Pep Guardiola’s debut season at Manchester City hasn’t quite gone to plan.
We all knew the Spaniard would struggle to implement his famous philosophy and pick up the right results in an increasingly competitive Premier League, but few expected his Citizens side to be ten points off the top with 17 games still to go.
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And even less expected Guardiola to essentially throw in the towel after a shock 4-0 defeat at the hands of Everton, especially considering we’re still a good few months away from the end of the campaign. As quoted by The Guardian, he said…
“Yes. The first one is a ten-point gap and that is a lot. The second one is three points, so we have to see. I spoke with the players for the last three weeks to forget about the table, focus on the next game and do our best. After that, at the end of the season, we’ll analyse how our level was, our performance, the coach, the players. After we are going to decide.”
Realistic, unnecessarily pessimistic or shrewdly relieving the pressure on his players, we aren’t quite sure. So FootballFanCast decided to open up the debate to our readers earlier this week with a simple question; are fifth-placed Manchester City now out of the title race?
Well, the results are now in and FFC can exclusively reveal that a staggering 71% of the City fans who voted believe their side’s title bid is already over. Football FanCast, however, aren’t quite so convinced.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has placed Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez at the top of his transfer wishlist, according to the Daily Star.
What’s the word?
City failed to land Sanchez from Barcelona in 2014 due to Financial Fair Play restrictions, with the Chilean ending up at Arsenal instead.
Manuel Pellegrini was the man in charge of City then, and now current boss Guardiola is believed to be keen for the club to launch another move for the attacker.
The Daily Star reports that Sanchez is among a list of targets, including Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke and Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.
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City’s Premier League title challenge appears to be non-existent after they dropped 10 points behind leaders Chelsea after losing 4-0 to Everton last weekend.
So, Guardiola reportedly believes that he needs to heavily strengthen his team in order to get back on track for future seasons.
Would Sanchez to City be a good move?
The Chilean has nabbed 16 goals in all competitions for Arsenal this season, and any team would benefit having him in the squad.
City have individual talent, but they do not seem to be clicking as a team at the moment, with Guardiola suffering his worst ever league defeat as a manager at the weekend.
Perhaps the North-West club should put defensive targets as their priority due to the shaky performances at the back.
However, Sanchez would provide great competition for Sergio Aguero, and the pair together could be a formidable force.
From Sanchez’s point of view, Arsenal are currently two points above City in the league, but the North London outfit have so often faltered in their title bids, whereas their rivals have been crowned champions twice in the last five years.
It would be a good time for City to pounce considering that Sanchez is yet to agree a new contract at Arsenal, despite months of negotiations.
After seeing off Liverpool at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday, Hull City now have hope of staying in the English Premier League.
The Tigers are now just one point away from exiting the relegation zone after a fine performance against Jurgen Klopp’s side. The bottom six is volatile indeed with just two points separating 15th and 20th.
A key part of Hull’s new found confidence is the impact that manager Marco Silva has made since joining the club last month.
They were going nowhere fast under Mike Phelan and as this stat from Squawka shows, Liverpool were just the latest victims of Silva’s massive influence on their home form.
With home matches against Burnley and Swansea to come, Hull have every chance of digging themselves out of the hole they are currently in and securing Premier League football this season.
If they can perform like they did on Saturday against Liverpool consistently then it’s an almost certainty that will happen.
Sergio Aguero has received plenty of plaudits on Twitter after putting in a comeback performance in Manchester City’s dramatic 5-3 win over Monaco in the Champions League.
The Argentine, whose long-term future has come into question of late, scored twice to help City to a hard-fought victory at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side entered the half-time break 2-1 down, but Aguero’s strike levelled up proceedings 13 minutes into the second half.
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Radamel Falcao scored his second goal at the other end, but Aguero managed to find another equaliser before John Stones and Leroy Sane gave City a two-goal lead heading into the last-16 second leg in Monaco.
Following Gabriel Jesus’s arrival in January, Aguero has been struggling to hold down a regular starting spot, but in the 19-year-old’s absence – due to injury – the 28-year-old stepped up and added to his goal tally.
The forward has now netted 17 goals in all competitions, and fans threw deserved praise in his direction after the final whistle.
Football is half sport, half soap opera in the modern era. Players are athletes and characters, fixtures and matches, episodes and the mundane stories that surround games are whipped up into gossip by the ever-eager media. Purists will scoff at the changing of the beautiful game, but the bulk of fans enjoy all that goes with the goals and tackles, gleefully lapping up events such as Sky Sports’ Deadline Day coverage and analysing managers’ every word for even a crumb of unsaid meaning.
One of the great protagonists of the past 20 years in England is Wayne Rooney. Very much the Premier League’s Phil Mitchell, the Manchester United man has been the subject of cliffhanger moments on so many occasions and has been written off regularly only to surge back through an amazing plot twist that leaves us mouths-agape. Much like his Eastenders counterpart, ‘Wazza’ is nearing the end of his shelf-life (not in the same manner as Phil, we hasten to add), but we all know there is one last dum dum dum moment… and that could come in the shape of a return to the Queen Vic Everton.
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The Chinese Super League is supposedly calling Rooney, offering to make him the highest paid player in the history of the game with a contract worth a mooted £1,000,000-per-week – quite the statement, even given the vast wealth of the Far East nation’s football scene. One could quite easily forgive Rooney for packing up his rucksack and leaving Albert Square for good, but it feels just a little too soon. Granted, he’s surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time goalscoring record at Man United with his 250th strike for the club vs. Stoke in January and is already England’s leading marksman with 53, but at 31, there are still a few miles left in the tank, miles that would be wasted in the CSL.
In a narrative sense, Everton is the logical next destination. Rooney was raised on Merseyside, broke into the Toffees’ first team and enjoyed one of his greatest moments in the blue shirt as a 16-year-old when he drilled a last-minute winner past David Seaman in the Arsenal goal at Goodison Park. But, the storyline isn’t the only element of this joining-the-dots process that makes sense…
As alluded to above, Rooney is perhaps a little too young to effectively slip into retirement. He may have more games under his belt than most 31-year-olds, but even with the miles he’s covered it’s not yet the end. David Beckham joined MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy at a similar age in 2007 and quickly realised that he could still cut it in Europe, returning via two loan spells with AC Milan and a short-term contract in France at Paris Saint-Germain.
Football – Sydney FC v Los Angeles Galaxy – Telstra Stadium, Sydney, Australia – 27/11/07 David Beckham celebrates scoring a goal for Los Angeles Galaxy Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Brandon Malone Livepic
Interestingly ‘Becks’ retained his international aspirations despite moving across the Atlantic Ocean, which contributed heavily to winter returns to his home continent. However, the dead-ball expert’s Three Lions career entered a new phase when he opted for the States, with managers such as Fabio Capello no longer viewing him as an essential pick, which saw him falling an agonising ten games short of Peter Shilton’s all-time England appearances record, 125. Rooney is currently on 119 and will most likely overtake the one-time goalkeeper and add another record to his collection, but why risk it? He also has the prospect of captaining his nation at a World Cup when Russia 2018 comes around, a state of affairs that will be in jeopardy should he head to China, where the standard of football is, arguably, lower than that which Beckham was involved in with LA at the time.
Everton also presents the chance to stay in the Premier League. Rooney would not only be keeping his career going in one of the world’s best league competitions – a boost for his England hopes – but would be staying in a style of football he’s accustomed to and a country he’s at home in. Nobody is doubting the forward’s ability to cut it in the CSL, but no amount of money will ensure he settles in a country that is so vastly different to England in so many ways. Not only would it be home comforts that make Everton so appealing, there’s the very real prospect of being a first-team regular. Toffees fans may scoff at the notion of Rooney walking into Ronald Koeman’s XI, but the Dutchman would likely find a place for the experienced star, who still has plenty to offer in a footballing sense.
Football – FA Barclaycard Premiership – Everton v Arsenal – 7/01/04 Wayne Rooney – Everton in action against Ray Parlour – Arsenal Mandatory Credit : Action Images / Richard Heathcote 7/1/04
Staying with the theme of the Merseyside club, Everton themselves may be looking for a new striker come the summer. Rooney is no longer in Romelu Lukaku’s class, but with the Belgian’s future discussed every off-season, there is a very realistic chance that 2017 could be the year he heads away, leaving a void in both the forward position and the team’s talisman slot. Rooney’s ability to lead and lend advice to young players such as Ross Barkley could be vital in the progression of the club, too.
It would be a scriptwriter’s dream to see the 31-year-old make the short trip back down the M62 to Liverpool. Everton brought Rooney into the footballing world and it would be fitting to see his career in English football completed with a return. Narrative is not reason enough, but narrative is not the only reason this makes sense.
Chelsea could seal the Premier League title in just six games if things go their way and the celebrations could be especially sweet if that happens- as the Blues will clinch their crown at Old Trafford, in front of former boss Jose Mourinho.
Since switching to a three-man defence in the aftermath of a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in October, which left the Blues eight points behind then-leaders Manchester City, Chelsea have looked unstoppable and stormed to the top of Premier League with a tremendous 13-match winning run.
Currently sat ten-points clear of second-placed Tottenham, although City could reclaim that spot if they beat Manchester United in their game in hand, and The Sun has revealed a scenario of events that could see the title sealed in just six matches.
For that to happen, Chelsea would need to win their next six matches- which would take them to 81 points, 18 clear of second-spot and enough to land the title. Their success could have even be sealed earlier, had it not been to cup rearrangements.
Remarkably, that sixth match would be away to Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United on April 15th- just days after the two sides clash in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Mourinho was famously axed by Chelsea last season, following a woeful start to the campaign, but took charge of Manchester United in the summer and lifted the EFL Cup with the Red Devils this weekend.
Visit Britain are looking to find football’s biggest Super Fan, and with the significance of the Premier League certainly on the rise in the United States, they will have a lot of fans to choose from.
Whilst American Football and Basketball remain the iconic sports in the United States, that is something that is slowly changing. The emergence of divisions like the MLS are placing the focus on football – or soccer – and fans are steadily growing in numbers.
Indeed, some of the most passionate fans of football are from America – and if you are one of them, Visit Britain could be looking for someone just like you.
The prospect of the Premier League is not just an exciting one for American fans, but rather, it is one for American players too – and over the years, dozens of American soccer stars have moved across the Atlantic to try their hand in the Premier League.
Some have made it to the top of the game, whilst others have struggled, and the influence that they are all having in the Premier League is huge – but who has made the most sizeable impact? That is a hard thing to measure, but a good way of finding out is by looking at how many appearances each individual has made.
Do you think you could name the players with the most caps in the Premier League? Take the quiz below and see how many of the top 15 American appearance makers you can name!
Let us know how you do…
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Do you think you have what it takes to be Visit Britain’s biggest Super Fan? Click 0n the link below to find the details.
Leeds United moved a step closer to securing their spot in the Championship play-off positions at the end of the season as they beat second-placed Brighton and Hove Albion at Elland Road on Saturday, and they also kept their faint hopes of a place in the automatic promotion spots too.
The Whites are eight points behind the Seagulls and the same distance above seventh-placed Fulham with eight matches remaining, and supporters are starting to dream that the Yorkshire outfit are on the verge of a return to the Premier League after a 13-year absence.
Garry Monk’s side have had a number of star performers during the campaign that have helped them reach their lofty position, and the former Swansea manager will know that some especially have shown that they are ready to make the step up to the top flight.
Here are four Leeds United players that are ready to make the jump up to the Premier League…
Charlie Taylor
Britain Football Soccer – Liverpool v Leeds United – EFL Cup Quarter Final – Anfield – 29/11/16 Liverpool’s Divock Origi in action with Leeds’ Charlie Taylor Action Images via Reuters / Carl Recine Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative fo
The Leeds United academy graduate has been linked with a move to Premier League side West Bromwich Albion on numerous occasions over the last couple of seasons, and as a result of not being allowed to leave he chose not to extend his current deal with the club, which is due to expire in the summer.
The 23-year-old’s future at Elland Road is by no means settled though, and if Garry Monk’s side do win promotion then the impressive left-back could be persuaded to stay with the club he has grown up with as he would have achieved his goal of playing in the top flight.
Pontus Jansson
Britain Football Soccer – Norwich City v Leeds United – Sky Bet Championship – Carrow Road – 5/11/16 Leeds’ Pontus Jansson celebrates scoring their first goal Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Alan Walter Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representa
Leeds supporters probably wouldn’t have expected the Swedish centre-back to make quite the impression he has after he joined the club on a season-long loan deal from Torino last summer.
The 26-year-old has gone on to form a formidable partnership with Kyle Bartley at the heart of the Garry Monk’s side’s defence, and has established himself as a fans’ favourites with his committed performances.
Strong in the air and comfortable on the ball, Jansson – who will move to Elland Road on a permanent three-year deal at the end of the campaign – has all of the attributes to be a success in the Premier League.
Ronaldo Vieira
Britain Football Soccer – Liverpool v Leeds United – EFL Cup Quarter Final – Anfield – 29/11/16Liverpool’s Oviemuno Ejaria in action with Leeds’ Ronaldo Vieira Action Images via Reuters / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representa
He may only be 18 years of age, but the central midfielder has already shown that he has a maturity beyond his years with some fine performances in the middle of the park for the Whites this season.
The Guinea-Bissau born has been a regular fixture in the team this term and has formed a strong partnership with Liam Bridcutt in recent weeks – one that has been a part of why Leeds have been so solid defensively as they aim for promotion.
Chris Wood
Britain Football Soccer – Leeds United v Derby County – Sky Bet Championship – Elland Road – 13/1/17 Leeds’ Chris Wood celebrates after the match Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Craig Brough Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for furt
The 25-year-old is the top goalscorer in the Championship after netting 24 goals in 36 league appearances, and with a record like that you would fancy the New Zealand international to make the step up to the Premier League.
A great finisher and strong in the air too, Wood has all of the key ingredients to be a successful striker in the top flight, and he would surely continue to lead the line for Garry Monk’s men if they win promotion at the end of the season.
Leeds United defender Liam Cooper has been handed a six-match ban by the FA after being found guilty of stamping on Reading loanee Reece Oxford’s head during their defeat at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.
The incident happened in the 74th minute as the 25-year-old landed with his studs on Oxford, who was making a rare appearance after joining the Royals on loan from West Ham United during the January transfer window.
Cooper admitted the charge and the usual three-game ban was raised to five because the standard punishment was believed to be “clearly insufficient.”
A further match was then added because the Scotland international has already been sent off this term, although he served that on Tuesday night as Garry Monk’s side were beaten by Brentford.
It means that the centre-back won’t be available until the final day clash against Wigan, but some supporters weren’t too upset at the ruling.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction to the news…
Pep Guardiola will end a season without a trophy for the first time in his managerial career after Arsenal defeated Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday.
The FA Cup was the only thing left up for grabs for the Citizens, inconsistent results blighting their season in every competition. The best they can hope for now is a top four finish and the chance to have another go at the UEFA Champions League next term.
It appeared to be going to plan for City after Sergio Aguero raced clear and finished past Petr Cech on the hour. However, a Nacho Monreal effort and an Alexis Sanchez winner in extra-time means that it’s the Gunners who will now face-off against Chelsea in May’s final.
City fans are frustrated with Guardiola, feeling that the team should be doing better with him in charge and believing some of his decisions over the last 12 months have been the wrong ones.
One of those decisions is his continued reliance on Claudio Bravo, a goalkeeper who perplexes even the most patient of supporters.
After another poor defeat, he again took some of the blame, in what was perceived to be a shaky performance between the sticks.
Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the 34 year old Chilean goalkeeper…