Updated at 18.47
Will off-field issues mean a Chelsea struggle against City?
It’s hardly the best preparation, is it? Or is it? With so much talk this week about Eva Carneiro, Jon Fearn and everything in between, there hasn’t been much in the way of analysis regarding Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Swansea last weekend.
Garry Monk was right when he spoke afterwards.
The media’s focused on the wrong thing. They should have focused on what a good performance my players put in.”
Chelsea’s two goals came from one freakish set-piece and a Willian cross that deflected off Federico Fernandez and looped over Lukasz Fabianski. There was little intent in the attack with Diego Costa struggling to impose himself for long periods while Falcao’s cameo was inevitably forgettable.
Cesc Fabregas drifted through the game and found himself replaced by the uncompromising figure of Kurt Zouma with fifteen minutes left. In fact, Chelsea’s midfield was dominated for long periods by JonJo Shelvey.
But maybe most worrying of all was how much Mourinho’s defence creaked. Branislav Ivanovic in particular endured a torrid evening as Jefferson Montero tore him to shreds down the left side. The way in which the Serbian so lazily claimed offside as Bafetimbi Gomis raced clear before being taken down for the decisive penalty said much. And such an attitude and performance won’t have gone down well with Mourinho.
A good thing the boss has had such a relaxing week before such a high-profile fixture.
Will it be a case of no Shaqiri, no problem for Stoke?
The eyebrow-raising was inevitable. Stoke spending £12m on a ex-Bayern Munich and Inter player seems exciting on one hand but slightly bizarre on the other. It’s yet another example of the money pool Premier League clubs swim in.
But after two progressive, top-ten seasons under Mark Hughes, what are the Potters to do? It’s good to have aspirations and the hope is that by the end of this campaign, the club will have qualified for Europe. And a quick glance at their squad is reason to feel very optimistic.
Where there’s still plenty of grit, determination and a considerable sprinkling of solid if unspectacular players (the vast majority of defenders, Glenn Whelan, Steve Sidwell, Jon Walters, Peter Crouch, Mame Biram Diouf) there’s now some added gloss and sparkle. At the back, Marc Muniesa is something different while Marco van Ginkel and Ibrahim Afellay are exciting acquisitions. In attack, Marko Arnautovic’s skill, speed and craft can dovetail with Shaqiri and Bojan when he returns.
But there was disappointment for everyone late this evening as the FA announced the diminutive Swiss international must serve a one-game domestic ban after incurring a suspension while playing for Inter last season. So, he won’t be involved tomorrow.
Still, as alluded to above, Stoke have enough to shine and were unlucky not to get something against Liverpool last weekend.
And here’s hoping Shaqiri’s hips don’t lie when we eventually see him (sorry).
Arsenal set for another stumble at Palace?
Alan Pardew isn’t the most likable Premier League manager. It’s difficult to give him credit but needs must and the work he’s accomplished at Crystal Palace has been eye-catching.
They were relatively lucky against Norwich. The 3-1 scoreline isn’t a fair reflection of the clash and with the game delicately poised at 2-1, Norwich were denied a perfectly legitimate goal that would’ve leveled things. As it was, summer signing Yohan Cabaye effortlessly slotted home to make it 3-1 and Palace were up and running.
The side has a nice balance and some under-rated depth. Last weekend, Yannick Bolasie, Mile Jedinak, Dwight Gayle and Connor Wickham were all on the bench – a nice collection of names to have in reserve. With Jason Puncheon on one side and the seemingly rejuvenated Wilfried Zaha on the other, there’s plenty of pace and purpose in wide areas.
With Arsenal shocked by West Ham, a trip to Selhurst Park is far from ideal. They should have enough to make it through but with Cabaye bringing some subtlety to proceedings, Palace are quickly becoming a bit of a handful.
Toffees stuck in a rut and need to get out fast
You’d be forgiven for feeling slightly anxious if you’re an Everton fan. On one hand, the club has a smart, young, progressive manager in Roberto Martinez who has managed to hang on to his prized assets across the last few seasons – Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy, Ross Barkley and John Stones.
But on the other, the positivity that brings is just not extending to the pitch and the Toffees are finding the going particularly tough. They finished last term with three defeats from their final four games and the worry is that a hangover has followed them into the current campaign.
Against Watford last week, Romelu Lukaku struggled to find a way into the game and afterwards Martinez admitted his team were ‘in pre-season mode’. Barkley’s moment of magic and Kone’s neat late equaliser were brief moments of excitement and defensively, they gave away two sloppy goals.
In Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off against Southampton, they need to serve up a performance that answers some questions. Otherwise, this could be another season spent floating aimlessly from game to game.
Leicester have been here before and need all the points they can get
The Foxes were another side with an unwanted and unnecessary distraction this week. Jamie Vardy has been heavily fined for his racial abuse of an Asian man in a casino though he’s still expected to start for Claudio Ranieri’s side against West Ham on Saturday.
And it’s expected that the club are still on the thrill-ride of securing top-flight survival last term. It showed against a hapless Sunderland last week with Leicester storming through a relentless first 25 minutes, finding the net three times. But they’ll know all about getting ahead of themselves.
They took their time to get going last season but back-to-back wins away to Stoke and at home to Manchester United gave rise to plenty of optimism. What followed was a pitiful return – they won just one more game before Christmas and pulled them into the dark, depressing mire with little wiggle-room. Somehow, they found a way out but will be very conscious of taking every game as it comes.
Originally published Friday at 6pm
