He’s been struggling with injury for most of the season but Radamel Falcao was quick to offer a reminder of why he is one of the best forwards in the world against Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Colombian, who missed all of his country’s World Cup campaign due to a serious knee injury, rose well to cushion an excellent header away from Brad Guzan, who could do little to stop the ball from hitting the back of the net.
It has been a long time coming for Falcao, who has struggled with injuries and gaining match fitness in order to break into United’s starting XI. When the Colombian has appeared for Louis van Gaal’s side, he has looked a threat. He has two Premier League goals already this season which is a good achievement considering he has hardly featured so far. The forward has appeared nine times this term but has only started four games. He has two assists to his name as well, meaning that he has made a credible impact considering the amount of time he has spent trying to gain match fitness.
The player himself has recently declared his desire to stay at Manchester United but appreciates the fact that he has to prove his fitness: “I’d like to carry on but I have to analyse the situation, see if I play more and see what decision the board takes.”
Falcao clearly wants to prove himself at Old Trafford. However, a figure of around £40million to pay in the summer for a permanent move may be too steep a fee for United to pay, despite their Galactico-style transfer revolution. Alongside the fee is the player’s excessive wages. Some papers have claimed that the striker is earning around £350,000 a week with others stating he is earning somewhere within the £200-250,000 wage bracket. However much the real figure is, it will cost Manchester United a heap of money to keep him at the club. Although this may be the case, the Red Devils do have the funds available but you’d like to think the board will have more sense (admittedly, this is rarely a guarantee in football.)
On the other hand, if Falcao replicates the goalscoring form he produced while at Atletico Madrid and Porto, Manchester United will be more than willing to pay the £40m to acquire his services. At the height of his powers, Falcao was considered one of, if not the best number nine in the world. His game is also ideally suited to the Premier League. As well as being an excellent poacher in the box, he is a huge threat in the air and can shoot with both feet. His all-round ability will never be in doubt but his fitness record may be the one hindrance that prevents fans of both United and the Premier League from seeing one of the greatest strikers of the modern game in action.
Hopefully Falcao can put together a run in the Premier League that will allow him time to prove himself. The striker, known as ‘The Tiger’, is yet to show the Premier League exactly what he can do. Falcao once scored five goals for Atletico Madrid in a La Liga fixture against Deportivo La Coruna. What was even more impressive was the fact that he only managed five attempts at goal that game which shows just how lethal he can be.
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Old Trafford hero Cristiano Ronaldo hailed the Colombian’s arrival at Manchester United as ‘a fantastic buy’ and many United fans will still be hoping that come the end of the season, the Portuguese magician will be proved right.
After a poor start to the season, Newcastle have turned it around and are now sitting in 9th place in the Premier League. Their main starters in midfield, Yoan Gouffran, Moussa Sissoko, and Remy Cabella, have stepped up recently and have helped the Magpies get into this position.
What this means is Hatem Ben Arfa, who is currently on loan at Hull, is most likely not to have a place in the starting line up once he returns to the club, and will not be offered a new contract, as it expires at the end of June 2015.
If the Frenchman does leave the club on a free transfer, here are FIVE possible clubs which he could move to…
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Hull City
One place Ben Arfa could move to is Hull. Whilst he hasn’t been very impressive at the Tigers, he could still be brought into the squad next season on a free. Manager Steve Bruce has taken a liking to him as he has used the Frenchman in some of his most recent squads, starting him in their last five league games.
Liverpool
Another destination for Ben Arfa could be Liverpool. The Reds have been linked with the Frenchman for the past two seasons and could finally bring him in if he becomes a free agent. This might not be an attractive option for Ben Arfa, as he is likely not to start ahead of the likes of Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana, and Philippe Coutinho, but he would be a decent back up in case any of them picked up an injury.
Stoke City
One more club Ben Arfa could move to in England could be Stoke. Currently, the Potters have Victor Moses on loan from Chelsea on one of their wings. If they are unable to bring in the Nigerian on a permanent deal next season, they could bring in the Frenchman free agent instead.
Schalke
Currently Schalke’s wingers, Sidney Sam, is being watched by quite a few European clubs and could therefore move soon. If he does move, the German side will need to replace him and the Frenchman might be an option. However, Sam has only recently arrived at Schalke, so a high asking price will be needed for him to move. This means a move for Ben Arfa here is unlikely.
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Marseille
The French club currently sits at the top of the Ligue 1 table, and their attacking midfield is starting to draw attention of several European clubs. Andre Ayew has been on the books for several top clubs including Liverpool, Manchester United and Inter Milan. His contract expires at the end of June 2015 and he is yet to be offered a renewal. If he was to leave either in January or on a free when his contract expires, a return to Les Olympiens could be destined for Ben Arfa.
There aren’t many fans that can claim to have had a worse time of supporting their club than Portsmouth supporters.
After establishing themselves as a Premier League club and winning the FA Cup in 2008, things started to go horribly wrong for Pompey. Several key players had to be sold to ease financial problems, but selling the likes of Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Glen Johnson, Sulley Muntari and Lassana Diarra couldn’t stop the club from entering administration and ending their seven year stay in the top flight in 2010.
It got even worse for the South Coasters as they re-entered administration in 2012, which resulted in another points deduction and another relegation. This resulting in the whole squad departing ahead of their first year in League One and a third points deduction followed, which ultimately led them in back-to-back relegations and a third in four seasons.
After years of ownership battles and financial ruin, Portsmouth is now fan-owned after the Pompey Supporters Trust agreed a deal to buy the club in April 2013. Whilst on the pitch, their second season in League Two isn’t exactly going to plan, the fact that Portsmouth are still alive and kicking is an achievement in itself.
Also, with the announcement in September that the club is now debt free, Portsmouth can finally start to look forward to a brighter future. The important thing is to consolidate and getting the club into a healthy position before attempting to push on back up the Football League.
The huge amount of transfer activity at both ends couldn’t have helped manager Andy Awford get a settled squad together and has to have contributed to a poor season at this stage. No win in seven has left Pompey in 16th position and just three points above the relegation zone. They have lost ten of their 25 matches and are struggling for consistent performances and positive results. But with the recent addition of Matt Tubbs and with youngsters such as Jed Wallace impressing, a relegation battle should be avoided this season.
One positive of not having money to spend on players is the ability to rely on the youth system. Allowing players to experience regular first team football from an early age can develop them quicker than at Premier League clubs, where under-21 football is what youngsters can expect. Twenty-year-old midfielder Jed Wallace is the main example of this.
The young winger has already made 90 league appearances, scoring 22 goal.s and has looked extremely impressive, especially this season. Eleven goals in 29 matches in total this term has surely got the bigger clubs of League One and the Championship taking notice of this young prospect. With great pace and a keen eye for goal, it will be a struggle to keep him at the club long term but for now he is key to any hopes this season.
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In reality, mid-table consolidation should be the aim, as it is so crucial for the club not be sucked into a relegation battle and face time outside of the Football League, which could finish off the club once and for all.
England face Lithuania and Italy this week, and all of the build-up talk has centred around the squad picked by Roy Hodgson.
The English media has been doing what it does best, and has dissected Hodgson’s choices. Though to be fair, this has been much less vociferous than in recent years.
But this time, the key factor in this England side isn’t about personnel. This is the first squad in a long time where the team doesn’t pick itself, and that’s a good thing.
Some eyebrows were raised when Danny Ings and Charlie Austin were left out, but the team still includes Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane and Daniel Sturridge. England have plenty of options up front, and they can’t use them all.
In terms of quality the squad is pretty similar across the board, though. We could reignite the ‘is Rooney world class?’ debate, but really, he’s not as important to England as someone like Gareth Bale is to Wales. Rooney is the only player in the team that looks to be above the rest in any way, and although it might be better to have Rooney than to have Walcott or Lallana, for example, playing others alongside Kane or Sturridge wouldn’t weaken England all that much.
In the past, England’s problem was getting all their quality on to the pitch – there wasn’t always room for all of the best players – Gerrard and Lampard couldn’t both play, Scholes was played on the wing.
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Now the problem isn’t about quality, or even getting it onto the pitch, the problem now is about which system to play. Though one problem still remains: the media
Over the next few England games, the talk will start again and it will undoubtedly be about Hodgson’s team selection. Does he leave out Kane, does he leave out Sturridge. If Welbeck starts to fire for Arsenal, maybe they’ll call for him to get a place? Should Rooney play deeper?
But this is distracting. What Hodgson has the ability to do with this team – and I think he is probably unique among England managers in this regard – is tinker with it. England have the ability to play different systems for different games. If you expect a physical game, you play physical players, if you expect the counter, you use players who can deal with it, if you expect to be up against a slow defence, you use the pace in your team.
England have players who can fit into all of these systems, and it’s up to the manager to be sophisticated enough to recognise which systems will suit each game.
The last thing Hodgson needs is the back pages telling him which team he should pick.
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For England, the options are there, and if used wisely the team can qualify easily. But working with these different systems will help England even more in the long-term, too. Tournament football is all about playing horses for courses. It’s about beating the team in front of you, because if you don’t win, you don’t progress.
It’s not about which system is better overall, or even about which players are better – it’s about which system and which players will stifle the opposition’s strengths and exploit their weaknesses. And doing that doesn’t necessarily mean picking your ‘best’ XI, just the XI most suited to beating what’s in front of you.
Hodgson will have to pick a team for a system, not a system for a team. His formation shouldn’t be dictated by the ‘best’ players – but thankfully he doesn’t have any players who stand out as being that much better than the rest anyway.
Sometimes the best thing that can happen to you is failure. A kick up the arse is often the best remedy for under-performance. And under-performance is certainly what we’re seeing from Manchester City.
They’re like the kid at school who gets an A in his GCSEs, but in the first module of his A-Levels he gets an D.
It hurt, and it was unexpected, but that was the best thing that could happen under the circumstances. Because it was such a shock to his system it made him work hard, he knew then that he couldn’t just drift without trying and still get a good grade.
A disaster is sometimes the best medicine, but only when it doesn’t lead to all-out catastrophe. So long as you aren’t knocked out, you can come up off the mat and fight on.
And Manchester City are still fighting. Sort of.
They were under pressure after the Manchester derby. Liverpool were closing in on them for the final Champions League spot and given City’s form, it looked possible that they’d not even make the Champions League at all this time around.
But Liverpool have faltered and City have pushed on somewhat – even if they were lucky to beat Villa last time out.
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Yet they’re still under-performing. Even the last two wins have been poor from the Champions’ perspective. They were lucky to beat Villa – they were even lucky not to get beat. And they still have Spurs and Southampton to play. On current form as well as on motivation, you’d have to fancy the Europa League chasers over the deposed Champions.
Yet this might just be the shock to the system that Pellegrini’s men need. They’ve been poor all year, right from the start, but they were right in a title race up until fairly recently. They somehow managed to keep the pace with Chelsea up until New Year’s day when they were neck and neck, dead level.
They’ve since realised what our school kid realised, however. They realised they can’t just coast through a season and win the league at the end of it. There are fresher, better-performing teams who can win it instead. They’ve received some sort of shock, but if they finish in an automatic Champions League spot they won’t truly have learned their lesson.
Coming fourth would be that extra kick for City. It wouldn’t be an all-out disaster, they’d still finish in a Champions League spot. So their finances, prestige, and that all-important co-efficient rating shouldn’t be affected – unless they lose that too.
Coming second or third would be better of course, they wouldn’t have to qualify. But maybe in this case, after the disappointment of this season has sunk in, City will realise that they need to be ready right from the off in August.
And the best way to get City to do this is by forcing them to play two very important matches before their season actually kicks off in earnest.
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City have been guilty of coasting through this season. But if they finish fourth as punishment for their sin, they’ll have to be up and running early next season, and that’ll build momentum. And we’ve seen what City can do with they build momentum – they’re almost unstoppable when they’re on proper form.
So although it would be a huge disappointment for City to finish fourth – and they look like they might manage second or third at the moment – it might just be what they need to have a great season next time around.
A kick up the arse would do them the world of good. It won’t have Father Ted style repercussions, but it’ll help long term. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to you is failure.
Another season of Europa League football beckons for Tottenham after missing out on the top four once again, but while this comes as a disappointment to the club there has certainly been one major positive they can take from the campaign.
Harry Kane has shot to fame after a terrific season with Spurs, and his contribution to the side has ensured they can still finish as high as fifth thanks to his 20 league goals.
A worthy winner of the PFA Young Player of the Year, Kane also took his place in the Team of the Year alongside Diego Costa, something very few would have predicted at the beginning of the season.
Unsurprisingly after the season he has had, one which has seen him become the first Spurs man since Gary Lineker to reach 30 goals in all competitions, there is already rumours of a possible exit from White Hart Lane.
Reports last week suggested Manchester United were keen on signing the 21-year-old striker as they look to strengthen their squad in order for a title push next season, and could offer as much as £45m for the England youngster.
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And although this may come as a tempting proposition, Kane must forget about a move this summer and focus on kicking off next season with Tottenham once again.
The club are sure to stand firm as they look to hold onto one of their star assets, and for the striker himself he is currently at the best place to continue his development as a Premier League footballer.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that this is Kane’s first proper season at the top level and he didn’t really get his chance in this campaign until November. The dreaded second season syndrome awaits him from August and in order to really prove himself as one of the top strikers in the country he has to deliver on a consistent basis once more.
It will certainly prove more difficult given the pressure on him to perform and he will now become a player defenders will be keeping an extra close eye on given his exploits this season; again making it more difficult for the young star.
But unlike those teams above Spurs, the club can guarantee him regular first-team football, and to have this at a club with European aspirations at such an early age is exactly what he needs.
We’ve seen plenty of examples of players who have moved on too quickly to Champions League sides, only to find their career stalling as they are offered limited opportunities on the pitch. And this is something that could happen to Kane were he to join United, particularly with the amount of options they have upfront.
A new contract would at Spurs would take care of any wage issues, and from then on he should focus on improving and helping Spurs to improve on this season’s points tally.
Playing on a weekly basis under Mauricio Pochettino will not only allow him to do this, but also give him the best chance at making the England squad for next summer’s European Championships.
Continue on this upward curve over the next two or three seasons, and then he can start thinking about a move to a bigger club where he can fulfil his aspirations of lifting trophies, and he’s certain to have plenty of offers.
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We’re seeing with Raheem Sterling the amount of negative press coming his way as his contract saga rumbles on, and Kane, as he is doing, has to ensure this sort of thing doesn’t happen with him.
He’s at a great club where the fans love him, and with the opportunity he has to play on a regular basis as well as compete in Europe once again next season, he would be foolish to leave Spurs at this early stage of his career.
As the relegation battle went down to the final day of the season, Hull City were the final team to face the drop.
It came down to Steve Bruce’s Tigers and Newcastle, who secured a 2-0 win to play another season in the top flight. Although Hull will not be playing with the big boys of English football next season, they must stick with Steve Bruce.
Steve Bruce joined Hull City back in 2012 on an initial three year contract. In the 2013/14 season his side finished second in the Championship, which secured them a place in the Premier League for the following season. Hull have little experience in the Premier League.
They were first promoted to the the top flight back in 2008, but only managed two seasons before being relegated back to the Championship. A similar tale to that of Steve Bruce’s Hull City; spending two years in the top flight before facing the inevitable drop.
And who could forget their FA Cup final clash against Arsenal? The Tigers went 2-0 up after 10 minutes, but Arsenal’s comeback was too much to overcome. A win for the underdog – like Wigan Athletic’s over Manchester City in the FA Cup – would have went down in history. But it was not to be.
Going from FA Cup finalists to being relegated from the Premier League in the space of a year is a tough pill to swallow for everyone at Hull City. But when you consider how many teams were in the mix for relegation, you can see how tough a season it has been. The managerial merry-go-round being in full force has not helped, and Hull are wise not to have joined. Even now, they shouldn’t.
The Premier League promotion and FA Cup final have shown Bruce to be a formidable and serious manager. With the right team, he can achieve big things; and Tigers are the team for him.
Letting go of Bruce after a bump in the road would be farcical. Modern football does not respect the hard work of managers like it used to. The KC Stadium outfit shouldn’t fall into that trap. If anyone is going to bring the Tigers back up, it will be Bruce.
He will be determined to do so. He spoke about his devastation of no longer being in the Premier League, and how contracts ‘mean nothing in football’; but if they keep faith in him he’ll soon guide them back in to the big time.
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With the transfer window picking up speed and oscillating into full swing, Tottenham seem to have gone dark. Benjamin Stambouli has departed the club and there is small-talk about a young Lyon striker who broke onto the scene last season – no, it’s not the one you’re hoping for Lyon fans. It’s Clinton N’Jie.
But apart from that Tottenham have been quiet since they completed a flurry of transfers early on in the window. It looks like Spurs have done their shopping early.
To me that’s impressive. Pochettino knew exactly what he needed – defenders – and went out and got them early. It seems Pochettino is a particularly cruel man, he brings in his signings in good time to complete his notoriously intensive pre-season training schedule. No one is spared, it seems.
On the other hand, Spurs’ defence was so dodgy at times last season that defenders are sorely needed. Perhaps Pochettino simply needed the time to get the new guys organised. In any case, expect Spurs to be fit, organised and filled with team spirit next season.
That’s the benefit of getting the whole squad together before pre-season. The new guys have time to bed in and gel with the squad. They have time to make friends and get to know the ways of the dressing room as well as training with the team and getting a feel for Pochettino’s methods and style of play.
So there’s great method to Pochettino’s pre-season and I wouldn’t be surprised if Spurs reaped the rewards next season.
There’s just one troubling thought, though. And that’s Harry Kane. Last season Kane became the first Tottenham striker since Gary Lineker to score over 30 goals for the club in a single season. To repeat a cringe-worthy phrase: everything he touched turned to goals.
But I can think of very few strikers in world football who do manage to repeat their goalscoring form every year. Consistency in strikers makes managers go weak at the knees. If your main man can guarantee you 15 league goals a season without fail you’ll keep him in the side. It’s invaluable. And yet only Messi and Ronaldo seem to be able to do it. Perhaps you can add Luis Suarez to that list too. Most other mere mortals have at least one poor season. They’re only human after all.
And so what happens if Harry Kane has an off season next time around? Tottenham relied on him too much last season as it was. He was the man who scored the goals and no one else came close to his tally. But next season he may not be so hot. And Tottenham need someone else around him who can score goals. Especially if Adebayor moves to Villa and Soldado runs back off to Spain.
It’s not just for the team’s sake, but for the player’s sake too. If Kane is under pressure and has a poor season, not only could it dent his confidence, but the people who are already concerned that he’s a flash in the pan will start to be convinced of that. If he’s a 30 goal a season striker then great, but he shouldn’t be put under pressure to be one consistently, not after his first full season.
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Is Clinton N’Jie the solution to that particular problem, or maybe Michy Batshuayi, even though the rumours have cooled a little bit on that move? Or does he feel that Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela will step up and become the players we all thought they would be two seasons ago? If Pochettino thinks so then we should probably trust him, at least for this season. Another young player who Pochettino fancies bringing through the ranks might work well for Spurs, especially as a second striker to supplement the goals of Kane. But it’s still a big season for the players who haven’t performed well of late in a Tottenham strip.
The less pressure on the young players the better, and having someone else to grab the goals could be crucial for the team and for Kane’s own development. But Pochettino should put a bit more gentle pressure onto his established attackers to see if they can supplement Kane’s goals. Failing that, he might need a striker.
It’s a great thing that Spurs have done their business early so that the squad can gel and everyone can get a pre-season under their belts, but Pochettino should be careful if he feels he’s done all of his business already. There’s a lot of firepower in his team, but if he doesn’t bring in another attacker he’ll be gambling on some of his current roster stepping up. And on the evidence of the last couple of season, that’s a bit of a risk.
Premier League fans probably couldn’t ask for a greater gift to kick off what should be a phenomenal week of Christmas football in the English top flight than Arsenal vs Liverpool.
Meetings between these two sides always deliver a healthy dose of goals, with 141 scored from their 51 Premier League meetings to date, and just to add an extra sprinkling of importance and intensity, they’re currently separated just by one point in the Premier League table – either side of that all-important Champions League qualification line.
So will we see another goal-fest in Friday’s 7.45pm kickoff? This week’s experts, Snack-Media’s Josh Challies and Live4Liverpool editor George Dagless, share their thoughts and predictions ahead of the clash at the Emirates Stadium…
The last time Arsenal faced Liverpool, they were hammered 4-0 at Anfield. While that performance went down as a counter-attacking masterclass from the home side’s perspective, it also proved how detrimental it can be to not have everybody pulling in the same direction against a Reds side who pride themselves on relentless energy.
Many individuals drew criticism for a lack of effort, but most particularly Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who moved to Merseyside just a matter of days later. The big danger this time around, though, is Alexis Sanchez; he’s still easily Arsenal’s biggest threat on paper, but has been accused of a lack of commitment ahead of the January transfer window with his contract situation ongoing.
Would you start a half-committed Sanchez on Friday, or does someone else deserve the chance?
JC: “I would drop Sanchez. He needs to learn that he’s not bigger than the club and that his performances still matter, regardless of whether he’s staying or going. He’s been woeful in recent weeks and Danny Welbeck’s more direct approach against Liverpool could prove to be decisive. He’d be a better option in the attack and deserves for more opportunities.”
Perhaps Liverpool’s biggest selection dilemma, meanwhile, centres around their ‘fab four’ – Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. Despite their undoubted quality, Jurgen Klopp has shown a reluctance to field all four at times this season, perhaps because of how they can leave Liverpool exposed at the other end.
Would you start all four against the Gunners, considering Arsenal have won eight of nine at home in the Premier League this season?
GD:“This is a tough away game, yes, but it’s probably the most open you can have of the other big sides in the league – so I’d start all of the ‘fab four.’ Klopp has rested some of his big stars in recent weeks, especially Mane, but I think the quartet will play in order to get at Arsenal from the off.
“The Gunners haven’t liked it when we’ve gone for them early on and so I think Mane, Salah and Firmino will be the leading three with Coutinho lying deeper in midfield. We will need some balance, though, and I’d expect Jordan Henderson to be joined by one of Emre Can or James Milner to keep things as tight as possible without restricting our attacking potency.
“Gini Wijnaldum could also have a chance of being the other midfielder but I think he might just be ousted as I felt he was quiet in the win over Bournemouth. Getting the midfield balance right will be key here.”
And in light of that impressive record at the Emirates Stadium this season, what game-plan should Klopp take into Friday night?
GD: “It must be all-out attack. Of course, many would argue the Reds only know one way of playing but in games like this it is probably the best option. Arsenal have hated it when we’ve flown at them in from the off and shown no fear and so I can’t see why we should change our approach come kick-off.
“Yes, they have been very good at home this season but United showed that if you apply pressure on them at the right times you can get goals at the Emirates. Liverpool are a better pressing side than United, too, and so providing we don’t give the Gunners an early goal or something silly like that, we should hopefully get some joy.”
“I haven’t decided [the formation] yet, but the fact that we are adaptable now to both systems [means] it will be down to me to make the decision, do we play in a four, or in a three, or in a five? I have to analyse that well.”
Arsene Wenger has revealed he’s yet to decide whether his team will line up in a 3-4-3 or a 4-2-3-1 against Liverpool, having started the season with the former formation but reverted back to the latter in recent weeks amid the absence of Aaron Ramsey.
Which formation would work best against Liverpool?
JC: “I’m not a fan of either formation, in all honesty, but anything other than a four-man defence against Liverpool’s attack is the wrong set up. For that reason, 4-2-3-1 is the way to go. The balance is key though, particularly with the two deeper midfielders. They have to do their job and defend, otherwise Liverpool’s attack will tear us apart yet again.”
“I think the biggest improvement and potential for him is being involved in goalscoring situations. It is unbelievable but he was not asked for this too much in the past.
“Here we put it on more shoulders, much more shoulders. If he is on the pitch he needs to be involved in these situations. At the moment it’s all good but I also see there is space for improvement.”
Oxlade-Chamberlain has inevitably become one of the centre-pieces for this fixture ahead of his first meeting with Arsenal since leaving north London at the end of the summer transfer window. Klopp has been quick to talk up the England international’s abilities and question whether his talents were fully appreciated by his former employers.
But will the midfielder be a key factor against the Gunners?
GD: “I’ve been really impressed with him. He’s started to show the traits he has always said he has in central midfield. He harasses at the right time, gets into the box to take shots well and can still ghost past players with his pace.
I thought his best game was against Bournemouth last weekend, too, but I actually don’t think he will start. It does seem a little harsh but I don’t know if he is defensively disciplined enough yet to play in a game like this as well as the ‘fab four’ who I think will play.
He certainly has the potential to come on and be an impact from the bench, though, and he’ll be eager to prove a point to any Gunners fans who give him stick.”
With little to choose between the two teams and both desperate for a win over a big six rival, Friday’s encounter could well come down to which side dominates the key individual battles.
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Which key battle will decide the game?
JC: “It’s not a direct battle but Salah and Alexandre Lacazette may decide the game. Salah has certainly been the best signing this season and Lacazette has also impressed. However, he’s often been overlooked for the big games and this is the chance for him to prove himself. It seems he’s still settling into the system though, so it could go either way.”
And finally lads, let’s hear your score predictions…
JC:“With both defences being poor, I certainly expect there to be plenty of goals. I’m going for a 2-2 draw and the Arsenal way would be to fall behind, before then securing a dramatic late equaliser. Giroud would usually be the choice for this impact but his injury means the super sub tag is there to be claimed.”
GD: “There’s goals written all over this. 3-4! (Again).”
Watch the feet, not the eyes, they say. But you can watch the feet all you like and it won’t help you much.Wilfried Zaha is a special footballer and there are few like him. That’s what led the legendary Alex Ferguson to sign him for Manchester United. But the disastrous tenure of David Moyes, did more than set the Red Devils back a few years. It also set Zaha back, too.Declaring for the Ivory Coast instead of becoming an England regular is often seen as betraying either a lack of ambition or a lack of belief that he would make it back to the top of the Premier League again, though in reality it might just be the choice of a man who feels more Ivorian than English: after all, international football isn’t about career choices, it’s about emotion and passion, theoretically anyway.But he almost has managed to claw his way back. He may not be on his way to the top six in January, but he’ll be there soon enough if he keeps his form high.That’s because he’s a precious commodity: a tricky wide player. It sounds like such players should be ten a penny, but they aren’t. Sure, there are plenty of players with pace, but the likes of Leroy Sane and Mohamed Salah are showing the benefits of their pace to get in behind defences, ready for through balls or even cut-backs, having lost their markers.They can beat players, too, of course. So too can Raheem Sterling and Sadio Mane – there’s a theme appearing, Liverpool and Manchester City are the top-scoring teams in the Premier League this season – but few can do it like Zaha.
In fact, he’s elevated it to an art form. It’s one thing to beat a player with a stepover and a turn of pace, but doing it in a tight space with little to no forward momentum to speak of is the purest form of beating your marker.
And the more you watch it, the more you wonder how he can do such a thing. Ashley Young, a player who’s been something of a revelation at full-back for Manchester United this season, wasn’t in a bad position; on his toes and not too tight, he was ready to get a toe on the ball and poke it away from danger.
But he looked at the feet.
A simple stepover was enough to bewilder the former United defender. But sometimes they do that. Just temporarily bamboozling a defender with a stepover doesn’t mean you’ve beaten him. Only stunned him for a second – and Young duly recovered. He came back at Zaha.
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But the Ivory Coast international knows what he’s doing. He understands geometry and momentum, he’s done the sums and factored in body weight, possibly even wind direction. And Young is left to contemplate the futility of intellectual thought for a second time in a matter of seconds. This time there can be no recovery, no chance of redemption. And, with Young slightly off balance, Zaha knows what he’s achieved, and with the same timing with which he’s performed the stepover previously, he gives his opponent the coup de grace.
Like in a kids’ film, where the final blow is administered with a featherweight touch, Zaha ends it with the slightest push, sending the Manchester United player to the grass, and Palace on their way.
There’s no one quite like Zaha for such a move in the Premier League.
His pace and his uncanny strength are obvious, but they are not unique. What’s special, though, is that ability in tight spaces, that flair for getting it done from a standing start. And that’s what any team in the Premier League could be doing with adding to their ranks; that ability to create something from nothing.
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It’s January and the Manchester clubs are fighting over Alexis Sanchez. That means there are three clubs – Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal – who could be forgiven for making a money-no-object offer for a man with a special talent.
It won’t be long before he claws his way back to the top. And if United were to go back in for a player they’ve seen up close before, perhaps they’d be back at the top, too. They’re on the same trajectory – surely they have to meet again.