BREAKING GOSSIP
Arsenal are considering a move for West Ham's £6m-rated England goalkeeper Robert Green, 30, after opting not to pursue 37-year-old Fulham stopper Mark Schwarzer.(caughtoffside.com)
Manchester United are interested in Lyon's £22m-rated Brazilian left winger Michel Bastos, 26. (caughtoffside.com)
TRANSFER GOSSIP
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been identified as Real Madrid's number one transfer target this summer. (Daily Telegraph)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly met with Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Miami, to discuss a potential move to Stamford Bridge. (IMScouting)
Real Madrid look set to beat Manchester United and Chelsea to the signing of Benfica winger Angel Di Maria. (IMScouting)
Arsenal and Tottenham are locked in a head-to-head battle for the signature of £9m-rated Manchester City defender Micah Richards. (footylatest)
Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James could be in line for a move to Fulham as Arsenal step up their interest in the Cottagers' Mark Schwarzer.(Daily Mail)
Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland could also be on the move, to Sunderland, as a replacement for Craig Gordon who has failed to convince manager Steve Bruce he is up to the job.(Daily Mail)
Arsenal have become the latest team to be linked with Chelsea's out-of-contract midfielder Joe Cole, but the player will not decide on his future until after the World Cup.(Daily Mirror)
James Milner has refused to commit his future to Aston Villa and could be in line for a £30m move to Manchester City.(Daily Express)
Hamburg's German defender Jerome Boateng has confirmed that he will sign for Manchester City after the World Cup.(Daily Star)
Manchester City will play a waiting game for Wolfsburg's Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko, but have no intention of breaking his £34m buy-out clause. (Daily Express)
Another Manchester City target - Inter Milan full-back Maicon - says he has no intention of moving to Eastlands, but instead would like to link up with former Inter boss Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.(IMScouting)
Birmingham are preparing a £4.5m offer for Newcastle's 21-year-old striker Andy Carroll. (Daily Mail)
Fulham have agreed a £2m deal with Lyon for French striker Frederic Piquionne, who was at loan at Portsmouth last season.(Daily Mirror)
Portsmouth have turned down a "derisory" £300,000 offer from Rangers for striker Tommy Smith. (Daily Express)
OTHER GOSSIP
"Sacked" (Daily Mirror), "Rafa Out" (The Sun), "Rafa's £3m Kop Off" (Daily Star), "Rafa is Out" (Daily Mail), "End of Road for Rafa" (Daily Express), "Benitez on the Brink" (Daily Telegraph), "Liverpool offer Benitex £3m to quit" (Guardian), "Benitez set to quit" (The Independent). With the World Cup just over a week away, there is only one story dominating the back pages of Thursday's newspapers.
It is claimed that player power is responsible for Benitez's potential departure from Anfield.(Daily Mirror)
Liverpool's wish list to replace Benitez is thought to include ex-Manchester City manager Mark Hughes, Fulham's Roy Hodgson and former Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink. (Daily Mail)
Inter Milan are now thought to be monitoring Benitez's situation and are lining up the Spaniard to replace Jose Mourinho who this week joined Real Madrid. (The Sun)
Hiddink meanwhile has ruled himself out of the running to be Inter Milan's next coach, after his agent claimed he was the club's number one choice.(the Independent)
Hull are in talks with former Portsmouth and Crystal Palace manager Paul Hart about becoming their new boss. (Daily Mirror)
AND FINALLY
Captain Rio Ferdinand has revealed striker Wayne Rooney to be England's karaoke king with the Manchester United star set to entertain his team-mates on and off the pitch in South Africa.(Daily Mirror)
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TRANSFER GOSSIP
David Moyes has warned Manchester United to keep their hands off Everton starlet Jack Rodwell. (Sunday Mirror)
West Ham will not stand in Robert Green's way if any of the Premier League's top four move in on the England goalkeeper. (Sunday Mirror)
Former Scotland international striker Paul Dickov will sign for League One side Leeds on Monday despite keen interest from MLS side Toronto. (Mail on Sunday)
OTHER GOSSIP
Depressed Ashley Cole tells pals he may quit football after the collapse of his marriage to wife Cheryl Cole.(Sunday Mirror)
Sunderland's Kieran Richardson should be considered for England's up-for-grabs left-back spot at the World Cup, according to his club manager Steve Bruce. (Daily Mail)
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill dismisses talk of him becoming the next Manchester United manager. (Sunday Telegraph)
O'Neill has ruled himself out of what he calls the impossible job, replacing Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United boss. (Sunday Mirror)
Ferguson, meanwhile, has taken another swipe at rivals Manchester City ahead of the Carling Cup Final by telling them they blundered by selling Richard Dunne to Aston Villa. (Sunday Mirror)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is set for showdown talks with Spain coach Vicente del Bosque over his plan to play Fernando Torres in this week's friendly with France. (Sunday Mirror)
MK Dons are considering replacing manager Paul Ince with ex-Reading boss Brendan Rodgers. (Mail on Sunday)
Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric admits he feared he might never recover from his broken leg in August. (News of the World)
Defender Brede Hangeland insists he had no doubts about staying at Fulham and says he has been proved right by the club's stunning run in Europe. (News of the World)
AND FINALLY
A few loyal Accrington Stanley fans brought along their patio heaters to thaw out the pitch before their clash with Burton Albion at the Fraser Eagle Stadium.(Sunday Express)
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TRANSFER GOSSIP
Manchester United are set to make a surprise move for Manchester City defender Micah Richards, if the Eastlands outfit decide to offload the player as a result of his inconsistent form.(Daily Mirror)
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti says he does not expect to make any new signings in January, unless his side suffers any injuries. This is despite the club having the transfer ban imposed on it by Fifa for inducing Gael Kakuta to break his contract suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.(The Sun)
Cash-strapped West Ham are ready to offload England goalkeeper Robert Green in January if they receive a bid in the region of £5m.(Daily Mirror)
Wolves are eyeing up a January move for Aston Villa's £3m-rated England under-21 international midfielder Craig Gardner.(Daily Mirror)
Arsenal head a clutch of Premier League teams chasing Plymouth's 15-year-old midfield starlet Daniel Hart.(Daily Mirror)
Everton boss David Moyes is chasing PSV Eindhoven's Serbian striker Danko Lazovic - after giving up on his fellow countryman Milan Jovanovic, who plays for Standard Liege.(Daily Mirror)
New Portsmouth manager Avram Grant says that he will be searching for new players to help strengthen his side in January and boost their hopes of avoiding relegation this season.(The Guardian)
OTHER GOSSIP
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says that striker Didier Drogba, who scored two goals for Chelsea as they beat the Gunners 3-0 on Sunday, actually did very little in the match at the Emirates. (Various)
After Chelsea's victory over Arsenal, which sent the Blues five points clear at the top of the Premier League, captain John Terry declared that his side's performance was "the stuff of champions". (The Sun)
Kettering Town manager and goalkeeper Lee Harper, whose side earned an FA Cup second-round replay at Leeds following a 1-1 draw with the Yorkshire side on Sunday, will delay retiring from playing in order to help the club try to earn a clash at Manchester United, who await the winner in the third round. (Daily Star)
West Ham striker Carlton Cole's chances of playing for England at the World Cup in South Africa next year have suffered a major blow after it was revealed he suffered knee ligament damage during the Hammers' 5-3 win over Burnley on Saturday and faces at least four months on the sidelines. (The Sun)
England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup was given a boost on Sunday night when Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pledged his support, saying "It is time for the UK to host it again". (Various)
Hull defender Paul McShane was involved in a tunnel bust-up after his side's 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Saturday as he attempted to get to Craig Bellamy with whom he argued on the pitch just before the final whistle. (The Sun)
Hull manager Phil Brown says he has made an attempt to tone down his touchline demeanour in order to help his side improve their form. "I'm just conscious of my role," said Brown. "I wouldn't say more conscious, just conscious of my role and the effect it can have."(Daily Mirror)
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has warned his players they face the axe unless they start to perform against sides below them in the league table. Following losses at Stoke, Burnley and Birmingham this season, the Black Cats fell to a 1-0 defeat to Wigan on Saturday. (The Sun)
Newcastle defender Fabricio Coloccini has insisted he is happy to stay at the club and to prove his loyalty he has revealed that the club received offers for him in the summer but he stayed in order to help United return to the Premier League. (Daily Star)
AND FINALLY
Ipswich manager Roy Keane says that a trip to see the Australian rugby union team beat Wales 33-12 at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday helped inspire his side to their 2-1 victory at Cardiff on Sunday. (Daily Mirror)
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A thrilling last-gasp victory over 10-man Aston Villa hauled West Ham out of the Premier League drop zone for the first time since late September.
Mark Noble converted a West Ham penalty on the stroke of half-time.
Robert Green saved an Ashley Young spot kick shortly after the break, but levelled soon afterwards with a curling effort that was more cross than shot.
Habib Beye saw red late in the game before substitute Zavon Hines prodded home from close range at the death.
After a torrid start to the campaign, West Ham's first home victory in the Premier League this season - and first win anywhere since the opening day - should do much to lighten the mood in E13.
But Villa manager Martin O'Neill will be desperately disappointed by his side's failure to reap greater benefit from a first-half spell in which West Ham were twice forced to regroup in the wake of injuries at both ends of the pitch.
Defensive lapses have repeatedly proved costly for West Ham since James Collins' defection to Villa two months ago, a situation which manager Gianfranco Zola sought to address by drafting in Julien Faubert and Manuel Da Costa, for Jonathan Spector and James Tomkins respectively.
TRANSFER GOSSIP
Bolton defender Gary Cahill is being tracked by Italian giants Juventus following a glowing reference from England boss Fabio Capello. AC Milan are also interested in the 23-year-old.(Daily Mirror)
Bolton manager Gary Megson says he is not prepared to sell striker Johan Elmander, despite a disappointing record in front of goal and the arrival of loan signing from Nantes, Ivan Klasnic, this summer.(The Sun)
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez will decide on Thursday whether to offer a contract to Cameroon midfielder Modeste M'Bami, who has been on trial with the club since the start of the season.(The Sun)
OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester United are becoming increasingly concerned by defender Rio Ferdinand's persistent injury problems.(The Times)
Former Tottenham and Arsenal defender Sol Campbell quit Notts County because he hated his debut match against Morecambe so much.(Daily Mirror)
Campbell walked out of Notts County because he did not believe the promised investment from the club's new owners would materialise.(The Independent)
Hull's Carling Cup defeat at home to Everton leaves under-pressure manager Phil Brown with only four matches to save his job. After the game against Liverpool this weekend, Hull then face fellow strugglers Wigan, Fulham and Portsmouth.(The Sun)
Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, 38, will decide in December whether this season will be his last.(Daily Mail)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez faces a battle to keep pace with the biggest clubs in Europe as leaked documents reveal that his net summer spending is locked at £20m until 2014. That figure also includes wage increases.(The Independent)
Football Association chairman Lord Triesman and chief executive Ian Watmore have dismissed suggestions that Fabio Capello will stand down as England manager after the 2010 World Cup.(Daily Mail)
Former Tranmere boss Ronnie Moore could be heading back to Rovers to replace John Barnes, if the ex-Liverpool winger fails to halt the club's slide down the League One table.(Daily Mirror)
Portsmouth owner Sulaiman Al Fahim says the Premier League strugglers are unlikely to buy new players in the January transfer window.(The Guardian)
Liverpool's Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano has been cleared of any wrongdoing following his clash with Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford during Tuesday's Carling Cup match.(Daily Mail)
Uganda's FA has dropped its compensation claim following manager Csaba Laszlo's move to Hearts last year. (The Sun)
Dundee United manager Craig Levein has escaped punishment from the Scottish FA after comments about the referees involved in defeats by Celtic and Hearts last season. (The Times)
Scotland manager George Burley says he is ready to omit players from his squad for next month's friendly against Japan if they are not 100% fit. (The Sun)
Celtic midfielder Scott Brown says he does not want to be rested for club or country because of a niggling injury. (Daily Express)
Former Rangers midfielder Charlie Adam is poised for a Scotland re-call after starring for new club Blackpool. (Daily Mail)
Preston's former Celtic and Sunderland winger Ross Wallace could also be named in the Scotland squad to face Japan. (Daily Mail)
Robert Snodgrass hopes his impressive display for Leeds against Liverpool in the Carling Cup will earn him a Scotland call-up. (Various)
AND FINALLY
West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green has given an honest assessment of his club's performances this season following the Carling Cup defeat by Bolton on Tuesday. "We're getting above ourselves, thinking we're better than we are at the moment. We're in a position where we have to get results."(Daily Mirror)
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Wigan 1 - 0 West Ham
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Hugo Rodallega earned Wigan their first League win since the opening day of the season in a scrappy game with West Ham.
Apart from Chris Kirkland struggling to deal with back passes and Robert Green saving two long-range shots, neither keeper was busy in a tepid first half.
Rodallega poked home from close range on 55 minutes after Green had blocked Jason Koumas's shot.
West Ham substitute Alessandro Diamanti livened things up and hit the post but Wigan deserved the win.
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez:
"The way the players adapted to what was needed was exceptional, we had to stop West Ham playing their football which was a big test, so a clean sheet and three points is what we deserved."
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola:
"In the first half I thought we controlled the game well and we looked better than them.
"The goal was sloppy, we didn't start the second half in the same frame of mind that we did the first - that's something we need to work on."
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QPR 1 - 1 Peterborough
Peterborough are still waiting for their first win of the new season after Wayne Routledge's equaliser cancelled out Aaron Mclean's opener.
Mclean headed in Tommy Williams's cross and only Ben Watson's challenge stopped Lee Frecklington making it 2-0.
Adel Taarabt and Jay Simpson set up Routledge to tap in before the break.
Simpson wasted a great chance to win it on 85 minutes and in injury time only an offside flag denied Peterborough's Craig Mackail-Smith a winner.
QPR boss Jim Magilton:
"Any successful campaign is built around your home form.
"Our play at times is good but that's not enough, especially at home where expectation levels rise.
"You've got to be able to handle that and maybe some can't."
Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson:
"I thought we deserved three points.
"You always need a bit of luck and we are just not getting it at the moment.
"But there is no time to feel sorry for ourselves. As long as we keep putting in performances like that then we will get the wins."
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