After Tottenham’s Champions League exit was confirmed with a defeat at Monaco, we look at the reasons for the meek showing by Mauricio Pochettino’s side in the competitionWhen Arsenal had to play their Champions League home ties at Wembley in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, Arsène Wenger and his players said all the right things about how the national stadium ought to lift them. It was only some time after the event that they revealed their true feelings. Wenger and Ray Parlour used the word “nightmare”, while Emmanuel Petit called it a “disaster”. Arsenal lost three of their six matches at Wembley and they failed to advance in the competition. It will be interesting to see whether – or, more likely, when...
Crystal Palace need to stand tall after another defeat, Arsenal’s steel bodes well for title challenge and West Ham’s problems up front have been laid bare Related: Pep Guardiola was always going to win but Yaya Touré may not have lost Related: David Luiz holds back to ensure Chelsea’s defence stays unbreached | Michael Cox Related: Victor Anichebe thrives after being given fresh lease of life at Sunderland Related: Harry Winks gives Tottenham hope for Champions League survival Continue reading...
False No9s are in; free roles, with the exception of Mesut Özil, are out; back threes are making a comeback; and pressing is en vogueA few years ago possession was the most discussed concept in football. Since then there has been a shift from a possession-based approach and more attention paid to pressing. Mauricio Pochettino’s Southampton and Tottenham sides pressed in advanced positions to win the ball quickly, Klopp popularised counter-pressing, winning the ball immediately after it has been lost, and Guardiola also emphasises the importance of closing down in advanced positions. Related: Tammy Abraham, Pontus Jansson and the Championship’s most eye-catching players | Nick Miller Continue reading...
Arsenal’s title hopes are on hold, Tony Pulis is hoping for money in the January transfer window and Loris Karius is keeping Jürgen Klopp happy Related: The Dozen: the weekend's best Premier League photos Continue reading...
The manager calls him a genius, Vincent Janssen the best player he has ever faced and the Belgian was again key for Tottenham in the 1-1 draw at ArsenalIt is a question that is often put to Tottenham Hotspur’s players in those slightly quirky interviews. Who is the best player at the club? They give the same answer every time: Mousa Dembélé. When Vincent Janssen was asked it recently, he went for Dembélé and the summer signing added that it was also because he was the best player he had ever faced. It is worth noting that Janssen has come up against Dembélé only in training.Dembélé is not the highest-profile Tottenham player – perhaps because he is laid back to...