As reported by The Daily Mail, Everton are interested in bringing Chelsea’s experienced defender Branislav Ivanovic to Goodison Park this month.
What’s the story?
Everton are having a very active transfer window with two arrivals, Ademola Lookman and Morgan Schneiderlin, already settling in to life on Merseyside.
The Mail report that another man joining them could be Serbian defender Ivanovic, who is said to be free to leave Chelsea this January.
The paper reckon his signature would be as a direct replacement for Phil Jagielka who is set to leave the club before the transfer window closes, after 10 years of service to the Toffees.
The right replacement?
Although Branislav Ivanovic is undoubtedly a talented defender and has had a fantastic career, we’d question the logic of replacing a 34-year old defender with a 32-year old one. Short term signings rarely benefit anyone and Ronald Koeman should be seeking a long-term replacement for Jagielka that can grow into becoming an important Everton player.
Further to that, Ivanovic is primarily a right sided defender and excels on that right flank, even though he can feature in the heart of a defence. All six of Ivanovic’s Premier League starts for the Blues this season have come at right-back.
A move for Ivanovic isn’t necessarily a bad thing, he is an experienced and decorated player after all, but as a replacement for Jagielka, we’re not so sure.
Patrick van Aanholt finally completed his move to Crystal Palace from Sunderland on Monday to reunite with former boss Sam Allardyce.
The left-back had made 88 appearances for the Black Cats before his move and will now go up against his former club in a massive relegation battle over the next few months.
Van Aanholt has been one of Sunderland’s top performers over the last few seasons and losing him is a big blow to David Moyes, who is now searching for emergency replacements on the left hand side of his defence.
As this stat from Squawka shows, it’s move that could make a massive difference in that relegation battle between the two clubs.
Van Aanholt isn’t just solid at the back, he’s also a key threat in the final third, scoring more goals than any other defender over the last 18 months in the Premier League.
It’s that kind of contribution that Sam Allardyce was so keen to reunite with and Eagles fans will be hoping he can replicate the kind of performances that made him popular at the Stadium of Light.
Spurs’ season is at a crucial point. The Lilywhites are one of a few sides on the periphery of the title chase, with the hope at White Hart Lane being that Chelsea will drop points soon and open up the chance for the chasing pack.
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Given their form over the winter period, Mauricio Pochettino’s men are among the favourites to challenge the Blues, but they also have the Europa League and the FA Cup, which they progressed to the last eight in on the weekend with a win at Fulham, to compete for.
‘Poch’ picked strong starting XIs in both of these competitions over the past few days, which has led some to suggest that his squad may be stretched too far for the upcoming Premier League clash with Stoke, but Kieran Trippier showed at Craven Cottage that he’s more than able to step in for Kyle Walker vs. the Potters…
The right-back was at his bombarding best against the Cottagers, whipping eight crosses into the Fulham box (Spurs’ joint-most), while his eight tackles were the most any player on the pitch put in across the 90 minutes. On top of that, Trippier was heavily involved in the play with 98 touches and played four key passes.
Arsenal return to Premier League action for the first time in three weeks on Saturday and it just happens to be one of their most important matches of the season. The Gunners travel to Anfield to face Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in a game that could go a long way to deciding who is and isn’t in the top four at the end of the season.
Arsene Wenger’s consistency in ensuring Arsenal finish in the UEFA Champions League qualifying positions has been a point of pride in his reign at the Emirates but the challenge to do that has never been greater.
Manchester United are breathing down their necks, as are Liverpool directly behind them, and a defeat could be a critical blow to their top four hopes.
As massive 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich is still causing reverberations throughout the Arsenal support and despite progressing in the FA Cup against Sutton United, the pressure remains on the team to put in a big performance at Anfield.
This is Arsenal’s how-to-guide to defeating Liverpool…
The key man: Alexis Sanchez
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Even in the pressure cooker of the Allianz Arena 1-0 down to Bayern Munich, Alexis Sanchez managed to step up and provide what was at the time a vital contribution to the Gunners cause. We all know what happened after that, but it underlines that Sanchez is the elite player in the Arsenal squad. They need him.
The Chilean striker has six goals and four assists in his last ten Arsenal appearances and that’s arguably him not at the peak of his powers.
Two goals last time out against Hull City provided victory and likewise on Saturday, if they’re to get a result Sanchez will likely be at the very heart of it.
The question for Wenger is whether to deploy him through the middle or bring in Danny Welbeck or Olivier Giroud to play through the middle and unleash Sanchez on the left hand side. There are arguments for both and while Sanchez is at his best in central areas, he can probably exploit Liverpool’s tendency to get full-backs forward if out wide.
What’s certain is that Arsenal need to build the game around the former Barcelona man. He’s the key to victory.
The big threat: Philippe Coutinho
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After an eleven game streak without a goal, Philippe Coutinho finally got back on the scoresheet against Leicester City on Monday night and while it was ultimately a consolation, it could be a sign that the explosive Brazilian is getting back to where Liverpool need him to be.
With the focus likely to be on Sadio Mane, it could leave space and time for Coutinho to exploit the Arsenal backline. Arsene Wenger can’t be complacent when it comes to this danger man despite the undoubted threat of Mane.
Don’t forget it was Coutinho who put in a man of the match performance against the Gunners on the opening day of the season, scoring twice as the Reds sunk Wenger’s men 4-3 at the Emirates.
The attacking midfielder was in absolutely lightning form before his injury and hasn’t quite hit those heights since. However, Saturday’s game at Anfield is the perfect time to re-announce himself as Liverpool’s top dog. It could be his day.
Liverpool’s weakness: That ropey, makeshift defence
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When all is said and done at the end of the season Liverpool fans will look back on the campaign and rue the performance of their defence. It’s an area that needs massive investment in the summer and a tactical rethink from Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool have scored as many goals as any other side in the Premier League, including Chelsea, but have conceded more goals than any other side in the top eight positions. Fixing their defensive problems could be the difference between also-rans and title challengers.
The fact remains though that those defensive problems most certainly aren’t fixed and are unlikely to be until the summer and that’s something Arsenal can exploit.
Against Leicester the defence had a natural midfielder at the centre of defence and a natural midfielder at left-back. That could well be the case on Saturday too. If Wenger can effectively get the likes of Theo Walcott running in between Lucas Leiva and James Milner it could be bad times for the home side.
Chelsea are facing a major battle to keep Diego Costa at the club this summer as Chinese clubs will return for his services this summer, The Sun reports.
What’s the word?
Free-spending Chinese clubs caused a lot of headlines during the past few months with their abundance of new signings but Chelsea managed to remain with Diego Costa in their ranks despite advances from Asian clubs.
However, the Blues face another battle to keep the Spaniard at Stamford Bridge in the summer as Chinese clubs will revive their interest, The Sun says, with a whopping £38m-a-year offered to the former Atletico Madrid forward.
Chelsea want to pin him down to a new contract but Costa’s head has been turned by the offers available to him in China and he may move on, following a clash with Antonio Conte in January that threatened to cut-short his stint in West London.
Should Chelsea sell?
Whilst Diego Costa remains a crucial player at Stamford Bridge, the money they would get for his services for China would be sensational- and that could in-turn be used to strengthen the squad further, leaving plenty to play with when searching for a replacement.
Celtic’s Moussa Dembele, Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata and Swansea City’s Fernando Llorente have all been reported as targets for the Blues in recent months and they could make a move happen this summer- particularly if they have money to spend following a sale of Costa.
With interested Chinese outfit Tianjin Quanjia revealing they have an unlimited budget for the summer transfer window, an offer may be too good to turn down.
According to reports on Clubcall, West Ham United are one of the clubs who are said to be keeping close tabs on Hamburg striker Bobby Wood, although reports from Bild (in German), via ESPNFC, claim that the German outfit’s sporting director has said there has been no offers for the player.
What’s the story, then?
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Well, with West Ham almost openly looking to sign a striker this summer, they seem to be mentioned whenever one is linked with a move away from a club, and it appears to be a similar story in this instance.
The Hamburg attacker is said to have been gaining admiring glances from Premier League clubs – which was further enhanced when he scored the winner in his side’s 2-1 win against Borussia Monchengladbach at the weekend in front of a number of scouts.
Needing more goals next season after a disappointing campaign, the link with the Irons has soon followed, but their sporting director Jens Todt told Bild, via ESPNFC, that there isn’t any interest from England, yet.
What did Todt say then?
He said: “There are currently no enquiries or offers for him.
“His move to Hamburg was good for us, but it was also the perfect step for Bobby.
“I can imagine that he appreciates how things are going for him right now.”
Would he solve West Ham’s striker issue?
Possibly, but it would be a risk.
The USA international has scored an impressive nine goals in 23 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga side this season, but it’s always hard to tell how a player will adapt to the Premier League – just look at Simone Zaza.
How much would he cost?
It’s hard to put a price tag on the striker’s shoulders, but aside from perhaps Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund, most players from the Bundesliga appear to be available at a reasonable price.
That could mean Wood is a more affordable option than some of West Ham’s other targets.
Alexis Sanchez wants to stay in London with a “winning” club and while many joined the dots to align the Arsenal attacker with Chelsea (who are reportedly keen on him) nobody stopped to consider Crystal Palace, did they?
Well, it seems someone has, with 24 Horas in Sanchez’s homeland naming the Eagles as a potential capital club for him. As part of a video on the saga, they went through a list of London-based teams (including SPURS) in relation to the talk of a move being on the agenda, with Selhurst Park mentioned as a destination.
We’re sure they weren’t being entirely serious, but some Palace fans have seized upon a tweet from Matias Grez (@matias_grez) drawing attention to this baffling bit of news.
Naturally, the responses flooded in and they were so hilarious we thought we’d share the very best ones with you.
Would Sanchez get in ahead of Wilfried Zaha? Who knows, but what we do know is the Eagles have been in a cup final more recently than both Arsenal and Chelsea…
Everton will look to return to winning ways when they host in-form Leicester City at Goodison Park on Sunday.
The Toffees came close to bouncing back from a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby last weekend by beating Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s last-gasp penalty meant that the spoils were shared in a 1-1 draw.
The result left Ronald Koeman’s side three points behind Arsenal and the Red Devils in fifth and sixth respectively, while they are seven behind Manchester City in the final Champions League spot.
If they are to qualify for Europe, the Dutchman will know that his side need to pick up all three points when they return to their home on Saturday.
They face a tough task to do that against the Foxes though, with Craig Shakespeare guiding the Premier League champions to six successive wins in all competitions following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri in February.
Here are three reasons Everton will end that winning run this weekend…
They need it more
It is getting to that stage of the season where the Toffees know that they need to start picking up results if they are to achieve their European dream, and they certainly need the win more than Leicester right now.
It wouldn’t have been the case five games ago when the Foxes were in real danger of being sucked into the relegation battle, but they are eight points clear of the bottom three now and have almost guaranteed their survival.
That difference in mentality could be key at Goodison Park on Sunday.
They’ve got Romelu Lukaku
Prior to the trips to Anfield and Old Trafford last week, the Premier League’s top goalscorer was in scintillating form after netting nine goals in his previous six top flight appearances.
Chances were understandably few and far between for the Belgian on the road as Ronald Koeman had to set up more defensively – which may have frustrated the 23-year-old – and he will be hoping to take advantage of getting more opportunities back at Goodison Park this weekend.
Leicester may be distracted
The Foxes face the first-leg of their huge Champions League quarter-final clash against Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital on Wednesday, and while the manager and players will deny it, there will certainly be some eyes on one of the biggest games in the club’s history.
Whether Craig Shakespeare chooses to rest some of his key men for the trip to Goodison Park remains to be seen, but they are all factors that addsup to the Toffees having more focus than their opponents on Sunday.
John Stones should be the key man for England and Manchester City for years to come. Eye-catching transfer fee aside, the former Everton central defender has all the ingredients to become an all-time great for club and country, particularly with the guidance of Pep Guardiola.
His game – even after a rocky start to his time in Manchester – has improved markedly. Technical ability has never been an issue for Stones, but his judgement in possession has occasionally been brought into question. As a straightforward defender, Stones is only improving too. His use of his body and reading of the opponent has come on leaps and bounds in just a few months.
Guardiola is no stranger to wet behind the ears, talented, but frustrating central defenders. There was a certain one, particularly, that looms large over Guardiola’s CV of player development. Some guy called Gerard Pique arrived at Barcelona as a youngster still looking for his way at the top level, but he was nurtured by Guardiola into one of the world’s best. Pique is now a multiple Champions League winner, a stalwart of the greatest ever club side and a key member in Spain’s international dominance.
What was key for Pique – as it is for any defender – was the unit he was in. Carles Puyol was his partner during his developmental years and there was no better partner for a ball-playing centre-back at the time. Puyol was the lion of Barcelona, a leader on and off the field and without the same desire to play the ball as his teammates. The Spaniard was iconic at the club, but his role in the growth of Pique was one of his unsung achievements.
The unit has been the issue for Stones. Without the settled companions that Pique was gifted, he has been partnered by Nicolas Otamendi, Vincent Kompany and Aleksandar Kolarov at different moments this season. The full-backs and goalkeeper have changed on an all-too-regular basis as well, leaving Stones as the only constant in a defence that has creaked for the majority of the campaign.
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Stones has no Puyol, no Valdes, no Alves. The lone wolf, as it stands, for the future of Manchester City’s defence. The England international could reasonably be the only one of City’s current defensive options to remain at the club next season. Where young defenders – particularly those of the ball-playing variety – need consistency and experience around them, Stones has been the glue keeping it from complete chaos.
Pique was once a young, uncertain defender. His reputation now holds him as one of the best in a generation. So much of that was down to his partnership with Puyol, which brought such success to Catalonia. Stones can emulate Pique’s iconic status in European football, but Guardiola needs to find him his own Puyol.
Kompany would have been ideal for the role, though his injuries make it an untrustworthy, unsustainable option.
This summer must see City give Stones the defensive partners he really needs to flourish. If they can do just that, the transfer fee paid last summer will start to see like a bargain.
Manchester City really should have put their FA Cup semi-final beyond reasonable doubt in the first half, but instead succumbed to defeat in extra-time and a potentially debilitating extra 30 minutes of football.
It is natural, then, that recriminations happen. Not content with leaving an event to speak for itself, the world wants answers, and especially from Pep Guardiola.
His arrival, a little under a year ago, at the helm of one of England’s top clubs left the weight of expectation on the Catalan’s shoulders, and a trophyless season is not what we were waiting for.
Of course they’re baying for blood.
And yet, this is football. The aftermath of one game is now the build-up to the next one, and sounds and fury are amplified in the vortex of hype in which we are all spinning all the time. City, they say, are now in danger of missing out on a top four spot and a place in next season’s Champions League. It makes you wonder if those same voices saying the same thing when City beat Southampton 3-0 in their last league game?
Football inhabits a bizarre corner of the modern world where it seems to sit on a see-saw between extremes, riding up or down depending on the hour. It is unsurprising – indeed, it is even justified – that responses to City’s failure to make an FA Cup final are thoroughly negative, but it is baffling that their top four credentials are called into question on the back of an FA Cup defeat. It is a strange category mistake.
The only relevance the FA Cup has on the top four is tiredness after the match. City played an extra half hour of football whilst their biggest challengers for the top four, Manchester United played only 90 minutes on Sunday. There is, perhaps, a mental blow, too, though motivation shouldn’t be an issue for a Manchester derby. That’s the height of the relevance, really. After two victories and six goals in their last two Premier League outings, City didn’t really look like dropping out until the overexcited aftermath of Sunday’s Wembley disappointment.
There are other reasons to speculate on why City won’t beat United on Thursday night, of course. The likes of Leroy Sane, Kevin de Bruyne and Vincent Kompany played from start to finish, while David Silva came off injured. You may also point out that if United win the derby, City will drop to fifth place, though their game in hand over Liverpool could bring them back into a Champions League place.
But all of those things were likely to be true before Guardiola’s side lost to Arsenal.
With the exception of extra time – though it was also always possible – City were going to have to play a game on Sunday before playing again four days later in a crunch match. The league mathematics are still the same, and the danger is still the same. City were never assured a top four spot, nor are they now any less likely to get it because of defeat to Arsenal.
City’s win over Southampton tipped the see-saw to positivity around the club, whilst defeat on Sunday tipped it in completely the other extreme. You wonder what victory on Thursday night will do, then. Is the title race still on?