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Leeds United desperately rescued a replay from the jaws of defeat in what would have been yet another shock FA Cup third-round exit as Sonny Perkins scored a 93rd-minute equaliser against Cardiff City.

The 20th-placed and lowest-scoring side in the Championship bagged two goals inside seven first-half minutes to send the Whites in at the break to a chorus of boos.

Jesse Marsch waited until the hour mark to make any sort of change to his woeful-looking starting XI and those tweaks may have just swung the game in their favour, with Rodrigo making a massive impact by scoring just five minutes later.

He did go onto miss a penalty but another substitute in Perkins saved the day in the dying embers.

Whilst the American did rotate a bulk of his usual starters, there were still several key names featuring from the off, if not a few players that needed to prove their worth.

Junior Firpo was one that was handed a rare opportunity and perhaps he received some unfair slack as he not only won the penalty with his neat footwork but he also assisted the all-important equaliser. The ex-Barcelona ace did look rusty but he’s hardly played since last season.

The performance from his defensive counterpart Diego Llorente was far, far worse.

The Spaniard, who only signed a new £45k-per-week contract a few weeks ago, was arguably at fault for both of the Bluebirds’ goals, with LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross lambasting him for ‘ball-watching’ and being ‘sloppy.’

Similarly, Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post described it as “desperately poor defending” from the 29-year-old.

Elsewhere, BBC journalist Pete Allison and CBS Sports’ Jake Winderman were even more scathing, with the former suggesting that he was “terrified” of Cardiff and the latter claiming that the defence looked “even worse than usual” because of Llorente, who was an “absolute joke.”

What makes the performance even worse was the fact that Llorente had plenty of involvement in Leeds’ game, registering a whopping 104 touches of the ball, which was the second-most in the game, via Sofascore.

The £18m signing from Real Sociedad did manage to put in three interceptions, win one tackle and dominate in his duels with 100% of them being won but it’s hard to overlook just how poor he was with the eye test, being unable to stop two attacks from second-tier opposition that hardly looked threatening.

As such, Llorente will do well to keep his place in the starting XI when they head to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Friday night.

AND in other news, Marsch could finally ditch Forshaw in Leeds deal for “powerful” 21 y/o titan…

Edu Gaspar looks set to be a busy man for Arsenal this month as he aims to bring in a couple of new players in order to give manager Mikel Arteta the boost that could see the North London side claim their first Premier League title since 2004 this season.

The club are still firmly in the hunt for Ukrainian sensation Mykhaylo Mudryk, according to Fabrizio Romano, while adding another midfielder and a forward to replace Gabriel Jesus – who suffered an injury at the World Cup – are also the main areas that need to be strengthened.

With just 18 days left of the transfer window, Arsenal have yet to add to their squad, but according to talkSPORT correspondent Alex Crook, the club are “monitoring” Brighton and Hove Albion star Leandro Trossard ahead of a potential move this month.

The 28-year-old is under contract until 2024 after Brighton triggered a year’s option and therefore it remains to be seen just how much they would want for the player.

Gabriel Martinelli 2.0

The £40k-per-week star can play either on the left wing or as an attacking midfielder and he is also statistically similar to current Arsenal winger Martinelli. Given the Brazilian’s excellent form this season which has seen him register ten goal contributions, it isn’t a bad comparison to have.

According to FBref, Martinelli is the eighth-most similar player to Trossard across Europe’s main leagues and he could certainly be a worthwhile addition to Arteta’s squad.

This season, the two wingers have registered similar statistics when it comes to goals (both seven), shots on target per match (1.16 to 1.06), goal-creating actions (11 to eight), and shot-creating actions per game (4.04 to 3.42).

Both players clearly provide an excellent attacking threat from a wide position and always find themselves in the correct positions to score as many goals as possible.

Trossard has scored 25 Premier League goals since joining Brighton in 2019 and therefore could be a solid alternative to Mudryk if that move doesn’t materialise.

The 28-year-old dynamo knows how to shine on the big occasion too, netting a hattrick against Liverpool earlier this season and his attacking stats are excellent.

He averages 1.1 shots on target and 1.5 key passes per match while the winger has also created a further big chance and with a Sofascore rating of 7.10/10, he ranks as Brighton’s fifth-best performer in the league this season.

Dubbed a “game-changing talent” by journalist Sam McGuire as he joined the Seagulls, he has certainly lived up to that praise and if he made the move to Arsenal, he could become Arteta’s next Martinelli.

Wolverhampton Wanderers would be open to the possibility of allowing their summer signing, Goncalo Guedes, to leave the club this month.

What’s the latest?

Things seem to be on the up for Wolves now with Julen Lopetegui at the helm and results taking an upturn since the Spaniard’s arrival.

And the Wanderers are making a splash in the January transfer window having already brought in two new faces and spent considerably on Matheus Cunha and Mario Lemina.

However, it seems one player is intent on getting away from Molineux this month despite the turn of events for the better under Lopetegui.

According to TalkSport’s Alex Crook, the winger is said to be hankering for an exit in the coming weeks and Wolves would not stand in his way:

“They’ll need to clear on some players and one of them actually I touched on this in my transfer notebook on the TalkSport website could be Goncalo Guedes.

“Only arrived in the summer, hasn’t really adapted yet to life in the Premier League, and it looks like he might be hankering for a move.

“I’m told that Wolves would be quite willing to move him on. So that’s a deal from the summer that hasn’t really worked out.”

Not hanging about

Guedes only signed for Wolves in August after making the move from La Liga side Valencia in a deal which is believed to be worth in the region of £27.5m.

And what is interesting to hear is that Wolves would not look to stand in his way and would just allow him to depart if the right offer was to come in.

And that, to us, suggests one of two things. One being they are that dissatisfied with the return they have seen from him would mean they would be willing to cash in on him already.

He has made 13 appearances in the Premier League and has only been able to provide a return of one goal and one assist (via Transfermarkt).

There is also the possibility that the Portuguese winger has struggled to settle into his new life in England that Wolves would be willing to sanction his potential exit.

This is a player who impressed a lot last season with Valencia having provided a return of 11 goals and six assists in La Liga alone (via Transfermarkt).

So it is apparent that something is just not quite clicking for him at Wolves and it would appear the Wanderers are not convinced he will be able to return to his best form shown in Spain.

And now with Lopetegui at the helm, it makes the potential exit, even more, mystifying given he Spanish manager’s previous of working with La Liga players.

Liverpool have been linked with a number of midfielders over the last six months and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to talkSPORT transfer insider Alex Crook, Liverpool remain interested in Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves.

As per the report, the talented player is on the radar of both the Premier League giants alongside La Liga outfit Barcelona as Wolves prepare themselves for Neves’ likely departure in the summer.

Next Xavi Alonso

It is no secret that the Reds are struggling this season with their successful squad ultimately turning stale thanks to a number of inconsistent Premier League performances that have left them ninth in the table.

Jurgen Klopp will surely be frustrated with the situation at Anfield as his team were competing for a quadruple just months ago and now they are ten points adrift from a Champions League qualification spot inside the top four.

There are set to be a number of midfielders leaving the club this summer with Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all out of contract at the end of the season, whilst Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are well into the latter stages of their careers.

As a result, the signing of Neves would be a major coup for Liverpool in their efforts to rebuild their midfield in 2023 and get back to dominating the top flight as soon as possible.

Over 19 Premier League appearances so far this season, the 25-year-old – who was dubbed “sensational” by his former skipper Conor Coady – has scored four goals and successfully completed 54% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 50.6 accurate passes, 1.5 interceptions, 2.5 tackles, 2.4 clearances and winning 3.9 duels per game.

Not only that, Neves has completed more accurate passes (965) than any of the Liverpool midfielders this season so far, proving that he could be the key to unlocking better control in the centre of the pitch if he makes the move to Merseyside.

With that metronomic passing style in mind, Klopp could even land Liverpool’s next Xabi Alonso with the signing of the Portuguese talent, as the similarities between the two midfielders are obvious.

Alonso is one of many success stories that the Merseysiders have acquired over the years – winning a Champions League and an FA Cup before moving to Real Madrid in 2009.

Try as they might, Liverpool were never able to replace the world-class player – with Alberto Aquilani just one example of his failed successors – but now Neves could be the second coming of the Spanish star at Anfield.

Neves has been lauded for both his ability to dictate play and his impeccable passing range in the centre of the pitch, whilst displaying his potency in attack despite being a deep-lying playmaker – all attributes that make him hugely comparable to Alonso.

Indeed, throughout their careers, their pass success rates are rather alike, with the Wolves star completing 83.9% and the ex-Liverpool technician registering 87%.

The likeness has not gone unnoticed with former Liverpool player turned pundit Jamie Redknapp claiming that Neves reminded him of Alonso in his column for the Daily Mail.

With that being said, if the powerbrokers at Anfield could secure a deal for Neves- who has a reported price tag of £70m – it would be a great piece of business, something that gives Klopp a player who can make an immediate impact with proven Premier League experience and polished quality in his position.

Nottingham Forest target Keylor Navas is set to undergo a medical in the ‘next 24 hours’ ahead of completing his move to the Premier League, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Henderson replacement required

Dean Henderson recently sustained a tear in his thigh and is therefore set to be out on the sidelines for four to five weeks, meaning that a temporary replacement is needed, and the Paris Saint-Germain star has been identified as the ideal candidate.

The Costa Rica captain has been heavily linked with a move to Steve Cooper’s side this month with the boss pushing to try and complete a deal, and having since personally given the green light, is now close to finalising his move to The City Ground.

The Latest: Navas set for late medical

Taking to Twitter, O’Rourke revealed that Navas is scheduled to have a medical at Forest ahead of the deadline following a significant breakthrough in negotiations.

“Nottingham Forest are in advanced talks to sign Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas and hope to have him do a medical in the next 24 hours.”

The Verdict: Double deal?

Newcastle United’s Jonjo Shelvey is reportedly close to confirming his move to Forest and it sounds like Navas will be the next to follow in his footsteps.

The 6 foot shot-stopper has kept an impressive 50 clean sheets in 108 PSG appearances and currently ranks in the 99th percentile for save percentage by shot-stoppers in Europe’s top leagues.

Navas is also the captain of his national side so will bring plenty of leadership qualities to the squad, alongside a taste of success having won an incredible 26 trophies throughout his career so far.

Sky Sports journalist James Savundra has claimed that Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha has probably missed out on the chance to join a top-six side.

What’s the word?

As things stand, the 30-year-old winger will see his contract with the Eagles expire in the summer, so he can join a new side at the end of the season for free.

Of course, if certain teams really wanted him, they could have pushed to make a deal happen this winter for a cut price. However, it looks as though he will at least see out his contract with Palace instead of leaving sooner.

And while a number of Premier League clubs such as Arsenal and Chelsea have been linked with him in the past, Savundra has suggested that his chance to join a top team may now have passed.

Indeed, while speaking on the Sky Sports Transfer Talk show, he said (57:35): “I think it’s fascinating what happens with him now. I think he’s probably missed the opportunity to go to a top-six club, but he’s only scored twice in the league since September.

“So I think if anything happened it would have been last summer. It’s a case of whether he sticks with Palace now or manages his expectations with a move this summer.”

Big decisions to make

Of course, Zaha has already spent time with a bid English side, having joined Manchester United after leaving Palace in 2013. However, things didn’t go well during that spell as he played just four times for the Red Devils, failing to score in that short period.

The Ivorian rekindled his career and rebuilt his reputation after returning to Selhurst Park and now into his thirties, it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to show his best at another club.

Zaha certainly has a big decision to make this summer. Indeed, if the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea do decide against a move for the winger, he may feel as though he’s better off renewing with Palace and committing his future there.

After all, he has played 450 times for the club, scoring 89 goals and providing 76 assists. Still, for the same reason, he might feel as though it is time for a change and perhaps an overseas opportunity could present itself. Barcelona has recently been named as a possible shock destination, though that feels a little far-fetched.

Celtic centre-back Yuki Kobayashi has been hailed by Frank McAvennie, based on what the former Hoops striker has seen from him since he arrived at the club.

The Lowdown: Kobayashi replaces Jenz

The Hoops confirmed the signing of Kobayashi back in November, with the centre-back joining on a five-year deal from Vissel Kobe, but he has only been allowed to play competitive matches for Celtic since the beginning of January.

Coinciding with the defender’s arrival, Moritz Jenz returned to parent club FC Lorient, before joining Schalke 04 on loan, and McAvennie appears to believe Ange Postecoglou has made the right decision in reshuffling his squad.

The Latest: McAvennie reacts

Speaking to Football Insider about how the 22-year-old has started at the club, McAvennie said: “I think that Kobayashi has been outstanding,”

“He just looks so comfortable on the ball.

“He is a left-sided player which means that Starfelt can go over to his favoured right side because he was not very good. He was not very comfortable taking the ball on his left foot.

“He looks very assured and he does not mind getting the rough and tumble of it.

“With Carter-Vickers and [Stephen] Welsh that is four centre-halves. I liked Jenz but obviously the manager saw something different from me. I would rather go with his word than mine.“

The Verdict: Promising signs

The former Vissel Kobe man has only played one game for the Hoops since his arrival, but he looked very solid, helping his side to a clean sheet in the 4-0 win against St Mirren, with his passing ability on show throughout the match.

Out of 100 attempted passes, the Japanese defender completed 94, and what is even more impressive is that those passes weren’t just safe, sideways options. He completed seven out of eight long balls, the highest amount of any Celtic player on the pitch.

It will be hard for Kobayashi to break into Postecoglou’s side, given that they have the best defensive record in the Scottish Premiership this season, but the manager should try to give him increased game time in the next few weeks, as he has shown that he is capable of holding a place down in the starting XI.

Tottenham Hotspur technical coach Ryan Mason has left Antonio Conte blown away since he joined the club back in November 2021.

What’s the latest?

The Italian has taken Mason under his wing since making the move to Spurs with the Englishman having held a role at the club for a number of years now.

Mason played for Spurs up until 2016 after being sold to Hull City after years with the north London side having come through the ranks at the club.

But after being forced to retire back in 2018, Spurs handed Mason an opportunity to develop as a coach and this is exactly what he has done having, again, worked his way up the ladder.

And speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Alasdair Gold has admitted Conte and his coaching staff have been mightily impressed with what they have seen from the 31-year-old:

“Ryan Mason, the players really respect him. Don’t forget, he was a caretaker manager at the age of 29.

“His training sessions, I’m always told, are superb, really kind of tactically intelligent, challenging sessions.

“So from what I understand, the coaches and these are experienced Italian coaches, they’ve come in and been pretty impressed with Ryan Mason.

“Conte was similar the moment he walked in, because obviously, he wasn’t technically allowed to take the early training sessions because I think it was his work permit hadn’t arrived yet. So Mason was taking the sessions and Conte was a bit like okay, this lad’s got something. And that’s why you saw him kind of become this real trusted member of the staff.”

Making an impression

Mason began his coaching career in Tottenham’s mouth setup and was quickly promoted to the role of head of academy coaching in 2020.

But then his biggest opportunity to date arose after being offered the role of the caretaker manager in 2021 following the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

And in that time, Mason took charge of seven games including the Carabao Cup final which they narrowly lost to Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.

Spurs’ form in the league wasn’t too shabby under Mason with 12 points taken from a potential 18 although there were some frustrating results mixed in there like the 3-1 loss to Leeds United.

But then Mason took on the role as a technical coach under Conte and recently formed part of the staff which guided the ship to a stunning 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the Italian’s absence.

And we do think for a young manager who is looking to develop himself in the world of coaching, Mason is going about it in a very sensible manner.

We have already seen with former players such as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard that they have perhaps jumped into senior managerial jobs too quickly and had their fingers burnt.

Both of them are currently unemployed having been sacked by Premier League sides this season.

And although Mason may not have carried over their level of experience from his playing days, the 31-year-old is learning his trade under some incredibly experienced managers.

With the approval of Conte, it will be interesting to see where his career in coaching takes him.

One man who has been repeatedly linked with a return to Newcastle United since his exit back in 2018 is Brentford talisman, Ivan Toney, with the 26-year-old having blossomed into a fearsome and consistent attacking threat in his post-St James’ Park career.

Having been snapped up by the Magpies from Northampton Town at the age of 19 in the summer of 2015, the Englishman went on to make just four first-team appearances for the club over the next few years, with much of his time having been spent out on loan lower down the footballing pyramid.

The striker’s eventual permanent move to Peterborough United proved particularly fruitful as he bagged 49 goals in just 94 games across all fronts, having since netted 61 goals in only 110 games for the Bees – notably scoring 33 times to fire Thomas Frank’s side to promotion during the 2020/21 campaign.

Such prolific form has ensured that the “dangerous” marksman – as lauded by Chelsea boss Graham Potter – is beginning to attract interest from the Premier League’s elite clubs, with reports during the summer having linked the Tynesiders with a possible £30m approach for their former asset.

That was followed by further links at the tail-end of last year, despite Newcastle’s capture of fellow forward Alexander Isak, with it seemingly abundantly clear that he is a player on Eddie Howe’s radar.

Any hopes of re-signing the 6 foot 2 dynamo have now been boosted following claims made by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, with the respected journalist revealing in his CaughtOffside daily briefing that a possible exit from west London could be on the horizon:

“There will be a chance to leave for Ivan Toney in the summer but only if the right proposal will arrive, Brentford will not sell for a ‘normal” price.”

The addition of such a ruthless presence could well prove bad news for current leading man, Callum Wilson, with the injury-prone striker having not been able to match Toney’s rampant top-flight form of late.

While the latter man boasts a haul of 25 league goals since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, including 13 goals in just 19 games so far this season, the aforementioned Wilson has just 15 top-flight goals to his name in that time.

Although the former Bournemouth man did net an early strike in the draw with West Ham United at the weekend, that was the 30-year-old’s first league goal since returning from World Cup duty, with persistent absences having become a theme of his spell on Tyneside.

Despite being a “hugely important” part of Howe’s side – according to his manager – there are lingering doubts over whether he – nor Isak – can truly be relied upon to deliver the goods, with pundit Stan Collymore stating earlier this week:

‘They both have their own attributes to offer, but I’m just not sure either player is the type to wear the iconic number nine shirt and bag 20-plus goals a season.’

Turning to Toney – who is the third-highest scorer in the division this term – could potentially prove something of an upgrade, with the one-time Shrewsbury Town loanee also providing the benefit of his creativity when leading the line after producing eight big chances already this season, compared to just two for Wilson.

Equally, while the latter man ranks in just the bottom 23% for aerial duels won and the bottom 15% for interceptions made among his European peers, it would appear that Toney is far more of a physical focal point in attack, as he ranks in the top 15% and that top 8% for those same two metrics, respectively.

Although Wilson has been a reliable servant in recent years who can be truly lethal when fit and firing, the possible signing of his compatriot could well see him fall swiftly down the striking pecking order.

Glasgow Rangers have scouted goalkeeper Shamal George ahead of a potential move to the Ibrox this summer, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: George profiled

George was an academy product of Liverpool having worked his way up through the U23s ranks at Anfield, but joined Colchester United on a free transfer in 2020 in a bid to find regular game time.

The 6 foot 3 shot-stopper then made the move to Livingston two years later so is no stranger to the Scottish Premiership, where his form under David Martindale has been impressive.

Michael Beale recently confirmed that the Light Blues are planning to make a new addition between the sticks ahead of next season, and it sounds like he’s got his eye firmly on the 25-year-old.

The Latest: Rangers monitoring George

According to Football Insider, Rangers scouts have ‘extensively watched’ George this term, with the player on the ‘radar’ of the Teddy Bears.

Talent spotters are claimed to have been ‘impressed’ with what they’ve seen, so this is definitely a situation to watch ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

The Verdict: McGregor successor?

Allan McGregor isn’t getting any younger (41) and could therefore retire when his contract runs out in the summer, so should he hang up his boots, George would be the perfect successor.

The Livingston colossus has kept six clean sheets so far this season and is averaging 9.7 long balls per league game, not to mention that he’s been the recipient of a man-of-the-match award (WhoScored).

The Birkenhead-born talent has also been praised for his ‘incredible reactions’ by journalist Josh Bunting so is a well-rounded keeper, meaning the Gers need to act fast should they not want to miss out on securing their target in the months ahead.