Tottenham Hotspur fans may have felt nervous about next week’s Premier League clash against Chelsea, but they are feeling slightly more confident after watching their rivals’ capitulation against Burnley today.Antonio Conte’s men have got off to the worst possible start in defending their title having suffered a 3-2 defeat to the Clarets.The first 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge were dire for the Blues as they conceded goals from Stephen Ward and Sam Vokes, who nabbed twice.Also, Gary Cahill, who was playing in his first league game since succeeding John Terry as captain, was handed a straight red card inside the first 15 minutes.The centre-back was given his marching orders following a late tackle on Steven Defour.After the half-time break, substitute Alvaro Morata managed to pull a goal back for Chelsea before the team were reduced to nine men when Cesc Fabregas was issued with a second yellow card.David Luiz gave the Blues a slither of hope when he scored with two minutes of normal time left on the clock, but it was not enough to inspire a comeback.The shock result and sending-offs mean that not only will the Blues be licking their wounds when they travel to Wembley next week to face Tottenham, Cahill and Fabregas will be banned from playing.As one would expect, Spurs fans are delighted with this news, and the fact that Eden Hazard is still nursing an injury.Tottenham get their league campaign underway tomorrow at St James’ Park against Newcastle United, but they spent this afternoon revelling in Chelsea’s misery.
Almost everything about Manchester United’s summer business suggests Jose Mourinho will continue his incredible record of title-winning second seasons at Old Trafford this term, but it wasn’t a perfect transfer window for the Red Devils who failed to recruit in one key position.
What they did – Strengthen the Spine
Mourinho has an incredible knack of signing the perfect players for his system and we’ve seen clear evidence of that once again since he was appointed United gaffer last summer. While other managers seemingly draw up a list of targets and leave it to the businessmen to decide who is and who isn’t obtainable, the Portuguese identifies key individuals precisely meeting his criteria and nearly always gets his man. Last year, Eric Bailly, Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovich were all brought in to address United’s spine and it has been a similar case this time around, Victor Lindelof, Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku arriving to further bolster those slots down the centre of the team.
The common theme is of course height and power – all of Mourinho’s United signings thus far have measured in at above 6 foot – and that appears to be the root the Red Devils boss has settled on to try and claim this season’s Premier League title. Tellingly of how effective United’s physicality is, seven of their ten top flight goals so far this term have come in the final 20 minutes of games, once the opposition has been slowly and steadily worn down.
The other impressive aspect of United’s summer business is quite simply, how quickly and effectively they pulled it off. The Red Devils were never close to being drawn into all the Deadline Day madness and all of their signings arrived before the end of July. That was epitomised best by their swoop for Romelu Lukaku, right under Chelsea’s nose and completed before anybody else really knew what was happening.
What they didn’t do – Find a winger
Mourinho gave enough hints that signing a winger would constitute the perfect summer for the Red Devils and it certainly wasn’t for the want of trying that the Old Trafford outfit failed to acquire one before the deadine. The United boss publicly declared he’d ‘fight’ for Gareth Bale if the Real Madrid winger was made available and his side were frequently linked with Inter Milan wide-man Ivan Peresic throughout the summer – although the chances of a late move to Carrington were ruled out prior to Deadline Day. There were also some suggestions of a surprise move for Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez, but nothing materialised.
Based on results so far this season, another attacking player would be a luxury rather than a necessity, United scoring ten times from their three Premier League fixtures thus far. But United do lack a conventional winger who can gave them width and pace, whipping in balls to the Red Devils’ new towering front-man Lukaku. Mourinho has always liked out-and-out wide players and his decision to divvy the position between Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford this term suggests the Portuguese would have brought in a winger for the left, allowing Henrikh Mkhitaryan to drift in from the other flank. Of course, Rashford and Martial are fantastic talents as well, but neither are natural wingers and that represents the missing piece of a jigsaw that would make United stand-out title favourites by a considerable distance.
Celtic begin their tough Champions League group campaign when they host big-spending Paris Saint-Germain at Celtic Park on Tuesday night, and Bhoys fans have differing opinions on how the match could go.
PSG are one of the favourites to win the competition having signed Neymar from Barcelona and Kylian Mbappe from Monaco during the summer, adding to the attacking options they already have with the likes of Edinson Cavani and Julian Draxler.
The French giants made it five Ligue 1 wins out of five when they thrashed Metz 5-1 on Friday night, and they look to be a force to be reckoned with.
However Brendan Rodgers’ men, who will also face Bayern Munich and Anderlecht in Group B, top the Scottish Premiership standings and are also unbeaten, while they have picked up some impressive results at home to the likes of Barcelona, Benfica and Manchester City in the Champions League in recent years.
Celtic supporters have been having their say on the huge clash via social media, and while some say they believe in miracles and their side’s ability to get a result, others fear the outcome “could be embarrassing”.
Everton suffered a disappointing 1-0 home defeat by Burnley at Goodison Park on Sunday as the pressure increased on manager Ronald Koeman, and Toffees fans weren’t impressed with Ashley Williams’ performance at the back.
The Wales international and summer signing Michael Keane have been Koeman’s first-choice central defensive partnership this season, but they suffered another disappointing day at the office against the Clarets as Jeff Hendrick’s first-half goal proved to be the difference between the two teams.
Williams has come under scrutiny from the home faithful this term following some below-par showings, and with the club now lying in 16th in the standings despite the number of new players they brought in during the summer, it could be set to get even worse.
Everton supporters were quick to have their say on his performance via social media, and while some believe he is “out of his depth”, others went as far as saying he is ‘one of the worst Everton players that they have ever seen’.
According to reports in The Sun, London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are both monitoring Walsall teenager Mitch Candlin.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Sun says that since the 17-year-old made his bow for the League One outfit in April, he has been catching the attention of a number of the Premier League big boys.
The Saddlers academy graduate has quickly risen through the ranks at the west Midlands outfit to become part of manager Jon Whitney’s plans, and he could soon join other graduates like Rico Henry in earning a move to a higher level, if the latest rumours are to be believed.
The Sun adds that the forward only signed his first professional contract in August after impressing at the Bescot Stadium, with Spurs and the Irons both already having detailed scouting reports on the attacker.
How has he done in the Walsall first team?
Candlin’s first team opportunities have only been a few minutes here and there so far under Whitney, but he featured for 81 across five League One fixtures towards the end of last season before coming on for the last five minutes of the opening day defeat against Bury this term.
The Sun says that the six-foot striker is known for his goalscoring and impressive all-round game, and it will certainly be interesting to see if he is handed any more opportunities on the pitch as the campaign continues.
Should he leave, would he prefer a move to Tottenham or West Ham?
It’s difficult to say.
While you would think that Candlin would probably have a better chance of making the grade at the London Stadium than with Spurs, the fact that the likes of Reece Oxford and Josh Cullen are yet to get a real chance in the first team would suggest otherwise.
It wouldn’t be guaranteed under Mauricio Pochettino either, but the 17-year-old may look at how someone like Dele Alli has developed since making the step up from League One to the Premier League with the north London outfit and feel that he could do the same.
Everton will look to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 home defeat against Burnley last time out when they face newly-promoted Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Sunday.
Despite being one of the Premier League’s big spenders during the summer, the Toffees have won just two of their opening seven top flight fixtures – suffering heavy defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United – this season.
Having also taken just one point from six available in the Europa League group stages, the pressure is beginning to build on manager Ronald Koeman, who will be cursing the fact the club didn’t bring in a direct Romelu Lukaku replacement during the transfer window, and he could be in huge trouble if his side slip up again on the south coast.
Meanwhile, the Seagulls are currently above their Merseyside opponents on goal difference, although they were also beaten a fortnight ago with a 2-0 reverse against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Nevertheless they will be confident of picking up a positive result back on their own patch.
Here are three reasons Everton’s miserable run will continue with defeat at the Amex, leaving Toffees fans frustrated once again…
Strongest team/system
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Koeman still doesn’t seem to know his best team or formation, and that is a huge problem as we head into October.
The fact that he is having to use Oumar Niasse – who had previously been frozen out – up top certainly isn’t ideal, while he is still yet to find a system that can incorporate both Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson into the starting XI.
The latter once again proved during the international break, after scoring one and assisting another in Iceland’s 2-0 win against Kosovo, that he should be playing in the number 10 role rather than out wide on the left.
With Ashley Williams and Michael Keane not in particularly good form at the back, Koeman has a number of big selection problems to deal with ahead of the clash at the Amex Stadium.
Koeman’s negative demeanour
Soccer Football – Europa League – Everton vs Apollon Limassol – Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain – September 28, 2017 Everton manager Ronald Koeman looks dejected Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
Everton supporters would like to have confidence in Ronald Koeman that he is able to turn around their fortunes following a disappointing start to the season, but you certainly don’t get that feeling when you see him speaking in pre and post-match press conferences at the moment.
He looks like a defeated man right now and if he isn’t giving off those positive and optimistic vibes to the fans, then you would imagine it is the same situation for the players behind closed doors. They are hardly trying their best for him if the performances in recent weeks are anything to go by.
Brighton’s home record
While Chris Hughton’s men have struggled on the road so far this season – taking one point from their four Premier League away matches – they have been much stronger at the Amex Stadium.
The Seagulls were unfortunate to lose 2-0 against Manchester City on the opening day despite the huge gulf in class between the two squads, while they have bounced back from that defeat with wins against West Bromwich Albion and fellow newly-promoted club Newcastle United on the south coast.
Brighton will come into the clash organised defensively and with a determination to win again at home, and that could be too much for their lacklustre visitors.
We’ve seen plenty of false dawns from Slaven Bilic’s Irons since the start of last season, but West Ham’s 3-2 comeback against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup last night did feel like a turning point for a team that currently finds itself spared from the relegation zone by goal difference alone as their manager’s future dangles in the balance.
West Ham’s start to the season has been glaringly inconsistent even by their usual standards and in many ways, an unexpected victory over their third-placed London rivals only sustains that trend. But if it’s true that Bilic was given two matches to save his job after losing 3-0 to Brighton, last night could well be the catalyst that propels the east Londoners back towards the Europa-League-contending levels expected during the summer.
Manuel Lanzini will play a huge part in that. The two-cap Argentine is the Hammers’ chief creator, their only player capable of replicating some of the services Dimitri Payet provided, and his absence through injury during the start of the season was inherently linked with West Ham’s poor results.
The South American’s importance to the side was poignantly evident last night at Wembley, finding himself at the heart of the Hammers’ comeback. While Andre Ayew put his side back into the match with a poacher’s effort on the rebound, it was Lanzini who set up West Ham’s next two goals – providing the Ghana international once again for another poked finish before whipping in a delicious corner for Angelo Ogbonna to head home.
Indeed, Lanzini was West Ham’s biggest creative threat by quite some distance, laying on five chances and whipping eleven crosses into the box, two of which found their target, but perhaps most tellingly of his influence and quality, he also had the most touches of the ball of any Hammers player and completed 89% of his passes.
If West Ham are to transition the quality, belief and determination they showed at Wembley last night over to their wayward Premier League form, it seems Lanzini will perform an instrumental role. The revival in the top flight though, will have to start at Crystal Palace this weekend.
The good news for Liverpool fans that Philippe Coutinho has returned to full fitness was marred when it emerged that Sadio Mane may have suffered an injury blow.
The 25-year-old returned to action in the Reds’ 4-1 win over West Ham United just over a week ago after spending a month on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
Now, according to the Senegalese FA, Mane has aggravated that injury while on international duty and has been given permission to return to Liverpool, reports Sky Sports.
The extent of the problem is unknown, but with Saturday’s Premier League game against Southampton on the horizon, manager Jurgen Klopp will be hoping for the best news possible.
Mane helped Senegal qualify for the World Cup in a 2-0 victory over South Africa, but at the moment, Liverpool fans are more concerned about his fitness.
The Merseyside outfit’s following took to Twitter after hearing that their star player could potentially face another spell on the treatment table.
Nicky Butt made 387 first-team appearances for Manchester United between 1992 and 2004.
The midfielder won six Premier League titles, three FA Cups and one Champions League during his time at Old Trafford, and will forever be remembered as being hard as nails.
Butt also won 39 England caps between 1997 and 2004, but it was at club level where the midfielder really made his mark.
He was not the most technically gifted or skilful midfielder at United – far from it – but made a career through hard work and consistency.
Sir Alex Ferguson trusted him, and he gave a period of wonderful service to the Red Devils before moving on to Newcastle United, where he continued for another six seasons.
It was on this day 25 years ago that the now 42-year-old made his debut for United, and the club’s Twitter account were keen to relive that moment on Tuesday morning.
As expected, the United fans were on hand to offer their views on Butt, who is now the head of coaching at the club’s youth academy.
Kieran Trippier is a fantastic technical talent, but if there’s one inevitable criticism of the Tottenham Hotspur defender it’s that he lacks the athletic dynamism we’ve come to expect from the Premier League’s ever-expanding wing-back contingent, especially in the big games.
The north London derby on Saturday provided the perfect example; Spurs lacked the energy and speed to effectively hit Arsenal on the counter-attack and although that was a problem throughout the starting XI, it particularly stood out on the flanks as Trippier and Ben Davies struggled to compete with Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac.
Trippier’s statistics are incredibly telling. Cesar Azpilicueta is the only defender in the Premier League to bag more assists than the England international this season and yet ninety minutes against Arsenal didn’t produce a single shot at goal, successful dribble, created chance or accurate cross – with all three of Trippier’s balls into the box missing their target.
Even in the context of what was an incredibly underwhelming team performance, Trippier’s inability to make an impact at the Emirates Stadium stood out as symptomatic of a questionable team selection from Mauricio Pochettino.
Comparisons between Trippier and Kyle Walker will inevitably be made, purely because the latter has the dynamism the former doesn’t, but Pochettino had a more athletic alternative to choose from in Serge Aurier.
The Ivorian is perhaps a more clumsy player but he’d have given Tottenham the penetrative threat they lacked out wide and that surprising exclusion wasn’t the only head-scratcher from the Tottenham boss. Heung-min Son was left out to make room for half-fit duo Dele Alli and Harry Kane, Moussa Sissoko started in midfield at the expense of Harry Winks and in a similar case to Trippier’s, Davies was favoured over Danny Rose on the opposite flank.
Tottenham have now won just one of their 17 away games against big six rivals under Pochettino and you have to wonder how much that is down to the Argentine’s selections.