A Sunday showdown with Manchester City in the semi-final of the FA Cup gave Arsenal the chance to get away from what has been a largely underwhelming Premier League campaign – not to mention a run of results in the top flight that has seen them claim just ten points from their last nine games.
And the Gunners duly took the opportunity to provide some respite for their disillusioned fan base, coming out on top in a tricky tie against the Citizens that could have easily gone the other way. Indeed, there was very little to choose between the two sides at Wembley – in fact, City produced more attempts at goal, hit the bar and the post and even had a potential winner wrongly chalked off.
Nonetheless, Arsenal’s ability to remain composed and steer their way through to the final of the FA Cup for the third time in four years remains the real story from Sunday’s action – but who was the leading protagonist? Was it one of the Gunners’ goalscorers – Nacho Monreal and Alexis Sanchez – or does someone else deserve the Man of the Match award? Let us know by voting below!
As reported by The Daily Record, Brendan Rodgers is refusing to entertain the notion of Celtic’s unbeaten season, for fear getting carried away could cost them a domestic treble of trophies.
What’s the story?
Celtic are on the verge of an unprecedented season, just a few matches away from going the entire campaign unbeaten in all three domestic competitions.
However, for Rodgers, it’s not something he wants to hear over the next month with plenty of work left to do if they are to achieve their ambitions.
As quoted by The Daily Record, he said:
Listen, I just don’t tend to think too much about it. When you win games there is a consequence of that so if we beat Aberdeen in the Final it’ll be, ‘Okay, it’s nice’. I’ve said before, it’s very dangerous to think otherwise. Never get too carried away in this game. I’ll repeat it, a slap on the back is only six inches from a slap on the a***.
Celtic fans will enjoy hearing that their manager is still so focused on the tasks ahead rather than indulging in self-congratulation.
The Hoops are back at it again on Saturday when they travel to Ibrox to take on Rangers for the sixth and final time this season. After brushing their great rivals aside so easily on Sunday, it’s a match fans will be expecting to win.
After that match there are just four league encounters left, all winnable, and if they manage to come through that unscathed then the prospect of the unbeaten campaign all come down to May’s showpiece Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen.
After such an impressive season, perhaps the drama is just getting started for Brendan Rodgers and his team.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Jozo Simunovic is a wanted target for the likes of Sevilla, Torino and RB Leipzig this summer, but Celtic aren’t keen on selling.
What’s the story?
Simunovic has emerged as key figure in the heart of the Hoops defence this season, becoming the first choice star ahead of Erik Sviatchenko and Dedryck Boyata.
The Mail reckon four clubs on the continent are interested in Spain, Italy and Germany but Brendan Rodgers sees him as having a big future at Celtic Park.
As quoted by the paper, Rodgers said:
He’s only a boy really at 22 years of age and developing very, very well. He’s got all the attributes and still has improvements to make, of course, but if you’re a top club you would want someone like him. He’s very much a part of what we’re building here.
Holding on to key stars will be a huge part of Rodgers summer. Some players have been in such good form that they’ll undoubtedly attract interest from big clubs in the months to come.
As well as keeping the core of the team together, Celtic will now doubt be spending money of their own and The Mail say that the club will have up to £15m to spend on three to four players when the window opens.
That’s not an insignificant amount of money, especially in Scotland and supporters must be growing increasingly excited about what is in store over the next few months.
Rodgers’ priorities
In order to progress in Europe and improve on this season’s showing in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, where they finished fourth, Rodgers needs to use that reported £15m wisely.
A central midfielder would be a good place to start to provide competition to his Scottish star trio of Stuart Armstrong, Scott Brown and Callum McGregor. Nir Bitton is only one of a few at the club this season who haven’t been stellar.
A defender would go down well with fans too. Kolo Toure is ageing and there are questions marks over Erik Sviatchenko after some shaky performances in 2017.
There’s also the matter of replacing Patrick Roberts. He has more assists than anyone at the club this season but will be returning to Manchester City in the summer. The Hoops must fill that hole with real quality.
Chelsea are the 2016/17 Premier League champions, but the hard work is only just beginning for Antonio Conte. Only one foreign manager has successfully retained the English title before – Jose Mourinho – and no club has managed it in the last eight attempts, harking back to Manchester United in 2009. Conte may have adapted to the Premier League with surprising ease, but next season will be the real challenge – the greatest and most difficult of his managerial career.
Silverware can only be enjoyed until the first game of next season; just ask Jose Mourinho – one of the most decorated and gifted managers of the Premier League era, who left Chelsea in disgrace and just above the relegation zone seven months after guiding them to the English crown for the third time. Circumstances, momentum, form and fortune change at an incredible pace in the Premier League, but even more so at the division’s summit. When things go wrong at a top club, they can quickly spiral into disaster – once again, something Mourinho can pay direct testament to. The only remedy is pre-emptive ruthlessness.
Concerningly for Conte, he now faces many of the challenges his predecessor failed to overcome, that lead to arguably the most infamous sacking and statistically the worst title defence in Premier League history. Choruses of ‘Don Tonio’ may ring around Stamford Bridge after every Blues win, but Roman Abramovich is an unforgiving paymaster and there’s always somebody waiting in line to take a job at a club of Chelsea’s stature.
Another Chelsea collapse of 2015/16 magnitude seems improbable, even in world football’s most predictable top flight. But there is already the danger of Conte becoming a victim of his own early successes if the Blues don’t start the season strongly and remain in the title race until the latter stages of next season. Intertwined with Conte’s mission to successfully defend England’s domestic honour, or at the very least mastermind a convincing attempt, is his own survival. That, however, that will hinge upon succeeding where Mourinho spectacularly faltered.
The largest, most visible and immediate obstacle is summer recruitment, one of the underlying factors behind Mourinho’s disastrous 2015/16 that not only impacted Chelsea’s performances on the pitch but seemingly fractured relationships behind the scenes, particularly with technical director Michael Emenalo. There were unquestionably other forces at work, but a failure to improve Chelsea’s starting XI coupled with a poor pre-season created a feeling of underwhelm from the very start of the campaign. From there, matters seemed to snowball out of control.
Perhaps more instrumentally, it didn’t increase Mourinho’s faith in a squad he’d rotated reluctantly en route to the title, it left Chelsea’s tactics worryingly predictable and it didn’t increase competition within the squad – neither Chelsea’s increasingly apathetic regular starters nor the opposition were kept on their toes. Furthermore, when Mourinho did begrudgingly bring in the squad additions signed in the summer, they didn’t have the quality or experience to lift Chelsea out of their malaise.
Conte has used more players than Mourinho did in his bid for the crown and has selected the right players for the right occasion smartly – particularly his utilisation of Cesc Fabregas – but the Italian finds himself facing similar dilemmas. Teams will be more prepared for the 3-4-3 game-plan next season and this Chelsea side has already shown a willingness to rest on its laurels. The big question, of course, is how to improve a starting XI that has proved so balanced and effective as a collective unit. Mourinho failed to find an answer as Chelsea’s recruitment department went for squad options instead, but just like in summer 2015, that simply won’t be enough for Conte to carry momentum over into next season.
If Conte is to fare better than Mourinho, Chelsea’s transfer policy this summer must be nothing short of ruthless – both on the inward and outward fronts. Fan favourites like Willian, Pedro, Nemanja Matic and even Gary Cahill may have to be sacrificed to bring in younger, hungrier alternatives who can push for key roles in the starting XI. Alexis Sanchez instantly comes to mind; although a deal with Arsenal may seem unrealistic, that’s exactly the kind of business Chelsea will have to pull off this summer – not only improving their own first team but also weakening a direct divisional rival.
Likewise, Chelsea need a striker who can truly compete with Diego Costa, if not overtake him in Conte’s plans. The Spaniard is world-class when in top form, but such spells are erratic and he can’t be depended on for a full season. It can certainly be argued Costa’s barren spell from January to March would have been much shorter if an understudy was truly pressuring him for a starting spot. Michy Batshuayi failed to provide that competition. The other obvious department requiring attention is right wing-back – for all Victor Moses’ servitude this season, Chelsea need a specialist if they’re to jump up to the next level.
Additionally, Conte needs to find a genuine Plan B. The switch to 3-4-3 has proved the difference in this season’s title race, the Italian unearthing a balanced, winning formula while the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mourinho were still getting to grips with the squads they inherited, but the rest of the league will know what to expect from the Blues by the time 2017/18 comes around. Mourinho stuck by his 4-2-3-1 principles with an almost painful stubbornness, as if to vindicate himself and condemn his players, and Conte needs options to make sure he doesn’t fall into the same trap.
Similarly, tactical variation is becoming the name of the game in the Premier League and particularly for the six-point affairs at the division’s summit, which have become almost clashes of philosophies and ideas more than anything else. Chelsea’s record against top six sides this term is actually poor in comparison to their champions status and in a league where the difference between the big six and the rest of the pack is widening, that could well be their undoing next year. Conte needs signings who can spring a surprise on his Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, Manchester City and United counterparts.
But perhaps a less obvious yet equally pivotal problem shared with Mourinho in summer 2015 is the impending departure of a dressing room leader. John Terry’s last Premier League start came in September and in terms of performances, Chelsea have coped well without him – in fact, the other options at Conte’s disposal are far better suited to his three-man defensive setup. Nonetheless, the Chelsea captain still has an intrinsic impact behind the scenes and Conte will need to find a way of replacing that.
Chelsea’s last Premier League title was Petr Cech and Didier Drogba’s curtain call and their subsequent exits in the summer had as big an effect on Chelsea’s collapse the season after as any other factor. It took away an abundance of experience from Chelsea’s squad and former team-mates failed to adequately fill their voids, something which made Mourinho’s job all the more harder as players turned to him, rather than those who lead the dressing room, for all the answers.
Whilst Chelsea’s players may have grown in stature since then, Gary Cahill particularly has excelled in the role of matchday captain, it remains to be seen if they’ve truly learned their lessons from last time or still attach the lion’s share of blame to Mourinho – are they ready to take responsibility upon themselves, or do they still need a character like Mourinho or Conte to be the driving force? Terry has shown he can provide that throughout his career and his ability to lead is as strong as Cech and Drogba’s combined. That’s a massive presence Chelsea will be losing; once again, one that Conte may have to address via the transfer market.
Of course, it’s not all simply about splashing the cash in the summer and Conte is clearly an exceptionally talented coach, but staying power is increasingly waning in the Premier League – even Claudio Ranieri got the bullet after pulling off the greatest feat in the history of English football at Leicester City – and the level of competition at the top of the division is nothing short of unprecedented. It was probably underestimated by Chelsea’s hierarchy the last time the title was in their possession.
If Conte is to remain Don Tonio, he must make sure the club doesn’t stand still. Achieving that, however, will require overcoming the challenges Mourinho couldn’t – and making some incredibly tough, incredibly bold decisions during the summer.
Now that the league campaign is over and there’s now just one match remaining in Celtic’s season, fans have been reflecting on Brendan Rodgers’ first season in charge, turning their attention to one scenario that may have seen this term turn out very differently for them.
David Moyes left his position at Sunderland earlier this week after a disastrous season in the English Premier League that resulted in their relegation.
Prior to taking that position at the Stadium Of Light and before Rodgers was appointed Celtic boss, Moyes was one of the front runners for the vacant Celtic post in the wake of Ronny Deila’s departure.
The former Hoops player even revealed when he took up the post at the Black Cats that he turned down the opportunity to lead Celtic into a new era.
It’s fair to say that Hoops supporters are delighted that he didn’t become manager given the way Rodgers has already made himself a modern legend at the club.
Had Moyes been in charge, would they have had even close to the same success this season?
Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on it all…
An impressively fearless performance against Arsenal brought Dominic Calvert-Lewin to the attention of the wider public, but after scoring the winning goal in a World Cup final, his star has risen further.
His first cameo appearance in the Premier League came in a game where Everton played aggressively, and the youngster’s style fitted perfectly, but it was something of a turnaround game for Ronald Koeman’s short tenure at Goodison Park.
Despite losing the Merseyside derby to a late Sadio Mane goal in the following game, the victory over Arsenal showed that Everton were finally heading in the right direction, displaying a stronger midfield and high pressing game that hadn’t been seen for weeks.
Indeed, before beating the Gunners at home in December, the Toffees had won only one Premier League game since mid-September. It’s easy to forget the depths of the poor performances in that period, and the nadir was a 5-0 defeat away to Chelsea in November. Beating Arsene Wenger’s side really was a watershed win.
But Calvert-Lewin’s arrival onto the pitch for the final 11 minutes shifted something of a change in Ronald Koeman’s approach. After Christmas, Everton started to field more young players, and the successes of the likes of Tom Davies have shown that to be the right move.
Every football fan adores watching their team’s academy graduates form part of the core of a winning side. For Everton fans this season, that has added a satisfying edge to what had been a frustrating season.
To come seventh after the last two years of failure under Roberto Martinez certainly marks an improvement, and the goals conceded tally also improved, showing a strengthening of arguably the weakest area of the team. At the same time, though, keeping hold of a player like Romelu Lukaku was always going to be difficult if Champions League football wasn’t achieved, and the Toffees finished a long way from that.
Losing the best players in the team won’t help their chances of closing that gap next year. And so there’s a sense of pessimism and potential mediocrity, which is tempered by an equally palpable sense of optimism at the job that Koeman is doing, especially with the young players coming into the fold.
It’s hard to get away from the idea that Everton are stuck in seventh place with no hope of leaving it. But it’s also easy to forget just how much this team has improved, and how exciting their future could be.
This summer, there’s a similar optimism taking place around the entirety of the English footballing world. With the successes of the U20 side in reaching the final of the World Cup – an achievement not to be understated given that this is only the second time at any age group that an England team has reached a final of a World Cup – an entire nation finds itself in a similar position to Everton fans right now.
England’s performances in the last major tournament were so far below expectations as to be almost depressing for the country. Now, performances seem to be picking up slightly, even if the national team is a long way from being able to compete at the World Cup next year. A lot like Everton in the Premier League, they find themselves in a sort of a no-man’s land, caught between the best international sides and the rest.
But it probably shouldn’t be surprising that the current Everton side should feel like the barometer of this broader phenomenon in English football. In the U20 side performing so brilliantly in South Korea are five Everton players, more than from any other club.
These are exciting times for Everton specifically, but with the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin being given a chance not just by England’s youth setup, but also by his club manager in the Premier League – where he made 11 appearances and scored his first goal in a 4-0 win over Hull City – it contributes to a feel-good factor, even if league position alone wouldn’t necessarily point to optimism.
In a Premier League era where results matter above all else, and even winning competitions like the FA Cup and Europa League are only considered valuable when they come attached to Champions League qualification, that might be a very important state of mind to have.
Unlike other clubs who spend millions of pounds on youth academies only to spend more bringing established players who stunt the growth of the youngsters, Everton’s policy of actually giving youngsters like Calvert-Lewin a chance is not just refreshing, it’s of vital importance.
It’s no coincidence, then, that Everton have provided the successful England U20 side with more players than any other club, and it’s probably no coincidence that the Toffees are one of the few clubs who can actually feel optimistic for next season despite reports that they are about to lose their best player to Chelsea for a monster fee.
Maybe then Calvert-Lewin and his England and Everton colleagues will get even more of a chance next season.
Slaven Bilic’s seat is still rather hot after a disappointing second season in charge, and a bad start to the season could bring him the ax.
West Ham’s opening fixture of the season doesn’t provide much hope as the Hammers travel to Old Trafford to take on Europa League champions Manchester United. If Bilic can resurrect his away giant killing prowess from his first season in charge, the Hammers will be a side to reckon with and game week one provides the perfect opportunity.
The London Stadium was far from a fortress last season as the Hammers struggled to get comfortable in their new home. The club will get a chance to find its home footing in week two against Southampton, another club that fell below their own expectations last season.
The home side has won the past four matchups between the Hammers and Spurs, and Bilic will have the first opportunity to continue the trend in late September.
December is West Ham’s most important month of the season, beginning with home matches against Chelsea and Arsenal three days apart. Away trips to Bournemouth, where Josh King’s hat trick sent the Hammers home disappointed last season, and Tottenham close out the month.
The club’s final two games of the season, away to Leicester and home to Everton, represent a great opportunity to take all six points to end the season on a high…
Some Leeds United fans aimed a dig at former manager Garry Monk after FC Twente midfielder Mateusz Klich sealed a move to Elland Road.
According to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Middlesbrough, who now have Monk in charge, made a late enquiry while Leeds were finalising details on a deal for Klich.
It is believed that Monk was interested in signing the Poland international last summer, as Sky Sports report that the 38-year-old recommended the player to the Leeds board when he became manager.
Monk was recently appointed the new boss at Middlesbrough after deciding to walk away from the Whites after just one season in charge.
On Friday, Leeds announced the arrival of Klich, who is Thomas Christiansen’s first signing since replacing Monk as head coach.
The midfielder, who has played in Poland, Germany and the Netherlands, scored six goals in 29 appearances for seventh-placed Twente in the Eredivisie last season.
Some supporters opted to remind Monk that he has missed out, while others expressed their joy in Klich’s arrival.
After such a successful debut season in charge of Celtic, Brendan Rodgers is in a strong position this summer. He has significant clout to bring in players he wants, with the freedom to spend significant amounts of money should he choose to.
You get the impression that the Hoops are far from finished their summer recruitment drive, despite already bringing two players to the club; Jonny Hayes and Kundai Benyu.
While full-scale revolution doesn’t need to take place at Celtic player, adding players of experience and quality would really enhance what is a pretty youthful squad.
The likes of Kieran Tierney, Moussa Dembele, Jozo Simunovic, Callum McGregor and Tom Rogic are all amongst the team’s top performers and each of them are still under 25.
The Hoops are hoping to make a splash in the UEFA Champions League group stages next term so attracting veterans who have played at the top level for years could make a huge difference.
Here are FOUR players with vast experience we reckon could do a job in the Celtic first team…
Sebastian Larsson
Seb Larsson is now a free agent after leaving Sunderland one the expiration of his contract at the end of June. Larsson spent six years at the Stadium Of Light, making over 200 appearances for the Black Cats. He’s been a regular in the English Premier League since making his debut for Arsenal in 2006 with a long spell at Birmingham City defining his career before his move to Sunderland.
A free-kick specialist who could add composure and technical ability to the heart of the Hoops midfield, he’d be the perfect back-up for the likes of Scott Brown who could do with some more rotation next season after playing out of his skin last term for close to 60 matches.
With 90 caps for his native Sweden, he has vast experience in a continental, international and tournament setting, the kind of high stakes experience that would make him a reliable hand in the UEFA Champions League.
Martin Caceres
Another free agent after a short spell with Southampton in the latter half of last season, Martin Caceres is another elite player with vast experience that could bring real quality to Brendan Rodgers’ first team.
The Uruguayan central defender has played for some of the world’s biggest clubs with spells at Barcelona, Sevilla and Juventus occupying the last nine years of his playing career.
Now 30 years old and looking for a new club, he could perform the kind of role at Celtic that Kolo Toure played last term; a veteran defender with trophy pedigree and European experience that can guide the Hoops’ young defence through important European occasions.
His 70 caps with Uruguay point to player who has the knowledge and know how to play in high pressure situations with the South American side excelling in continental and international competition over the last decade. He started the Copa America final in 2011 when Uruguay lifted the trophy.
Jozo Simunovic is still just 22 and with Dedryck Boyata out for a couple of months now and just Erik Sviatchenko really there to step in, the addition of a central defender is a priority and Caceres appears to tick all the boxes.
Lucas Leiva
Lucas Leiva’s ten year contribution to Liverpool was recognised in may when he received a special personalised trophy from the club, presented by Kenny Dalglish, in honour of his service for the Reds over the last decade.
He made close to 350 appearances for Liverpool in that time and often performed to a high level on a consistent basis, even overcoming the odd rough spell or two to emerge as a real fan favourite at the club.
He’s of course a player Brendan Rodgers knows well from his time at Anfield and in fact the Celtic boss got some of the best form of his career out of the Brazilian.
Still just 30 years of age but looking for a new home this summer, he has plenty to offer the Hoops in the heart of midfield and would be an excellent defensive option to bring in against teams that need a midfield spoiler deployed against them.
It has been a busy summer of transfer activity for Manchester United so far with a host of new players arriving at Old Trafford.
The likes of Victor Lindelof, Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku have been added to Jose Mourinho’s squad from Benfica, Chelsea and Everton respectively as they look to improve on their performance in the Premier League and also compete in the UEFA Champions League next season.
However, despite spending well over £100million this summer, it would not be a surprise to see further additions before the end of the transfer window.
We have taken a look at how Man United could potentially be lining up next season.
GK: David De Gea
Sir Alex Ferguson secured De Gea’s signature in 2011 for a fee of around £17.8million from Atletico Madrid. He did have a shaky start in his first season in the Premier League, but this was understandable due to his young age and the pressure involved with being signed for such a fee.
However, since then he has gone on to establish himself as not only one of the best keepers in the Premier League but in the world and has made 269 appearances for United to date.
RB: Antonio Valencia / Serge Aurier
Valencia has massively improved at United since he joined the club from Wigan Athletic in 2009. The 31-year-old has developed into one of the best attacking full-backs in the league since originally starting out as a winger. He was one of the first names on Mourinho’s team sheet last season and is likely to be a key player once again this time round.
However, despite Valencia’s success for United in the last few years, the club have been strongly linked with Paris Saint-Germain right-back Aurier this summer. If United were to land the 24-year-old full-back before the window slams shut, it would certainly make for an interesting competition between him and Valencia next season.
CB: Eric Bailly
The 23-year-old defender joined United only last summer for a fee of around £30million from Villarreal on a four-year deal. He did have some injury setbacks in his first season at Old Trafford, but still had plenty of time to show what he is capable of.
He made a total of 38 appearances and is likely to be a key part of Mourinho’s plans for the upcoming season.
CB: Victor Lindelof
Lindelof arrives in the Premier League as an unknown quantity despite United forking out a fee of €35million plus add-ons to secure his signature from Benfica this summer.
The 23-year-old clearly has a lot of potential and did impress during his time in Portugal. It will certainly be interesting to see if he can settle in English football as quickly as the likes of Bailly have done and go on to flourish next season.
LB: Matteo Darmian
On paper, the inclusion of Darmian at left-back does look to be the weakest link of this United starting line-up. However, the 27-year-old Italian has proved in the past that he is capable of putting in a good performance.
If he can be part of a settled United back four next season, then we might finally get to see the best of the fullback in a United shirt.
CM: Nemanja Matic
The fact that Mourinho managed to secure the services of the 29-year-old midfielder from Chelsea this summer remains one of the more surprising transfer deals so far.
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This is mainly because he has played such a key part in Chelsea’s recent success and made 151 appearances during his three-year spell there. His presence will, without a doubt, allow the likes of Pogba to play further forward next season.
CM: Paul Pogba
We definitely did not see the best of Pogba at Old Trafford last season as he struggled to deal with the pressure of having the £89.3 million price tag on his shoulder. He did show glimpses of his quality but found himself in deep defensive positions far too often.
Now that Matic has arrived, it should allow him to play further up the pitch where he is most effective, and this is a cause for excitement for United supporters.
CM: Ander Herrera
The 27-year-old Spanish midfielder is another player who had a slow start to his career at Old Trafford after joining from Athletic Bilbao in 2014. However, he really started to show his class in a United shirt last season.
He made 50 appearances in the last campaign, the most he has made since joining the club, and it is likely that he will be involved even more next time out.
RAM: Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The 28-year-old attacking midfielder joined United from Borussia Dortmund last summer in a deal worth around £27million on a four-year deal. Remarkably, Mourinho did not seem to utilise Mkhitaryan in the early stages of the campaign, but he became a vital player once he did get a run in the team.
He looked very impressive in the 41 appearances he made and is only going to be better next season now that he has settled into life in Manchester.
LAM: Ivan Perisic
The 28-year-old Inter Milan winger has been linked with a move to United continuously all summer, and it appears inevitable that the two clubs will eventually agree a deal for the player.
The most recent reports suggest that Inter could be willing to accept a deal which involves them getting a hefty fee as well as 21-year-old Anthony Martial on a season-long loan. This would certainly be an interesting deal and one which could work well for both parties.
ST: Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku’s arrival at Old Trafford for a fee of around £75 million plus add-ons worth up to an additional £15 million from Everton remains one of the biggest deals in this summer transfer window so far.
It will be interesting to see if the 24-year-old can continue his fine form in front of goal for United next season, and if he does, the Red Devils have an immense player on their books.
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