Celtic hitman Gary Hooper is set to sign a new contract at the Glasgow club in the near future according to manager Neil Lennon.
Hooper has been in stunning form yet again this season, taking his overall Celtic goal tally to 63 goals in just 102 starts.
The English striker has also been mentioned to be in with a chance of impressing Roy Hodgson ahead of future England squad announcements and now that Celtic have qualified for the knock out stages of the Champions League, Hooper will be keen to show what he can do.
Southampton have been heavily linked with a January move for the striker who played for boss Nigel Adkins in their time at Scunthorpe together and a chance to play in the Premier League could help Hooper’s international chances.
However, Lennon is hopeful that a new deal will be struck very soon and that Hooper has a long future at Celtic Park.
“I think we can get an agreement pretty soon,” Lennon told the Daily Record.
“I speak to Gary once a week on it and he’s comfortable with it.
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“I hope to see (Celtic chief executive) Peter Lawwell in the next day or so and he’ll come up with a solution. I certainly don’t think we’re far away.”
defender Bacary Sagna calls on fellow teammates to keep fighting for each other as the club look to improve on their current position in the Premier League, reports Sky Sports.
The Gunners lost 2-0 at the Emirates to defending champions Manchester City, with Laurent Koscielny seeing red after only 10 minutes.
The extra man gave City the initiative to take the game to the home side, with goals from James Milner and Edin Dzeko.
“To play 11 v 11 against City is very hard, even if you are at home, but 10 against 11 is even harder,” said Sagna.
“It is harder to play on the pitch and it is hard to have control of the ball, so we have to look forward to the next game and keep our heads up.
“City have some quality players, we have some nice players as well, but with one more on the pitch than us it makes it very difficult.”
The player believes that the manner in which his team came out to play in the second half bodes well for the second portion of the Premier League season.
“Of course we had to keep going and try and score the [Arsenal’s] first goal, and we could have come back because it has happened in the past but it didn’t happen [this time].
“We knew it would be a tough game with hard tackles and desire, and of course they wanted to win as much as we did.
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“We can’t let our heads go down. First of all we need to rest because we play in two days.
“After that we just need to keep pushing because we have many games to come back and we are not far from third position, so we have to keep the heads up.”
Everton’s 2-1 defeat away at Norwich at the weekend looks likely to have finally put an end to any hopes the club may have harboured of finishing in the top four this season, and with manager David Moyes future still up in the air, what does this mean for both Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines?
There’s a definite and real worry on the horizon that this could represent the last hurrah around Goodison Park for many of the key components of their success in recent seasons, with Moyes looking increasingly likely to seek a new challenge at the end of the term in pursuit of a club that can consistently compete for silverware, whether that be here in England or a move abroad, with Germany mooted by the man himself as a possible future destination in the past.
The 49-year-old told reporters last week about whether he would be signing a new deal beyond the end of this campaign when his current one runs out: “I’ll give as much as I can, and I’ve spoken with the chairman and I want to see how the team does. I want to see how we do in the cups, I want to see how we do in the league and it’s more than likely that I won’t make a decision until the end of the season.”
However, with just eight points in their last nine league games, a run that puts them behind both Wigan and Southampton in the form table, the loss to Chris Hughton’s side was merely the final nail in the coffin of their top four hopes as opposed to a shock result. The side have kept just four clean sheets all campaign, won just four of their games on the road and have drawn 12 in total, which points to underlying problems at both ends of the pitch and for the first time in a long while, the club has a soft underbelly right through the spine of the starting eleven.
Everton have thrown away 19 points from winning position this year, with only Reading and Southampton ‘boasting’ poorer records and despite their fantastic early season form, a reverse in fortunes of the usual barnstorming run they customarily go on at this time of the campaign has seen them fall away precisely at a time when they need to be consistent, with the likes of Nikica Jelavic and John Heitinga enduring poor performances all term in key positions. It just doesn’t look like it’s going to their year.
Moyes sought to play down talk that uncertainty over his future had contributed to their poor form of late, telling reporters this week: “These two weeks we are in now are big weeks. We are in a period where we’ll see the direction our season is going. We have to try and knock each one off one at a time. We have no excuses. You know it would be easy to say the transfer window has had an effect on our performances, just as it would be very easy to say it has got anything to do with my contract – it would be easy to make those excuses. But it’s not had an effect. It’s about the players we have got, and the players we have got have been working great for the past year. The truth is, from January last season to January just gone we have outperformed most clubs. I think there’ll be very few teams with a record similar to us, and very few teams who have done as well as us, so hey – the players may be entitled to a wee dip.”
They now face a potentially season-defining clash in the FA Cup replay against Oldham, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them put all of their eggs in one basket now rather than the league, with the side unlikely to close the seven-point gap behind Chelsea in fourth now. Moyes seemed to say as much in the press conference after the Norwich defeat: “Most seasons we’ve tended to finish sixth, seventh or eighth and if you ask the people who know football they would say that’s about as good as Everton can do. We’ve probably been playing at our maximum for a long time at Everton – foot hard to the pedal – and I’m hoping we can go a wee bit further this season and maybe do better in the FA Cup.”
Put into context, this has not been a terrible year for the club but it will go down as an unfulfilled one, a season that promised much but will eventually deliver very little and with the vulture lurking around both Baines and Fellaini, they will face an extremely tough time in trying to hold onto both of them, with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United certain to be interested in both.
The Belgium international has made various noises in his own national media about the need to test himself on a bigger stage, before trying to later retract them with the old ‘I’ve been misquoted’ shtick which everyone knows is code for ‘I’ll get in trouble if I stick to my original line’. It’s not that he’s reached the stage in his career yet where he can be considered bigger than the club he is playing for, for his ability hasn’t outgrown Everton at all, and his positional future remains a cause for some uncertainty.
Pushing him further forward has come at a cost to the entire team’s defensive solidity and his performances have been inconsistent across the entire campaign so far. If he were to move to Chelsea or United, it’s likely it wouldn’t be in the role he currently commands at Everton, rather a more reserved, tactically aware one that he played in previously, which could count against him when talking about a move to a larger club.
The case of England international Baines on the other hand is a touch more crystal clear, and aside from Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo, he has created the joint-highest number of chances per game this season in Europe’s top five leagues, in a position which he has made his own. At 28 years of age though, this summer probably represents the last chance he has to make his mark elsewhere and at a higher level. He’s certainly capable of doing so and should United finally push out Patrice Evra at the end of the season, they could do no worse than moving for a player that has become the outstanding left-back in the top flight over the past 18 months.
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Everton’s financial model, or rather lack thereof, dictates that they must sell a star player every summer. The club’s annual report revealed a financial loss of £9million last season when it was published in early January, and the unusual moves during the transfer window for both Leroy Fer and Alvaro Negredo spoke volumes of a manager losing patience working in such strict financial constraints. In order to break the glass ceiling, he requires money, the sort that the club simply doesn’t have and in the likely event that either or both of Baines and Fellaini leave in the summer for large fees, Moyes could follow out the same door shortly afterwards.
Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has revealed that he made an approach for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku on loan this summer.
Pulis has claimed that the Belgian striker chose West Brom because of Steve Clarke’s link to the West London club over a move elsewhere in the Premier League.
The Stoke boss has claimed that he held talks with representatives at the West London club before the bulky striker opted for the Midlands club.
Lukaku has been the stand out player for Albion this season scoring 13 goals ahead of Shane Long and want away Nigerian Peter Odemwingie.
The on loan Chelsea striker is sure to fight for his place at Stamford Bridge next season after proving himself in the Premier League.
Lukaku is set to leapfrog Fernando Torres in the Blues pecking order and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is hopeful Lukaku will be one of the Blues’ most important player next season.
“I spoke to Chelsea first-team coach Steve Holland,” Pulis told Sky Sports.
“He was very complimentary about Romelu and we wanted him.
“Unfortunately, there were plenty of other people who knew about him, too. I think West Ham and Fulham were in there.
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“But Steve got him on loan because of his connection with Chelsea.”
Park Ji-Sung has denied reports he plans to quit the game at the end of the season and plans to stay on with QPR.
The former Manchester United star’s father had come out with quotes this week saying his son was tired after a season of struggle with injury at Loftus Road and that he would quit the game when the current campaign is over.
The South Korean international has now denied that he is going to quit and says he wants to play on for QPR, in the Premier League, for a further two years.
Speaking to QPR’s podcast Open All R’s, Park is confident the club will beat the drop and hopes to stay at Loftus Road for a few more years.
“My contract runs until next season and I have tried my best,” said Park.
“We will stay in the Premier League so don’t worry about that.
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“(I want to play on) for a couple more years (with QPR).”
Last night, the managerial axe was wielded over Roberto Mancini’s head, held aloft by Bryan Marwood, Txiki Begiristain and co, the backroom officials at Eastlands, and brought crashing down down on the Italian’s neck, decapitating his regime with a clean break before the final two fixtures of the season.
Medieval metaphors aside, the former Manchester City boss has been operating on borrowed time over the last few days, following their FA Cup final defeat to Wigan at the weekend, leaving the section of the club’s trophy cabinet dedicated to the current 2012/2013 season bare. Despite the Citizens finishing up in fifth place in the Premier League just four seasons ago, and Mancini leading the club to their first top-flight title since 1967 a year to the day of his dismissal, a campaign with no accolades or silverware apparently now constitutes as a complete failure at the Etihad Arena.
[cat_link cat=”manchester-city” type=”tower”]
But the truth is, it was not simply 90 minutes that decided the 48 year old’s fate. The plans to shaft him as soon as the justification arose have been in circulation for a while, with the influx of Barcelona executives arriving at the club seriously challenging Mancini’s powerbase, and the lingering feeling that Begiristain and Ferran Soriano would much rather have their own man at the helm than one they inherited.
What better superficial excuse than a lack of silverware? It’s undeniable and centred around a material object; it eradicates the need for a debate over the nitty-gritty details of Mancini’s reign, and leaves him only with a weak-willed defence of ‘it’s not my fault’ to save his tenure and reputation.
The City officials’ man is Manuel Pellegrini – Malaga’s head coach whose lead the club to unprecedented levels of success domestically and on the continent since taking over at the Champions League quarter-finalists in 2010. But is he really the right man for the job? Do his accolades in the game prioritise him over other managers who are or could be in the running for the post at Eastlands? Furthermore, is he more likely to win the title next season than his predecessor?
The Chilean certainly has some noteworthy achievements on his CV. He learned his trade in South America, lifting Argentinean Primera titles with River Plate and San Lorenzo, in addition to winning the continent’s equivalent of the Champions League – the Copa Mercosur – with the latter. Similarly, he’s transformed two La Liga minnows in Villarreal and Malaga into successful top-end clubs, at least whilst he’s been at the helm, breaking Real Madrid and Barcelona’s dominance at the top of the table by finishing in second with the Yellow Submarines in 2008, and this year leading his current club to the dizzy heights of the Champions League’s knock-out stages.
Yet during both tenures, Pellegrini has been privy to considerable investment from the boardroom and a surplus of finance, and at Malaga, the club pushed their excessive funding so far they’ve become the first victims of UEFA’s financial fair play laws. It creates a confusing picture of the 59 year old, especially considering Villarreal are now currently plying their trade in the Spanish second tier, and Los Boquerones are amid an exodus of talent, including Pellegrini himself, as a result of the club’s exclusion from Europe’s most prestigious cup competition. It’s certainly not a David Moyes style legacy that their league position and ascension from mediocrity might have you believe.
Furthermore, the favourite for the City post’s only spell at a big club resulted in failure. He was appointed Real Madrid manager in 2009, only for his tenure to be cut short after a single season, with a collective transfer bill of £210 million, bringing in Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Kaka and Karim Benzema, unable to stop a humiliating 4-0 defeat in the Cup to third-tier club Alcorcon, and elimination from the Champions League at the hands of Lyon. It should raise more alarm bells than provide incentive for the Citizens to hire the former Chile international, and similarly, how much can a man who’s spent his entire career playing and coaching a single breed of Latin American and Spanish football, be expected to know about the ins-and-outs of the physically robust and tactically traditional English top flight?
It begs the question as to whether the Skyblues would be better off with Mancini at the helm for another year. I’m certainly not the Italian’s biggest fan; his role at Eastlands has been more one of a glorified babysitter than it has a head coach, and at no point during his tenure has he got the best out his unruly children. There is clearly exceptional talent at the club, yet their tactic during Mancini’s era appears to have been to remain steady at the back and hope one or two of the £30million signings turns up to secure a victory at the other end of the pitch with some individual class.
Similarly, I’ve never agreed with open criticism of players in the media on a name-and-shame basis, and the use of 3-5-2 at the beginning of the season, especially in the Champions League, smacked of idealism and naivety that you wouldn’t expect from a stereo-typically pragmatic Italian.
But let’s not forget that the former City boss has an FA Cup and Premier League title to his name – turning around a huge points deficit with only a handful of games remaining at the end of last season to pip local rivals Manchester United to the post and become Champions on goal difference, in no small part due to Mancini’s alleviation of pressure on his players and onto those at Old Trafford by announcing early that the title race was over. Similarly, he’s spent four years at a top club, which amid the current climate is an achievement in itself nowadays, and the current campaign is the Italian’s only step backwards in terms of league standing or silverware.
His biggest advantage over Pellegrini however is undoubtedly his knowledge of the English game, which begs the question as to why City haven’t looked closer to home regarding the vacancy, especially considering plans to oust Mancini in favour of the Chilean have been underway since the turn of the year.
Perhaps I am once again flirting with the theme of medieval fantasy to suggest that Roberto Martinez should be Mancini’s successor, considering the Spaniard is the man who toppled the king off his throne at Eastlands, but taking into consideration the finance and resources available at Wigan, in comparison to Malaga or Villarreal, are Pellegrini’s achievements any greater or more magical than those of the Latics boss, whom furthermore trumps the Chilean and Mancini in his knowledge of the English game from top to bottom?
Similarly, there are a host of managers throughout Europe that outweigh the Malaga manager in Premier League experience, European experience and accolades and silverware. Jose Mourinho’s availability appears to have been all but ignored by the City board, yet surely the Special One’s knack of bringing about trophies wherever he goes is the perfect remedy to the club’s impatience in their bid for greatness.
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Furthermore, Carlo Ancelotti has proved throughout his career that he can handle big clubs, big money and big personalities, and win domestic and Champions League titles in the process, whilst Rafa Benitez has affirmed his reputation for getting perhaps not the best but at least the expected level of performance out of his players, and the prospect of him winning a title with City’s star-studded cast would certainly not be out of the question, and his consistent triumphs on the European stage are well known from his Liverpool days.
Yet, due to the current era of club football being dominated by Barcelona, La Liga football – it’s flair, style and success, -has become the fashionable trend, and judged as the perfect model of how to build a legacy, which despite City’s impatience in sacking their manager, is apparently what they are trying to achieve at Eastlands. Furthermore, Pellegrini may not necessarily be the fans’ choice, who sung Mancini’s name throughout the FA Cup final as a rejection of rumours over his tenure coming to an end, but he is certainly the choice of the Citizens’ board, officionados and bureaucrats, whose heart and soul is centred around Spanish football.
But it is a shame that one manager has been relieved of his duties, after building a title-winning team, for a superficial lack of silverware over the course of a single campaign, whilst his successor will have not lifted a trophy since his UEFA Intertoto Cup successes almost a decade ago. And furthermore, the logic that a South American, who has never plied his trade in England, presents less of a risk than one currently working in the Premier League is truly concerning.
Is Pellegrini the man to lead Manchester City to the heights of Champions League successes, Premier League titles and monopolisation of the English game? Does he even present a better opportunity to pounce on Manchester United’s unavoidable year of weakness next season and lead the Citizens to becoming Champions again in comparison to Mancini, Mourinho, Benitez or even Martinez? I am yet to be convinced, and my gut reaction is a resounding ‘no’.
It makes sense: let go of one controversial figure and bring in another. In fairness, Florentino Perez has already taken steps to distance himself and Real Madrid from Luis Suarez. The Madrid president talked up the Uruguayan as one of the best in the world, but stated that “sometimes it does not always fit.”
You can understand Madrid’s standpoint on this one. While Jose Mourinho did bring some degree of success in his three years at the club, the overwhelming memory of his time in Spain will be the controversy that surrounded his tenure. And while Luis Suarez can be an enormous asset to any club he lines up for, the trepidation from Madrid’s perspective at signing the Liverpool forward is completely understandable.
That was the stance Real Madrid took earlier this week, amidst all the talk that Gareth Bale was the topic of greatest importance within the Bernabeu. Interestingly, follow-up reports seem to indicate that there is indeed a deal between the club and player for Suarez’s transfer, completely contrasting Perez’s initial thoughts on the subject.
For Suarez, it’s a move that’s befitting of his talent as a footballer. That’s not to take anything away from Liverpool. The issue here is that Suarez has spoken out about his discomfort at living and playing in England, with the ‘media witch hunt’ forcing him to consider a move abroad.
There’s no doubt that Suarez more than fits the bill of a candidate good enough to arrive at the Bernabeu as another Galactico. The player’s unpredictability on the pitch combined with his soaring goals record means that Real Madrid would be making waves with his capture, moving on from the disappointments of this season and attempting to re-launch their bid for a 10th European Cup.
Maybe there should be questions as to how Suarez would fit in at the Bernabeu alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. The club have looked to strengthen their position with Ronaldo going into this summer, making it absolutely clear that the Portuguese is set to head the revamped squad over the next few years. On paper, Suarez and the key players currently at the Bernabeu is a fascinating and thrilling mix.
Yet it wouldn’t be incongruous for some sections to have doubts about this move and the likely partnership. The evidence is all there, from very little return on Perez’s first Galactico movement and only two major trophies this time around. It all points to the fact that throwing the world’s best players together doesn’t always bring results. Or, and this one is even more significant, it says a great deal about Perez and his vision for the club.
It’s also important to look at the ramifications for Liverpool and how they might suffer from this. I’ve said in the past that if the club are as smart as they’re portraying themselves to be this year, they will stand firm on their value of Suarez and reinvest wisely. That doesn’t mean going out and grabbing the first big-name striker that becomes available. For all his goals and near-guarantees of big numbers each season, a player like Mario Gomez just isn’t the ideal fit for the players currently at Anfield. Moreover, Liverpool could go even further by reinvesting over a number of new arrivals, strengthening the base of their squad rather than just seeking to replace Suarez like-for-like. That means adding goals all over the pitch, bringing in centre-backs who are a step up from the produce of last season, and, hugely importantly, finding the replacement for Xabi Alonso to complement the forwards currently in the team.
What Suarez’s departure will do to Liverpool over the short-term is act as a hammer blow to their ambitions and targets for next season. It will feel like ground has been lost and all the progress of last season has been washed away. But there can be positives from this, especially for their image. Like Madrid, Liverpool need to compose themselves after some of the controversies of the last few seasons. No matter how good he was, Suarez did punch holes in Liverpool’s targets on each of the occasions where he picked up lengthy bans. If he remains at Anfield, who’s to say those manner of incidents are truly in the past?
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With such a low transfer budget reported to be on the table for Brendan Rodgers, picking up a significant boost from the sale of Suarez can be the silver lining. It’s times like this where Liverpool have to find their resolve and add credence to the notion that no player is bigger than the club.
West Ham will go through good patches and bad patches next season, but they should finish mid-table comfortably.
Andy Carroll will be a huge factor on where West Ham end up finishing. If he can remain fit for the season, after he returns from injury, he will be a major force to be reckoned with.
The signing of Stewart Downing by Sam Allardyce strongly suggests that he expects Carroll to be the focal point for the Hammers this season.
He has also endeavoured to tighten up at the back with the signing of experienced campaigner Razvan Rat from Shakhtar Donetsk.
Players in: Adrian (Real Betis) Free, Andy Carroll (Liverpool) £15m, Stewart Downing (Liverpool) £5m, Razvan Rat (Shakhtar Donetsk) Free, Danny Whitehead (Stockport County) Undisclosed.
Players out: Carlton Cole (released), Robert Hall (Bolton Wanderers) Compensation yet to be agreed, Jake Larkins (Leyton Orient) Free, Gary O’Neil (QPR) Free, Jack Powell (Released), Jami Rafati (Released), Eoin Wearen (Released).
Player to watch: Andy Carroll – a true return to form will see Carroll move back into contention for a place in the England squad. The 6ft 3in hit man is unplayable on his day and with the likes of Matthew Jarvis, Joe Cole and now Stewart Downing ready to supply him with crosses galore, the ex-Newcastle man has a great chance to right his name into West Ham folklore.
Young player to watch: Ravel Morrison – those that have recognised the potential Morrison has have simply been waiting for the ex-Manchester United man to make a real breakthrough. He has represented England at U16, U17 and U18 level, and spent last season on loan at Birmingham, where he gained invaluable first-team experience, making 27 appearances for the Blues. Certainly, if he does fulfil his promise, West Ham will have a special player on there hands.
Player needing to improve: James Collins – when the Welshman is on his game he is an invaluable asset for West Ham. Hammers fans will want to see an improvement in consistency from Collins though. He has been known to make costly errors, but if he can eradicate those, he will be a massive aid to Sam Allardyce’s plans.
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After Manchester City’s 6-0 drubbing over Tottenham on Sunday, the Citizens sit in fourth position in the Premier League, only six points behind league leaders Arsenal who they face in a couple of weeks time.
So you would think that everything at the Etihad is rosy with their league position being healthy, they’ve got the best goal difference in the league and, they have scored thirteen goals and conceded one goal during the course of November. A very good month indeed, however, despite this early success, Manuel Pellegrini’s future looks in doubt.
When new, foreign owners tend to buy English football clubs, they pull the trigger to early on managers who have hardly been given a chance to show how well they can manage a club; Andre Villas-Boas and Luis Scolari at Chelsea were prime examples of gaffers not being given enough time to win over the fans after bad results, and ended up paying the ultimate sacrifice by losing their jobs.
Even though Pellegrini’s team is doing well at home, their away form is shocking. In their first twelve league matches this season, City have only won one of their first six away league games, losing four and drawing one. In three of these away games, the defeats were due to goalkeeping mistakes from Joe Hart, England’s number one goalkeeper, and for a team who want to challenge for the title, this isn’t good enough and they need to improve quickly.
Their sublime home form has somewhat distracted the media attention away from their shocking away form this season, and if that were not to improve over the course of these season, then City’s title challenge will be hard to maintain, as history shows that Premier League winners need to have good form both home and away.
City are still gelling with their new gaffer Manuel Pellegrini, as the Chilean is still looking for his strongest starting XI, but, he needs to find his strongest team soon, otherwise, it could be too late for the Chilean.
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We’ve seen in the past that Mansour Al Nahyan (City’s owner) isn’t scared of pulling the trigger early on managers who haven’t performed. Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini (despite winning the league), are managers who have faced the angry typhoon of the City owner, and if this away rut were to carry on, City could be managerless during the mid way point of the season.
As the top-flight season now enters December, it is a source of not inconsiderable surprise that it is Arsenal who head the Premier League table.
The emergence of the rejuvenated Gunners has shocked many this season, with their win against a resilient Southampton side last weekend the latest in a series of impressive victories.
Now, with the side four points clear from second-placed Liverpool, the question as to whether Arsene Wenger’s plans are finally coming to fruition has never seemed more justified and is one that fans will be praying is answered in the affirmative.
On the face of it, this would seem the most plausible response. The team, a careful mixture of emerging stars and experienced elders, have lost just four matches so far this term and appear to have stumbled upon an attacking formula that makes them look dangerous each time they go forward, a facet that has been painfully absent in recent years.
This, coupled with the inconsistent starts of many of their title rivals, now has supporters daring to dream that their long wait for a trophy, which stretches back to the FA Cup win of 2005, might finally be over.
It is a stark contrast to the beginning of the season, where a 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa on the opening day made the North Londoners look like stronger candidates for relegation than the league title.
As the weeks have past however, they have improved unrecognizably, lurching to the top of the table and ramming their advantage down their rival’s throats in the process.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this turnaround has been the response to their defeat at Manchester United. Having gone ten league games without defeat, many suspected that a loss to a big side would derail their confidence, a prediction that has failed to come to pass. Indeed, if anything, it has served to have the opposite affect, with the 2-0 win over Southampton being followed by another over Marseille in the Champions League.
At last then, Arsenal have developed an ability to bounce back from adversity and criticism and now for the first time in years look likely to win every game they play.
Much of the credit for this must go to the form of striker Olivier Giroud. As well as scoring like a true number nine, the Frenchman’s movement has been pulling defences apart, allowing the mercurial Aaron Ramsey and the rest of the midfield to create slick passing moves and effortless goals.
Indeed, not since the departure of Thierry Henry to Barcelona in 2007, has the side looked as complete as it does now. With the new-look Ramsey giving the strong midfield a goal-scoring outlet to add to their already aesthetically pleasing build-up play. Whilst the defence, although at times a touch brittle, looks better than it has done in a very long time.
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And so we march onward to the New Year and the January transfer window. Though the likely activity of Wenger during this period will be difficult to predict, one thing that is certain, is if Arsenal can continue to scalp teams outside the top five, and pick up a few points against those in it, then their wait for a domestic trophy is likely to be over.