Chelsea produced their best performance of the season to trounce Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge to move back up to third in the Premier League table.
The Blues had suffered a stuttering start under interim boss Rafa Benitez but have finally clicked into gear at a crucial point in the season, winning five of their last six games in all competitions, and provided more evidence of their improvement under the Spaniard.
For the visitors it was an afternoon to forget and manager Paul Lambert will be hoping morale in the dressing room hasn’t depleted to a critical level as they fight to remain clear of the relegation zone heading into the New Year.
Only three minutes had passed before the home side had drawn first blood when Fernando Torres met Branislav Ivanovic’s teasing centre to power home a header from 15-yards for his seventh goal in eight games.
It got worse for Villa as Chelsea effectively ended the game as a contest with two goals in five minutes towards the end of the half. David Luiz, reborn as a holding midfielder under Benitez, curled home a sumptuous free kick in the 29th minute to make it 2-0.
Ivanovic then showed the predatory instinct of a world class forward to head Gary Cahill’s mis-hit past Brad Guzan. The away side enjoyed 15 minutes of brief respite after the break before Frank Lampard capped his 500th league start with a goal straight from his copybook, rifling the ball into the bottom corner from 25 yards.
And in a torturous final 15 minutes the west London club struck a further four goals, Ramires slotting home from substitute Lucas Piazon’s pass before Oscar scored from the penalty spot after being fouled by Chris Herd.
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Eden Hazard added the seventh after showing sublime feet to work himself into space and driving the ball into the top corner from inside the penalty area.
There was still time for Piazon to miss a penalty on his league debut before Ramires blasted in his second to complete the scoring and cap a remarkable victory for Chelsea.
Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson is carrying a knock going into the Reds’ crunch clash with Manchester United so we asked you whether or not Jurgen Klopp should risk him from the start at Old Trafford.
The obvious alternative would be Alberto Moreno, who has shown his defensive frailties on more than one occasion in the past, but James Milner also deputised ably last season and would be a steady bet.
The arrival of Alexis Sanchez has left Jose Mourinho scrambling around to try and find the ideal attacking formula so it is tough to predict who will line up on the right for United as they seek to extend their advantage over Liverpool in the table.
Sanchez, Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard or Anthony Martial – if fit – could get the nod to link up with Antonio Valencia down that flank.
No matter who he faces though, Liverpool fans were pretty unequivocal in expressing that it is the Scotsman – valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk – they want on the left of their defence, with 89% of fans saying Klopp should take a gamble and field him from the off.
Take a look at the full poll results below…
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In any football match, goals win games. Scoring goals is an extremely fundamental part of the difference between winning and losing. Keeping clean sheets is also pivotal for a team to progress with relative success. With forwards in the shape of Christian Benteke, Darren Bent, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann on the books at any club, scoring goals should quite frankly be elementary. Yet this is not the case for Aston Villa and their goal shy frontline.
Scoring just five goals in 11 games so far in the Premier League, not only are Paul Lambert’s men the lowest scorers in the English top flight, but they are also the lowest scorers across all four divisions in England. Cancelling the October goal of the month award due to not scoring a single goal in four games over a four week period really made their struggles evident. With 11 points on the board and sitting in 16th place, the Villains are in serious danger of another relegation scrap if their strikers don’t buck up their ideas and start hitting the back of the net. It’s safe to say that the days of Martin O’Neil, where the Villa Park outfit were a force to be reckoned with and a top eight finish was simply a routine every season, are long gone.
Benteke is arguably Villa’s best forward and is most likely to score the goals they so desperately need. The powerful target man is not only good in the air, but can also produce moments of brilliance when getting the ball on the floor. With his undoubted quality, it’s quite surprising that he chose to stay at a confidence ridden club. Had it not been for that torrid knee injury that has ruled him out for the past six months, as well as other niggling injuries since he arrived from Belgian side Genk, then the Belgium international would definitely have more than his 29 goals in 61 games over a two year period for Aston Villa.
Quite frankly a legend amongst the Villa faithful is Gabriel Agbonlahor. The pacey forward has notched 279 appearances for his boyhood club, and has been an ever present in the first team since 2006. Despite being blessed with electric pace, Agbonlahor’s goal scoring record is nothing to boast about. With 69 goals to his name, the one club man has always struggled in front of goal, and if he had his shooting boots on more often, then he may have been a regular England international.
Another striker who is looking to follow in Agbonlahor’s footsteps is Andreas Weimann. The Austrian has the same attributes as Agbonlahor, but unfortunately, the same goal scoring record. In 92 games, Weimann has netted 17 times. His age helps him though, considering he is still only 23 years old, Weimann has plenty of time to improve. Meanwhile, Darren Bent looks like his days as a Premier League footballer are numbered. The goal poacher, who has proved at the likes of Ipswich Town, Charlton Atheltic and Sunderland that he is deadly in front of goal, his spell at Villa Park has been one to forget, and is the reason why Lambert has ousted him from the team.
For a club with such massive stature, tradition and fan base, Aston Villa should not be in the position they are in now. When the January transfer window comes calling, a proven goal scorer should be there priority. However, it pains to say, their main focus looks to be keeping hold of star defender Ron Vlaar.
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manager Andre Villas-Boas has told his players that they must avoid another costly slip up at home against Reading on New Year’s day in their quest for a top four finish.
AVB doesn’t want to see standards subside in a game against a Reading team who visit White Hart Lane off the back of a 1-0 win against West Ham at the Madejski Stadium.
Spurs have the chance to finish off a Christmas schedule of near perfection with a win against the Royals, making it seven points from a potential nine.
Talking to Sky Sports the Spurs boss commented that the New Year’s Day game will certainly be a tough one, noting that “The problem with that fixture is that we have done extremely well away from home, but we have to keep up the momentum.”
“We have to keep our home form going and it would be silly for us not to continue at this level, so it is a fixture in which we really want to get the three points to close finally the festive fixtures with three wins, hopefully, and one draw.
“[The players] have been excellent. The December that we [have] had shows exactly that.
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“We had big, big results against difficult teams and the Europa League in between.
“If we manage to take this form into January, it would be excellent.”
If Rafael Benitez makes the right signings this summer, Newcastle could have a good enough squad to be a huge threat on the European spots, much to the excitement of the Toon faithful in the Transfer Tavern.
The surprising departure of Mikel Merino has left a reasonable hole in Newcastle midfield. The Spaniard had a solid season with the Toon and now Rafael Benitez needs to find a replacement. He hasn’t been linked with a move for the club but Everton’s Muhamed Besic is someone they Magpies should be targeting.
Although he hasn’t consistently shown his quality, Muhamed Besic has the talent that could play in any of the top Premier League sides. However, after struggling with injuries at Everton, the Bosnian international has never managed to remain in the Everton side. Indeed, Besic played 23 appearances in the league in his first season at the club but has since never even got close to reaching that number.
In the second half of last year, Besic was sent to Middlesbrough where he played 15 games and helped the side get to the playoffs. With a new boss at the Toffees, Besic may see that his future lies elsewhere, given his lack of action at the club over the years.
As a player, Besic is ideally suited to playing at the base of a 4-2-3-1. Within Benitez’s system, he would be a great partner next to Shelvey as he has the mobility and pace to cover. With the ball, Besic is also very talented and is comfortable starting attacks from deep.
If Newcastle can get him fit, a cut-price deal could be a steal for the Magpies.
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As reported by The Sun, Arsenal have recently sent scouts to track the progress of Benfica attacking midfielder Andrija Zivkovic, amidst interest from English Premier League rivals Manchester United.
What’s the story?
Arsenal are in something of a slump right now and fans are already dreaming of the summer transfer window where they hope that the club can get rid of faltering talent and bring in some new blood that can help them compete at the top end of the league table.
One potential signing could be Andrija Zivkovic, who The Sun report was recently scouted by the Gunners during Benfica’s clash with Maritimo.
Rated at £6.2m by Transfermarkt, the paper say that both Arsenal and Manchester United are interested in signing him this summer, leading to a potential bidding war between the two.
Could he be a success at Arsenal?
Still just 21 years of age, Zivkovic is still not the finished article and hasn’t yet managed to find the consistency that would make him a guaranteed hit in the English Premier League.
With three goals and five assists this season, he is showing glimpses of quality at a decent level though and surrounded by better players could find a way to forge a career at a club like Arsenal.
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Any buying club would be shelling out for potential, rather than immediate impact, but with pace, excellent dribbling skills and a strong work ethic, Arsenal could do a lot worse this summer if they’re looking for young talent.
They say the January transfer window is never the ideal time for Premier League clubs to buy – but that depends on whether you’re looking in the right places.
Take these FIVE stars for example; all highly-talented, all available for incredibly reasonable fees, and all capable of considerably improving Arsenal’s first teams squad for the campaign’s final run-in.
Indeed, being the helpful bunch we are at Football Fancast, we’ve listed FIVE fantastic transfer opportunities the Gunners can’t afford to ignore in January. Something already tells us however, Arsene Wenger most likely will.
Some have expiring contracts, others release clauses and a few simply need a new home.
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FABIAN SCHAR
Arsenal desperately need to add some bodies to their defence in January, and one centre-back already linked with an Emirates switch is FC Basel’s Fabian Schar:
Statistically speaking, the 22 year-old was the best centre-half in the Champions League last season, as detailed below:
And his World Cup performances were impressive too, amassing eight interceptions in two appearances for Switzerland.
Schar comes with an intoxicating, eye-catching, front-footed presence, bearing similarities to Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen and Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels. He regularly takes spot kick duties for Bebbi, and once netted this wonder-strike during his FC Wil days:
With his contract at Basel entering its final year, the 6 foot 1 centre-back looks set to be on the move in January, likely for a pittance too.
But considered to be one of the most exciting defensive prospects in Europe, previously catching the eye of Barcelona, a plethora of top clubs will be fighting over the Basel star in the new year.
Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan have both been strongly linked, with Lazio also recently emerging as potential suitors. Here’s another look at Schar in action:
WINSTON REID
Another centre-back option a little closer to home comes in the form of West Ham’s Winston Reid, who reportedly came close to joining the Gunners on deadline day:
The 26 year-old has shown remarkable consistency since the East Londoners returned to the Premier League in 2012, claiming the Hammer of the Year award twelve months later. Here’s a look at the 6 foot 3 defender in action:
His Upton Park contract is winding down – a real issue for the Irons – and a new deal is looking increasingly unlikely, with Reid claiming he’s in ‘no hurry’ to sign one. That’s grabbed to a plethora of attention throughout the Premier League:
The New Zealand skipper may not be the most talented or eye-catching centre-half to ever grace the Emirates, but he’s more than proved himself in the top flight and would fit well into the natural hierarchy of the squad as understudy to Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.
Furthermore, the Hammers will be forced to let him leave on the cheap in January, currently valuing him at a reported £8million. But recent speculation claims Reid will snub his other January suitors in favour of a move to Liverpool:
KLAAS-JAN HUNTELAAR
The Gunners may have snapped up Danny Welbeck on summer deadline day, but they’re still short of quality and depth up top. One potential solution comes in the form of Schalke assassin Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who appears to be on his way out at the Veltins Arena.
The 31 year-old is no spring chicken and his contribution to open play is infamously poor, as shown in the statistics below:
But there’s no doubting the Netherlands international’s goalscoring credentials – he’s bagged an incredible 95 goals in 146 appearances for the Miners, in addition to amassing 36 goals and 66 caps for Orange.
That includes an expectantly consistent return of four goals in nine outings so far this season, one of which came against Chelsea in the Champions League:
Like Schar and Reid, Huntelaar’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and although Schalke have plans for a new deal, they want him to take a wage cut.
That makes a January switch seem all the more likely, and the Express claim he’ll be made available for just £3million. But any interest from Arsenal will likely be rivalled by Spurs:
Here’s a look at Huntelaar’s top five goals in the Bundesliga:
SAMI KHEDIRA
The likeliest player on this list to actually turn up at the Emirates in January, Sami Khedira has been persistently linked with Arsenal since the summer:
Interest stems from the German international entering the final year of his contract, combined with Arsene Wenger recently telling French sports outfit beIN Sport; “We still need a physical presence with prodigious ability like Vieira or Petit.”
It appears the Frenchman is finally coming to terms with his side’s lack of physicality in the middle of the park. A Champions League and World Cup winner, measuring in at 6 foot 2 and famed for his endless energy, the 27 year-old would fit the bill perfectly. Here’s a look at Khedira in action:
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A Bernabeu departure to the Premier League is looking increasingly likely, with the powerful midfielder still yet to agree new terms. It’s believed Los Blancos are prepared to sell for around £10million, but his availability has attracted interest from a number of English clubs:
JAVI MARTINEZ
Unlike the rest of the players on this list, Javi Martinez’ contract at Bayern Munich doesn’t expire until 2017.
But he’s never quite taken Pep Guardiola’s fancy at the Allianz Arena, often forced to feature at centre-half and making thirteen less appearances across all competitions last season than the year previous.
Following an injury that will see him out until the new year, Bayern signed the likeminded Xabi Alonso during the summer and Roma defender Mehdi Benatia, suggesting the German Champions could already be prepared to sell.
The Spain international emerged as one of the most impressive holding players in world football as he helped the Bavarians claim the 2013 Champions League title, making him a more than adequate alternative to Sami Khedira. Here’s a look at some of his highlights thus far for the German giants:
And here’s how he compared to Arsenal’s other defensive midfield options last season:
Signing Martinez would show Arsenal really mean business, but often discussed in the same breath as Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG – to name a few – his services will be in hot demand, should they become available in January.
It appears after the latest spate of Premier League sackings that changing the manager is seen as the magic solution to solve all problems within a Premier League club. So would extending the transfer window rules to only allow managerial changes in the summer or January help?
It certaintly not implausible when you assess the latest changes at Chelsea and QPR. Will Benitez do a better job than Di Matteo? Is Harry Redknapp able to save QPR from relegation? I am not convinced on either of those fronts.
If Di Matteo had been given till January, who knows he may have been able to shake off the November curse those managers have suffered at Stamford Bridge. There is always talk of a honeymoon period when a new boss comes into the club and the players being revitalised, but with what is at stake in terms of pride and finance in the Premier League, it surely is a concern that this is not enough for them. The players have to take responsibility for their actions, and if they know that even if results are bad they had to wait till January for a manager change, maybe it would make some of them wake up and smell the coffee.
There definitely is a trend to have a knee jerk reaction around the Christmas period with owners panicking that their side around 10 games into a season won’t be able to turn things around. Despite this it appears that owners should have a little more faith that their boss can deliver the goods. It does not always work out well when the manager is sacked too. Last season Wolves went down with a whimper after sacking Mick McCarthy in the heat of the moment after a 5-1 defeat to West Brom.
There is a clamour for stability at football clubs, matched by the desperation to change when they see the grass is greener, but it can’t always be rosier, and if the ask appears too much to be expect from another manager it often is. Harry ‘Houdini’ let’s not forget was the same boss who sent Southampton down with Peter Crouch in the side, expecting him to keep a QPR side up already 4 points adrift of 19th place is a huge burden to carry. I am aware that fan pressure has a huge say too and nobody likes watching their side lose, but isn’t it time we gave our manager’s some protection.
If Mr Abramovich had to wait till January till he sacked Di Matteo maybe he would have seen all was not so bad, especially if they qualify for the knockout stages in Champions League. The sacking of a manager as well can sometimes contribute to manager’s simply getting a job purely because the owner wants one. It is like a kid in a sweet shop mentality that the owner has to get the latest one in fashion, or just pay for a new one anyway through boredom. They have their few weeks in the headlines, with everyone desperate to know who they will pick. Then the long awaited appointment arrives and it is not always met with euphoria. Newcastle fans never wanted Joe Kinnear, nor did Charlton ever see Iain Dowie as the knight in shining armour to solve their problems, and the appointment of Paul Hart at any club filled the fans with any glee.
A transfer window would provide protection for both clubs and managers in that the owner has to have the foresight to make a long term plan. Seeing as the fit and proper person test for an Owner has regularly been seen as laughable, surely this would be a way of testing the owner’s capability to run a football club, rather than giving him full reign to make whatever petty decision he so chooses. After all football clubs may be a business, but they are more than that to the fans who wait every weekend to watch their teams play. When planning to go to games it is not uncommon for supporters to plan their travel months in advance to be able to afford to go, and they have to sometimes pick and choose their games wisely. So surely it isn’t too much to ask for the owner to be forced to plan in advance too.
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The change of a manager surely has to be a natural progression and a correct fit. The reason why West Brom and Swansea have both continued to flourish despite losing Brendan Rodgers and Roy Hodgson in the summer respectively is because they were able to plot their moves wisely. In particular at West Bromwich Albion they employed a Sporting director in Dan Ashworth who had the foresight to see the greater picture, the brand of football and the type of player West Brom were looking to sign. He encouraged the owner’s that Steve Clarke was the right man for the job and it has paid dividends. Similarly, Huw Jenkins had time to see that Laudrup also plays football with a fluidity and style that Martinez and Rodgers had already implemented as a philosophy at the club.
It is a cliché that is often heard in football that club’s come out saying they believe in the vision of their new manager and they are delighted with the appointment, well maybe it’s time we implement a managerial transfer window and then the people making these monumental decisions are forced to think them through.
Everton have been strongly linked with a move for Mexican winger Hirving Lozano, and the 22 year-old’s incredible World Cup has shown he could be the signing of the summer for the Toffees.
While there will be plenty of teams sniffing around Lozano after his incredible World Cup, the winger’s relationship with Marcel Brands could still push the scales in the Toffees’ favour.
Lozano was brought to PSV by Everton’s new director of football, and the player has commented on Brands’ desire to see him in blue.
Barcelona have also been linked with a move, but the prospect of being the star of the show at Goodison rather than a depth addition at the Camp Nou could push him towards Merseyside.
The young winger scored 17 and added eight assists in the Eredivisie last season, and has carried that form into some sensational performances in Russia.
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The 28-cap Mexican scored one of the most memorable goals of the tournament thus far, downing Germany in his side’s 1-0 win to kick off group F.
He has shown exactly why he’d be the perfect fit to get fans off their seats at Goodison though, as it’s not all about the goals he scores.
The youngster has completed ten dribbles across the three group games, and added five key passes. Everton have far too many players with poor end product, so a young winger who can not only beat his man but find the right pass afterwards would be a welcome addition.
His assist to Javier Hernandez in the 2-1 win over South Korea showed his composure when carrying the ball forward, and one can only imagine the amount of chances he could create for the likes of Cenk Tosun, chances that were sorely lacking for the big Turk last season.
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Aforementioned, it’s going to be quite the battle to win the race for Lozano, but if Brands can work his magic it could the signing of the summer.
So, Everton fans, do you think you can win the race for Lozano with Barcelona sniffing around? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
The pressure on Arsene Wenger has never been greater after four straight Arsenal defeats, culminating in Sunday’s reverse against Brighton and Hove Albion.
The ‘Wenger Out’ debate has raged on for the last few seasons but the calls for him to step aside are now as loud as they have ever been.
Many Arsenal fans want their board to take the bull by the horns and dismiss Wenger – or at the very least reveal that he will be moved aside at the end of the season to allow him the sendoff that he deserves between now and May.
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Any Gunners supporters hoping that Wenger will resign with dignity look set to be disappointed as the Times report that he has privately admitted to staff that he plans to stay on for the next campaign.
The report adds that Wenger still believes he is the right man to take the club forward and if the club wants to sever their ties with him, they will have to sack him.
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With the inertia at board level, the Frenchman’s stubbornness might well see him stay on as there is no force behind him pushing him to leave.