Buckle in, the Premier League is coming! While many of us are wondering where our summers went thanks to the non-stop World Cup action, it’s incredible to think that in just over a month the week-in-week out hustle and bustle of domestic football will once again be back on the box.
And what an opening weekend we have in store, as all of last season’s top four grace our screens. Manchester United’s new era under Louis van Gaal will be the official curtain raiser on BT Sport, before Arsenal take on Crystal Palace over on Sky Sports on Saturday 16th. The action will pick up once again on Sunday as Liverpool host Southampton, which promises to be a tasty affair with Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana against their old side, which will be followed by champions Manchester City at Newcastle. Oh, and there’s Monday night as well, with Chelsea at newly promoted Burnley…
Here are he fixtures that will be on the box through to the end of November…
Sky Sports:
AUGUST
Sat 16: Arsenal v Crystal Palace (5.30pm)
Sun 17: Liverpool v Southampton (1.30pm)
Sun 17: Newcastle United v Manchester City (4pm)
Mon 18: Burnley v Chelsea (8pm)
Sat 23: Everton v Arsenal (5.30pm)
Sun 24: Hull City v Stoke City (1.30pm)
Sun 24: Sunderland v Manchester United (4pm)
Mon 25: Manchester City v Liverpool (8pm)
Sat 30: Everton v Chelsea (5.30pm)
Sun 31: Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool (1.30pm)
Sun 31: Leicester City v Arsenal (4pm)
SEPTEMBER
Sat 13: Liverpool v Aston Villa (5.30pm)
Sun 14: Manchester United v Queens Park Rangers (4pm)
Mon 15: Hull City v West Ham United (8pm)
Sat 20: West Ham United v Liverpool (5.30pm)
Sun 21: Leicester City v Manchester United (1.30pm)
Sun 21: Manchester City v Chelsea (4pm)
Sat 27: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur (5.30pm)
Sun 28: West Bromwich Albion v Burnley (4pm)
Mon 29: Stoke City v Newcastle United (8pm)
OCTOBER
Sat 4: Aston Villa v Manchester City (5.30pm)
Sun 5: Chelsea v Arsenal (2.05pm)
Sun 5: West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers (4.15pm)
Sun 19: Queens Park Rangers v Liverpool (1.30pm)
Sun 19: Stoke City v Swansea City (4pm)
Mon 20: West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United (8pm)
Sat 25: Swansea City v Leicester City (5.30pm)
Sun 26: Burnley v Everton (1.30pm)
Sun 26: Manchester United v Chelsea (4pm)
Mon 27: Queens Park Rangers v Aston Villa (8pm)
NOVEMBER
Sun 2: Manchester City v Manchester United (1.30pm)
Sun 2: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)
Mon 3: Crystal Palace v Sunderland (8pm)
Sat 8: Queens Park Rangers v Manchester City (5.30pm)
Sun 9: West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United (1.30pm)
Sun 9: Swansea City v Arsenal (4pm)
Sat 22: Arsenal v Manchester United (5.30pm)
Sun 23: Crystal Palace v Liverpool (1.30pm)
Sun 23: Hull City v Tottenham Hotspur (4pm)
Mon 24: Aston Villa v Southampton (8pm)
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Sat 29: Sunderland v Chelsea (5.30pm)
Sun 30: Southampton v Manchester City (1.30pm)
Sun 30: Tottenham Hotspur v Everton (4pm)
BT Sport (all 12:45, unless stated):
Saturday 16 August: Manchester United v Swansea
Saturday 23 August: Aston Villa v Newcastle
Saturday 30 August: Burnley v Manchester United
Saturday 13 September: Arsenal v Manchester City
Saturday 20 September: Queens Park Rangers v Stoke City
Saturday 27 September: Liverpool v Everton
Sunday 5 October: Manchester United v Everton, 12pm kick-off
Saturday 18 October: Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
Saturday 25 October: West Ham United v Manchester City
Saturday 1 November: Newcastle United v Liverpool
Saturday 8 November: Liverpool v Chelsea
Saturday 29 November: West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal
When England line up to face Norway in this evening’s international friendly at Wembley, they are expected to do so in front of a record-low attendance.
As of Monday, 30,000 tickets had been sold, and despite last-minute ticket sales, as well as some of the 17,000 Club Wembley members actually bothering to turn up to watch the game from the comfort of their premium seats, the size of the crowd is not expected to surpass the 49,000 who saw England beat Sweden in October 2011.
This particularly extreme case of apathy, it has been argued, stems from the frustration of England fans at repeated failures in international tournaments, the most recent disappointment being the Three Lions’ tame group stage exit at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil. This indifferent attitude looks set to persist into England’s European Championship qualifying campaign. An undemanding group containing Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania and San Marino will hardly generate much excitement for the next 18 months. The expansion of Euro 2016 to 24 teams means that England will almost certainly qualify, and so it is generally believed amongst England fans that the next two years up to and including the tournament in France will pan out in a depressingly familiar manner – routine qualification from a tediously uncompetitive group, followed by early elimination from the tournament proper when the team comes up against half-decent sides.
England coach Roy Hodgson has attempted to shake things up following his side’s meek, winless surrender in Brazil. Prompted by the retirement of former captain Steven Gerrard – who, along with the similarly recently retired Frank Lampard represented the last of England’s so-called ‘golden generation’ – he has turned to Wayne Rooney as his next skipper to lead the Three Lions into a new era. Even that decision, however, has been met with a collective grim acceptance that the Manchester United striker received the honour almost by default, with no other senior player – bar Joe Hart of Manchester City perhaps – resembling anything like a leader of the national team. It is yet another piece of conclusive evidence, they say, that England is in crisis, and has been for a long time.
Understandable though these concerns may be, the cries of a crisis are hugely exaggerated when we consider the potential lurking among the younger players of the England set-up. In Calum Chambers, Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne and James Ward-Prowse (all of whom received their footballing education at Southampton’s academy), not to mention Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling and Jordan Henderson of Liverpool, England clearly has a pool of talent that has the potential to rival any other in Europe.
Potential, of course, is the crucial word in this argument. If it is not harnessed effectively then the talent is ultimately laid to waste. This was certainly the case with England’s ‘golden generation’, and many fear a repeat with the current crop. For many, the reasons for this wasted potential are threefold: a negligent attitude towards developing technically gifted youngsters, a harmful lack of patience and steadiness with regard to international football at youth level, and club football in England coming above all else. Though the Football Association have attempted to tackle at least some of these issues through the opening of St George’s Park National Football Centre, there is a worry that the multi-million pound complex is not being used properly, and that with its location in Staffordshire, is something of an expensive nuisance.
In reality, the issue with the England set-up is not as deep-rooted, multifarious nor complex as it is being made out to be. To tackle each point in the preceding paragraph, in the money-saturated world of modern football, clubs will always take precedence over national sides; that is fact. As for developing technically gifted young players, these clubs are far more responsible than the national set-up. It is on the training grounds of their employers that youngsters hone their skills for the majority of the time; development at a National Football Centre is minimal by comparison. As has been previously noted, Southampton have made a remarkable job of developing young, skilled players without outside interference. The second point is the only one which holds water; judging by the successes of the Spanish under-21 side, the English FA should pay more attention to its equivalent and resist from fast-tracking inexperienced players into its senior side.
The real problem with England lies with its coaches, not with its players. Football has evolved, with the Spanish – and latterly German – model being the vanguard for this change. By ensuring that the way in which football is coached in this country is progressive and adaptable, rather than stagnant and unchangeable, English football will be able to properly compete with its European rivals. The likes of Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool and Garry Monk at Swansea prove that young, talented British managers do exist; by educating coaches in ways suited to the modern game and incorporating them into the national set-up, there is no reason why England cannot taste success in the long term.
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In the bleak sea of pessimism and apathy surrounding England, there is still cause for cautious optimism. It is up to the FA to act on it.
While Manchester United, Southampton and Hull fans, among others, were enjoying watching transfer deadline day unfold, Leeds supporters’ experiences were a little less inspiring.
The go to place for fans of the Whites was the club’s own Twitter account, but those who followed with baited breath may wish they hadn’t bothered as they were met with a barrage of disappointing updates.
It all started on a promising note with the permanent capture of loanee Souleymane Doukara, which was quickly followed by calls to stay tuned for big deals and a retweet from their excited captain, Jason Pearce. A top striker coming in? An Italian wonderkid plucked by Massimo Cellino?
Erm… not quite. The following hour saw Matt Smith’s move to Fulham unfold before talented youngster Dominic Poleon slipped out of the door to join Oldham.
But was there a last minute deal to save the day? Not quite. Take a look at the tweets below and try not to laugh or cry, depending upon whom you support…
Adnan Januzaj is determined to get off of the Manchester United bench and take on the likes of Wayne Rooney, Angel di Maria and Juan Mata for the No. 10 role in Louis van Gaal’s side, according to his agent.
The Belgian starlet was one of the few bright sparks in the Red Devils’ woeful 2013/14 season, with his emergence under David Moyes blisteringly quick.
But despite the signs of promise from the versatile attacker, Van Gaal has, on most occasions this term, overlooked the 19-year-old – he is yet to start in the Premier League playing just 122 minutes from the bench.
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And with the likes of Rooney, Mata and Di Maria all fighting for advanced roles in Van Gaal’s midfield, Januzaj’s chances of game time appear slim.
However, his agent, Dirk de Vries, says that the teenager is determined to gain experience in his favoured position at United:
‘We want to stay,’ said the teenager’s agent Dirk de Vries. ‘Adnan wants to gain experience in England as No 10 — he doesn’t fear the competition.” He is quoted by the Daily Mail.
“Just like anyone else he wants to play but he will wait for his opportunity. He is a super professional and he is still motivated, even when he has to play for the Under 21s.
“We’re not angry. We know the club is very happy with him and they want to keep Adnan for the rest of his career at Old Trafford. They believe in him, otherwise he wouldn’t be handed the No 11 of Ryan Giggs.
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“We have to wait until Van Gaal gives him a chance. But we cannot look into the Dutchman’s head and know what he thinks. I believe Adnan plays well at this moment and I’ve heard that he could start the game on Monday.”
Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette has the quality to play for clubs of Liverpool and Arsenal’s stature, according to ex-team-mate and now Aston Villa star Aly Cissokho.
The 23-year-old French star has been one of Ligue 1’s standout performers this term, topping the division’s scoring charts with a stunning 17 goals.
His electric displays have alerted a host of clubs across Europe, with Liverpool and Arsenal thought to be very keen on the pacey hit-man.
Although Lyon are adamant that he’s not for sale, financial issues in French football may render then unable to resist decent offers, with bids in the region of £15m having been mooted.
Although some players in the past have struggled to adapt following moves over the Channel, Cissokho – who played alongside him at the Stade Gerland – believes that Lacazette has the work ethic and ability to thrive with Arsenal or Liverpool:
“It’s great, I’m happy for him. He’s a player who, when I was there, came from the reserve team to train with us, but you could see he had a future.” He is quoted by Squawka.
“He was serious in his work, and showed his determination in each session. He steadily grew in confidence, and has established himself in the team. I think he’s starting to show his potential to the whole of Europe. He has quality, and is going to get better and better.
“What he is capable of doing now is very good for Lyon and France. He’s a young player, and clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool have a lot of competition for places up front, and as a foreigner it’s also different because you have to leave your home town and those close to you.
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“It’s a challenge, it’s up to him to see if he’s ready to take it on. We’ll see what happens in the summer, but he easily has the quality to play in teams of that stature.”
With the news of Wilfried Bony’s imminent departure from Swansea City to Manchester City, Garry Monk must turn his attention to Bafetimbi Gomis to take over the striking mantle.
Bony, who is currently on duty for the Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations, looks set to leave the Liberty Stadium when he returns to Wales after the competition. Since his arrival at Swansea from Dutch side Vitesse in the summer of 2013, the 26-year-old has been a major success.
In his 70 games with the Welsh club, Bony has scored an impressive 34 times in all competitions. Swansea are looking to more than double their £12m fee they paid for the striker, with Manchester City reportedly agreeing to his £30m price tag.
That leaves Monk with the task of replacing his star man, but the Swans’ secondary striker Gomis could yet take the lead role having had to play second fiddle to Bony since arriving at the Liberty Stadium. The ex-Lyon man has only scored one goal in 17 Premier League appearances for Swansea – although his only goal proved to be the winning strike in a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in November.
Monk has backed Gomis to kick-on from his two-goal display against Tranmere in the FA Cup on Saturday. The Swans boss told Sky Sports:
“Gomis probably hasn’t had the amount of minutes he would have liked; he’s still played of course but in terms of why I brought him to the club, you could see it there today. Hopefully he takes it into this next period now, he will be the first choice, and he is ready to go and hopefully he produces performances like that.”
Bony and Gomis both have similar playing styles, and they certainly both have a real eye for goal – the French star may not have hit the ground running at the Liberty Stadium since joining, but if Monk gives him the freedom to express himself as the lone striker up top, then the Swans fans will be hoping to reap the rewards.
Gomis, who was once dubbed as the ‘baby Drogba’ in his early years, proved he’s a natural goalscorer in his five years at the Stade de Gerland – scoring 62 goals in 172 games. The 6ft forward was rumoured to be on his way out of Swansea earlier in the season – with Crystal Palace reportedly being close to securing a deal – but with Bony’s expected departure, the club now insist he’s going nowhere.
It’s obviously going to be a very difficult task for Gomis to fill Bony’s free-scoring boots. The fact that City boss Manuel Pellegrini is willing to fork out so much for the Ivorian, tells you everything you need to know about his ability. But with the impending transfer looming, the responsibility could turn out to work well in Gomis’ favour – time will tell to see if the Frenchman can live up to the high standards set by his team-mate.
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Swansea currently sit in eighth place in the Premier League table, after a very strong first half of the season. A real reason of why the Swans are flying so high is down to Bony’s nine league goals. It will be very interesting to see if the Swansea boss trusts his French striker to take over from the Ivory Coast international or if he elects to spend a chunk of the £30m fee they are about to receive.
David Beckham achieved it all in his blossoming footballing career, and it’s still strange not seeing him playing every week.
He has almost become our version of Kim Kardashian, just without the sex tape. Though, with no disrespect to Kim, his talent certainly justifies his fame.
He can barely go to the toilet without the tabloids or some trashy gossip weekly reporting it, which is pretty sad, but he’s a national treasure. An English football legend. Our Golden Balls.
But remember when he had kids, and everyone wondered why on earth he called his little boy after a place in America?
[ad_pod id=’football-friends’ align=’center’]
Well his eldest, Brooklyn, turns 16 years today. SIXTEEN. I don’t know about anyone else, but that makes me feel really, really old.
Becks posted the below pictures on his Facebook page earlier, which kind of hit home how quickly 16 years can flash before you.
We remember that picture as if it was yesterday. Now Brooklyn’s all grown up and being ditched by Arsenal. Bless him.
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Manager Louis van Gaal was sold to Manchester United supporters as the man to bring the club back to glory. And while the first half of the season was anything but convincing the Dutchman has lead the club to the highly coveted top four.
Fourth would have been enough for supporters at the start of the season but as the campaign starts to wrap up, United have a chance of finishing the year off even higher than expected.
Top of the table Chelsea have all but had their name inscribed on this year’s trophy but with only two points separating second and fourth the Red Devils still have everything to play for.
Second place or even just holding onto fourth will not be easy though as United must still play difficult games against Chelsea and Arsenal not to mention what may be a very decisive Manchester derby.
Against both Tottenham, who they beat 3-0, and Liverpool, who they beat 2-1, United have shown that they can overcome some of England’s best and it is this mentality that they will need to pick up crucial points in the next few weeks.
United have tried several different set-ups under Van Gaal in a bid to find a winning formula. Five at the back proved unsuccessful, so four defenders has been implemented recently where the Dutchman has employed a 4-1-4-1 system finally playing Wayne Rooney up front with Juan Mata supporting him as playmaker.
[ad_pod id=’football-friends’ align=’center’]
Where he was once used as a super-sub, Mata is now an integral part of the team and the same goes for Marouane Fellaini. The inclusion of both players has transformed United’s season with the squad better in both midfield and attack. Leaving out £59.7 million man Angel Di Maria may not sit well with some supporters but with his form seriously off for awhile now and Van Gaal shouldn’t risk United’s qualification just to appease the ex-Real Madrid winger.
Earlier in the season, United picked up only four points from playing English giants Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City so they will need to improve as they play them a second time or ensure that they win all of their other remaining fixtures.
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United have won 17 of their 30 games this season with only five defeats so if they can continue this form from now until the end of the campaign then their fate should be in their own hands. If not then it can easily turn into a dog fight between themselves, Liverpool and Southampton who are hot on their tails and desperate to be playing in Europe.
Both Manchester City and Arsenal will fight every step of the way to secure their place in the Champions League but with such tight margins there is no reason why if United maintain their confidence, as well as their tried and tested formation, then a second place finish is certainly possible.
The Premier League has been as exciting and intoxicating as ever this season but unfortunately its now drawing to a close with just seven match-days remaining.
There’s still plenty to look forward to however, such as the run-in between title contenders Arsenal and Chelsea, the FA Cup final – likely between Arsenal and Liverpool – the Champions League final and the Premier League’s official award ceremony.
The ceremony will be held in London this year at the end of April – so there’s not much time left for Premier League stars to convince the voters.
Ever-ahead of the curb however, Football Fancast have taken the audacious move of predicting this year’s results – particularly in regards to the Premier League Team of the Year.
There’s plenty of candidates to choose from and a wide selection of opinions to take into consideration, but we at Football Fancast think we’ve cracked the eleven lads dead-certs for the 2014/15 TOYT.
[interaction ]
GOALKEEPER – DAVID DE GEA
Although Premier League goalkeeping has maintained it’s ever-exceptional level this season, further aided by the return of Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois from Atletico Madrid, Manchester United’s David De Gea will take the No.1 jersey in the TOTY likely by an almost unanimous verdict.
There’s certainly been some decent competitors from the less glamorous end of the table. QPR’s Robert Green, for example, has made the most saves of any goalkeeper at an incredible 100, whilst Sunderland’s Costel Pantilimon boasts 77 saves and eight clean sheets from 22 appearances, ranking him seventh in both categories despite missing the first nine games of the Black Cats’ campaign.
Swansea’s remarkably consistent Lukas Fabianski is another strong candidate, as is Southampton’s gigantic Fraser Forster, showing tremendous quality during his debut Premier League campaign.
But without the Spain international’s many match-winning performances, it’s possible United wouldn’t be in the top six right now, let alone the top four. And in comparison to some of the Premier League’s more monolithic goalies, his acrobatic shot-stopping style is enthralling to watch. No wonder Real Madrid want to sign him this summer.
RIGHT BACK – BRANISLAV IVANOVIC
There’s only two genuine competitors for the right-back role in the TOTY – Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic and Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne.
The latter’s role in helping the Saints claim the best defensive record in the league, conceding just 22 in 31, has been so intrinsic that he’s now Roy Hodgson’s first choice at No.2 for the England team. Subsequently, the 24 year-old will likely be poached by one of the Premier League’s top clubs this summer – probably Manchester United.
But purely due to how much Ivanovic has added to his game going forward this term, epitomised by his stunning volley against Aston Villa shown in the video above, whilst maintaining his ever-famed solidity at the back, we’ve given the Serbian international the nod over the Saints star.
Few right-backs in world football contribute four goals and four assists to their team’s cause as Ivanovic has done this season, let alone one who measures in at above 6 foot and is now on the wrong side of 30.
CENTRE-BACK – JOSE FONTE
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Southampton needed representation somewhere in the TOTY backline so we’ve gone for almost ever-present skipper Jose Fonte.
Summer loan signing Toby Alderweireld has produced some fantastic performances alongside the Portuguese, whilst Crystal Palace’s Scott Dann, West Ham’s James Tomkins and Manchester United’s Phil Jones all deserve an honourable mention.
But Fonte’s missed just one game this season and has been the binding, orchestrate glue of the best back four in the Premier League – once again, boasting that record of 22 conceded in 31.
It’s the 31 year-old’s consistency that’s stood out the most, averaging an impressive 2.1 tackles, 3.1 interceptions, 5.4 clearances and 1.6 successful aerial duels per match.
Centre-Back – JOHN TERRY
Proving that age is just a number and knees are just the bits that connect your legs to your thighs, John Terry’s ability to laugh in the face of retirement and his crumbling leg joints made him one of the most obvious picks for the TOTY.
Despite reaching 34 years of age, he’s still easily one of the Premier League’s, if not Europe’s, best centre-halves, dominating that near-post zone with impeccable imperiousness, and has been streets ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal counter-parts Vincent Kompany and Laurent Koscielny this term.
Miraculously, the former England international has featured in every second of Chelsea’s Premier League campaign thus far.
Left Back – Cesar Azpilicueta
In-form left-backs have been rather thin on the ground this year. Leighton Baines has popped up with eight assists but the England international is plagued by his synonymy with Everton’s attrotious defensive record, Manchester City duo Gael Clichy and Aleksander Kolorov haven’t been up to much and Luke Shaw’s Manchester United career is still waiting to take off, whilst Arsenal duo Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs have chopped and changed throughout the campaign.
One could point to Ryan Bertrand, another Southampton representative, or West Ham summer signing Ryan Cresswell, whose attacking ambition has added a whole new dynamic to the Hammers starting XI.
But we’re going with Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta for one simple reason – have you ever actually seen a winger come anywhere close to dominating the Spain international this season?
It’s made all the more impressive considering he spends his time sitting behind Eden Hazard, a somewhat laissez-faire winger when it comes to defending, whilst keeping summer signing Filipe Luis, easily the best full-back in Europe during 2013/14, out of the Chelsea starting XI for the entire season.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – CESC FABREGAS
Another unanimous verdict; although Cesc Fabregas’ influence in the Chelsea starting Xi has petered out somewhat over the last few months, it’s impossible to ignore his incredible haul of 16 assists – the second-most of any player in Europe’s five leading top flights after Wolfsburg’s Kevin De Bruyne.
His three chances created per match is also the strongest average in the Premier League this season and overall, the Spain international has provided vital technical quality, fluidity and vision to an otherwise functional Chelsea side.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – NEMANJA MATIC
In comparison to Cesc Fabregas, the second central midfield slot in the PFA TOYT is a little more open to interpretation.
Jordan Henderson, for example, has stood out in a Liverpool side lacking world-class quality, boasting six goals and seven assists in 29 Premier League starts. Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin has only further enhanced the reputation he’s built during the last two seasons and this year has averaged the second-most tackles per match of any Premier League player. And Manchester United’s improved form from November onward coincided with the return to fitness of Michael Carrick.
But we’ve gone with yet another Chelsea star, Nemanja Matic, for one predominant reason – the Blues have lost just one Premier League fixture with him in their starting Xi this year, compared to their one defeat in their two league games without him.
And he’s very much the glue keeping the rest of the team together; without the monolithic Serbian anchoring the midfield, averaging 3.5 tackles per match this term, it’s unlikely Jose Mourinho would have given Chelsea the licence going forward that saw them rip up teams for fun earlier in the season.
RIGHT MIDFIELD – SANTI CAZORLA
It’s not the role he’s played in this season but we at Football Fancast felt obliged to sneak Santi Cazorla somewhere into the TOTY.
Despite rumours his Arsenal carer could be coming to an inevitable end, the Spain international’s found a new lease of life in the Gunners’ engine room, starting with that incredible Man of the Match performance against Manchester City at the Etihad in January – which, looking back, had a monumental impact on this term’s title race.
Overall, the 30 year-old has claimed seven goals and eight assists in 26 Premier League starts this year, whilst averaging an impressive 2.3 shots, 2.2 created chances and 2.4 successful dribbles per-match.
But there are some honourable mentions FFC feels obliged to discuss. Despite City’s woes this term David Silva enjoyed arguably his most productive season, claiming eleven goals in 25 appearances; Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen has proved his quality with a spate of last-minute winners; and Victor Moses, although lacking in output, has proved a tremendous success at Stoke City.
LEFT MIDFIELD – EDEN HAZARD
An unquestionable TOTY selection and the only genuine candidate for this term’s Player of the Year award, Eden Hazard’s role in Chelsea’s (nearly secured) title-winning campaign has affirmed his reputation as the top talent in the Premier League.
His return of twelve goals and seven assists might not seem so almighty, but the Belgium international has become the undisputed focal point of Chelsea’s forward play, with games starting to revolve almost exclusively around him. It’s also worth mentioning nobody in the Premier League has come anywhere close to matching his 4.8 successful dribbles per match this term, whilst he ranks third in chances created.
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And whilst other top Premier League stars have endured dips of fitness and form, the 23 year-old’s demonstrated a remarkable consistency, missing all but four minutes of Chelsea’s league campaign.
World-class stars are unfortunately becoming a rare breed in the Premier League, but Hazard firmly belongs in that category.
STRIKER – ALEXIS SANCHEZ
Alexis Sanchez has proved a fantastic addition to the Premier League since arriving from Barcelona last summer, going on to claim 14 goals and eight assists in his first 28 league outings for Arsenal – making him in some way responsible for 0.8 goals per match.
His form has petered out recently, with only two goals and two assists in his last eight. But ranked fifth for goals, fourth for assists, fourth for created chances per-match and third for successful dribbles per-match, the Chile international’s holistic contribution – especially when combined with his ferocious tenacity – cannot be overstated.
Dependent upon the views of the PFA however, Sanchez could find himself in the midfield rather than the attack, making room for a more recognised centre-forward and likely at the expense of team-mate Santi Cazorla.
STRIKER – HARRY KANE
Whoever claims the Premier League’s Golden Boot will be included in the PFA Team of the Year – but so will Harry Kane, regardless of what goal total he ends up with this term.
It’s been a mesmerising campaign for the young Tottenham striker, advancing from the peripheries of the squad to the cusp of greatness with 19 Premier League goals in just 21 starts – not to mention scoring eighty seconds into his England debut against Lithuania.
He’s been compared to German World Cup winner Thomas Muller and described as a cross between Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham by Les Ferdinand. In other words, everybody in England thinks the Lilywhites have a real player on their hands and he’s almost certain to walk away, rather comfortably, with the Young Player of the Year award.
Where does that leave Diego Costa and Sergio Augero? Well, the alternative scenario, as previously mentioned, is either one coming in for Santi Cazorla (or maybe Nemanja Matic), with Alexis Sanchez moving into midfield.
But Costa’s season has been ruptured by injury and considering he scored eleven goals in his first ten games for Chelsea, he’s slacked somewhat from November onwards, currently boasting a total of 19.
Likewise, Sergio Augero’s form has come in patches; he put four past Tottenham in October and scored a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, but hasn’t got on the scoresheet when it matters most – recent City defeats to Crystal Palace and Burnley being the predominant examples.
Déjà vu all over again. Liverpool have once again missed out on a major transfer target, with Memphis Depay snaking his way towards Manchester United – making the blow a even more bitter. Here’s a quick list of the players Liverpool have chased and missed out on recent seasons and where they are now:
Henrikh Mkhitaryan –Dortmund
Willian – Chelsea
Diego Costa – also at Chelsea
Mohamed Salah – Fiorentina (via Chelsea)
Yevhen Konoplyanka – Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
Alexis Sanchez – Arsenal
It’s fair to say the Reds are making a habit out of failing to get deals over the line, which is a big worry on Merseyside. A lack of big European appeal, an inability to compete financially with other clubs and sheer incompetence have scuppered all of the above in some capacity, and there are genuine fears that Depay may not be the only major target the club miss out on this summer.
Here are FIVE more stars Liverpool simply have to ensure aren’t added to the above list…
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Raheem Sterling
We’ll kick off by discussing a player already at the club. Raheem Sterling, despite being just 20, is one of Liverpool’s key men. His performances in a variety of attacking roles have been very impressive, while his seven Premier League goals make him Brendan Rodgers’ most prolific scorer – read into that what you will.
However, his contract saga is rumbling on, with the England international not willing to even discuss an extension to the two years he has remaining on Merseyside until the final ball of the 2015/16 campaign has been kicked. With Champions League football, barring a miracle, off the menu for next season and Rodgers having endured another trophy-less season, Liverpool may have a job on their hands to convince Sterling to stay, with Manchester City extremely keen.
James Milner
Although not a ‘box office’ name, James Milner could be one of the signings of the summer. The 29-year-old is looking increasingly likely to leave Manchester City on a free when his contract expires, and Liverpool have been mooted as the side closest to his signature.
A versatile and committed player, Milner could fill the void Steven Gerrard is set to leave in the Reds’ engine room – he’s due to join LA Galaxy in a few months’ time – making him a vital addition. The lack of fee will free up funds for other signatures, with a player of the former Leeds man’s quality likely to command around £20m in the real market. Arsenal are also keen, which is a worry.
Alexandre Lacazette
Tentative links have been bubbling away between Liverpool and Alexandre Lacazette for some time. We should perhaps say this quietly, but the Frenchman may be even better than Memphis Depay, with his season having been at least on a par with the Dutchman’s. Over in Ligue 1, Lacazette has smashed 27 goals in 31 outings, dragging unfancied Lyon into the title race alongside uber-rich Parisians, PSG.
The 23-year-old is lightening fast, excellent on the ball and prolific, making him an ideal Daniel Sturridge stand-in for the 50% of games he’ll inevitably miss through injury. However, Chelsea are interested…
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Danny Ings
Another freebie on the Liverpool hit list is Danny Ings. The Burnley man may command a compensation fee of close to £5m due to his age – 23 – but he could be worth it. Brendan Rodgers’ side’s big struggle this season has been goals, and with Daniel Sturridge due to be out until September due to his latest injury, they will need a forward. Ings has netted 10 goals in his maiden voyage into the Premier League, which is all the more impressive given that he’s been playing the for relegated Clarets.
HMS Manchester United could, though, send a torpedo towards Liverpool again.
Martin Montoya
Reports in Spain have suggested that Martin Montoya is on the verge of joining Liverpool, which is welcome news for Reds fans. The Spaniard would be a direct replacement for departing right-back Glen Johnson, and it’s fair to say he’ll be an immediate upgrade given the Englishman’s worrying decline over the last 12 months.
However, the longer the deal drags on the more likely it is another club could come in for the Spaniard, which would leave Rodgers without an experienced full-back to fill the role.