Southampton vs Manchester City

Pellegrini Targets Win against Surprise Package Southampton

Manchester City, as the reigning Premier League champions, were expected to be in the race for the title after 10 matches. Not many expected to see Southampton ahead of them after 12 matches. Ronald Koeman has had both great success and extraordinary failure during this time as a manager, but he was given little chance of success when he took over a Southampton team that saw the departure of several first-team players in the summer. The two teams face each other on Sunday at the St Mary stadium. The latest Premier League odds from Betfair places City as slight favourites for the victory at 2/5.

Manuel Pellegrini’s team have suffered from inconsistent form this campaign, but they come on the back of an impressive 3-2 win over Bayern Munich. Sergio Aguero appears to be better than any other player in the Premier League right now. His hat-trick against the German club has led to numerous plaudits in the last few days. The Argentine leads the way in terms of Premier League goals scored this season with 12 to his name.

Aguero will undoubtedly be the man to watch on Sunday, but Koeman reckons that his team has been the best in the league so far. They have certainly been the best defensively as they have conceded only six goals in the two league matches. A run of more than 400 minutes without conceding a single league goal recently came to an end after the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa. Only Chelsea can come close to Southampton’s defensive record and even they have conceded almost twice as much as the south coast outfit.

Even after losing important players like Dejan Lovren, Koeman has shown that he can assemble a squad that now looks favourite to finish in the top six.

City will have their work cut out in order to score against Southampton. Apart from having a stubborn defence, the team from the south coast also appear more than well-equipped to create havoc at the other end. Despite featuring newcomers to the Premier League like Pelle, Southampton have been able to average two goals per game.

The Premier League has become incredibly competitive, but one of the reasons for bookmakers favouring City over Southampton is the relatively kinder fixture list for the Saints up until now. Apart from Tottenham and Liverpool, Koeman’s team has not faced any of the big guns so far. The real test for the team will come in the next few weeks. After facing City, Southampton head into matches against Arsenal and Manchester United. The fixture against table leaders Chelsea is also not far ahead.

City kept their Champions League last 16 qualification hopes alive with a late win over Bayern, but it was against 10 men who almost came to getting a result had the Etihad stadium. The win disguises the poor form, which has resulted in Pellegrini’s job coming under threat in the last few weeks. They have already fallen a massive eight points behind leaders Chelsea and they cannot afford to slip any further. City appear to face a mental block, or the lack of motivation, just after success in the league. Pellegrini must ensure that this is not the case if he is to become one of the top managers in the league.

Even though Manchester City are the favourites to get a win, Southampton are not far behind. Betfair places the Saints at 21/10 for three points, while the possibility of a stalemate is given odds of 12/5.

Southampton could potentially exploit any tiredness within the City team given that they did not have any midweek action unlike the visitors. City could go above Southampton with a win, but a bigger motivation would be to close the gap between them and Chelsea. Jose Mourinho’s team have the possibility to extend the lead into double digits if they get a win against Sunderland on Saturday.

Pellegrini is aware that Chelsea are going through a splendid period and it will be difficult to see them dropping points. The best City can do at the moment is staying in touch with them. The club from Manchester have eight matches between now and the turn of the year. Even though it presents a lot of opportunities to improve their form, there is also the danger of their season ending even before the turn of 2014.

City are already out of the League Cup, while they could be knocked out of the Champions League as well. It would be disastrous if they were to fall further behind Chelsea. 

This is a sponsored content and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the website.


#graziano-pelle #manchester-ity #sergio-aguero #southmaption

5 Contenders to replace Steven Gerrard

Who can replace one of the best number 8s in the Premier League era?

Fabien Delph

The 25 year-old Aston Villa midfielder may have committed to the Midlands club by signing a new four year deal but that hasn’t stopped his name being mentioned among Liverpool’s summer transfer targets. Delph is a very good footballer and has easily been Villa’s best player for the last 18 months.

His excellent form has seen a call up to the England squad as Delph continues to evolve as a player. His reading of the game is top notch, but the one chink in his armour, however, is his lack of goals. He has yet to register a league goal this season and has only managed three goals in 100 Premier League appearances.

Paul Pogba

The Juventus starlet has been lighting up Serie A with his performances this season. Dictating the tempo of the game and scoring spectacular goals is the norm for the 21 year-old midfielder.

Pogba looks like a world class player in the making and would, in an ideal world, be the number one signing for Brendan Rodgers over the summer. But there will be a host of top clubs in for the Juve man should they decide to cash in.

Miralem Pjanic

A more realistic target would be the Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic. The 24 year-old Bosnian playmaker has shades of Gerrard about him – he can create, pass, tackle and is deadly from set pieces. Almost the complete midfielder. And it looks like Roma could be willing to do business over the summer if the fee is big enough.

Pjanic, if signed by LFC, could flourish in this current side with the likes of Coutinho, Sterling, Ibe and Sturridge alongside him. The one problem he faces at Roma is that the Italian side rely on him too much to create something out of nothing. At Liverpool, though, there is enough talent in the final third to release the weight of expectation on Pjanic’s shoulders.

Morgan Schneiderlin

The Saints midfielder is one of the unsung heroes of the Premier League. His makes the Champions League chasing side tick and allows the rest of Southampton’s attacking players to wreak havoc. His has the physical presence and stature to dominate the centre of the park and looks likely to leave the South coast in the summer.

The 25 year-old central midfielder is also Premier League proven and represents a relatively risk free signing, should Liverpool take the plunge and target Schneiderlin as their priority signing over the summer.

Jordan Henderson

Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers may already be sitting on their “Steven Gerrard replacement” in the shape of Jordan Henderson. Already been given the captain’s armband, the former Sunderland man has grown into a leader and one of Liverpool’s most consistent and reliable players.

Henderson has flourished under the tutelage of Rodgers and nothing appears to faze the 24 year-old England man. His injury record is excellent and is one of the first names on the team sheet. Liverpool may already have the answer under their noses.

This is a sponsored content and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the website.

#liverpool

Can anyone stop Arsenal winning the FA Cup again?

The FA Cup is undoubtedly one of the most famous and prestigious domestic cup competitions in world football, with its ability to produce endless drama and headline-making giant-killings being the pinnacle of everything that is great about it. Lower and non-league teams get the opportunity to pit their wits against the Premier League big boys, with Reading and Bradford City last year proving that reaching the latter stages is by no means impossible for teams outside out of the top flight. It promises to be yet another fascinating tournament, and with the 3rd Round Draw producing eye-catching fixtures such as Exeter v Liverpool, Oxford v Swansea and Everton v Dagenham or Whitehawk, there is real potential for a big upset.

Arsenal are the team that the other sixty-three clubs remaining in the 2015/2016 FA Cup will be looking to knock off their perch, with Arsene Wenger’s men on the cusp of history by becoming only the third team after Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers to win the trophy three years in a row. However, a spate of injuries to key players such as Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla may explain why the Gunners are only second favourites at 13/2 with Betway to achieve the historic feat. The upcoming January transfer window may be a great opportunity for Wenger to add the strength in numbers that Arsenal have been crying out for, but they have enough quality at their disposal to fancy their chances once again, particularly with a home tie against struggling Sunderland to start their FA Cup campaign off with.

Manchester City have been installed as early favourites at 6/1 to end Arsenal’s stranglehold on the FA Cup and bring the trophy back to the Etihad Stadium. This may come as a surprise to those who have seen Manuel Pellegrini’s side struggle to impose themselves in recent week, especially without influential captain Vincent Kompany as they have looked anything but secure in defence. It will inevitably come down to Sergio Aguero to lead from the front yet again, with the Argentine striker capable of winning games on his own. His quality may be enough for those consider placing a bet on who’ll make the FA Cup final with Coral to pick Manchester City, but they will have to get past a potentially tough test at Norwich if they are to progress past the 3rd Round and have any hopes of achieving glory.

Although Manchester United and Chelsea are both 7/1 shots, both are enduring their own struggles at the present moment. The former have recently suffered the ignominy of dropping into the Europa League after crashing out of the Champions League, with Louis Van Gaal under increasing pressure following the lack of entertaining football that his team are playing, while the latter have endured a major fall from grace by going from Premier League champions to being just two points away from the relegation zone this season. It could, therefore, see Liverpool stand the best chance of emerging as real FA Cup contenders, with Jurgen Klopp making an instant impact at Anfield. The former Borussia Dortmund manager has transformed the way that Liverpool play, and with the January transfer window coming up, they could put themselves in serious contention to challenge for silverware this season.

The FA Cup always has the potential of throwing up shocks and surprises along the way, and although teams from the Championship and below should not discount themselves from having a chance, there are potential dark horses that could go all the way. Current Premier League leaders Leicester are enjoying a wonderful season under Claudio Ranieri and continue to go from strength to strength, while West Ham have beaten the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool away from home already. Both are 33/1 shots to lift the FA Cup, while Everton could also have a chance with the quality of football they are currently playing under Roberto Martinez. With Romelu Lukaku and Gerard Deulofeu in superb form for the Toffees, their odds of 16/1 represents good value for a team that look extremely strong at present and could fancy a good cup run.

#arsenal

Can Swansea City take on Chelsea this season?

Against all odds, Swansea City now find themselves in second place for the Premier League, one place behind the unstoppable force that is Chelsea.

The Jacks had a fantastic start to the Premier League when they managed to beat Manchester United 2-1, setting in motion a series of wins that would change their fates from last year’s 12th place. Despite Louis van Gaal’s promise of a “new era”, the Red Devils have yet to deliver, and now Swansea City could be setting the tone for this season.

One challenge that’s going to test the boys’ strength this month is their upcoming pairing with Chelsea. The boys will be travelling to Stamford Bridge on 13th September to take on the top table champions, but will have a huge task ahead of them as Jose Mourinho sends out his first 11.

One Chelsea powerhouse that Swansea City manager Garry Monk should be aware of is newly-signed Diego Costa. The Spaniard made the switch from Atlético Madrid to Chelsea in July, at a cost of £32 million to the Blues, but he was more than a worthy investment. With the current standings, Costa has scored the most goals in the Premier League so far, scoring a total of four in three games.

This has not eluded the attentions of manager Jose Mourinho, who was particularly pleased with Costa following their outstanding 6-3 victory over Everton. He said: “He produced a fantastic performance in every aspect. I remember in the first half he was tackling Coleman on the edge of our box. He recovered balls, he held the ball up, and he was aggressive. His movement, his quality – everything was really good.”

Costa is not the only new signing who could turn things around for Chelsea. Former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas has proven his worth thus far, particularly during Chelsea’s early game against Burnley.

However, after beating Manchester United, Burnley FC and West Bromwich Albion, Swansea have proven that they’re not going to go down with a fight. They’ve clearly shown that they have what it takes to beat a former top table Premier League team; moreover playing away from home is nothing to fear for the Jacks.

While nobody can predict the result, it’ll certainly be an exciting game as a former middle of the league team try to bolster their reputation and beat this year’s potential champions.

This is a sponsored content and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the website.

#chelsea #diego-costa #nathan-dyer #swansea-city

Liverpool vs Manchester City

Last year’s Premier League champions will be facing the Red Devils on Monday, and it looks set to be one of the most exciting games of the Premier League season 2014/15.

As it stands, Manchester City are second favourites to win this year’s Premier League title, with Liverpool trailing behind in fifth place, with odds of 10/1. The team narrowly lost out to Manchester City to win the title last year, going home with 84 points to City’s 86. After an amazing winning streak of 10 games, Liverpool looked set to take the title home for the first time, but an ill-fated pairing with Chelsea saw their dreams crushed.

This time round however, Liverpool will be keener than ever to bounce back and claim the title, and they’ve been making a few key transfers in order to do so. The signing of Southampton’s talents Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Dejan Lovren could all be promising for the team, though it was World Cup stars Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge who managed to secure Liverpool’s victory against Southampton in the opening game of the Premier League.

One key player who they will miss however is Luis Suárez, who, despite receiving a ban from FIFA following the World Cup biting scandal, would have been a vital asset to Liverpool. City fans can be sure that Suárez’s move to Barcelona hasn’t eluded the attentions of Manuel Pellegrini. Despite a few new signings this year, City’s reign of terror began with reliable David Silva and Sergio Agüero’s goals helping to beat Newcastle 2-0.

One player who Pellegrini would be wise to keep on the bench on Monday is Willy Caballero, who did the team no favours in the Community Shield, when Arsenal returned home with a happy 3-0 victory. Arguably, this was down to the long range talents of Olivier Giroud rather than Caballero’s shortcomings, but World Cup star Joe Hart could be a more reliable choice if Manchester City are to beat the fifth favourites.

The bookmakers certainly have their faith in Manchester City however, and have given the team odds of 5/6 to win on their home soil. The result may already be in the bag, but there’s no doubt it’s going to be a tense match.

#liverpool #manchester-city

Liverpool wins Premier League

Congratulations to Liverpool for the Premier League title! This is how Jürgen Klopp celebrated:

#jurgen-klopp #liverpool #premier-league

Barclays Premier League Valderrama

Who is the Valderrama of Barclays Premier League? Pick your candidate!

Fabricio Coloccini (Newcastle United), David Luiz (Chelsea) and Marouane Fellaini (Everton).

#chelsea #david-luiz #everton #fabricio-coloccini #marouane-fellaini #newcastle-united #premier-league

Suarez bites Ivanovic

It was just another English Premier League matchday, Liverpool against Chelsea, when all of a sudden Suarez forgets about football and bites Ivanovic’s arm.

#branislav-ivanovic #chelsea #liverpool #luis-suarez #premier-league

Firmino's no-look goal

Roberto Firmino and another no-look moment. This time, the first of his three goals against Arsenal.

Liverpool 5 x 1 Arsenal | 29 December 2018 | Premier League

#robert-firmino #premier-league #liverpool #arsenal

Alisson Becker's 95th minute goal

Long time since we posted a goalkeeper with a moustache here. Here is Alisson Becker with his new look.

West Brom 1 x 2 Liverpool | 16 May 2021 | Premier League

#alisson-becker #liverpool #premier-league

Richarlison and the smoke device

Richarlison making some smoke (before throwing the device on the stands).

Everton 1 x 0 Chelsea | 1 May 2022 | Premier League

#richarlison #everton #premier-league

Aguero’s Celebration

Aguero’s celebration against Queens Park Ranger after scoring the goal in the injury time that gave the title of the English Premier League 2011/2012 to Manchester City, after 44 years.

#manchester-city #premier-league #sergio-aguero #celebration

Will Arsene Wenger retire at the end of the season?

 

After taking over as Arsenal manager in 1996, perhaps the time has come for Wenger to consider his retirement at the end of the 2015-16 campaign. The Frenchman has led the Gunners to a number of successes, including six FA Cup trophies, three Premier League titles and that ‘Invincibles’ season in the 2003-04 campaign.

Arsenal’s success has dried up in recent years, however, and only back-to-back FA Cup triumphs have saved Wenger from the sack. In a week where Arsenal claimed a 2-1 victory away at archrivals Tottenham Hotspur and Wenger announced that he was set to separate from his wife Annie, we take a look at the chances of the Frenchman departing from the club at the end of the season.

Wenger’s record at the club is absolutely sensational but he has failed to lead a serious title challenge since their last success in 2004. Without a doubt, the Frenchman is a world class manager and will deservedly leave the Emirates Stadium with a long-standing legacy that is almost unrivalled in the modern era. This season, many believed that Arsenal could win the Premier League title but they have endured an inconsistent start to the campaign. For more news, results and information on the Gunners, you can visit Coral’s website.

Many Arsenal fans have been calling for Wenger’s head for quite some time but it could be argued that he has earned the right to depart as and when he wants to. The Frenchman is, after all, the most celebrated and successful manager in the illustrious history of Arsenal Football Club and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the club pay their respects and recognise his achievements in some way.

Unfortunately, Wenger is looking a lot frailer in his old age. Whether this is due to the intense media pressure or inconsistent opinion of the supporters, the Gunners boss almost looks ready for retirement and his tactical nous, which was once his greatest trait of all, has been questioned by pundits, players and fans throughout the game.

It would be foolish to suggest that Wenger has completely lost his managerial nous but there are certainly plenty of signs that would support such an opinion. Arsenal need a fresh, young manager to take the club to the next level. At times, Wenger appears a little too content in his role at Arsenal – as if he knows that the club would never sack him.

Arsene Wenger is one of the greatest managers in all-time and there is no doubt that his managerial career will be viewed as a huge success in years to come. Manchester United struggled to adapt after Sir Alex Ferguson left the club and Arsenal will find it equally as tricky to move on. While the Frenchman is yet to make a decision on his future, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him announce his retirement – a choice that will be respected, if not welcomed, by the majority of Arsenal fans.

In Collaboration with Superserp.

#arsene-wenger

Puskas Awards Nominees #3 (The Winner)

Third Puskas Awards 2021 nominee (and the winner1), Erik Lamela, for Tottenham Hotspur

Arsenal 2 x 1 Tottenham Hotspur | 14 March 2021 | Premier League

#tottenham-hotspur #erik-lamela #premier-league

Salah's goal against Watford

Mohamed Salah passed through the Watford defence as if treading a needle and scored this beautiful goal.

Liverpool 5 x 0 Watford | 16 October 2021 | Premier League

#liverpool #mohamed-salah #premier-league

Boruc vs Giroud

English Premier League, Arsenal vs Southampton. The Southampton goalkeeper Artur Boruc tried to show some skills instead of clear the ball. Olivier Giroud took advantage of the situation, stole the ball and scored for Arsenal.

#arsenal #artur-boruc #english-premier-league #olivier-giroud #southampton

Cristiano Ronaldo back in action

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring 2 goals in his return for Manchester United.

Manchester United 4 x 1 Newcastle United | 11 September 2021 | Premier League

#cristiano-ronaldo #manchester-united #premier-league

Premier League Player of the weekend (22.04.16 to 24.04.16)

Kelechi Iheanacho (Manchester City) was voted as the Premier League player of the week by a poll organized by our friends at Onefootball.

#kelechi-iheanacho #manchester-city

The Invincibles

The Invincibles! This is the Arsenal team who completed the 2003/2004 Premier League unbeaten!

Squad pic:

Jens Lehmann, Lauren Etame Mayer, Sol Cambpell, Kolo Touré, Ashley Cole, Fredrik Ljungberg, Patrick Viera, Gilberto Silva, Robert Pirès, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry.

And now side-by-side:

#arsenal #ashley-cole #dennis-bergkamp #fredrik-ljungberg #gilberto-silva #jens-lehmann #kolo-toure #lauren-etame-mayer #patrick-viera #premier-league #robert-pires #sol-cambpell #thierry-henry

Premier League Player of the weekend (15.04.16 to 17.04.16)

Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City) was voted as the Premier League player of the weekend by a poll organized by our friends at Onefootball.

#kevin-de-bruyne #manchester-city