A lull, at least in terms of transfers, although there are moves being set up for later on. The same is true of the Premier League. It feels like this week was one with results that puts things in place for later... maybe much further into the season. The competition certainly needed Liverpool staying close to the pack, and there's the obvious value in a story like Nottingham Forest staying up there. The wonder now is how high that will be, at least in terms of the points threshold... |
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| Written by Miguel Delaney |
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Manchester City's form has improved but the 2-2 draw at Brentford dented ideas they may be about to go on one of their customary runs. Issues there remain, and it does mean the Premier League might be heading for something different, or at least a dynamic that hasn't been seen for years. With Liverpool also enduring a first blip, as they face another difficult game at Brentford on Saturday, could this be a title race where there are proper twists and turns? Might the threshold to win it drop to 85 or even 80 points. We discuss more here. |
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One striker Arsenal unlikely to get... |
Much of that may be dependent on whether Arsenal can sign a forward, of course, which is already been discussed in this newsletter a lot. Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres has been raised internally, but the word already is that he is likely to go to Manchester United in the summer. More details here. |
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Two big United deals showcase one major Premier League issue |
One big reason for the relative slowness of the market so far isn't just that January is a difficult time to do business. Clubs are still said to be "petrified" by the ramifications of PSR. The regulations have had real teeth in that sense. This is has been discussed in relation to Manchester United more than almost any other club, and one transfer that weighs over everything is Marcus Rashford. As of Friday morning, he is understood to be mostly considering either Juventus or Borussia Dortmund on loan, with the hope that Barcelona becomes an option in the summer. Alejandro Garnacho may follow him to Italy if Rashford opts for Juventus, as Napoli are very keen on the transfer. There is currently close to a £30m difference in terms of what Napoli want to offer, £38m, and what Manchester United want to receive, £70m. |
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Tottenham unwilling to make change amid major challenges |
Events can always spiral with results, but Ange Postecoglou is understood to currently be under no threat at Tottenham Hotspur. Some might say that results have already spiralled, given that it's one win in nine and five defeats. There is acknowledgement within the club of the circumstances, that has seen a young and thin squad stretched to the limit in the most intense season ever. It says much that young players like Djed Spence, Lucas Bergvall and - especially - Archie Gray have been the best recent performers, given they have only been thrown into the team since December, and haven't really gone through the rough schedule of games every three days like their teammates have. The sense is currently of just getting through this period. |
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Teams are gearing up for the penultimate night of the Champions League opening stage this midweek, and it's still a bit of a strange one, with similar issues applying to journalists as players. The table is so congested, with so much space for sudden leaps, that a lot of teams go into fixtures without a full realisation of the stakes. It's a bit like that for the media too. Outside a fixture with obvious consequences, such as Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester City, it's hard to know exactly what will matter. Arsenal still need a win, at least, but a game at home to Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb is not really up there with Aston Villa's trip to Monaco. While this is all going to set up an enthralling final night, it's understood that one element that players don't like is that they're going into games not fully sure what they mean. |
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| Myles Lewis-Skelly was in this section until Thursday night, at which point you just couldn't ignore Amad Diallo. Aside from his goals, and that match-winning 12-minute hat-trick, he just makes things happen. |
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| In keeping with the theme of above, I fancy both of the top two drop points this weekend. Liverpool are all too aware of Brentford's home form, which may create a tantalising prospect for Arsenal, who kick off at home to Aston Villa straight after that match. It's just such an awkward game, that Mikel Arteta's team have had issues with before. |
Every week I'll make one prediction or talking point for the week. Feel free to email in with thoughts. | |
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Six teams have claimed more than 85 points in a Premier League season and not won the title. Name the six clubs and the seasons. Note: obviously that means 86 points or more in an individual campaign. |
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| England rugby star Maro Itoje shares his workout routine. |
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