#set pre and post “silva's hope”

[the-silver-chronicles]

Siblings Q&A | Silva & Elsa Omar ONESHOT

Tagged by @raresbaby and @inafieldofdaisies

Tagging @voidika @icecutioner @socially-awkward-skeleton @derelictheretic @shallow-gravy @direwombat @strangefable @strafethesesinners @rhettsabbott @josephseedismyfather @josephslittledeputy @imogenkol @cloudofbutterflies92 @skoll-sun-eater @cassietrn @carlosoliveiraa @adelaidedrubman @g0dspeeed @wrathfulrook @afarcryfrommymain @aceghosts @turbo-virgins @shellibisshe @deputy-morgan-malone @softtidesworld @starsandskies @ladyoriza @la-grosse-patate @florbelles @sleepyconfusedpotato @titiagls @minilev @yokobai @thewanderer-000 @omen-speaker @justasmolbard @alypink @thesingularityseries and @nightwingshero + anyone else who wants to join. Taglist here.

Hey guys, SimpleGenius here! Decided to turn this short Q&A into a legitimate Oneshot for The Silver Chronicles, involving two OCs of mine; Silva and her younger half-sister, Elsa, set in a time in Hope County where Silva had no knowledge of Eden's Gate and the Omar's experienced a time of normalcy. There should be nothing but fluff, yes-siree. Oneshot below the cut:

The buzz of the worn-out camcorder complimented the numbing visuals of the frozen static, but swiftly the unused device booted up.

The specter on the screen was both haunting and ethereal, a memory from a time so much simpler. A normality so sparse in time.

With her trusty camcorder in hand, Elsa admired herself in the mirror. Hair twisted in many small blonde braids, wearing a white sundress laced with magenta patterns that looked like flowers.

The camcorder fizzled, the screen going blank for a moment. She gave it a good whack, faded red paint dusting her black gloves, and the camcorder proceeded to work like normal.

Elsa carried the camcorder away from the mirror, passing through into a lounge. Her hermana, dressed in a yellow flannel and black jeans, her dark hair flowing past her shoulders, seated on their couch having a cup of coffee.

"You ready, Sylvie?" Elsa asked, shuffling cards out of frame. Sylvester placed her cup onto the coffee table, laced gloves fixing creases on a dress she's not wearing. Realizing this, she stops the action and awkwardly cups her knees.

"Si, uh, seguro," Sylvester muttered out, clearing her throat, "How does this work?"

"Essentially, from what Rae-Rae told me, this is a fun little game where siblings answer questions for that net-work mambo-jumbo," Elsa explained, and again shuffled the flash cards she prepared.

"And since we're both sane enough to not invite people to put their noses into where they don't belong, I thought maybe, instead of doing this for strangers, we do it for Persephone," Elsa elaborates further.

Sylvester blinks, grey eyes staring at her younger hermana like a doe caught in headlights. She tilts her head, her right cheek sunk in, chewing her inner cheek.

"Elsa, she's una," Sylvester points out.

"Yeah, I know that," Elsa sighs, understanding but exasperated, "But she won't be for long. When she's older, we can show her this. Let her get to know her mamá and tía some more."

Sylvester's lips didn't quite frown, but she wasn't unconvinced either. "Derecha," she nodded, still wrapping her head around the camcorder's functions.

Elsa was likely grinning behind the camcorder, "Exactly! Now, to make this a bit more fun, I shuffled the questions out of order. Now let's begin."

Elsa showed the flash cards, the shuffle complete, and flipped over the first one.

"Question 19: Who has the worst ideas?" Elsa asked aloud.

Sylvester snorted, uncharacteristic of the person she's supposed to be, a small teasing smile on her healing chapped lips, "Well we both know who that is."

Elsa let out an exaggerated gasp, feigned offense, "Why Sylvie, I am but a respectable, humble and pious shopkeeper. Do you insinuate that I am anything but?"

"Bold words coming from the local daredevil who likes to worry her hermana to near-death," Sylvester retorts, arms crossed.

"...I'm guessing Rae-Rae snitched about my escapes on her roof?"

Sylvester had no need to answer, though Elsa must have seen that she had nothing to worry over, as Sylvester's smile held only amusement.

"Next question," Elsa declared, moving on, "Number 7: Most stable romantic life?"

Both wondered briefly, and Elsa states, "I gotta give this one to you Sylvie. You managed one relationship with Irene far longer than any ones I've had in our time here."

Sylvester narrows her eyes at Elsa, raising a quizzical brow, "Is that so? You and Ezekiel were like two peas in a pod every time you both talked with each other."

"That was brief, and we weren't official. Just some one-upping through flirtation. And he had been a real jerk at first, remember? At least you and Irene had a better start," Elsa deflects, waving a hand onscreen as she desperately denied her hermana's accusations.

Sylvester merely nods her head in feigned agreement as Elsa brings out the next question.

"Question 12: Best memory together?"

Sylvester leaned back on the couch, looking up for a moment. With Sylvester pondering which memory she liked the most, Elsa already found one.

"I'd say buying this residence," Elsa admits, "A place we can forever call our home. Wouldn't you agree?"

Sylvester looked to Elsa, and gave a short nod, "Si, it is up there. But... I'd say my favorite would be when it first rained. Just... playing and dancing like kids do... like we should have been allowed to do."

Elsa must have sensed the solemness in her voice, and replied, "At least we got to do it."

Sylvester hummed, appreciative of that fact.

"Question 15: Would you rather not being able to shower for a month or have the same clothes for a month?"

Sylvester was immediate in her response, "Not shower for a month, obviously. We can just bathe in baths instead."

Elsa laughed, cheerful and loud, "Never thought you'd be the one to take advantage of a loophole Sylvie."

Sylvester smile wholeheartedly, grey eyes sincere as she admitted, "I learned the best from my crafty little hermana."

"Aww," Elsa lightheartedly cooed, and proceeded forward, "Question 5: Who sleeps the most?"

Sylvester raised her hand, "Mother of one very curious and fussy niñita, right here."

"No arguments there," Elsa replied, "Question 14: Dream trip together?"

In a moment of synchronized thought between hermanas, they both state, "Spain."

"Question 16: Who's the older one?"

Sylvester raised her hand once again. Elsa flipped to the next flash card, "Question 10: Who had a weird phase?"

Both pondered for a moment, trying to think of any moment in their lives of such a phase.

"I don't think we were ever given a chance to do so," Elsa states. Sylvester hummed in agreement, shaking her head in confirmation.

"Alright then! Question 6..."

Elsa paused, reading the flash card: 'Who's Mom and Dad's favorite? (If there is one?)'

Sylvester waits, worry building in her gut, and asks, "What's the question?"

Elsa hesitated, but responded, "Who's.... mo- ahem, father's favorite..."

Sylvester briefly gaped, but recovered, stating, "Well, we both know the answer to that question is neither of us."

Elsa hummed, throwing the card away as she proceeded with the next one, "Question 18: Role Model? Mine's you, of course. But who's yours Sylvie?"

"I'd have to say Paul," Sylvester mustered out, clearing her throat, "He saved me after all. Raised me. Gave me something that we were denied."

"I wish I got to meet him," Elsa admits, "From what you told me, he was funny and dramatic."

Sylvester smiled at Elsa's words, "You two would have adored each other."

Allowing Sylvester a moment to keep herself together, Elsa proceeded to the next card, "Question 3: Who eats the most?"

She raised her hand this time, the various rings displayed for the camcorder to catch, "That'd be me! Speaking of which..."

Sylvester cringed, swiftly adding, "I had a sandwich earlier."

But Elsa was not deterred, "While that's good, you skipped breakfast nor have you had any fruits or snacks prior to lunch."

"I'll have something later," Sylvester flimsily promised. Elsa, not satisfied, retorts, "I'll hold you to that."

"Question 8: Worst habit of each one?"

Sylvester sighed, "Well, you already know mine. Though your recklessness is concerning considering your condition Elsa."

"I'm not made of glass, Sylvie."

"Elsa, your bones are brittle and break easily."

"...Okay I'm a little like glass, but I'm not stupid. I can take care of myself. I know what I'm doing when I climb a tree, or go bungee jumping or help Rae-Rae around her farm," Elsa defends. Her hermana replies, "I... I know that Elsa, but even so, you've been seeking out riskier and riskier thrills lately, and I can't... help but worry."

"I appreciate it," Elsa assures, and adds, "But you worry way too often."

Sylvester doesn't argue, and Elsa takes advantage of the momentary silence, "Question 4: Who has been on the weirdest situations?"

Neither hermana could think of either one being in a "weird" situation. Sylvester opted to gesture to Elsa, "Well, given your escapades so far, I vote you."

Elsa huffed, "Seeking thrill is not the same as getting stuck in chance and strange situations."

"And how likely am I going to be in such situations?"

Elsa mumbles, indistinctly playful, and moves on, "Question 20: A GIANT insect is on the wall, who's taking care of it?"

Sylvester raises a brow, "Whoever finds it first."

"Pfft, a bug ain't that scary," Elsa comments, "Question 17: Describe each other in three words."

Elsa and Sylvester held gaze for a moment blurted out their answer.

"My badass worrywart-hermana." "Daring little hermana."

There was a silent beat before both responded to such descriptions.

"Surely that is four words, Elsa," Sylvester argued, but Elsa interrupted with her pointer finger as she replied, "Ah, but you forget my lovely older hermana, the power a hyphen holds."

Sylvester shook her head in disbelief, but did not debate further as Elsa brought forth the next question, "Question 1: Who looks the... ah mierda, another one?"

'Who looks the most like dad?' the question read.

"Is it another relating to... him?" Sylvester tested, her lips pursed in a thin line, her voice softer and quieter than normal. Her grey eyes dulled, hands clenched into her jeans.

Elsa sighs, a hand going out of the camcorder's view, probably to play with her blonde locks, and most likely undo a braid in the process.

"I... Do you mind if we skip this one?" Elsa asks, and Sylvester eagerly nods, much to Elsa's relief, "Question 11: Best cook of the family?"

Elsa answers before Sylvester could have a chance, "Yeah, I can't cook for shit, that's you right there, Sylvie."

Sylvester closes mouth, making no comment on Elsa's lack of culinary skill. Elsa flips the next flash card, "Question 9: Who's the most dramatic?! Why that would be me!"

Sylvester nodded with absolute certainty.

"Question 8: Worst habit of each one?"

Sylvester beat Elsa to the tea, "I got this. I'm a nagging worrywart who forgets her own needs sometimes, and you, mi querida hermana, are a crafty daredevil with a big ego that often gets you into trouble."

"Hah! Wow, you know me so well," Elsa said, flipping to the next flash card, but mentions, "However, you're wrong in your description; you're not a nagger."

Sylvester doesn't visibly react to this, but she seems to be stuck in a forlorn gaze. However, the next question snaps her out of this odd pause, and Sylvester listens attentively.

"Question 13... uh, worst memory together?"

Sylvester and Elsa pondered together, brainstorming.

"Our entire childhood was jodido and never the best," Elsa mentions. Sylvester frowns, and points out, "Si, but the run for the docks weren't any better."

Elsa couldn't not hum in agreement, and she moves on, "Last Question. Number 2: Who looks the most like mom...?"

Sylvester looks baffled as Elsa blows a raspberry, "Irrelevant. We've never met nor did we have the same mother."

Elsa throws away that flashcard out of the camcorder's view, much to Sylvester's visible annoyance.

"And... that's it. We finished the game. Yay!" Elsa lightly cheered, her camcorder focusing on Sylvester, "So... food for thought?"

Silva watched herself, younger and with so much more innocence, more hope, than she had now. The camcorder in her gloved hands was running hot, the flashing sunset-red indicating a coming end, but she could care less, holding onto the memory in her hands for as long as she could.

Sylvester chewed her inner cheek and said, "Besides two nosy ones, I'd say it was... nice?"

Elsa's mock offended gasp was as exaggerated as the younger hermana's mannerisms had always been, "Just 'nice'? This is a memorial moment for the both of us. It is evidence for Persephone to watch and rewatch for years to come."

Elsa placed the camcorder on the coffee table, and sat down next to Sylvester on the couch, a big grin spread out, pearly teeth shown. She grabs a hold of Sylvester's laced gloved hands, despite the latter's exasperation over the former's words.

"Wasn't it you who emphasized the importance of this? To immortalize ourselves through memories our family can visit decades after we're gone? Whether it be through ink, our voices or our image? You have to agree that this is quite a viable way to do that," Elsa assures Sylvester, who's doubt dissipated the longer she thought.

The camcorder began to buffer, the orange-red blinking faster, but Silva continued to watch, wanting to savoir this for as long as she could.

Sylvester's grey eyes looked to Elsa, softly asking, "Okay. But I have to ask; are you sure?"

Elsa laughed, her dimples caught by the camcorder's lens, as she says-

Nothing.

The camcorder's screen was blank, only reflecting Silva. The blinking light gone, the heat prevalent, and despite desperately pushing the power button repeatedly, Silva knew she wouldn't get those reassuring words she needed to hear. Not now. Nor ever again.

Silva's shoulders slumped, still sat down on the old wooden floor in the decrepit corpse of her home. The home she had taken care of for almost a decade. Even after her hermana's death, despite the ache for her visits. Even after Persephone's passing, though the yearning for her hija's laughter echoing in the halls hurt more and more with their absence.

And now... her residence, her home, was nothing more than a burned and decrepit husk full of dust and debris. All the memories that mattered, all the memories she held close to her, the journals, the photos, the shrines they rested under, were all tattered and ripped and frayed and singed and gone. Just gone.

And now... with exception to Silva's own visage of Elsa... the last thing of her hermana that she could have shown to her familia, could no longer function. The Collapse had reduced the resources required to charge such a small device to ash. Even if something survived, the camcorder was aged, and had some bugs.

Silva flipped the lid screen closed, clutching the little camcorder in her gloved hands, pushing it against her chest as she let out a shaky breath. The foliage that claimed her house rustled as a breeze swept past.

She shook where she sat, holding onto the pain, the knowledge that change has come and another chance away from her before she could appreciate it.

The wood creaked, and Silva didn't want to look at her amor's beautiful face, didn't want to shoulder her with more of her own pain and grief. But a dainty hand cupped her face, and Silva couldn't resist, relenting to her beloved's request.

Her tearful grey eyes connected with the warm green of Faith's. Her beloved, her esposa, her amor. Her Faith.

I am hers. And she is mine. As we both vowed.

And Silva wouldn't hide herself away from her. Couldn't. Even if she tried. How could she? They both knew the best and worst of each other. Intimately.

There was no judgement pitting them against one another anymore. Like now, there was only understanding. The grief for a present that they could no longer return to.

Silva did not resist the tears that fell across her cheeks. Nor did she push away Faith when she wrapped her arms around her. An embrace that held a strength that others underestimated about her. Both possessive and a comfort. All to tell Silva, I'm here.

Silva felt two more pairs of arms hold around her. The first was of her inventive Azriel, her grip unyielding as she buried herself into Silva's shoulder, just like she had done when she found her at age nine.

And the second came from her youngest. Her Mercy, clutching onto her with small hands, light-brown hair nuzzling into her body, perhaps not quite knowing why her madre was sad now that they were out of the bunker, but doing her best to lighten the load with her presence.

Silva placed down the old camcorder, and did her best to compensate in the embrace by wrapping her arms around her Faith and precious hijas. Her familia.

The grief was ever present, but this time, Silva would not be lost to it.

[A/n] I lied, the fluff was merely a front, there's only angst here. Well, mostly at least. Set before Old Dusk (the New Dawn WIP), with only a camcorder showing pre-Silva's Hope stuff. They probably only recently left Silva's bunker and well, Silva's obviously gonna be depressed about the state of everything. At least she has her family to keep her grounded? Also I haven't written in a while, so if it was repetitive or tone death, my bad, I've been trying to get my motivation back. Anywho, hope you enjoyed this lovely (and angsty) oneshot, and see y'all in the next one!

[dunbonnets]

hi andrea! I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed reading the first chapter of your finral fic and I was wondering when you plan on updating again or if you've maybe got an updating schedule set up for it that I can mark on my calender so I don't miss any new chapters?

also I love the magical attribute you've chosen for your oc vetra stormont! it seems really cool and I can't wait to see what other spells you've come up with for her and her family. I'm excited to learn about about the main character and their family and relationship/past with finral and the vaude house

my last questions (and I'm sorry for bothering you btw, I hope I'm not being annoying be sending you this ask lol) but I was just curious what other black clover fics you plan on writing and who they will be for? can you share any details about them? and when will your other black clover fics be posted if they're not already? I'd really love to read all of them if you have more since I enjoy your writing and the fandom so much 😁

anyways so sorry for bothering you again and I hope you have a nice holiday! 🍂

hi anon! before I answer your questions, I just wanna say that I've actually been having kind of a bad day so seeing this ask pop up in my notifications made my day ���

so happy to hear that you're enjoying weather the storm! I've been doing a lot of planning and pre-writing for it the last few weeks so I was really excited to finally post the first chapter. and thank you so much, I really love her magical attribute too! coming up with my own spells for vetra has been a fun process, so I appreciate you acknowledging the work that has gone into all of them

I currently do not have a schedule for updates, mainly because I feel bad if I don't lost a chapter as promised. so all updates will be sporadic and posted only when I have the time to write and edit chapters. but since I've gotten a lot of pre-writing done for weather the storm, I'm confident there won't be too much time between new updates. the next chapter will hopefully be up this week actually!

I do have other black clover fics in the works! however, none of them are posted yet. but currently my most planned out fics are for luck voltia, zora ideale, lumiere silvamillion clover, rhya, and yuno. but I've also got ideas for asta, nozel silva, nacht faust, yami sukehiro, william vangeance, leopold vermillion, vanessa enoteca, and magna swing, although they aren't as fleshed out. I've also got three crossover ideas which are attack on titan x black clover, demon slayer x black clover, and eremin black clover au (I'll make a separate post for details on all these fics since I'll probably rant quite a bit about them lmao)

aww you're so sweet, thank you so much! I hope you have a nice holiday as well. also you were definitely not a bother, I actually love it when my readers/followers reach out to me. it really warms my heart 🖤

[guardian-angle22]

Tag a fic that starts with the same letter as your username and describe why it's so good / how it has a hold on you. Then tag some people to see what everyone else is reading. Spread the love! Please tag @welcometololaland or tag #fic rec friday so she can compile the masterlist.

I was tagged by @welcometololaland @ladytessa74 @lemonlyman-dotcom & @lutavero Thank you all for the tag!💜

I have some that start with g for my username and some h for my actual name. This week I felt like highlighting some older fic. So all of these recs were posted in 2020/2021. (Which also means some of the authors might not even be active in the fandom anymore and I hope they're okay with me tagging them still! let me know if you're not!)

got my heartbeat skipping by @unbreakablejemmasimmons

this is set after 1.01 and it features tk and carlos flirting over ice cream. short & sweet (pun intended).

got real love maybe by @reyesstrand

this is a missing scene fic set between 2.09 & 2.10 with Carlos asking TK to move in. Full of soft, domestic feels.

gravitate towards you by @rafael-silva

tk + 126 have a rough shift, but carlos is there to feed them. more wonderful, soft fluff.

haunting by @morganaspendragonss

tk can see ghosts. and occasionally gets possessed by them. I absolutely love this supernatural trope. would read a million fics with it. this one is so good.

heartbeats by McRaider

this is a pre-series gen fic exploring some moments between tk & owen. I absolutely adore fics exploring the father/son dynamic between them and this one is so lovely.

[reyesstrand]

fic writer questions!!

tagged by @marjansmarwani @silvarafael and @morganaspendragonss (thank u!! 💗)

1) how many works do you have on ao3?

75

2) what’s your total ao3 word count?

286,026

3) how many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

i’ve written a handful of very amateur fics for it chapter 2, the get down, the magicians years ago, and most recently the old guard and 911: lone star.

4) what are your top five fics by kudos?

all of them are 911ls ajdnsnsn

like a bright new dream (post-season one tarlos love declarations)

wanna be still with you (2x08 episode tag ft concussed tk)

take me back to the light (post 1x08/pre 1x09 coda)

silver in the night (1x10 episode tag/missing scenes)

tangled in the willows (one shot collection)

5) what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

omg i’m not sure i’ve ever been capable of writing angst without some sort of happy ending…..i’ve definitely written some ambiguous endings though, which are featured here: in my grace/judd fic all so incredibly loud and my nancy/marjan fic hold on to me and this chapter of my tarlos one-shot collection.

6) what’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

i feel like 99% of my fics have happy endings akdnsn but off the top of my head my 2x12 coda felt like maybe we could last forever was one of the heavier things i’ve written and the ending was one lots of comments touched on which made me (‘:

also!! and every harm (is lovingly washed away) and thinkin bout forever both end in sappy double proposals for tarlos which were too much fun to write, and i’m going to plug all my nancy/marjan fics apparently ajdnsn bc make me feel alive also has a pretty happy ending!!!

7) do you write crossovers? if so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

never written one!

8) do you write smut? if so, what kind?

nothing super explicit, but i’ve ventured into mild/implied sexual content (i doubt it’s very good though ajdnsksn)

9) do you respond to comments? why or why not?

i try to!!! it usually takes a few days after a fic’s been posted but i try and get to them as soon as possible! and i do it to show appreciation for kind words because it really does mean the world 🥺

10) have you ever received hate on a fic?

somehow no.

11) have you ever had a fic stolen?

no, thankfully. at least not that i’m aware of.

12) have you ever had a fic translated?

no! but i’d love that!

13) have you ever co-written a fic before?

i haven’t! it’s definitely something i’m interested in though!!

14) what’s your all-time favourite ship?

i’d have to say any of the lone star pairings, canon or not—but of course tarlos most of all. i’ve just never really had so much inspiration from a pairing before. for instance, my first ever tarlos fic was inspired from the promo image for a scene that never even aired (looking at you dinner scene from 1x05), when before i felt like i had to be several seasons into a show to want to write in that universe. so yeah. tarlos.

15) what’s a wip you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

oh….so many. the first one that comes to mind is the sort of missing scenes between seasons one and two of lone star fic that i just couldn’t get to work for me. i also kind of want to do a canon divergent tarlos fic where they have a much slower burn than what we get on the show, but again..lack of inspiration aksnsn

right now my focus is on the prompt requests from forever ago!!

16) what are your writing strengths?

i’d like to think exposition? describing emotions and scenery? internal thoughts? i love getting lost in the mood of a scene and trying to capture it with words.

17) what are your writing strengths?

ooh uh i’ve always struggled with dialogue. like just making it flow naturally. if i’m not in the right headspace for certain dialogue-heavy scenes it makes writing 10x harder for me akdnsks

18) what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

i think it all depends on the scene/character/context. but, as someone who only speaks english and a little bit of french, i dont really think my thoughts matter here? if speakers of the language in question say something in a fic is offensive or not used properly or call into question the author’s intentions, we should listen to them.

19) what was the last fandom you wrote for?

………lone star, of course.

20) what’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

oh man, i’ve said it before but probably my firefighter!carlos fic lit the spark (that set a fire) because it took me so long. i also loved writing my 2x08 and 2x12 codas (mentioned above) and been twisting to the sun because it allowed me to write some tk and judd!!

i’m pretty sure everyone has been tagged at this point and i hope i don’t forget anyone but!!!@sunshinestrand @rafael-silva @reyescarlos @howtosingit @bellakitse @crockettmarcel feel free to do this if you’d like!!

[thisdaynews]

Man United 1-1 Everton: Mason Greenwood secures draw for Red Devils at Old Trafford

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/man-united-1-1-everton-mason-greenwood-secures-draw-for-red-devils-at-old-trafford/

Man United 1-1 Everton: Mason Greenwood secures draw for Red Devils at Old Trafford

Mason Greenwood scored twice in the midweek win over Alkmaar

Manchester United substitute Mason Greenwood scored a 77th-minute equaliser to deny Duncan Ferguson a second successive win as Everton’s interim manager.

Everton looked set for back-to-back league victories for the first time since April when Victor Lindelof turned Leighton Baines’ first-half corner into his own goal after VAR ruled David de Gea had not been impeded by Dominic Calvert-Lewin as they jumped at the near post.

It took 18-year-old Greenwood to come off the bench and rescue a point for United with a fine shot from the edge of the area to follow up his two goals in the Europa League against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.

Everton’s fans were delighted at the end though, singing Ferguson’s name in tribute to the Scot’s impact since replacing sacked Marco Silva.

Despite the cold and rain, Ferguson spent most of the game in nothing more than a shirt and tie, and long after the final whistle went over to acknowledge the visiting fans.

The result means United have collected 25 points from their first 17 games, one fewer than they had at the same point last season when Jose Mourinho was sacked.

What now for Everton?

Evidently, Everton’s hierarchy have some thinking to do.

Owner Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright sat side-by-side in the Old Trafford directors’ box. Kenwright chewed furiously on a piece of gum as the stresses of the game took hold.

Ferguson has stressed repeatedly he does not wish to be considered for the manager’s job full-time. Yet it is clear the Everton fans love him and the Scot’s exuberant goal celebrations prove he loves the club. More importantly, their players have a sense of purpose that so often seemed to be lacking during Silva’s reign.

Duncan Ferguson celebrates after the Lindelof own goal that put Everton ahead

The notable draw was achieved without the experience of Morgan Schneiderlin and Theo Walcott, who were ruled out with calf injuries, and Gylfi Sigurdsson, who was taken ill at the team hotel.

It included a brutal substitution of substitute – and big-money signing – Moise Kean, who had only been on the pitch 18 minutes, and ended long after the final whistle when Ferguson – after applauding the Everton fans – saluted the directors’ box, where Kenwright remained, applauding enthusiastically back.

With a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Leicester on Wednesday to come before the packed Christmas schedule, there must be a temptation for Moshiri and Kenwright to leave things as they are and reassess in the New Year.

Greenwood a United star

Solskjaer spent a large chunk of his post-match press conference on Thursday talking about Greenwood.

However this season turns out for United, it will be remembered as the campaign they unearthed a star.

It was fitting on the day they achieved the remarkable feat of selecting a 4,000th consecutive matchday squad with an academy player in it that Greenwood should find the net in a league game at Old Trafford for the first time.

Only Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck have done so at a younger age in the Premier League for United. Greenwood has already scored more goals than Macheda and will hope to stay clear of the injuries that dogged Welbeck at United.

With seven goals to his name, Greenwood is now clear as United’s second top scorer behind Marcus Rashford this season.

United’s creative gap

There was plenty of talk about Solskjaer’s trip to Austria to see Red Bull Salzburg’s Erling Haaland on Friday in the build-up to the game.

Haaland is evidently of interest to United, who will try to sign pre-existing targets when the January transfer window opens, and Solskjaer’s positive relationship with the 19-year-old, who played under him at Molde, is an advantage. It is a lack of creativity in midfield that really needs addressing though.

United have managed to amass 14 points from six games against the remainder of England’s ‘big six’, plus current title challengers Leicester, with getting only 11 from their other 12 matches, against teams less likely to attack them and leave spaces for the counter.

Paul Pogba is Solskjaer’s most creative player but the Frenchman has played just twice since August and not at all since the draw against Arsenal on 30 September. He is due to start training again this week after ankle surgery amid continuing speculation about a move away from Old Trafford next summer.

Man of the match – Tom Davies (Everton)

Industrious performance from the young midfielder, who looked like he was going off at one point but continued to battle on and did not let United overwhelm the visitors

Everton’s poor Old Trafford record won’t go away – the stats

Manchester United have lost just one of their last 27 home league games against Everton (W20 D6 L1).

Everton have won only one of their last 12 away Premier League games (D4 L7), taking just seven points from a possible 36.

Manchester United are without a keep clean sheet in their last 12 league matches – their worst run since a 12-game stretch between April and August 1971.

Everton have gone ahead in four away Premier League games this season but won just one of those, away at Southampton (W1 D1 L2).

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has now gone 12 consecutive Premier League matches without keeping a clean sheet – the longest run of his career.

Only Marcus Rashford (13) has more goals in all competitions for Man Utd this season than 18-year-old Mason Greenwood (7).

Greenwood is the youngest scorer (18y 75d) at Old Trafford for Manchester United in the Premier League since Federico Macheda in April 2009 against Aston Villa (17y 226d).

What’s next?

Manchester United are next in action against League Two Colchester in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday (20:00 GMT) before a Premier League trip to bottom side Watford on 22 December (14:00 GMT). Everton are also in the Carabao Cup last eight and entertain Leicester on Wednesday (19:45) before hosting Arsenal on 21 December (12:30).

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[boloorsportsmania]

#697 CSK come short against pumped up MI again; RCB have magically won 3rd match in a row as ABD and Saini shine; SRH find Shane Watson too hot to handle; RR hold their nerves to hand KKR their 6th loss in a row; Nadal struggles again in Barcelona Open but reaches SF where he would face Thiem; Medvedev to face Nishikori in other SF; Liverpool thrash Huddersfield to regain lead over City in EPL but have played an additional game; Barca one win away from La Liga title and more...:-)

CSK had lost last 2 matches. They faced SRH at home. Harbhajan gave CSK another good start as he dismissed Bairstow for duck. SRH 5-1. Manish Pandey then ripped apart CSK attack all over the park. They had 115 run stand in 13 overs. Warner hit yet another fifty before being dismissed for 45 ball 57 by Harbhajan. Shankar and Manish then struggled. They just managed 55 from last 45 balls. Bravo and Deepak Chara bowled well at the death. Faf was runout in 3rd over. CSK 3-1. Post that it was Watson show. He and Rainia took CSK to safety before Rashid dismissed Raina for 38. CSK 80-2 in 10 overs. Watson then cut loose as he hit sixes and fours at will. His 53 ball 96 was instrumental in CSK winning the match comfortably. CSK needed 9 runs of last over. Jadhav hit a six of 2nd ball to almost seal the match. Watson’s innings was like the one he hit against SRH in 2018 IPL finals.

RCB faced Punjab at home. RCB stopped the losing trend by beating Punjab in Mohali.  RCB lost the toss again and were put into bat. Virat was dropped by Viljoen early on when he was just 3. Parthiv and Virat hit 35 runs in first 3 overs as RCB started with a bang. Shami then dismissed Virat for 13. ABD and Parthiv made best use of powerplay. Parthiv hit 18 runs of final powerplay over to take RCb score to 70-1 in 6 overs. M Ashwin then dismissed Parthiv of his 2nd ball for 43. Parthiv’s cameo just came of 24 balls and gave RCB the impetus. RCB then had a dull phase. Akshdeep and Moeen were dismissed without scoring much. RCB were reduced to 81-4 from 70-1. Only 19 runs came in 5 overs post powerplay. RCB needed to make a move on. They started hitting odd boundaries post that. By 15th over. RCB score was 122-4. 170 looked like a target which RCB were looking to get. Only 16 runs came of next 2 overs As Ashwin finished a brilliant spell of 1-15 in 4 overs. RCB needed some big overs and they got 3 of them. 64 runs came of last 3 overs, 48 of last 2 and 20 runs came of last 4 balls. RCB ended up at 202. That was some hitting by ABD and later by Stoinis. ABD ended at 82* of 44 balls. He hit a full toss for six of one hand which went outside the stadium. A genius of a player. SToinis started slowly but hit 20 runs of last 4  balls to make up for it. 202 looked like a very good score. But the way Punjab started, it looked a small target. 36 runs came of first 3 overs as Umesh and Southee sprayed all over the place. Gayle made best use of it. Umesh eventually dismissed him for 10 ball 23. Punjab 42-1 in 3.2 overs. Mayank and Rahul just didn’t look like stopping the flow. They even hit Chahal out of the park. Punjab’s 100 came in 9 overs !! . Target was reduced to 102 needed in 66 balls which looked like very much gettable. Then came the phase which probably changed the match. Stoinis dismissed Mayank for 35. In next over, Moeen dismissed Rahul. Punjab 105-1 in 10.1 overs. RCb pulled things back post that. It came down to 87 needed from 42 balls. Pooran got Punjab back into the match by smashing Washington Sundar for 3 massive sixes. He was making room and hitting it hard. Sundar should have tried bowling over the wicket. Target came down to 68 from 36 and 60 from 30 balls. Pooran hit Ali for 2 sixes to give Punjab real hope of a win. 47 was needed from 4 overs. Southee gave boundaries of first 2 balls. Target was reduced to 28 needed from 22 balls. It was Punjab’s match to lose from here on. Next 10 balls put lot of pressure on Punjab, They just managed to get 9 runs from it. Umesh bowled a good 18th over. He struggles in death overs but got his length right this time. It came down to 30 needed from 12 balls. Saini then bowled the over the match. He dismissed Miller and Pooran in the same over and just gave away 3 runs. 27 was needed from last over and Umesh came to bowl. He would have got haunting memories of Dhoni ripping him apart. His nightmare almost came true as Ashwin hit the first ball for a six. But Umesh then bowled another poor ball which Ashwin didn’t connect as well and was dismissed. Viljoen was dismissed of next ball. RCB won the match by 17 runs. All the matches which RCb have won have been thrillers. RCB have now won 3 matches in a row which was impossible to think of a week back.  

KKR batsmen struggled again as baring Dinesh Karthik’s 97, next highest score was just 21. That hurt KKR as they just managed 175 in a pitch were 190 was needed. It was good to see Dinesh get into form. Varun Aaron shined with the ball by grabbing 2 wickets. He even caught a catch and inflicted a run out. Rahane and Samson gave RR a great start as 50 came up in powerplay. RR lost way post that to spinners. From 53-0, they were reduced to 98-5. Parag was dropped on zero by Narine. That hurt KKR as he and Archer took RR to a 3 wicket win. Parag hit 47 from 31 balls. This 17 year old kid looks like a very promising player. KKR through lost their 6th match in a row. Their players baring Russell have not come to the party at all.

CSK faced MI in Chennai. They were hammered by MI in Mumbai. It was yet another slow pitch. Dhoni was not playing due to fever. Once Quinton was dismissed, Lewis and Rohit played well to take MI to 99-1 in 12 overs. It looked 170 was on cards.  Wickets tumbled post that. MI were reduced to 122-4 from 99-1. Hardik played another cameo of 23 from 18 balls to take MI to 155. It looked like a fighting total. MI had to take early wickets and they did. Watson hit 2 boundaries before being dismissed by Malinga in first over. Hardik dismissed Raina soon after. CSK 22-2 in 4th over. It soon became 45-4 as Krunal dismissed rayadu and Jadhav.  Though played well for his 38, CSK were eventually bundled for 109. CSK have lost by big margins in both their matches against MI. Plot was the same. Put a decent score against CSK and take early wickets. That puts too much pressure on their middle and lower order. Rayadu and Jadhav have not won any matches this season for CSK .

In Barcelona Open, Zverev’s nightmare continued as he lost against Jarry after leading by a set. He has not reached SF of any tournament in 2019. Post winning year ending ATP championship , it was expected that Zverev would take his game to next level and compete in slams. It has gone in reverse direction now. Nadal lead Mayer 5-3 in first set before losing 7-9 in the tiebreaker. Another shocking loss was on cards. Nadal then grouped himself to win next 2 sets 6-4 6-2. He faced his friend Ferrer in pre QF. It was an easy match for Nadal as he beat Ferrer 6-3 6-3. He faced Struff in QF who shocked Tsitsipas in pre QF. Nadal would face Thiem in SF who beat Pella in straight sets. In other SF, Medvedev would clash with Nishikori.

In EPL, in Manchester derby, City outclassed ManU again. Silva and Sane were the goal scores. City regained the lead in EPL. They had 1 point lead over Liverpool with 3 matches to go for both. Liverpool thrashed Huddersfield 5-0 to regain lead though they have played an additional match when compared to City. Mane and Salah scored 2 goals each. In last 4 weeks, these 2 teams have literally been going neck to neck. Need to see who holds their nerve. If City win all their matches, they would win EPL by 1 point. Liverpool will pounce on them even if City draw one of their matches. In La Liga, if Barcelona beat Levante, they would win La Liga with 3 matches to spare.

[turntothree]

Ry& Reaction: Wolves & Shepherds

E3 came early this year! ...OK, it didn’t but it certainly felt that way, kind of.

It seems in recent years, game publishers have been tripping over themselves to take up valuable space on that pre-show hype train. I’m talking teasers, press releases, cryptic tweets and anything else they can think of to score some attention before the big three step in and snatch the spotlight. Hell, we’ve seen E3 grow an extra couple days to accommodate more publisher-sponsored events.

Editor’s Note: Really looking forward to that keynote, Devolver Digital!

A few weeks back, Ubisoft decided to do things its own way and steer the train in a slightly different direction with a bombshell announcement most other companies would save for the trade show.

Editor’s Note: NO! NO! That wasn’t released, it escaped!

Damn, man. I was just kidding. It’s going to be alright.

Anyway...this is what I’m really talking about.

Yup, the French gaming giant casually name dropped one of its top secret E3 reveals in a nonchalant tweet, a whole month before the show. But it didn’t stop there. One week later, the aforementioned Youtube suite released a...let’s call it “tourism video” for the humble little town of Hope County, Montana.  

Editor’s Note: I have a “MIGHTY” fine feeling about this place.

What? You’ve got crisp country air for breathin’, plenty of wild game for huntin, a nice clean creek for fishin’ and plenty of big ol’ green acres to roam. Of course, you’d have to overlook the constant bear attacks, air strikes, ominously empty streets and the prospect of being randomly murdered, but what town doesn’t have its share of problems?  

Editor’s Note: Wait...wasn’t Far Cry 4’s announcement handled in a similar fashion? Letting the fanbase sneak a peek behind the curtain; then slamming the curtain back down until a good and proper reveal at E3? Isn’t that what’s going on here?

You’d think so, but...

Dateline – May 26, 2017

IGN’s Daemon Hatfield and Marty Silva greeted the California sunrise with a live (and exclusive) reveal of Far Cry 5’s first proper trailer. In it, would-be players are told the sad tale of how a struggling working-class town was taken in by a wealthy con artist who promised the world.

This self-proclaimed “prophet” Joseph Seed and his twisted family of disciples preached of peace and prosperity; instead they delivered onto his flock a life of servitude and unabashed cruelty. He used his good fortune to giveith himself their property. He used his cultish militia to takeith away their free will. The chosen among “his” townsfolk would be baptised into his parish or they would surely perish.

In a town past the edge of civility, a brave few in the community have chosen to fight back against Seed’s ghoulish gospel and reclaim what’s theirs. In this holy war for the soul of America’s heart land, it is up to the player to lead the resistance. 

That’s the story (at least up to that point)...as for gameplay, the trailer didn’t show too much, but it caught fans a quick glimpse at some old and new tricks alike.

As said previously, the hunting mechanics are back, but with a new batch of wildlife to track. Bears, deer, wolves, cows and bulls are among the critters in the mix. In a similar vain, fishing will be implemented into the series for the first time. Catch and fry up some bass for hit points!

Also returning are the conveniently placed vehicles. Fast travel and open road/seas/(and for the first time) sky combat will be a breeze with your choice of motor boats, ATVs, 18 wheelers, muscle cars and fighter planes. 

Of course, the series’ standard first-person gunplay will remain locked and loaded.

Oh and the world-wide release date for Far Cry 5 has been set for February 27, 2018. The platforms in which it will be made available are as follows: Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Sorry, Nintendo fans. No Switch port is planned.

Editor’s Note: That’s a fair bit of information. Surely, that’s enough to appease fans for now.

Actually, Ubisoft continued the Youtube rollout with three more trailers; specifically the stories of the three main support characters as told by them in direct conversation with the player.

Meet Nick Rye: A third-generation fighter pilot who had been fortunate enough to have never seen combat, but when “Eden’s Gate” comes knockin’ on his doorstep, Nick is the first to enlist in the resistance.

Meet Mary May Fairgrave: A bartender pushed to the edge after both her brother and mother are kidnapped by Seed’s followers; now her family-owned establishment serves as a home for anyone looking to bust a cap in “Eden’s Ass!”

Meet Jerome Jefferies: The local pastor turned shepherd in wolves clothing; charged with the task of taking back the flock “father” Seed had led astray.

Monologues aside, the folks at UbiBlog also had the chance to catch up with Far Cry 5 Creative Director Dan Hay, who discussed the modern day anxieties, urban legends and Montana road trip that inspired the game’s theme and setting. That interview was also posted to Youtube.  

Editor’s Note: ...Anything else?

Then the press releases rolled out and the media was all over it.

Details of full campaign co-op; a customizable protagonist (who also happens to be the sheriff’s deputy); and so much pending controversy plastered the headlines.

Oh yeah, and there has also been some talk about melee combat specific scenarios being worked into the game. New weapons such as baseball bats, sledgehammers and pitchforks will be implemented as part of the series’ inventory.

image credit - 20th Century Fox

Editor’s Note: Wow! That’s an awful lot to tell so soon. What’s left for the E3 showing?

Actually, there’s still plenty to juicy reveal tidbits to share. Like say, an in-depth look at “Eden’s Gate”. We know so much about the heroes, but we haven’t really seen much of anything concerning the big bads, nor do we know the why or how of their hostile takeover.

There’s also the new feature Ubisoft promised to show off during its presser. If I had to wager a guess, I’d say it’s either the campaign’s co-op option or the flight mechanics.

Editor’s Note: Even still, why reveal so much about the game now? Why not leave it all as a major E3 surprise?   

My theory, the publisher wants the press to focus its collective energy on whatever new Ubisoft IPs (and or Assassin’s Creed sequel) premier that fateful day, so it’s trying to answer the more common Far Cry questions ASAP. Also, all this Far Cry hype sure makes for a damn fine centerpiece.

...

Editor’s Note: Thoughts on what you’ve seen and read so far?

 *Sigh* I guess I should start off by addressing the elephant in the room – the story.

For all of the hullabaloo, it’s nothing new. The town overrun with zealot cultists ranks among the classics of horror tropes, and stories (subtly or not) inspired by political unrest are certainly commonplace, even in the world video games.

Editor’s Note: And they’re only going to get more common over the next, let’s say four years?

While these character archetypes and plot devices may seem a tad (or more) over done, that doesn’t mean they can’t be used to tell a good story. In fact, I trust Ubisoft Montreal to do just that. That’s not to say I didn’t have any reservations or crack a joke or two at first glance, but the deeper the Youtube showings went, the more invested I got.

Hearing the stories of Nick, Mary and Pastor Jerome gave me Goosebumps, and I instantly wanted to know more about what was going on and how they aimed to deal with it.

Editor’s Note: Forget this customizable protagonist nonsense, Ubisoft. Rip-off Rockstar so I can swap between these three heroes!

The villains on the other hand, I have no real opinion of, yet. Sure, Ubi is more than capable of creating the type of sinisterly charismatic baddies this plot calls for (shout out to Vaas and Pagan Min), so I feel “Eden’s Gate” has plenty of potential. However, I can’t judge Seed or his siblings sight unseen.

...Promo images excluded, of course.

Editor’s Note: Speaking of elephants, Far Cry 4 let me wreck shit on elephant back. Surely, Ubisoft can’t just expect me to go back to primitive man power.

I don’t believe the southern United States is an elephant’s natural habitat.  

Editor’s Note: i dOn’T bEliEVe tHE SoUtHERn UnITeD StATeS iS aN eLePHaNT’s nAtURal hAbITat.

...

OK, so Montana isn’t normally thought of alongside the exotic locales the series is known for, but the more I’ve thought it over, the more I’ve come to realize it’s the perfect setting for a Far Cry game.

It’s beautiful and serene territory hosts some gorgeous natural splendour...it also has some hidden and very real dangers entrenched deep within its forestry and rocky domains. The ravenous wolves, perilous coyote packs, rabid dogs, wild bulls and massive grizzlies will be just as, if not more formidable than the tigers and honey badgers of previous games.

If you’re luckily enough to be the hunter, as opposed to the hunted, you’ll be able to score some prime cuts of meat for health boosts, and some fine pelts for crafting items.

Of course, there’s also the option to fish for some grub. That could be fun for a bit.

Editor’s Note: As long as it’s SEGA Bass Fishing quality and not Sonic Adventure quality, I’m totally up to do a little fishin’.

Not to mention the prospect of being hunted down by a bunch of gun-toting manics does compliment itself rather terrifyingly well to the whole outdoor survivalist angle, much like the militants and royal guardsmen of entries 1-4.

Yeah, the setting might be a little different and the enemies might be a little different but this is still very much Far Cry, with all the fun DIY M-A-Y-H-E-M that comes with it.

Speaking of what makes Far Cry - Far Cry, let’s talk vehicles. This pitched selection is cool as frig!

Tarring through the countryside in a muscle car or big rig, and the promise of delivering some cathartic death from above sounds absolutely sick!

Editor’s Note: Hopefully, the air battles can match stuff like Ace Combat or Battlefield 1. Now that would be sick.

Anything else...oh, right; campaign co-op. It’s a great idea!

I can’t recall the number of times I played through a mission in Far Cry 4 only to find myself completely surrounded and desperately wishing I had back-up. The ability to call in a buddy should certainly make breaking through those impenetrable compounds at least a little bit more bearable.

Editor’s Note: This all sounds rad...still wish I had my elephant though.

...

I honestly don’t quite know how to cap this off. I guess I could say:

Far Cry 5 has all the potential in the world to be a great action game, as its pedigree can attest. The guns, explosions, fast rides, deadly beasts, and vast destructible set pieces are all on lock. It has all it needs to kick ass and take names. But its creative direction is taking the series into some unknown and fairly risky territory.

There’s certainly plenty of potential in the characters and setting presented, as I’ve said earlier. However, the direction the game seems to be heading could cause a drastic tonal shift that throws the entire thing off kilter. This building sense of horror, sorrow and despair, and to have it all inspired by today’s political climate could put a major damper on the aforementioned ass-kicking and taking of names.

It’s going to be tough and sadly, it might even get a little ugly, but Ubisoft has a rock solid creative team and I do believe they can make these pieces fit into something truly great. At least I hope so.

...

...

Boy that sure was some dark stuff. Let’s lighten things up next time by battling it out Poké-Style!

[upshotre]

Liverpool Host Man City in Title Decider

The Premier League may just be only 10 weeks old, but indications are already pointing to a two-horse race and the title may even be decided on Sunday when Liverpool welcome Manchester City to Anfield. Both teams needed a last minute gasp to win their last matches, with The Reds maintaining their six-point lead and a victory over The Citizens tomorrow may just see Anfield celebrate its first title since the Premier League era. However, it would be game-on in the event of a win or a draw for Pep Guardiola’s side Liverpool and Manchester City can now turn attention to the Premier League after both teams were involved in the UEFA Champions League where they both top their groups and are in good stead to booking a place to the knockout stage. Liverpool top the table with 31 points and are closely trailed by Manchester City with 25 points, and will be hoping to reduce the gap to three points with a win, while the host would be looking to further widen the gap with a home victory. Anfield has not been a good hunting ground for the Citizens and indeed their manager-Pep Guardiola. His best since arriving England is last season goalless draw in which City lost a last minute penalty. Both managers have started the mind games with Guardiola first kicked off proceedings by labeling Liverpool forward, Sadio Mane as a ‘diver’ following the Reds last minute 2-1 win against Aston Villa last Saturday, in which the Senegalese attacker scored the final goal but was booked for simulation earlier on in the match. Jurgen Klopp, in turn, rejected the criticism of Mane and questioned how a manager would find time post-match to know about such details and the result of another game. The German then aimed his own dig at City by claiming he would “not mention tactical fouls” in his response to Guardiola’s comments during a pre-match press conference ahead of Genk. “I couldn’t really believe it to be honest and then I saw it,” the Liverpool manager said. “I am not sure if Pep spoke in that moment about Sadio or the team – both is not too nice to be honest. I am not too sure if I want to put oil on the fire. I am not interested in these kind of things. And I promise not to mention tactical fouls. That is maybe already too much.” Manchester City talisman Sergio Aguero would however not mind putting oil to the fire when he said the club still regard Manchester United as their biggest rivals in the Premier League compared to Liverpool. “It may be the clasico for television, but for us, the clasico, it’s the match against United,” the Argentina international told France Football. The defending champions have been plague by injury with Captain David Silva joining Oleksandr Zinchenko, Aymeric Laporte and Leroy Sane on the sidelines City may have been handed a major injury boost on Tuesday morning ahead of their clash against Liverpool this weekend, with midfielder Rodri spotted at training, although the Spaniard did not partake in the full session. Rodri has missed the last three games with a hamstring problem, however it now appears as though the midfielder is set to make a return to Pep Guardiola’s side in the coming games. The midfielder did not take part in the full session, however did briefly appear for what was described as a ‘kick about‘ and a brief ‘stretch‘. Former Arsenal Manager, Arsene Wenger indeed attest to the fact that injury to key players may cost City on Sunday. Wenger believes the absence of Laporte could hand Liverpool a major advantage in their title clash with City on Sunday. Klopp’s side are currently leading the way as they are six points ahead of City and have not yet lost a game. Meanwhile, Guardiola’s men have suffered two defeats while they are without Laporte for several months after the centre-back required knee surgery in September and Wenger believes the vulnerability in Guardiola’s defence, caused by the absence of Laporte, could give the upper hand to Klopp’s men. ‘Well we have seen in recent years that they are very tight games,’ Wenger told beIN Sports. ‘We know Man City will take the game to Liverpool, and that Liverpool will be very dangerous on the counter-attack. ‘I personally feel they could not afford to lose Laporte. ‘If you look at their results, they still play great football but they are  fractionally a bit more vulnerable defensively. ‘And that could be a big handicap against Liverpool.’ Klopp and Guardiola have been greatly influenced by one other. Guardiola’s short-passing football at Barcelona kick-started a global revolution towards pure possession, peaking with Spain’s 2010 World Cup win, before Klopp’s rock-and-roll gegenpressing at Dortmund shifted the culture back towards verticality. They are the two most influential coaches in modern football, symbiotically intertwined; Klopp’s Dortmund was a response to Guardiola’s Barcelona, his counter-press a way to catch out defenders locked in sideways passing. In their 2019 incarnations both are broadly similar, borrowing heavily from each other’s more dogmatic ideologies from earlier in their careers. Both press high and look to counter-attack in numbers; both dominate possession out of sheer necessity; both are willing to alter the length of their passes to stretch the pitch; and both coach extraordinarily detailed attacking patterns to etch flowing moves into muscle memory. The similarities end there. Guardiola remains a manager who generally builds carefully into the final third, maximising use of the half-spaces to get wingers in behind with late runs. Their playmakers are assisted by inverted full-backs who sit on the corner of the penalty area, creating a link between the wingers and attacking midfielders and helping pen the opposition deep in their own half. Guardiola’s football is metronomic, with triangles appearing all over the pitch; City want to pass the ball into an empty net, one-touch football grinding the opponent down. However, this season they have notably swung more crosses into the box, with De Bruyne playing wider to the right. Liverpool are more vertical and play with a far narrower shape than Guardiola’s team. Klopp’s 4-3-3 prioritises hard-pressing central midfielders who lack the creative guile of their opposite numbers at City, with greater focus on overlapping full-backs. The narrowness of the system opens up gaps on the outside for Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson, Liverpool’s most creative players, while Roberto Firmino drifts across the width to link with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. These differences are the reason why, in theory, Liverpool v Man City matches are end-to-end; City dominate through the centre and Liverpool exploit the flanks, while their respective 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 systems layer on top of each other with significant gaps. First, City’s inverted full-backs often vacate space for Liverpool’s flying full-backs, and second, Liverpool’s ultra-narrow front three overload City’s wobbly centre-backs – but also leave too much defensive work in the half-space pockets where De Bruyne and Silva are so dangerous. However, the tactical battle is unlikely to be so dramatic. The stakes are just too high for Guardiola to open up as he did in January, when City were chasing down a seven-point gap; the safety-first, defensive football of the 0-0 draw in October is more likely. Once again, City will hold their full-backs deep, Liverpool will pack the midfield, and the two best teams in the world will play out a tense, claustrophobic affair where avoiding mistakes is prioritised over creativity. It should be engrossing and high quality, but short on goalmouth action. This will be the second season in a row that the two clubs will be involved in a tight contest for the title, after Man City narrowly beat Klopp’s men to the league title by a single point last season.

Read the full article

[torentialtribute]

Manchester United 0-2 Manchester City – PLAYER RATINGS: David Silva stars

Manchester United 0-2 Manchester City – PLAYER FIGURES: David Silva stars while David van Gea is guilty of Leroy Sane & # 39; s assassination battle

Manchester City achieved a 2-0 win against Manchester United as Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane scored

Victory sees City go one point away from Liverpool at the top of the table with three remaining games

Chris Wheeler for MailOnline

Chris Wheeler for the Mail

Chris Wheeler for the MailOnline

Published: 22:39 BST, April 24, 2019 |

Goals of Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane saw Manchester City rivals Manchester United with 2-0 on Old Trafford to beat their title hopes.

The victory of the city ensures that they come one point from Liverpool at the top of the Premier League with three games to go.

Lord, CHRIS WHEELER of Sportsmail executes the rule about the performances of both sets of players.

<img id = "i-cb6f353ba2ecfe92" src = "https://dailym.ai/2W41LOH image-a-44_1556138004185.jpg "height =" 672 "width =" 962 "alt =" <img id = "i-cb6f353ba2ecfe92" src = "https://dailym.ai/2CXoYdR /24/21/12677948-0-image-a-44_1556138004185.jpg "height =" 672 "width =" 962 "alt =" Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane recorded when Manchester City secured a 2-0 win over Manchester United and Leroy Sane scored when Manchester City secured a 2-0 win to Manchester United "

Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane scored a Manchester City secured against 2- 0 Manchester United (5-3-2)

David van Gea – 5

Beaten at his first post for the first goal and Sane & # 39; s second went straight through

<img id = "i-6b170b2394a17f2f" src = "https: / /i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/04/24/22/12679882-0-image-a-71_1556141061008.jpg "height =" 640 "width =" 962 "alt =" Goalkeeper David de Gea made two high-profile errors when United was defeated 2-0 by City "

<img id =" i-6b170b2394a17f2f "src =" https://dailym.ai/2Pqpypi /22/12679882-0-image-a-71_1556141061008.jpg "height =" 640 "width =" 962 "alt =" Goalkeeper David Gea made two high-profile errors when United was defeated by City 2-0 with [0] 0909023]

Goalkeeper David Gea made two high-profile errors, because United were beaten 2-0 by City

Ashley Young – 6

Rewards well with the Sterling threatened for half an hour, but the city wrestled their game.

Matteo Darmian – 6

Faded from his first competition start in four months. Sane ignored himself for the second goal. Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian struggled in his first Premier League start in more than four months

Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian struggled in his first Premier League start in more than four months

Manchester United defender Matteo Darmian struggled in his first Premier League start in more than four months

Chris Smalling – 5.5

Thankfully De Gea came over to prevent an own goal and sometimes a little reckless. Victor Lindelof – 6.5

So much happier in the middle of the defense. Clears the danger on many occasions.

Victor Lindelof looked much more settled in the heart of the United defense and made some important clarifications "

Victor Lindelof much more settled in the heart of the United defense and made some important clarifications "

Victor Lindelof seemed much more established in the heart of the United defense and made some important clarifications

Luke Shaw – 6

Did a good job for Bernardo in the first half but was not quick enough to close him for the goal Andreas Pereira – 5

One of the five changes to the weekend.

I'm not sure what to do

Andreas Pereira was brought to the side but struggled to impress and the match passed him with "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>

Andreas Pereira was brought to the side but struggled to make an impact and the game passed him through

Fred – 5

Gave the ball away for the second goal. Worked hard, but it still seems strange that City wanted to sign him. Paul Pogba – 6

Another one of those frustrating nights. Jesse Lingard – 6

Fluffed a glaring opportunity to equalize after a close-up with a difficult volley in the first half Marcus Rashford – 7

Back on his game again. United States of America and the United States of America, the United States of America and the United States of America. [1]

]

He made some daring changes to shake things up, but he could get the result do not change.

He didn't have much but always ran fast and made a crucial block Rashford.

Kyle Walker – 6

Able to get more ahead in the second half, although fortunately getting away with a bad distance. Difficult start and booked for Fashing Rashford in the first 10 minutes but recovered well.

<img id = "i-bd30c87f7f77b2ad" src = "https://dailym.ai/2W7vGFI" height = "608" width = "962" alt = "Experienced defender Vincent Kompany was the weakness of Manchester City in Old Trafford in Old Trafford

[automatische vertaling] Aymeric Laporte – 7

Looked more like his old self here after a few shaky games against Spurs.

Oleksandr Zinchenko – 6

Once again defended by Rashford & tempo early but then sat down again.

Shook off an ankle injury before the break to help City win the battlefield.

] David Silva – 8

Still so effective for City after all those years . Their most composed player in a difficult night.

David Silva was the outstanding player of City against United and continues to deliver outstanding performance "United and continues to produce outstanding performances"

City's striking player against United and continues to produce outstanding performances

Bernardo Silva – 7

Recovered from a disappointing first half to a crucial opening goal for to score his team.

<img id = "i-48a7133e80acfdf3" src = "https://dailym.ai/2DxGG81 image-a-33_1556134478380.jpg "height =" 641 "width =" 962 "alt =" Bernardo Silva struggled in the first half but managed to open the score for City in the second period "Bernardo Silva struggled in the first half but managed to open the score for City in the second period "

Bernardo Silva struggled in the first half but then managed to open the score for City in the second period

Sergio Aguero – 6.5

Clipped the outside of the post with one effort and helped create some of the city's best opportunities.

Raheem Sterling – 7

Missed City & # 39; s best chance of the first half but canceled its match and set a second goal.

Sane (Fernandinho, 51min) 7, Gabriel Jesus (Aguero, 89min), Danilo (Gundogan, 89min) Not used: ] Mahrez, Otamendi, Foden, Muric

Navigated a crucial game in the title race with lots of space. A more positive approach in the second half paid off. Andre Marriner – 7 – the focus of pre-match pressure on the tactics of the city, but handled the

opportunity very well with little hassle.

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[mancitynoise]

Live updates from the 6pm kick-off at the Etihad

Sheffield United v Wolves – live! | West Ham v Burnley – live!

Drop Barry an email! Tweet @bglendenning

6.39pm BST

38 min: Martin Dubravka has a goal kick to take and due to the tenacity of City’s forward players, there are literally no options open to him but to lump it long. There’s no shame in that, with Joelinton up front to try to win headers and flick-ons. Newcastle win themselves a free-kick wide on the left. Matt Ritchie sends it towards the far post again, where it’s cleared.

6.36pm BST

35 min: For the second time in quick succession, Jonjo Shelvey gives the ball away. The first time was just outside the City penalty area, this time it’s just outside his own. His mistake could have been costly - Dubravka is forced into conceding a corner from a Mahrez shot after good build-up play from Foden and David Silva.

6.34pm BST

34 min: Nothing comes of the corner, which is half-cleared by Kevin De Bruyne. An important header from Fabian Schar stops City mounting a successful attack on the break. Better from Newcastle in the past couple of minutes, but the bar is low.

6.33pm BST

32 min: Matt Ritchie is forced into giving away possession by a hard press, but Cancelo loses the ball and Newcastle attack on the counter. They win a corner.

6.32pm BST

31 min: Ritchie takes the free-kick, floating the ball to the far post. Federico Fernandez rises high to head the ball goalwards but Ederson saves comfortably.

6.31pm BST

30 min: A rare attack from Newcastle, who win a free-kick to the left of the City penalty area, for a John Stones tug on Matt Ritchie.

6.29pm BST

28 min: Kevin De Bruyne plays a neat little weighted pass through the Newcastle penalty area, spotting a run towards goal from Gabriel Jesus. The pass is pin-point, of course it is, but the Brazilian had made his run a split second too early and is flagged for offside.

6.28pm BST

25 min: Newcastle are doing very little pressing on the rare occasions when Ederson finds himself with the ball at his feet, looking for somebody to pass it. By contrast, Manchester City are pressing Newcastle’s players relentlessly when they’re in possession, forcing the kind of mistakes that led to City winning possession just before they scored their second goal.

6.25pm BST

23 min: Newcastle are struggling badly here and could find themselves on the wrong end of an absolute hiding if Manchester City are in the mood for piling on the pain. There’s a break for drinks and on BT Sport, match commentator Darren Fletcher suggests Newcastle’s players “make it a stiff one”.

6.22pm BST

It’s almost identical to the first goal, as Phil Foden puts a weighted pass down the inside-left for the unmarked Kevin De Bruyne to sprint on to. His pull-back from the goal line is fired home with Riyad Mahrez. It’s a textbook Manchester City goal, made very easy for them by Newcastle’s hideously bad defending.

6.20pm BST

19 min: Replays of the Man City opener suggest it is Valentino Lazaro who will incur Steve Bruce’s wrath during the post-mortem. The Newcastle midfielder let David Silva run unopposed to collect Phil Foden’s through ball, before he squared it for Jesus.

6.18pm BST

17 min: Phil Foden drags a right-footed shot wide of the far post after gliding into the Newcastle penalty area. Hats off to Federico Fernandez, who refused to let him get the ball on to his favoured left foot. City should have had a corner there, as the ball took a nick off the Newcastle centre-back on it’s way wide, but referee Andy Madley didn’t see it. Goal kick.

6.16pm BST

15 min: Nabil Bentaleb puts the collective heart crossways in watching Newcastle fans with a loose, kamikaze pass just outside his own penalty area. Riyad Mahrez tries to pounce, but Martin Dubravka spares his midfielder’s blushes.

6.14pm BST

13 min: Ederson picks out Riyad Mahrez with a goal-kick. He finds himself through on goal but sends a rushed effort wide. He had more time than he thought to settle himself and pick his spot.

6.13pm BST

12 min: Newcastle win a free-kick in line with the left side of the Manchester City penalty area, about 40 yards from goal. Matt Ritchie’s delivery is poor and is headed clear.

6.11pm BST

Well, it was only a matter of time. Phihl Foden plays David Silva in behind as he makes a darting run down the inside left. There’s nobody marking him and he squares the ball for Gabriel Jesus, who sidefoots past Dubravka into the corner from a few yards out. On the touchline, Steve Bruce is furious with his defenders.

6.09pm BST

9 min: Continued sterile domination from City, who are refusing to give Newcastle a sniff of the ball.

6.08pm BST

6 min: Emile Krafth concedes a corner, sticking out a leg to put the ball out of play after Kevin De Bruyne had picked out Oleksandr Zinchenko with a wonderful cross-field pass. De Bruyne takes the set piece, which Dubravka plucks from the sky with confidence.

6.05pm BST

5 min: Manchester City continue to dominate possession, assorted players passing the ball around just inside the Newcastle half, looking for an opening.

6.04pm BST

3 min: Martin Dubrvaka gets his first touch in the Newcastle goal, getting down to clutch a Riyad Mahrez shot from distance to his chest. The Manchester City winger cut inside from the right and unleashed a low drive, but Newcastle’s goalkeeper had it covered.

6.03pm BST

2 min: Jonjo Shelvey concedes an early free-kick, kicking out at David Silva and bringing him to ground a few yards outside the Manchester City penalty area.

6.02pm BST

1 min: Ederson gets an early touch and it seems, by the looks of things, Jonjo Shelvey is playing up front with Joelinton, which seems a little strange.

6.00pm BST

1 min: Newcastle line up with five across the back as Manchester City gets the ball rolling. Their players wear black shirts, shorts and socks. Their hosts wear their usual home kit of light blue shirts, white shorts and white socks. Game on ...

5.58pm BST

Not long now: The teams are out and going through the last of the pre-match formalities on a very overcast evening in Manchester. Kick-off is just a couple of minutes away.

5.47pm BST

5.45pm BST

5.44pm BST

Elsewhere on Guardian Football: West Brom are entertaining Derby County in a big clash in the Championship, which Ben Fisher is keeping a beady eye on. Kick-off at the Hawthorns was at 5pm and West Brom are a goal up as half-time approaches.

Back in the Premier League, where the Baggies look to be heading, Paul Doyle has coverage of Sheffield United v Wolves, while Simon Burnton is keeping tabs on West Ham v Burnley.

5.22pm BST

But will a terrible beauty be born? Pep Guardiola makes five changes to the Manchester City team that lost against Southampton, bringing in Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones, Rodrigo, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden. Aymeric Laporte, Eric Garcia, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Fernandinho make way.

5.09pm BST

Manchester City: Ederson, Cancelo, Zinchenko, Otamendi, Stones, Rodri, Silva, Mahrez, De Bruyne, Foden, Jesus.

Subs: Bravo, Walker, Sterling, Gundogan, Laporte, Bernardo, Fernandinho, Garcia, Doyle.

4.57pm BST

Steve Bruce speaks: “The beauty of the Premier League is the underdogs can put up a fight and put on a performance,” said Newcastle’s manager during his pre-match press conference. “We didn’t do enough against Man City in the cup, admittedly. We have to be a bit more aggressive in our approach tomorrow so let’s hope we can do it.”

4.57pm BST

Pep Guardiola speaks: “We have incredible targets to fight for, to try to play good,” said Manchester city’s manager. “This is the most important thing. We need to qualify for the Champions League. With five games left, we are able to do it. All the games we have been incredible. The performance has been there, even against Southampton. That makes me confident for the last games of the Premier League.”

4.56pm BST

4.56pm BST

Sergio Aguero remains out with a knee injury and Gabriel Jesus is likely to deputise. HIs talismanic Argentinian aside, Pep Guardiola has a full squad to choose from.

10.47am BST

An empty Etihad Stadium is the setting for a Premier League encounter between two teams with not a great to deal left to play for. Off the field, City and United fans are preoccupied as they await big announcements from the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Premier League respectively.

City will hear news of their appeal against a two-season Champions League ban in the coming days, while the Premier League’s decision on whether or not to approve the controversial PIF Newcastle takeover bid is also in the pipe.

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Premier League 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Manchester City vs Wolves

New Post has been published on https://bestfreebettingtips.com/premier-league-2018-19-tactical-analysis-manchester-city-vs-wolves/

Premier League 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Manchester City vs Wolves

Artwork by @chapulana

The Premier League clash between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers – and their respective master tacticians – was supposed to provide endless analysis. In the end, however, it was a rather disappointing game for football fans. You could blame the early red card received by Willy Boly for the notable superiority of Manchester City.

The reality is that up to the 19th minute, the hosts were in total control of the game, with Wolves showing absolutely no response to Guardiola’s domination. An easy 3-0 win for Manchester City keeps them closely trailing Liverpool, hoping for the league leaders to stumble before the end of the season.

Early red card finishes game that was never competitive

Although Manchester City’s possession was high at 74%, it wasn’t far from their average. In the last calendar year, they boasted 64%, according to Wyscout. Wolves only had two shots in the whole game, both of them off target. This resulted in a very low xG figure of 0.05, way below the Wolves average of 1.43.

It was the lowest of a Manchester City opponent since the Carabao Cup game against third-tier Oxford United last August 2018. Despite averaging 460 passes per game in the last calendar year, in the game against Manchester City Wolves only attempted 238 passes, with 78.6% successful compared to an average of 84.5%.

This brief introduction tells a lot about a one-sided game that didn’t leave much for the analysis. Guardiola seems to have found a tactical set-up he feels comfortable with. Although he tends to change the tactical approach depending on the rival, we have seen some stability in the latest games in both the tactical disposition and the names chosen.

This is what Guardiola has felt more comfortable with historically since his Barcelona spell: two central defenders, two wing-backs that play high up the pitch, one central midfielder, two inside midfielders and three players in the forward line, two wide open and one centralized.

As Manchester City positioned themselves high up in the pitch, they focused their offensive movements on the left flank with Sane as the main weapon. At some points, there were almost five players high up the pitch.

Wolves showed a surprisingly passive defensive attitude, with their players not tightly marking Manchester City players and rather marking spaces over players. This is a crucial mistake considering not only the very high individual quality of City’s players, but also how high they play. These areas are where you should avoid giving them manoeuvrable spaces.

Fernandinho did a good job in anticipating Wolves players, but he was surprisingly imprecise when passing the ball. While we are used to seeing the Wolves play with three central defenders, we saw Nuno Santo play with five defenders trying to put a wall between their goal area and Manchester City’s attack.

This resulted in fewer players in the middle of the pitch, allowing David and Bernardo Silva to position themselves closer to Gabriel Jesus. The two wing-backs, Danilo and Kyle Walker, acted as inside midfielders next to Fernandinho. The first goal came from an excellent pass from Laporte to Sane, accelerating the pace of the play by increasing the ball speed rather than the player’s speed. Such a sequence usually surprises the rival more than a 1v1 duel.

One goal and one player advantage too much for Wolves

Being one goal and one player down became a too big an obstacle for Wolves to overcome. They receded and focused on containing the result and not suffering a big defeat. They kept the line of five defenders and left Raul Jimenez and then Adama as lonely offensive players fighting against the City defence.

On the other side, Guardiola’s team made some interesting attacking movements that puzzled Wolves’ defence. At times, they had as many as five players in the offensive line. They also made some very interesting positional swaps to pull defenders out of their line or lose their markers by dropping back and receiving with wide spaces in the middle.

This allowed them to receive, turn around and have a wide-open pitch in front of them to progress. The subsequent open spaces helped Manchester City to perforate Wolves’ defensive line. For example, at some points you saw Sterling positioning closer to Gabriel Jesus when the attack was on Sane’s side, leaving the right wing open for Bernardo Silva.

Also, Sane did move back closer to Fernandinho while David Silva was playing wider. This movement generated more spaces for Gabriel Jesus, as defenders moved wide and forward. As a result, the Brazilian was able to participate more in the build-up of City’s attacks. The more centralized position of Sterling, as seen in the picture below, allowed him to connect more with the attacking phase as his team opted to attack more on the other side.

Conclusion

David and Bernardo Silva again put in good performances, which raises the question: what will happen with Kevin de Bruyne? Once irreplaceable in the starting XI, he is slowly coming back after several injuries. Coaches usually say it’s a good problem to have good players fighting for a spot. Having players that are used to being in the starting line-up, however, may turn into a more complicated situation.

So far it’s a non-issue, but Guardiola should be careful. This is particularly true when the forward players are also performing well, giving him less space to change the tactical approach. We have to remember that Guardiola has tried Bernardo Silva as a right winger, but this performance as an inside midfielder was far superior, while Sterling is also playing at a high level.

Manchester City had an easier than expected game against Wolves. It was a disappointing performance by Nuno Santo’s team, even before the red card suffered in the first half. The race for the Premier League title is still long, with a newly relevant factor: Manchester United seem to be back in the hunt. Both Liverpool and Manchester City have to play against Solskjaer’s team, one of the few that could outplay the Premier League’s two top sides.

If you love tactical analysis, then you’ll love the digital magazines from totalfootballanalysis.com – a guaranteed 100+ pages of pure tactical analysis covering topics from the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga and many, many more. Pre-order your copy of the January issue for just ₤4.99 here, or even better sign up for a ₤50 annual membership (12 monthly issues plus the annual review) right here.

[thisdaynews]

Marco Silva: Everton manager facing pivotal match against West Ham

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/marco-silva-everton-manager-facing-pivotal-match-against-west-ham/

Marco Silva: Everton manager facing pivotal match against West Ham

Marco Silva has a 40.38% win ratio after 52 games as Everton manager

When Marco Silva described Everton’s meeting with West Ham United as “must win”, he was not simply trotting out a cliche – he was hoisting a warning flag for his own perilous position.

The 42-year-old Portuguese is under mounting pressure after a run of four Premier League defeats plunged a club with top-four ambitions into the relegation places.

It is not what Everton’s billionaire majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri had in mind when he sanctioned another significant summer outlay in the transfer market. It means Saturday’s game at Goodison Park is a potentially decisive day for Silva.

Is this Silva’s last chance?

Not necessarily – as there is a genuine desire at Everton to give Silva every chance to succeed.

The brutal reality, however, dictates that a comprehensive defeat to The Hammers, and the reaction to it, may force Everton’s hand.

Silva’s own words on 5 October following a 1-0 defeat at Burnley, where thousands of Everton fans made their feelings known as the manager walked to the dressing room, outlined the seriousness of his situation.

Everton’s starting line-up was acquired at cost of around £250m but looked uninspired against Sean Dyche’s cheaper ensemble.

The mediocre performances this season have included defeats by two promoted teams, away to Aston Villa and at home to Sheffield United, prompting serious concerns behind the scenes at Goodison Park.

Silva was set a pre-season target of European football. This meant a top-six finish or Everton’s first trophy since 1995.

Given the financial support he has received and the fact that Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are in in varying states of transition, there were even aspirations of making the top four.

Everton sit in the Premier League relegation places after eight games

Instead, Everton have a meagre seven points from eight games. Only one of those fixtures, a 3-1 home defeat by Manchester City, was against one of last season’s final top six.

In a comparison to make Silva shudder, Everton are in a similar position to when Ronald Koeman was sacked – on 22 October 2017, after a 5-2 home defeat by Arsenal left them in 18th place, with eight points from nine games.

The fact it has unravelled so quickly and so unimpressively means Silva is now undoubtedly fighting for his future.

Everton, for now, have held their nerve. The hope remains that a good result against West Ham United will be a catalyst for improvement.

There is no huge appetite to sack Silva, but there is a realisation there are problems. He is also afforded protection, if only a little, by the fact there is no obvious replacement out there.

It could be that Silva survives a little longer even in defeat, but it is becoming increasingly clear that if West Ham is a “must win”. The Carabao Cup fourth-round home game against Watford on 29 October is a “must not lose” – because the competition offers an additional route to Europe.

If that chance slips away on the back of a poor league position, there may be no coming back.

Some who love Watford may relish finishing off Silva at Everton. Although the two clubs eventually settled a long dispute in February, there was acrimony stretching back to 2017, when Watford reported Everton to the Premier League for an alleged rule breach relating to an attempt to bring the Portuguese manager to Goodison Park.

Who could replace Silva?

Everton were badly burned by their mishandling of Koeman’s exit in 2017, sacking the Dutchman with no replacement lined up.

An approach for Silva was botched, and they turned reluctantly to Sam Allardyce, after a desperate run under caretaker-manager David Unsworth.

Allardyce signed an 18-month contract and ensured Everton’s safety but was sacked after six months with a reported multi-million pound pay-off, with fans hostile towards his style of play and displaying banners demanding his removal.

It was an expensive episode. Everton will want to avoid any repeats.

Marco Silva’s managerial record Played Won Drawn Lost Goals For Goals Conceded Win Percentage Everton 52 21 11 20 74 67 40.38% Watford 26 8 5 13 38 47 30.77% Hull City 22 8 3 11 25 43 36.36 %

There have even been suggestions that, if Silva went, former manager David Moyes could hold the fort until the end of the season.

While Moyes may retain some level of admiration in Everton’s boardroom, it would a tough sell to bring back someone who left the club six years ago and has known little other than failure since at Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and, to a lesser extent, West Ham United.

Moshiri once described England’s north-west as the “Hollywood of football”. He has spent more than £450m trying to make Everton a part of that glamour.

Moyes, for all his outstanding work, did not win a trophy in 11 years at Goodison. Bringing him back would hardly suit Moshiri’s plans, especially given the success that Jurgen Klopp is bringing to Liverpool.

Former Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta was discussed when Koeman was sacked but at this stage, would he be tempted away from his role as right-hand man to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City? He is also still untested as a manager.

Jose Mourinho, currently out of work, has been touted by some but this surely resides in the realms of fantasy. The name of former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has even gained traction among some fans.

Eddie Howe, a boyhood Everton fan, seems to enjoy life on the south coast at Bournemouth too much and could not be lured this season anyway.

Marcel Brands, Everton’s director of football, is a keen student of the European game, so could the longer term choice come from overseas? Marco Rose has guided Borussia Monchengladbach to the top of the Bundesliga in the early stages his first season and did so well at Red Bull Salzburg, and has a glittering reference from Klopp. Or perhaps there may be a candidate from Brands’ native Netherlands?

No-one jumps off the page – which may just be Silva’s saving grace for now.

Who takes the decision?

Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri and director of football Marcel Brands will decide Marco Silva’s future

Moshiri, who owns 77.23% of Everton’s 35,000 shares, will have the final sign off but Brands will have a major say too.

Brands, who arrived shortly before Silva, joined Everton’s board in January when, according to chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale, he was given “a broader remit responsible for the whole footballing strategy at the club rather than just player recruitment”.

In other words, Brands is the most influential footballing figure at Everton. He also provides a contrast to the impulsive Moshiri.

Brands prefers to keep emotion out of decision-making while Moshiri has shown an inclination to bend to the will of supporters, especially during times of discontent, and has sacked Roberto Martinez, Koeman and Allardyce since buying a 49.9% stake in Everton in February 2016.

Chairman Bill Kenwright will also have input into the next big decision although his shareholding is now only 5%.

It may well be, however, that Brands’ word will shape which way owner Moshiri goes when deciding on Silva’s future.

Silva struggling to solve old failings

Silva fashioned a revival at the end of last season which saw Everton finish in eighth place, with home victories over Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United and a draw which damaged Liverpool’s title hopes, all without conceding a goal.

Worryingly, Everton have shown none of that attacking verve and defensive resilience this season, sparking only briefly in the 3-2 home win over Wolves on 1 September.

Idrissa Gueye has been hugely missed in midfield after leaving for Paris St-Germain, exposing a defence stripped of Kurt Zouma, who looked much more solid playing on loan at Everton than he has at Chelsea this season.

Gylfi Sigurdsson has been almost invisible, with main striker Richarlison not far behind despite two goals against Wolves.

Silva has also failed to integrate Moise Kean into his attack, despite the 19-year-old’s capture from Juventus being hailed by some as the transfer coup of the summer.

It has left Silva relying heavily on Dominic Calvert-Lewin for goals, and for all the young striker’s many attributes, consistent marksmanship is not among them.

Silva seems bolted to his 4-2-3-1 system, inflexible and seemingly powerless to turn matches to get away from his team.

The main problems, however, are a lack of stomach for a fight and those old defensive failings.

Everton’s questionable character, as well as the manager’s apparent inability to turn the tide, is reflected in grim statistics.

They have gone behind in 26 games under Silva and turned it around to win only once, against League One Lincoln City in the Carabao Cup, going on to lose 20 matches.

In the Premier League, Everton have gone behind 23 times, winning none of those matches and losing 19.

Silva looks to have built an Everton team on foundations of sand, with the contrast in records home and away another indicator.

Everton’s win ratio at home under Silva, from 26 matches in all competitions, is 53.85%. Away from home, it is 26.92% away from home, with seven wins and 13 defeats from 26 matches.

And then there is the return of Silva’s old Achilles heel: defending set-pieces.

Everton have conceded six of their 13 goals from set-pieces this season – the joint-worst record in the top division, shared with Watford.

Silva’s team have conceded 24 goals since set-pieces since August 2018. Only Watford, on 25, have done worse. It suggests he is struggling to find solutions either on the pitch or on the training ground.

There have been leaks that some players find his training sessions too long and laborious. But these are trademark complaints when a team struggles, especially from players who are not in the side – and word is the vast majority of Everton’s squad enjoy Silva’s work at their Finch Farm training base.

It not much use, however, when good work seems to disappear down a large hole between the training pitch and match day.

In defence of Marco Silva

Silva, rather like his predecessors, has been let down by a soft-centred group of Everton players who are happy to take little responsibility on the field and let the manager carry the can.

Everton’s strategy under Brands now is to buy for the long-term, with players who can be developed and have potential sell-on value. But with so many other clubs in flux, this summer might have warranted more buying for the here and now – within reason.

A short-term approach has not worked for Everton in the recent past so it is perhaps understandable that they refused to alter the model.

And while Brands rightly gets the credit for many good signings, Everton started the season with two major holes in the team.

No replacement was signed, or perhaps no-one presented to Silva’s satisfaction, to fill the gap left by Zouma’s return to Chelsea and Everton have still not replaced the goals of Romelu Lukaku, who left for Manchester United in July 2017.

Cenk Tosun was signed by Allardyce with this in mind but has not produced. The Turkish striker, along with Theo Walcott, is now part of £50m worth of deadwood bequeathed to Silva by his predecessor.

Richarlison has occasionally been used through the centre but looks more uncomfortable than when he is stationed in the wider positions.

While Everton lack players in key positions, they have also had to offload signings – made by previous regimes – who were not fit for purpose. Striker Oumar Niasse, who has made just 32 league appearances for the club since his arrival in February 2016, has not found a permanent taker.

Silva has suffered bad luck with injuries, especially with Jean-Philippe Gbamin – signed as the replacement for Gueye – now ruled out until the new year after surgery on a serious thigh problem sustained in training.

The silky Portuguese Andre Gomes has also been injured, as has £8m summer signing Fabian Delph, brought into add experience and leadership.

Everton’s woes cannot all be placed at Silva’s door – but he will know who will be forced out if results fail to change in the coming weeks.

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Everton v Watford: Back Toffees to take Monday night honours

(New post on FreeBetAlerts.com) - https://freebetalerts.com/2018/12/09/everton-v-watford-back-toffees-to-take-monday-night-honours/ #Football, #Freebets, #Tips

Everton v Watford: Back Toffees to take Monday night honours Please share.

Everton entertain Watford for Monday night’s live Premier League action from Goodison Park and Mark O’Haire is backing the Toffees. Here’s why… “The hosts boast an excellent W16-D5-L1 return when welcoming bottom-half teams in the Premier League since 2016/17 and are therefore worthy favourites.”

Everton v WatfordMonday, 20:00Live on Sky Sports Premier LeagueToffees made to rue missed opportuntiesEverton were left to rue several missed chances as Newcastle claimed a point at Goodison Park on Wednesday night. Marco Silva’s men had 19 shots at goal and posted a 77% possession rate, their highest in a Premier League game since 2003/04, but were unable to find the clinical touch to see off the Magpies. The Toffees were behind inside 20 minutes, although responded well and were rewarded for a period of sustained pressure when Richarlison equalised before the interval. Gylfi Sigurdsson and Cenk Tosun both had guilt-edged chances thereafter as the Merseysiders were forced to settle for a stalemate. Silva made three changes to the side that lost in the Merseyside derby as Ademola Lookman came in for a first start up front. However, Silva is bound to be concerned about Everton’s plan B should Sigurdsson or Richarlison fail to fire with the former Charlton youngster making little impact.Hornets struggling for formWatford were unable to find a late leveller against Manchester City on Tuesday night at Vicarage Road. The Hornets were two goals and saw little of the ball before a late rally ensured a frantic finale in Hertfordshire. Abdoulaye Doucoure’s scrambled strike had given the hosts hope of an unlikely comeback.Over the course of the 90 minutes, Watford were well beaten but Javi Gracia was proud of his players efforts, giving Ben Foster plenty of praise for an outstanding performance between the sticks. However, the Hornets now have their lowest points total after 15 games in their four seasons since returning to the top flight.Etienne Capoue is available again after serving his one-match suspension in midweek, whilst Tom Cleverley could make his first appearance in almost a year. Meanwhile, Gerard Deulofeu could be in line for a recall against his former club.Everton are rated [1.82] pre-match favourites for Monday night’s match and have excellent pedigree when taking on Watford. The Toffees have tabled 11 victories from their past 12 unbeaten games against the Hornets at Goodison Park, including a thrilling 3-2 triumph in their most recent meeting here.Silva’s side impressed during their unfortunate Merseyside derby defeat and have posted W5-D2-L2 during their past nine encounters The hosts also boast an excellent W16-D5-L1 return when welcoming bottom-half teams in the Premier League since 2016/17 and are therefore worthy favourites. Watford’s [4.90] midweek loss sees the Hornets remain in their slump following an impressive start to the season. The visitors have won just two of their last 11 games (W2-D2-L7), after winning their first four this season. Gracia’s group have also suffered defeat in five of their six contests against top-half teams.Stats lean towards goalsThe Over/Under 2.5 Goals line is almost a pick ’em on Monday night with Unders slightly favoured around [1.88]. Only half of Everton’s home outings have broken the Over 2.5 Goals barrier, whilst Watford’s road trips are averaging a paltry 2.14 goals per-game as six of their seven away days featured fewer than three goals.But before we rush in to support a low-scoring showdown, it’s worth noting that the two teams’ combined home/away games are averaging 2.88 Expected Goals, suggesting there’s room to manoeuvre if looking to support a shootout.If punters are looking for something a little meatier, supporting an Everton win alongside Sigurdsson to score may appeal at almost 3/1 ([3.94]) with Betfair Sportsbook’s Same Game Multi market.The Icelandic ace averages a goal every 210 minutes this season, firing in 2.57 shots. The set-piece specialist is also generating 0.34 xG per-game in 2018/19, whilst attempting 17 efforts at goal in his past five fixtures at Goodison Park.

Mark’s 2018/19 Profit/Loss Staked: 79.00 ptsReturned: 87.18 ptsP/L: +8.18 pts

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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho's biggest excuse is now irrelevant - Samuel Luckhurst

Sympathy for the red devil is subsiding. Jose Mourinho mused that change could be imminent in the Manchester United team and you have to wonder whether that includes a recall for his third-most expensive signing.

That would be Fred. Only Angel di Maria, Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba have cost United more than Fred. The Fred who was ostensibly the heir apparent to Michael Carrick. The Fred who has been an unused substitute in United’s last two matches in which they have scored one and taken one point.

The Fred who was ostensibly identified as the midfield lock-picker to herald a more forward-thinking style. It was trite and hackneyed of Mourinho to turn to Marouane Fellaini, a player most appreciated when he is under-used rather than over, before the hour against Crystal Palace.

"What's the solution?" Mourinho asked rhetorically at his post-match press conference. "You cannot change players' natures dramatically.

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"The solution is that probably I have to make certain choices based on heart and then probably I will play myself. Because I will think heart is not enough and I am missing here some quality."

Fred has played 56 minutes in the last four weeks but is relevant to United’s recent plight. The 25-year-old interested Manchester City, who passed in favour of Jorginho. Only he chose Chelsea at a time where Fernandinho seemed to have exhausted his pliability on the back of a chastening World Cup.

Fernandinho wilted in Russia and some questioned why a relic of the 2014 semi-final evisceration by Germany was preferred over Fred, who remained on the bench for the entire tournament. Back at City, Fernandinho is still the same cunning and conniving shield in Pep Guardiola's midfield.

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Guardiola has also been devoid of Kevin de Bruyne for most of the campaign yet Bernardo Silva has performed to undroppable heights and must be retained when De Bruyne returns. Guardiola risked alienating Silva with those January overtures for Riyad Mahrez. Instead he has accommodated both lush left-footers and made City superior.

At Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino did not make a solitary signing and presided over a weekend battering of Chelsea. Spurs are hamstrung by a miserly chairman, destined for Europa League relegation and still suffer from bouts of Typical Tottenhamitis. But they are competing in the league and are five points adrift of City.

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City were prepared to invest over £100million in the summer and it would have been churlish of Guardiola to grumble over Jorginho, having won the league by such a distance City resembled a mirage. Rancour within the Spurs squad has been overshadowed by the stadium farce and Pochettino's delicate handling of his players should interest United as Mourinho struggles to harness a harmonious atmosphere.

Take Toby Alderweireld as an example. Everybody knew he wanted to join United and he has still not committed to Spurs. Yet since the summer window clanked shut, there has not been a murmur of discontent and he has started 12 of Tottenham's 13 league fixtures.

Fred has been under-used

Yes, Mourinho required reinforcements in defence and attack and United have suffered from a lack of football expertise at board level. It was not Ed Woodward who set the miserable mood back in July, though.

"Our pre-season is very bad," were Mourinho’s first football words at the UCLA's JD Morgan Center on July 18. Mourinho’s tone and the board's complacency - call it Arsenal apathy - made the league season feel like a write-off before it had even commenced. United should not be below Tottenham and Chelsea, never mind Arsenal and Everton. Mourinho is underachieving.

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Pochettino was also saddled with Moussa Sissoko and entrusted him to muzzle Eden Hazard at Wembley. Jurgen Klopp has coaxed some use out of the daft Daniel Sturridge. At United, Matteo Darmian came in from the cold on Saturday for his first appearance in over three months. His next could well be in February.

Marcos Rojo, a player United have tried and failed to jettison in three out of four summers, has not played at all this term and most supporters will hope that run is prolonged. But Mourinho has exotic options to call upon that he inherited and bought.

Diogo Dalot is fit but failed to make the Palace squad. Ditto Andreas Pereira and Ander Herrera. Selecting Phil Jones over Eric Bailly was senseless. And then there’s Fred.

He is losing sympathy.

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Relentless Liverpool sweep Spurs aside as Chelsea go top

LONDON: Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday to post a fifth consecutive win at the start of the season for the first time since 1990-91 and banish the memory of last year’s London mauling by Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Chelsea, though, have also recorded a perfect start after Eden Hazard scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Cardiff City, allowing them to edge past Liverpool on goal difference at the top of the Premier League.

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It is the first time in 110 years that two top-tier English teams have won their opening five games – and it would have been three had Watford beaten Manchester United but the Hornets surrendered their 100 percent record after losing 2-1 in Saturday’s late kick-off.

Liverpool’s goals came from Georginio Wijnaldum – his first away from home in the Premier League – and Roberto Firmino, who went off with an eye injury but later confirmed it was not serious.

Such was the visitors’ dominance, they could have scored half a dozen times, with Mo Salah twice going close and Tottenham’s defence always looking vulnerable until Erik Lamela’s late strike gave them hope of an unlikely point.

Liverpool held their nerve and look nothing like the team who Spurs ripped apart 4-1 last season.

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“We have to show progress,” said Juergen Klopp, who said the performance was Liverpool’s best of the season.

“It was maybe our best against Tottenham in all the years I’ve been here. But only five per cent less and we would have lost. I don’t think Tottenham played bad. We were that good it was difficult for Tottenham.”

At Stamford Bridge Chelsea ran out comfortable winners despite conceding a 16th-minute Sol Bamba opener.

That was the cue for Hazard to take charge, scoring on 37, 44 and 80 minutes, the last goal coming from the penalty spot. Willian added their fourth late on to ensure Chelsea’s goal difference is marginally better than Liverpool’s at the top.

Hazard’s display drew glowing praise from Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri, who said: “He can become maybe the best player in Europe in the next two years.”

Champions Manchester City remain two points off the pace after a routine 3-0 win over Fulham, who fell behind on two minutes to Leroy Sane and never looked capable of forcing their way back into the game. David Silva and Raheem Sterling also netted. The only worry for City was an ankle injury to Sergio Aguero.

United hit Watford with a one-two halfway through the first half with goals from Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling, whose left-foot volley would have done any forward proud.

MATIC DISMISSED

Although Watford set up a tense finish with a goal from Andre Gray, United, who had Nemanja Matic sent off late on, held on to allow manager Jose Mourinho another chance to salute the fans at the final whistle.

Bournemouth sprang the surprise of the day, beating Leicester City 4-2. It was a performance to back up manager Eddie Howe’s pre-match assertion that his side, who have won three of their first five games, have closed the gap on the division’s top teams.

The match was effectively over before the break, with Ryan Fraser scoring twice and Josh King adding a third from the penalty spot. Adam Smith made it 4-0 before James Maddison and Marc Albrighton replied late on.

Leicester’s miserable afternoon was compounded by Wes Morgan’s 69th-minute dismissal – his first in four years – for a second yellow card offence.

Arsenal provided further signs that they have put their jittery start behind them by winning 2-1 at Newcastle United, who now have just one point from five games. Granit Xhaka’s excellent free kick opened the scoring with Mesut Ozil ensuring Arsenal won consecutive away league games for the first time since May 2017.

In the day’s other game, Roy Hodgson celebrated the first anniversary of his appointment as Crystal Palace manager with a 1-0 win at Huddersfield Town. The scorer, predictably enough, was Wilfried Zaha, who marked his return from injury with a stunning solo effort.

But Zaha questioned the protection he is getting from referees. “I feel like I’d have to get my leg broken for anyone to get a card,” he said.

(Writing by Neil Robinson; Editing by Clare Fallon and Tony Lawrence)

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Premier League Outright Tips

With the Manchester forecast tipped last season, we again have the task of finding some value in the outright market which this time has Manchester City as odds on favourites to retain their crown. 

I’ll keep it brief with the main pros and cons from the big six. Sorry Leicester, West Ham and Everton fans, but it’s not going to happen. 

Manchester City 

Unsurprisingly the champions are 4/6 to retain their crown. They won the title with 100 points, 19 clear of United, scored 106 goals, won 32 games and lost just twice. They have added Riyad Mahrez to their string of attacking talent and the Algerian should thrive paying with the likes of Aguero, Jesus, the Silvas, Sterling and De Bruyne.

It’s difficult to find negatives. They are still vulnerable at the back despite only conceding 27 last season, but if anyone is to seriously challenge them more teams will need to take Liverpool’s approach, who beat City three times last season. However, I think that’s unlikely and City will probably win the title again, albeit with a reduced margin. 

Liverpool

On paper they should be City’s main challengers. The team spirit, atmosphere and optimism around the club is as positive as it’s been in a very long time. Liverpool have had an excellent summer in the transfer market, spending wisely and early. Klopp now has the squad he wants after significantly strengthening his midfield with Keita and Fabinho, with Shaqiri as strong back up to his front three. However, his most crucial signing could be £66m Alison, the modern day keeper who Klopp will be praying solves Liverpool’s long standing issues between the sticks. Even Daniel Sturridge is looking sharp and fit with six goals in pre-season, although there is obviously a huge risk he’ll come on for the last five minutes against West Ham and pull a hamstring.

Will Alison be the answer to Liverpool’s goalkeeping problem? 

Despite their excellent season, Liverpool still finished a distant 26 points behind City. They could have a bit been closer, but results tailed off as they focussed on the Champions League. It could be argued that they still need another centre back nearer to Van Dijk’s level and losing Oxlade-Chamberlain for the season is a huge blow. He was outstanding last season and is arguably what was missing from England’s midfield in Russia. Hopefully Lallana can put his injury problems behind him to make up for the Ox’s absence. As always, another concern is Liverpool’s ability to turn draws into wins and beat the smaller teams. Last season they dropped points against all of the relegated teams, as well as the likes of Burnley and Watford. Whatever happens, it won’t be boring.

Manchester United          

Despite much criticism for their style of play last season and Mourinho’s trademark moaning, United still finished second by four points. The positives are that they still have an array of attacking options in Lukaku, Sanchez, Martial, Rashford, Mata and Lingard, but the question remains will they be let off the leash? United scored the fewest goals of last season’s top four and Sanchez has often looked lost and isolated since joining in January. The enigma that is Paul Pogba again gave hints of what he is capable of at the World Cup, but he still has plenty to prove in the Premier League and things haven’t been helped 

Fred is the only major signing at Old Trafford - if you don’t count Lee Grant 

by his agent rumoured to be pushing for a move to Barcelona. United’s only major signing has been Fred, but he is more of a typical Mourinho physical midfielder signing rather than the missing link attackingly. Perhaps the hope is that he will allow Pogba to play further forward.

The atmosphere around the club pre-season has clearly not been good. Erratic performances and results, combined with a lack of transfer activity has prompted outbursts by Mourinho, who has also harshly criticised the club’s young players. It’s typical Mourinho theatre, but the main concern is that this will be his trademark third season syndrome - he is second favourite behind Claude Puel to be first manager to leave. He wants to challenge City, but doesn’t appear to have the squad to do it. If he lasts the season then I think he’ll find a way for United to finish top four as there are also question marks over Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal. However, it’s a big if. 

Tottenham

Mauricio Pochettino has an excellent first choice eleven and some decent back up options. They have held on to all their key players and have the excitement of moving to their new stadium. Wembley wasn’t a problem for them last season and I see no reason why it shouldn’t be a smooth transition to the new White Hart Lane. Despite his customary slow start, Harry Kane scored 30 goals last season and won the Golden Boot at the World Cup and he’s backed up by Eriksen, Alli, Son, Lamela and Moura. 

Son and Alli will need to back up Kane if Spurs are to make the top four 

However, it seems strange that they have failed to add to their squad and push on, the first time this has happened at any Premier League club in a transfer window since 2003. Perhaps this is due to the new stadium, or Levy’s usual last minute tactics failed to produce anything this time. They didn’t really go for Jack Grealish or fancy splashing the cash on a Zaha. Much will depend on how long it takes the likes of Kane and Alli to get going again and if they can avoid major injuries. 

Chelsea

A summer which started with the long anticipated departure of Conte and little action in the transfer market has ended with the appointment of Maurizio Sarri and £120m spent on a new goalkeeper and creative midfielder. Despite much uncertainty to begin with, Chelsea have comfortably held on to the likes of Kante, Hazard and Willian. They have added Jorginho and now have the bonus of a fit and almost forgotten man Ross Barkley.  

Chelsea had the task of finding somewhere for chain smoking Sarri to light up during matches at Stamford Bridge 

They threatened to pip Liverpool to fourth towards the end of last season, but losing 10 games and only scoring 62 goals ultimately cost them. It will be interesting to see the system Sarri starts with as David Luiz seems to be back in favour, but is out of his depth playing in a back four. I’m not sure we’ll see much improvement from Morata and Giroud isn’t prolific enough so much will depend on Hazard. Michy Batshuyai is back after a prolific loan spell at Dortmund, so will be hoping for a fresh start under a new manager. The five point gap to the top four can be overcome and they will be targeting Man United in particular. 

Arsenal

The end of an era finally came as Arsene Wenger departed after 22 years. Mikel Arteta looked set to replace him until Unai Emery emerged from the shadows. He looks to be a solid choice after dominating the Europa League with Sevilla and winning domestic trophies with PSG, although he failed to crack their ultimate target of the Champions League. 

Unai Emery has the task of trying to get Arsenal back into the top four 

Arsenal have not spent massively, but seem to be happy with the additions they have made with what are modest fees in today’s market. They have a new goalkeeper, defensive reinforcements and a much needed genuine holding midfielder. In Aubameyang and Lacazette they have two excellent strikers who they will hope can form a potent partnership. As mentioned elsewhere, I particularly fancy the former to go well. See the ‘Specials’ post for more. 

With a new manager after two decades, it is difficult to predict what Arsenal will produce this season. Emery needs to make Arsenal harder to beat, especially away from home. However, they need to make up a 12 point deficit on the top four and will again have the annoying Thursday/Sunday fixture list to contend with.  There should be improvement, but I’m not sure there will be enough for a Champions League place.

Tips:

Putting all my eggs in one basket with City to retain their title, Liverpool to come second and Mourinho to implode and depart at some point, I’ll go with the following:

Top 3 Correct Order:

Man City / Liverpool / Tottenham 16/1 (Bet365)

Man City / Liverpool / Chelsea 16/1 (Bet365)

Top 4 Correct Order

Man City / Liverpool / Chelsea / Tottenham 33/1 (SkyBet)

Man City / Liverpool / Tottenham / Chelsea 40/1 (SkyBet)