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Amid what has been a season of real frustration for Tottenham Hotspur, the north London outfit were dealt yet another blow after suffering a 2-1 defeat away to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon, with Ryan Mason's men having been pegged back in their battle for European qualification.

That frustrating loss has ensured that the Lilywhites have now won just one of their last six Premier League games, with the interim appointment of that man Mason having failed to have the desired impact on an underperforming squad.

The 31-year-old will likely have been concerned over the lack of impact from his forward line, in particular, against Unai Emery's men as the likes of Heung-min Son and Richarlison made just 30 touches combined, with only talisman, Harry Kane restoring some credibility by converting late on from the penalty spot.

Even the England skipper – who now boasts a stellar haul of 27 league goals for the season – was not without blame for the defeat to the Villans, however, with the 29-year-old having squandered a gilt-edged chance to level things up just after the break after firing straight at Emi Martinez.

In truth, the "only real positive" to come from the trip to Villa Park – in the words of The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare – was the cameo outing of summer signing Yves Bissouma, with the Mali international having been a shining light on his first appearance since February.

How did Bissouma perform against Villa?

It has undoubtedly been a frustrating debut campaign for the 26-year-old in the capital due to his persistent injury woes, although the former Brighton and Hove Albion man showed flashes of just why the club splashed out around £25m to acquire his services back in June.

After replacing Oliver Skipp around the hour mark, Bissouma went on to make a strong impression in the closing stages having completed 30 of his 31 total passes as a marker of his ability in possession, while winning one of his two total duels to indicate his ball-winning prowess.

As football.london's Alasdair Gold noted, the £55k-per-week machine 'brought energy to the midfield' following his second-half introduction, having 'looked bright' on a day that many of those around him found life difficult.

That glowing praise was also corroborated by the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick, with the respected insider writing in his post-match player ratings pieces that the 6 foot rock was 'one of Spurs' better players', despite having been out of action over the last few months.

The hope will be that Bissouma can go on to make an even bigger impact over the coming games, before establishing himself as a key figure under whomever the permanent managerial appointment will be for next season.

Pat Cummins has been withdrawn from the Australia A squad for a series of winter games in Queensland, with Cricket Australia taking a cautious approach to his recovery from a stress fracture of the back

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2016Pat Cummins has been withdrawn from the Australia A squad for a series of winter games in Queensland, with Cricket Australia taking a cautious approach to his recovery from a stress fracture of the back.Cummins will instead target the Matador Cup at the start of the 2016-17 season for his return, which would make it more than a year between matches for Cummins after he suffered the injury during Australia’s ODI tour of England last September.At the time Cummins was announced in the squad for Australia A’s matches in July-August, national selector Rod Marsh said that while he was hopeful Cummins would be available, it would depend on the advice of medical staff.”Pat is going really well with his rehabilitation but is unlikely be ready to play at full match intensity during the Australia A tour,” Marsh said on Wednesday. “After discussions with Pat and the medical staff, we have decided to wait an extra month and look for him to return for New South Wales in the Matador Cup.”A long series of injuries have afflicted Cummins, now 23, since he was Man of the Match on his Test debut in Johannesburg in late 2011, and he has not played a Sheffield Shield game in the past five seasons.

Arsenal still have a good relationship with wonderkid Charlie Patino, despite the teenager's desire to leave the club in the summer transfer window, according to journalist David Ornstein.

What's going on with Arsenal and Patino?

The midfielder has spent the season on loan at Blackpool where, despite his side suffering relegation, he had a fairly productive first full senior campaign and made 36 appearances.

The Englishman was regarded as one of the best talents to ever come out of Arsenal's Hale End academy, but it seems that his potential will have to be fulfilled elsewhere as he has expressed his desire to leave.

Patino wants regular football next season, and does not want to head out on another loan spell. With Arsenal back in the Champions League, they cannot offer him the playing time he wants, and he is set to leave permanently.

Speaking on The Athletic Football Podcast (26.00), Ornstein revealed that the decision to leave has been seen as best for all parties, and Patino's relationship with Arsenal is far from broken.

"The conversations I've had suggested that the dialogue the discussions, the talks around the Patino situation have been amicable. It's not like there's a player desperate to go and a club standing in his way and wanting to stockpile him, and hoard this young homegrown talent who fans are pinning their hopes on and vice versa, there's a realisation and maturity in it that sometimes these situations occur," he stated.

"Let's be grown up about this, the fairytale doesn't always happen. Of course he would have been one of the next stars at Arsenal, but Arsenal look dramatically different to how they were looking when he was starting to emerge. And timing is a blessing or a curse, you know, right place at the right moments and wrong place at the right moment."

Are Arsenal and Patino making the right decision?

Arsenal have had a number of high-level talents emerge from Hale End in recent years including Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe, but there was a very different outlook at the club when they broke into the team.

When Arsenal were going through a tough period of low league finishes, talent emerging from the squad could flourish with less pressure, and Europa League football to get acquainted with the team.

Arsenal are now competing at the top of the table and will be in the Champions League next season. The level of the team has been raised, and even the likes of Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson are struggling for game time now.

Patino could have gone on another loan before attempting to join the squad in 2024, but his lack of patience when looking at an already young team competing at the top of the country may be justified, and a move to a club where he can play regularly could suit all parties well.

Manchester United will not look to bring in Wout Weghorst from Burnley on a long-term basis following his short-term loan deal at Old Trafford, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

What's the latest transfer news involving Wout Weghorst?

As per Lancs Live, Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has detailed that he will hold discussions with Weghorst over his future at Turf Moor at the end of this term.

Kompany said: “It’s a little bit difficult to have any discussions at all at the moment because we’re all in the cutting edge moments of the season. You think that those conversations could happen sooner, but in reality it’s difficult because you’re so focused on getting over the line with your goals.

“He has his goals, he wants United to be in the Champions League and he wants to win the FA Cup if possible. We have our own goals, we still want to get the trophy over the line, but the moments will happen and I’m looking forward to having that conversation.”

Football Insider have claimed that Manchester United have already decided that they won't be taking up the opportunity to sign Weghorst in the summer, with the Red Devils set to target an elite centre-forward in the forthcoming transfer window.

Weghorst was brought to Old Trafford on a loan basis from Burnley in January, in a deal that saw his temporary stay on loan at Besiktas terminated to facilitate the move.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist O'Rourke doesn't think that Manchester United will be willing to sign Weghorst on a permanent deal from Burnley.

O'Rourke said: "I think Manchester United aren't planning on signing Wout Weghorst on a permanent basis. It was a stop-gap move late in the last January transfer window just to fill the void following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.

"He's come in and done a decent job, but he hasn't scored enough goals. If he'd had scored more goals and maybe played better, there might have been a better chance of the deal becoming permanent."

Should Manchester United look to sign Wout Weghorst on a permanent deal?

By all means, Weghorst, who is "admired" by Ten Hag, has done a decent job leading the line for the Red Devils and has given Erik Ten Hag another option in attack; however, it looks unlikely that he will stay at Manchester United on a permanent basis.

Since arriving at Old Trafford, the Netherlands international has made 25 appearances in all competitions, registering two goals and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite his lack of goals, Weghorst has been an industrious presence in the Manchester United frontline, as per FBRef, ranking in the top 2% of forwards in Europe's top five divisions for making blocks, with an average of 1.34 per match per 90 minutes across the last 365 days.

Nevertheless, it looks as if Weghorst's stay at Manchester United may be short and sweet as Ten Hag looks to recruit a world-class striker ahead of 2023/24.

Tottenham Hotspur have seen plenty of names touted for take their vacant managerial hot seat, with interest from several big names given the magnitude of this job.

However, it is just that importance that makes this such an imperative signing for Daniel Levy. Having essentially failed in his last three appointments, with Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte all struggling to bring the success promised, surely the CEO must realise that it is time to take the club in a new direction.

Previously, the Lilywhites had earned success as the plucky underdog, rising through the ranks and shocking everyone. Although their status has been bolstered since those days under Mauricio Pochettino, that does not mean the club needs a complete shift in the philosophy that earned them steady progression.

Perhaps a lesser-known option could be the way to go; someone who is hungry for success and is keen to lead this club along their path.

Therefore, Levy must avoid making a common mistake: hiring the biggest name available.

With Luis Enrique continuing to be linked with the role, despite again falling into that category, it seems like the man making these big decisions might never learn his lesson.

How does Luis Enrique play?

With two stints as the Spanish national team boss succeeding his tenure at FC Barcelona, the 52-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the sport.

Enjoying fast, free-flowing football that relies upon a harsh vertical transition, his preferred 4-3-3 system could appeal to Spurs' current squad which is laden with pace on the counter. However, it is a similar method that Conte tried to employ, to little success, certainly not appealing to the fanbase.

Although the former Celta Vigo coach prefers a far more attractive branch of this philosophy, it still often surrenders the impetus that fans of the north London outfit have gone without for so long.

The shining light of Enrique's career thus far is undoubtedly the treble won with the Catalonian giants. Although this is an immeasurable feat, and not one to be downplayed, a front line of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar is sure to aid any push for the unprecedented.

Unfortunately for Levy, his current crop of players marks a stark downturn in quality.

American commentator Juan Arango, who has been featured on AppleTV and the Guardian, still maintained that the coach was "terrible" in his conduct too.

Having worked with the best, perhaps the Gijon-born tactician might not be suited to motivating a group that needs more than just a tactical shift to make them play. The squad needs gutting, replacing the dead wood to truly enact a mentality shift.

Enrique could well go on to achieve further success in the future, but for now, he falls alongside the likes of Conte and Mourinho in terms of stature.

Therefore, Levy cannot afford to repeat his old mistakes during this crossroads in the club's future.

Frank Lampard hasn’t exactly enjoyed the best of starts in his second stint as Chelsea manager, losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers and then to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in midweek.

A home tie against in-form Brighton and Hove Albion arguably comes at the wrong time for the interim boss, with the south coast side enjoying a wonderful season as they head into the weekend in seventh place in the Premier League table, four spaces above the Blues.

Madrid were dominant against the Stamford Bridge outfit and Lampard will almost certainly make changes ahead of the match today.

Centre-back Kalidou Koulialy will miss the next two matches due to injury and this means Lampard could revert his side from playing three at the back as he did against Madrid, to the four that he deployed against Wolves.

We at Football FanCast predict the Chelsea starting XI that will be looking to secure a crucial three points at Stamford Bridge.

What will Chelsea’s starting XI look like against Brighton?

4-3-3 – Kepa; James, Fofana, Badiashile, Chilwell; Fernandez, Mount, Kovacic; Sterling, Havertz, Felix

Kepa will retain his spot in the Chelsea goal and will be looking to keep his first clean sheet since the 0-0 draw against Liverpool.

Lampard will change the formation and utilise a back four against Brighton today due to Koulibaly’s absence. Reece James and Ben Chilwell will operate off the flanks, and Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile will form the partnership in the heart of the defence.

Despite N’Golo Kante returning in recent weeks, the “world-class” star – as dubbed by Lampard – will be given a rest this afternoon in the hope he can return against Madrid, with Mason Mount coming in for the Frenchman. The £80k-per-week star came off the bench against the La Liga side in midweek and having been dubbed a “mad player” by Rio Ferdinand, he will be hoping to impress from the start. Mateo Kovacic will complete the midfield trio.

Raheem Sterling will start on the right wing and Joao Felix will operate on the left as they will both be looking to add to their meagre tallies so far this term. Kai Havertz will once again be deployed through the middle, and having gone three league matches without a goal, today would be the perfect time to score the first goal of Lampard’s second spell.

Getting three points is a necessity for Chelsea, and Brighton will be sure to provide an extremely tough challenge.

Tottenham Hotspur winger Ivan Perisic wants to leave this summer and is eyeing a return to Inter Milan, according to a recent report from Tuttosport.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Harry Kane's future remains up in the air, and contract talks are not planned until the club hire a new head coach, putting the pressure on chairman Daniel Levy to appoint the right manager, with reports indicating the striker could be tempted to stay if Julian Nagelsmann is brought in.

In terms of incomings, Spurs are running the rule over some new defensive options from the Championship, with Swansea City's Nathan Wood being closely monitored, while they are also set to make a move for Birmingham City's Rico Browne. The Lilywhites may have to turn their attentions to bringing in a new option at left-wing back, as it has now been reported that Perisic wants to leave the club this summer.

According to Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), the Croatian is eyeing a move back to former club Inter Milan, having only left the Serie A side last summer in order to reunite with former Tottenham boss Antonio Conte.

Now that Conte is gone, the 34-year-old is keen on leaving, and the report stipulates that it is unlikely Spurs will block his departure, given that his contract is set to expire next summer. The Split-born winger may have to make a sacrifice if he is to seal a return to Inter, however, perhaps by spreading a year's salary over two seasons.

Should Tottenham let Ivan Perisic leave?

If the player himself has made his mind up, then Tottenham should not stand in his way, particularly given that he has failed to reach the heights expected of him when he arrived on a free transfer last June.

Hailed as "fantastic" by members of the media earlier this season, the £180k-per-week Croatia international has pitched in with seven assists in 29 Premier League appearances, which is a respectable total, but not exceptional, given his output in previous seasons.

When playing at wing-back, it is vital that players are able to pitch in with the defensive duties, but the former Inter Milan has been branded a "complete liability at the back" by the media, which has done Spurs' terrible defensive record no favours.

Given his age, Perisic would probably only have one more season in him at Tottenham anyway, and if he is keen to leave, then the club should not stand in his way.

Liverpool will host title challengers Arsenal this afternoon in their Premier League clash at Anfield and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his team can maintain their impeccable home record against the Gunners.

The Easter Sunday showdown will see the league leaders travel to the stadium they haven't won at since 2012, while for their own sakes, Liverpool will be desperate to put a dent in the Gunners' title dreams to earn themselves three points in their pursuit to keep their outside chance of securing a Champions League qualifying spot at the end of the season alive.

The Reds are currently 13 points adrift of fourth-place Newcastle United going into their game with Arsenal and with only ten games remaining to close the gap, there will be no room for error over the coming weeks ahead.

Klopp made a number of changes to the team that pulled off a well-fought stalemate with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge earlier this week, with Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson notably missing in an effort to refresh the team following a string of disappointing performances.

However, when Mikel Arteta's phenomenally in-form side make the trip to Merseyside this weekend, the Liverpool boss won't have the luxury of dropping his most experienced players and will need them in their best condition to take on the tenacious Gunners.

One player who did feature in the Chelsea clash and should retain his spot against Arsenal is Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino, whose incredible record against the side is well-known by both the Anfield faithful and supporters of the North London club.

Will Roberto Firmino start vs Arsenal?

The £180k-per-week Liverpool star has been integral to their multiple successes and has confirmed that he will not be extending his stay at Anfield when his contract expires in the summer, so one last opportunity to punish Arsenal is the least he deserves for his incredible service over the years.

Firmino has tallied up 17 appearances against the Gunners, netting ten goals and registering three assists, with only three defeats and a whopping nine victories over them, easily becoming Liverpool's most productive talisman and scores for fun when it comes to their meetings.

Not only that, the 31-year-old goal machine is currently the club's third highest goalscorer despite a troubling season, with ten goals and five assists in all competitions, as well as a better conversion rate (30%) and shot accuracy (76%) than any other Liverpool player who has scored a goal so far.

Firmino has been lavished with praise over his tenure at Anfield and talkSPORT's Darren Ambrose reserved huge compliments for the player upon the confirmation that he will leave at the end of the season:

“Does he go down as a Liverpool legend? Absolutely, 100 per cent!

“For a player who has won that many trophies, scored that many goals and has been very self-sacrificial for the team.

“It’s the end of an era at Liverpool. It was the end of an era when Mane left, really, but it’s a real end of an era now because Firmino is leaving too.”

With that being said, there is no doubt that Firmino should be in the starting eleven this afternoon as it would be a phenomenal way to see out his final weeks at Anfield by scoring even more goals against Arsenal.

Newcastle United "have watched" Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone ahead of a potential summer transfer swoop, according to journalist Jacque Talbot.

Which midfielders are Newcastle interested in signing?

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe is keen to strengthen in midfield this summer, with it recently being reported they are still interested in signing Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, who scored four goals in Scotland's two most recent Euro 2024 qualifiers.

Kalvin Phillips is also an option for the Magpies, and Manchester City would not stand in his way if he were to express a desire to leave this summer, meaning he could be available on an initial loan, with a view to a permanent deal.

Having been linked to Marcus Thuram for quite some time, the Athletic's Chris Waugh has also claimed Newcastle are interested in his younger brother, Khephren, who is being targeted by Premier League rivals Liverpool.

In an interview with NUFC Blog, Talbot spoke about another Newcastle target, Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kone.

The journalist said: “Interestingly, The Athletic reported Newcastle have been looking in France and Germany at central midfielders, but didn’t reveal who. This brings me onto Manu Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach. He’s another Newcastle have watched who is likely to leave this summer at around the £40m mark.

“Again Liverpool are also keen – but talks have not developed since late last year. Both he and Thuram have been tipped to become future stars who would come in for a minimal cost, especially when you look at the likes of Jude Bellingham, who is likely to demand £120m.”

Would Kone be a good signing for Newcastle?

Football scout Jacek Kulig lauded the central midfielder for his performance against Bayern Munich earlier this season, describing him as a "one man army in midfield" after winning a remarkable 14/19 duels. Not only is the Frenchman gifted at winning back possession, but he is also a very good dribbler of the ball, ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, averaging 2.17.

Newcastle are already well-stocked in central midfield, with Howe having the likes of Joe Willock, Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff to choose from, however Kone would still be a welcome addition, having proven himself in the Bundesliga.

At just 21-years-old, the starlet has already established himself as a key player for Monchengladbach, making 25 appearances this season, and he is ready to take the next step in his career.

YouTuber Mark Goldbridge has been left extremely excited after seeing Manchester United be linked with a possible summer transfer for Jude Bellingham.

What's the latest on Jude Bellingham and Man Utd?

It seems as though the Red Devils will inevitably be linked with a number of top talents from across the globe in the upcoming window as Erik ten Hag looks to further evolve his squad.

And Bellingham is one player likely to be wanted by a number of big clubs this summer. However, in a new update from David Ornstein, it was revealed that Liverpool are "increasingly unlikely" to land the Borussia Dortmund star.

The Reds were an expected destination for the midfielder but if Jurgen Klopp's men are out of the race, this could open the door for the Red Devils.

After all, ESPN recently reported interest in the player and this seems to have left Goldbridge hoping for the best.

Indeed, while speaking on The United Stand, he said: “That is absolutely perfect for Manchester United.

"He is exactly the sort of player that you would want. He can play the Casemiro role, but realistically he would be the [Christian] Eriksen player.

“He'd be the box to box. But imagine what somebody… I mean, how old is Jude Bellingham now? It felt like it was about 17 for years, but you know, is he 20? Is he 21? Is he 19?

"The reality is, he's young. You can't say he can't play the Casemiro role because if Erik ten Hag got ahold of him, imagine what he could do with him. He could turn him into a bloody right-back for all we know.

"But I mean, what a player Bellingham is. He’s got the lot."

Could Bellingham replace Eriksen at Man Utd?

Eriksen has made a pretty good impact in his debut season with the Red Devils, providing seven league assists and one goal in his first 19 outings.

However, ankle injury has prevented him from playing since February and serves as a reminder that the club can't be over-reliant on the 31-year-old in the long term.

Bellingham, on the other hand, would be a signing to bolster the Man Utd midfielder for the future. The teenager is still only 19 years old but already has 168 senior club appearances to his name with Dortmund and Birmingham before that – not to mention 22 caps with England.

With that in mind, it's not hard to see why Goldbridge is excited about this possible deal but even with Liverpool potentially out of the running, a transfer won't be easy with Real Madrid and Manchester City tipped as the more likely destinations.