It is no surprise that Real Madrid and Juventus are said to be coming for Chelsea’s Kanté – the Frenchman has conquered all before him over the last four yearsRemember the N’Golo Kanté riots of 2018? Those were high times, man. It seems strange now but this time last year one of the key issues in the Premier League’s endless conversation with itself, and a source of febrile ambient rage well beyond the Chelsea fanbase, was the apparent misuse of Kanté by overseas book-learning type Maurizio Sarri. Related: Frank Lampard criticises France over handling of injured N’Golo Kanté Related: Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend Continue reading...
A crunch clash at Old Trafford, Palace tackle vulnerable champions and could West Ham do for Marco Silva?Top scorers: latest leaders in Europe’s top five leaguesThe last time Liverpool visited Old Trafford, they met a United side struggling with injuries – even before three players were forced off during the first half. But, though Liverpool were three points clear at the top, they played as though the goalless draw they eventually achieved was an acceptable result. In the event, Manchester City pipped them to the title by a point, and though that required a phenomenal run of 14 straight wins, had Liverpool embraced the pressure and played with their usual intensity in that game they would now be champions of...
City need De Bruyne fit, Connolly is a rising star at Brighton and Everton’s Silva should beware the international breakThe Dozen: our pick of the weekend’s best imagesUnai Emery, in his programme notes for the game against Bournemouth, spoke about the importance of balance and how he wants his side to be “competitive both defensively and offensively”. That is excellent in theory but it needs to be put into practice and yet again on Sunday there was little evidence of that. Arsenal won but they did not play well and the most glaring issue is the lack of an obvious plan. Are Arsenal meant to press aggressively, and if so why did that part of their game drop off so...
Brendan Rodgers returns to Anfield, Spurs give opponents too much space and Bournemouth have Arsenal in their sightsBrendan Rodgers returns to Anfield on Saturday, sensing an opportunity to end his former club’s perfect Premier League start. Last season, a much less adventurous Leicester side got a point at Liverpool, triggering a costly spell of self-doubt for Jürgen Klopp’s title chasers. There has been virtually no sign of weakness from the Reds in the league this term, but Salzburg’s dramatic Champions League fightback may have shown Rodgers the way forward. Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold made surging infield runs against Salzburg, a tactic that helped Liverpool race into a three-goal lead as Robertson scored. As the game changed, the hosts were...
Fernandinho a cause for concern, Chris Wilder’s tough love for Dean Henderson and Brendan Rodgers ready for LiverpoolThe Dozen: our pick of the weekend’s best picturesOn current form there are, at a rough count, at least three teams from the established “top six” that could benefit from the services of John McGinn. With the exception of Kevin De Bruyne it is hard to find a midfielder in better form and he certainly deserved to be on the winning side here, when Aston Villa were eventually pegged back by Burnley. “He’s been consistently good in all our performances and consistently looks like he’s going to score goals,” said McGinn’s manager, Dean Smith, after he volleyed in Villa’s second having earlier had...