Can Arsene Wenger prove a thorn in Jose Mourinho’s side?
Forget the pre-match talk. This pair stand for completely different ways of playing football. Mourinho, the cheeky runt-of-the-litter, the eternal pragmatist, the ruthless winner. Wenger, the wily, hopelessly optimistic and romantic or, as Corley Miller recently referred to him as in a piece for Eight By Eight magazine, ‘the martyr of Islington’, a perennial Catholic who will ‘always insist on valuing something other than results’. And it’s why this match-up intrigues so much.
Last weekend against Manchester United, Chelsea frustrated many by refusing to play an expansive style, almost gleefully sitting back and allowing Van Gaal’s side the ball. With a centre-back playing in central midfield, racking up 28% of the ball, it was unapologetically cynical but it worked and Mourinho was surely purring with satisfaction in the aftermath.
In an equally-astute piece this week, Jonathan Wilson argued that Mourinho will never enjoy a game as much as the 2010 Champions League semi-final second-leg when his Inter side had 10 men for more than an hour, had 19% possession and still won 3-2 on aggregate against Guardiola’s Barcelona.
Earlier this season, we got some touchline theatre from Wenger and Mourinho and while it entertained the masses (who hasn’t wanted to square up to Jose and give him what for?) it proved irrelevant. Arsenal were beaten and not much changed.
It’s hard to see what will change even if Arsenal do register an unlikely win this weekend but it would provide something to desperately grasp onto for all those hopeless romantics out there.
Will Adam Johnson derail Sunderland’s hopes of staying up?
The Black Cats probably haven’t used all of their nine lives just yet but they’re certainly down to the last few.
From Dick Advocaat’s 3 games in charge, the club have won once in the Tyne-Wear derby, narrowly lost against West Ham and suffered a pummeling in their last outing at home to Crystal Palace. It’s been mixed and it means they start the weekend one point clear of the drop zone.
But the build-up to such a key game this weekend away to Stoke is now overshadowed by Adam Johnson. The winger was charged with three accounts of sexual activity with a 15 year-old girl and one account of grooming yet the club, who initially suspended him after being arrested in early March before allowing him back into the squad, have decided to take no action this time.
He’s available for selection for Saturday’s trip to Stoke and after a two-week break that allowed the team to focus and concentrate solely on their next assignment, they now have to deal with a non-footballing issue that’s clouded preparations.
Can Marouane Fellaini prove a handful for his former employers?
Last season, Manchester United came a cropper twice to a sticky Toffees side and failed to find the net in both games under David Moyes. In what proved the Scot’s final game in charge, an awful United were easily swept aside by Roberto Martinez’s young, exuberant and expansive team with Leighton Baines scoring from the spot and Kevin Miralles grabbing another.
A rather glum-looking Marouane Fellaini failed to see any game-time as Moyes’ final XI featured Alex Buttner, Nani, Darren Fletcher and Shinji Kagawa.
But fast-forward twelve months and the Belgian is now a critical part of Louis van Gaal’s side and despite being well-shackled against Chelsea last weekend, he will relish playing at Goodison Park for the first time since he swapped it for Old Trafford. With five goals in his last seven appearances for club and country, he won’t be so easily quietened against his former team and you can expect he’ll be integral to United’s offensive plan on Sunday lunchtime.
There’s a genuine relegation six-pointer at Turf Moor
Owing to Leicester’s revival, Burnley have dropped to the bottom of the table. Because their away form has been so poor throughout the season and owing to the fact three of their remaining five games are on the road, they must take maximum points from the two home games they have left.
The first is on Saturday and pits them against relegation rivals Leicester. Their 2-0 victory over Swansea last weekend was the first time they’d won three games in a row all season and they’ve found momentum as the finish line approaches. The one thing the Foxes seem to have that Burnley don’t is an ability to find the net.
They’ve managed 34 – the same tally as Newcastle and eight more than their opponents this weekend. But critically, from their last four fixtures, Leicester have scored nine goals. Burnley have scored none.
If Sean Dyche’s team are to stay up, they need to do more offensively but that’s easier said than done.
Fans show dissent after another dismal campaign for Newcastle
Newcastle have lost their last six games. Widen that out just a bit and they’ve managed one victory in their last ten. On current form, they’re the worst side in the Premier League and it’s hard to know how this will all end up.
Always regarded as a ‘great club’, many have confused magnificent and passionate support with how to actually run a competitive sports organisation because for years, behind the scenes, Newcastle have been a shambles.
Now, those immense fans have finally turned and the success of last weekend’s mass protest (thousands boycotted the home defeat to Tottenham) has seen talk of a another one for Saturday’s clash with Swansea. Some fans have also set up the ashleyout.com website as part of a sustained campaign to force the much-maligned owner to leave.
Ultimately, as the malaise continues, the club will be looked upon as toxic by any proposed new signings and by every manager they’ll seek out to replace the beleaguered John Carver.
Would you back Newcastle in any game right now? There’s a genuine chance they’ll fail to pick up points from now until the end of the season. They’re currently seven points clear of the drop but maybe, just maybe, they’ll be dragged into the dogfight.
