Cesc Fàbregas may get his chance for Chelsea, Everton’s attackers can trouble Manchester City and Monday night’s big match at Anfield is too close to callEverything about Arsenal’s performance at Burnley screamed late Wenger era. Manchester City’s defeat at Tottenham gave them the opportunity to make a statement and as such the pressure was on; the game was tricky but hardly impossible. They delivered a performance devoid of intensity, purpose and conviction. Only Alexis Sánchez appeared not to deem the indignity of effort beneath him. Then, in the final seconds, everything changed, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Laurent Koscielny contriving the most glorious finish imaginable. Continue reading...
Swansea appoint former Team USA boss Bob Bradley. Plus: problems on and off the field for Coventry, and World Cup 2018 qualifying previewsSubscribe and review: iTunes, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, AcastOn this special international edition of Football Weekly Extra, AC Jimbo is joined by Barry Glendenning, James Horncastle and Paolo Bandini to fashion a pod out of … well, the following: Continue reading...
Swansea’s new manager is the first American to coach in England’s top league, and stopoffs in Egypt, Norway and France reveal a man unafraid of a challengeRyan Giggs, perhaps, would have been the easy appointment for Swansea City. Bob Bradley, however, was the interesting appointment. He’s always the interesting appointment. Related: Swansea City hire Bob Bradley after sacking manager Francesco Guidolin Related: Bob Bradley at Le Havre: 'I felt like coming to a big football country' Continue reading...
First meets second as Manchester City visit Spurs, Theo Walcott looks to continue his hot streak and will this be the last we see of Francesco Guidolin?Given that the tactic of trying to absorb pressure had not worked for any of Manchester City’s opponents, it made sense for Swansea to try something different last weekend, as the Welsh side attempted to disrupt the league leaders’ momentum by squeezing their centre-backs when they had the ball. It did not work, of course, because City were still too sharp in attack. Yet Tottenham Hotspur’s feverish high press could yield greater rewards at White Hart Lane on Sunday. Both sides are without key attacking players – Harry Kane for Spurs, Kevin De Bruyne...
Son shines again for Tottenham, Chelsea and Leicester need defensive shake-ups, Palace signings prove their value and Southampton are ticking over againThe moment that summed up the discord in the Chelsea defence came on 64 minutes, when Gary Cahill wanted Thibaut Courtois to come to collect; the goalkeeper stayed on his line and Branislav Ivanovic bludgeoned the ball into touch. Cahill and Courtois argued. But errors had disfigured the performance to leave Chelsea 3-0 down at half-time: it was shocking, for example, to see how easily Mesut Özil accelerated away from the defensive midfielder N’Golo Kanté before he scored Arsenal’s third. Antonio Conte did not cancel his players’ day off on Sunday but they can expect a video inquest when...