasion get to him and looked comfortable alongside Matheus Nunes and Neves in the midfield three.

With Moutinho just turning 36, it’s clear he might not have long left at the highest level, and blooding Traore in sooner rather than later could make Lage’s life a lot easier.

The Mali international offers a lot more than defensive protection, however, with Liam Henshaw previously describing Traore as a “dribbling machine”. Indeed, with the player ranking in the 88th percentile for dribbles completed (1.29 per match) compared to positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues, the praise is justified.

Lage’s experiment worked on Saturday by introducing the player when there was no pressure, perhaps it’s time to unleash him from the start and nurture his true potential in place of Moutinho.