Arsenal have proved they have team spirit, Cesc Fàbregas is invaluable to Chelsea despite sub’s role and Gylfi Sigurdsson is the man to guide Swansea to safetyAre Arsenal made of sterner stuff these days? It is not the first time the question has been aired in recent years, and the answer usually goes down a predictably shaky path. Having said that, Arsène Wenger has observed a few clues in their victory against a strong Stoke City side that give him quiet optimism. Among the good habits his team are enjoying this season, the capacity to come back from a deficit encourages him. “It’s the sixth time that we are down in the game and come back or win since the...
Spanish international and England veteran lay the foundations for Premier League victory over Tottenham at Old TraffordIn José Mourinho’s quest for the winning formula, he had at least found his midfield axis: Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick. As Manchester United hunted for a first three points since beating Swansea City on 6 November this match against Tottenham Hotspur was the fifth game the two players started together in the engine room and the second league outing in succession following the draw at Everton last week.Mourinho required some time to be convinced of Carrick’s worth, in particular. Perhaps the United manager harboured reservations over the ability of the England international, now aged 35, to deal with the physical demands of the...
Liverpool will be hoping Joël Matip gets fit quickly, while Sunderland begin to look more solid and Burnley have to find some goals from somewhereHands have been wrung and doom predicted about Philippe Coutinho’s injury, likely to keep him out of the Liverpool team until next month. And to an extent, rightly so: he has been their most impressive attacking threat this season, and the sight of that front four dovetailing has perhaps been the most pleasing in the division. However, the 4-3 defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday suggested that another injury absence might be more significant, namely Joël Matip. The Cameroonian centre-half has been a quiet, calm example of consistency, exactly the sort of thing that Liverpool missed against...
Armenia’s captain had not started a league game in almost three months but his performance against Everton shows he deserves more first-team actionDespite performing against Feyenoord and West Ham United, this was the big audition Henrikh Mkhitaryan dare not fluff. Not after what happened in his previous and only Premier League start for Manchester United. Then, José Mourinho named Armenia’s captain in the XI for the derby on 10 September and with Manchester City leading 2-1 at half‑time the manager substituted him and failed to provide him with even an appearance from the bench in the ensuing nine league matches.Those starts against Feyenoord and West Ham were in the Europa League and EFL Cup respectively, and given the way Mkhitaryan...
The Old Trafford manager admits to liking trips to Goodison Park and this visit may be perfectly timed as his improving side face one stutteringJosé Mourinho enjoys going to Everton. “Always difficult, always beautiful,” he says. The Manchester United manager’s reasons include old-fashioned stadium architecture, passionate fans and the fact that Goodison Park was the setting for some of Portugal’s most famous victories in the 1966 World Cup. Mourinho was only three at the time Eusébio was banging in the goals against Brazil and North Korea, but he will not find it too difficult to re-imagine the atmosphere as the ground has hardly changed since.A more pragmatic reason for Mourinho to look forward to Sunday’s kick-off is that it breaks...