Analysis

With yet more points dropped between the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal at the top end of the table, Tottenham Hotspur’s clash at home to Chelsea tonight sets itself up to be of the greatest importance for both sides.

For the Blues, a record 15th consecutive win opens up a nine-point-gap between them and 2nd place Liverpool, whereas a triumph for Spurs over their London rivals not only keeps Manchester United off their backs, but also sees them leapfrog 3rd and 4th placed Manchester City and Arsenal, as well as reducing the distance between themselves and top spot to seven points.

As both sides go toe-to-toe in tonight’s heavyweight encounter, Fresh Football has consulted its bubble of imagination to compile what we think an All-star Chelsea and Spurs combined XI would look like, relative to form. Here’s what we’ve conjured up:

Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris - Tottenham Hotspur

There is, without a doubt, very little between Hugo Lloris and Thibaut Courtois, who stand as two of the greatest shot-stoppers in the league, if not, the world.

Both come into the game with envious defensive records; Courtois has 11 clean sheets in the league to Lloris’ seven, but the latter has conceded just one more goal than the Belgian.

Last year was a totally different experience for Courtois, however, under-performing alongside his teammates in a season to forget for Chelsea. At the same time, no Premier League side conceded less than Spurs (and Man United), which is why Lloris takes our number one jersey.

Right Back: Kyle Walker - Tottenham Hotspur

As impressive as Victor Moses has been in his new-found right wing back role, there’s the argument that the Nigerian formerly considered “deadwood” would struggle defensively without the added back-up of a third centre back in Antonio Conte’s lauded 3-4-3 system.

Further north in London, there’s few who operate better at right back than Kyle Walker. Blistering pace, coupled with well-built physicality and technical ability sees the Englishman boss the entire right flank more often than not, making him vital to the way Spurs play.

Moreover, Walker already has four assists to his name this season from defence, one more than he managed last season, and so concludes one of the easier decisions we’ve had to make in this line-up.

Centre Back: Toby Alderweireld - Tottenham Hotspur

The Belgian’s transition to English football has been no less than impressive, joining the north London club from Atlético Madrid to steal some of the thunder surrounding his compatriot, Jan Vertonghen, in becoming the main man at the back.

Reliable, refined in possession and a notable aerial threat, Alderweireld combines traits that sees him stand as one of the league best centre halves, therefore taking this spot in our combined XI ahead of the likes of Gary Cahill and John Terry without question.

Centre Back: David Luiz - Chelsea

Many a human welcomed Chelsea’s £30 million signing of David Luiz, a man often synonymous with erratic defending, with smiles and laughter.

In its kindest form, his signing was branded as a complete panic buy in response to Chelsea’s failure to land the likes of Leonardo Bonucci and Kalidou Koulibaly in the summer, but the Brazilian defender and Chelsea fans alike will be sure to be giving some stick back to the numerous critics.

Since the Blues’ tactical reinvention, Luiz has seen the defensive set-up form around himself at the at the heart of the defence, subsequently seeing the 29-year-old go from strength-to-strength in his return to Stamford Bridge.

So much so has been his success with Conte’s tactical shift that he’s now touted as one of the favourites to finish the campaign in the Premier League’s Team of the Season, so it’s only fair that he sits Vertonghen out of this one.

Left Back: César Azpilicueta - Chelsea

Much like Kyle Walker, Rose plays a pivotal in Mauricio Pochettino’s high-pressing side, doing so well, but meanwhile the Spurs product excels going forwards, César Azpilicueta comes up trumps going in the opposite direction, hence why he’s played across Chelsea’s backline across the years. The Spaniard gets our vote.

Right Midfield: Pedro - Chelsea

Pedro looked to be on somewhat of a downward spiral in the past couple of seasons, falling out of favour at Barcelona before failing to crack life at Chelsea last season.

Things just abruptly clicked, however, after the Blues’ heavy 3-0 defeat away to Arsenal back in September, with Pedro scoring four goals, including one versus Spurs, and assisting six since the debacle at the Emirates.

With Erik Lamela still out injured and Willian only just now beginning to find his feet in the west Londoners’ new look outfit, Pedro claims his spot.

Centre Midfield: N’Golo Kanté - Chelsea

The first name on the team sheet. By now you will have already heard that N’Golo Kanté picked up more points alone than any other team in the Premier League since joining Leicester City in the summer of 2015. The man is just ridiculous.

Centre Midfield: Mousa Dembélé - Tottenham Hotspur

In the same vein as Kanté, Dembélé is equally crucial to a side hoping to get their hands on the coveted Premier League trophy.

Following recovery from injury in October 2015, Spurs didn’t lose once in his presence. Contrarily, once the Belgian was suspended for his ill-tempered altercation with Diego Costa back in May 2016, Spurs picked up just 12 points from their next 11 league games.

He was, undoubtedly, the cerebral driving force among the high praise solely directed at Dele Alli, Harry Kane, among others, and the aforementioned stars proved to be a lot poorer without Dembélé in the side. An underrated entity.

Left Midfield: Eden Hazard - Chelsea

A shining light in Chelsea’s side, Eden Hazard finally looks to be back to his best in a free role given to him by Conte.

Nine goals and two assists in the league sees the Belgian playmaker spearhead his way as one of the favourites to take the Player of the Year gong, so he’s got his place reserved in our squad.

Striker: Diego Costa - Chelsea

Rivalling his teammate, Hazard, to Player of the Year award has been Diego Costa, so, again, there was little chance of us leaving him out of this combined XI.

The Brazil-born Spain international has been taken to the next level by Conte, at least from a disciplinary perspective, as the 28-year-old leads the goal-scoring charts with 14 league goals so far.

Striker: Harry Kane - Tottenham Hotspur

For the second season running, after Euro disappointment, Harry Kane started the season rather tentatively, but alas the constant stream of goals appear to be following the Spurs number 10.

The striker’s brace versus Watford in Tottenham’s 4-1 win saw the Englishman hit double figures in the league for the season, his 59th overall after 100 Premier League games, making him hard to overlook.

Chelsea and Arsenal are set to battle over the course of the January transfer window for Wolfsburg left-back Ricardo Rodriguez, with both clubs reportedly keen on signing the Bundesliga man.

The Sun claim that Chelsea have made the first move in an attempt to secure the services of Rodriguez, with Antonio Conte keen to strengthen his squad ahead of the title race and run-in, which is set to reach boiling point in the next few weeks.

Arsene Wenger is also keen to bolster his defensive options ahead of a title push, which took a huge blow last point despite the Gunners earning a point against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium after being three goals down with just twenty minutes to go.

The Gunners currently have Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs in their squad that can fill in that left-back position, but Arsene Wenger is reportedly targeting this area for strengthening over the January transfer window.

The Blues have reportedly contacted the player’s agent regarding whether his client would be interested in a January switch to Stamford Bridge in an attempt to get negotiations underway.

Arsenal have been keeping track of the left back’s progress for a couple of months now, but Antonio Conte is keen on securing the services of Rodriguez for £21m as he starts his New Year squad strengthening ahead of the title run-in.

Who will win the race for Ricardo Rodriguez?

The 24-year-old seems like a player who likes to get forward and cause problems for the opposition defence. The left-back has scored two goals this season as well as providing two assists in 14 Bundesliga appearances. If he does enjoy getting forward and becoming an attacking threat down the left, then a move to Antonio Conte’s Chelsea might be the move for him.

Conte’s 3-4-3 system has proved to be a real success this season in the Premier League, with the Blues sitting proudly at the top of the table, despite a stuttering start to the season. The 3-4-3 formation allows a lot of freedom for those wing-backs. Although they have to work extremely hard down their respective wings, their positions give them a license to regularly join the Chelsea attack as well as help out defensive tracking wingers. This seems like a system that Rodriguez would enjoy playing in.

With Chelsea making the first move ahead of Arsenal, and with the Blues reportedly willing to offer £21million for the left-back, it seems that they are in pole position to sign the 24-year-old in this January transfer window.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton are all interested in signing a German sensation after all clubs were found to be scouting the midfielder.

A report from The Sun suggests that all four previously mentioned clubs have been extensively scouting impressive German midfielder Julian Brandt. The news was originally picked out from this piece in the Mail.

The 20-year-old wonder kid has been in exceptional form thus far this season and is scoring goals and assisting as Bayer Leverkusen attempt to get back on track and fight for the European places after a slow start to the season.

The impressive versatile midfielder has been in exquisite form in the first half of the season and has attracted interest from major clubs around Europe, as scouts from the four clubs mentioned were in attendance in Leverkusen’s matches in recent weeks.

Premier League top gun Manchester United and Arsenal are the most eye-watering names for the youngster whilst Spurs and the Toffees have also sent representatives out to check out his performances in the past.

Brandt is considered as one of the finest talents coming out of Germany in a new German era of colossal talents, with the player already being capped a handful of times for his country.

Something which will attract top clubs to this fine talent is his versatility, he can play on either wing and can also be deployed in the attacking midfield role, as he has the brilliant capability at driving at defences and attack the space provided.

The German youngster is tied down until 2019 with the Germans, and with the inflated prices with regards to the transfer market, any interested club will probably have to cough up around £25-30 million to secure his services.

It is clear why some of the biggest European top guns are sniffing around Leverkusen’s prized asset, he is quick, direct and technically superb on the ball. He has developed rapidly in recent seasons which is mostly down to his maturity, as his attitude is simply admirable.

Sporting director, Rudi Völler classes Brandt as “one of the most talented players in German football” and he is certainly living up to his high praise.

Being so young in his premature career, of course, he is not yet perfect, the German youngster needs to work on his defensive attributes as he often gets beaten too easily, or bypassed in a defensive phase.

Brandt has played a part in all 16 Bundesliga games for the German side thus far this season and has showcased his quality already. Predominantly playing on the wing, he has an eye for creating chances and has created 1.89 chances per 90 minutes already this season.

When he has the ball he will drift in from the wing and occupy the #10 space as he looks to drive at defences and create chances or use the byline as his attacking approach. As previously noted, he has already created chances this season but has managed 0.45 assists per 90 this season, an impressive end product, then.

All Premier League clubs mentioned with interest usually dominate play and have an identity of keeping the ball and racking up possession. Clubs like United and Arsenal would expect the winger to be efficient on the ball, and Brandt is OK in this area with 75% pass completion thus far.

Modern day football relies heavily on wingers contribution to goals, with the likes of Sadio Mané, Dimitri Payet, Eden Hazard and Alexis Sanchez all sharing the same versatility trait of being able to play anywhere across the front three midfield positions, with the latter also covering the #9 role.

These players all chip in with goals and are relied upon by their respected managers to score and create at will. Brandt, although not as efficient in front of goal as the players above, has still scored 0.15 goals per 90 thus far to show he has an eye for goal, although this is an area that will certainly need work on in the near future.

The exciting youngster would be a top class signing for any of the clubs mentioned and would certainly help boost competition for places within their ready-made squads. Although Leverkusen will be hopeful of keeping hold of their prodigious playmaker, a move to England could be the stepping stone he needs to reach the next level of his career which promises to be beautiful, as he looks to blossom from his colossal potential and reach the heights many expect him to reach.

Arsenal somehow managed to rescue a point at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday night against Bournemouth, despite being 3-0 down with just twenty minutes to go.

Right-back Hector Bellerin was at fault for the first goal when Charlie Daniels picked up the ball just inside the box. The Bournemouth man Bellerin with ease before finishing under the body of Petr Cech to fire the hosts into the lead.

Eddie Howe’s side were two goals to the good just a few minutes later. Ryan Fraser surged into the Arsenal box before Granot Xhaka carelessly bundled the midfielder over. Michael Oliver pointed straight to the spot. It was Callum Wilson who stepped up to give the home side a two goal lead.

The Cherries were in dreamland on the other side of half-time. Ryan Fraser beat Hector Bellerin to the ball, although there were suspicions of a foul, Fraser burst into the box and finished under Cech to put Bournemouth three up.

Things couldn’t have got much worse for Arsenal and Arsene Wenger as they looked to be heading for their third straight away league defeat. However, they were given a lifeline with twenty minutes to go. Olivier Giroud flicked the ball on for Alexis Sanchez to nod in at the back pots. It was game on again at the Vitality.

Just five minutes later, Lucas Perez scored a stunner to close the deficit to one. Giroud was the creator again, laying the ball off to the striker, who powered an excellent shot into the corner from a difficult angle past Artur Boruc.

Bournemouth looked as if they were going to see the game out, but it was Man of the Match Giroud that rescued Arsenal a point. The ball was hoisted into the box and the Frenchman rose the highest, turning his header into the back of the net to give the Gunners the unlikeliest of points.

Hector Bellerin had a terrible game, one of his worst in an Arsenal shirt. He was at fault for the first, and arguably the third too. There have been suggestions that the right-back is still struggling with a previous ankle injury, but that takes nothing away from how awful his display at Bournemouth was.

Despite crossing the ball three times, Bellerin won 0% of his tackles, 0% of his aerial duels and didn’t complete a single take on. Here is how Arsenal fans reacted on Twitter to Bellerin’s terrible display.

The fans have suggested that Hector must have been drunk, but Wenger has since confirmed that the Spaniard was one of a number of players to be playing the game with slight knocks.

Worst game I’ve ever seen played is today, by: HECTOR BELLERIN. #arsenal

He must be drunk

— Joe Orf (@JoeOrf305) 3 January 2017

Looking at the goals and Bellerin has probably had his worst 90mins in an Arsenal shirt against Bournemouth. He needs to learn from this

— Jimbob Magoo🇬🇾🇱🇨 (@OriginalJimbob) 3 January 2017

Whatever happened to Bellerin today though, he was terrible!

— Mazi Olisaemeka ™ (@OlisaOsega) 3 January 2017

So frustrating that three separate incidents of terrible individual defending cost us the win. Bellerin twice, Xhaka once. So, so stupid.

— ffsLucas #20believe (@ffsArsenaI) 3 January 2017

Bellerin should be fined for that performance, awful defender but that doesn’t matter because hes fast

— Marco (@MDD96) 3 January 2017

Bellerin is just a pace merchant. Awful defensively

— ㅤㅤㅤㅤ (@Hazardified) 3 January 2017

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for Arsenal’s away clash versus Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Bournemouth

Artur Boruc - 5.5

Rarely brought directly into action by Arsenal, the ex-Celtic stopper had little chance in stopping the efforts that did hit the target.

Simon Francis - 6.5

A solid performance that was later blemished by a red card for a late tackle on Aaron Ramsey.

Steve Cook - 6.5

Reliable for the most part, but his performance faltered as Lucas and Alexis Sanchez joined Giroud centrally.

Charlie Daniels - 8

An excellent first half, and game in general, coupled with a goal that could’ve sent Bournemouth on their way to a historic victory in the Premier League era.

Junior Stanislas - 7

Worked the channels well and threatened Čech’s goal on a few occasions. A real handful.

Dan Gosling - 7

Another lung-bursting performance from the box-to-box midfielder, although Gosling is sure to look back on his left footed effort in the latter stages of the game that could’ve regained Bournemouth’s lead.

Harry Arter - 7

The industrious midfielder didn’t disappoint, with his pressing proving priceless in rocking Arsenal to their core in the first half.

Ryan Fraser - 9

Direct and explosive, Fraser dug Bournemouth out from Arsenal’s spells of possession on the counter en route to scoring the Cherries’ third of the night. A constant threat out on the left flank that proved to be a huge bonus to the Gunners’ once he limped off.

Joshua King - 6

Plenty of industry provided from the man partnering Callum Wilson in attack, supporting counter-attacks and back-tracking at every given opportunity to help out his team.

Callum Wilson - 6.5

Claimed good ground in behind Arsenal’s defence with regularity. Overall, it was a good performance, more noteworthy for his work rate than anything else.

Subs:

Andrew Surman - 5.5

Came on to regain some control in the second half, which worked initially prior to Bournemouth amplifying the score line to 3-0, but the deep-lying midfielder and his team were caught retreated in their own half for far too long after Fraser’s goal.

Adam Smith - N/A

Brad Smith - N/A

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Arsenal

Petr Čech - 4.5

Question marks have begun rounding the veteran goalkeeper in recent weeks, and the former Chelsea man was again partially culpable in a game that saw Fraser score with a cheeky finish through his legs at the near-post.

Héctor Bellerín - 4

Among his worst performances in an Arsenal shirt, as all three of Bournemouth’s goals originated from Bellerín’s right flank.

Shkodran Mustafi - 4.5

There was a real lack of synergy in the backline awaiting Mustafi in his return to the first team. Often naïve in possession and made to look silly by the in-form Fraser, the German can at least polish up his invincibility record following Olivier Giroud’s late equaliser.

Laurent Koscielny - 4.5

Left chasing shadows for the best part of the game, with it being unclear whether his early substitution was related to any knock picked up in battle.

Nacho Monreal - 4.5

The 30-year-old has made steady progress on his form in recent weeks, but the likes of Stanislas looked adamant to bring Monreal back to square one, with varied success.

Francis Coquelin - 3.5

Struggled to impose himself early on versus Bournemouth’s pressing game and an injury midway through the first half robbed him the time to rectify that order.

Granit Xhaka - 5.5

His general play was decent, and Xhaka can even claim the assist from Giroud’s equaliser, but the penalty given away in the 20th minute does little to clear up his erratic image, meanwhile proving to be costly to his team.

Aaron Ramsey - 5

Fashioned a few half-chances for himself going forwards, but, clearly, he’s no Mesut Özil.

Alex Iwobi - 4

Nothing in this one from Iwobi, who might well be feeling the effects of two games in three days. Offered the rare hope for an Arsenal goal in the first half, but struck the ball wide.

Alexis Sanchez - 6

A very fiery version of Alexis Sanchez was on show again, as the Chilean dug deep to follow-up Giroud’s flick-on and kick-start Arsenal’s comeback in the 70th minute.

Olivier Giroud - 6.5

Even underperforming, Giroud came up big when it mattered most, assisting Sanchez for Arsenal’s first of the night and grabbing the headlines for himself with a late equaliser. Yet another clutch moment for the Frenchman this season.

Subs:

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 6

Not so inspirational going forwards, but Oxlade-Chamberlain did come up with a crucial 11th hour intervention on Fraser, as the Scot eyed up his second of the night one-on-one with Čech.

Lucas Perez - 6

Noteworthy in most build-ups late on and the proud owner of the goal of the night, driving in a left-footed volley from an acute angle.

Gabriel Paulista - 5.5

Steadied the ship a little at the back, though a deeper block from the home side made sweeping up possession a lot easier the Brazilian, but Gabriel was on hand to support the Gunners’ aerial threat that eventually earned them two goals.

Manchester United are lining up a sensational £80m move for Tottenham striker Harry Kane as a long-term replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho’s side currently sit 6th in the Premier League table, and CalcioMercato say that United are ready to splash the cash in the summer in an attempt to bolster their long-term attacking options.

However, the Daily Express say that in order for the deal to be remotely realistic, the Red Devils must secure a finish in the top four and Mauricio Pochettino’s side must miss out on a place in the Champions League.

Harry Kane made it a 100th Premier League appearance to remember, bagging himself a brace as Spurs began the new year in emphatic fashion with a 4-1 win over Watford at Vicarage Road. Kane did sign a new deal with Spurs as recently at November, but the Daily Express report that this might not be enough to keep him at White Hart Lane beyond next summer.

Kane is a proven prolific Premier League goalscorer as proved by his record, netting 59 times in 100 Premier League appearances, and is a player that every top flight club can only dream of having in their team.

Is this deal realistic, and could it happen in the summer?

The short answer to that question is in my opinion no. Spurs are in a very good stretch of form, winning their last four Premier League matches since their defeat at Old Trafford, making a move into the top four for the first time since October.

The way things are looking at the moment, Spurs are much more likely to finish in the top four than Manchester United, so come the summer, Spurs may have Champions League football, whereas the Red Devils may not.

Despite the wages that United would be likely to offer being very lucrative indeed, that might still not be enough to persuade Kane. The Englishman has repeatedly talked about how he wants to become a one-club man, become club legend and achieve great things with Spurs.

Mauricio Pochettino is building something special at Spurs. Performances in the Premier League have been good over the last couple of seasons, a new stadium is coming up in a few years, and the club are making huge steps to keeping this current team together. The future is bright for Spurs, and would Kane really trade all that in and leave White Hart Lane for a move to Old Trafford to an unsettled, inconsistent team. I very much doubt it.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for West Ham United’s home clash versus Manchester United in the Premier League:

West Ham United

Darren Randolph - 6.5

Came up with an important reflex save to deny Antonio Valencia a simple tap-in, with the Irish goalkeeper left with little to work with in denying the visitors’ two goals.

Håvard Nordtveit - 4.5

The weak link in West Ham’s defence, adapted at right back and fully exposed by Marcus Rashford’s entrance in the second half.

Winston Reid - 6

Kept the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic as quiet as possible throughout much of the game, eventually falling foul to an offside goal by the Swede.

Angelo Ogbonna - 6

Much like Reid, Ogbonna kept things tight as best as he could in what seemed to be an inclined pitch following Sofiane Feghouli’s early red card.

Aaron Cresswell - 5

Due to obvious circumstances, we didn’t see the ex-Ipswich Town full back bomb up and down the left flank as often as he would’ve hoped, taking away a key outlet in the Hammers’ attack.

Cheikhou Kouyaté - 5.5

Closed many avenues centrally but also tired substantially as the game went on, allowing for greater dominance by United.

Pedro Obiang - 6

Among the best in a West Ham shirt, evading the bodies situated in the middle of the park to set counters with the ball in his possession, but like his midfield counterpart, Kouyaté, Obiang appeared visibly fatigued in the latter stages of the game.

Sofiane Feghouli - N/A

In his first start for the London club, the former Valencia wide man was sent off rather controversially after just 15 minutes of football.

Manuel Lanzini - 6.5

The key threat going forward, somewhat muted following Feghouli’s red card.

Dimitri Payet - 5.5

Looked sharp in the early exchanges, but he also shrunk in size and effectiveness after Mike Dean’s controversial decision in the game’s infancy.

Michail Antonio - 4

The West Ham top scorer spurned a great chance one-on-one to give the hosts the lead and United weren’t so merciful soon after at the opposite end.

Subs:

Andy Carroll - 4.5

Came on in response to United taking the lead, but the man most likely to find him inside the box turned out to be the player he replaced - Payet. A missed opportunity from Slaven Bilić, rather than anyone else.

Edimilson Fernandes - N/A

Manchester United:

David De Gea - 7

As reliable as ever, De Gea came up with two big saves to deny Lanzini and Antonio a goal either side of the half time interval.

Antonio Valencia - 5.5

Arguably should’ve scored from close range, didn’t, but there’ll be few complaints from a defensive perspective, which is never a bad thing.

Phil Jones - 6

Another clean sheet for the file, strengthening the defender’s case to enter the defensive equation definitively in the José Mourinho era.

Marcos Rojo - 6

Started the game at centre back, ended it at left back. Solid, once again, in both positions, as his versatility begins to prove fruitful.

Matteo Darmian - 5

Victim of a tactical shift at half-time that saw Juan Mata replace him against 10-man West Ham. A solid, if insignificant, first-half performance by the Italian.

Michael Carrick - 6.5

Very sound in conducting United’s search for a goal, keeping them composed, as they eventually broke through the Hammers’ barricade.

Ander Herrera - 6.5

Typically kept play ticking, pressed high to retain possession and provided a threat late in the second half, as the game opened up. Good again from the Spaniard.

Paul Pogba - 6.5

In the same boat as Herrera, the multi-million pound man grew as the game went on, going close to goal himself a couple of times in the second period.

Jesse Lingard - 4

Hit the post from just yards out in United’s clearest goal-scoring opportunity in the first period, as the 24-year-old failed to inflict damage upon a compact West Ham side prior to be replaced by Marcus Rashford.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan - 5

Not his finest performance of late, with space to operate in proving to be limited.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 5

Starved of service for the best part, but Ibrahimovic still managed to add a goal to his name, despite being in an offside position.

Subs:

Juan Mata - 6.5

The goal scorer of yet another crucial goal for the Red Devils, as he tipped the balance once more in United’s favour.

Marcus Rashford - 7

The key to unlocking the game, Rashford was able to cause disruptions down the left flank and, crucially, assist Mata for the game’s opening goal.

Chris Smalling - N/A

Chelsea are top of the Premier League table, but according to reports, Antonio Conte is still looking for reinforcements in the January transfer window, and is not afraid to spend big in order to land his key target.

Southampton’s Virgil Van Dijk is at the top of Antonio Conte’s January wishlist, having impressed the Chelsea boss with a strong string of performances on the south coast. In fact, the Italian has been so impressed with the Dutch international so far this season that he is prepared to pay up to £60m for his services according to the Daily Express.

The Blues are on a highly impressive winning streak in the Premier League that stretches back thirteen games, a run which has seen Conte work his magic since the switch to a three-at-the-back system following the loss at Arsenal.

Chelsea are top of the league, and Conte is keen to consolidate their position at the summit of the top flight, and sees the signing of Virgil Van Dijk as a way of strengthening the defence and helping Chelsea to lift the Premier League trophy come May.

Southampton boss Claude Puel is reportedly adamant that Van Dijk will not be leaving the club over the January transfer window. With this knowledge, Conte is ready to make an offer that Southampton simply cannot refuse that will make Van Dijk the latest big player to leave St. Mary’s in the last few years.

Despite sitting 9th in the Premier League table, the Saints have struggled in front of goal, scoring just nineteen goals this season, often having to rely on their defence for results. Despite conceding six goals in their last two games, Southampton’s defensive record remains solid, shipping 23 goals in total this season.

A £60m deal would not only see Virgil Van Dijk make the move to Stamford Bridge, but it would also see Pep Guardiola at Manchester City miss out on one of his key targets. Manchester City’s defensive problems have been well-documented this season despite the £47.5m signing of John Stones over the summer. Guardiola also appears keen to bolster his defensive options over the January transfer window.

Is this deal possible or likely?

Yes, the deal is possible. Chelsea could well offer £60m for Van Dijk at some point in January. They certainly have the financial capabilities to do so, and I am sure £60m for the defender is an offer that Southampton would not be able to refuse.

Is it likely though? Not for me. Chelsea’s defence has been very good this season, and they hold the best defensive record in the Premier League, conceding just thirteen goals this season. If they were to look to bolster their defensive options, Chelsea might do that with a £60m bid for Van Dijk in the summer, but I can’t see this deal happening in the January window.

Liverpool Football Club are reportedly considering a very ambitious move this winter with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain topping their wish list with the January transfer on the horizon.

Jürgen Klopp has identified the England international as an ideal addition to his red-hot squad and sees Chamberlain as an ideal temporary replacement for Sadio Mané, who is set to leave Liverpool in January to link up with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations. According to The Telegraph, the Reds are considering a bid.

Chamberlain has just 18 months left on his current Arsenal contract and there has been no sign of contract negotiations beginning despite Arsene Wenger insisting he wants the 23-year-old versatile midfielder to sign a new deal and extend his stay with the Gunners.

And according to the Telegraph, Chamberlain has been told very positive things about Jurgen Klopp with England compatriots Adam Lallana and Jordan Henderson singing his praises whilst away on England duties.

Arsenal, who have many players with just 18 months left on their contract find themselves in a very sticky position regarding the Ox, they could sell this winter for a fee of around £25 million or risk him not renewing his contract and losing him for free next summer, something the Gunners will be reluctant to let happen.

There is plenty of evidence to show why Klopp is chasing the England man who is also being scouted by the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City extensively with contract talks yet to take place. Chamberlain has also scored six goals and provided six assists thus far this season, being his best yet for the club.

But, there is growing frustration from Chamberlain’s side, wanting to seek more regular game time, with himself admitting it is frustrating to continuously be subbed off after the hour mark.

Chamberlain said; “There is that in my mind that I do want to get more game time. There comes a time in your career where you have to re-evaluate things and think, ‘Is that going to be here or elsewhere?’ which is a clear warning to the Arsenal manager.

Liverpool lose their star summer signing Mané in the next week to due international commitments, and as they stand just six points behind Chelsea, they may feel a signing of Chamberlain’s calibre will help them push on to catch and hopefully overtake Chelsea.

The Reds managed to deal with the absence of Philippe Coutinho who is due back imminently, but heading into the crucial part of the season they cannot afford to lose the goals which Mané provides without having a ready-made star to take his slot.

Chamberlain’s versatility is a key attraction to Liverpool, with him having the ability to deploy many midfield positions including on either flank or in an attacking or defensive midfield role with all positions being tested with the Gunners, but yet able to cement a place.

A deal between Arsenal and Liverpool will be extremely difficult to materialise, though. Since the Luis Suarez saga, there is certainly some sour feelings between one and another, with Liverpool reportedly inserting a clause in Roberto Firmino’s contract which stop’s Arsenal signing him for less than £80 million which shows the extent to which they will go to.

Both Mane and Chamberlain predominantly play on the right flank for their clubs but have the ability to cut inside and interchange with others, playing the position both players occupy you are expected to have the ability to create chances and both players impress in this trait. They are inseparable with the amount of chances they have created thus far this season with Chamberlain and Mané creating 1.77 chances per 90 minutes.

Creating chances is a natural trait that wingers should carry, but being able to contribute with that and assisting others is also very key and important for the team. The Arsenal man has double the assists of the Senegalese international with 0.50 assists per 90 thus far with Mané behind on 0.24.

Another trait versatile wingers carry is key passes, it shows they’re efficient in offensive areas and has hawk-eye vision in getting behind defences with defence split passes. Mané impresses in this stat and has thus far managed 1.52 key passes compared to Chamberlain’s 1.26.

Wingers usually have great stamina and have the ability to take on their man with pace / beautiful skill and this is something in which both players possess. Chamberlain has great upper body strength and pace which allows him to beat his man whilst Mané has pace and elegant skill whilst having the ability to glide past and in behind his man. The Arsenal man comes out on top for successful take on’s with an immense 65.85% with the latter narrowly behind on 57.53%.

Liverpool are top goal scorers in the Premier League and with their excellent Mané leaving in January may look to the market to replace his goals/creativity. Chamberlain has managed just 0.25 goals per 90 thus far this season compared to the Liverpool man who has managed 0.49 after having a prolific time in front of goal.

As you can see, Chamberlain, at just 23-years-old would be a decent addition to any club in and around Europe as he is still yet to fulfil his colossal potential but is blossoming this season. Klopp himself rubbished the rumours of a potential move for the Ox by saying “I don’t usually talk about other players, but I can make an exception - nonsense,”.

Klopp, as you thought has rubbished the rumours, which you would expect, but if he felt the Gunners man may be available this winter I have no doubt he would capitalise on it, Chamberlain would certainly be an exquisite signing for the Reds, but Arsenal will be reluctant to sell to a direct rival as they look to extend his current contract.

Much has been made of a potential move launched by Manchester United for Benfica centre back Victor Lindelöf, who could, eventually, be joined by defensive counterpart Nélson Semedo in a historic double swoop.

The latest murmurs surrounding the multi-million-pound operation, however, suggest any hope the Red Devils may have had of gaining the Sweden international’s signature may have been dampened.

At the heart of the deal’s supposed collapse is the public dispute between Benfica and Lindelöf’s former club, Västerås, over alleged fees owed in his initial transfer to Portugal, although José Mourinho may also have had a hand in United turning their backs on a £42 million transfer. Just how accurate might that decision be?

Beyond the media storm surrounding Renato Sanches in Lisbon last season, Lindelöf proved to be equally as impressive and pivotal to Benfica’s run en route to the Liga NOS title last season, as he capitalised on injuries to first-team centre-backs to forge a stellar partnership alongside Jardel for over half a season.

The 22-year-old tasted defeat just five times in 45 games since breaking into Benfica’s XI, three of those coming in the UEFA Champions’ League against Napoli (2x) and Bayern Munich, with FC Porto and Maritimo also claiming rare victories against the Swede.

With 22 clean sheets under his belt, Lindelöf picked up “The Iceman” nickname for his composure and calculated interventions that has seen the defender gain just five yellow cards in the last 12 months.

Additionally composed and exemplifying qualities that fall within the modern-day ball-playing defender template, his talents didn’t go unnoticed by his national team when earning the call-up for Euro 2016, and now it appears Man United have followed suit in attraction to his traits.

Up against his United counterparts, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Eric Bailly, none of the aforementioned options to Mourinho have completed as many successful passes (51.71 per game), or indeed successful forward passes (47.21 per game) as Lindelöf in their respective league competition.

Only Bailly with 1.64 tackles won per game beats the rumoured United target, whereas it is Chris Smalling who is the only defender to lose out fewer times than the man lauded for his precision when defending. Although he’s some way off the top with a statistical register of 1.71 interceptions per game versus Bailly’s 2.82, the Swedish star does mix in well with Rojo’s 1.80 and Jones’ 1.75 score, both second and third ahead of Lindelöf.

Blocks made by the defenders paint a similar picture, with Bailly leading the way with 0.45 made per game to Lindelöf’s 0.36, but there’s one fact the core stats don’t highlight and that’s the degree to which the defenders in question are exposed to the threats of high-quality attacks.

Lindelöf has, undoubtedly, emerged as top performer for Benfica, but this has all come in a visibly inferior league. One shouldn’t have to remind many of the below-par figure that was ex-Liverpool and Sunderland centre-back Sebastian Coates, the same man who now, at the same time as Lindelöf, leads by example as one of the Portuguese league’s most consistent players at the back.

Likewise, Manchester City’s £32 million flop, Eliaquim Mangala, was totally imperious for much of his three-year-spell in Portugal when starring for the then champions FC Porto, meanwhile memories of the Frenchman in the blue half of Manchester weren’t as fond as his record deal promised.

A common attitude within the realms of Portuguese football sees most sides outside the traditional top four of Benfica, Sporting, Porto and Braga opt to “park the bus” and time-waste from the first minute as if it were the last when facing a big boy. In turn, that limits the pressure that key defenders like Lindelöf, Mangala etc. are subjected to, thus making it very tricky to truly judge the qualities that they possess.

It’s a decision Mourinho will undoubtedly continue to mull over, with the rumour mill still at its birth. In the meantime, the recent pairing of Jones and Rojo has stabilised the ship at Old Trafford, with Smalling still to return to the first-team, one would assume, following a lengthy foot injury.

The investment made in Bailly appears to have been a good one, and despite international duty making him unavailable for the best part of a month during the African Cup of Nations, United still have the versatile Daley Blind to fall back on.

And so for all the promise (and doubts) hanging over Lindelöf’s shoulders, just how necessary to Man United is the £38 million-rated man?

Chelsea could target Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart with fears that Thibaut Courtois could leave for Spanish giants Real Madrid, according to AS.

Real Madrid were a fax machine away from signing David De Gea last summer and have now lost interest in the United shot-stopper whilst reigniting interest in former Atletico Madrid star, Thibaut Courtois.

With the Blues fearing the worst, they are said to be looking to sign 29-year-old Joe Hart after impressing in his loan move in Italy with Torino by slowly getting back to his best after being shown the door by City manager Pep Guardiola in the summer.

The likelihood of Courtois returning to Spain will be dealt with severity by the Chelsea board, with the goalkeeper himself never hiding his ambition of returning to the City where he won the La Liga title.

Joe Hart is a ready made England international and has all the experience you need for a goalkeeper after winning numerous titles with Manchester City, but any deal between Chelsea and Manchester City will be very tough considering ‘bis clubs’ do not like doing business with each other.

Thibaut Courtois is a crucial player for the Blues and helped them win the League title after returning from his loan move in 2014, he has gone on to become one of the top five goalkeepers in the world and at the age of just 24-years-old will only get better with goalkeepers being known to peak in latter years of their careers.

We take a look at how Joe Hart measures up against current Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and if he would be a good replacement if the Belgian star was to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

A bonus for any goalkeeper is to finish the game with a clean sheet and Thibaut Courtois comes out on top here managing 0.61 clean sheets per 90 minutes thus far this season with Torino man Hart behind with 0.25. You could argue that this stat may be unfair with Courtois having one of the best defences in Europe in front of him as they sit top of the Premier League table.

The most crucial trait any successful goalkeeper must inherit is the number of saves he makes, this can be simple saves to game winning / immense saves, and Joe Hart certainly blossoms in this area making 2.69 saves per 90 minutes with Courtois trailing with 1.72. That said, Courtois impresses immensely with 3.10 saves per goal with Hart somewhat behind on 1.87.

Pep Guardiola shipped out Joe Hart to Italy for one main thing; his lack of distribution accuracy. The City manager is all for this new trait in goalkeepers where they must basically act as a fifth centre-back and have the ability to play out from the back, much like his former goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. But again, Hart (just) top’s Courtois in his distribution accuracy with 69% with the latter narrowly behind on 68%.

The goalkeeper’s job is to ensure he does not concede a goal within the 90 minutes, although new era of managers may want them to be more technical in build-up play, the most important asset for the man between the sticks is to ensure he does not concede. Again, the Chelsea man shows his form by conceding just 0.61 goals per 90 minutes thus far with Hart conceding more than double of the Chelsea man with 1.44.

Both goalkeepers are very good shot-stoppers and have both played a major part in their sides winning major titles, at just 24-years-old Chelsea’s Belgian star will only get better and for me, they have to do everything in their power to keep him at the Bridge. Although Hart is still respected as a very good goalkeeper. In my opinion, he is levels below the Chelsea man and I would be very surprised if Antonio Conte made a move for him with many talented young goalkeepers breaking through around Europe.

Ronald Koeman is reportedly eyeing a bizarre swap deal in the January transfer window that would see Moussa Sissoko swap clubs with £30m-rated Ross Barkley.

On summer transfer deadline day, we saw Frenchman Moussa Sissoko seal a move to Tottenham Hotspur in dramatic circumstances. The Frenchman snubbed a move to Goodison Park, turning his phone off as Everton tried to get in touch regarding a deadline day move having agreed for a medical to take place.

It seems now that Ronald Koeman could use Tottenham’s interest in Englishman Ross Barkley to try and land his man that he dramatically missed out on back in August according to The Mirror. Whilst some reports have suggested Spurs will wait until the summer to make their move, others insist that Barkley is a January transfer window target for the Lilywhites.

Ross Barkley has endured a spell out of the Everton side this season following constant warnings from manager Ronald Koeman that he needs to offer more out on the pitch, but after another under-par performance against Liverpool at Goodison Park, the Englishman may now be seen as surplus to requirements. Especially following Koeman’s comments claiming that Barkley may never reach his full potential in his footballing career. With Tottenham interested, this might be seen as a good time for the Toffees to get rid of Barkley.

Moussa Sissoko’s start to life at Tottenham has been a struggle. He has failed to establish himself as a first-team regular in his first few months as a Spurs player, but the Frenchman has put in a couple of encouraging displays in games against Manchester United, Hull City and Burnley. Sissoko has two assists in the last few weeks, and will be looking to build on this going forward.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino challenged Sissoko to offer more in training and in turn out on the pitch after the Lilywhites forked out a substantial £30m for the 27-year-old in August. It seems that the former Newcastle man has responded to his manager, with a few positive displays in recent weeks. With Sissoko’s performances improving, it seems unlikely that Spurs would let him go in the January window.

It seems bizarre that Spurs are reportedly willing to pay £30m for Ross Barkey, considering the uninspiring form he has been in this season. It seems even more bizzare that Moussa Sissoko would join the club he snubbed just a few months earlier leaving the club he favoured a move to. This deal looks so unlikely it’s unbelievable, but stranger things have happened, that is for sure.

It is fair to say that this season has not gone to plan for Slaven Bilic and West Ham. In a bid to turn the Hammer’s fortunes around, the club have reportedly sent letters asking their Premier League rivals for help in the January transfer window, according to The Telegraph.

Tottenham are the only one of the Premier League big hitters not to receive a letter from West Ham chiefs as the Hammers plan some very smart January transfer business. Letters were reportedly sent to Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City asking if any of those clubs have fringe players that the Hammers can sign on loan for the rest of the season.

With many players not becoming available that Slaven Bilic will want to sign until the summer transfer window, this plea to sign players with Premier League experience at the top clubs would seem like a good plan. Having sent a general letter to those five clubs, The Telegraph claim that West Ham have further enquiries regarding loan moves for Michy Batshuayi, Daniel Sturridge, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial as their search for a striker to sign in January begins.

In addition to this, the Hammers are also going to make enquiries over the availability of Chris Smalling, Branislav Ivanovic, Mamadou Sakho, Mathieu Debuchy and Carl Jenkinson. However, many of the highlighted players above are unlikely realistic targets for West Ham for two reasons.

First of all, it is well documented that clubs are often not prepared to loan out or sell players to Premier League rivals, unless it is at the right price. With loan moves being proposed by the Hammers, it is unlikely that clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool will allow key players such as Sturridge and Martial to leave the club, even if it is on a loan basis.

Secondly, I feel the wages that West Ham would have to pay these players would not be within their price range, they simply would not be able to compete with the Premier League big boys. Would the players highlighted take a pay cut in favour of a move to West Ham when many get regular game time anyway? Probably not.

Although West Ham’s idea of taking Premier League players on loan for the rest of the season seems good business at first glance, the proposed deals not only look unlikely, but they look impractical as well.

There are some players there that are more realistic though, with the Gunners reportedly willing to allow Debuchy and Jenkinson to leave should the offer be right. But Jenkinson’s most recent spell at West Ham didn’t go too well, so I’m not sure how the fans would feel about that one should it happen. Smalling is also an interesting one should Manchester United sign their reported target, Victor Lindelof. The young central defender is being linked with a big-money move to United and with Eric Bailly already at the club and Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones impressing at the heart of defence at the moment, how much football will Smalling be playing in the new year?

Writing for The Mirror, former footballer Robbie Savage had his say on the team of the season so far. Despite their mediocre performances to date, Jose Mourinho’s men were fairly well represented.

He seemed to be rather generous to Manchester United, naming two of their players in his eleven. Controversially, he decided that no Liverpool player had made the grade, and that infuriated their fanbase.

Michael Carrick was given the nod in midfield, ahead of the likes of N’Golo Kante and Adam Lallana. The English midfielder has really helped change United’s fortunes in recent weeks, but he has only played around half of his teams games this season - leading many to believe that he hasn’t warranted a space in the team.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was also selected in the team, which was given a 433 formation, the Swede was placed alongside Alexis Sanchez and Diego Costa in the line up. Liverpool fans felt that Sadio Mane may have been a better fit in the side, especially as Savage had previously suggested that Mane may be the signing of the summer (ahead of Zlatan).

Carrick has no doubt been influential, as has Zlatan, but whilst they have been good, it is understandable that many disagree with them being placed in the team of the season so far. The bemusement of many fans is that Savage only included 1 Arsenal, 0 Liverpool, 0 Tottenham and 2 Manchester City players - all clubs which sit ahead of United in the league currently.

If Carrick and Zlatan continue their good form and help United get closer to the summit of the Premier League then their inclusions will be a bit more understandable, but for now it does seem a little biased to include both.

Kante, Lallana and Mane have all been incredible this season and influential in helping their teams to the top of the Premier League. For me, all three of those players deserve to be in the team ahead of Carrick at this moment in time. Kante has continued his form from his Leicester City days and continues to be an integral part of his team, whilst Lallana has improved tremendously under Jurgen Klopp - he already has 6 Premier League goals and 6 Premier League assists this season, proving that he can be an incredibly productive midfielder.

The team represented with the most players was Chelsea, with Costa, Azpilicueta, Luiz and Hazard all in Savage’s 11 - so even without Kante, Conte’s men have 4 players in the team.

Arsene Wenger is said to be planning ahead of new signings in the summer, despite his own future still remaining in doubt.

Arsene Wenger is chasing a new left-back with the promising talent, Jose Gaya leading the list of potential candidates, according to the Daily Mirror.

Gunners boss Wenger has identified the left-back position as a weakness that will need rectifying come next year with the likes of Nacho Monreal ageing and Kieran Gibbs being a squad player. The Frenchman wants to sign someone who can make that place their own for years to come.

Monreal has struggled thus far this season and has not been himself since hitting form in the 15/16 season where he was arguably amongst the top five left back’s in Europe for his ability and consistency. He became a fan favourite that season, with many labelling him ‘Mr. Consistent’ - but he doesn’t look the same player this season.

Kieran Gibbs’s position within the club is also a predicament, with just 18 months left on his contract and uncertainty arising whether he will be offered an extension - it is likely we will see the Gunners man leave the North Londoners next summer.

21-year-old Gaya is thought of as one of Europe’s brightest prospects and has been linked with the Gunners in previous years. After suffering from non-stop muscle injuries in recent months it seemed to take a hit on the defender, halting his progress but the Spaniard is now looking to realise the colossal potential he possesses.

Gaya has been a huge success since his breakthrough from the Valencia academy and has gone on to make 56 appearances for the club in the league. The academy graduate is one of the only things right at the club right now with the club sitting in 17th position in La Liga and being on a downward spiral.

Gaya is yet to make his international debut despite being called up twice to the Spanish national squad, but his arrival would increase the pressure on Monreal.

Gaya has been a potential target for the likes of Real Madrid in previous years. The Spanish man loves bombing up and down the flank and helping out offensively whilst remaining defensively sound and this is something which will attract potential suitors, with managers expecting their defenders to become an outlet at all times when going forward. He’s of similar ilk to Hector Bellerin, but on the left side.

Playing as an attacking full back, this has allowed Gaya to play more as a wing-back, ensuring he gets into greater attacking positions, this would be a much welcome strength for Arsene Wenger as it gives him options if he did decide to change up his famous 4-2-3-1 formation.

Arsenal have been known to be vulnerable on the counter-attack, and the thought of having an attacking full-back may worry some fans, but another trait the Spaniard carries is electric pace which certainly rescues him/team in a defensive sense.

We take a look at how he measures up against current Arsenal left-back Nacho Monreal and how he would fit the Arsenal system.

Being a defender in the modern game, although you are asked to possess many different qualities the number one trait all managers will want is tackles won, and Gaya comes out on top of the Gunners man Monreal by winning 2.24 tackles per 90 minutes with the latter managing 1.26 thus far this season.

The 21-year-old also impresses with successful take ons, having the burst of pace and ability to get past their man in a defensive transition is key, and the Valencia man again comes out on top ahead of the Arsenal star by completing 59.09% with Monreal just behind on 58.33%.

The Premier League, as many people know, it is the toughest / most physical league in the world and as a defender you must be cut out to win aerial duels against the opponent, and again Gaya comes out on top, standing at 5 ft 7, managing to win 54.55% of his aerial duels with Monreal managing just 40%. You could argue La Liga is far less physical in that aspect but the stat itself is still very impressive.

Arsenal Football Club holds an identity which is well known across Europe, and that is to play beautiful football, which the man himself Arsene Wenger brought to the club. Being prodigious in possession is key for any member of Arsenal’s squad and Monreal does top his Spanish compatriot in this trait with 83% pass completion which is just ahead of the Valencia full-back (75%).

But, being efficient in possession is even more key for Arsenal with Gaya again impressing with key passes, accomplishing 0.85 per 90 minutes which is far better than Monreal, 0.38.

As you can see from the stats above, Gaya would be a great signing for the Gunners. He is still very young and raw, but given Wenger’s speciality for developing young talent, Gaya has the potential to be a significant upgrade on his compatriot Monreal and with much more time on his side.

Looking at the prospect of having Hector Bellerin (21) and Jose Gaya (21) the North Londoners would potentially have their full-back pairing for the next decade sorted. They’re both extremely exciting talents and are destined to become world class players, the club will likely have to cough up around £30 million for his services, but investing in someone carrying such ability, the club should prioritise his signature next summer and save him from the crisis at Los Che Els Taronges.

It’s worth remembering that Arsenal recently dealt with Valencia, bringing Mustafi to the club.

Arsenal host West Brom on boxing day in what is already surely a must win if they wish to remain in the hunt for the title. The Gunners have had a catastrophic last week, losing two away games whilst all their title rivals picked up maximum points.

Now Arsenal need to pick themselves up and respond. There’s no use feeling sorry for yourself, you need to go and prove everyone wrong. The team selection is critical, with many of the current first eleven proving to let the team down in recent games, surely Wenger will be looking to change it up a bit.

Goalkeeper: Petr Cech

I think Cech is certain to keep his place, however he needs to be careful. Letting that shot in at his near post from Sterling may have made Wenger think twice. Ospina has been brilliant when he’s played this season and Cech has looked far from his best. Wenger may be forced to drop Cech should he continue to have an error-prone season.

Defence: Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs

The defence NEEDS changing. Arsenal’s haven’t managed to keep a clean sheet in months and that is simply not good enough for a team with ambitions to win the title. Gabriel and Koscielny as a duo just doesn’t work - they are too similar in style. Summer signing Rob Holding deserves a chance to play alongside Koscielny - it worked in Basel and the Englishman has looked very composed and much more a Mustafi replacement when he has played. On the left-hand side I will be very disappointed should Gibbs not be given a start in this game. Monreal has looked fatigued and poor all season, whilst whenever Gibbs has had the chance to impress, he normally has. He needs more game time and the team needs some fresh legs, so that is the change that makes the most sense of all to me.

Midfield: Granit Xhaka, Mohammed Elneny; Lucas Perez, Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez

Midfield is another area that needs tweaking, in my opinion. Coquelin and Xhaka hasn’t worked too well and at home, I think we need to go for it a bit more. Dropping Coquelin for Elneny makes sense for me. The Egyptian has a bit more going forward, he’s full of energy and his passing is very reliable. That makes him a good partner for Xhaka who prefers to sit deeper, dictate and use his physicality. When Coquelin plays alongside Xhaka he is often pushed forward and it doesn’t really work due to the Frenchman’s limitations. Elneny would be more comfortable and effective in those more advanced areas. Elneny deserves a chance with his teammates struggling in the last couple of games and the team equally needs some fresh legs. On the right, Lucas Perez really deserves a start. The Spaniard has impressed when he’s been given a chance this season, but his game time has been really limited. With the likes of Chamberlain and Walcott struggling lately, now is the time for Lucas to come in and prove his worth. I’d shift Alexis back to the left for this one and keep Ozil in the hole.

Striker: Olivier Giroud

I think Giroud will get the nod in this game to help counteract the physical threat posed by West Brom. The Gunners do play better when Alexis Sanchez starts through the middle, but the last couple of performances have been poor and it is only fair to give Giroud, who has done well when he’s played, a chance.

Here is our Premier League team of the week from the latest round of fixtures.

Jordan Pickford - Sunderland

Pickford was immense for Sunderland against Watford as he kept a clean sheet and ensured the Black Cats took all three points.

The 22-year-old has become a regular in the starting XI for David Moyes men and is growing with confidence each week, his displays have been so impressive it is only a matter of time before the big clubs come calling.

Aleksandar Kolarov - Manchester City

When the team-sheet was announced on Sunday afternoon, many football fans was surprised that Kolarov started over summer signing John Stones, but his performance warranted his starting spot and with a performance like that it will keep the Englishman out of the team for coming weeks.

The centre-half was solid at the back, keeping the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott very quiet throughout the game, as always the City man was excellent in possession and composed defensively.

Ragnar Klavan - Liverpool

Playing in his first Merseyside derby, Klavan had a truly phenomenal display dealing with Romelu Lukaku with ease and keeping Everton’s attacking players at bay.

The Liverpool man was physical, defensively sound and composed in possession finishing the game with 88% passing accuracy, as a defender winning your tackles is crucial and this man won 100% of his against Everton, to emphasise how impressive he was.

He was excellent in an all-round great display as the Red side of Merseyside came out on top.

Phil Jones - Manchester United

Phil Jones was once the forgotten man at Manchester United, but is slowly becoming the needed man.

The English International has been superb at the back for United in recent weeks and is giving Jose Mourinho a headache for when Chris Smalling and others return to full fitness.

Many doubted Jones’s ability but he dealt with Salomon Rondon very well, coming out on top of the physical battle and helping his side take all three points.

Patrick Van Aanholt - Sunderland

Firstly, Sunderland has a very good left-back on their hands in Van Aanholt, he has been consistently impressive all season thus far and his performance at the weekend again proved why he has become vital in this Sunderland team.

When your club is in a relegation battle, all you want is for your players to show desire and fight in their performances and that shone through when he ran from deep in his own half, into Watford’s area to set up the winning goal was fantastic, a run of true desire.

Jack Wilshere - Bournemouth

Jack Wilshere registered his first assist of the season this weekend against Southampton and was unfortunate to be on the losing side.

It’s brilliant to see Wilshere getting back to his best after years of devastating injuries, he was excellent against the Saints and is finally getting his burst of speed back. As Wilshere completed another 90 minutes, some of the stats behind his game are impressive, he managed 85% pass accuracy, made nine take ons and created one chance.

Kevin De Bruyne - Manchester City

The attacking midfielder’s display against Arsenal was simply sublime, magical and amazing.

He ran the show, from start to finish he was a complete nuisance for the Arsenal defence, he made arguably the pass of the season to assist Raheem Sterling for the winning goal after switching play magnificently.

The Belgian was immense, he created seven chances against Arsenal, having three shots and completing one take on. He deserved to score when he hit the post and was a stand out performer on Sunday afternoon.

Fernando - Manchester City

With Manchester City missing Fernandinho, it was crucial that Fernando stepped up in his absence and he has done so in style.

The Brazilian was a rock in the midfield against Arsenal and dominated the Gunners midfield winning the battle overall. The midfield rock maintained a 90% pass accuracy which is exquisite, whilst making two interceptions and four blocks.

The midfielder was good in both offensive and defensive situations and was always on top of the likes of Mesut Ozil, Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin.

Diego Costa - Chelsea

Diego Costa is the best number 9 in Europe, without a shadow of doubt, there is no better striker on this planet at this current moment and Costa is week in week out showing why.

The Spanish international is currently leading the race for the Golden Boot with 13 goals, and scored the winning goal (again) against Crystal Palace to ensure his side are comfortably top of the tree at Christmas.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Manchester United

Like the man himself said, he get’s better with age, just like wine.

The Manchester United man again proved why he was such a good signing for free in the summer as he has hit double figures for the season already

He was influential for United in their 2-0 win over West Brom and helped the Red Devils secure all three points with a brace.

Alvaro Negredo - Middlesbrough

The summer arrival of Negredo was massive for Boro, and he is really starting to find his feet again in England as he scored a brace in a brilliant win over relegation rivals Swansea.

Boro were superb at the weekend as they picked up a massive three points just before Christmas, climbing away from the relegation zone by four points.

When news of Joel Matip’s ankle injury was reported, Liverpool fans were left to question who could fill his role. Dejan Lovren has always seemed like a player with a mistake in him, while Lucas Leiva is more of a makeshift centre back.

Few would have foreseen fellow summer signing Ragnar Klavan having such a positive impact on the side in recent weeks and that was the case once again against Everton. Winning 100% of his tackles while also registering 7 clearances and 3 interceptions, Klavan kept Lukaku largely at bay for the entirety of the ninety minutes.

As a result, Everton found it hard to muster up any real attacking threat on Simon Mignolet’s goal. His performance built upon his impressive display against Middlesbrough as the Reds recorded back to back clean sheets.

The 31-year-old has been the reliable figure at the back for Liverpool, using his experience to help nullify attacking threats. Furthermore, his confidence on the ball has seen him fit comfortably into Klopp’s system. The Estonian managed a passing accuracy of 88% at Goodison Park, illustrating his composure in possession.

Not much was known of Klavan when he moved to the Premier League, but the defender’s recent performances in the absence of Jurgen Klopp’s first choice centre back illustrates the quality he possesses.

In response, Liverpool fans have been quick to praise Klavan, with their fears over the defence in the absence of Matip well and truly eased by the centre-half’s emergence.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Klavan’s performance. Do you agree with these thoughts?

Klavan outstanding tonight, especially first half. That tackle he made on Lukaku was massive.

— James Pearce (@JamesPearceEcho) December 19, 2016

Klavan was class 👍🏻. Didn't look shaky at all and dealt with everything thrown at him.

— Anfield Leak (@AnfieldLeak) December 19, 2016

Klavan was fantastic, credit to him.

— Indigo 🉐 (@IndigoLFC) December 19, 2016

Great photo of Klavan during the game tonight pic.twitter.com/IwX355TELe

— The Redmen (@LiamLFCButler) December 19, 2016

In his first Merseyside Derby, Klavan rose wonderfully to the occasion and produced exactly what was needed of him. Timely interceptions and incisive blocks were key to ensuring Mignolet was never called into severe action, thus the plaudits for the Estonian are warranted.

Not to mention a crucial tackle against Lukaku that prevented Everton from taking the lead in the first half. Jamie Redknapp certainly believes that the veteran has what it takes, stating that he “might be just what they need at centre-back.”

Having only finished higher than sixth place in the Premier League once in the last seven years, Jurgen Klopp will know the importance of keeping Liverpool’s back line tight.

Klavan’s no-nonsense style have given a much bigger sense of control to the defence and based on current performances, he could find himself partnering Matip in the near future.

Mesut Ozil has put in a run of poor performances for Arsenal recently, and must improve dramatically if Arsenal are to make a push to try and catch Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table.

The Gunners sit 4th going into Christmas after a toothless performance at Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, missing their opportunity to maintain their place in 2nd and widen the gap between themselves and Pep Guardiola’s side.

Mesut Ozil has been poor over the last few games, and has seemed to have disappeared a lot on the football pitch. On Tuesday night, Ozil was involved heavily in the Arsenal attack in the first fifteen or twenty minutes at Goodison Park against Everton. However, as soon as the game turned physical and the Toffees started to a put in some strong tackles, we saw very little of the German playmaker.

Ozil did find himself with space for a shot just inside the Everton box in the second half, but failed to take his chance as he fired his shot over the crossbar, a chance that he probably should have buried. The German created one chance in the first half, but when Everton drew level, Ozil didn’t create a any chances. He didn’t complete a take-on either in the whole match.

The 28-year-old’s display against Manchester City was just as poor. He was shrugged off the ball too easily, and failed to create chances for the Gunners in what was a gutless display at the Etihad Stadium. He was found walking in the midfield too many times, his work-rate was awful.

The German international did create one chance, didn’t have a single shot, nor did he have a single shot, or make a single tackle. The same happened at Old Trafford a month ago. Manchester United played a very physical game, and rather unsurprisingly, Ozil disappeared once again.

Costing Arsenal a hefty £42.5m a few seasons ago, Ozil needs to become that big game player for the Gunners, something that he has failed to do in his time at the Emirates, especially this season. When the rest of the team isn’t playing well, Ozil needs to step up and make things happen. Maybe a spell out of the side would actually have a good effect on the German.

The problem that Arsene Wenger faces is that Ozil is one of those undroppable players, and the French manager probably fears the reaction and stick he will face if he were to drop Ozil. However, Wenger needs to step up and make the big decision in my opinion, and give Ozil the wake-up call that he needs. The 28-year-old has provided just two assists this season, the same amount as Tottenham flop Moussa Sissoko. He needs to become more involved, and fast if Arsenal are to push for the Premier League title this season.

Arsenal travelled to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon in a bid to close the gap on first-placed Chelsea, a gap which has extended to nine points after the Gunners dropped points against Everton mid-week.

Unfortunately for Arsene Wenger’s men, they conceded to consecutive defeats in the space of a week as their title hopes took a massive dent with the Gunners sitting in fourth place, nine points off top and looking very vulnerable.

Most Arsenal players carried on their abysmal form from Goodison Park but one player in particular was on the receiving end of some strong criticism, that being Brazilian defender Gabriel Paulista, who was atrocious against Manchester City as he showed why Arsenal miss Mustafi so much.

Gabriel, who arrived at the North Londoners in 2015, has failed to cement himself a place in the starting lineup for nearly two years and today showed exactly why, he was abysmal in possession, for someone playing in a team managed by Arsene Wenger you would be very surprised by how Gabriel was playing, he was constantly going long for Alexis Sanchez, just for Arsenal to concede possession and be put under more pressure.

Gabriel lacked the technical ability to string a few passes on the surface, he was not able to pass through to our midfield to help build up play from the back and was extremely wasteful with the ball, he would either go sideways or over the midfield, and straight to City defenders, this cost Arsenal crucially today and the signs are really showing why Mustafi is so key to this team.

As a central defender you have to be much more aware and more disciplined than Gabriel was, he can often be quite rash in his defensive duties and can be caught out of position very often.

Gabriel made just two tackles this afternoon, one more than Olivier Giroud who was subbed on in the latter stages of the game, that just shows what kind of defensive performance Gabriel has against Manchester City.

The Brazilian always looks very uncomfortable with the ball too, he looks like he does not know what to do with it, or has a lack of confidence in himself, to which he results to just giving the ball away or play wayward passes, something which will anger Arsene Wenger.

For some humour, Gabriel nearly caused Hector Bellerin to score an own goal after the Brazilian hoofed the ball at Bellerin’s face and it took quick reactions from Petr Cech to save the shot, no it is not that funny really, is it? But if you don’t laugh you will cry. That moment of madness just shows what kind of performance Gabriel had today.

It is really frustrating to watch, this is twice in one week we have taken a look at Arsenal players to cost the Gunners a vital points and ground in the title race. Each and every player should want to win and end this disastrous drought of having no Premier League in so many years, but they don’t, and to be honest, it’s frustrating and a disgrace for the Arsenal faithful.

It is certainly a performance to forget for Gabriel, it was embarrassing. We look at how Twitter reacted to his performance, and as expected some fans are really not happy.

Somehow I prefer that Rob Holding to Gabriel Paulista.

— Naldo (@Folahan_MG) December 18, 2016

What a load of absolute rubbish from @Arsenal. @gpaulista5 is absolute crap. But the whole team weren't much better.

— Walter Butler (@wallyhoop79) December 18, 2016

I swear Gabriel paulista is the shittest defender I've seen in my life
His like the toilet seats inside fuel station toilets

— Marvinbantu (@Marvinbantu1) December 18, 2016

Another disaster at the back is @gpaulista5 …he's always have one or two mistakes in him

— Akinwande Soji-Ojo ® (@PrinzAkinwande) December 18, 2016

Agenda against Cech needed now.

Mans concedes too many goals.

Also we need to sell Gabriel Paulista. Not a defender.

— Rah (@neneroni) December 18, 2016

Someone should please tell Gabriel Paulista to calm down. He is pressing that panic button too early…. #Bbcfootball

— Shanu 'Shai' Afolami (@shaiontheprowl) December 18, 2016

Gabriel paulista is really poor to me.

— Dev. 👑 (@N0xID09) December 18, 2016

Mustafi plays - yet to lose. Mustafi gets injured. Gabriel plays - back to back defeats. Just sayin…

— David Palmer (@ArsenalDavey) December 18, 2016

Where did Arsenal dig that Gabriel from? 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

— FONG KONG 凤岗 (@Demilade_OG) December 18, 2016

Gabriel is not Arsenal quality.

— JordinhoJordan (@JordinhoJordan2) December 18, 2016

How embarrassing is Gabriel? Never hated an Arsenal CB more. Mustafi FC needed.

— Olly (@Giroudesquee) December 18, 2016

As you can see, Arsenal fans were less than impressed with Gabriel’s performance and were quite ruthless on his overall display. Some people find strong criticism unfair and uncalled for, and sometimes it may be, but for Arsenal, they are desperate to end their title run, games like today will pay divalent on their title charge and it really does feel as if the Gunners will go another season without the grandest prize of them all.

Arsenal fans are calling for Rob Holding to start over Gabriel, and to be honest, I have to agree. The youngster has been immense whenever he plays in an Arsenal shirt and has bags of potential to fill and a lot more ability about himself.

The Gunners bottled two tough away days in the space of a week, they’re nine points off top, playing some woeful football and sitting here writing this I feel that’s another season down drain, and it’s only December.

Here are the Fresh Football player rating’s for this afternoons clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City

Claudio Bravo - 5

Had little to do during the first half and could not doing anything about Theo Walcott’s opener, much the same in the second half, cannot recall him making a save.

Pablo Zabaleta - 6

Was relatively solid at the back and tried to get forward as much as he could, was subbed off at half time.

Nicolas Otamendi - 7

Was all over the place for Walcott’s opener as he looked set to have a tough afternoon, but after composing himself he grew into the game and dominated Arsenal’s attacking force in an impressive performance.

Aleksandar Kolarov - 8

Kolarov was superb at the back for City today and certainly the better of the two centre-halves, he was calm, excellent in possession and defensively solid in a fine performance.

Gael Clichy - 6

As always, a very strong outlet going forward but was a bit more vulnerable defensively, seemed to be behind the pace at times of the games but overall was impressive against his former team.

Fernando - 8

Showed fantastic energy and drive from the midfield and dominated the likes of Coquelin and Xhaka, was defensively solid and disciplined whilst recycling possession very well.

Leroy Sane - 8.5

Always looked positive going forward and showed some glimpses of trickery in tight positions in the first half. Scored a very well taken goal in the 47th minute and caused Arsenal’s back-line havoc all afternoon.

Yaya Toure - 8

Toure was again superb for City this afternoon and has been growing in confidence again since his return to the starting XI, he dominated the midfield in an all round brilliant display.

David Silva - 7.5

Silva provided an excellent assist for Sane’s opener and was brilliant in possession as always, was rightly booked for a cynical foul but was at the heart of everything good for Manchester City.

Raheem Sterling - 8

After missing a golden chance in sixth minute to equalise he did not let this dwell on him. He was brilliant all game and got his reward in the 71st minute after scoring an excellent goal, getting away from Monreal and firing past Petr Cech.

Kevin De Bruyne - 9

Was City’s most dangerous player in the first half and always looked like he could create something. Arguably made pass of the season for Sterling’s winner after switching play exquisitely, was technically ahead of every single player on the pitch.

Arsenal

Petr Cech - 4

Cech broke a new record today after going eight games without a clean sheet as Arsenal’s defensive struggles continue, although he made some good saves his distribution was atrocious and put the Gunners under extreme pressure. Could’ve done better for the winner too.

Hector Bellerin - 6

Showed some glimpses of his pace and broke from the back to start the build up to Walcott’s goal, was quiet apart from that and was pegged back for most of the game due to City’s dominance.

Gabriel Paulista - 3

Today again showed why Arsenal miss Mustafi, Gabriel was absolutely diabolical. He blasted a ball at Hector Bellerin which nearly led to an own goal, was woeful all round defensively and always hoofed the ball long, not the Arsenal way.

Laurent Koscielny - 6

Koscielny was probably one of Arsenal’s better players on the afternoon, as always held his own and showed solidarity at the back, will probably be annoyed with himself for not getting in front of Sterling’s shot.

Nacho Monreal - 5

Had a tough afternoon against City’s attackers and was beaten so easily by Sterling which he scored from, a defender can only back off so much until he realises he’s allowed his marker into a dangerous position, an absolute disaster by Monreal.

Granit Xhaka - 5

Xhaka was poor in the midfield for Arsenal today, he gave the ball away in dangerous areas and for not one minute did he or Coquelin have any control for Arsenal, very poor performance.

Francis Coquelin - 4

Coquelin has many limitations in his play and this showed again today, he has no technical ability and is a disaster in building play from defensive situations. Yes he shows passion, but that will not win games, for someone starting for Arsenal without any ability to play football is quite baffling, it drags the team down.

Theo Walcott - 6

Walcott’s pace got the better of City, he scored a very well taken goal in the fourth minute and could have had another. Worked very hard all afternoon and was one of the better performers for Arsenal.

Mesut Ozil - 2

Was the worst performer on the pitch in an utterly horrible display, twice this week Ozil has gone missing when Arsenal needed him most and for a player demanding a pay rise then maybe he should start playing like he deserves one. When the tackles started flying in he started walking about the pitch feeling sorry for himself. Did not applaud the away fans at the end and should be embarrassed.

Alex Iwobi - 5

Worked hard to press from the front with Sanchez but had a quiet first half, gave the ball away at times when he needed to be more composed, faded away in the second half and was subbed off for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Alexis Sanchez - 7

Beautiful assist for Walcott’s goal and ran himself into the ground as usual in the first half, much the same in the second half, you won’t find a more determined player than Sanchez and to be honest he deserves a lot better.

Subs

Manchester City

Bacary Sagna - 7

Came on at half-time and was excellent down the right-hand side, hardly had any defensive duties but was solid when called upon.

Jesus Navas - N/A

Kelechi Iheanacho - N/A

Arsenal

Alex Oxlade - Chamberlain - N/A

Olivier Giroud - N/A

Mohamed Elneny - N/A

All talk was reserved for one man in particular, as Manchester United continued to brush up their fortunes with a 2-0 victory away to Premier League high-flyers West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns this Saturday.

As Wayne Rooney continues to set his sights on Bobby Charlton’s historic 249-goal haul for the Red Devils, denied the feat on the night by the crossbar, it was Man United’s other veteran in attack, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, that hogged the plaudits with his renewed stream of goals.

The Swede gave José Mourinho’s reviving side the lead as early as the 5th minute with a well-taken header from Jesse Lingard’s cross, whereas Ibrahimovic was on hand to double the dosage in the second half and ease any lingering worries that existed concerning a potential banana skin that was the trip to 7th placed West Brom.

Of the two shots taken by Ibrahimovic, all ended up in the back of the net in what was a Man of the Match performance, whereas the brace bagged tonight sees the target man hit his 34th goal in 33 league games throughout 2016.

Just the one goal was enough, however, for the 35-year-old’s name to dominate the reactions emerging from United’s evening in the West Midlands.

Ibrahimovic was widely expected to struggle in the Premier League when arriving at Old Trafford, in particular due to his age, but the striker’s first goal of the night told a very different story, taking him to double figures in the Premier League and pushing his total for the season to 15.

In response, United fans and loyal ‘Ibra’ backers were on hand to outline the former Paris-Saint Germain star’s good work, without a doubt aimed at those branding him a flop.

Ibrahimovic has the most goals for #mufc at this stage in a season since Van Nistelrooy in 2002 [bt]

— utdreport (@utdreport) December 17, 2016

Zlatan Ibrahimovic.. what a guy tho. Playing week in week out at 35. 3rd game in 6 days. 14 goals so far this season. Mad when you think.

— Hayley B (@Hayles_101) December 17, 2016

Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Has now scored 10 goals in his last 9 appearances for Manchester United #mufc pic.twitter.com/YTvHpORimM

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) December 17, 2016

To think some were suggesting Ibrahimovic was past his best, wouldn't hack it in England…double figures for Premier League goals #WBAMUN

— Kevin Palmer (@RealKevinPalmer) December 17, 2016

Well Zlatan is proving me wrong. How he is doing this at the age of 35 is incredible.

— Daniel (@dfezzyy) December 17, 2016

@GoalUK Zlatan is on fire, we are closing the gap very well 👏 #MUFC #GGMU ⚽

— Legend Onoja (@LegendOnoja) December 17, 2016

Too old. Overrated. Never done it in a proper league. Waste of money. 10 in 9. Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

— Sam Homewood (@SamHomewood) December 17, 2016

Ibrahimovic, a champion in Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands, has always had the question mark hanging over his head around these alleys of Europe over whether he could replicate his success in front of goal in the popular goldfish that is Premier League.

Now testing his capabilities at the ripe old age of 35, the odds weren’t as favourable as the man himself might like to think, but the striker has always strived to discard such claims that he’s “finished” at the highest level.

Even as recently as today, the well-preserved Ibrahimovic was keen to outline that he feels fresh in the prospect of being handed a rest in coming games.

“In football, sometimes you have to listen to everybody around you, but in my mind I’m a 20-year-old boy,” the Man United number 9 said. “I’m fresh and I’ll keep going, as long as the team needs me.”

A repeat of Ibrahimovic’s current goal scoring exploits in 2016 certainly wouldn’t go amiss in United’s bid to climb back up the Premier League.

Arsenal suffered their first defeat since the opening day of the season on Tuesday night as they let a 1-0 lead slip at Goodison Park and lost 2-1. The Gunners were very poor in truth and started to look a little fatigued. With Mustafi out injured, the Gunners seriously struggled to dominate defensively and therefore invited pressure and in the end let two headers in. Things need to change for the game against Manchester City - here’s three changes Arsene Wenger should make.

1. Alex Iwobi for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Iwobi has not been in the best of form recently, but after Oxlade-Chamberlain poor performance against Everton, I feel the Nigerian would benefit from coming back into the line up. Iwobi has a lot of talent and can play well in central areas as well as wide, and that’s why I’d opt for him ahead of Chamberlain on the left. He gives us a bit more control of the midfield in attacking areas, and the Gunners really struggled to get that at Goodison Park this week. With all these games over this busy winter period, it is also very important to keep things fresh and rotate - especially in midfield.

There’s every chance that it could be another weekend filled with goals, given the sheer amount of relegation “six-pointers” and high-profile clashes coming our way in Gameweek 17 of the Premier League.

Arsenal’s trip to the Etihad Stadium and this season’s first instalment of the Merseyside derby stick out like a sore thumb, but pay special attention to West Ham United hosting Hull City, the clash down on the south coast between Bournemouth and Southampton, Sunderland versus Watford, and many more potentially goal-infested games.

With the festive period over the horizon, we appreciate Fantasy Premier League won’t be the first thing on your mind, which is why this week’s edition of Fresh Football’s tip-offs is dedicated to those players you should look to invest in while you take your eye of the ball. Here are our choices:

Michail Antonio
Club: West Ham United
Position: Midfield
Price: £6.7m

After appearing totally downbeat a fortnight ago in response to West Ham’s 5-1 meltdown at home to Arsenal, Slaven Bilić and his men have managed to grab onto some form with a bounce-back 2-2 draw at Anfield to Liverpool and a 1-0 win over a resilient Burnley side in midweek.

The picture looks brighter ahead of Hull’s trip to east London, with the Irons taking on Swansea City and Leicester City following Saturday, all subsequently languishing alongside them in the bottom half of the table.

West Ham have the opportunity to kick-start a revival and in Michail Antonio, the goal scorer in their 2-2 draw against Liverpool and currently with seven league goals to his name, they have a potential hero guide them out of a precarious situation.

2 - Alexis Sanchez
Club: Arsenal
Position: Midfield
Price: £11.7m

Sunday’s clash sees a reunion between Alexis Sanchez and his former Barcelona boss, Pep Guardiola, who’s had his fair share of success up against Arsenal in European competitions over the years. The Gunners will be without key man Shkodran Mustafi, sorely missed in their 2-1 defeat versus Everton on Tuesday, but list of absentees in the blue half of Manchester also goes a long way into opening up this clash.

Sergio Agüero headlines the list of players Guardiola can’t count on ahead of their next fixture, as he serves part of his four-game suspension, whereas midfield general Fernandinho and Nicolas Otamendi are joined by İlkay Gündoğan on the sidelines, likely to be out for up to eight months!

Guardiola will be tasked with averting Arsenal’s recent unbeaten run against City, currently without a loss in their last five league meetings, but if they continue to expose themselves as much as they have done with expansive football directly from the back-line, in particular with Sanchez and co. sniffing around, they could land themselves in deep trouble.

The Chilean leading the line for the Gunners has proved to be a revolutionary feature in north London this season, thus far leading the Premier League’s goal scoring charts with Chelsea’s Diego Costa on 12 goals, and with a double-header at home coming up against West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace into the New Year, there could well be more to come from Sanchez, starting Sunday.

Theo Walcott is a valid alternative, despite his poor show at Goodison Park this Tuesday, off the back of two goals in Arsenal’s last two home games, as well as occasionally popping up on the score sheet against City over the years.

3 - Diego Costa
Club: Chelsea
Position: Forward
Price: £10.2m

Winning ten out of their last ten games in the Premier League, leading the table by six points, Chelsea are without a doubt the in-form team in the division. A portion of that is owed to Diego Costa, goal scorer of the winning goal versus West Brom last weekend and owner of 11 more throughout this season, with the Spain international promising more from his startling performances.

Next up for Antonio Conte’s man is a date with Crystal Palace; an away trip that is sure to test the Blues’ endurance in what can be considered a gap year for the side relieved of its European duties in midweek, as opposed to many of their title rivals. Chelsea’s last outing on Wednesday saw them settle for a 1-0 win against relegation candidates Sunderland.

Crystal Palace are coming off a strenuous task themselves, however, as they were sunk by an 88th minute Zlatan Ibrahimovic winner in a 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United, so the fitness worries are also there for the club that’s conceded 31 goals already this season.

Can Costa add to that count? We wouldn’t bet against it, whereas the all-action striker also has winnable home fixtures against Bournemouth and Stoke City to top up his goal scoring antics following Saturday’s early kick-off.

Manchester United continued their mini-resurgence with a hard-fought 2-1 win away at Crystal Palace on Wednesday night. Whilst Jose Mourinho’s men were not at their best, there was one player that really helped them get the 3 points.

Paul Pogba was absolutely immense for Manchester United on the night, scoring the first and assisting the second goal, but those were not his only contributions in what was a near faultless performance. Pogba won 100% of his tackles, 6 aerial duels, 4 take ons and managed 4 shots, with one crucially giving United the lead.

Pogba is effective both offensively and defensively and he showed that against Palace, making 4 key passes, 6 clearances, 2 interceptions and 2 tackles.

Pogba was involved heavily in the build-up for United, completing a huge 93 passes with a fairly impressive 82.8% accuracy rate. The Frenchman has never been the neatest in possession and he wasn’t again on Wednesday, but he is a different and unique breed of midfielder. Combining defensive & technical ability with athleticism, he completed 4 of his 5 attempted long balls and 1/1 through ball. Despite playing centrally, Pogba still managed to attempt 2 crosses - highlighting how he was involved all over the pitch and central to everything United did.

To be honest it is about time that Pogba produced such a dominating, match-winning performance. Costing the club £90million, his influence this season has been limited to date and the club certainly need him to make the difference in games like these more regularly. Mourinho will also surely want to see the club’s record signing produce performances like these in the big matches against their title rivals.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Pogba’s performance. Do you agree with these thoughts?

Pogba’s finally picking up speed, playing better and getting to the consistency that’s expected of him.

— Rafael Hernández (@RafaelH117) December 14, 2016

That ball from Pogba was superb, that man can see a pass. What a ball.

— ReviewFootball (@ReviewFootball) December 14, 2016

Paul Pogba was absolutely fantastic tonight against Crystal Palace, starting to find his feet.

Zlatan can't stop scoring 🔥 #mufc pic.twitter.com/5HnKKHeKQv

— Aidan Walsh (@AidanMUFC_) December 14, 2016

Pogba immense tonight. We lacked genuine pace, lost some fluidity without Mkhi, but overall the fight and drive was clear and present. #MUFC

— Rob B. (@_Rob_B) December 14, 2016

He's slowly adapting to the league but Pogba was different gravy tonight & has so much to offer. Gonna be great to watch through the years!

— Charlie Ford (@charlieford10) December 14, 2016

That performance from Paul Pogba was so impressive. Controlled the midfield, scored a goal and assisted Zlatan's winner.

— The Man Utd Way (@TheManUtdWay) December 14, 2016

I must admit, Pogba’s performance on Wednesday night was excellent. He finally produced a performance that justifies the price that United have paid for him. Whilst I think he has been good for United since signing, he has been great, enough of the time. Like any player that moves from a foreign league, there is a settling in period and Pogba is not immune to that. It may be the case now that he has fully settled and is ready to step up and produce more World Class performances like he did on Wednesday night.

That’s the key thing: when you pay so much for a player you need them to win you points, making the difference in games where you don’t play brilliantly. Mourinho may say otherwise, but United were far from brilliant against Crystal Palace and without Pogba on the pitch I severely doubt that they would’ve picked up all three points.

Arsenal travelled to Goodison Park on Tuesday evening in a bid to extend their unbeaten run in the Premier League since the opening day of the season.

The Gunners only defeat prior to the match was against Liverpool, the Toffees rivals, but they fell to a crushing defeat to Ronald Koeman’s men to make it 2-0 to Merseyside over the North Londoners.

It was a poor performance all round, but one player in particular who was on the receiving end of strong criticism was Arsenal’s German World Cup winner Mesut Ozil, who was lethargic, pathetic, and out-fought all game in a shambolic display.

Playing in his favourite number 10 role, Arsenal expect to be able to rely on their most creative player to carve out chances and take the game by the scruff of the neck, but when the going gets tough, Ozil seems to disappear, quite literally. Ozil, who can of course produce moments of artistic magic is still a wonderful player, but when he has the attitude of ‘can’t be bothered’ it really does rub off on others.

Unlike Alexis Sanchez, who has had better nights but still he ran his socks off up until the final whistle and still showed great character for the team, Ozil was Slowly walking about, not tracking back, letting the game run away from him and quite simply being a shadow of what he possesses in a very lazy performance.

The Arsenal man is not immune to criticism, however wonderful he may be, for Everton’s winning goal, Mesut Ozil found himself in the penalty box defending the corner (no, that is not a typo) and although he should not be there in the first place, he should still be man enough to challenge Williams for the ball. Instead, Ozil ducked and turned his back on the ball as he cowardly pulled himself out of any contact.

Honestly, that’s a total disgrace, for a club who want to put an end to their disastrous title drought, to have a player duck from the ball which turned out to be the winner is not good enough, what mentality is that giving off? He should want to throw every limb he has into that challenge, instead he let his man have all the time in the world before casually walking back to the halfway line.

Ozil is first name on the team sheet each week, without a doubt, he is crucial for Arsenal and is key for their title charge, but when the going gets tough, he must get tougher, he could have showed some sort of heart and character to try and win that ball in the box, but he did nothing which has cost his team the points.

To put the cherry on top of such a disappointing performance, Ozil had the opportunity to put the Gunners ahead when the ball was dragged back into his path, but unfortunately he blasted the ball over, he could have certainly scored.It is really frustrating to watch when someone of his

It is really frustrating to watch when someone of his qualitiy is playing with such attitude, all is not bad for Ozil though, he did still manage to create one chance against Everton and ended the game with 81% passing accuracy, which isn’t great for his standards but still far from woeful.

It is certainly a performance to forget for Ozil, it was dire. We look at how Twitter reacted to his performance, and as expected some fans are really not happy.

Ozil cowering there as he's meant to mark Williams for the winner. An obviously class player, but he has a few too many of those moments.

— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) December 13, 2016

Has anyone seen Mesut Ozil

— goonerclaude (@goonerclaude) December 14, 2016

If Ozil cant perform more than 1/3, then sell. Buy Isco & Reus. Never win PL or CL with a luxury passenger

— Doublegooner (@Doublegooner) December 14, 2016

Ozil had a poor game last night. Not one of his best.

But, some fans think he deserves "whatever he wants" to sign a contract.

Deluded!

— Mark (@mjneighbour) December 14, 2016

Stop having a go at Walcott and have a go at OZIL he does fuck all every game and we sing his name and more most of his time at Arsenal poor

— Rio (@RioPlayzHD) December 14, 2016

What's the problem in pointing out that Ozil was poor against Everton?

— Cartoonist (@exit_smoke) December 14, 2016

That game would have been won if not for poor defence and a lazy Ozil.

— Navneet Tanwar (@TanwarNavneet) December 14, 2016

Ozil doesn't put in any effort defending, I've never seen him close someone down or make a tackle. He struggles physically. Unlike Sanchez.

— Jordan Santi (@JordanSanti19) December 14, 2016

Still not home, motorways are shit, what a bollox night, an now I'm seeing videos of Özil ducking the winning goal 😡get me to bed!!!!

— Mr DT © (@mrdt2016) December 14, 2016

Ozil with a disgusting performance deserves dropping not a FUCKING PAY RISE

— AlexisFC ❤️ (@LeeGunner82) December 13, 2016

As you can see, Arsenal fans were less than impressed with the Germans performance yesterday and rightly so, they’re desperate to end their title drought and know losses like yesterday could play divalent in the title run. Yes, the criticism may be deemed unfair as he is a glorious player, but no player is immune to it, and he really must take a long hard look at himself after yesterday’s display.

To top of his performance, he didn’t even go over to thank the Arsenal faithful after the match and headed straight down the tunnel, maybe he felt embarrassed after the defeat but there is never any excuse not to thank the fans that look up to you.

Walcott has also come under strong criticism for his performance, if you can call it that, in the 2-1 defeat against Everton.

Arsenal are in an excellent position, they have only suffered two defeats this season which could have both been avoided, Arsenal need Mesut Ozil to step up and help them reach maximum heights this season.

Up next is Manchester City away for the Gunners, he could certainly put this performance behind him if he was to help his side take all three points and put a real marker down.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for Everton’s Premier League clash at home to Arsenal on Tuesday night:

Everton

Maarten Stekelenburg - 6

Nothing spectacular from the Dutch goalkeeper in between the sticks, but he did provide a few successful ‘Cruyff turns’ on Arsenal’s stars that went down well with sections of the home crowd. His experience throughout periods of the game were also an invaluable feature in Everton riding spells of Gunners attacks, cutting the impetus.

Seamus Coleman - 7

A typical, tenacious Seamus Coleman performance, completed by the goal late into the first-half that brought the Toffees level.

Ashley Williams - 7

From zero to hero - the Welsh defender was at the centre of Arsenal’s first goal, deflecting Alexis Sanchez’s free-kick past Stekelenburg, but the ex-Swansea skipper more than made up for his less than fortunate moment with an 86th minute winner.

Phil Jagielka - 6.5

Solid alongside Williams and pivotal in the build-up that led to his defensive partner’s late heroics, but the former Sheffield United man will be ruing a late tackle that saw Mark Clattenburg brandish a red card upon him, subsequently ruling him out of the Merseyside derby next Monday.

Leighton Baines - 8.5

The English left back was on top form versus Theo Walcott, picked up an assist for Coleman’s equaliser and was on hand to salvage Everton with an 11th hour clearance off the line from Alex Iwobi’s shot in the dying seconds of the game.

James McCarthy - 6.5

Lifted the crowd with some borderline tackles which, ultimately, Everton benefited from over the course of both halves.

Idrissa Gana Gueye - 6.5

Alongside McCarthy at the base of midfield, Gueye’s energy was priceless in maintaining Everton’s often relentless tempo and making things uncomfortable for Arsenal through constant pressure.

Ross Barkley - 6

A better performance from the under-fire Englishman, who on another day might well have chipped in with a goal or two with the chances he had to either score or assist.

Aaron Lennon - 4.5

The ex-Tottenham Hotspur winger put a shift in when required to do so, but he was, ultimately, disappointing in the final third.

Enner Valencia - 7

Among his best performances for his new club, Valencia ran the channels well and ensured an uncomfortable night for Nacho Monreal with his pace.

Romelu Lukaku - 6.5

An incredibly sacrificial display from Lukaku, often hanging within Laurent Koscielny’s radius to occupy Arsenal’s star defender for the benefit of his teammates. The Belgian’s link-up play from direct balls proved to be sound, despite rarely threatening to beat Petr Cech himself.

Subs:

Kevin Mirallas - 5

The winger came on to refresh the left flank when replacing Aaron Lennon, but didn’t have much success up against Hector Bellerin.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin - N/A

Ramiro Funes Mori - N/A

Arsenal

Petr Cech - 6.5

There was little the Czech Republican could do for both headed goals scored by Everton, but Cech did come up with a big save to deny Jagielka just moments before Williams’ winner.

Hector Bellerin - 6.5

The Spaniard grew into the game from an offensive aspect, meanwhile keeping both Lennon and Mirallas at bay on the right flank.

Gabriel Paulista - 6

Filling in for the injured Shkodran Mustafi after spells at right back, Gabriel appeared to have made the smooth transition back into the heart of the defence, initially, but the likes of Valencia and Lukaku did get the better of the Brazilian on a few occasions as the game opened up.

Laurent Koscielny - 7.5

Busy with Lukaku in his peripheral view, the Frenchman dealt with much that came his way.

Nacho Monreal - 6

A game of phases for Monreal. At times he looked troubled, in particular when in foot races next to Valencia, but there were also moments when the experienced left back was on hand to trouble the Everton back line with associative play on the flank.

Granit Xhaka - 5.5

The Swiss midfielder failed to impose himself on a hectic, end-to-end game, and how Arsenal could have done with someone to set the tempo on a night filled with disappointment.

Francis Coquelin 6.5

Played his part in combating Everton’s tenacity, pressing with success himself and winning his fair of 50/50s that kept Arsenal somewhat competitive in the middle of the park.

Theo Walcott - 4.5

Unfortunately for Arsenal, Walcott was never in the game.

Mesut Özil - 4.5

The pace of the game blew past the German playmaker, who will also be kicking himself for missing a great opportunity to make it 2-1 to Arsenal midway through the second half.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - 4.5

Another who never managed to leave his imprint on the game, cutting a frustrated figure on Arsenal’s left flank and committing his fair share unnecessary fouls as a consequence.

Alexis Sanchez - 7

Looked to be the likeliest Arsenal player to tip the balance all night after scoring the first goal of the game, but too many of his teammates just weren’t on the same wavelength.

Subs:

Olivier Giroud - 4.5

The Frenchman’s introduction didn’t quite have the desired effect the Gunners imagined him to have, as Everton pushed up their defensive line and made it difficult for the target man to spearhead Arsenal’s counters through a natural lack of pace.

Alex Iwobi - 5

Promised more than both Walcott and Oxlade-Chamberlain from wide areas when coming on, but his general passing game was a little off in crucial moments.

Lucas Perez - N/A

Arsenal’s long Premier League unbeaten run came to an end on Tuesday night as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Goodison Park, and there were some very poor performances from a number of Arsenal players on the night.

One player in particular to pick up criticism was Theo Walcott. The Englishman has been in improved form this season but he still lacks consistency and that was particularly evident in this fixture where he literally failed to turn up.

Playing on the right wing, Walcott just couldn’t get into the game and was removed with around 20 minutes to go.

Walcott had an extremely quiet night, completing just 14 passes with a 71.4% accuracy rate. He was also at fault for allowing Baines to cross the ball for Coleman’s first half equaliser. Although he raced to close down Baines, Theo was weak in the tackle and that allowed Baines the space to swing in a delightful cross and spark Everton’s resurgence into the game.

Unfortunately for Walcott, the bad statistics do not end there… Offensively he completed 0 dribbles, 0 through balls, 0 key passes and 0 shots on target. It truly was like he wasn’t even there.

Here’s some of the reaction to Theo’s performance on Twitter.

Hope Theo Walcott's coffee machine doesn't work and he's lost the receipt.

— Jamie Dalton (@JamieDalton82) December 13, 2016

#afc marking poor. Undeniably missed Mustafi but not had a clean sheet in 12 now (all comps). In attack, Ozil/Walcott/Ox disappointing.

— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) December 13, 2016

Walcott has been shocking, Get Perez or Iwobi on.

— Arsenal (@ffarsenalfc) December 13, 2016

Quite a few had bad games tonight but Walcott was a disgrace

— 1886 (@gooners_1886) December 13, 2016

Ozil Walcott and Ox where all missing today

— Héctor Mitz Calderón (@MitzProductions) December 13, 2016

This performance is reminiscent of last season. Walcott did nothing, Özil went missing, shaky defensive performance & Alexis trying too hard

— Mändär (@mandaarrr) December 13, 2016

Personally I have never been Theo’s biggest fan. His form this season was very good at the start, but it has faded and when he goes missing like he did on Tuesday night, it makes it extremely difficult for Arsenal to win games, it’s like playing with one less player. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t the only one. Mesut Ozil was very poor, as was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but after more than 10 years at the club, you would expect better from Walcott and he is running out of lifelines. The likes of Iwobi, Lucas Perez and Danny Welbeck (when fit again) will surely be pushing to take his place if he is to put in more performances like he did against Everton.

It continues to be a problem for Arsenal that very few players are consistent. There also seems to be an overwhelming effect on the team when one player is missing - in today’s case it was Skhodran Mustafi. The German helps dictate the way Arsenal play from the back, therefore having a big influence at both ends of the field. Arsenal certainly missed his authority in defensive areas for the two goals they conceded. Sadly, the Gunners have at least 3 more games before their summer signing will return to fitness. Wenger needs to find a solution and by Sunday.

Everton managed an important 2-1 win at home to Arsenal on Tuesday night, and there were much-improved performances from a host of Everton players.

With 1 win in the last 8 games before this fixture, it looked like it was going to be another grim evening for Everton when Alexis Sanchez saw his free-kick deflected to give the Gunners an early lead in the game.

But Everton responded extremely well and one players performance that particularly caught the eye was that of the much maligned Ross Barkley. Barkley has come under a lot of criticism this season, with Ronald Koeman himself even publicly shaming the midfielder for his lack of effort.

But he was trusted from the start for this fixture and he did not disappoint. Up against the defensive figures of Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin, Barkley produced a dominating performance on the night to respond to his managers criticism.

He was influential throughout, helping his side create sustained pressure in the Arsenal half and picking up Lukaku knock-downs regularly. He also bagged the assist for the Ashley Williams winner.

Barkley made 73 touches in the 90 minutes, which is a lot for any player against Arsenal. This stat shows how he was involved more than usual - he was made 3 key passes, highlighting his ability to be creative.

More impressive statistics from his performance include 3 dribbles completed, 5/9 long balls and 77.1% pass accuracy. Defensively he made 2 tackles and 1 clearance to highlight how he can be effective at both ends of the pitch. If he can perform like this against Arsenal, a team with great midfielders, then there is certainly hope that he can continue to improve and realise his huge potential at Everton.

Here’s how people reacted on Twitter to the Englishman’s performance.

Barkley, Gueye and McCarthy flat 3 was brilliant, need to see that again with Valencia cutting in from the wing to help Lukaku.

— Matthew (@EFCMatthew) December 13, 2016

That performance is all we've wanted!! Barkley was quality, good to see Calvert Lewin get a run out!!

— Graeme Gedling (@BigGray87) December 13, 2016

Ross Barkley deeper is a different player, he was class today, as was McCarthy

— Christopher Hannon (@chrishannon1878) December 13, 2016

Barkley has been incredible in the second half. And thus commences the inevitable end of Arsenal's title race.

— Rez (@Asensiazo) December 13, 2016

Barkley remembered how to play footy tonight was class

— Mikey (@MJC_EFC) December 13, 2016

Barkley was brilliant.
Selfish but brilliant

— Frank Sobotka (@vickymonn) December 13, 2016

In my opinion, aged 23 now is the time for Barkley to really stand up and prove himself. He needs to become more than just potential and to do that he needs to be producing these kind of performances on a consistent basis, proving both his fitness and his quality.

Liverpool return to action on Wednesday evening, hoping to bounce back following their 2-2 stalemate with West Ham on Sunday. The previous two games against Bournemouth and the Hammers add increased importance to the Middlesbrough match in mid-week, as Jurgen Klopp looks to get his side back to their best.

With Loris Karius finding himself at the heart of heavy criticism from fans and pundits alike, the young German keeper could find himself out of the side in place of Simon Mignolet. The decision seems to be one of the lesser of two evils, rather than of the better quality offered by either player.

Neither goalkeeper exudes confidence to their defenders and at present, the questions being asked by Karius are not being answered. Nonetheless, Jurgen Klopp has made it clear that he has faith in his summer acquisition, and it seems there is no way back for Mignolet.

Dejan Lovren came off at half time against West Ham following a hamstring issue, meaning he is likely to miss out on Wednesday. Ragnar Klavan seems the most appropriate replacement for the Croatian, with Lucas Leiva another player who could come in to do a job at the back. Mamadou Sakho’s Liverpool career seems to be over and I can’t see any involvement for the Frenchman, despite calls from some fans for him to be reinstated.

Liverpool will also be without Daniel Sturridge, who has missed the last few games due to a calf knock. The England international has registered just 28 minutes in the month of December since moving to Anfield four years ago, emphasising his injury woes. With Philippe Coutinho also on the recovery table, Klopp’s attacking options are running pretty thin at the moment, and thus the responsibility will fall on the trio of Adam Lallana, Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi.

Predicted Lineup

Loris Karius

Nathaniel Clyne, Ragnar Klavan, Joel Matip, James Milner

Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana

Sadio Mane, Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino

Emre Can missed out at the weekend due to a small knock and with rumours suggesting he will be out once again, a midfield trio of Henderson, Wijnaldum and Lallana seems likely. I can’t see much variation in the side from the weekend with the current injury constraints to the side, so it will be up to the same eleven to get the three points for Liverpool.

If they can shut out the current individual errors within the side, and display the attacking spark that they have so many times this season, Liverpool will be hard to stop on Wednesday night against Middlesbrough. However, Jurgen Klopp’s side have been rather poor of late and a fixture against a newly promoted side who have already taken points from Manchester City and Arsenal, shouldn’t be underestimated.