Who should be crowned world footballer of the year?

The 2017/18 season has been an unpredictable affair with record after record broken, the rise of some new stars and of course the drama that was this year's Champions League, meaning that our expectations for this season were thoroughly exceeded. So much so that there doesn't seem to be a clear out and out favourite for who will be crowned this year's best footballer as the winner of the Balon D'Or.

The usual suspects Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, along with this season's breakout star Mohamed Salah have been the players that have set themselves apart from the rest, and each you'd have to say may have as much claim to the Balon D'Or as much as the next man.

Cristiano Ronaldo recovered from a slow start to the season to eventually finish with 50 goals for club and country to keep pace with his statistic of scoring 50 goals or more for the past eight seasons.

The Portugal star went on to score 44 goals for Real Madrid this season which included the 15 goals he scored on the road to Madrid's third consecutive Champions League title.

Ronaldo played a huge part in their European campaign scoring in 10 successive matches to top the scoring charts in this season's Champions League.

However, on the domestic scene Ronaldo scored the fewest number of goals out of the three players who will be vying for the Balon D'Or. Ronaldo scored 26 goals for Real as Los Blancos finsihed in third behind rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

As much as he's contributed to Real Madrid's record breaking season its a keenly observable fact that his approach to the game has changed as he's transitioned into more of goal poacher. This loosely translates into Ronaldo only affecting the game only through his goals.

His goals may win matches most of the time, but you'd have to ask how much of an effect he has on games outside of his goal scoring exploits.

The meteoric rise of Mohamed Salah has been pretty much a reflection of this season. Mixing the unpredictable with the sublime the Egyptian tore through the Premier League in a manner which has not been seen in a while. Along the way Salah set a number of records the most monumental of which being scoring 32 goals in the league the most in a 38 game Premier League season.

Breaking the record once held by Premier League legends like Alan Shearer and Cristiano Ronaldo speaks volumes of the type of performances the Egyptian has had during the season.

He played a huge part in Liverpool's run into the Champions League finals scoring 10 times.

In addition to that Salah's game is in more than just scoring goals. On top of scoring goals for fun, Salah also set up his teammates on 14 occasions (10 in the league and 4 Champions Legaue) bringing his overall involvement in Liverpool's goal tally to 58.

His claim for the world's best player will also be boosted by the host of individual awards he's collected throughout the season after winning the PFA Player of the year, Premier League player of the season, CAF Footballer of the year and the Football Writer's Association player of the Year.

As you can see as far as individual awards are concerned the Egyptian has got them in spades, but as sublime as he was during the season, his Liverpool side only placed fourth in the league and finished the season without a trophy to show for his efforts.

And that could be the one criteria which may mean the Balon D'or goes elsewhere. As we all know, despite it being for a individual player it usually goes to players who helps his team win trophies i.e. the Champions League.

Lionel Messi is without a doubt the best player of his generation and backed his claim for this year's best player award with some sterling performances. The Argentine scored 45 goals in all competitions for FC Barcelona guiding them to a league and cup double as the Spanish giants came narrowly within finishing the season undefeated.

He also not only topped the La Liga scoring charts with 34 goals, but also along with teammate Luis Suarez and Villarreal's Pablo Fornals created the most number of goals with 12 assists each.

As a result of playing a more deeper role, Messi looks to have more of a influence on games as he's created more goal scoring chances (87) than any other player in Spain.

In addition to this he scored the most number of goals from outside the box which included six freekicks which matches Ronaldinhos record set in the 2006/07 season.

From this you can glean that the task to select who will win the Balon D'Or will be the most difficult we've seen in recent times and the vote could very likely go down to the wire, which could effectively leave it up to the performances in this year's world cup to decide who is the world's best.

Liverpool Issue Statement of Intent

Fresh off the heels of their Champions League disappointment, Liverpool have wasted very little in planning ahead to the new season with the signing of Brazilian Fabinho from AS Monaco.

The signing of the 24-year-old speaks volumes of the direction manager Jurgen Klopp is taking his Liverpool team. The Reds through mostly a combination of error and lack of squad depth were found out by a more quality and experienced Real Madrid side in the Champions League final.

Liverpool had been blazing throughout the season, however, they went on to finish fourth yet again this season after at one point being hot the heels of rivals Manchester United who finished in second.

This mostly came down to Liverpool being without a plan B, when their usual plan to get things done didn't take as their bench didn't have as much of an impact as their starting 11.

Last Saturday's loss also presented the need for the Reds to add some more bulk to their squad as Mohamed Salah having to go off injured disturbed Liverpool's forward thinking dynamic. Adam Lallana, who's spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch, proved to be an ineffective replacement for Liverpool's star man.

So the subsequent arrival of Fabinho bodes some good news for Liverpool ahead of the new season as he not only brings with him quality, but also versatility being able to play central midfield, defensive midfield and right back.

Not to mention, the Brazilian brings experience into the team even at tender age of 24 already having being capped for Brazil, tasting success lifting the French league title with Monaco and as well as playing a role on their path to  the Champions League semi-finals last year.

The signing goes to show that some good came of Liverpool's defeat to Madrid as it now makes Anfield a lucrative destination for top class talent.

Within the space of a year, Klopp's attractive brand of football has seen him lure the talents of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, the soon-to-arrive Naby Keita from Leipzig and now Fabinho to Merseyside.

And by all appearances this is just the beginning of what is going to be a big summer for Liverpool with rumours claiming the Reds as the odds on favourites to sign Lyon star Nabil Fekir.

Keys to victory: Liverpool

Liverpool's game plan has been centred around using their pace, raw power and guile to cause havoc in opposition defences and tonight their strategy to depose back-to-back champions Real Madrid will rely on making the game as frantic as possible.

The Reds' pressing has done in almost all opposition in this season's Champions League as they have set a high tempo which most teams have been unable to cope with. 

In Real Madrid they face a side which this strategy could be tailor made for. Madrid may have the superior midfield combination but its the structure ,or lack thereof, in their defence which could give Liverpool the advantage.

The Madrid defence has proven to be susceptible to bouts of disorder as they also use as their full backs on offense from out wide. This presents some problems as it did against Juventus when the Italians used the wide positions to strike against Real at the Bernebeu.

When the full backs Dani Carvajal and Marcelo, more in particular, bomb on forward they tend not to take heed that the man on opposite flank is also taking a forward position. This leaves spaces for Liverpool to exploit as it isolates the centre backs creating a three on two situation which is not ideal when up against the pace of a front three that scored 29 goals in the competition.

Even with the fantastic front three Liverpool have got legs in abundance with the running power of players like Gino Wijnaldum, James Milner and the lung bursting runs from Andy Robertson can expose Madrid if their defending is found to be lacking.

Liverpool's approach isn't all that sophisticated, but even against Real Madrid they need not to be as even a simple early ball from Jordan Henderson could prove to be enough to expose the gaps in behind the Madrid defence.

Their pure physicality and insuring that they keep the defending champions on the their toes by making the game as unstructured as possible is the key to bringing the trophy back to Merseyside again.

Keys to victory: Real Madrid

Real Madrid go in search of their third consecutive title in tonight's Champions League final. While it may be easy to believe that Madrid will have too much in their locker for Liverpool by virtue of lifting the trophy in three of the last four seasons; you should never, never be quick to forget that the Reds possess a threat Los Blancos have not faced before.

Liverpool play a high press and thrive in the opposition's chaos forcing defenders to make mistakes. It also goes without mentioning their pace on the counter as can be devasting  as  the opposition overcommit as they try to play catch up.

As much as spectators are hoping for a high scoring affair Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane isn't likely to take that gamble as a frantic and high paced game leans in the favour of Liverpool as the firepower resides with the Reds.

When comparing the two teams both their defences aren't rock solid and its clearly established in a head-to-head battle Liverpool would have the advantage, its the midfield though that will be key in the deciding the who goes home with the trophy.

In that regard its advantage Madrid as they have a much more well rounded midfield and thus giving them the structure required to keep Liverpool at bay for most of the game before being able to let loose with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karem Benzema and Isco. 

Isco will prove an even bigger threat than the front two with his abilty to exploit the pockets of space behind the opponents midfield. As a result of the Reds not having having an out and out defensive midfielder he'd be able to dictate the terms for the game.

Madrid's midfield would also function well as a defensive tool as Brazilian Casemiro is likely to have his say in the result.

Casemiro is a player who has grown to be an important cog in Madrid as he provides structure at the base of the midfield and he ensures that there would be no gaps for the opposition to exploit with his ability to break the opposition's rhythm on offense.

This will also allow fullback Marcelo and Dani Carvajal free reign to do the damage on Liverpool. 

 The distributing ability of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric will be Real's key to get the offensive advantage as it will allow them to bypass Jurgen Klopp's high press.

The further on the game gets the more likely Klopp's charges are to be stretched which would open the door to play in passes for the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and their substitutes to exploit a tiring Liverpool later on.

Marco Asensio, Lucas Vasquez and Gareth Bale are just few of the options Madrid have on the bench to change the game. Outside of their starting line up Liverpool don't have the same quality in depth which can count against then when dragged into the deep waters.

Rivals Sweating Over Champions League Outcome

One of the most intriguing aspects of sports is the rivalry which exists between teams and how deep those rivalries tend to run. On Saturday Real Madrid and Liverpool square off in this year's Champions League decider and their rivals can't help but look on with envy as both vy for the biggest trophy in club football.

Barcelona and Manchester United have more in common with one another as many people would note. Both teams form part of the two biggest rivalries known to world football namely being the El Classico and Liverpool/Manchester United rivalry.

For obvious reasons neither of these sides would look forward to the prospect of watching their most bitter rival winning the trophy they covet most.

Barcelona said goodbye to club legend Andres Iniesta in some fashion winning a league and cup double and came just short of finishing the La Liga season undefeated. 

However, the Catalans, after a 4-1 first leg win over Roma, folded like a cheap suit in their Champions League quarterfinal after they were outmuscled and bullied by the giallorossi in a 3-0 loss in the return leg. This resulted in Barcelona heading for exit door on away goals.

A win for Madrid would leave Barca in a bittersweet moment where even though they took back their La Liga crown from Real Madrid they are stuck with the prospect of watching Real Madrid make even further history in the Champions League.

The Blaugrana have already witnessed Madrid win La Decima, become the first team in the Champions League era to defend the title, and a win for Madrid will put the current squad among some of the greatest teams in the history of European football.

 If the Los Blancos come out victorious they will not only have the distinction of having been the only side to win three consecutive Champions League titles, but it also puts them just one Champions League title away from equalling the five European titles that Real Madrid won during the 1950s.

All this puts a damper on a fantastic domestic campaign for the Catalans.

These were sentiments expressed by Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.

"If Madrid wins the Champions League, it would eclipse a little bit Barcelona's double" Ramos told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope.

"They are worthy of their two titles but if your direct rivals win the Champions League, the dynamic of the situation changes."

This also rings true for Manchester United who proved to be underwhelming losing out to a mediocre Sevilla in the last 16. They have saved a little with a second place finish in the Premier League however...

They also lost last week's FA Cup final to Chelsea and could end with egg on their faces if Liverpool bring the Champions League trophy back to Merseyside.

For the last decade or so, Liverpool's fortunes haven't been the best and still have a 28 year Premier League drought lingering over them.

But a Champions League win will be as good as ten Premier League titles as Liverpool would draw even closer to the seven European titles won by the second placed AC Milan on the all time winners list.

In addition to that, it would rub further salt into United fans' wounds as they expected much from this season because "We all know what Mourinho does in his second season".

A Liverpool win will all but likely increase the pressure on United to perform for next season and in all likelihood we will see what Mourinho does best during his third season.

This Could Be One For The Ages

In a season that has been defined by the unexpected, it is fitting that this year's Champions League will draw to a conclusion with a match that could be of epic proportions. 

This Saturday Real Madrid and Liverpool clash in Kiev to decide who will lift the most coveted trophy in club football. 

Possessing the trifecta for an intriguing encounter, both sides go into the final with an illustrious history in the competition, a wide appeal to fans all over the world, and most significantly the attacking styles that have set these two teams on the path for glory.

Saturday's final pits two of the tournament's top scorers boasting a combined 70 goals, but it is Liverpool who have grabbed the headlines after scoring 40 goals on the road to the final. The Reds have had their deadly frontline to thank for that as Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino have netted almost as many goals (29) as Real Madrid have scored throughout the entirety of the tournament. 

With their high press and pace on the counter Liverpool have proven to be devasting against teams who are prone to defensive lapses as they can run rampant when let loose.

In this regard, Real Madrid look like the perfect opponents for the Reds as even though they recovered from a bad start to the season Los Blancos aren't exactly all that sturdy at the back.

Since winning at Juventus in the quarterfinal first leg, Madrid have conceded six goals in three games and weren't all that too convincing in dispatching German champions Bayern Munich in the semi-finals.

Bayern essentially shot themselves in the foot as they gifted Madrid with goals which turned out to be decisive in the tie. In the first leg Rafinha gave away the ball allowing Lucas Vasquez to play in Marco Asensio for the winner. Then indecision from Bayern keeper Sven Ulreich allowed Karim Benzema in to score in the return leg at the Bernabeau.

Regardless of their performances in those matches Real Madrid have cultivated the one characteristic that could prove pivotal to lifting yet another Champions League crown.

Madrid have become the consummate opportunists being able to get the job done even without being all that impressive.

Add that to their cup pedigree, ability to nullify the opposition's strengths like they did in Turin and that Liverpool tend fall away towards the end of  games like they did against Roma the back-to-back champions will also come into the final in good confidence. 

It also helps that Liverpool themselves aren't exactly bullet proof with their right flank being guarded by a teenager and the error prone Dejan Lovren at the back.

There's the small matter of history being on the line for Los Blancos too as victory on Saturday will make the Spanish side the first team to win three consecutive European titles since Bayern Munich in 1976. 

This would also make Madrid the first team to win three consecutive titles since the Champions League era begin back in 1992.

Real Madrid legend looks to write name further into football lore

Form is temporary but class is forever, a point Cristiano Ronaldo has proven season after season performing at the highest level whilst also adapting his game.

The Real Madrid man may no longer be the fleet-footed winger who'd dart past defenders before coming inside to smash the ball past the goalkeeper, however, Ronaldo remains a goal machine posting some of the most ridiculous statistics on the goal scoring charts.

Ronaldo has now scored 50 goals for club and country marking the eighth consecutive season he has done so. On Saturday he will get the chance to further add to his record breaking feats when Real Madrid stare down Liverpool in the final of the Champions League in Kiev.

Ronaldo stands peerless at the top of Champions League goal scoring charts with 119 overall in the competition and has a fair bit of history with the competition.

The Portugal international scored in 11 consecutive matches in this season's competition and slotted away the penalty to nudge Real past a determined Juventus at the Bernebeau.

A big player for the big occasions, Ronaldo also sits on the cusp of even more history as a win for Madrid will mean winning a fifth Champions League title, the most by any player in the history of the competition.

Addressing reporters at  Real's Open Media Day Ronaldo had this to say: “It would be an historic moment. We are excited as a team. You can see it around the training ground: we’re not conscious of how historic it would be because everybody is completely focused on the game. 

"But, afterwards, if everything goes well, we will enter into the history books. I’m confident, I’m feeling fit and I can see my teammates are all geared up. If I win a fifth it would be amazing."

The Portugese ace also relayed his affinity towards the Champions League and why it means so much to him.

“The Champions League is a special competition. I love playing in Europe. We have been through some fantastic moments, these are always amazing games. PSG, Juventus… you have to play against the best teams. Of course I know you want me to say the overhead kick, but at this club we are always involved in special moments." 

Ronaldo is confident his side has what it takes to win, but is also aware of the threat Liverpool present.

“ We’re not going to have it easy. They deserve to be in the final. They remind me of Madrid three or four years ago. Their three front players, they’re very quick… they are powerful in attack and I respect them. But Madrid are better. "

Ronaldo also stands to extend his record of scoring in Champions League finals to four after finding the net in 2008, 2014 and 2017.

Obsessed Unai Emery could hold answers to Arsenal's problems

After finishing in second behind Leicester City three seasons ago the situation at Arsenal deterioted greatly in the last two seasons resulting in the Gunners first finishing outside the Champions League positions under Arsene Wenger, then Arsenal fared even worse in the 2017/18 season finishing in sixth.

That sixth placed finish came as a result of what was Wenger's worst performance as Arsenal manager losing 12 matches - the most he's had in a league season -, winning just one away game in 2018 and performed extremely poorly in crunch matches against the sides above them collecting just six points.

For some part those results came from Arsenal's weak resolve, feeble defending and tactical naivety, but also to a greater degree came down to Arsene Wenger losing that vital spark a manager requires.

You could say much about the quality of his Arsenal squad but you'd notice that when push came to shove such as when they were pummeled by Liverpool at Anfield the Frenchman displayed very little in the way feeling and under any another other manager you'd expect a team like Arsenal to receive at least a tongue lashing or players being named and shamed in the post match interviews.  

Wenger seemed to have a degree of numbness in the final years of his tenure at Arsenal and that combined with a seeming lack of passion for the game, a requisite for success, it was inevitable that Arsenal were bound for Thursday nights consisting of Europa League football.

After his retirement at the end of the season it made sense, even though it was unexpected, to appoint Unai Emery as his successor. The Spaniard is set to be announced as the next Arsenal manager later this week.

Say what you about his time at PSG one thing that's become clear from his previous managerial experience is his eye for detail and obsession with the beautiful game.

A point relayed by ex player Joaquin to the Guardian back in 2015: "Emery put on so many videos I ran out of popcorn,” he joked “he’s obsessed by football, it’s practically an illness.”

And even though Emery was not the man most Arsenal fans would have wanted, it is that obsession with improvement and meticulous approach to the game that make him the perfect candidate for a side which at times never was able to improve or have concrete plan in mind when approaching the game.

Even in the vast riches and talents that were present in his last job, Emery was focused on fine tuning PSG into the club that it hopes to become in the future by tweaking some of the finer qualities of Neymar's game.

“We are analysing some videos with him to see how he can grow,” said Emery last year, “especially in his positioning and how to work with his colleagues.”

His style of going over extensive video footage may have not been the right approach for a club like PSG considering their infinite riches and approach to the game, and at Arsenal his approach to the game could pay dividends. 

His for eye for detail and constant improvement is responsible for producing some of the biggest names in football in recent memory. These include the likes of David Silva, Alvaro Negredo, Juan Mata and Jesus Navas. 

In his time at PSG he also allowed young talent to rise to the top with Adrien Rabiot, Presnel Kimpembe and Giovanni Lo Celso coming into first team picture as a result. That youth development would prove to be invaluable at a club like Arsenal who don't have the financial muscle of a Man City, United or Chelsea.

It also doesn't hurt that he got somewhat an endorsement to manage the club from Arsenal legend Ian Wright.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Wright had this to say about Emery: " His coaching ability will have to get going instantly and he will have to find some gems instantly.

"I wouldn't be disgruntled as an Arsenal fan about Unai Emery, I think the fact he's come out of left field when everyone's thinking 'it's going to be Arteta', that's the only problem. If we do see a difference in intensity, drive and consistency everybody will get onside and that's all Arsenal fans want to see."

To get to the top sometimes you need to take a few detours

Time changes all things and nowhere has that proven more true than in the case of Liverpool's Egyptian ace, Mohamed Salah. Salah has been undoubtedly the breakout star of a season that's had more than its share of ups and downs and more so in the Champions League. 

Salah has scored 44 goals in 50 matches, 10 of which were in the Champions League, and its fitting that his fairy tale rise amongst the world's best could have another chapter if he ends up capping off his spectacular season by lifting the most coveted trophy in club football. This would complete his story in the tournament where his rise to the top had initially began.

A young Mohamed Salah produced a some eye catching performances while playing for FC Basel in the 2013/14 season scoring in home and away wins over Chelsea in the Champions League. The Blues were impressed and promptly signed Salah during the January window.

His dream move would only last 12 months though as Salah couldn't nail down a regular place in the team which he attributed to the limited game time he had at Stamford Bridge.

"I didn't do well because I didn't play many games," he told Marca.

Salah only made 19 appearances in those 12 months and game time became harder to come by towards the end of his time at Chelsea.

"I was there for one year, but I only played during the first six months.

"After that, I hardly participated. I went to Fiorentina, scored goals, then in Rome I played very well and returned to England. But it's not a matter of succeeding or not."

Salah's summer move to Anfield has proven to be as beneficial as much to himself as to Liverpool. 

Salah scored 34 goals over two seasons with Roma and his rapid ascent to top pays testament to the forward thinking and offensive mindset that Jurgen Klopp has cultivated at Anfield.

His story and Liverpool's, in essence, has been a coming-of-age story as both he and Liverpool seemingly came from nowhere after reinventing themselves, going from playing in the play-offs of the Champions League to doing the unprecedented going into the final to face one of the best sides in the world on equal footing.

What a Ride Its Been

The final touches were put on another spectacular Premier League season on Sunday. While there was very little surprise where the title would eventually end up for much of the season, the world's most competitive league still delivered as it excited football fans.

With that, let's take a trip down memory lane to look back at some of individuals, events and story lines that made this season so special.

KING MAKER

Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City in 2016 with a lot of expectation behind him, but things didn't pan out as expected as City proved to be inconsistent after the first nine games of the season. City disappointedly finished in third. That looked to have served as a learning curve for the Spaniard as the ex Barcelona manager polished off the rough edges and made some new acquisitions in the summer.

Even more importantly, individual player performances improved exponentially which translated into better all-around performances as a team as the blue half of Manchester blazed a path to glory the likes of which have yet to be seen in English football.

This culminated in Guardiola and his men securing a league and cup double and handing the Man City boss his seventh league title in a third different country.

RECORD BREAKERS

What can be said of Manchester City that hasn't been said this season? Not only did the Cityzens secure a third league title in six seasons, but they did it in style as they seemingly broke every record under the sun.

City became the first side to accumulate 100 points in the Premier League, set a new record for the most number of goals scored in a season with a 106, set a new record of longest win streak in the league with 18 consecutive wins, had the most number of wins and won more matches away from home than any other team.

Effectively, City threw down the gauntlet for the rest of the league, and in the process set down a new marker for the definition of greatness.

What's even more astonishing is how much City have improved in the span of just a season and if this season is anything to by it looks like City are just getting started meaning they could go on to even improve on some their feats from this season.

THE RISE OF KING MO SALAH

Coming out of the summer Mohamed Salah proved to be the signing of the season when he swapped the Stadio Olympico for Anfield. The Egyptian proved to be an absolute gem as he finished the season with 44 goals in total, and should be favourite for a Balon D'Or, but more importantly he's proven instrumental to Liverpool's campaign as the Reds finished in fourth.

Salah also scooped a host of individual accolades as he won the PFA Player of the year, FWA Footballer of the Year, Liverpool Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Year as well as the league's golden boot.

Those accolades pale in comparison as the Egyptian set the record for the most number of goals in a Premier League after scoring 32 goals. And this was done as Salah scored against 17 opponents he faced throughout the season.

END OF AN ERA

In what will probably the one of the biggest talking points of the 2017/18 season, Arsene Wenger announced his retirement as the manager of Arsenal in 2018. This brought an end to a career that spanned 22 years winning 17 trophies in the process.

The decision was long overdue as the results at Arsenal have been gradually backsliding as they've made their worst finishes in the Premier League over the last two seasons.

LOOK WHO'S HEADING TO EUROPE

A Premier League season is can't  be complete without an underdog story. This season it was Burnley who upset the odds as they first stunned champions Chelsea at the Bridge on the opening day of the season.

The Clarets would go on marching to  beat of that drum as they finsihed in seventh behind Arsenal, an astounding feat for a club recently promoted to league just last season and with limited resources.

That seventh place finish now means that Burnley will compete in the play-off round of Europa League marking an end to 51-year wait to make an appearance in European competition.

Barcelona: from bumpy beginnings to a good finish and a lesson learnt from this season

Barcelona have come a long way since the circus of last summer's transfer window where the Catalans were rocked by the the sudden departure of Brazilian ace Neymar. The ensuing fall out from that departure meant that Barca weren't able to secure their first option in Phillipe Coutinho (who'd they'd eventually sign in January).

Any efforts to make any other signings were scuppered as a result of the Neymar deal as player prices ballooned. Barca did however land two big signings with Ousmane Dembele and, surprisingly, Paulinho eventually making the move to the Nou Camp.

But from the off Barca's season looked to be doomed as they suffered a 5-1 aggregate defeat in the season's curtain raiser, the Spanish Super Cup, to bitter rivals Real Madrid.

When looking back at that the Spanish giants will consider how much sweeter it is for them to silence the doubters after securing the league and cup double, an achievement which will only be surpassed if they finish the league season undefeated.

The one disappointment from Barca's season was in how they were ousted from the Champions League as they were flimsy in defending a three goal lead to lose on away goals against a gutsy Roma.

And that loss was preceded, over the last few seasons, by two big loses in Paris and Turin, and even though Barca did pull off a miracle to overturn PSG 6-5 on aggregate at home, it was inevitable they couldn't keep waiting to play at home to overturn big first leg defeats.

So the next natural step for Ernesto Valverde will be translate Barca's domestic dominance into European supremacy by building a team like they have this season, but also adding some much needed depth to turn game around when the starters aren't getting the job done.

Who Will Beat The Drop?

With Stoke City's exit from the Premier League confirmed this past weekend two other sides are set to join the Potters in the Championship next season. Huddersfield, West Brom, Southhampton and Swansea's Premier League status is on the line.

Out of all the teams on the hook, it is West Brom who are in the least favourable position despite their heroics in the last few weeks where they've gone undefeated in the last five games. The Baggies' fate is no longer in their own hands and by the time they kick-off this Sunday they could already be relegated depending on how things go with the midweek fixtures and West Brom getting a huge win against Crystal Palace.

Speaking of midweek fixtures, the most important of which being Swansea hosting Southhampton in a do or die match where a win for either side would go some way to confirm their Premier League status for next season. Southhampton will definently need to go all out in Wales as Manchester City await them at Saint Mary's on Sunday.

Swansea, on the other hand, are in a better position as they host Southhampton and an already relegated Stoke on the final day, however the Swans haven't been the form lately losing three of their last five matches so things might not be so straight forward.

Huddersfield, on paper, look to be in prime position to remain in the league with only a win in one of their last two fixtures would render any positive results for the teams below them a moot point. Unfortunately, the newly promoted side will have to do it the hard as they take on a Chelsea side who are currently on a five match win streak and the stakes are just as high for the Blues as a win would take them above Spurs for a spot in the Champions League.

The hits keep on coming for Huddersfield as they host Arsenal in their final match, but then again Arsenal haven't won a match away from home in 2018 and the Terriers should come out all guns blazing to secure their future in the Premier League. 

Typical Arsenal always too little, too late

Arsenal gave Arsene Wenger a proper send off as the Gunners romped to a 5-0 win over Burnley in their final home game at the Emirates. As much as the match was about  the Gunners bidding farewell to their French mentor you can't overlook the events over recent seasons, and in this season in particular, which have led to the end of Wenger's tenure as Arsenal manager.

Arsenal have lost 12 matches, the highest number under Wenger, this season and those losses include the six consecutive defeats suffered away from the Emirates. Not to mention how poorly they faired against the teams higher up the table only winning one out of the 10 most crucial games this season.

The win against Burnley provides proof of the one characteristic that has let Arsenal down on so many occassions in the past and that's the inability to win matches when the pressure is on and even more importantly, when it counts.

Arsenal were eliminated from the Europa League by Atletico Madrid last Thursday after they fumbled their way through the first leg playing against ten men. 

In the second leg clearly the writing was on the wall and they couldn't find away past a stubborn Atletico.

But conveniently Arsenal, as their always likely to do, put on a superb performance to down a team with a similar philosophy of being hard to beat just three days later goes to speak volumes of how Arsenal haven't regularly been big match team especially this season.

It says much about the current attitude at Arsenal that they usually only ever seem to turn it on when their in low stakes matches or when the chance to win trophy was dead and buried.

Couple that with the low expectations of just playing to  qualify for Champions League football each season in the past when it was easier to win the league title then compared to now where Arsenal even on their best day could not be able wrestle anything away from their rivals. So it was inevitable that Arsenal would miss the mark one day.

With that the man who will be next up to take the Arsenal hot seat will have to deal with much more than buying the right players, but will also have to deal with changing the club's approach and attitude towards defining would be considered success.