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In-form Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is the subject of interest from current Premier League leaders Arsenal, according to journalist Steve Kay.

The Lowdown: Watkins flying for Villa

The 27-year-old finds himself in a rich vein of form at the moment, proving to be one of Villa’s most influential players since Unai Emery took charge.

Watkins has scored eight goals and registered four assists in the league this season and he has found the net in each of his last five appearances.

The Englishman’s form doesn’t appear to be going unnoticed, however, which will be a concern for the Villans.

The Latest: Arsenal eyeing up move

Taking to Twitter, Kay claimed that Arsenal see Watkins as a potential transfer target during the summer transfer window:

“Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is one of the strikers that Arsenal have been keeping a close eye on as a possible summer signing according to sources. Arteta is a massive admirer of the England International, who recently praised the forward in the away win against Villa.”

The Verdict: Could be hard to say no

In truth, it is understandable to see why Watkins’ head would be turned by a potential move to Arsenal this summer, given the quality they are performing with currently.

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Mikel Arteta has built an extremely exciting young squad that is pushing for Premier League glory and the Villa man could be seen as a big upgrade on Eddie Nketiah.

The £75,000-a-week Watkins certainly has the attributes to shine for Arsenal, not only scoring regularly this season but also working hard and pressing from the front, and he has been hailed as a ‘record breaker’ by journalist Gregg Evans for the recent scoring run.

The hope is that he sees his long-term future at Villa, of course – his current deal expires in 2025 – and that he continues to spearhead the Emery era.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly considering a move for Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

The Lowdown: North London connections

Martinez has been on the books at Villa Pak since 2020 but has previous connections to north London with Arsenal. The Argentine spent 10 years on the books with Spurs’ rivals, making just 38 senior appearances.

He’s gone from strength to strength in the Midlands and recently helped Argentina win the World Cup, with a return to London potentially on the cards.

The Latest: Spurs interest

90min shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Spurs and Martinez. They claimed that Tottenham are likely to bring in a new ‘keeper in the summer and have Martinez on their shortlist.

A move for Martinez is being considered, with the player possibly tempted on a move to Spurs.

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The Verdict: One to watch…

Hugo Lloris has been out through injury in recent weeks and turned 36 on Boxing Day. His contract doesn’t expire until 2024, but thinking about his long-term replacement is a shrewd move.

Martinez has gained plenty of Premier League experience as a number one with Villa and was hailed for the vital role he played in winning the World Cup, described as ‘world class’ by members of the media.

Therefore, he may prove to be a smart addition in the summer, especially as there appears to have been friction with current manager Unai Emery, so it looks as if this could be one to watch over the coming months.

Liam Keen believes that Wolves should’ve been awarded a penalty after Raul Jimenez was taken to the ground.

The Lowdown: VAR at the centre of the Wolves storm

Despite only managing to register four shots on target in the entire game, Wolves and their fans will feel very aggrieved having come away from St James’ park with nothing to show for their efforts.

This is because they’ll believe Newcastle United should’ve been down to 10 men when Nick Pope appeared to lean his shoulder into Jimenez after he took a heavy touch and panicked with the Mexican striker knocking the ball past the huge shot-stopper.

While Andy Madley may be excused for not giving the spot kick given he was so far away from the incident and had a poor angle of it, his linesman or even the VAR team should’ve been able to make a decision on what had happened.

The Latest: Jimenez didn’t initiate the contact

Keen was speaking on The Express and Star YouTube channel about how it should’ve been a penalty and anyone claiming Jimenez initiated the contact was simply wrong.

He said: (2:20) “Jimenez does very well to anticipate it, put him under pressure and nick the ball off him and he is about to run through on goal, let’s not dress it up any more than that he’s about to go through have a tap in and put Wolves 1-0 up.

“Nick Pope leans in, catches him and tries to step out of the way. He goes in first, comes in and makes contact and some people are suggesting that Jimenez initiated the contact, not for me, not at all I think Jimenez is about to race through on goal and he’s clipped on his back from behind.

“It’s a stonewall penalty, it’s a red card because it wouldn’t be an intention of playing the ball, so by the latter of the law it’s a red card and it’s a penalty.”

The Verdict: Game-changing decision doesn’t go Wolves’ way

While Wolves certainly didn’t create anywhere near enough chances to win the game, especially compared to their opponents, the fact that VAR couldn’t see that their striker had been wiped out with the goal gaping is very poor.

Given that Wolves are still only three points above the bottom three, the last thing they needed was for VAR to not even be on their side, but to not be balanced and give a clear penalty decision when the score was 0-0.

What will have made it even worse for Wolves is that Nick Pope played a huge part in Newcastle leaving with all three points having pulled off impressive saves from Pedro Neto and Joao Moutinho in the second half.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could take a big step towards Premier League safety on Saturday afternoon as they take on Leeds United at Molineux.

Julen Lopetegui's side will be desperate for three points against their relegation rivals and the Spanish manager can give his side the edge by unleashing talented winger Pedro Neto.

Should Pedro Neto start against Leeds?

The former Lazio man has missed much of this season after picking up an ankle injury in October but made his return to action earlier this month, playing 45 minutes against both Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.

Like several other attackers in Wolves' squad, the 23-year-old has failed to score or assist in any of his 11 Premier League appearances this season but deserves an opportunity to rediscover the form that established himself as one of the brightest prospects in England just a couple of years ago, with Alan Shearer labelling him a "huge talent" after a goal against Southampton.

The 2020/21 campaign saw Neto register an impressive five goals and six assists in 31 Premier League appearances, with WhoScored awarding him a strong 7.11 rating for his performances.

He has struggled immensely with injuries in the two subsequent campaigns but now that he is back to full fitness, he will be hoping to play a big part in Lopetegui's side for the remainder of the season, as the Old Gold look to avoid relegation back to the Championship.

Saturday's game against Leeds represents an ideal opportunity for Neto to make his mark, as the Whites possess one of the poorest defensive records in the division, with only Bournemouth, Leicester City, Nottingham Forest and Southampton conceding more.

Javi Gracia's side have something of a liability at left-back, with Junior Firpo having struggled at the back since joining the club from Barcelona, with WhoScored awarding him a disappointing 6.59 average rating so far this term.

Paul Robinson didn't hold back in his criticism of Junior Firpo on BBC Radio 5 Live (26/2, 12:52) after Leeds lost against Tottenham Hotspur last season.

He said:

“Kulusevski picked the ball up in the corner, he was one-on-one with Firpo. All the defender had to do was put in a simple tackle. It is terrible, schoolboy defending. Inexcusable.”

Should Lopetegui deploy Neto on the right wing at Molineux, he could cause Firpo all sorts of problems by cutting in on his stronger left foot, as it will force the Spaniard to defend with his weaker right foot.

Wolves have struggled to create and score chances this season but must start on the front foot against a Leeds side low on confidence, and unleashing Neto against a struggling Firpo could be the key to Lopetegui's side earning all three points this weekend.

Chelsea have made an enquiry about signing Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana this summer, according to reports from Italy.

The Lowdown: Long-term target

The Blues have been linked with Onana as far back as 2020, at which point Frank Lampard was considering the goalkeeper as a potential replacement for Kepa Arrizabalaga, and he was said to be keen on a move to the Premier League.

Almost three years on, Graham Potter is also unconvinced by Kepa, meaning the Inter Milan shot-stopper could reemerge as a transfer target for Chelsea, however the west London club are believed to be weighing up a number of options.

Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel is one player that the Blues are ‘very interested’ in, while they are said to have previously made contact with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya.

The Latest: Contact made

According to a report from TuttoMercatoWeb, Chelsea have enquired about the Cameroon international, however they may face competition for his signature, given that a number of Premier League teams are following him with great interest.

The Blues are targeting a new goalkeeper as Edouard Mendy is destined to say goodbye in the summer transfer window, and Todd Boehly is keen to secure a replacement.

Bringing in a new option between the sticks is believed to be one of the owner’s main priorities in the next transfer window, and he has now started to gather detailed information on the Inter keeper.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Lauded as a ‘superstar’ by journalist Oma Akatugba, the 26-year-old has recorded a seriously impressive save percentage over the past year, stopping 80% of the shots that he has faced, placing him in the 98th percentile compared to other top goalkeepers.

As a result, the Cameroonian also ranks in the 97th percentile for his clean sheet percentage, shutting out the opposition in 50% of all the games he has played during the same timeframe, while his willingness to get on the ball is displayed by an average of 42.75 touches per 90.

The former Ajax man has performed better than Mendy and Kepa in almost all key metrics for goalkeepers, indicating he would be a real upgrade for Potter between the sticks.

He also has proven experience performing at the top level, with Onana starring in Inter’s 0-0 draw against Porto on Tuesday night, making six saves, including three from inside the penalty area to help his team progress to the Champions League quarter final.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal are remaining tight-lipped over the injury status of William Saliba but he believes it won't be as bad as the Takehiro Tomiyasu setback.

What's the latest on William Saliba and his Arsenal injury?

The French centre-back missed the club's last Premier League game due to a back injury that has also consequently stopped him from going on international duty this week.

Indeed, Saliba was absent against Crystal Palace after coming off early in the recent defeat against Sporting Lisbon. This is particularly bad timing for the Gunners, as Tomiyasu also picked up an injury in that Europa League match.

In an unfortunate update on the right-back, it has now been revealed that the Japan international will miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.

On the Saliba front, however, Watts has explained that there aren't any "noises coming out" from the club right now and so the situation remains uncertain.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: "I don't know what's going on with Saliba yet. I can't tell you, unfortunately; it's not been announced. There's not really any noises coming out from Arsenal about it.

"So we'll have to wait and see with Saliba exactly the extent of this injury. Fingers crossed, it's nothing like Tomiyasu. I don't think it is.

"But we'll have to wait and see, and see exactly what Arsenal confirm when it does come to Saliba.”

When was Saliba expected to be back from injury?

After the win against Palace, manager Mikel Arteta sounded concerned about Tomiayu's chances of an early return, saying (via football.london): "It’s not looking good. Tomi is not one to exaggerate things. He was really concerned straight away and we are concerned."

As explained above, he's since been proved right. On Saliba, though, he was more positive: "We hope Willy is going to be better news. Again we have to wait to tomorrow [Monday] to get a better picture."

Seeing as it's now Wednesday and no official statement has come out, and Watts hasn't been able to learn anything notable, it could be potentially worrying.

However, no news is often good news and with a few weeks off now while the international break takes place, there is no reason for Arsenal to rush to provide any specific diagnoses on Saliba just yet.

Still, he's been key for the Gunners this season with pundit Jamie Carragher noting "he looked the real deal" when making his Premier League debut.

Seeing as the 21-year-old had started every league game since then, right up until his recent injury, Arteta will no doubt be desperate to have him fit again as soon as possible.

The pressure on Chelsea manager Graham Potter increased further on Saturday evening as his side succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.

The lack of a clinical striker once again came back to haunt the Blues as they registered 27 shots compared to Villa's five but were unable to find a way past Emiliano Martinez.

However, the away side could have easily scored more had they capitalised on a number of counter-attacking chances, with the Blues' three-at-the-back formation leaving them far too vulnerable, which is something Potter must look to amend if he is going to enjoy success at Stamford Bridge.

Should Potter change formation at Chelsea?

Ollie Watkins handed Unai Emery's side the lead when a long ball from Douglas Luiz was dealt with terribly by Marc Cucurella, with the makeshift centre-back only helping the ball into the Englishman's path, leaving him with time and space to lift the ball over Kepa Arrizabalaga to open the scoring.

Chelsea regularly found themselves outnumbered at the back, with Kalidou Koulibaly the only natural central defender in the back three, as Reece James continues to bomb forward, which often left gaps for Villa to expose.

While Villa were regularly three-on-two or two-on-one when attacking, they only doubled their lead thanks to a screamer from John McGinn but, in truth, a better side would have finished Chelsea off much sooner with clinical counter-attacks.

On Match of the Day, Potter said: "We have to analyse the performance and look at the things we've done well and what we can do better. Defensively we've left ourselves too open."

During Sky Sports' coverage of the game, co-commentator Andy Hinchcliffe described Potter's decision to play a back three of James, Cucurella and Koulibaly as "questionable", suggesting that it was "too easy" for Villa to create chances.

A more dangerous attacking side, such as Liverpool, Brighton or Real Madrid, who are the next three visitors to Stamford Bridge, could have really put Chelsea's defence to the sword, and it was baffling that Potter opted not to change formation as the visitors continued to create chances at will.

Although the absence of the injured Thiago Silva is clearly being felt, Potter had both Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah available to him on the bench, so if he wanted to stick with the three-at-the-back formation, why not start his natural centre-backs and get the best out of James by playing him in his preferred right wing-back role?

It seems clear that if Chelsea want to recover from this awful season and progress against a scary Real Madrid side in the Champions League, Potter needs to completely abandon this particular tactic and select his best players in their natural positions.

Arsenal have placed Everton midfielder Amadou Onana on a three-man shortlist for the summer transfer window, according to a recent report from Football Insider.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

The Gunners have surpassed all expectations this season, currently sitting eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table, however, Mikel Arteta is still keen to bring in additional reinforcements in several different positions.

In terms of attacking options, Arsenal could well look to bring in Ansu Fati, although the Barcelona forward would set any potential suitor back a lot of money, given that he is valued at around €100m (£88m).

Fati is not the only Barca player being targeted by Arteta, as the Spaniard is also believed to be interested in centre-back Eric Garcia, while the same report also links the Gunners with a move for young Brazilian forward Vitor Roque.

According to a report from Football Insider, Arsenal have a three-man shopping list of midfield options for the summer transfer window, which includes Moises Caicedo, Declan Rice and Onana. The north London club, and by extension sporting director Edu Gaspar, are said to be long-term admirers of the latter player, and there is a suggestion that he could be the cheapest of the three options, although his availability will be determined by whether Everton are relegated.

However, the 21-year-old will still set back any potential suitor a huge fee, as it has since been reported the Toffees are set to demand £70m for him this summer, amid interest from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Would Amadou Onana be a good signing for Arsenal?

Onana has really started to find his form in recent weeks, playing the full 90 minutes for Belgium in their 3-2 win away at Germany, achieving a 7.4 SofaScore rating after winning seven ground duels and making three tackles, with the latter figure the highest of any player.

Not only that, but the central midfielder was praised for his leadership abilities in the wake of his performance, with reporter Christopher Beesley describing him as "captain material".

That said, the youngster is not yet on the level of Rice, ranking lower than the West Ham United ace in terms of pass completion rate, interceptions won and non-penalty goals per 90 over the course of the past year. Onana is not yet the finished article, but if Arsenal are unable to seal a deal for Rice this summer, it seems as if he could become a real target, making tis one to watch.

Arsenal's return to the top of English football was admittedly no different to most success stories.

To achieve steady growth teams must reluctantly spend big on those players who can bridge the gap between themselves and where they want to be, and only when these assets have served their purpose can they be improved upon.

This is a method that saw Manchester City steadily grow into the powerhouse they are today, and was administered on a slightly smaller scale with the Gunners given they did not quite have as far to go as their title rivals.

However, the issue remains that once you have reached the required level, it leaves a club with their new first team members, who are now of the requisite quality, but also those who took them there, who are now deemed surplus to requirements.

Given their charge towards the Premier League, and the immense quality at Mikel Arteta's disposal, it has rendered some of the earlier purchases somewhat obsolete now.

Therefore, to gather precious funds and free up spaces for a higher calibre of additions, this summer could see a real purge of the squad. If so, that would almost definitely see Cedric Soares leave.

Will Cedric Soares leave Arsenal?

Having signed on a free transfer in 2020, the Portuguese defender joined from Southampton as ample backup in that right-back spot. Across all competitions during that first year, he would feature just 24 times for the senior side; far from a key player.

This was a figure that largely stayed the same the season following, however, it is this campaign where the £75k-per-week dynamo's future has clearly been written out. Despite being branded a "fighter" by journalist Simon Collings, it seems that this time there is no role left for him to compete for.

The 31-year-old was shipped out on loan as Arteta clearly envisioned a push further up the table, where the defender would not be of the required quality. Just four appearances across the first half of the season encouraged Fulham to take him on a temporary basis, likely spelling the conclusion of a quiet career at the Emirates.

Especially given his 6.6 Sofascore average rating in the Premier League thus far, which is so far away from the likes of Ben White, who has starred in his makeshift full-back role, having been labelled "Mr Consistent" by journalist Charles Watts.

Darren Bent had predicted that he was "not good enough" when speaking on TalkSPORT back in 2022, but what Cedric has offered cannot be ignored.

Whilst he might be dead wood now, the defender has certainly contributed to their steady improvement as a club. For that, he cannot be discounted as anything other than a dependable signing for Arsenal who can now leave with grace.

Frank Lampard was dealt a tough hand during his first stint at Chelsea, having to operate under a strict transfer embargo in his opening campaign.

His accomplishments, therefore, are impressive. The former midfielder guided the Blues to a top-four place in his debut season, qualification that ultimately paved the way for a Champions League triumph under Thomas Tuchel.

Much of his philosophy was based upon the promotion of Cobham youngsters with Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori, two players who had featured under Lampard at Derby County, becoming notable names in the first-team set-up.

Tammy Abraham and Reece James also rose to prominence under the current interim boss at Stamford Bridge, only for the former to be sold to Roma.

It's likely Chelsea regret that decision given their meagre tally of 29 goals in 30 Premier League matches this term, but for now, Lampard will have to work with what he's given, again.

Who will benefit from Lampard's appointment at Chelsea?

The 44-year-old will only have a matter of weeks in which to weave his magic in west London but fortunately for him, Todd Boehly's transfer strategy has largely focused on young stars of tomorrow, even if they do cost a pretty fortune.

The likes of Mykhailo Mudryk, an £88.5m acquisition and Noni Madueke, a £29m purchase are notable additions, but it's a cut price £20m signing who perhaps stands the greatest chance of replicating Mount and co under Lampard.

Indeed, that happens to be Carney Chukwuemeka, a 19-year-old who wasted away under Graham Potter this term.

Having previously been dubbed "the best 16-year-old in England" by Aston Villa CEO, Christian Purslow, he has the world at his feet but hasn't managed to realise that in London yet.

The teenager has featured on just 12 occasions in all competitions after arriving last summer, with just 224 minutes being afforded in the Premier League.

For a young talent boasting nearly 30 goal involvements in the upper age levels at Villa, it is surprising he hasn't been given a chance when creativity and goals are so sparse at Chelsea this term.

However, it may not be too long before we see the 6 foot 2 powerhouse given his big break.

According to journalist Simon Phillips, who was writing for GIVEMESPORT, Chukwuemeka is already impressing behind the scenes, having 'caught Lampard's eye so far'.

On that evidence, it's strange that he wasn't in the squad for the trip to Wolves last weekend, but now must be his time to shine.

A clash against Real Madrid may be a step too far, but there feels little reason to ignore him when the Blues face Brighton on Saturday.

The "exciting" wonderkid – as dubbed by Boehly – has a big future ahead of him and simply must be unleashed by Lampard. After all, performances can't get much worse.