Tottenham made easy work of Harry Redknapp’s QPR at White Hart Lane this afternoon, with a 4-0 rout to put them top of the league.
It was their opening 45 minutes that was most impressive, with Eric Lamela stealing the show to provide two goals as Nacer Chadli popped up with a brace.
Eric Dier also scored – his second in two games – to also give him the perfect start to life back in England. Here’s all the best bits as Spurs thrashed QPR this afternoon…
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Chadli’s opener
Nacer Chadli was the surprise scorer of Spurs’ 11th minute opener and it was a well worked goal.
Adebayor delivered a wonderful deep cross towards the back post and Chadli brought it down on his chest and neatly dinked it over Robert Green. A good finish and a well deserved lead for Spurs after a bright start…
Eric Dier scores AGAIN for Spurs
Well, Spurs didn’t sign Eric Dier to score goals but he’s their unlikely top goal scorer with two in two this season.
The young Cheltenham-born defender double his goal tally for the season with a neat header in from a Lamela free-kick. What a start to his Tottenham career. Two shots, two goals…
Spurs’ first half performance
Spurs’ were just unbelievable in the opening 45 minutes, ripping Harry Redknapp’s QPR to shreds with three wonderfully worked goals.
The performance was certainly more to do with their conviction rather than QPR’s lack of ability and organisation, which says a lot about the work Pochettino is doing at White Hart Lane.
Eric Lamela’s performance
Spurs fans have been desperate to see Eric Lamela prove that he’s worth the £30m they paid for him last summer.
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And the opening 45 minutes will have been enough to convince them that they’ll finally be able to see why cost so much.
Adebayor sends Spurs top of the league
It’s still early days and there’s no way Spurs will win the league on the basis of thrashing a newly promoted QPR side, but the Spurs fans couldn’t help but boast of their new found place at the summit of the Premier League after Adebayor made it 4-0 to the hosts. That goal pushed them above Chelsea in to 1st on goal difference. As you can imagine, Tottenham fan’s were absolutely loving it…
After the fans openly expressed anger towards last season’s disappointment of a 13th place finish and a long run trying to steer themselves clear of the dreaded relegation zone little was really expected this season. Not only were they upset about the bottom half finish, but the style of football that was being played and the lack of goals were also a major concern for everyone associated with West Ham. How times have changed.
With a plethora of new signings arriving in this year’s summer transfer window, former striker and West Ham fans’ favourite Teddy Sheringham being appointed as a striker coach and a new system on the field that enables the Upton Park outfit to keep the ball on the deck, the east Londoners currently sit in an impressive seventh place in the table. Above the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, the Hammers can now be classed a force to be reckoned with. On the basis of this excellent start by Sam Allardyce’s men, can the Boleyn Ground side reach the dizzying heights of a place in the Europa League for the first time since 2006 where they crashed out against Italian outfit Palermo?
The one element that has been fundamental to the great beginning to the 2014/2015 campaign is balance. Since Big Sam took the reins at Upton Park, West Ham have been known to play long balls, and the players built for the physical battle instead of being blessed with flair and skill were chosen. This was fine in the 2011/2012 season in the Championship, however, it sometimes fails to work in England’s top flight. With requests to play more attractive football this season, Allardyce has had to be clever with his signings considering he needs more firepower in front of goal balanced with solidity.
Signing the likes of Aaron Cresswell, Carl Jenkinson, Alex Song and Cheickhou Kouyate brings a good work ethic, strength and capability of going on the offensive from the defensive position at any given time. Up top, Diafra Sakho has scored five goals in as many starts, and where do we even begin with £15m forward Enner Valencia! – scorer of a thunderbolt away at Hull City. As well as bringing flair, Mauro Zarate brings a certain class and greediness that the Hammers have lacked, with Frenchman Morgan Amalfitano also contributing to the team of late. The Hammers are in good shape to continue this great run so far.
However, one player that has surprised everyone in Premier League is Stewart Downing. Playing at the head of the diamond midfield, the former Liverpool winger has reignited his ailing career in the Hammers’ line up. Statistically, the Middlesbrough born midfielder has created 87 chances since the 2013/2014 campaign, more than any other player. Compared to £59.7m Manchester United superstar Angel Di Maria, the former Aston Villa player has better shooting accuracy, has created more chances, has completed more crosses and passes with greater success, as well as winning more tackles than the Argentine wing wizard.
Compared to their previous two seasons since their promotion to the top flight, the Hammers’ changes are coming into fruition. Having more shots per game, more shots on target, more possession per game and a greater passing accuracy, it’s definitely noticeable that Allardyce has listened to the fans and owners about the football that is being played, and better still the results are exceeding expectations.
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Fabio Borini’s agent has insisted that there’s no truth in rumours linking his client with a January move back to Italy from Liverpool.
The 23-year-old forward spent last season on loan at Sunderland and was expected to leave Anfield on a permanent basis during the last transfer window after the Reds accepted offers of around £14m from the Black Cats and QPR for his signature.
Despite the club’s decision Borini himself elected to stay put in a bid to battle for his future, yet some rumours have suggested that his choice was based on a potential loan move to Serie A in the winter, amid links with Inter Milan.
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The former Chelsea, Swansea and Roma forward has since featured for the Merseysiders in both domestic and European games, and his agent, Marco De Marchi says that both the player and Liverpool are content with the current situation:
“Borini is a top level player, so consequently he has a contract with Liverpool and any club interested knows how to approach them,” he told FCInterNews.it.
“At this moment I am certainly not going to look for another club, as the boy is happy to remain at Liverpool. Let’s not forget he left a journey he already started at Roma in order to come to England.
“Liverpool have no intention of loaning him out, as they already proved in August. We know that and so do all the clubs who came looking for him in the last transfer session.
“The situation is exactly the same as it was in September, in the sense that he is very happy to be part of this important team.
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“He has managed to find some space playing in the Champions League and starting in the Premier League. Things are progressing as expected.”
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The everlasting divisional rivalry between Liverpool and Arsenal has never received an official name, but one suitable title, at least in the context of the current Premier League season, would be the battle of the #managerout hashtags.
Indeed, Brendan Rodgers and Arsene Wenger have found themselves at the brunt of the fans’ frustrations this season, with the Reds and the Gunners both some way from achieving their Champions League qualification ambitions in sixth and tenth place respectively, and as ever in the modern world, that’s manifested onto social media.
In the last 28 days, 110,946 Twitter posts have included either the #WengerOut or #RodgersOut hashtags – a worrying increase from around 80,000 in the same time period previous. #Wengerout was posted around 15,000 times alone following a 3-2 defeat to Stoke City on the 6th of December and at one point in the last 28 days, it became a national trend in Nigeria. Meanwhile, Rodgers’ peak came after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Basel on December 9th, eliminating them from the Champions League, with the #RodgersOut trend picking up 5,209 hits. Perhaps more worryingly for the Liverpool boss, the @RodgersOutClub account now has nearly 5,000 members since its creation in September.
So when Liverpool and Arsenal drew at Anfield yesterday evening, it was always going to be a case of damage limitation – at least in terms of Twitter analytics. But who came off worse from the 2-2 affair?
In regards to hashtag tracking it was Wenger who drew the most criticism, undoubtedly due to the manner of the result. Arsenal played poorly – in fact, statistically speaking, it was their worst performance since the incarnation of OPTA in 2003, recording their lowest ever possession figure of just 36.5% (their average this year is 58.9%, only bettered by Manchester City) and the most shots against them, 27, in eleven years. But even so, the Gunners were within five minutes of taking all three points until a stoppage time header from Martin Skrtel – the subsequent emotions being far more familiar to a defeat. Resultantly, 4,557 tweets included #WengerOut yesterday.
In comparison, the last-gasp 2-2 draw must have felt like a victory for Liverpool – especially compared to their 3-0 loss to Manchester United the weekend prior. They were largely the better side throughout the ninety minutes, most particularly in the first half, and #RodgersOut was posted just 1,596 times. That’s almost honeymoon traction compared to Wenger’s current average of 3,118 per-day over the last month, but still an increase on Rodgers’ average of 1,043 per-day, suggesting disillusion towards the Anfield boss is continuing to grow.
A significant factor in that will be the nature of the performances; unfortunately for both managers, Liverpool and Arsenal were unravelled yesterday evening by the same ailments that have plagued them all season.
For Liverpool, it was another set piece goal that cost them dearly; the Reds have conceded 14 times from either free kicks or corners in their 26 games across all competitions this season, including Mathieu Debuchy’s header for the Gunners yesterday. Most infuriatingly for the fans, it came just a minute after Philippe Coutinho’s technically superb opener, with the 5 foot 10 full-back somehow out jumping Liverpool’s leading aerial combatant Martin Skrtel, who measures in five inches taller, at the far post.
Arsenal could be accused of poor defending too – Per Mertesacker was anonymous when competing with Skrtel for his last-minute header, whilst Liverpool’s first goal of the afternoon stemmed from Arsenal losing the ball in their own third.
One could argue both teams were undone by dogmatism of their own idealist approaches; the Gunners caught trying to over-complicate things in possession, the Reds quickly exploited on the counter-attack for Olivier Giroud’s strike.
Interestingly, both ‘Liverpool poor defending’ and ‘Arsenal poor defending’ hit their Twitter peaks for the month yesterday evening with inclusion in around 600 tweets – closer to 1,000 when adding tweets that contained #lfc and #afc instead of official club names.
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There were certainly no clear winners from the Anfield draw; neither #RodgersIn or #WengerIn – two hashtags that for a significant segment of Twitterites are used in ironic jest – breached the 1,000 barrier on Sunday, despite enjoying highs of around 2,500 and 3,000 respectively at the start of the month.
But in terms of who came off worse it has to be Wenger. In addition to this being reflected in the analytics, as previously discussed, Arsenal squandered a win that would have seen them move within two points of the top four, whilst Rodgers can at least claim his Liverpool side triumphed through adversity to save a vital draw, propelling them over local rivals Everton into the top half.
With both #RodgersOut and #WengerOut still consistent in their popularity however, the battle of the #managerout hashtags is still far from conclusion.
After Saturday’s hard-fought 2-1 FA Cup fifth round win over Crystal Palace, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool have given themselves every chance of lifting the famous old trophy come the end of the season.
But do Liverpool have to win the FA Cup to save their topsy-turvy season? Obviously, with the imminent departure of captain and club legend Steven Gerrard, it would be the perfect send-off for a player who has done so much for the Merseyside club during his illustrious 16-year career at Anfield.
With the final taking place on Gerrard’s birthday, Rodgers told the Guardian recently that there would be no better goodbye present:
“I think the FA Cup final is on his birthday, so there would be no better way, for him. It would be a wonderful send-off for him,” said Rodgers. “There are a lot of games to play in between. If we could do it, it will be really special.”
But to suggest Liverpool must win the FA Cup is probably a little bit over the top. Of course they would love to, and not being able to capitalise of last season’s second place Premier League finish has been a massive disappointment for everyone involved with the club. Nonetheless, the way the FA Cup has panned out this season, the Reds have a real chance of winning the trophy for the first time since 2006.
With giants Manchester United and Arsenal going head-to-head in the quarter-finals, Liverpool’s home tie with Blackburn Rovers becomes even more important. No disrespect to Rovers, who had an excellent 4-1 win over Stoke City in round four, the Reds really should be looking to put Gary Bowyer’s team to the sword and confirm a Wembley semi-final spot. The draw has also set up a Midlands derby as Aston Villa host West Bromwich Albion, and League One side Bradford entertain Championship side Reading.
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It’s been far from the usual FA Cup campaigns we’ve been so used to seeing in recent years. With giant-killings galore – including Bradford City’s memorable 4-2 win at Chelsea and Middlesbrough’s superb 2-0 victory over Manchester City – this FA Cup campaign will certainly live long in the memory.
With the cup aside, Liverpool still have a good chance of gaining one of the much-coveted top four spots. Securing Champions League football for next season must still be Brendan Rodgers’ number one priority, but that shouldn’t deter too much attention from FA Cup success. The Reds currently sit in seventh place, four points off of Southampton who currently occupy the last Champions League position.
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With a number of clubs all vying for what looks like just two remaining top four spots, Liverpool have certainly got their work cut out to overhaul all those teams. Which makes the FA Cup an excellent opportunity to somewhat save their season from disaster.
All the omens in the world are pointing to Liverpool’s name being etched into this year’s FA Cup. There are still a few big clubs who will have their say, but wouldn’t it just be so fitting to see Steven Gerrard lifting a trophy in a Liverpool shirt, one final time?
“If I had played in England I would have destroyed it, like I have everywhere else.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic never has been one to mince his words, even if this one particular quote has in-fact been abruptly denied by the player since it first emerged. He goes down as one of the most enigmatic, skilful and entertaining players of his era, but as he is yet to ply his trade in the Premier League, the 33-year-old striker seemingly hasn’t ticked off everything European football has to offer.
But it’s not like that will come as a great regret to the player himself. Zlatan – in his words – has ‘destroyed it’ in the Swedish Allsvenskan, the Dutch Eredivisie, Italy’s Serie A, the illustrious La Liga in Spain, as well as in the French Ligue 1 with PSG. Ibrahimovic therefore has a footballing CV to be proud of and the game is certainly better off because of his involvement.
However, after reportedly claiming that ‘Zlatan doesn’t do trials’ after his proposed move to Arsenal broke down early on in his career, English football ultimately seems to have missed out on playing host to the ever controversial striker.
In light of such a decision, were the Gunners always going to be just fine without the Swedish star on board, or does Zlatan Ibrahimovic remain ‘the one who got away’ for Arsene Wenger and Arsenal?
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A remark like that could only really be made by two types of person: The first would be someone with grand ideas but also a strong degree of delusion, but the second would be a person who would not only fail to regret turning down a move to the Gunners in such dramatic style, but also someone who had it in them to go on to achieve even higher accolades in the world of modern football.
Zlatan definitely falls into the second category – the majority of goals that he has scored throughout his career would not have been put away by anyone else. Whether it be through the deadly power of his net-breaking shots, the supreme confidence that somehow comes every time he steps out on the pitch – or maybe just his reported black-belt in Taekwondo – the former Ajax, Juventus and Barca striker is simply unplayable on his day. Just ask any member of the English national side that saw their team pummelled 4-2 in what many have labelled ‘the Zlatan Ibrahimovic Show’ in late 2012.
Arsenal would have therefore loved to have seen Zlatan do his thing at Highbury or the Emirates – there simply isn’t any other way of putting it. Under the guidance of the likes of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, the Swedish international would have likely become even more of a talent than he currently is today – especially with someone as experienced in player development as Arsene Wenger supervising his progress.
If things had gone well, Ibrahimovic could have played on in the absence of Arsenal’s now retired strikers, and subsequently won more trophies for the Gunners as a result.
Having said that though, the player himself would have likely never properly fitted in at a club such as Arsenal. The fact that Zlatan didn’t even think Arsene Wenger was worthy of an audition really tells you all you need to know. Yes – he would have wowed fans of the Premier League with his incredible talents and ability with the ball, but it simply remains too hard to imagine the enigmatic front-man ever wanting to play second fiddle to anyone else – no matter how talented his senior teammates may have been.
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For that reason alone, the player himself can’t really go down as ‘one who got away’ for Arsenal. His apparent outlook at the time just wouldn’t have allowed for the partnership to work out for all parties involved. Zlatan seemingly had to make his own way in the footballing world – and as his career really is one to behold in the modern era – that is exactly what he’s done.
Perhaps though, in the ever changing realms of the current game, maybe – just maybe – one last move to the Premier League awaits Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the final curtain call of his illustrious footballing life.
The last few weeks have served as somewhat of a reality check for Manchester United after their magnificent run of form was not only halted; but has been followed by a drastic change in fortunes.
Their latest defeat to West Bromwich Albion was not only their third successive loss, but also saw the Red Devils make it three games in a row without even finding the back of the net.
Just a month ago things were looking rosy at Old Trafford, and they had their sights set on second place after impressive victories over Tottenham and Liverpool before an emphatic display against rivals Manchester City saw them run out 4-2 winners.
It seemed Louis van Gaal had finally found a system and starting 11 that would bring about a solid end to the season with the goals starting to fly in.
But remarkably Chris Smalling’s header on April 12 was the last time United got on the score sheet, and their recent run must come as a real worry to the manger.
Thankfully Van Gaal’s side still hold a four-point advantage over Liverpool with three games remaining; which should be enough to secure a return to the Champions League which was their primary focus at the beginning of the season.
But having failed to register a point or even a goal in defeats to Chelsea, Everton and West Brom, it shows there is plenty of work to be done and those getting carried away with talk of a title challenge may have to rethink such claims.
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So where’s it gone wrong for United? And how can the Dutchman solve United’s attacking problems?
Perhaps the biggest issue for the Reds has been the injury problems. Michael Carrick’s absence from the side since leaving the field in the closing stages of the Manchester derby has had a huge effect on the team both in defensively and in attack, and they haven’t looked the same since.
The holding midfielder had been a key part of the team while they went on that winning run, kick starting attacks and shielding the defence ensuring they looked more solid. It’s no coincidence that since losing him, that they have lost three league games in a row for the first time since December 2001, and failed to score in three successive games since 2007.
United have shown they have nobody who can perform anywhere near as effectively as Carrick, and this has also had an effect on the role Wayne Rooney has been playing in recent weeks.
The England striker had been performing brilliantly as the main man in attack, coinciding with the good run of results. But ever since Carrick’s injury he has been forced to drop back, often playing in midfield and as a result United have lost his effectiveness when going forward.
With Rooney playing a deeper role, this had led to both Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie getting starts in the team, but once again they have failed to impress.
Falcao continues to struggle and looks like a man hugely short on confidence, while Van Persie’s return from injury at the weekend probably couldn’t have gone any worse. The Dutchman looked rusty and missed a few good chances before seeing his spot kick saved to sum up a terrible afternoon.
Although they have both proven themselves to be two fantastic strikers, to ensure they stop the losing streak Van Gaal needs to revert back to the side that looked so impressive just last month. And that means pushing Rooney upfront on his own and leaving out the other two.
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Rooney has shown he is most effective playing up top, and going forward into next season this is how he should be deployed. The manager has a decision to make about Falcao, one that should result in him playing his football elsewhere next season after failing to deliver on numerous occasions.
And as for Van Persie, he’s sure to come good again and so selling him wouldn’t be the best of decisions particularly given his experience. But maybe his days as a first choice striker are coming to an end, and although it takes a brave man to keep him on the bench, this could be the best option for United especially in the big games.
There’s no doubting they need further investment in attacking areas, and the addition of Memphis Deepay would prove most welcome. But it’s cover for Carrick that they also need, to ensure Rooney’s attacking threat is not wasted and he can remain upfront.
It’s going to be another interesting summer at Old Trafford, but despite talk of a new striker it wouldn’t be the worst decision to hold back from signing one. With Rooney leading the line, and Van Persie in reserve there isn’t room for another big name in the side, and with Javier Hernandez due to return from Real Madrid at the end of the season, you could argue they already have enough options.
Last week Liverpool suffered another bump in the road in their turbulent season. Dumped out of FA Cup, the Reds will not be winning a trophy this year, but it may also be significant in their quest for European football.
Liverpool are still on course for a Europa League spot, but only have faint hopes of Champions League qualification. Getting knocked out of the FA Cup means they’ll have to grab their European place via the league, because they won’t get a place from a cup competition.
Realistically, they’re not going to make the Champions League this season. They have just too much to do. Manchester City might slip up a little bit more before the end of the season – and have a tough game against in-form Aston VIlla this weekend – but surely not enough to finish behind Liverpool. Qualifying for the Europa League would be a consolation prize of course, certainly not something they’d have eyed at the start of the season, but it’s definitely a competition they’ll expect to be involved in at the very least.
But there are teams behind them in the league that also have their eyes on the same prize. Liverpool are in fifth place, and so they’re clearly in the best position for qualification. But if Southampton and Spurs start to win games, Liverpool could be in trouble.
England get three representatives in the Europa League, and with Liverpool missing out on the FA Cup final against Arsenal who are all but qualified for the Champions League Villa will get one of those spots.
Champions League-bound Chelsea won the League Cup, so the two spots left will go to fifth and sixth place in the league. And so Liverpool will need to finish in one of those spots in order to qualify.
Currently they sit fifth, and they do have a game in hand over Saints and Spurs, but they’re only a point ahead of the Saints and only above Spurs on goal difference.
So it’s lucky for Liverpool that the two teams directly below them play each other this weekend. They’ll have the chance to gain points on at least one of those teams. Crucially, if they win their game against West Brom, they’ll gain points on 7th place by 5:15 on Saturday, when City kick off against Villa.
But if Liverpool show signs of a hangover from their cup exit and the defeats to Man United and Arsenal, it could have a catastrophic effect on their season. Both of the teams below them, even if they were to lose their next game, would still have enough games left to accrue the points to oust Liverpool from the Europa League places. Even with Liverpool’s game in hand.
There is added pressure on Brendan Rodgers, though.
In this age of managerial merry-go-rounds, impatient owners and mega-money competitions such as the Champions League, the job security for a top manager is frighteningly low. To make matters worse for Rodgers, Jurgen Klopp is available. He’s announced his imminent departure from Borussia Dortmund this summer, and declaring that he won’t be taking a sabbatical means he’s single and ready to mingle.
In fact, there has already been talk of Brendan Rodgers leaving and the BBC’s Sportsday even had a public vote asking who will be Liverpool manager next season. That’s hardly a vote of confidence for the Northern Irishman.
So finishing 7th in the league with no silverware and no European football to show for it would be disastrous for the club, the players and crucially for the manager too. It just can’t happen.
With the Champions League looking very unlikely and no cup competitions to play for, the concern is that Liverpool may struggle to get motivated for their remaining fixtures, too. That’s the kind of situation that could give hope to both Saints and Spurs, and make them believe that they can catch Liverpool.
On paper, Liverpool have the players to keep it together, they have also been in good form despite the defeats I’ve mentioned. They’ve lost the big games – United, Arsenal and an FA Cup semi-final – but the games they have left shouldn’t pose them too many problems. The only one you’d expect them to struggle with is Chelsea.
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But actually, if Chelsea lose to Arsenal and we’re left with something vaguely resembling a title race on Sunday evening, the Liverpool Chelsea game could be important. And wouldn’t Liverpool just love to cause Chelsea the same problems that Mourinho and his team bus caused the Reds at Anfield last season.
If Liverpool’s problem is getting up for the games they have left, then there should be no problem getting up for this one.
Liverpool should be fine for a Europa League spot. But they need to be careful because not getting one would be disastrous and may cost their manager his job. With Jurgen Klopp free, lurking like a lion stalking its prey, you’d fear for Rodgers if he does guide his team to a poor run from now until the end of the season. His job just might depend on his ability to motivate his team for their final few games.
Kevin Mirallas has hit out at Everton for their treatment of him over the latter half of the season, accusing the Merseysiders of ‘breaking promises’.
The Belgium international has long been thought of as one of the Toffees’ key players after impressing for Roberto Martinez’s side.
He attracted interest over the winter period from clubs such as Atletico Madrid and Dortmund, while Spurs have also been aligned with a raid for him.
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A potential swap including Aaron Lennon – on loan at Everton from Tottenham – has been reported as an option, and now Mirallas has now opened the door for a switch.
The 27-year-old has revealed that he’s frustrated at the lack of game time he’s been given, claiming that it goes against the reasons he was kept at the club in January despite strong interest:
“Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid were interested [in January], but Everton obliged me to stay at the club,” he is quoted by Goal.
“I understood because our young group performed below expectations. So I had to stay, but in the second half I was suddenly playing less games.
“There are promises broken and yet it makes for a somewhat awkward relationship with the coach. Soon I will have a conversation with him.
“I have had a beautiful two and a half years with Everton. I have experienced many great moments and for that I must thank the club.
“So I don’t know whether I will leave, it is a decision I have to make in consultation with my family.”
Mirallas played 1,424 minutes of Premier League football for Everton during the season just gone, scoring seven goals from his wide role.
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According to reports in the Daily Star, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is considering bidding for Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany if Pep Guardiola tries to sign contract rebel Alexis Sanchez during the January transfer window.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Daily Star says that Gunners boss Wenger is desperate to boost his backline and while he holds an interest in Chelsea’s David Luiz, he could be tempted to make a move for Kompany if City want Sanchez in the New Year.
The Daily Star says that the runaway Premier League leaders are set to reignite their interest in the Chile international having failed to bring the forward to the Ethiad during the summer transfer window, with the 29-year-old unwilling to commit his future to the north London outfit.
How has Kompany done this season?
As they have been over the course of the last few years, the Belgium international’s campaign has once again been blighted by injury.
While he captained City and played the full 90 minutes in their opening three Premier League matches this term, the 31-year-old then picked up a calf injury which kept him out for 14 games in all competitions.
The skipper did play four times in the top flight on his return, but a muscle problem that he suffered in the win against Manchester United has kept him on the sidelines for the victories against Swansea City and Tottenham Hotspur over the course of the last seven days.
According to WhoScored.com, Kompany has won 20 of the 27 aerial duels he has faced in his seven Premier League outings this season, while he has made 25 clearances and has an impressive passing accuracy of 92.5%.
Would he be a good signing for Arsenal?
It’s difficult to say.
While there is no doubt that he would certainly add some leadership and quality to the Arsenal backline, his injury worries would certainly be a concern.
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According to Transfermarkt, the 31-year-old has missed 47 matches in all competitions since the start of last season, and that is something that Wenger would be seriously thinking about before he brings him to the Emirates.
Considering he has 18 months left on his contract however, if he could be bought for a reasonable price then it could turn out to be a low-risk transfer.