All posts by h79snht.top

2016 was a crazy year in some respects both in football and wider society.

It will take some time for people to forget the historic Leicester City Premier League win, while England sunk to a new low as they bowed out of EURO 2016 at an early stage to an unthinkable opponent in Iceland.

On top of that Portugal one the same competition despite being pretty underwhelming in all of their games – they only won once in normal time through the competition – while Chelsea finished a lowly 10th despite having been crowned champions of England at the end of 2015/16.

There are probably too many examples to name of memorable moments in the wild world of football last year, with both the end of last term and the start of this having produced moments of magic and sheer madness.

but we have FIVE right here which we think were massive…

Dreams can come true

Leicester City could have considered themselves somewhat fortunate to still be a Premier League club going into the 2015/16 campaign after former manager Nigel Pearson orchestrated a great escape in the final matches of the previous season to ensure they remained in the top tier. But, just twelve months later, the Foxes were celebrating their first ever Premier League title, and more than that, they were celebrating by far the biggest achievement in modern-day football.

There are numerous reasons behind Leicester’s successful year, and the first lies in the unknown. The names of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante were relatively obscure before the previous campaign, but their contributions to the success of the team were monumental. It saw Kante sold for £30m to Chelsea over the summer (a huge profit on the fee Leicester had paid for his services just twelve months previous), Mahrez win PFA Player of the Year and Jamie Vardy earn himself a place in the England squad for EURO 2016 after playing non-league football as recently as 2012.

There is also their other secret weapon; Claudio Ranieri. The Italian was one of the first major casualties of Roman Abramovich’s early years at Chelsea, as he was axed after one season and replaced by the very successful Jose Mourinho, who was able to use the early signings made by Ranieri to turn the Blues into a top four team.

Ranieri did a similar thing with Leicester (with both Vardy and Mahrez brought into the club under Pearson’s watch) but he also had a point to prove by returning to the Premier League after an eleven-year exile. The symmetry seemed perfect, as Chelsea floundered under Mourinho while Leicester excelled with Ranieri, and the Italian would have enjoyed finally achieving the success he could have had if Chelsea had retained faith in him a decade ago.

Finally, there’s the positive energy of a team working for one another. With world-class players like Luis Suarez, Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo coming into the Premier League in recent years, some teams might find it easy to find the ‘I’ in team, and play through their best players. Leicester City may have had their ‘Magnificent Seven’ last season (comprising of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, Kante, Vardy, Ranieri, Mahrez, Danny Drinkwater and Wes Morgan) but they relied much more on the strengths of all eleven players on the pitch than any Premier League winner has done in recent years. It was that togetherness that ensured that, as a unit, Leicester remained strong right until the very end.

Spending high but finishing low

Mike Ashley has had a busy 2016, with his retail brand Sports Direct coming under the political microscope for poor working conditions and underpaying its staff. He could have been forgiven for taking his eye off the ball (no pun intended) with regard to his other business ventures, the most notable being Newcastle United. His recruitment of Rafa Benitez in March 2016 (by far his most ambitious choice since buying the club in 2007) bordered on desperation as he turned to one of the world’s best coaches to save the Magpies from a situation they had been in all season. Just two months later, they suffered their second relegation in seven years, though.

But this was not just another seemingly-solid Premier League team dropping down into the Championship with the foregone conclusion that they would bounce back up. Not only was hiring Benitez an expensive gamble for Ashley (he had a release clause in his contract which meant he could depart if they were relegated, a likely outcome even with his arrival), but the club had spent around £80m on the squad that suffered relegation, making them the most expensive team to ever be relegated from the Premier League.

It would be easy to highlight former gaffer Steve McClaren (and also the decision to give him until March before making a change) as the reason the team struggled so much over the campaign, but Newcastle’s mismanagement of transfers across various head coaches points to a problem further up the food chain. Lee Charnley is the man in charge of business at St. James’ Park and, even before McClaren had arrived in June 2015, they had already spent £14.5m on Georginio Wijnaldum, £13m on Aleksandar Mitrovic and £12m on Florian Thauvin. Wijnaldum and Mitrovic would have trouble acclimatising to English football, with the striker contributing just eight goals in 36 appearances, while Thauvin would prove unhelpful during McClaren’s tenure.

But even a panic-buying January didn’t adjust the course for the side, with a combined £25m spent on midfielders Jonjo Shelvey and Andros Townsend, despite their biggest weaknesses being in defence and attack. Both players would find themselves rotated as much as any other player under McClaren and then, later, Benitez as they failed to provide the security their high transfer fees suggested they would.

The decline of England

The omens looked good for England going in EURO 2016 in France. With the emergence of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Jamie Vardy, the stock of English footballers hadn’t been this good for quite some time. They had a 100% record in qualifying (not a particular surprise, as this is an area the national side have rarely struggled with), Roy Hodgson was able to select from his best players and their group looked fairly easy on paper, with their opponents Wales (who were in their first international tournament since 1958), Slovakia (in their first European Championship ever) and Russia (who had only once passed the group stages in any international tournament when they reached the semi-finals of Euro 2008).

But things went wrong before the squad even arrived in France. While the final squad did contain some of the best players the country had to offer at the time, there were some questionable inclusions; Jack Wilshere had just returned from injury and only played two games at the end of the season for Arsenal, yet he was brought into the team ahead of the more-inexperienced Danny Drinkwater, who had just helped Leicester City win the Premier League title. Also, there was Marcus Rashford, a talented youngster who had scored eight goals in 16 appearances but had literally only just started playing first-team football for Manchester United and was an unlikely pick.

Then there was the results. An unconvincing display against Russia in their opening fixture saw them give away a 1-0 lead (courtesy of a free kick from Eric Dier) in stoppage time at the end of the game, before they secured a 2-1 win over home nation rivals Wales, although they went down 1-0 in the first period and were booed off at half-time by their fans. The final group game was against Slovakia, and the goalless draw (which led them to the Three Lions finishing second in their group behind Wales) was perhaps more notable for the fact that Hodgson made six changes to his team, leaving out players like captain Wayne Rooney, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane.

However un-glamorous the group stage had been, it was nothing compared to the embarrassment of the knockout stage. Facing Iceland, 34th in the FIFA rankings before the match and with a population of just 330,000, many England fans would have believed they had got an easy path through to the latter stages of the tournament. But their 2-1 defeat can be blamed as much on the players as the manager. The usually dependable Joe Hart was at fault for the winning goal in just the 18 minute, Harry Kane and Dele Alli looked extremely jaded and even the experienced Wayne Rooney was unable to inspire the side to victory against the small island nation. Hodgson’s resignation following their exit from the summer competition was well-received, but there were some who wondered why those performing well for their clubs couldn’t do it for their international side.

Big stadiums don’t equal big results

West Ham United’s path to moving stadiums wasn’t as cut-and-dried as it usually is. Going as far back as 2003, when the stadium was initially proposed with regard to the Olympic Games bid, there was always the intention to use the Olympic Stadium (or London Stadium, as it has now been branded) for football once the 2012 Games had concluded, with the suggestion being that Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham ground-share the 60,000 seat capacity venue. What followed was years of negotiations, more a political argument than a sports-based one, where various options were considered, but eventually, in 2013, West Ham signed a 99-year lease on the ground and began repurposing it for use in the 2016/17 Premier League campaign.

But it was far from popular. Tottenham, Crystal Palace and even lowly Leyton Orient were fervently against the Hammers moving into the most up-to-date digs in the country. Even more to the point, so was the taxpayer, with people like you and me having to fund a large part of the £272m regeneration cost, as well as the initial cost of the project, which went over-budget at almost £800m. Before a ball was even kicked for West Ham this season, it appeared there was enough to suggest the change of venue hadn’t been the best received.

And even after the festivities truly began, they struggled. The opening game of the season against Bournemouth featured several fans who had tickets for non-existent seats, matches against Middlesbrough and Sunderland witnessed an increase in violence and hooliganism, with an MP even suggesting that they play behind closed doors if they were unable to control their fans properly. While the fan unrest has eased off in recent months, the stain such behaviour has left on the history of the sport in England makes the sight of it again deplorable, particularly when linked with the actions of some England fans during EURO 2016.

Finally, their results haven’t been great at home either. They won just one of their first seven games in the league overall, and, while there are probably all sorts of reasons as to why, their form was just as bad as on the road. Most teams can rely on playing well at their own ground during rough patches, but the Hammers were only able to win twice in their opening seven games at the London Stadium, finding little consistency at their new home.

Pep Guardiola isn’t invincible

When you mention the top managers currently in the game, it’s likely that Pep Guardiola’s name is at, or close to, the top of that list. Success at Barcelona and Bayern Munich tends to give you enough stories to dine out on for the rest of your days, and Guardiola would have had his pick of clubs before deciding to join Manchester City. Of course, he had some of the best players in the world at his previous teams, and that perhaps shows why he isn’t having the same impact in English football.

Despite coming to a club which possessed talents such as Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero (among others), he has found the same success hard to come by in the Premier League. To start with, he isn’t failing in the traditional sense of the word – six wins in six to start the season off and even a drop in form only leaves them in 3rd place and seven points off the top spot – but, compared to his previous record and the legend status that has been built around the Spaniard during his brief managerial career, English fans could be concerned that he is not performing to his perceived standard.

His early dismissal of Joe Hart was questionable, particularly as Claudio Bravo has failed to settle into the team as quickly as thought, while Yaya Toure (well, his agent) has sparred with him constantly during this campaign and, even when City win (as they did most recently against Burnley), it is not unusual to hear the manager being critical of his side. He is perhaps right to not publicly praise his new team too much, as the weight of expectation on him remains.

His most recent outburst regarding his retirement, perhaps following three years at the Etihad Stadium, shows that he doesn’t enjoy the harder parts of the game and does see a shelf life to his career. But he has also handled the media and fans extremely well, unlike his counterpart Jose Mourinho.

Former Spurs star Mido has taken to Twitter to wish his former side good luck tonight ahead of their clash with London rivals and Premier League leaders Chelsea.

The Egyptian striker played for a whopping 13 clubs during his career and spent a season and a half at White Hart Lane, where he scored 20 goals in just over 60 appearances for the North London club.

Mido had a mixed bag of fortunes during his tenure with Spurs, where he failed to replicate the form of his impressive loan move when he signed permanently from Roma back in August of 2006. He later went on to admit he made a mistake by joining the club permanently before moving to Premier League rivals Middlesborough.

There appears to be not hard feelings between the former player and club now though, as he hopes that Spurs are able to put Chelsea’s 13-game winning streak to an end and prevent them from creating a new Premier League record.

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Bournemouth have had a £10m offer for Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic rejected, but a transfer has not been ruled out, according to The Telegraph.

What’s the story?

The Bosnian international has struggled for first-team action at Stamford Bridge, having made just four appearances in all competitions.

Thibaut Courtois’s position as first-choice stopper seems to be unwavering, and as a result, Bournemouth have tried to tempt Chelsea into selling their backup.

The Telegraph reports that Blues manager Antonio Conte would prefer to keep hold of Begovic, as he is a decent option in the event that Courtois suffers an injury during the team’s Premier League title bid.

However, the publication also states that due to Begovic being widely respected at the club, a transfer will be granted if he chooses to leave.

Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth may have been knocked back initially, but they reportedly still have hope of signing the 29-year-old before the transfer window shuts at the end of this month.

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Is this the ideal move for Begovic?

The Bosnian has been sitting on the bench for the best part of a season and a half, but he would be guaranteed first-team action at the Vitality Stadium.

The shot-stopper is also no stranger to the South Coast, having spent five years playing for Portsmouth before joining Stoke City in 2010.

From Bournemouth’s point of view, they would have an experienced Premier League goalkeeper at the helm, which could prove to be vital if they get dragged into a relegation battle.

The Cherries can also feel encouraged in their pursuit of Begovic given that they have had transfer dealings with the division’s top clubs before.

In fact, they already have a good relationship with Chelsea after they had Nathan Ake on loan for a short spell this season.

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Firstly, I have to apologise for the column being late this week.

Due to strong winds I was not able to write my normal column and this one of the reasons I will not be going to Wembley this season.

Fortunately, it was only the FA Cup last weekend so we can get through that pretty quickly as – you’re all thinking it – nobody really cares about it anyway. Especially not the managers picking teams.

Wolves devised a cunning plan to beat Liverpool at Anfield – Defend well and put a couple of whippets up front. This is the kind of managerial genius that once had Scotland as the birthplace of all the finest British managers. Sir Alex, Bill Shankly, Jock Stein, George Graham and now, yes, Paul Lambert.

Pochettino didn’t seem too bothered by the cup either, until it looked like Wycombe were about to cause a sensational shock. Suddenly it became quite important to Spurs and they recovered from 2-0 down and then 3-2 down to save themselves quite the embarrassment. Funny that, what potential humiliation and a loss to a League Two side can do for you. You had to feel for Gareth Ainsworth, he had devised a system that had made the “Beast” look more of a threat than Vincent Janssen after all.

Chelsea, Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Man City all eased through in a relatively stress free manner, some with strong teams selected, some without. Mind you, it mattered little if you were playing a Southampton side mentally measuring up their Wembley suits or Palace, at that point incapable of winning for Big Sam. United also won, playing their 250th consecutive FA Cup tie on television as their way of doffing their caps to Wayne Rooney’s record goalscoring feat.

We should probably mention Sutton United too, but it’s not as if they beat a Premier League side or anything. And they weren’t playing on a real pitch, so can that count? Well, it will definitely count if they can beat Arsenal in the 5th Round!

Let’s move on to where the real action was hiding. The Premier League reappeared days later, showing us all why managers are reluctant to put full strength sides out in the cup when they have a table-topping clash a matter of hours later.

I think we can safely say that Steve Bould is currently failing his Arsenal manager audition. Any credit he may have got for taking Southampton apart was quickly spent as Watford raced into a 2-0 lead at the Emirates. There is a certain charm in how Arsenal can continue to be “just three players short of winning the title” and be so gloriously consistently inconsistent. I guess the problem is, Arsene has no clue as to which three players he is short of.

The biggest game of the night was at Anfield where Kloppo hissed after Costa missed his penalty, “nobody can beat us, nobody!”

Jurgen, my dear boy. Swansea beat you. Wolves beat you. Southampton beat you. Hell, if Plymouth had decided to move out of their own half there is every chance they might have beaten you too. Now, I don’t know a great deal about football or goalkeeping, but I do know that you massively increase your chances of saving a free kick if you are watching when it is taken.

Sure, Mignolet saved a penalty and all that, but had he saved the penalty AND watched the free kick then Liverpool might have won. As for the wall? My word. A wall like that does not deserve Champions League football.

Somebody clearly thought it was a good idea to play matches on the evening of Deadline Day. The only winner in this scenario was Jim White, who managed to sneak a couple of hours off in the evening. Deadline Day itself was as dull as the Spurs and Sunderland fixture. There was, as expected, a lot of hype and, as expected, very little end product in either affair. Still, Jack Rodwell adopted a novel approach to try and end his winless hoodoo. Start, but then try and get sent off. After nearly 100 games without a Sunderland win, he is getting desperate.

I wonder if the Leicester board are starting to think new contracts with big pay-rises all round was a foolish ideas? A late defeat at Burnley leaves the champions three points off the relegation zone with teams beneath them in far better form. Swansea City, for example. Paul Clement has got them doing quite well, hasn’t he? Mind you, the other question is whether Southampton will win again before the League Cup Final, their minds did seem elsewhere.

Hell, even Big Sam is now in better form than Leicester. His Palace side finally got him three points in beating Bournemouth.

Jose, in a rare case of making a fair point, claimed he is treated differently by officials. Considering some of the antics Kloppo gets away with, or the passion shown by Conte, that a blind eye is turned to you can almost see where he is coming from. Jose was getting more and more agitated by the refereeing in United’s dismal 0-0 draw with Hull, and was told repeatedly to “sit down, be quiet and behave” by what can only have been a primary school teacher.

That said, this is classic Jose – distracting everyone from the fact that United have had 250,000 shots on target against Hull, Stoke and Burnley this season and failed to score. It’s ok, though, because Zlatan and Pogba are great for the social media bantz.

Football fans all over the country, mainly because Crouch has played for most of their clubs, rejoiced as the lanky one notched up his 100th Premier League goal and cranked out the robot. Crouch’s body might need WD40 to get through a game nowadays, but the dance was as smooth and rust free as the day we first saw it. Stoke drew with Everton, not that anyone is ever going to remember that.

Following his West Ham debut, I just wonder if Jose Fonte is feeling a little regretful when he reminds himself he could have been leading a team out at Wembley later this month. There’s nothing like a 4-0 spanking in which you give away a penalty to help your new fans feel that was £8m well spent.

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Arsenal have become the latest club to join the race to sign Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero, according to Calciomercato.

What’s the story?

Plenty of elite clubs have been linked with the Argentine forward in recent weeks after he dropped out of Pep Guardiola’s lineup.

The 28-year-old has had to settle for a spot on the bench in City’s last two games, with 19-year-old Gabriel Jesus taking his place.

The Brazilian, who joined up with the North-West outfit in January after sealing a £27m deal from Palmeiras last summer, has scored three goals and produced one assist in four games.

Jesus’s emergence has poured doubt over Aguero’s long-term future, even though The Express reports that City are adamant the striker will not be sold.

Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea have been touted as potential suitors for Aguero, and now, according to Calciomercato, Arsenal have entered the mix.

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Is Arsenal a good option?

If reports are to be believed, Aguero will have his pick of clubs if he decides to leave City at the end of the season.

In terms of playing time, the forward will get plenty at the Emirates, particularly if the club lose Alexis Sanchez.

The Chilean is yet to agree a new contract with the Gunners, despite months of negotiations, which has led to suggestions that he could leave in the summer.

Aguero would be a very welcome replacement, but considering that Arsenal’s Premier League title drought is due to extend to 13 years, the former Atletico Madrid forward may not have a great chance of silverware.

Having said that, he could be the difference between fourth and first for Arsenal as he has scored the most league goals (90) than any other player in the past five campaigns.

From City’s point of view, they should try hard to keep hold of Aguero because even though Jesus is firing right now, he still has plenty to learn.

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When you consider all of the domestic competitions in the English calendar, the EFL cup is almost certainly the black sheep of the ‘family’ amongst those that feature top-flight clubs.

Clubs play weakened sides in the early stages as they look to preserve their top talent for the games that matter most in the league or in European competitions. Attendances can be sparse as fans prefer to save their money rather than attend a midweek match and see a watered down team face another similarly set up.

Indeed, there are some top flight matches in recent seasons who bemoan the distraction that the competition can provide.

That all changes, however, when you reach the latter stages and the potential for winning silverware becomes palpable. The final this year will be contested between Manchester United and Southampton, and the prospect of winning a trophy is equally important to both for very different reasons.

Manchester United have a recent history of success to look back on. They dominated the domestic game for years under Sir Alex Ferguson and remained competitive at the top of European competition. Recent seasons, thought, with the exception of the FA Cup last season, have been barren and new coach Jose Mourinho will welcome the chance to win his first piece of silverware for the club.

Southampton fans on the other side are excited purely at the prospect of competing in a final. The club has long had a reputation as one of the most stable and well run in the domestic game with a conveyor belt of talented home grown players and an excellent recruitment strategy. This match represents the opportunity for the club to take the next step towards establishing themselves as a force in the domestic game.

But where this final be won and lost?

United should focus attacks down their left

The news that the Armenian international Henrik Mkhitaryan picked up a knock in the Europa League tie with St Ettiene will be a blow to United. The attacking midfielder has been one of the club’s key players in recent weeks now that he has fully adapted to the rigours of English domestic football.

With the situation on the right of the attack looking uncertain, United should instead focus on the left-hand side where the Frenchman Anthony Martial has found an impressive vein of form. The quick attacker has played his way back in to contention in the first team, having previously fallen out of favour with Mourinho.

Southampton have a strong central core to their team with the Spaniard Oriel Romeu shielding the space in front of the defensive line and displaying the form that once saw him tipped to become a regular part of the Barcelona first team.

The Portuguese right-back Cedric Soares, on the other hand, is inconsistent at times in his defensive duties. He can also be isolated against attackers depending on the characteristics of the player who is situated on the right of the Southampton midfield.

If United are able to get Martial in to the game from the early stages then we should see Cedric pinned back and unable to contribute to the attacking phase, as we would normally see. This would in turn force the Southampton defensive block to shift across to cover, thus creating more space centrally for United to exploit.

Southampton need to capitalise on central spaces

Whilst Southampton are strong centrally, the same is not always true of United, who can struggle with the space between their defensive and midfield lines.

In the January transfer window Southampton added the Italian international forward Manolo Gabbiadini to their squad from Serie A side Napoli. The Italian possesses excellent tactical intelligence and his movement across and off of the front line could well be the key factor in deciding the game.

Ander Herrera has impressed in the United midfield in recent months but he cannot be described as a defensive midfielder, instead preferring to play in advanced areas and link play. Paul Pogba partners Herrera and again he is more focussed on the attacking side of the game.

We could see Michael Carrick as the deepest controlling midfielder and whilst there is no doubting his quality on the ball, his lack of pace could prove to be a liability should Southampton be able to overload the central areas with players coming deep from attack and moving forward from the midfield strata.

With players of the quality of James Ward-Prowse and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the middle of the park, they possess the quality to penetrate the space occupied by the deepest midfielder and the ability to support the ball through vertical runs from the midfield.

Southampton were extremely impressive in defeating Liverpool over two legs in the semi-final of this competition and a similar standard of performance will be required if they are to overcome United and lift the trophy.

Conclusion

This match is far from a foregone conclusion, despite United entering the final as the favourites to win the trophy.

Southampton may have been inconsistent in their league form so far this season but in the EFL Cup they have been excellent throughout, with their defence in particular proving all but impregnable. The first twenty minutes of the match should prove key as both sides will look to seize the initiative and control the tempo of the game.

If either side can get an early goal then that should go a long way to settling the match. United have the pace and attacking potential to cause Southampton real problems should they access the wide areas early.

If I were a betting man then my money would go on Southampton taking the trophy. Luckily for me and for my bank balance, though, I am not.

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Liverpool host Arsenal this weekend in a tie that could decide which side occupies the final top four spot come the end of the season.

Both sides looked like potential Premier League title challengers before the New Year, having had terrific starts to the season, but things have changed since the calendar flipped to 2017.

Liverpool have won only once since the turn of the year, that victory being an impressive and convincing 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. The other eleven of their fixtures have ended either as a draw or in defeat, their most recent loss coming at the hands of a resurgent Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Arsenal themselves haven’t been particularly impressive, either. While dominating their fixtures against the Premier League strugglers, the Gunners have fallen at the bigger hurdles, losing to the likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich in recent weeks.

This Saturday’s game is crunch time for both sides and their managers. But who would make a combined XI of the two sides? Based on 2017 there wouldn’t be much to go by but as they say, form is temporary and class is permanent, so taking that into account, here we go …

Petr Cech

No real thought had to go into this decision. While Cech has come under some criticism lately for some of his performances, most notably in the 3-1 defeat against former club Chelsea, he still remains Arsenal’s number one, and one of the best in the Premier League. The veteran keeper is on another level to any of the Gunner’s others or Liverpool’s shot-stoppers.

Nathaniel Clyne

About the only positive thing in Liverpool’s defence this season has been Nathaniel Clyne. The right-back has once again been consistent down the flank for the Reds, offering both excellent attacking options and solid defensive cover. Just a shame the rest of his compatriots at the back, most notably in the middle, cannot seem to get anywhere near his level of performance.

Lauren Koscielny

The best centre half between the two clubs, the Frenchman has become a key figure at the Emirates for Arsenal over the past few seasons. Technically gifted while also a commanding physical presence, Koscielny is growing in strength each season, especially since he seems to have found himself a partner…

Shkodran Mustafi

I was critical of Mustafi after his move to Arsenal, as I wasn’t particularly impressed with his form at the European Championship’s for Germany, and the start to his Gunners career wasn’t brilliant either. He seems to have grown in confidence and is beginning to form a solid partnership with the aforementioned Lauren Koscielny, one that could potentially carry the club forward into the future.

Granit Xhaka

A terrible disciplinary record, but boy, Xhaka can play. When he isn’t suspended, Xhaka provides a fire in the belly of Arsenal’s midfield they have lacked for a number of years, while also providing an excellent range of passing. The Swiss international also adds a goal threat from outside the box with his rocket of a left boot.

Georginio Wijnaldum

The silent man at Anfield, and Jurgen Klopp knows it too, often expressing his admiration for the Dutchman. While he may not get as many goals and assists as he perhaps should based on his form for ex-club Newcastle United, Wijnaldum pulls the strings in Liverpool’s midfield with his classy footwork and understanding of the game. A typical Dutchman, if you will.

Mesut Ozil

Gone missing in recent weeks, and again failed to show in the big games, Ozil still oozes class and his link up with Alexis Sanchez is quite a sight to behold. You can’t help but think if the rest of the Arsenal squad were on the wavelength of this man then they really would be a challenging for the title, as the former Madrid man seems to always be one or two steps ahead of everyone else.

Adam Lallana

I have always been a huge admirer of Adam Lallana, so to see him flourish as he has done this season has been a joy to watch. Named England’s Player of the Year, and rewarded with a new contract at Liverpool, Lallana has finally added a final product to his elegant, continental style of play, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists so far this season.

Sadio Mane

Liverpool really did miss this boy while he was playing at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal. Mane signalled his return with an excellent display against Tottenham in which he scored both goals in Liverpool’s only win of 2017 so far.

Pacy, direct, great feet and an eye for goal, many questioned the hefty fee the Reds paid for him in the summer, but he has proven to be worth every penny of that £34million so far.

Danny Welbeck

There are plenty of options in this department from both sides. Olivier Giroud, Lucas Perez, Divock Origi, Daniel Sturridge. The list could go on, but really only one man makes the cut as the lead striker in this combined XI, and that man is Danny Welbeck.

Given a hard time throughout his career and having struggled with injuries since his move to Arsenal, the Englishman has been brilliant when starting, not only scoring goals but providing for those around him too.

His delicate touch and grace in the final third is something to be admired.

Alexis Sanchez

Probably the first name on this team-sheet. Sanchez has again been outstanding, if not too good, for the Gunners this season, scoring 20 times and providing 11 assists in all competitions

. A truly world class player (Alan Shearer may not agree), Arsenal will be lucky to hold on to the enigmatic forward come the end of the season if they end the year trophy less.

Formation

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Mark Noble has upset a few West Ham United fans for claiming that most spectators “don’t really understand the game”.

In an interview with Sky Sports News the club captain responded to criticism that he has faced of late, with many fans calling for manager Slaven Bilic to drop him.

The 29-year-old, who is closing in on 400 appearances for the East London outfit, has started all but two of the Hammers’ 28 Premier League matches this season.

In some quarters of the club’s following, Noble’s performances have not impressed, but the man himself has answered back by questioning the fans’ knowledge.

He told the broadcaster:

“If I am really honest, a lot of people who now go to football don’t really understand the game. Football is a game of moments now and if someone does four step-overs, they’ve had an incredible game. That’s not something I do. It’s just football, you’ve got to live with it.”

West Ham have had a difficult campaign, mainly due to issues off it, with the summer move to the London Stadium causing problems among fans.

In addition, Dimitri Payet’s decision to force a move away from the Hammers caused some disruption in January.

Noble’s frank comments have not been taken well by a number of West Ham supporters, who feel that their captain is insulting them.

Celtic take on Dundee on Sunday not knowing quite yet if it will be a match that can secure the league title or not. Aberdeen take on Hearts on Saturday and if the Dons lose then it opens the door for Brendan Rodgers’ side to clinch a sixth successive league title at Dens Park.

That would be a big motivating factor ahead of the game but with the league pretty much signed, sealed and delivered regardless of this weekend’s results, the Hoops are likely treating their preparation for this match like any other.

What’s also at stake is Celtic’s unbeaten domestic record. We’ve been writing this for months now but incredible Brendan Rodgers’ side have still not been defeated in domestic football. Perhaps more remarkably, they’ve only drawn twice.

That record is at risk on Sunday and with every side between now and the end of the season desperate to be the team that bursts the bubble, it gets tougher and tougher to maintain the record. Dundee are no different and will be right up for this one in front of their own fans.

Here are three reasons why it might not all go to plan for Celtic this weekend…

Marcus Haber

Dundee’s top scorer this season, Marcus Haber knows how to find the net against Celtic. He was the man who gave the Dees a glimmer of hope at Celtic Park earlier in the season and is their key danger man again on Sunday.

With six goals this season and three assists, he’s been a vital part of Paul Hartley’s attack. He also gets more than half of his shots on target, meaning Celtic can’t give him too much space in the final third or risk him testing Craig Gordon.

He’s not the only threat Dundee have with the bright Mark O’Hara shining in recent weeks, perhaps most notably against Rangers when he netted to give the Dark Blues their first league victory over the Gers since 1992.

The tight games between the sides this season

Dundee have been one of the teams that have competed most capably with Celtic this season, seemingly able to put up a sturdy defence and deny the Hoops goalscoring opportunities more than other top-flight sides.

Celtic have won both games but they were very narrow victories with the Dees losing 2-1 at Celtic Park and in the last match at Dens falling to a 1-0 defeat.

The match before that last season ended 0-0, highlighting that there’s something about Paul Hartley’s team that the Bhoys don’t like coming up against.

That could be a problem on Sunday again with Dundee not quite completely safe from relegation and the fact they have a big TV game at home providing extra motivation to impress.

Derby hangover

Last weekend’s result was a blow to Celtic. Up until that point they had looked invincible, with many predicting they would rack up another heavy scoreline against their city rivals.

While they are still undefeated of course, it was a poor performance and one which must be improved upon on Sunday, or anything can happen.

Dundee have recently beaten Rangers of course so can raise their game when the time calls and it’s up to Celtic that they are no wounded animal right now.

There’s every chance the result at home to Rangers provokes a response from Brendan Rodgers’ side but with their goals for the season almost already met, it could be hard to keep the motivation levels high enough to not suffer their first big lapse of the season.

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has admitted the unthinkable and claimed that he is “jealous” of North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

There is a very strong chance that Spurs will finish above Arsenal in the Premier League table for the first time in 22 years.

As it stands, Mauricio Pochettino’s team are second, 11 points above the Gunners with eight games left to play.

Arsene Wenger’s men have a match in hand on their neighbours, and they boosted their chances of finishing in the top four by defeating West Ham United 3-0 on Wednesday night.

However, Wright believes that Tottenham possess attributes that Arsenal have been missing for some time.

Spurs were trailing 1-0 against Swansea City with two minutes of normal time remaining but goals from Dele Alli, Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen secured a remarkable turnaround.

While carrying out his punditry duties on BBC’s Match of the Day, Wright admitted that he is jealous of Tottenham’s desire and hunger.

“To be honest, there’s a fight and a determination to Spurs now that’s very tough for me. It’s very enviable, and I’m so jealous of them. They were 1-0 down after 88 minutes, but they just kept going – they did not stop going at them.”