Tag: Premier League

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Analysis: Jesús Navas’ tricky predicament on the wing

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Analysis: Jesús Navas' tricky predicament on the wing

City continue to strengthen in all areas, and with Navas’ underwhelming displays of late, can they afford to consistently start him on the wing with other alternatives available?

The summer transfer window is finally closed, and clubs can focus on their respective squads as they look to challenge for plenty of trophies – both domestically and in Europe too.Manchester City are no different. Manuel Pellegrini signed a new one-year contract extension just before the start of the campaign, and his side have continued to improve with some eye-catching acquisitions over the past three months.

City’s squad depth has continued to grow

Raheem Sterling, Nicolas Otamendi and Kevin de Bruyne as well as others, have all joined Eastlands for hefty transfer fees since late July. The latter of which, has been probably the most heavily-anticipated.

After struggling to stamp his authority at Chelsea, and consequently leaving José Mourinho‘s side in search of regular first-team football, it was a brave decision by the talented Belgian. Questions were asked, murmurs were made, suggestions and assumptions ran rampant, that he simply wasn’t good enough for the top.

de Bruyne’s road to glory

Fast forward a year-and-a-half, he’s back in the Premier League, with Chelsea’s arguably biggest title challengers now. Coincidence, I think not.

Having joined VfL Wolfsburg in January of 2014, it turned out to be a beneficial move for both parties. The Blues managed to bag plenty of profit from the deal, believed to be around £20m, whilst Wolfsburg welcomed an exciting talent with plenty to prove.

He did just that, taking the Bundesliga by storm in no time at all. Assists, goals, creating chances, he did it all. His first full season, he broke the league record for the highest amount of assists in a campaign, with twenty, as well as sixteen goals in all competitions too.

Unsurprisingly then, plenty of European sides were now interested in his signature. By this time, it was clear that Chelsea had made a grave mistake in letting him go – he was barely given a look in, which just reiterates how unforgiving the best clubs can be with their talents.

Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Manchester United were all reportedly linked with moves for him, but City muscled in with their financial firepower to seal a deal before the deadline.

Where will he fit in? Will Navas be consequently replaced?

A sweet acquisition, but for a club with an ever-growing reputation of City’s? Even better. Wolfsburg were reluctant to let their prized asset go, and understandably so, but the transfer saga was soon resolved and now the question is: Where will he fit in?

A quartet of Sterling, David Silva, de Bruyne and Sergio Agüero is a naughty thought. Defence-splitting through balls, probing attacking runs, clinical finishing of the highest order; naturally opponents will be scared.

However, it’d be mean to leave out one man in particular, who is inconsistent but has quality in his own right. Jesús Navas – a man of much debate as to whether or not, he’s good enough to play week-in, week-out for a title-challenging side such as City themselves.

Having spent £15m for a player of his quality at the time, seemed like a good piece of business. Tearing defences to shreds with his blistering pace at Sevilla, his energy would be utilised effectively in the top flight, right?

Good, but not on a regular basis – frustrating to say the least

That was two summers ago. Navas is now 29-years-old, and frankly, not getting any younger. He’s brought the club plenty of width down the right, as well as a heap of assists. But for all of that, he lacked one important component.

What, you ask? Well, the killer instinct, which every top winger possesses. The final ball, killer pass, unselfish ruthlessness.

With the inclusion of Raheem on the left-hand side, he’s already trumping the performances of Navas on the other flank – who infamously dithers on the ball in promising situations, which you quite frankly cannot do at the highest level.

Having played five Premier League fixtures this term, Navas has teased with flashes of skill, but also frustrated with his decision-making leaving a lot to be desired. Everton (away) was a prime example, where he got forward and found himself in space with one-on-one opportunities to score or create an assist for a team-mate in the area, but instead, he managed to shoot from an acute angle – which was comfortably beaten away to safety.

Another example, if you will. Another away match with a tough test against Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace side. de Bruyne making his debut, off the substitutes’ bench, played through an inviting ball towards the pacey Spaniard. Having already beaten the last defender to the ball itself, as well as rounding the goalkeeper, all he had to do was tap it into an empty net.

But no, he managed to take an extra touch and send the ball out of play for a goal-kick, as his effort trickled past the near post. Obviously, it’s cruel to judge him on these performances alone – because he’s been excellent at times.

That’s the most frustrating thing, inconsistency. Navas is eager to keep his place within the side, and Pellegrini is more than happy to give him an opportunity to prove himself.

STAT: Last season, Navas tallied the most minutes of any outfield player within the City squad.

He’s a good player, but world-class? Not particularly. Does he deserve to start regularly for a title-challenging side, no.

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Five things we learned from the Emirates Cup

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Arséne Wenger had a perfect opportunity to introduce both talented youngsters and a few unearthed gems at the Emirates this past weekend in their annual pre-season tournament; what did we learn from it?

Arsenal won this year’s Emirates Cup tournament, for the first time in five years. Over the past few seasons plenty of criticism has been placed upon the Gunners for their inability to win trophies, but with back-to-back FA Cup triumphs, silverware is well and truly back in north London.

This in itself gives the club’s supporters plenty of optimism going into the new season – especially after they were only twelve points away from eventual league winners Chelsea last term, despite many of their key players being ruled out through injury at some stage of the campaign itself.

Pre-season is a perfect opportunity for players to stake their claim ahead of the curtain raiser, and Arséne Wenger’s men have been one of the standout teams in terms of quality, even without last season’s talisman Alexis Sánchez; who is currently resting after his success with Chile at the Copa América earlier on in the summer.

Here are five things we learned from the Emirates Cup tournament, which was played this past weekend –

1) Petr Cech is a welcome, and much-needed addition

No offence intended to David Ospina, or Wojciech Szczesny for that matter. But, Arsenal have not had a world-class goalkeeper for a decade. Now, they do. Arguably one of, if not the best transfer of the summer – signing Cech from a league rival, and Chelsea at that. The 33-year-old was frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunities last season with the Blues, which is to be expected considering he’s still a quality ‘keeper. However, Thibaut Courtois is ten years his junior, and has already boasted plenty of experience in La Liga as well as the UEFA Champions League with former side Atlético Madrid.

In-fact, Thibaut is highly-regarded as one of the best ‘keepers in Europe, and at such a young age, comes big responsibility. It was always clear that one of the two ‘keepers would not feature as much as they liked, because to rotate them equally could easily hurt the balance within the squad. Jose Mourinho utilised Cech when he saw fit, but it was not good enough for the Czech Republic international, who is still eager to be playing regular first-team football.

At 33, critics may suggest he’s not in his prime. However, goalkeepers especially in history have shown that age is just a number – playing regularly up until the age of 45 in some cases, and doing well too. Ospina did relatively well in his first season with the Gunners, it must be stressed. Did not make too many mistakes, slotted in when required and kept quite a few clean sheets too. He’s a good goalkeeper and deserves to be playing regularly; that was emphasised by his influential displays with his native Colombia at the Copa América where he single-handedly thwarted both Brazil and Argentina on a number of occasions. However, he’s not world-class material. Neither is Wojciech, at least, not yet.

Szczesny is a good ‘keeper, and continues to improve. Perhaps his loan move to Serie A side AS Roma will help to reiterate just how good he actually is, despite the recent smoking controversies that continue to surround the Polish stopper. Cech commands both respect (for his various achievements) and also confidence from his backline, which will definitely help the team defensively as a unit to concede less goals. That in turn, will win them more points on their pursuit of success..

2) Chambers and Gabriel make a solid centre-back pairing

Inevitably, all good things must come to an end. The centre-back pairing that has solidified over the past three seasons between Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, will eventually come to a halt. They’ll still be playing, just not as regularly as they’d like – Mertesacker is 31 in September, Laurent is 30 in the same month. Real Madrid have been heavily linked with a £25million pound swoop for the latter, which is a refreshing change from the inexperienced 24-year-old that Wenger snapped up from Ligue 1 side Lorient in 2010. That being taken into account, it’s also startling to think that Arsenal’s backline will go through massive changes over the next few seasons. With that in mind, in steps Gabriel Paulista. The 24-year-old Brazilian, who was signed for £10million pounds from Villarreal in the January transfer window, has shown encouraging promise in his first few months as an Arsenal player. Admittedly, his English is not very good yet. But, as he continues to develop and mature, there’s no reason as to why he cannot assert himself as a first-team regular for years to come.

His tough-tackling, no-nonsense style is likened to that of Koscielny’s, not to mention his aerial ability and quick acceleration that he boasts. Partnered up with Calum Chambers, who was predominantly a right-back up until a season or two ago, the young Englishman continues to mature into a fine defender who commands his area and is able to play out from the back with composure. Between the duo, a solid partnership is brewing. Watch this space.

3) Walcott needs his chance centre-stage

Contract talks have been ongoing for what seems like an age now, and although Theo’s been unlucky with injuries over the past two or three seasons as well, he needs a chance centre-stage to prove himself as the forward man Arsenal are longing for. Karim Benzema, Jackson Martinez, Gonzalo Higuaín and Alexandre Lacazette – but to name a few, have been linked with moves to the Gunners in recent seasons. None of which have joined, which could be seen as both a positive and a negative from the club’s perspective. They are looking for a player that can guarantee them twenty goals-a-season, without having to rely on the likes of Sánchez, so he can focus on creating more chances and being a nuisance for opposition defenders.

Walcott, could be that man. If he’s given an opportunity to do so, which he has taken rather clinically this pre-season. Just as he did in the final few fixtures of last term – namely his hat-trick against West Brom and his all-round display against Aston Villa in the cup final. In the Barclays Asia Trophy, as well as the Emirates Cup, Theo has flourished in a more attacking role. Next term, he needs the chance to do so on a regular basis. If he stays injury-free, there’s no limit to the possibilities at hand.

4) Mesut Özil continues to get better

Despite the constant criticism that continues to surround the silky German, you’d be lying if you said he isn’t consistently getting better as a player. After a stellar start to his career in north London, injuries and a lack of consistency hurt his form – and he was often accused of ‘drifting’ out of matches, where he’d only do one noteworthy skill, pass or otherwise throughout the ninety minutes, then go missing.

That has not been the case over the past twelve months, mind. Especially after recovering from his injury sustained last October, Mesut has continued to improve and looks a better player for it. Not only has he strengthened, with the typical assumption that he was not physical enough to survive in the Premier League at the beginning, but he’s also linked up well with his team-mates; showing exactly why Wenger forked out £42.5million pounds for him two years ago.

Özil has started to silence his doubters, and is going about his business quietly but efficiently. Chances created alone, Mesut tops the charts. Assists, which is one of his most eyecatching stats to date, he continues to add. Another dimension which is creeping in, is in the goals department. Five goals in all competitions last campaign, isn’t exactly the best, and he’ll be hoping to improve on that tally ahead of the upcoming season. Two goals and three assists in pre-season alone, something to look out for.

5) The future is bright at the Emirates

Pre-season proves to be a youngster’s chance with Arsenal every summer as the club look forward to showcasing the best talent within their ranks. Over the past few weeks alone, Wenger has given the club’s fans plenty to be content with – not least the talented youngsters that the Gunners boast within their youth levels. Alex Iwobi, Chuba Akpom and Jeff Reine-Adelaide have all taken their respective chances well to assert themselves within the pre-season squad, and were rewarded with opportunities to shine. All three did well, in similar attack-minded positions. This in itself is something to be encouraged by for the future, especially as two of the aforementioned have represented England at youth level; the other was unearthed within the French ranks and has already displayed startling maturity for his tender age.

Chambers, Hector Bellerín (who took his chance centre-stage this time last year) and Isaac Hayden – all of which are still 20-years-old, provide plenty of optimism about the conveyer belt of talent continuing to unfold in north London. That’s forgetting others too, such as Dan Crowley, Gedion Zelalem, Ainsley-Maitland Niles and Krystian Bielik to name but a few.

To conclude, the future is looking quite bright at the Emirates. Just like the present, then.

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Could Jordon Ibe be a regular starter for Liverpool next season?

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ibe

The media hype over the past few months, has solely been over Raheem Sterling. Liverpool have another golden boy in their ranks, one that is eager and raring for a regular first-team berth next season. Jordon Ibe.

Admittedly, Liverpool‘s summer signings from last year have not proven themselves as particular successes – with the exception of young talent Emre Can – who needs to be deployed in a holding midfield role as opposed to play out of position at right-back. Mario Balotelli has blown hot and cold, mostly cold despite showing encouraging flashes in stages, but needs a fast strike partner to link up with. Daniel Sturridge on form is one of the best strikers in the league, but is often criticised for being too selfish, whilst Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini are not seen as good enough to lead the Liverpool frontline.

Danny Ings is a shrewd signing, albeit one that will come under some scrutiny, especially given the jump from relegated Burnley to the Reds, who have UEFA Champions League aspirations with a whole new atmosphere attached to the club itself. Lazar Markovic, who is still only 20, has shown glimpses of his potential, but has been used sparingly by Brendan Rodgers, which has been frustrating to watch for a team that look all too predictable at times and have been taken apart for doing just that.

Reds in need of attacking quality

For a team that have struggled over the past twelve months, attracting big-name strikers, who can do a good job at Anfield, will be hard to secure this summer for Rodgers, no matter how you look at it. If Liverpool can manage to keep hold of Sterling for perhaps one more season, and partner him alongside Ibe in a 4-1-2-1-2 formation ahead of Philippe Coutinho, who has been a shining light in an otherwise lacklustre campaign, they’d be able to combine well in attacking areas and use their blistering pace to create havoc for opposition defences.

Either way, Rodgers has a conundrum to sort out. Ings, Balotelli, Markovic, Sterling and others all want to play regular football, and that’s not even mentioning Divock Origi, who’ll also be hoping to take his chance at Merseyside upon arrival from his loan spell with Ligue 1 side Lille. If Ibe does continue to flourish and stay injury-free, which is easier said than done, there is no justifiable explanation as to why he cannot feature regularly in the team.

He’s already been pictured in training over the past few days, trying to recover from his knee injury in time for the official start of pre-season in July, where he’ll want to re-establish his glowing creditentials as a young talented player with potential that needs to be utilised effectively. Rodgers admitted a loan spell (at Derby County) did him a world of good, as he had first-team experience in the rigours of a top English league, albeit the second tier of the country, but even still, he came into his own element for the Reds when called upon in both the Europa League and Premier League already in 2015. If that’s not a sign of things to come, you’d struggle to find what exactly is.

With the likes of Sheyi Ojo and Jerome Sinclair patiently waiting for their time to shine amongst the first-team ranks in the not-too-distant future, they’ll be looking at the likes of Jordon and Raheem to aspire to become, a first-team regular who can establish their credentials based on impressing when they are given an opportunity to prove themselves at a high level of competition in a team still rebuilding to achieve their goals.

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Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool: Terry and Gerrard’s headed efforts share the spoils

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Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool: Terry and Gerrard's headed efforts share the spoils

Liverpool needed a victory to keep their fading hopes of Champions League qualification alive, against the newly-crowned Premier League champions Chelsea on Sunday afternoon.

Chelsea hosted Liverpool in the second of a Super Sunday double bill earlier today, with the Merseyside outfit needing nothing but a victory to keep their slim hopes of qualifying for the Champions League alive.

The newly-crowned champions went into the game at Stamford Bridge with nothing to lose, so as expected, rested some of their key stars for the big clash. Kurt Zouma, Felipe Luis, John Obi Mikel and Loic Remy were all in amongst the starting line-up for the Blues, with Player of the Year Eden Hazard becoming the first Chelsea player to make 50 appearances this season. The big news ahead of kick-off surrounded talented 19-year-old creative midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was set to make his first-team debut against the Reds for Jose Mourinho‘s men.

Liverpool surprisingly opted to start Rickie Lambert as opposed to Jordon Ibe in a more advanced attacking role in their trip to west London. Adam Lallana started on his 27th birthday, in a forward 4-3-3 role alongside Raheem Sterling and Lambert.

The match got off to a feisty start after just forty seconds on the clock, as Cesc Fábregas was given his 11th booking of the season for a crunching sliding tackle on Sterling’s ankle in midfield. The young attacking forward was treated for his injury by the Liverpool physio, but thankfully for the flow of the game, he was able to continue.

Willian delivered a teasing cross towards the box, and a team-mate was lurking to latch onto it, but for a last-ditch headed clearance over the bar by Slovakian centre-back Martin Skrtel to give the hosts an early corner-kick. Fábregas stepped up, curled his set-piece into the box, and a combination of lacklustre marking and sloppy defending all-round from the Reds gifted John Terry the time and space to head powerfully beyond goalkeeper Simon Mignolet – opening the scoring after just five minutes. That goal meant Terry was now the highest-scoring defender in Premier League history with 39 goals, and the Blues were ahead early on.

Philippe Coutinho came close to levelling the scoring a few minutes later, but his shot was deflected and hit the side netting as Brendan Rodgers‘ men attempted to get back into the match almost instantaneously after conceding. Mignolet had to be alert to rush off his line and intercept the threat posed by a through ball played into the path of Loic Remy by Fábregas, and the Belgian opened up his body before smothering the ball inside his area and denying the Frenchman from doubling the scoring.

Emre Can went on a lung-busting run from defence into attacking midfield, before looking up and spotting the run of Raheem to his left. He squared the ball to the youngster, who dribbled towards the edge of the area and unleashed a low effort goalwards, but his shot was somewhat wayward and it trickled well wide of Courtois’ far post.

Skrtel saved Mignolet’s blushes with a vital clearance after the ‘keeper’s loose touch almost set Remy through with a chance from close range – but for a robust hoof clear by the no-nonsense centre-back. Adam Lallana was booked two minutes later for a late sliding tackle on Branislav Ivanovic as tackles continued to fly in.

Chelsea continued to press for the second goal, and Skrtel was soon into the referee’s book. His booking gifted the Blues an opportunity in a dangerous position, after a cynical block to halt the run of Remy after he’d been skinned near the byline. Fábregas’ lofted ball floated above his team-mates, and the danger was cleared with a powerful punch away to safety by Mignolet who was visibly annoyed at his team’s lack of defensive shape.

Rickie Lambert was the next man into Andre Marriner‘s book, for a pointless sliding tackle on Thibaut Courtois as the ball was trickling out of play and the talented 22-year-old goalkeeper was shielding him from winning it. It was clear to see that frustrations were boiling over from the visitors’ point of view, but the Chelsea fans were enjoying every minute of it with ironic cheers and chants galore throughout.

Simon Mignolet was lucky not to make a fatal mistake in his box as a goalmouth scramble saw the ball float in the air inches away from his goal, he flapped at the ball and luckily enough for him, it swerved out for a corner-kick. The danger was averted after some intense Chelsea pressure, which saw the ball trickle past a few team-mates before being eventually cleared away.

Unfortunately for Kurt Zouma, the talented young centre-back suffered a knock which he could not carry on playing with, so as a precautionary measure, he was brought off the pitch in place of Gary Cahill with 35 minutes on the clock. A warm round of applause was greeted by the home supporters, who appreciate just how talented and promising the French defender is.

The Blues continued their attacking impetus with Hazard, Loftus-Cheek and Willian looking dangerous going forward from midfield positions, but it was Liverpool who had the final say on the half’s action with two minutes plus stoppages left to play. A needless challenge made by Ivanovic on Lallana near the byline was met with the game’s fifth booking – the resulting free-kick was swung into the area by Jordan Henderson and Liverpool’s departing captain headed home from close range, with Courtois helpless to stop the effort as it swished in the back of the net.

The fourth official signalled for three minutes of stoppage time to be added on at the end of the first-half, and as the whistle blew, the match was evenly poised at 1-1.

As the second-half began, neither side made any alterations. Liverpool started on the front foot, with Henderson combining excellently with Lallana just a minute into the second period, before the latter’s low strike towards goal fired wide of Courtois’ far post.

Sterling used his blistering pace to his advantage, advancing towards the Chelsea goal with Filipe Luis trying to dispossess the forward of the ball. He weaved one way and pushed his way past the Brazilian, before laying off a pass for Coutinho – whose fierce shot flew into the crowd behind the goal, with ironic jeers from the home fans, despite the Reds’ coming narrowly close to taking the lead for the first time in the match.

Willian came close to giving Chelsea the lead once more on two separate occasions in the space of a few minutes. First, he drove past the Liverpool backline with his electric pace, before firing an effort across the face of goal, with Mignolet getting a touch to the ball to see out the danger. Then, he came close again, but this time his shot flicked off the side netting at the near post.

A vital sliding block by substitute Gary Cahill denied Lallana’s shot from flashing on-target, as Liverpool continued to up their own attacking intensity. Another warm round of applause reverberated around the Bridge as Loftus-Cheek, arguably surprisingly, was brought off the pitch in place of Nemanja Matic. Many Chelsea supporters were hoping the 19-year-old would stay on, and John-Obi Mikel would be taken off instead, especially after just getting a booking, but it seemed the Blues were happy to settle for a point, frustrating the Reds as much as they could going forward.

Liverpool made a double change within minutes, as young attacking duo Jerome Sinclair and Jordon Ibe were brought into the action as Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana were taken off. Chelsea were thwarted by a brave block from Skrtel, who put his body on the line in a sliding challenge to deflect a goal-scoring chance away to safety. He had to receive treatment from the physio after that, but was thankfully able to continue.

Ibe was threatening on the ball, and his darting run towards the box was cynically met by a tactical foul by Luis, who was the next player to be given a yellow card by the referee – but the Brazilian could have no real complaints. The Reds continued to press for the late winner, but Courtois was equal to all of their efforts, especially a deflected shot by Coutinho which flicked off Cahill, sending Courtois the wrong way, before he was quick to move back in the opposite direction and smother the effort.

As the referee blew his whistle to end the afternoon’s proceedings at the Bridge, both teams shared the spoils. Liverpool are six points behind Manchester United, who have virtually sealed their place in the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League qualification round, bar failing to win a single point in their final two games. Rodgers’ men can only mathematically qualify for the Champions League if they win both of their remaining matches, as well as over-ruling United on goal difference, which they just happen to be -14 away from. So, the odds are extremely stacked against them.

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Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle: Defoe’s fantastic screamer settles Tyne-Wear derby

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Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle: Defoe's fantastic screamer settles Tyne-Wear derby

Fierce rivals Sunderland and Newcastle went head-too-head in the season’s second Tyne-Wear Derby on Sunday afternoon with more than three points on the line for both. Bragging rights were also up for grabs, as Sunderland have won the last FOUR derbies in a row. Both sides would move up two places with a victory today, Sunderland into 15th and Newcastle 11th respectively, but neither side was going to give up without a sufficient fight.

It was also the first Tyne-Wear derby for the two managers Dick Advocaat and John Carver, so it’d be a fascinating game to see if either side would prevail at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland dominated proceedings in the early going, having their fair share of half-chances on-goal, but were unable to make any count. Connor Wickham came closest to breaking the deadlock near the half-hour mark, having a headed effort from a corner-kick deflected away from goal by midfield duo Moussa Sissoko and Jack Colback before the linesman flagged for a goal-kick; much to the discontent of the home supporters.

The game itself had a scrappy nature attached to it, a few goalmouth scrambles cleared away, long-ball deliveries comfortably caught by Costel Pantilimon and Tim Krul in their respective goals, whilst a few petulant fouls went unpunished as the referee Mike Dean tried to keep the game flowing as much as possible – uneventful in the end.

Jermain Defoe came narrowly close from having a goal-scoring opportunity after being set through towards goal with a neat through ball from Fletcher. He sped past the Newcastle backline but was unable to control the ball properly;

Sebastian Vergini was given the first yellow card of the game in the 39th minute for a deliberate tug on Ayoze Perez after the young forward span past him with ease near the byline, and he was pulled on the back of his shirt. Then, Ryan Taylor was booked for leaving his foot in with a late challenge on Steven Fletcher as tempers flared with the half-time whistle approaching.

Wickham came close again with a shot at Krul’s near post, but the effort stung the Dutchman’s gloves as he parried the ball to safety. As the clock was ticking down and the fourth official signalled for just one minute of stoppage time to be added on, Sunderland broke the deadlock with a moment of individual genius from Defoe who rifled a powerful volley into the top corner of the net from 25 yards out – from virtually nothing.

The second-half started with neither side making any changes, and the game increased in terms of attacking intensity. Fletcher came close on a number of occasions, but was unlucky not to test Krul – much to the discontent of his manager Advocaat.

Yoan Gouffran was replaced by Emmanuel Riviere in the 57th minute as Newcastle needed to improve attacking-wise, having only recorded one shot on-target since the referee’s first whistle. Jordi Gomez was the next player in the referee’s book, for a late challenge on Daryl Janmaat where he got nowhere the ball. Then just moments later, Colback was booked for a late tackle – which was greeted by raucous applause from the home supporters. The referee brandished yet another yellow card, this time for Patrick van Aanholt after a sliding challenge on Taylor near the byline.

Sunderland continued their attacking assault of the Geordies as full-back van Aanholt had a fierce shot hit the side netting after a quick counter attacking move by the hosts, before Fletcher had a one-on-one opportunity fired over the crossbar.

Pantilimon made a good diving save to his left to parry away a shot on the edge of the box from Riviere, which was curling towards the far post. Adam Johnson, fresh from his off-the-field incidents, was introduced with ten minutes left to play, to a mixed reception from the Stadium of Light crowd. Mike Williamson made a crucial block to deny Sebastian Larsson‘s close-range effort, before Perez had a half-volley flash over the crossbar as the clock ticked down on the visitors’ chances of equalising. The fourth official signalled for five minutes of stoppage time to play, much to the annoyance of the home fans wishing for the full-time whistle to blow, and Newcastle suddenly started to ask a few questions of Sunderland’s defensive capabilities. Perez drove into the box with potential in a move, but was thwarted by a physical challenge from midfielder Lee Cattermole in the area.

The Black Cats held on to prevail through some cheeky time-wasting tactics and robust defending to record their FIFTH straight derby day victory over Newcastle, sending all of their supporters into sheer exhilaration. The visitors will be wondering what went wrong, as they did not create enough goal-scoring opportunities to warrant beating Pantilimon in the Sunderland goal.

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Arsenal’s ever-changing right-back predicament

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Arsenal manager Arséne Wenger has a dilemma on his hands come this summer, as he looks to cope with having three or four recognised right-backs in the first-team. What should he do?

At the end of last season, Arsenal supporters were admittedly sour at the announcement that long-time servant Bacary Sagna was set to leave the north London club and join Premier League champions Manchester City. The 32-year-old French right-back joined The Gunners in 2007 and made the full-back spot his own, making over 200 appearances in the space of just seven seasons under Wenger’s management; but issues regarding a new and improved contract, for a player over 30 who had broken his leg TWICE were causes for concern from the Arsenal hierarchy.

Questions were asked over who was going to be Sagna’s replacement, as young Carl Jenkinson went out on-loan to fellow Premier League side West Ham in search of regular first-team football to prove he was worthy of being a contender for the right-back spot. Then, in July, Arsenal completed the signing of 29-year-old experienced full-back Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle, for a sensible fee of around £12million pounds. Debuchy himself has played in the Premier League since the beginning of 2013, and although he was not getting any younger, was a ready-made replacement who could help solidify the Gunners backline for a few seasons.

Debuchy’s first few months in an Arsenal shirt were impressive, earning plaudits from fans and media alike. He was just the type of player Arsenal required to help shore up their defensive problems; physical, agile and a workaholic. Then unfortunately, the Arsenal injury “curse” struck in mid-September, during their 2-2 league draw with Manchester City. Debuchy damaged his ankle ligaments and was ruled out of action for three months, which prompted the step up for young 19-year-old Spanish talent Hector Bellerín, who had wowed the Emirates crowd during their pre-season cup in August and was eager for his chance to shine amongst the rigours of the first-team.

Bellerín naturally has matured into an even more promising player than before, and his experience in all competitions for Arsenal this season including the prestigious UEFA Champions League will without a doubt spur him onto achieving greater things in the future. Debuchy has been pictured recently upping the intensity of his training regime as he battles to get back into the first-team before the end of the current season, scheduled to finish in the middle of May. He was seen playing 60 minutes in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Championship outfit Brentford too, which emphasises the fact that he’s hungry to play and will work hard to regain his place in the team.

Unless Bellerín is pushed further up the field in a right-midfield position, I fully expect him and Debuchy to be battling for regular first-team minutes for the forseeable future, whether that be for a season or two; but how Wenger will deal with the situation still remains to be seen. Another promising young defender, in the form of Calum Chambers, joined the club from Southampton for £16million pounds last summer. A right-back by trade, his versatility means he can also shift into a centre-back position and has played as a central defensive midfielder a few times for The Gunners, as well as the Young Lions set-up with Gareth Southgate‘s men. I’m certain that Chambers will play as a RCB, or get shifted into a DMF role at some stage in his development, as he matures. So, he is not part of the immediate dilemma, so to speak.

Carl Jenkinson, is. With two right-backs already vying for first-team opportunities at The Emirates, “Jenko” made the bold but calculated decision to join The Hammers in search for first-team football. He has done himself proud, and has given Arsenal fans a sense of encouragement for the future with his consistent displays meaning he has asserted himself as a first-team regular for Sam Allardyce‘s men this season. However at age 23, you would be silly not to suggest Jenkinson wants a piece of first-team action just like the rest of his team-mates.

Many news reports are suggesting Jenkinson is set to leave The Gunners in the summer, and join a team like West Ham. But is that the right thing to do? You can never be too sure with Debuchy’s two injury problems since he joined, Bellerín needs solid competition and Jenkinson can certainly give him it. What will happen? Only time will tell – but Jenkinson has proved his worth and shown that first-team experience has made him a better player, someone that Arsenal should not let leave easily regardless of their right-back dilemma.

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The 17-year-old Chelsea talent with the world at his feet

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solanke

Stats and data correct to the 7th of March, 2015: 

Chelsea have an abundance of attacking riches in their squad, with the likes of Oscar, Eden Hazard, Willian, Loic Remy, Diego Costa and their January addition Juan Cuadrado all to add into the mix. However, they have many youth startlets closer to home, waiting for their chance to shine in the first-team.

One of those, is 17-year-old forward Dominic Solanke. Born in Reading, Berkshire, with Nigerian heritage, the youngster has flourished and developed significantly over the past two seasons in the Chelsea youth set-up. So much so, that he was named England Men’s Youth Player of The Year for 2014 at the start of 2015, and has represented England at U-16, 17 and U-18 level thus far.

His knack for goal-scoring

During the 2013-14 season, Solanke managed to score 20 goals in 25 matches for the Chelsea U-18’s, an impressive feat. In doing so, he prompted youth coaches to stand up and take notice, earning a call-up to the U-21’s side where he currently showcases his ability on a weekly basis consistently. In all competitions, he has scored 15 goals and created six assists, in just 18 matches played this season.

STAT: Currently, he is the top scorer in the UEFA Youth League with eight goals in the competition, at the quarter-final stage.

STAT: He is the joint fourth top goalscorer in the U21 Premier League with Newcastle’s Adam Armstrong, having scored seven goals in 11 appearances this season. Ryan Seager, Adil Nabi, Chuba Akpom are the only players who have scored MORE goals than him, but ironically, they’ve all played more matches also.

Attacking flair and blistering pace

As a player, especially developing into a world-class one, you tend to have one or two strengths that you hold in high regard, as opposed to the rest of your game. For Solanke, as well as his goal-scoring ability, he has blistering pace to run rings around the defender, as well as attacking flair which adds an unpredictable edge to his bow; you are unsure of what he is going to do next, which he always delivers to devastating effect.

Chance to shine, when will it come?

In a star-studded team such as Chelsea’s, it is often hard for players to get the first-team opportunities they need to prove themselves at the highest level. Andre Schurrle, Kevin de Bruyne and even more recently, Mohamed Salah are three prime examples of this; they’ve gone onto pastures new and flourished with the prospect of playing regular football spurring them on to success at their respective clubs (AS and KDB, Wolfsburg; Salah at Fiorentina).

Jose Mourinho named Solanke as a first-team player towards the start of this season, but he is so far yet to start a competitive match for the senior team, something he’ll be eager and raring to do in the coming months. He has been on the substitutes’ bench on numerous occasions, which will do wonders for his confidence and help him experience the rigours of the Premier League, but the collective feeling is that Solanke needs minutes under his belt, whether that be for Chelsea or another club in Europe.

The most feasible option at the moment? Solanke has to be patient it seems, especially with Mourinho’s attacking headache at the moment, the youngster may find chances hard to come by, but his potential and obvious talent are too blatant not to look out for.

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Brandon Barker – Manchester City’s rising talent

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Rising Star: Brandon Barker

The 18-year-old English left winger has burst onto the scene in Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad; his impressive displays in both the U21 Premier League and UEFA Youth League have prompted coaches to take note of him for a future talent in years to come.

Brandon Barker, 18. The English left-winger has impressed City coaches with his rapid development over the past two years, his dazzling displays for the respective youth set-ups in Manchester hinting that the youngster could very well force himself into getting amongst things in the first-team at some stage next season. 7 goals and 5 assists in all competitions thus far; U21 Premier League and UEFA Youth League being taken into account.

He is already a regular on the international youth stage for the English; making his debut for the U18 team back in October of 2013 and has gone onto U19 level, where he has netted 3 goals in 5 competitive matches for the Young Lions. Brandon won the City Academy Player of the Year last campaign, and given his ability, has all the makings of a great professional footballer to come, as long as he stays grounded.

Brandon’s strengths:

Has electric pace, close-control dribbling strong, likes to take on defenders with ease, a good playmaker, quick on the counter attack.

Weaknesses:

Decision-making not perfect, could score a few more goals, crossing inconsistent.

Many sections of the media have criticised City for the lack of homegrown talent in their team, but if you delve deep enough, players like Barker are a good example that there are players with a lot of potential to fulfil, in the ranks. The Citzens themselves have an abundance of talent in their first-team squad, so Brandon will have to keep his consistency if he is to eventually get his chance amongst the star-studded players you often see every week, including the likes of Sergio Aguero and David Silva for example.

Very few academy players have flourished or reached their full potential, with the likes of Micah Richards, John Guidetti and Dedryck Boyata all still contracted to the club; despite reports suggesting that none of the above will stay at the club long enough to heavily feature. However, the future is bright in the blue half of Manchester. Karim Rekik, Jason Denayer, Pozo, Marcos Lopes, Thierry Ambrose and Bersant Celina are all very talented players in their own right, so do not be surprised if they turn out to be world-class players in the near future.

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West Brom 1-0 Southampton: Berahino’s stunner seals all three points for Pulis’ men

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West Brom 1-0 Southampton: Berahino's stunner seals all three points for Pulis' men

Tony Pulis’ men hosted a Ronald Koeman side who were eager for maximum points to keep their top four hopes alive, but they knew it would be a tough test away from home at The Hawthorns.

West Brom hosted top four challengers Southampton, in an intriguing fixture between two sides with something to prove. The Baggies, under new maangement with Tony Pulis in charge, wanted to solidify a place in the top half of the Premier League table – with their new boss asking for consistency as he tries to get the best out of his players; including Saido Berahino – who has been heavily linked with moves to some top European clubs.

The young Englishman ironically broke the deadlock at The Hawthorns, with a rather powerful volley effort which flew past English goalkeeper Fraser Forster into the top corner of the net – after just 74 seconds on the clock. That was his 11th Premier League goal of the 2014-15 campaign, and it was a truly special one too.

The Saints were looking for an immediate response, which did not come. They dominated possession of the ball, and attempted to dictate play in midfield but were shut out effectively and efficiently by Pulis’ men whenever they got forward deep enough into West Brom’s defence. A few half-chances were squandered for either side before the break, with the half-time scoreline going in the hosts’ favour.

In the second-half, Nigerian striker Brown Ideye had a perfect chance to double the lead for the hosts after a super pass towards his path by midfielder Craig Gardner, but his hesitation to shoot in-front of goal cost him in the end, as Maya Yoshida tracked back fast enough to block and eventually clear the danger away.

Berahino was seen clutching his leg on the ground in discomfort on the receiving end of a painful-looking challenge; he was substituted off as a precautionary measure to avoid aggravating the injury problem – Youssouf Mulumbu coming on in his place; for his first appearance following his African Cup of Nations involvement.

Southampton lacked the cutting edge going forward, with Graziano Pellé missing a golden opportunity to level the scoring in the 67th minute. A teasing low delivery was fired into his path by left-back Ryan Bertrand, but the Italian striker failed to latch onto the ball and a last-ditch clearance away by defender Chris Brunt ensured West Brom kept hold of their lead.

French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin was unlucky not to get himself on the scoresheet after having two goal-bound efforts narrowly wide. His first was an inswinging free-kick, which swerved past all of the players in the area and trickled beyond the post. His second meanwhile, was a stinging drive which was well saved by Ben Foster, just minutes after the ‘keeper was booked for time-wasting and warned about his future actions.

The hosts were inches away from doubling the lead with ten minutes to play; former Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher had a half-chance from close range but his powerful effort fired wide over the bar and into the crowd behind the goal.

Pellé had another chance to end his goalscoring drought of four matches in all competitions with a goal-mouth scramble, the ball trickled towards his path but his follow-up was weak as Foster was able to smother the danger in the end. Ideye was seen hobbling painfully in the closing stages, and the physios treated him accordingly before he was replaced by Chris Baird to try and hold out for a 1-0 victory.

The fourth official signalled for four minutes of stoppage time to be added on, and The Saints continued to press attacking-wise; but West Brom held firm and secured a valuable three points in a hard-fought game despite a late charge seeing Eljero Elia‘s decent strike fired wide of Foster’s near post into the stands. The stats will have frustrated Ronald Koeman and his men no doubt, given the fact that they were heavily dominant but could not turn their dominance into goals in the match. 11 shots, just TWO on target and no goals. West Brom meanwhile had: seven shots, three on target and one goal, courtesy of Berahino’s stunning strike early on.

The result means Southampton lose ground in the top four race; staying in 5th place just a point above Liverpool and two above Tottenham – both of which have a game in hand over The Saints. Manchester United (50) and Arsenal (48) are above them in 3rd and 4th places respectively.

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Rising star: The young, talented midfield dynamo at Spurs

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The young, under-rated midfield talent who is flourishing at Spurs

Tottenham’s youth midfield talent, who turned 20 in November, is a rising star but with that being said, relatively under-rated in European football today. Read below, for exactly why.

English football has been criticised for the lack of young talents shining through the first-team ranks at the top Premier League clubs, but Nabil Bentaleb is certainly an exception. The 20-year-old Algerian midfielder joined the Spurs set-up in 2012 after non-professional spells in France and Belgium respectively. He signed a new contract until 2018 as a result of his impressive displays, and was consequently promoted into the first-team itself, back in the 2013-14 season; where he made 20 appearances in all club competitions as well as featuring in last summer’s World Cup in Brazil. Since then, he has flourished in the Tottenham side, and is often one of the first names on the team sheet, when he is available and fit, mind you.

Bentaleb has already played the same amount of games as he did last season, so far in the 2014-15 campaign; for both Spurs and Algeria (at the African Cup of Nations), where he scored his second international goal in a 2-0 victory over Senegal last week.

Although his overall stats upon first viewing do not look too impressive with two goals and an assist to his name, he is a hard-working midfielder who is ready to put his body on the line for his team-mates, a credible asset for any professional team to have. He is versatile and can play anywhere from CDM to CAM in the midfield, but is mostly preferred as a defensive-minded midfield player who looks to pass the ball up to the front-players, whilst doing the dirty work and getting involved in tackles galore.

His main strengths include his passing, whether that be short-range or long-range, as well as a lack of fear shown to get involved in 50-50 challenges and tackles to win the ball. The only real downside to his game, apart from the lack of eye-catching stats (goals and assists), is his lack of disclipine; three yellow cards in his last five matches proves this. The rate at which he is developing and maturing is very fast, and he is without a doubt, one of Europe’s finest young prospects for the future – as well as a key player for Mauricio Pochettino‘s men.

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Should Emre Can be used in midfield or a defensive three?

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Should Emre Can be used in midfield or a defensive three?

Can has found himself having to adapt to different positions and become a versatile player at Liverpool, following his summer move. But, where should Rodgers really play him?

Emre Can, has only recently turned 21, and following his £8million pound summer move to Liverpool from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, has found his spells in the team interesting to say the least. He has been deployed as a make-shift centre-back in a defensive three formation, as well as playing CDM and CM at times in other matches for Brendan Rodgers’ men so far this campaign.

So, where should he be used?

He has already raised comparisons to experienced German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, based on the fact that he can combine attacking and defending so well, and his versatile nature means that he can play two or three different positions without looking out of place.

Liverpool’s defensive options are not that great upon first glance at the moment, meaning that Rodgers will be eager to put out his best defensive trio or quartet for every game. Lovren has been inconsistent at the best of times so far this campaign, whilst Touré is only really a squad rotation player, meaning adaptability is key. Skrtel seems to be the rock centre-back at the moment, but he himself, has some topsy-turvy times occasionally.

Can plays there when needed for the team’s benefit, but it’s not his preferred position. He is normally a CDM/CM, but you can tell that he will probably be used in this role towards the end of the season, and perhaps more often following the end of the current campaign; given the fact that Steven Gerrard will leave in May – leaving a significant gap in midfield.

Player watch: During their 1-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday, he played in two different positions during the match, and did so well and with composure. In the first-half of the game, he was part of a defensive trio which helped to snuff out any potential danger with the hosts lurking towards the box in short periods of the match.

Steven Gerrard picked up a knock and had to be replaced at half-time, so Can slotted into midfield, using the extra space to his advantage as he was a constant threat down the right-hand side of the pitch. He forced Liam Bridcutt into committing a needless foul, getting the Scottish midfielder sent off for a second yellow card, just minutes into the second 45.

He also won 100% of the duels that he got himself involved in, during the match. His passing and accuracy overall was over 90%, whilst he was a constant danger attacking-wise as he always looked to slot through Fabio Borini on the ball in the box; although the Italian’s finishing was not up to par.

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Explored: Chelsea’s talented youth system and the problems attached to it

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Stats, data – all correct to January 9, 2015: 

Chelsea’s youth set-up is full of potential, with wonderkids ready to break through into the first-team. So why are most of them being loaned out? Will they get their chance? Read below, for my opinion on the intriguing situation which is currently unfolding at Chelsea.

You could argue that The Blues have an interesting situation on their hands. They have many good young players amongst the U-18’s, U-21’s and other age groups, with some of those players having the potential to force their way into the first-team.

With that being said, Chelsea’s team is strong. They have strength in depth, and unlike most of their title rivals in the league, do not have to make many signings or additions to the squad in respective transfer windows. Obviously, this means that most players will not get as many minutes as they would like; unfortunate for a team in a league trying to pride themselves on having homegrown talent, especially given the criticism of recent years over the sufficient lack of world-class English players.

There have been many different young players that have joined Chelsea, and gone on to flourish elsewhere, with a prime example being Wolfsburg‘s creative midfielder Kevin de Bruyne. The Belgian is still relatively young at age 23, but only made 9 appearances for the first-team, with the majority of them being cameo appearances.

Chelsea signed him back in 2012 from Belgian side Genk, where he was being heralded as a player with potential to be special in the future. They sent him on loan, back to Belgium as well as to Werder Bremen – missing out on his talent.

STAT: De Bruyne has already created 10 assists in the Bundesliga alone so far this season, more than almost every player in the top five European leagues currently, apart from Cesc Fabregas, who has 14 at Chelsea – ironically enough.

He joined Wolfsburg in January 2014, and has looked a completely different player. One that plays with costlessdom and has the confidence to prove his doubters wrong, as well as Mourinho – he is a good player who should have been given a better opportunity to showcase his abilities in the first-team.

However, you could also spin the argument, and say that the fee brought in from the de Bruyne transfer shows that The Blues have an efficient way of selling on players that they know will not be able to gain first-team experience in the squad. They signed him for £7million, and sold him for £17million just two years later; a massive amount of profit which could help them in the future to ensure they keep in line with the Financial Fair Play rules and regulations.

The picture below (source: Wikipedia) just shows the sheer scale of players out on loan from Chelsea at the moment – the majority of which, are all young and under the age of 23:

Lucas Piazon, 20, has been compared to by current Chelsea first-team star Oscar amongst other Brazilian compatriots for his attacking flair, pace, skill and being a costless-kick specialist. With that being said, he has barely featured for his parent club – instead, being loaned out to the likes of Vitesse and Frankfurt. He has already admitted that he is open to staying in Germany, so what does that tell you?

Thorgan Hazard, 21 has been praised for having similiar attributes to his older brother, Eden, who is a star player in the first-team. He is currently on-loan at Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga, but will he get his chance eventually following his move in 2012 or find himself on a different pathway to his sibling?

It is all well and good, to have a world-class youth system. But if you do not utilise your youth players and give them chances to shine, then what is the point? To say, that Chelsea do not give some of their talented players a chance amongst the stars in the team, is unfair. Defensive partnership Kurt Zouma and Nathan Aké have been tipped for world stardom, and have played cameos in the side following impressive spells in the youth set-up and elsewhere.

Dominic Solanke, a 17-year-old English striker of Nigerian descent, has starred for the youth squad and earned himself a call-up to their UEFA Champions League group stage squad against NK Maribor towards the end of last year.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek, 18, received a huge welcome onto the Champions League scene, as he played ten minutes in their 3-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in December.

All of these youth startlets have been tipped for glory and success in the future. It is exciting to see how they develop and excel amongst the youth ranks. But, it is important not to forget that these are just a FEW of the many amongst the current crop at Stamford Bridge who are waiting patiently for a game. Will they get it? That’s the major question.