Tottenham Hotspur's new right wing-back Pedro Porro is quickly becoming one of the most popular members of the squad inside Hotspur Way.

What has Pedro Porro done so far at Spurs?

Since landing in north London, the Spanish wing-back has had to be patient for his opportunity in the starting XI with Emerson Royal impressing in recent months.

But the 23-year-old has begun to show signs of what he could bring Tottenham having provided his first assist for the club on the weekend.

And it seems as if the defender has not been sulking behind the scenes with Alasdair Gold suggesting he has quickly become a popular member of the side at Hotspur Way.

Not only has he earned the friendship of his teammates, but it also seems he has earned their trust on the pitch – none more so than with Harry Kane:

"He's very popular within the squad already. He's a bit like Sonny [Son Heung-min] – he's kind of always got a smile on his face and that immediately kind of brings him into the squad atmosphere and everyone seems to like him.

"I guess it's been about trying to adapt, blend in, get to know the other players, become this kind of member of the squad that they can trust with the ball, and you can see that; Harry Kane especially keeps looking for him with his passes."

What can Pedro Porro bring to this Spurs side?

Throughout the campaign, Spurs have struggled on the whole with a lack of attacking intent from their options at right wing-back which saw them make changes during the winter window.

Emerson has impressed lately, however, on the whole, the Brazilian does not provide much of an attacking threat in Antonio Conte's set-up.

Over the course of the Brazilian's 31 appearances in all competitions this season, he has only been able to provide a return of just two goals and one assist.

To put that into context, Porro has only made four appearances in the Premier League and he has already matched Emerson's assists return for the campaign.

In comparison, this season, Porro has provided significantly more crosses into the penalty area as well as returning almost double the amount of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (via FBref).

It has to be recognised Emerson could still provide Spurs with a useful option given he has proven to be sound defensively.

The Brazilian has offered just over double the number of tackles per 90 minutes in comparison to Porro this season, potentially offering Spurs an option for games they expect to be put under serious pressure.

But to have a player who is finally able to offer a real attacking threat has to be exciting for all at Spurs but most of all Kane who will be hoping for more crosses like the one for his opening goal on the weekend.

Aston Villa are heading in search of their third straight win in the Premier League as travel away from home to face West Ham United at the London Stadium.

Unai Emery’s side have beaten Crystal Palace and Everton, without conceding a goal, in their last two outings in the division, having lost their previous three matches.

They are up against a Hammers team who have lost their last two domestic fixtures and conceded a whopping seven goals in the process – against Manchester United and Brighton.

Should Jhon Duran start against West Ham?

David Moyes’ side have shown their defensive frailty in those two losses and Emery must pounce on that by finally unleashing January signing Jhon Duran from the start this afternoon.

Emi Buendia lined up behind Ollie Watkins in Villa’s last match and failed to make a big impact on the game. As per Sofascore, the Argentine international created one chance and had one shot, which was blocked, whilst losing nine of his 12 individual duels.

The maestro, who has scored four goals and failed to provide any assists in 25 Premier League matches, has not offered a consistent threat in the final third and bringing in another striker to partner Watkins could expose West Ham’s weakness at the back.

Duran has only featured as a substitute since arriving from Chicago Fire earlier this year but his form in the MLS in 2022 suggests that the potential is there for him to be a quality option for Emery to call upon.

The 19-year-old delivered eight goals and three assists in 14 MLS starts last year and earned himself three caps for Colombia’s senior side at international level.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as a “powerful” striker with an aerial “threat” and the youngster clearly used his physical attributes to become a reliable attacking outlet for his former team in America last term.

It is now down to the 6 foot 1 talent to prove himself in the Premier League and, to do that, Emery must offer him the chance to showcase his abilities against the Hammers today.

Pairing Duran with Watkins, who has scored five goals in his last six appearances in the division, could cause West Ham a lot of problems with their goalscoring potential, whereas Buendia has been far from prolific as an attacking midfielder. Therefore, the Villa boss must unleash the Colombian gem from the start and move the Argentine playmaker aside for this match.

Some Arsenal fans think that Reims rising star Folarin Balogun should replace Eddie Nketiah in the squad for next season.

The Lowdown: Balogun on fire

Balogun is enjoying a top season at Reims, on loan from the Gunners, with his goal against AS Monaco over the weekend his 16th in Ligue 1 so far.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano gave an update on his situation at Arsenal, saying that his future will be decided at the end of the season.

The Latest: Balogun over Nketiah?

Taking to Twitter, these Arsenal fans expressed their desire to keep Balogun for the next campaign, and move on Nketiah instead, with the pair unlikely to want to be a third-choice striker with Gabriel Jesus already at the North London club:

“Sell Nketiah ASAP and keep him.” – @LUIZ26407850

“Nketiah should be a little worried.” – @Wavyhair_Lemie

“How about keep him and send Nketiah packing?” – @beano24789

“He’s coming back! Definitely better than Nketiah.” – @fundraiser360

“About 10 levels better than Nketiah” – @GoonerTiliDie19

“Sell Nketiah, use Folarin simple maths” – @_shahidi_

The Verdict: Tough decision

It will no doubt be a tough decision for Mikel Arteta over which player to keep, given Balogun’s form but also his loyalty to Nketiah.

While Jesus has been injured, the latter has led the line well, scoring six goals and making one assist in total over all competitions since Christmas Day.

However, Balogun’s form in a major league is hard to ignore, and at just 21 years of age, he potentially has a higher ceiling than Nketiah, who turns 24 in May.

Everton suffered greatly under Frank Lampard, who despite being a personable and largely well-liked manager across Merseyside, was clearly not up to the monumental task this club presents.

It takes a very specific kind of manager to deal with the trials and tribulations of an outfit currently steeped in huge fan unrest, as alongside their undeniable devotion to supporting the team have come protests with regard to the board.

Sean Dyche, with his steely resolve and matter-of-fact personality, has already made it clear that he does not want to associate himself with politics; instead he has focused on changing the fortunes of a struggling side that seemed destined for the drop.

Adding another layer of solidity was his first port of call, as he opted to pack out the midfield in a divergence from the 4-4-2 everyone thought he would employ.

Given the lack of fit strikers at the club, the former Burnley boss has instead opted to use the physical prowess of Abdoulaye Doucoure to press alongside a sole forward, with his work rate making him the perfect mould for such a role. Given how the Mali international struggled in the first part of the season, he has been reignited under this new leadership.

How is Abdoulaye Doucoure playing?

Having been signed by Carlo Ancelotti, the £20m midfielder came with rave reviews from Watford as an offensive threat from the engine room with a physique that made him unlike few others in his position.

He could score and he could assist, but most importantly he boasted a work rate that rivalled most in the Premier League.

Whilst those first two assets have seldom been seen at Goodison Park, with only flashes of the French-born midfielder's goalscoring prowess across his three years at the club, it seems this new role has unlocked him offensively whilst he upholds the system with his pressing.

In the last three matches, the 30-year-old has scored twice and assisted two more, playing key roles in earning vital points on the road to fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest and a refreshed Chelsea.

He truly has been "reborn" under Dyche, as writer Peter Guy put it after they claimed a huge victory over the league leaders Arsenal.

To think that Doucoure nearly left in January too, as his feud with Lampard nearly reached breaking point. Before his sacking, the £120k-per-week dynamo had started just twice in all competitions under the former Chelsea man, yet he has now become an important cog in the system that seems to be slowly guiding them towards safety.

With an international break now on the horizon, it offers ample time for further teaching from the new boss who seems far more assured than his predecessor in keeping the Toffees in the division.

Crystal Palace could look at a move for Al-Ittihad manager Nuno Espirito Santo, according to The Daily Express’ Ryan Taylor.

The Lowdown: Vieira sacked

The Eagles officially parted ways with Patrick Vieira on Friday morning after a run of 11 games without a win in 2023. Wednesday’s Premier League defeat to rivals Brighton & Hove Albion proved to be Vieira’s final game in charge, with Steve Parish and co now on the hunt for his long-term replacement.

Palace have a trip to league leaders Arsenal to prepare for on Sunday afternoon, with backroom staff members Osian Roberts, Kristian Wilson and Said Aigoun also leaving the club.

The Latest: Nuno claim

Taylor shared a story for The Daily Express shortly after Vieira was sacked on Friday morning. He looked at five possible options to come in at Selhurst Park, one of which being Nuno. Taylor said:

‘Nuno was previously on the verge of being appointed Palace boss in June 2021 before a deal collapsed at the eleventh hour.

“The former Wolves manager is now working in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad but there is a sense he would be open to returning to the Premier League where he has a point to prove after being sacked by Tottenham in 2021 just months into his tenure.

“The Portuguese coach is renowned for playing a back-three, a system that was so effective as he guided Wolves to the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2019/20. Nuno’s contract in the Middle East is thought to contain a release clause though meaning Palace would have to reach for the chequebook if they were to agree terms with the 49-year-old.”

The Verdict: Good option?

Nuno has enjoyed a successful stint in Saudi Arabia so far, winning 11 of his last 12 games in charge of Al-Ittihad. He also has proven Premier League experience and was hailed by Gary Lineker for his “fabulous job” with Wolves, where he took them from the Championship to the Europa League.

The 49-year-old also likes to play a 4-2-3-1 system and has wins over high-flying Premier League managers like Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp on his CV. His record against Palace also stands at four wins from eight games, and you’d expect he would arrive in London full of confidence, should a move go through.

Therefore, he could prove to be a shrewd target by Palace chiefs, who you expect will want Vieira’s replacement brought in relatively quickly to work with the squad during the international break ahead of the run-in.

Football content creator and Newcastle United supporter Kendall Rowan has claimed that it would be ‘stupid’ of PIF to sign Scott McTominay this summer.

The Lowdown: Newcastle to make McTominay move

As per The Daily Telegraph, Newcastle are set to make a move for McTominay this summer, after already expressing an interest in him in the January transfer window.

Eddie Howe reportedly feels that McTominay has the physical attributes to succeed in his system, and McTominay is worried about his lack of game time at Old Trafford.

Indeed, the central midfielder has been limited to just Premier League, as he has seemingly fallen down the pecking order behind new signings Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bayern Munich loanee Marcel Sabitzer under new manager Erik ten Hag.

The Latest: McTominay move would be ‘stupid’

Taking to Twitter, Rowan, who has featured on Sky Sports’ The Overlap, has claimed that the St. James’ Park outfit would be ‘stupid’ to sign McTominay after hearing the news:

“I trust that my club isn’t stupid enough to sign Scott McTominay and that’s all I’ll say.”

The Verdict: Avoid at all costs

It is true that the North East club need to sign a new midfielder in the summer, having let Jonjo Shelvey move on to Nottingham Forest in the January transfer window, while both Matt Ritchie and Matty Longstaff’s contracts run out at the end of the season.

However, McTominay is not the answer, and would struggle to break into their starting line-up for next term.

The Scotland international has been criticised for his performances by Red Devils supporters in the past, while United midfield legend Roy Keane has even gone as far as to claim that he is ‘not good enough’ for the club.

With the Magpies only three points behind United in the Premier League table, having played the same number of games at this stage of the season, this would suggest that McTominay is also not the level-raiser that they would be looking for in order to help bolster their own midfield options.

McTominay ranks among the worst midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for a number of key metrics over the past year, including assists, xAG, shot-creating actions, passes attempted, progressive passes, progressive carries and interceptions made per game.

Nonetheless, United could demand a sizeable transfer fee for him by selling him to a Premier League rival, and so the Toon could be wasting a fair chunk of money if they decide to make the move.

Journalist Beren Cross has claimed that Leeds United manager Javi Gracia has an issue with Wilfried Gnonto after the Italian was subbed off in the most recent game

What’s the latest Willy Gnonto and Leeds?

In the Premier League this weekend, the Whites managed to pick up a vital win against relegation rivals Wolves in their fight to avoid the drop this season.

Indeed, in a thrilling match, goals from Jack Harrison, Luke Ayling, Rasmus Kristensen and Rodrigo gave Gracia and co a 4-2 win while two opposition players were also sent off.

At 61 minutes, Leeds were 2-0 up and Gnonto was impressing having already delivered a fine assist to help set up the opener. Even so, the winger was hooked by his manager with plenty of time left on the clock.

While speaking about it on a LeedsLive video stream, Cross suggested that the treatment is a little "strange" before claiming that Gracia doesn't seem to "quite fancy" the 19-year-old.

He said (18:51): “There's clearly something in Gnonto that he just doesn't quite fancy. I don't know what it is because for me, again that first goal is just typical Gnonto, that's what he brings to the team with the assist that he gave to Harrison.

“So it was strange but there's clearly something there in Gnonto that Gracia just doesn't quite fully like.”

Does Gracia have an issue with Gnonto at Leeds?

Under former manager Jesse Marsch, the youngster had managed to establish himself as a regular starter but under Gracia things have changed.

Indeed, the Italian had to settle for a role off the bench as a substitute in the last two Premier League games and was only trusted for about an hour in this most recent win.

Gnonto has done enough to earn himself a spot in his national team's squad for the upcoming international break – so he must be doing something right – but Gracia does seem hesitant to rely on him too much.

At such a young age, the 19-year-old still has plenty to learn and so perhaps his new manager is just trying to develop him carefully but it is odd that one of the club's best attacking players has suddenly been somewhat marginalised.

Fabrizio Romano has claimed Arsenal are still interested in signing Declan Rice this summer.

The Lowdown: Arsenal will look to strengthen in the summer

Earlier this year, Arsenal were credited as one of the frontrunners to make a move for Rice as he was seemingly interested in the Gunners’ project and what Mikel Arteta has been able to build at the Emirates Stadium.

Rice has long been linked with a move away from West Ham United,

with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea also said to be keen on the England international, but given they’ve recently signed Casemiro and Enzo Fernandez respectively, Arsenal could now be in pole position.

The Gunners could be on their way to lifting their first Premier League trophy since 2004 under Arsene Wenger, but to be continuously playing at the right end of the table for all of the top honours, including the Champions League, this squad will need to be improved upon in the transfer market.

The Latest: Rice will leave West Ham at the end of the season

Romano has been speaking about Rice’s future on his YouTube channel, where he confirmed the midfielder will be looking to leave this summer amid Arsenal’s continued interest in the star.

He said: “Many of you are always asking me about him, because I can confirm it’s true that many clubs still love Declan Rice; he is super appreciated on the market.

“Arsenal, internally, they really appreciate the player and discussed Declan Rice as one of the players they like in that position.

“At the moment, nothing has been discussed with West Ham, and a lot will depend on West Ham how much they will ask [for] in the summer.

“Summer 2023 is going to be the opportunity for Declan Rice to try something different.”

The Verdict: Arteta could land gem in Rice

If Arsenal were able to add someone of Rice’s experience, ability and pedigree in the game to their midfield alongside players such as Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka, it would be a monumental piece of business.

Rice is a very experienced midfield general despite his age, which can only be a good sign of what his potential could be for this Arsenal side thriving under Arteta compared to being part of a struggling West Ham outfit.

However, he certainly won’t come cheap, with David Moyes previously claiming that Rice would cost any potential suitor a British transfer record fee – and this would go well beyond the most Arsenal have ever paid for a single player, so this deal could test Edu’s resolve.

Journalist Charles Watts has expressed his disappointment at Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka after he suffered “brain freeze” and missed the chance to score a great goal this weekend.

What’s the latest on Granit Xhaka and Arsenal?

The Gunners cruised to a routine away win the Premier League on Sunday afternoon as they put three goals past Fulham inside one half to keep their lead at the very top of the division.

Indeed, Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring with a fine header before Gabriel Martinelli doubled Arsenal’s lead and then Martin Odegaard made it 3-0 before the break, and that was how things finished at the final whistle.

However, Mikel Arteta and his men could have won the game by a much greater margin and Xhaka could have got his name on the score sheet when a slick passing move saw Leandro Trossard tee him up with only Bernd Leno to beat.

However, Xhaka failed to cap off the brilliant attack as he lost composure and saw the ball simply hit his toe and roll into the goalkeeper's arms.

While speaking about it on his YouTube channel, Watts expressed his dismay, saying (2:19): "Such a shame Granit Xhaka didn't score that shot, just seemed to have a bit of a brain freeze when he went through.

"He didn't know if he should take a touch, or you shoot first time, and in the end kind of didn't either and the chance had gone. It would have been such a good goal, it's a real shame he didn't finish that off but a really fabulous performance from Arsenal.”

Has Xhaka scored more goals this season for Arsenal?

Xhaka has actually been able to deliver a lot more in an attacking sense this season. For instance, he has three league goals to his name this term which is as many as he had in the past three seasons combined.

On top of that, he also has five assists which is two more than the three yellow cards he has picked up in 27 games – proving just how his game has been adapted to play higher up the pitch and be more of a creator than a destroyer of late.

Even still, he hasn’t scored in 2023 so far and his potential rust in front of the net was on full display against Fulham as he just lacked that little bit of composure to finish what could have been one of the goals of the season.

Journalist Charlie Bennett is buzzing over the news that Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has been nominated for the Premier League’s POTM award.

The Lowdown: Isak nomination

As shared on the Premier League’s official Twitter page, Isak is one of six nominees for the Player of the Month (POTM) award for March, along with Brighton and Hove Albion’s Alexis Mac Allister, Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings, Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard.

The Sweden international scored two goals in his last match away at Nottingham Forest in the top flight last Friday, which came after a goal at home to Wolves in the previous game week, helping Newcastle win both in the process.

The Latest: Bennett buzzing

Taking to Twitter, Bennett has been left buzzing over the update, claiming that Isak’s nomination is ‘wholly deserved’:

“Alexander Isak nominated for PL player of the month. Wholly deserved. The frustrating – but equally exciting – thing is Newcastle fans have only seen glimpses of his quality.

“Immense quality. Imagine him at 26/27/28.”

The Verdict: Finding his feet

Isak is finally starting to find his feet at St. James’ Park since his club-record £63m move from Real Sociedad last summer.

The striker unfortunately missed a large chunk of the season with injury, but showed early signs of what he is capable of, scoring in two in his first three appearances for the club, including on his debut at Anfield against Liverpool.

Aside from his goals, Isak ranks in the top 11% of all forwards for a number of key metrics for forwards in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, including progressive carries, successful take-ons, touches and progressive passes received per game.

Nonetheless, if the Magpies want to give themselves the best chance of finishing in the top four and qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the next campaign, then they need to keep Isak fit.