A crunch London derby as Arsenal host Chelsea, Michael Carrick could be key for Manchester United, and Vincent Janssen gets his chance to shineOn a weekend when much will be made of Arsène Wenger’s 20th anniversary as Arsenal manager, the Frenchman would not be human if he didn’t recall the manner in which Chelsea ruined the occasion of his 1,000th game in charge. It was March 2014 and on a strange afternoon at Stamford Bridge, Andre Marriner sent off Kieran Gibbs in a case of mistaken identity, as José Mourinho’s side hit their visitors for six without reply. Arsenal had already lost 6-3 at Manchester City and 5-1 at Liverpool that season, capitulations that rendered Wenger’s team and any aspirations...
Attacks on his players at both Manchester United and Chelsea exposes Mourinho’s failure to adapt and his loosening grip on his title as the masterIn one respect, of course, José Mourinho is right. Modern football is for ever trying to read too much into too little. One bad week – three poor results – is nothing compared to his previous career. Manchester United supporters, perhaps, will welcome his belligerence in attacking the “football Einsteins” who have “tried to delete 16 years of my career”. After a start to the season in which he has at times seemed slightly cowed, Mourinho has shown that there is fight left in him.Others will wonder, though, whether an edgy 3-1 victory in the EFL...
Three defeats in eight days have blown apart José Mourinho’s encouraging start at Old Trafford, but whether the problem is Rooney, Pogba, the defence or the midfield, the manager needs solutions, and fastAt the moment José Mourinho is a manager confused regarding his best XI or Manchester United would not have lost three consecutive games and the Portuguese suffer the run for a first time since his Porto days. The Portuguese’s indecisiveness is quaint for a glittering career built on the requisite ruthlessness. For the defeat against Manchester City in came Henrikh Mkhitaryan for a full debut despite an injury during the international break, and Jesse Lingard, who had not featured since the Community Shield for the same reason. This...
Antonio Conte may need to trust Cesc Fàbregas, Arsène Wenger is putting faith in Theo Walcott, and Nacer Chadli could be the league’s renaissance man Related: Manchester United’s midfield left in a mess by Wayne Rooney’s deeper role | Paul Doyle Related: Mark Hughes calls on Stoke City to turn around disastrous early form Related: The Dozen: the weekend's best Premier League photos Continue reading...
The United manager picked Wayne Rooney in a deep-lying midfield role ahead of Morgan Schneiderlin, Michael Carrick and Daley Blind and after a deserved defeat at Watford, it was very hard to understand whyJosé Mourinho had to wait a long time to fulfil his ambition of becoming manager of Manchester United and now that he is at Old Trafford he needs still more patience. From himself, firstly, as his fall at Chelsea last season suggests there is a risk of him unravelling if he allows himself to become too frustrated by the inadequacies he has inherited at United. This he knows, which is why he was a picture of practiced calm as he explained after the defeat at Vicarage Road...