United grasping at straws

Manchester United started the season on an impressive note with dominant performances and the goals to boot, but recently the Red Devils’ form has dipped. United are without a win in three matches in all competitions and subsequently have fallen behind Manchester City, in the league, who now enjoy a 15-point lead at the top of the table.

The Red Devils dropped points to a last minute Harry McGuire goal, and then were nearly stunned by Burnley when the Clarets had a 2-0 halftime lead at Old Trafford, this prompted a response from United where Jesse Lingard bagged a brace securing a point for the hosts.

In the aftermath of the result an unhappy Jose Mourinho bemoaned his team’s recent performances and attributed their recent loss of form to his side not doing enough business during the transfer window compared to their neighbours. Manchester City’s £221 million compared to United’s £145.8 spent during the window is indeed larger, but what Mourinho may have failed to note is that Chelsea spent close to £10 million more than United but sit joint second with his side and have mostly been playing catchup.

Everton’s spending spree was just a bit more than United’s, however the Toffees have been poor for the most part of the season up until recently. Mourinho also bemoaned how the transfer window was “unfair” towards United and hence why his side hasn’t been up to standard recently, which is surprising as the money spent and the fairness of the window weren’t a problem before.

Truthfully speaking, Manchester United aren’t dropping points because of the lower amounts spent in the window but because United haven’t been playing with any conviction lately. United lost the Manchester derby at home in a game where they were dominated by the league’s best side partly due to United not letting go of the handbrake considering all of the attacking talent on their roster.

That loss may have have brought on a psychological knock on United and thus why they have bagged only eight points out of a possible 15. Mourinho’s attempt to downplay United’s recent run of results coming down to spending power and a bias towards United in the transfer market confirmed two things: he and United have lost the mental edge and losers will always make excuses for their shortfalls.

Still some way to go for Arsenal

Arsenal haven’t won the Premier League since 2004 and that’s not likely to change anytime soon judging by their performances against the big guns. On Friday the Gunners endured a dismal 52-minute spell where they could have easily have been four or five down instead of the two.

The fightback to eventually take the lead was testament to something Arsenal have not usually shown when it matters, and for once they weren’t easy to roll over.

Despite that though you’d have to agree that on the night Arsenal were fortunate to have earned a point against Liverpool. For much of the fixture Liverpool had been brilliant and worked brilliantly off the counter and Arsenal seemingly had no answers. If it hadn’t been for their defensive frailties Arsenal would have been starring in yet another horror show.

Much like in the first game it seemed Wenger didn’t factor in any tactics or Liverpool hitting them where it hurts. Starting Maitland-Niles at left full back against the league’s top scorer in Mo Salah proved to be costly at the beginning.

Arsenal’s lack of a proper defensive midfielder who can protect the back four also was another problem. Granit Xhaka is usually caught wandering far off from his base position which leaves the defence vulnerable. Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere are terrific footballers, but neither are the enforcer that Arsenal need to take them back to the top.

Above all else Arsenal still seem to lack the ability to learn from past mistakes, and they were fortunate that Liverpool had an Achilles heel they could exploit because next time they may not be so fortunate.

Better than the Invincibles?

Unbeaten, top of the log, unplayable and seemingly unstoppable Manchester City made short work of Spurs with a 4-1 win at home to extend their lead at the top the Premier League standings. Even more significant was the fact City, in the process, earned a 16^th consecutive league and having already being compared to the Arsenal’s Invincibles when might argue City may be better.

Arsenal won 26 matches in the entirety of their record setting season and in comparison City have already won 17 of their 18 matches so far. At this point in the season have City have amassed 52 points, eight points more than the legendary Gunners side registered by the turn of the year.

Arsenal scored 73 goals on their way to the title, while in comparison City already have 55 and are projected to go well past the Invincibles’ tally with the them averaging 3.1 goals this season.

Thierry Henry contributed 30 of the goals during Arsenal’s title winning run with 14 other players chipping in towards the total tally. City’s tally is a lot more spread out with twelve players contributing to the total, and with still a few others yet to score.

What could be more telling is the way and the margins by which City have won their matches as they have dominated the opposition even against the league’s topsides whether be at the Etihad or away from home.

But it may be too early to bestow City the title of Invincibles 2.0 as its only halfway through the season and time will tell if that proves to be true.

Out The Corridor Of Doubt, Into The Bridge

The Premier League continues this weekend with  a bumper schedule of fixtures and all eyes will turn to London as Chelsea's host rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal have made a shaky start to the season with a 4-3 opening day win at home to Leicester before losing at Stoke before a blowout at Anfield.

The have made somewhat of a recovery with wins against Bournemouth and FC Cologne, but their recent record of poor performances against the Premier League’s best leaves little hope for them to topple Chelsea especially at the Bridge.

Arsenal haven't won a game at the Bridge since Robin van Persie’s hat trick in a crazy 5-3 fixture six years ago. Since then, however Stamford Bridge has become the house of pain for the Gunners, and Chelsea have been looking good in recent weeks.

After their opening day wobble against Burnley Chelsea have won 4 in a row scoring 13 goals while conceding only two in the process.

But it's not all doom and gloom for Arsenal as the Gunners have beaten the Blues in two out of the last three games, which included a 3-0 win at the Emirates and a win in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

Thursday's Europa League fixture may have opened Wenger’s eyes as to how to approach the Chelsea game. Arsenal produced a game of two halves with a bland performance in the first, before rousing to a 3-1 win.

Arsenal need to do away with a back three and use a traditional back four. This will mitigate any chance of being exposed again like they were against Liverpool and for Pete’s sake give themselves a chance by sitting in during the first exchanges before going on attack.

Chelsea have exactly the style of play that could mean another dreadful day for Arsenal and hopefully Arsenal should show some awareness and adapt their style of play to their opposition.

The Reality That Liverpool Face

The Premier League returned to our screens with a bang as the fixture schedule whipped up another mammoth game with Manchester City taking on Liverpool. The game promised to be a high scoring affair and that proved to be the case with the Cityzens routing the Reds 5-0, underling the Manchester sides title credentials in the process.

The loss comes as a huge blow to Liverpool's title ambitions as a few weeks ago they were on the other side of the fence as they thrashed title pretenders Arsenal 4-0 before the international break. The loss for Liverpool couldn't have done more to help bring them back down to earth after a relatively good start.

Liverpool had Sadio Manè sent off for dangerous play and with Liverpool already a goal down things could only get worse. Liverpool proved to be ineffectual for the rest of the game as City executed a decent game plan.

As much as City deserve credit on the day you'd have to agree that Liverpool's deficiencies were rightly exposed as a simply executed game plan was all that was required to vanquish the Reds. City came into the game looking to sit in early on and deny Liverpool the space to do any damage.

This kept City in the game and it was inevitable, with David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne having a keen eye for a pass, that City would take advantage of Liverpool's soft spot: their defence. From there a bit of misfortune — with the red card — and the Reds’ house of cards collapsed as fast as Arsenal’s had at Anfield.

The catastrophe at the Etihad served to sober Liverpool to the reality of their situation; as good as they can be they just a mistake or two from being another Arsenal. Their predictability and lack of a strong defence will be their undoing against teams that won't go into games with the same naïveté as Arsenal had.

It should also be concerning to note that their weaknesses play right into the strengths of champions Chelsea and leaders Manchester United as both sides are based on a solid defence and with them sitting in Liverpool would be denied space in behind, rendering them  close to harmless when they are forced to play in front of their opponents.

Not to mention the height, aerial ability and speed of those sides will surely do much to trouble an already compromised defence. 

 Liverpool are without a doubt the league's most tantalizing side with all their options in attack, but their lack of investment in their defence will always come to bite them at crucial times just as it has in the past.

Former players Pull No Punches About Arsenal

This weekend's schedule of international fixtures meant the Premier League took a brief break from a fast start to the new season. Unfortunately for Arsenal the focus is still firmly on the Gunners after their routing at Anfield and failure to do business in the closing hours of the summer transfer window.

Former players have come out to blast player performance, the manager and in particular the board for its reluctance to let go of star man Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean made it no secret that he wanted to leave the club for a long time now and with the move his preferred move to Manchester City failing to materialize because Arsenal could not secure the signature of Monaco man Thomas Lemar.

Essentially the whole situation has been reportedly a sour note for Sanchez as the Chilean all but stated he wished to never play for Arsenal again. The whole transfer saga has led to former Arsenal forward Ian Wright to describe the decision as “ridiculous”.

Writing in a column for British tabloid the Sun Wright made a few scathing remarks about his former club. “Letting the deadline pass without selling Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez was just ridiculous. It did not make any sense in football or financial terms.

“Whether it is chief executive Ivan Gazidis or someone else who is in charge of the comings and goings, they need to be held to account for this total shambles.”

And you’d have to agree with Wright on the matter as keeping Sanchez is neither good for the player nor the club. Keeping Sanchez will prove to be a decision the Arsenal board will come to regret as it only fuels the obvious frustration and resentment of the Chilean has towards the club, and will further go on to create a toxic environment in the locker room.

Granted Arsenal might have been waiting out on a better offer for Sanchez, as they were well within their rights, but should have realised the urgency at which this decision had to be made.

And its not as if they didn’t have any other options; Arsenal could have just agreed to a cash plus player swap sending Sanchez off to Manchester and getting Sergio Aguero.

Aguero does seem to be in Pep Guardiola’s plans with him playing mostly off the bench and he’d surely have relished a chance to be Premier League starter and would add to Arsenal’s attack.

But hey, this is Arsenal where logic and common has been seemingly flying out the window with regularity and we thought Barcelona had it bad.

Make Way For Boxing's Real Super Fight

This year proved to be a banner year for the sport of boxing after the so called “Fight of the Century” between welterweight superstars Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather left more than a bitter taste in the mouths fans. The fight promised much, but delivered very little.

In 2017, heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko enthralled fans in a titanic clash between the future and the past of the sport and did the sport proud in front of a full capacity audience at Wembley. Most recently the mega hyped “Money Fight” pitting Floyd Mayweather against MMA superstar Conor McGregor helped draw the public eye back to one of the world’s oldest sports.

The most intriguing point of the encounter proved be the antics and circus in the lead up to the clash rather than anything that happened in the ring.

With that circus out of the way, it’s time to get down to business. On the 16^th of September middleweight kingpin Gennady Gennadyevich Golovkin or “GGG” (37-0-0, 33 KOs) will put his WBC, WBA, IBF and IBO titles on the line against two weight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs) in the middleweight “Supremacy” fight.

The bout creates a great sense of intrigue and has the boxing public split down the middle the sport’s current two biggest stars and if there is anything to take away from this fight is that it should be a cracker.

In Golovkin we have one of the most avoided fighters in the sport; a heavy handed come forward fighter with one the of the highest knockout ratios in the sports history. Canelo is the golden boy of Mexican boxing and the whole country seems to come a standstill when the red-haired Mexican steps through the ropes.

The best attributes of either fighter match up so well that it wouldn’t be a far-gone conclusion to expect a knock out finish or at least a stoppage. Canelo has the advantage of having superior hand speed and is an excellent combination puncher. Golovkin has the obvious power advantage and comes from a great amateur background with sound fundamentals.

Other aspects of the sport that either fighter are not good at also match up well together. Canelo has been described as a flat footed fighter who tends to use superior head movement to avoid punches to the head so he won’t be trying to run from Golovkin. Golovkin has the better footwork of the two, but his lack of head movement has been highlighted as a point of concern after he was hit with fast combinations against welterweight Kell Brook last year.

There are questions yet to be answered about both fighters on fight night. Canelo, despite having held the middleweight WBC and Ring Magazines titles, has not actually fought at 160 lbs before with both his fights being at the catch weight of 155. So it begs the question how will the Mexican acclimatize himself against a real middleweight?

One thing Canelo has in his favour is in the age disparity between the two fighters. Canelo is 27, while GGG is 35 and there have been suspicions that father time has finally caught up with the Kazakh destroyer after he had appeared less than impressive in his previous fights against Kell Brook and Daniel Jacobs.

With all things considered spectators should expect nothing less than an intriguing contest which might turn into a straight shootout between the two rather than a game of cat and mouse.

 

Not Made of The Right Stuff

Confident and assertive— those were  the words that commentator Jim Beglin used to describe Liverpool as they dismantled a woeful Arsenal side 4-0. Those are just some of the words that you'd use to describe champions, others that  come to mind are persistent, determined and gritty. Those words you wouldn't be able to use when describing Arsenal.

As good as Liverpool were, you can't overlook how utterly horrendous Arsenal were. From the tactics, the game plan, player selection and right down to the execution a lot was left to be desired.

Beginning with the lineup the exclusion of Sead Kolisinac and Hector Bellerin, a right back by trade, taking his place stood out. It also made little sense that Shokdran Mustafi was left out in favour of Rob Holding. The wingbacks proved to be the biggest liability as they provided little protection for back three leaving Holding and Monreal duly exposed. Not to mention how naïve Wenger’s men were not to anticipate that Liverpool would present the biggest threat from the flanks.

Not starting Lacazette or Giroud also proved to be a poor judgement. In recent seasons Liverpool’s soft underbelly has always been their defence even more so in the air and set pieces. This should have obviously pointed to selecting Giroud to put a cat amongst the pigeons.

With that said Arsene Wenger remains the club’s biggest soft spot, but the players are just as much to blame. Alexis Sanchez proved ineffective and Mesut Özil was pedestrian as ever, so much for “marquee” players.

When comes down to it last night showed the world why Arsenal haven't won the league in 13 years. For a number of those years people have blamed it on a lack of talent or money, but in reality it's  due to the club’s frailty, ineptitude and indecision, qualities shared with the manager.

Barca Guilty of Self-sabotage

There is an African proverb that states that goes like this “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you” and this rings true for the current situation at Barcelona. For a number of years the Catalans have been plodding from one plunder to the next, and in 2017 the Barca board’s dirty linens have been on display for the whole world to see

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This following the world record € 222 million Neymar transfer has seemingly brought Barcelona's house of cards falling down, and it is that very transfer that has left a bad taste in the mouths of the board and sore spot for the Catatlans.

On Tuesday Barcelona made a statement that they were suing Neymar for a breach of contract on the grounds that the Brazilian failed to uphold his contractual obligation after he signed an extension in 2016 only to leave this year.

In turn Neymar is reportedly suing Barca after he wasn’t paid the € 26 million loyalty bonus due to him last year. It is no coincidence that Barcelona's suit coincides with Neymar making a few chose statements about the club's board.

According to ESPN the Brazilian had this to say: "I spent four years there and was very happy. I began happy, spent four years happy and left happy. But not with them. For me, they [current Barcelona board] shouldn't be in charge of Barca. Barca deserve much better, and everyone knows this."

Clearly that rubbed the Barca board up the wrong way and this response is about Barcelona putting Neymar on notice that he's made it personal with his those words.

Undoubtedly, the move was meant to hurt Neymar, but in the end Barca may have just shot themselves in the foot. Didn’t they realise their actions would render the club unattractive for prospective signings? Was consideration given as to what message this action sent to the players still at the club?

Speaking of players still at the club, Lionel Messi is reportedly still yet to sign a new contract to keep him at the Nou Camp, despite having agreed terms in July. So wouldn't Barca’s suit against Neymar leave him to reconsider his future? Why wasn’t it handled earlier? Or had they not realised that Messi could walk on a free next year if he feels he might be better off elsewhere?

Rumours of unhappiness have also been doing the rounds at club along with a sense of uncertainty as the board’s poor decision are finally being felt on the field after Barca were swept by Real in a 5-1 aggregate loss in the Spanish Super Cup. With the performances on the field suffering, the team's inability to make any credible signings and the current board's ineptitude and incompetence on full display how long will it take other players to follow in Neymar’s footsteps?

Chelsea Must Show Champion's Resolve

It would be a bit of a stretch to look at Sunday's London derby between Spurs and Chelsea as a season defining match this early in the season, but games between the top six can very be telling at the end of the season. Chelsea as champions need to respond after being caught cold by Burnley last time out.

Chelsea looked anything but the league champions they were last season in their 3-2 defeat at the Bridgenot to mention the two red cards received on opening day means the Blues will be without key personnel against a potential title rival. The Manchester clubs, United in particular, sent warning shots to the rest of league with good wins against West Ham and  Brighton. Sunday's derby is a chance for Chelsea to stamp their authority on the league and show that they aren't slipping.

The lead up to the new season has somewhat destabilized the Blues. Starting the season without Eden Hazard, the want away Diego Costa and letting Nemanja Matic go to Man united left Chelsea in an awkward position. While things may not look so good for the champions, but there are some positives for Chelsea to look forward when they take on Spurs.

Alvaro Morata came on as a sub to score a debut goal, while also setting up David Luiz for the second. Whatever doubts there were about the Spanish forward were put to rest early as he showed some of the intangibles required to thrive in the Premier League and he looks a likely starter for the Spurs game.

With Fabregas having been sent off against Burnley, summer signing Tiemoue Bakayoko could make his Premier League debut alongside Ngolo Kante solidifying the Chelsea midfield against the onslaught of the Spurs midfield.

Chelsea can also be boosted by the news that star man Eden Hazard could be on the bench for the game. Essentially Spurs are at “Home” with the Lane being given a face lift, but Chelsea have enjoyed good fortunes at Wembley in recent seasons just last season the Blues beat Spurs 4-2 on their way to the FA Cup final. Spurs have had mixed fortunes at the iconic stadium only winning one of the five games they hosted at the stadium last season.

 All in all the London derby will provide a stern test for Chelsea's resolve and could be the boost that they need to kickstart their season as it catches them at the right time as the mark of a champion is always about how they handle themselves in the face of adversity.

Title contenders kickoff the season

The Absa Premier League (PSL) kicks off this Friday with a block buster fixture pitting defending champions Bidvest Wits against title rivals Cape Town City who finished third last term.

This game comes after both sides cut their teeth in the season’s first cup competition the MTN 8 last week. Wits survived an early scare after trailing 2-0 against Golden Arrows before fighting back to take the game to extra time; claiming a 4-3 win on penalties.

Cape Town looked impressive in their game against Polokwane City taking the game 1-0, albeit with an own goal. The only thing you could fault the Capetonians on was with  their inability to finish their chances as they had created many during the game.

With that said, if last week’s fixtures are anything to go by PSL fans should be in for a treat.  Both sides will look to continue a good start to the season, and notably there will be a few interesting sub plots to the encounter in Johannesburg.

Benni McCarthy’s first foray in the PSL throws him into the deep end for his first league match coming up gainst Gavin Hunt. Hunt masterminded a fourth PSL title last season, one with Wits and three with Super Sport United, as well as numerous other cup competition wins and will seek to consolidate his position as one of the league's top coaches.

On the field there will be some interesting individual duels with Wits possessing an arsenal of talent including some experienced PSL campaigners which include Daine Klate, Elias Pelembe and Thulani Hlatshwayo. Wits can also call the experience of former Bafana internationals Steven Pienaar and Dylan Klassen.

City will once again call on their talismanic captain Lebo Manyama for goals and assists. Lyle Lakay and Bafana international Ayanda Patosi will also look to impress in the colors of their new side.

The Decisions at Barca Are Questionable

                    


Much can be said about the recent decisions at FC Barcelona, namely the sale of Brazilian forward Neymar. The world record fee transfer was meant to add to Barca’s kitty as the Catalans seek to rebuild the side after the imbalance and lack of depth of the side was duly exposed in a humbling 2016/17 season. They were hammered in their away legs in Paris and Turin in the  Champion’s League and eventually  lost out on their La Liga crown to Real Madrid.

But going back to that Neymar transfer doesn't anyone else find it ironic that Barcelona sold a key member of their squad to PSG, the same PSG that rejected Barca’s bid for Marco Verrati who was reportedly open to moving to the Nou Camp.  Verrati was Barca's number one target as the side saw him as a viable replacement to the position Xavi left vacant.

Now a question that should be put forward is why didn't Barca arrange a cash plus player trade? Barca would get to kill two birds with one stone: ridding themselves of the stain of controversy of the Neymar transfer and finally filling a position that is integral to the very fabric of the club.

So here Barcelona we are in one of the craziest transfer windows yet and that € 222 million looks rather minuscule and Barca will spend the bulk of that on Phillipe Coutinho as opposed to stocking up the positions that vitally need more personnel such as in the right back position (they also failed to sign Hector Bellerin from Arsenal), a replacement for Neymar and the someone to run the midfield (not Paulinho).

Giroud Makes His Case To Stay

With the arrival of new record signing Alexandre Lacazette for £ 46 million it would seem the writing is on the wall for Olivier Giroud as far as his time as a Gunner is concerned. The Frenchman featured sporadically for Arsenal last with Alexis Sanchez the preferred choice to lead the line.

And the recent signing of Lacazette may look to push him out of the Arsenal, but before that should happen there are few issues to be taken into consideration. Giroud may not be highly rated as a ‘world class’ center forward, but here are three reasons why it would serve to Arsenal’s advantage to keep the French forward.

SUPER SUB
Olivier Giroud has proven to be a great super sub for Arsenal, just last night against Leicester the Frenchman came off the bench to score an 85th minute winner for the Gunners. He did the same last at Old Trafford scoring a 90th minute equalizer against Manchester United. With a knack to score last minute goals players like Giroud are worth their worth in gold, and that knack can turn not only around only a match but  an entire season.

PERFECT PARTNER
Giroud brings a different element to Arsenal with a physical presence, aerial ability and his ability to link up well with his teammates. This would work well if he were to play along with  Lacazette providing knock downs for Arsenal’s new front to score from. This could be seen in last night’s game as Giroud crafted an opportunity to set up Lacazette which was saved by Schmeichel.

STOP GAP FORWARD
A Premier League season is long and hard, so it would be absurd to expect Arsenal’s forward line to be firing on all cylinders for the whole season and there will be a slump in form sometime in the season. This is where Giroud can fit in as a temporary solution for when Lacazette, Welbeck and Sanchez aren't 100 percent. Let's say maybe Giroud can chip with 10-12 goals that would surely help take pressure off his teammates and if Arsenal are fortunate Giroud might even go a tear and give Lacazette a real push for a place in the team.

The Upside To Neymar Transfer

The world record fee transfer for Brazilian superstar Neymar, from Barcelona to PSG, was seen as a significant loss for The Catalans as it saw to the end of the MSN (Messi, Suarez and Neymar) trident. The trio scored a combined 253 goals over recent seasons and have been dubbed as one the most deadly attacking trios in football history.

Looking from that perspective, the Brazilians transfer does seem to be a loss on Barcelona’s part, but also consider the fact that out of those three Neymar contributed a fewer number of goals, with a tally of 95 during the MSN era. Just look back to last season where Neymar scored just 20 goals throughout the the entirety of the season, a small return compared to Suarez’s 41 and the 56 goals scored by Messi. The only stat the Brazilian had bettered compared to his former teammates was in the assists column with 19 throughout last season.

The above  information is not to downplay the Brazilian’s contribution  to Barca’s success, but to illustrate that life will indeed go on for Barcelona and the huge sums of money mean that have they have options to consider as to what direction the club will be taken.

Barcelona could go with the more immediate solution by securing the signatures of long time transfer target Phillipe Coutinho, along with Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele and Monaco’s Thomas Lemar. This would ensure that the Catalans would build a proper squad rather than relying heavily on three players to carry the team.

Barcelona’s reliance on the MSN trident backfired last season as they were hammered 4-1 in the away leg against PSG, and although their recovery was spectacular it couldn't be replicated as Juventus got the better of Barca with a 3-0 win in Turin.

This can be accounted for the lack of strength in last season's squad. Outside of the starting eleven that Barca had last season you could pick only a few players who could make any impact.

Another option that Barcelona can consider would be going back to what made them dominate world football, and that is to go back to grooming their own talent through their La Masia academy. A host of Barca's best came through the ranks of their development programme among those include Lionel Messi, Xavi, Pique, Iniesta just to name a few.

That model produced a team that was well balanced, with an emphasis on winning playing great football. Throughout a succession of years this model proved to be the envy of world football with strength not only in the starting eleven, but also throughout the squad.

This would be a model Barcelona would do well to consider going back to as had worked for them in the past. 

No Better Time Than The Present

Spurs are a team on an upward trajectory performing with consistency in each of the last three seasons. A second place finish accompanied by the renovations to White Hart Lane into a higher capacity stadium, shows that Spurs look to firmly establish themselves amongst the Premier League’s elite.

Furthermore, Spurs finally stepped out the shadow of North London rivals Arsenal finishing above Wenger’s men for the first time in 22 years. Over the past two seasons Mauricio Pochettino’s charges boasted the best defensive record in the league. An impressive feat considering that Spurs didn't have to spend vast amounts of money and they were the league’s youngest side.

They finished the 2016/17 season as the top scorers, yet could not wrestle the title away from London rivals Chelsea. Even more impressively the Lilly Whites were undefeated at home last season, winning 17 of a possible 19 games.

With that there is no better time for Spurs to give the full push for the league title as they find themselves in the same position as rivals Arsenal when they had to rebuild after the ‘Invincibles’ era with the renovations to the Lane. The upside though is that Spurs have created a sustainable business model for their squad by utilizing a good development method through their academy.

With the reputations of star men Harry Kane, Christian Erikssen, Dele Alli, and not to mention as well as Toby Aldeweireld and Jan Vertonghen, on the rise another failed attempt to win the league could mean Premier League rivals or one of Europe’s bigger sides could entice either one of those players to jump ship.

So it goes without saying that third time should be lucky for the Londoners and finally allow them to step out of the shadow that the league's other sides has cast over them.

Liverpool Will Look To Spoil The Party

Jurgen Klopp's men sent out warning shots to the rest of the league as they dismantled German giants Bayern Munich in the preseason tournament, the Audi Cup, 3-0.

Liverpool were in spectacular form as they made the Germans look pedestrian and pressured Bayern with their intensity and pressing football.

Liverpool were exceptionally effective on the break and sent out signs that should have Premier League defences aware with pace at the Reds' disposal with Sadio Mane, Mohammed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge coupled with the intricate passes of playmaker Phillipe Coutinho.

Liverpool have been undefeated in preseason so far, and put in an impressive performance albeit in a preseason friendly. The Reds' Achilles Heel would be their defence as they conceded 42 goals last term, but looked have it  under control as they kept Bayern at bay and opened them at will.

Liverpool look like they will provide a stiff challenge for the opposition and give the rest of the top six a thing or two ponder over. They Reds will have their confidence boosted by the fact they didn't lose against the other top six sides last season. Liverpool did the double over Arsenal and won at least one game leg of each their encounters with rivals, with the exception of their two draws against Manchester United, but hit a snag losing to teams outside the top 8 sides in the league.

Whether they will be the title challengers that was seen on display on Tuesday remains to be seen, but you can guarantee that the Reds will be most likely the league's most entertaining side.

Arsenal season could hinge on Alexis transfer

Since last having won the Premier League title with the legendary 'Invincibles' back in 2004 Arsenal have had very little to celebrate, save for an FA Cup here and there, and along with that their status as title contenders has increasingly faded.

Last season The Gunners finished outside the top four for the first time in 20 years, adding further insult to injury bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspurs finished above them on the table for the first time since 1995.

 

The upcoming season offers Arsenal the chance to redeem themselves by winning the league or at the very least European qualification and that had a significant boost with the signing of Frenchman Alexandre Lacazette.

 

The Gunners have become little more than the proverbial bridesmaids and whenever they're in scintillating form and on top its not likely to last.

Arsenal don't seem to be a certainty to perform at the lofty standards you'd expect as they are what you may term an 'if, but or maybe' team. If they hadn't lost so many quality players to rivals (van Persie, Adebayor, Nasri, Clichy etc.), if they didn't lose players to injury at crucial stages of the season or if they had had a friendlier fixture list they might have won the league a few times.

 

This season will be no different as one of those 'ifs' has been centred around whether Alexis Sanchez stays or leaves the club by the end of the transfer window. And this sits as the most important condition of their season as any other efforts to try to win the league through signing other players would be rendered meaningless if the Chilean leaves.

 

The Chilean is undoubtedly the star man at Arsenal with his versatility and ability to score at create goals he could very well be the difference between going all the way to the championship and Champion's League qualification.

Will We Finally See The Real Manchester United Finally Stand Up?

The post Sir Alex Ferguson era Manchester United have looked nothing like the Red Devils of old. The Old Trafford side has only managed to finish in the top four only once over the last four seasons; even after managerial chances and substantial financial investment look far from becoming the powerhouse that it once was.

 

Last season United scored a meagre 54 goals in 38 games despite having a wealth of attacking talent which included Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and currently the world's most expensive player Paul Pogba.

 

However, looking past that United managed to find their way back to playing in the Champion's League after winning the Europa League and the EFL Cup. As lightly regarded as those two trophies may be ( FA Community Shield can't really count as an official trophy) winning them would serve to bring back that winning feeling that has been absent over recent seasons, after all winning is a habit.

Under Jose Mourinho the Red Devils may not have been a goal scoring machine, but the side shows lots of promise as they proved to be hard to beat last season only losing five games.

 

 Putting that into context Chelsea also lost the same number of games, Liverpool and Manchester City lost six while Arsenal lost nine. The main difference were the points that the Red Devils dropped. United also hit the woodwork 19 times during the course of the season and Ibrahimović missed a host of chances. Taking into account all this you'd see that if things had gone in the other direction United would have been further ahead and lights at the Theatre of Dreams are set to shine brighter this season.

 

The signings of Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic, with the possible  arrival of Ivan Perisić, are a statement of intent from The Special One to reinstate United to their dominance of English football. Add that on top of Mourinho's ability to succeed across Europe as well as his previous experience in the Premier League with Chelsea you can definitely see Manchester United posing a credible threat to Chelsea's title reign.

What Can We Expect?

When it comes to the Premier League it's almost impossible to accurately predict how exactly the season will go.

Many disregard this folly and attempt to predict the final outcome anyway. As ever the expectations will be the same. Chelsea will start as favourites to retain the title with Manchester City their closest threat (at least in my opinion).

Spurs finished second last season and third before that which represents a steady improvement for the Londoners. This could finally be their year after decades of living in the shadows of Arsenal and Chelsea.

Liverpool will likely cause a few surprises for the title challengers and may even be in the mix themselves if all goes well.

Arsenal and Manchester United most likely would look to be the outsiders to topple Chelsea, even there we could expect a few surprises as Jose Mourinho might yet still have a few new tricks up his sleeve. As for Arsenal there still remains a few wrinkles to iron out.

Taking into consideration the previous two seasons forecasting who will do what and when will be almost for naught, but the only money guarantee football fans can have in predicting with certainty is that there will be twists and turns, and more than a few surprises during the course of the season.

The Premier League Transfer Window So Far

From now up until the end of August expect some big moves in the lead up to the 2017/18 the Premier League season.

The transfer window mill has already been sent spinning into overdrive as we've already seen Arsenal secure the services of French forward Alexander Lacazette from Lyon for £52 million and it doesn't end there as the Gunners are also interested in signing Monaco winger Thomas Lemar. However, the situation with Alexis Sanchez remains uncertain with the Chilean pursuing a move to Manchester City. Another departure that could affect Arsenal this season would be the possible move of right back Hector Bellerin to Barcelona.

Romelu Lukaku's pending transfer to Manchester United has come is the biggest news so as United tabled £75 million offer for the forward. The transfer was made all the more interesting as Chelsea were also in the running to sign Lukaku even going as far matching United for his transfer and personal terms. In the end it seems United won out in the end.

Liverpool have also been quite busy in the window signing Mohamed Salah from AS Roma for £35 million and have also been linked with Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, even reportedly offering £25 million for the Englishman. What may concern Reds though, would be the news linking Phillipe Coutunho with a move away from Anfield as Barcelona have shown interest this year and PSG said to be targeting the Brazilian.

Chelsea are looking to close in on the signatures of AS Roma defender Antonio Rudiger, Monaco's Tiemoue Bakayoko and Juventus' Alex Sandro after losing out on their prime target, Lukaku. Chelsea will now have to look elsewhere for a replacement for Diego Costa as the Spain forward seeks a return to Atletico Madrid.

Manchester City are reportedly closing in on their man according to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo. According to O Jogo Alexis Sanchez has agreed personal terms with City and his move would cost the Citizens £ 50 million. City have made the additions of Portuguese duo Bernardo Silva and Ederson during the window so far and have been rumoured to being on course to sign Dani Alves.

Germany Keep The Ball Rolling

Before the FIFA Confederations Cup kicked off it wouldn't have come as much of a surprise to see Germany on the podium holding the Confederations Cup aloft and that is indeed what happened. Lars Stindl was on hand to score an easy tap in to conclude an impressive Confederations Cup outing for the world champions.

The win was made all the more impressive as Joachim Löw named a raw and youthful side consisting mostly of less known players. Löw preferred to leave out star names Thomas Mueller, Mesut Özil, Tony Kroos, Manuel Neuer and Matts Hummels.

The selections proved to be on the money as the young side played with a poise and calmness which couldn't be upset by their lack of experience. In Sunday's final the Germans remained resolute as Chile made a fast start dominating much of the possession in the first 20 minutes of the game before pouncing on a defensive mistake by the South American champions to take the lead and threatened to extend the lead on a number of occasions as they caught Chile on the break throughout the game.

The win for the Germans makes them the first European winners of the Confederations Cup since France last won it in 2001 and 2003.

This also extends Germany's record at major tournaments as they have reached the semi finals or final in seven out of the last eight major international tournaments making them the most consistent team in international football.

Much of their consistency at tournaments can be put down to two factors: player development and cohesion of their sides from 2006 up until present. The system in the German national side works like a conveyor belt setting up a platform for future of German football stars. This is already evident as the junior side recently won the under 21 European champions.

Could the premier league be harming English teams in European competition?

The English Premier league stands head and shoulders above other leagues in world football as the most marketable and most competitive. But it's the competition itself and the drama that unfolds throughout the season that intrigues us to the English football.

Each season is like a drama with a plot not even the best script writer would ever put to paper. Producing sporting moments that have astounded viewers, made some laugh, made others cry, but all through out fans should expect a rollercoaster ride during each instalment.

In spite of this English football has seemingly become a victim of its own success. In recent seasons has seen a slump in the performance of English teams in European football with  them sustaining a poor habit of underachieving in the Champion's League. 

However, when you take into account factors such as the homogeneity ( similarity in playing styles), revenue and financial muscle in each league you could realise why in recent seasons it has become easier for other European giants to beat English sides.

Firstly let's begin with the homogeneity within other European leagues. In leagues like Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1 all the teams play very similar styles of the same football with a little variation here and there, even with some with styles that aren't used normally in the league. For instance Atletico Madrid play a defensive game and rely on playing on the break as opposed to the possession based game plan of most Spanish sides.

In conditions like that the main determine factor as to who come out on top usually lies with who has the better quality players to play the same style of football, but at a much higher level.

Then take into account how the  financial power of the teams that consistently win the league in those countries is rather substantial when compared to the rest their opposition. The likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, PSG and Bayern Munich have the comfort of being able to buy any player from their rivals as other top European leagues.

This works two fold for these sides, firstly they weaken the opposition nullifying the threats of their closest rivals and further augment their own powers increasing the gap between them and the rest of the league.

Last season Juventus bought Gonzalo Higuain to Turin from Napoli. Over in Germany Bayern have been transferring some of the best talent from Borrusia Dortmund in recent with the likes Lewandowski, Gotze, and Hummels making the switch to the Allianz Arena.

The revenues that these teams generate from broadcasting up until recently tended to be  very skewed take for instance Barcelona and Real Madrid taking home at least half of the revenue of the La Liga sides with each pocketing about € 600 million a season alone from broadcasting rights. Putting this into perspective the revenue for La Liga in 2015 was € 1.3 billion meaning Real and Barca get as much as 50% of from revenue. This the leaves opposition sides with less room to wiggle when comes to their finances, which leaves them stuck with being feeder teams for the big sides.

But what does the above have to do with the Premier League you may ask? Well the EPL has a lot more diversity in terms of the teams' style of play with no team playing the same type of football. So every game comes with a different set of challenges,  game plan and tactics rather having to overpower the opposition with mere star power.

The big money invested in the league means each EPL side can buy quality players and you could very compare the Premier League to the NBA on the basis of talent and quality each side possess.

All this means that mean with each league English sides are taking on some of the best players in the world on a weekly basis. This usually would mean tougher games leaving very little in reserve for the business end of the Champion's League. 

Elsewhere the consistent winners of the other leagues usually coast through the season with a few hiccups along the and barring major slip ups they usually come out on top. This all creates the right platform to dominate European football as they are freed from gruelling fixtures and any challenges. 

Why Sanchez exit may be on the cards

The Confederations Cup kicked off last week in Russia and with it came  a reminder as to what a class player Alexis Sanchez is. Would be  suitors will surely be taking notice as Sanchez put himself on the shop window in his two appearances for his national side. The Chilean front man came off the bench to inspire Chile to a 2-0 win over Cameroon in the first game. More importantly Sanchez became Chile's record goal scorer in the second group game.

Watching Sanchez one can't help to spot how much of a quality player he is: he's got a good range of passes, blistering pace, his ball control and dribbling ability is only matched by a few, his eye for goals and his versatility would make him a hot commodity in the transfer window. All in all he is a technically sound player with attributes that befits him plying his trade for one of Europe's glamour clubs. His performances in recent seasons at Arsenal is prove of all this. Even though he scored 30 goals for Arsenal last term, Arsenal had one of their more disappointing seasons and Sanchez looks out of place at a club like Arsenal.

Alexis Sanchez looks every bit a championship winning player if you were ever looking for one, despite this there has been very little joy for the Chilean at Emirates save for last season's  FA Cup win over Chelsea.

That considered, Sanchez has every good reason to seek a move to a more ambitious side with the likes of Bayern Munich and league rivals Manchester City courting his signature. Both sides will offer the Chilean to compete for top honours and not to mention the financial incentives that come with playing for either one of these giants.

But more importantly though it will allow Sanchez to be in the company of winners just like himself, oppose to having to toil away in mediocrity doing the bare minimum just to have a seat at the big boy's table when he could very well be one of the big boys.

Important summer for the Gunner

After being relegated to Europa League football after an underwhelming 2016/17 season Arsenal have their work cut out for them to restore themsleves back amongst Europe's elite and a possible title challenge. The upcoming summer transfer will be of the utmost importance as there are few deals for Aresne Weneger to sort through before he can mount a prosper challenge.

 

RIYADH MAHREZ
The Algerian is a class player and will fit like a glove at the Emirates. After a stellar couple of seasons at Leicester City which culminated in winning a first Premier League title. Last season was a disappointment for the the winger with Leicester struggling for from after their previous heroics. The 2017/18 season is on the horizon and Mahrez has piqued interest after it was reported he seeks to move on from Leicester with the Emirates being his destination  of choice.

 

MESUT OZIL
The German player is yet to extend his stay at Arsenal after a season where he went missing for the middle part of the season as Arsenal's collapsed, yet again, after a less than satisfactory performance. The fact that Ozil is yet to hold contract talks with Arsenal has lead to some speculation that he and Chilean star Alexis Sanchez (see below) may be heading for exit in the summer. There sure should be lots interest for Ozil in the summer, but Wenger insists that both his star men will stay.

 

JAMES RODRIGUEZ
The upcoming season will be important as the lead up to next year's World Cup in Russia and Rodriguez will be seeking regular game time after playing second fiddle to Isco at Real Madrid. A move looks set to be on the horizon as he seeks to lead Colombia in another World Cup. Manchester United looked to be the front runner's for the forgotten Madrid man, but according  to The Sunday Express Arsenal are preparing a bid for Rodriguez.

 

ALEXIS SANCHEZ
The biggest transfer that would have the biggest ramifications for the Arsenal this summer would be the loss of their star man. Sanchez has yet to extend his contract after a relatively good individual season, scoring 30 goals and winning the FA Cup in the process. However, the failure to mount a real title challenge and early exits from the Champion's League have lead to rumours  swirling about the Chilean with clubs like Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Manchester City said to be in the running for his signature. City are reportedly closing in on the Chilean's signature after the Mirror reported that a Chilean insider had details about a move to City being finalised.

 

KYLIAN MBAPPE
The French teenage sensation has been to likened to Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and is rumoured to be on Arsene Wenger's raider as well as other European giants. Mbappe scored 26 goals last term chipping in with a further 16 assists to inspire Monaco to a first Ligue 1 title since 2002 and a spot in the semi-finals of the Champion's League. The youngster is undoubtedly a future talent and the attention is warranted, but would Arsenal be willing to take a risk on an untested player to the tune of a £ 100 million?

  

Not all diets are created equal

In an attempt to obtain optimum health and a much needed performance boost I became a vegetarian . I was hooked after searching through the internet to find that a vegetarian diet would come with some benefits.

These benefits include weight loss, more energy and being clear minded. If I wasn't already buying into it my friend, who is a vegetarian, had me convinced to go vegetarian. I later came to regret following that advice.

As I write this I realise why she convinced to go vegetarian: misery loves company. She's a vegetarian out of necessity rather than choice.

The diet did in fact result in weight loss, but one of the draw backs was that after my prolonged exercising sessions ( 4 days of boxing plus 4 days of running) I had muscles that were always stiff and sore. This was caused by consuming little to no protein at all.

I also felt hungry almost all the time, despite having a higher food intake.

The much vaunted energy benefits were also nowhere to be found as i was flat most of the time which affected the rest of my day. That's when I threw in the towel nobody is meant to live like this.

Humans evolved through a diet of eating mostly meat and we're omnivores, there's no need to do something so counterproductive as only eating from one side of the aisle.

If you're considering switching to vegan or vegetarian diet for health reasons, rather try diversifying your diet with equal helpings of meat and vegetables. Add some healthy fats and fruits in there and you'll be all set.

That being said I  learned a few things in my
foray into the landmine riddden world of diets. The most important of which is that being a vegan or vegetarian is expensive and most of the preparation is annoying. Also giving up meat is a nightmare and if we weren't meant eat meat then why on God's green earth would it taste so good?

He should have left, instead he stayed

Without even a single ball being kicked for the upcoming 2017/2018 season, Arsenal fans already have reason to throw out any sense of optimism after Arsene Wenger was given a contract extension. Arsenal have failed to win the league since 2004, and usually consoled fans with participation in the Champion's League. That's not the case this time round.

For the upcoming season Gunners fans will have to console themselves with Thursday night football or as the B-list of European foogball call it: The Europa League.

The fact that Arsenal have yet again been downgraded another rung in the ladder of England's footballing hierarchy should be grounds for dismissal. But thats not how it works at the Emirates.

When you think about it Wenger had greatest opportunities to put Arsenal back on the winners podium during the two previous  seasons. First Chelsea went haywire, Man United were still managed by that knob van Gaal, City were too up and down. Spurs looked the most likely threat, but still looked raw with a young squad. The league was practically being handed to Arsenal.

We all know how that ended with Leicester of all teams finishing on the podium. Then just this past season most of Arsenal's 'rivals' went under new management: Pep Guardiola was now on the scene at City, Mourinho took charge of United and the season's surprise package Antonio Conte was the Chelsea manager.

All the new managers with the exception of Mourinho helped their sides finish above Arsenal. The cheery on top of that cake is that Spurs finished above Arsenal for the first time in 22 years.

Then Arsene Wenger gets rewarded with a contract renewal? For two seasons? For doing even worse than he had previously?

Arsenal are a joke. Arsene Wenger is a joke. Rather than being remembered fondly with the good years of trophies and historic feats; he decides to stay on long after everyone wants him gone?

Here fans were hoping that he'd take a note out of Fergie's book and bow out on a good note. For goodness sake the FA Cup win against Chelsea should have been enough to steer the man towards the 'Wenger out' exit! He  can barely damn well manage the zipper on his jacket how do you suppose he can manage a team like Arsenal anymore?