Premier League Review - February

Read on to find out my Premier League 'winners' and 'losers' for February... 

It's been a good month for...

 

Brighton

The Seagulls picked up seven points from a possible nine in February, scoring eight goals in the process. They started the month with a 3-1 win over West Ham at the Amex Stadium and ended it by beating Swansea 4-1 at home, with a 1-1 draw at Stoke sandwiched in between. Jose Izquierdo and Glenn Murray were both in fine goal scoring form and by ending the month unbeaten Chris Hughton picked up a well deserved Manager of the Month award. If they can keep beating the teams around them they are almost guaranteed to be playing top flight football again next season.

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Roberto Firmino

In my opinion Firmino is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. He is crucial to Liverpool's pressing style and is almost certainly the first name on Jurgen Klopp's team sheet despite the incredible form of Mohamed Salah. The Brazilian had another great month in the league, scoring one and assisting the other in a 2-0 win at Southampton and also scoring in a 4-1 home victory over West Ham. His goal against the Hammers was his 13th in the Premier League this season, already bettering last season's total tally of 11. His manager will hope that he can continue to link up with both Salah and Sadio Mane to ensure another top four finish for the Reds.

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Huddersfield

The Terriers picked up six important points over February as their battle for survival continues. The month started with an unsurprising 2-0 defeat at Manchester United, but David Wagner's side bounced back with a 4-1 home victory over Bournemouth and a 2-1 win at lowly West Brom. Steve Mounie's return to fitness has been a blessing for Wagner; the Beninese striker scored once and assisted twice against Bournemouth and also bagged at the Hawthorns. He will be vital for Huddersfield during the last few months of the campaign.

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But a bad one for...

Arsene Wenger

The pressure on Arsene Wenger seems to be mounting every single day. They began the month with a comfortable home victory over out-of-sorts Everton but then lost the North London Derby at Wembley and rolled over for Manchester City in a 3-0 home defeat at the Emirates. Many think Wenger has come to the end at Arsenal and the performances just haven't been good enough. The defeat at home to City came days after the Carabao Cup final, which they lost by the same scoreline to the same opponents. With the criticism the Frenchman is receiving on a daily basis I would be surprised to see him in charge of the Gunners at the start of the 2018/19 season.

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West Brom

The Baggies lost all three Premier League games in February and were also in the news for the wrong reasons as four senior players were alleged to have stolen a taxi in Barcelona. Alan Pardew will be feeling very let down by experienced professionals Jonny Evans, Gareth Barry, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill and they haven't been able to make up for it on the pitch. Pardew's men lost 3-2 at home to Southampton, 3-0 at Chelsea and 2-1 at home to Huddersfield in February and look destined to finish rock bottom this season.

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Everton

Everton are in no danger of going down this season and it's for that reason that I've been so disappointed in them under Sam Allardyce. The ex-England boss certainly steadied the ship upon his arrival but the football has been of a surprisingly low standard and their away form has been awful. The Toffees lost 5-1 at Arsenal at the start of February and lost 1-0 at Watford at the end of the month. That defeat at Vicarage Road was Everton's fourth straight away defeat in the league and meant that they had won just one of their last 22 away games. Everton are a lot better than that and in my honest opinion I think that they should be looking to bring in a manager with a more positive style of play in the summer.

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Premier League Review - January

After another eventful month in the Premier League, here are my 'Winners' and 'Losers' for January.

 

It's been a good month for...

Carlos Carvalhal

Carlos Carvalhal has had a great start to life as Swansea City manager. At the time of writing he has guided the Welsh club out of the relegation zone after a great run of form; they had been rock bottom of the Premier League at the time of his appointment. Carvalhal has already won the same number of league games as predecessor Paul Clement managed in the first half of the campaign (3) and picked up two of those in January, against Liverpool and Arsenal no less. Both of those victories came at the Liberty Stadium, 1-0 against the Reds and 3-1 against the Gunners, and if the Swans can keep up that sort of form at home and pick up the occasional away result they should be playing top-flight football again next season.

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Jordon Ibe

The Bournemouth winger may finally be proving why Eddie Howe spent £15 million on him in 2016. Ibe had a cracking January, finally registering his first Cherries goal with the winner in a 2-1 home victory over Arsenal. Ibe also supplied an assist in a 2-2 draw at Brighton earlier in the month, and more recently in an astonishing 3-0 victory at Chelsea. Ibe will be hoping to continue in this vein for the remainder of the season in order to finally fulfill his undoubted potential.

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 Manchester United

Jose Mourinho's men have been quietly going about their business, and also did fantastically well to bring in Alexis Sanchez in January under the noses of rivals City. United took nine points from a possible twelve and were disappointing only in a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham. That aside, they've been playing some decent football and picked up good wins away at both Everton and Burnley, which are traditionally tough places to go and play. In any other season United would be right up there, but it looks as though they are still on course for a second-placed finish. 

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But a bad one for...

Mark Hughes

The Welshman was dismissed as manager of Stoke City on the 6th January, following a run of five defeats in seven Premier League games. It marked the end of four-and-a-half years in charge of the Potters, with Paul Lambert the man chosen to take over at the helm. Hughes left with Stoke sitting inside the drop zone, which is unfamiliar territory for them. An ageing squad and a lack of goals were problems for Hughes, but the clincher was that they had the worst defensive record at the time of his sacking. Hughes had a decent spell at the Bet365 Stadium, however, and I'm sure it won't be long until he's back in management.

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Huddersfield

The Terriers lost all four league games in January, by a combined score of 12-1. A 3-0 home loss to Liverpool is understandable, but if you want to stay in the Premier League you need to be winning matches against the likes of Leicester, West Ham and Stoke and David Wagner's men just didn't turn up. They don't look as solid as they have done in previous months and have also found goals hard to come by. They bought in Alex Pritchard from Norwich during the transfer window, and Wagner will be hoping that he can provide some much needed creativity.

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 Marco Silva

The Portuguese manager lost his job at Vicarage Road, having won just one of eleven Premier League matches. Watford's chiefs blamed Everton for the demise of the gaffer, with the Toffees declaring public interest in Silva following Ronald Koeman's dismissal in October. Silva appeared to have made his interest in the job known, having refused to declare his long-term future to the Hornets, and they have struggled ever since. In the long run I think that Watford will suffer more than Silva, and maybe he will get his chance at Goodison Park in the summer.

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Premier League Review - December

The hectic Premier League festive period has come to an end! Read on to find out my 'Winners' and Losers' for December.
  

It's been a good month for...

Sam Allardyce

Big Sam is back in the Premier League and is doing what he does best. Having taken over an Everton team struggling for form and confidence, the former England manager has steered them into the top half of the table. As he is so good at doing, Allardyce instantly tightened up the defence, seeing the Toffees collect 12 points from a possible 21, with four clean sheets from their seven games. He has also made Everton challenge the 'Big Six' again, picking up draws in the Merseyside Derby at Anfield and at home to Chelsea. If he can get a couple of players in during the January transfer window, Everton could be in for a positive 2018.

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Crystal Palace

Roy Hodgson has totally transformed Crystal Palace, who now sit 14th in the table and two points above the relegation zone, which is remarkable when you consider how badly the Eagles were performing when the experienced manager took over. Hodgson has got Palace attacking at speed again, and Andros Townsend and particularly Wilfried Zaha look dangerous every time they bring the ball forward. Indeed, Palace ended Manchester City's amazing eighteen-game winning run in a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park on New Year's Eve, and could have actually won the game had Ederson not saved Luca Milivojevic's late penalty. If Palace continue in their current vein of form, they will definitely be playing Premier League football again next season.

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Heung-Min Son

Tottenham's South Korean attacker had an outstanding month, registering four goals and four assists in his six Premier League appearances in December. His first goal of the month was the equaliser in Tottenham's 1-1 draw at Watford which earned Spurs a valuable point. He then scored in a 5-1 win over Stoke and a 2-0 win over Brighton, both at Wembley, and ended the month with another strike at home to Southampton on boxing day in a 5-2 victory. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be thrilled with Son, who is really helping out Harry Kane in the goalscoring department.

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But a bad one for...

Paul Clement

After less than a year in charge, Clement was dismissed by Swansea City on the 20th of December after winning just three league games and with the club rock bottom of the Premier League. I feel a bit sorry for Clement, as his appointment last season kept Swansea in the division, but as we all know football is a results business and there's no doubt Swansea were in dreadful form. Clement's last outing as manager was in a 3-1 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park. Swansea actually led 1-0 in that game, but failure to hold onto a lead is what has cost the Swans time and time again this season. Clement was swiftly replaced by former Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvahal, and it will be interesting now to see what he can do with the same group of players.

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West Bromwich Albion

West Brom's appointment of Alan Pardew hasn't had the immediate impact that Baggies' fans will have been hoping for. They are yet to win under Pardew, and currently sit 19th in the table, four points adrift of safety. WBA were involved in three 0-0 draws in December and also drew 1-1 against Arsenal, as well as narrowly losing 2-1 at home to Manchester United. The evidence shows that they are a solid, battling side, but they are light at the top of the pitch and struggle for goals. Pardew will be desperate for funds in January to bring in somebody who knows where the back of the net is, and they have also been linked with a loan move for Liverpool's Danny Ings.

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Watford

The Hornets had a poor month, collecting just 4 points from a possible 21. What makes that stat even more worrying is that on paper, Marco Silva's side had some really nice fixtures. The month started well enough, with a 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham, but then went swiftly downhill with defeats to Burnley, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield and Brighton. They ended that run of four successive defeats with a 2-1 victory over Leicester on Boxing Day, but lost again at the end of the month, 2-1 to struggling Swansea. When you look at those fixtures, they actually performed best against the highest-ranked teams, so Silva may need to knock his players down a peg or too and get them back into the habit of winning those games against the sides they 'should' be beating!

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Premier League Review - November

As we approach the halfway stage of the 2017/18 Premier League season it's time for my November roundup. Here are my 'Winners' and 'Losers' for the month.

It's been a good month for...

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool's Egyptian forward is surely the Player of the Month for November. Salah scored in each of the Reds' four league games, helping them take ten points from a possible twelve. He scored braces against West Ham, Southampton and Stoke, and scored Liverpool's goal in a 1-1 draw against his former employers, Chelsea. Salah is currently the league's top scorer with twelve goals, which is mightily impressive when he is more of a winger than a striker. With two more goals than nearest challenger Harry Kane, Jürgen Klopp will know that he has a real gem on his hands.

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Claude Puel

Leicester City's new manager has helped tighten up the Foxes, and took five points in November. His first away match was a 2-2 draw at Stoke at the beginning of the month which is a traditionally difficult place to visit, and they also faced Manchester City at home, a game which they lost 2-0. Leicester finished the month with a 1-1 draw at West Ham and an excellent 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur. Puel has got Jamie Vardy scoring again and has also given Riyad Mahrez and Demarai Gray a real freedom to play. The Foxes are now back in the top half of the table and look to be a force at the King Power Stadium once more.

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Raheem Sterling

Sterling is Manchester City's top scorer in the Premier League this season, and has been popping up with some crucial goals of late. He notched an 84th-minute winner in a 2-1 victory at Huddersfield on the 26th November, and three days later scored in the 96th-minute as City beat Southampton by the same scoreline. Goals aside, Sterling has been in excellent form and also contributed two assists in November as Pep Guardiola's men won all four of their Premier League matches. If Sterling and Co. continue to play as they have been, the league could be won by Christmas!

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But a bad one for...

Slaven Bilic

The Croation was sacked by West Ham in early November after winning just two league games in 2017/18. He departed with the Hammers in 18th following a 4-1 home defeat by Liverpool, which was a second successive home defeat by three goals. I feel a bit sorry for Bilic, as I feel that the move to the London Stadium has been a disaster for West Ham, and he led them to a 7th-placed finish in his first season in charge, and the Irons' last at Upton Park. Bilic will surely feel even harder done by to be replaced by David Moyes, who was Sunderland manager as they finished rock-bottom of the Premier League and were relegated to the Championship last season.

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Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs took just four points from a possible twelve in November, and appear to be struggling at Wembley. They struggled past then-bottom side Crystal Palace, winning 1-0, and later drew 1-1 with struggling West Brom at England's home of football. Between those two matches was a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in the North London Derby, a game in which Tottenham were poor and deservedly lost. Mauricio Pochettino's men then lost their final league game of the month, 2-1 at Leicester. Spurs' form needs to pick up over the festive period if they want to remain in touching distance of their top four rivals.

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Tony Pulis

The Welsh manager was dismissed as manager of West Bromwich Albion after a poor run of form in which West Brom failed to win in ten league matches. I feel sorry for Pulis, but can also understand why he was sacked. There had been unrest at the Hawthorns, and an alarming stat for the board at WBA is that average attendances at The Hawthorns have fallen for the past two seasons, from 25,064 when Pulis took over in 2015 to 23,876 in 2016-17. Fans of the Baggies had seemingly become bored and frustrated at the style of play implemented by Pulis, and this is supported by the fact that at the time of Pulis' sacking they had the lowest average possession of any side in the division. The final nail in the coffin was a 4-0 home defeat to Chelsea, but Tony Pulis is an expert in keeping teams up and I don't think it will be too long before we see him back in the top flight. I'm sorry to see him go.

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Premier League Review - October

Another eventful month in the Premier League has passed. Find my 'Winners' and 'Losers' for October below...

It's been a good month for...

Leroy Sane

Sane enjoyed an explosive October in the Premier League, scoring and assisting a goal in each of his three league appearances. His excellent play and often telepathic relationship with the likes of Kevin de Bruyne helped Manchester City to three wins from three, most notably a 7-2 home victory over Stoke City. City also beat Burnley 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium and won 3-2 at West Brom. If German international Sane can keep up his explosive form, Pep Guardiola's side could be well on their way to the Premier League title by Christmas.

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Crystal Palace

It may be a surprise to see the Premier League's bottom side featuring in the 'Winners' section, but there is no doubt that Roy Hodgson's appointment has seen a definite upswing in Palace's performance levels. They picked up their first win of the season on October 14th against none other than last season's champions, Chelsea, and that 2-1 triumph was fully deserved. Wilfried Zaha looks to be back to his best and added to his goal against Chelsea with a 97th-minute equaliser against West Ham. Palace should definitely take confidence from their October results, and will be hoping to close the gap in November.

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Brighton

Brighton enjoyed an unbeaten October, and were unlucky not to take more than the five points that they managed from their three games. A 90th-minute Wayne Rooney penalty denied them victory at home to Everton in a 1-1 draw, but that did nothing to dent the Seagulls' confidence. Instead, they won 3-0 at West Ham in their very next game, with Glenn Murray bagging a brace. Murray then rescued a point with an equaliser against Southampton in another 1-1 draw. Chris Hughton's men have enjoyed a solid start to their debut Premier League campaign and long may it continue.

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But a bad one for...

Ronald Koeman

Ronald Koeman was sacked sixteen months into his job as Everton manager after a dismal start to the 2017/18 season. He departed Goodison Park with the club in the bottom three and having collected just two wins from their first ten games. For me, Koeman was dismissed too early, but the failure to replace Romelu Lukaku was a crime and too many average players arrived over the summer for far too much money. A 5-2 home defeat to Arsenal was the Dutchman's final game in charge of the Toffees.

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Watford

Despite the fact that Watford beat Arsenal 2-1 in their first match in October, I was unimpressed with their inability to finish a game when they played Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Admittedly there aren't many tougher places to play at in the Premier League, but Watford had them on the ropes and led 2-1 up until the 71st-minute. It should have been 4-1 by then, but a failure to convert key chances came back to haunt them and they ended up conceding three goals in the final nineteen minutes to lose 4-2. They then lost their next game 1-0 at home to a Stoke side who have struggled for goals. It's interesting that Watford have lost both of their games since Troy Deeney accused Arsenal of lacking 'cojones,' and now the Watford skipper will miss the next three matches due to a violent conduct charge following an incident with Joe Allen.

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Craig Shakespeare

Another sacked Premier League manager unfortunately makes the 'Losers' list this month, and again I find this a little harsh. Craig Shakespeare kept then reigning champions Leicester City in the Premier League last season following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri, but was relieved of his duties on October 17th. Admittedly Leicester had won just one of their eight league matches under Shakespeare, but they had also faced Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in those opening eight and faced a kinder round of fixtures. Shakespeare was sacked after a 1-1 home draw with West Brom, and I also think it's harsh to sack any manager after a game that wasn't actually lost. I was impressed by Shakespeare during his short stint as a Premier League manager and hope to see him at a new club soon.

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Premier League Review - September

Another month has passed and the Premier League is now in full swing. Here are my 'Winners' and 'Losers' for September...

It's been a good month for...

Harry Kane

I put him down as a loser last weekend, so it's only fair that he tops the list this month! Tottenham's talisman has been in scintillating form, scoring six in September and helping Spurs to ten points from a possible twelve. All of his goals have come away from home, and if Kane can start scoring at Wembley Tottenham could be in for a really exciting season. England captaincy for the recent World Cup Qualifiers was richly deserved, and Kane repaid manager Gareth Southgate with two goals in two 1-0 victories to send England to Russia. 

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Arsene Wenger

The Arsenal manager gets a lot of stick, but deserves credit for the way his team performed in September. Arsenal beat both Bournemouth and West Brom convincingly at The Emirates Stadium, but what impressed me most was the way they set up and battled in a 0-0 draw at reigning champions Chelsea. The Gunners lost 3-1 at Stamford Bridge last season, and Arsene Wenger was heavily criticised for his supposed lack of tactical knowhow. Although Arsenal didn't beat Chelsea, they were defensively solid which is something we have not always seen from Wenger's men in recent times. As a result, they sit fifth in the league, and have had a decent start to the season.

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Newcastle United

Rafa Benitez can be very proud of how his side have started the season. A solid September saw them pick up two wins out of a possible three, but what struck me most about Newcastle was how they played for their manager in a 1-0 win at Swansea. Benitez was absent following surgery, but the Magpies stuck to their tactics and secured a mightily impressive win in Wales thanks to  captain Jamaal Lascelles. The skipper then scored again in a deserved 2-1 win over Stoke at St James' Park. The Geordies are ninth in the table after their good start, and fans will finally feel that Benitez has got them back where they belong.

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But a bad one for...

Roy Hodgson

Roy Hodgson may be regretting his decision to join Crystal Palace after an abysmal start to life at Selhurst Park. They are still yet to score a goal or pick up a single point in the Premier League this season, and the former England manager has failed to change anything that was going wrong under Frank de Boer. Admittedly Hodgson has had to face both Manchester clubs in September, losing 5-0 at City and 4-0 to United, but they also lost 1-0 at home to Southampton in his first match in charge. Those are the kind of games you have to pick points up in to stay in the Premier League, and it looks like the Eagles are in for a long, long season if Hodgson can't quickly turn their fortunes around.

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Everton

After a summer in which Everton spent over £100 million on new signings, fans of the Toffees would have hoped that they would sit much higher than the sixteenth place that they currently hold. You expect Everton to give the big boys a game at Goodison Park, but they were inferior in a 3-0 home defeat to Spurs and couldn't fare any better away at Old Trafford, where former striker Romelu Lukaku scored in a 4-0 win for United. Everton's remaining October fixtures come away to Brighton and Leicester and at home to Arsenal, and it's vital that Ronald Koeman finds a way to send the Blues up the table, rather than further towards the bottom three.

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Liverpool

After a decent start to the season, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool endured a frustrating September. Star man Sadio Mane was sent off at Manchester City, a game which ended in a 5-0 defeat, and a 1-1 draw at home to Burnley followed. Liverpool are suffering at both ends of the pitch at the moment, struggling to keep out the opposition in every game they play and unable to convert enough chances, such as in the game against Burnley. They ended the month with a 3-2 win at Leicester, but Liverpool fans do not feel comfortable watching their side at the moment, and Klopp's failure to sign a centre-back in the summer has resulted in much questioning. Manchester United are next up for the Reds after the international break, and they will have to defend much better if they want to keep out Lukaku and co.

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Premier League Review - August

The Premier League has been back in action for a month already, so I've decided to do a monthly review where I will be picking out three 'Winners' and three 'Losers' each month. Here is my take on the first month of the season.

It's been a good month for...

Manchester United

Jose Mourinho's men are the only side in the league with a 100% win record from their opening three games. They have started the season in explosive form, scoring ten goals without reply, and Romelu Lukaku has adapted very quickly to life at Old Trafford, scoring three in his opening three games. Fellow arrival Nemanja Matic has also settled comfortably into United's midfield and has allowed Paul Pogba to flourish - The Red Devils' record signing already has two goals this season, 40% of his total for the entire of the 2016-17 campaign. United look to have more favourable fixtures approaching in September, and Mourinho will be hoping his team's impressive start continues. 

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Sadio Mane

Liverpool's number 19 enjoyed an exciting debut season at Anfield, but his start to 2017-18 has got everybody talking. Mane has scored in all three of the Reds' Premier League matches so far, including the winner against Crystal Palace, and has become Jurgen Klopp's star man in the absence of Philippe Coutinho, who was involved in a transfer saga with Barcelona. If the Senegalese international can keep up his early season form, Klopp will be hoping he can be the spearhead of a potential title challenge.

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Huddersfield Town

The Premier League new boys have surprised everybody, collecting seven points from their opening three games and keeping three clean sheets in the process. David Wagner's Terriers were outstanding on the opening day, winning 3-0 at Crystal Palace, and also put in a dogged performance to beat Newcastle 1-0. A respectable 0-0 draw with Southampton followed, and the rest of the league now know that a trip to the John Smith's Stadium will be no easy task.

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But a bad one for...

West Ham United

The Hammers have lost all three of their Premier League matches so far, shipping ten goals and scoring just two. That defensive record sees them sit rock bottom of the table, and Slaven Bilic is a man under pressure. Although it could be argued that West Ham have been a little unlucky to play all of their matches away from home so far due to World Championship athletics being held at the London Stadium, better performances are expected than their 3-0 defeat at newly-promoted Newcastle. They also conceded a 93rd-minute penalty at Southampton which saw them lose 3-2, and were poor in a 4-0 loss at Old Trafford on the opening weekend. New boy Chicharito has scored their only two goals so far, and he needs help quickly in order for West Ham to turn their form around.

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Harry Kane

It may be a bit harsh to single out Kane with Tottenham enduring a mediocre start to the season, but the fact is that Spurs' number 10 has still never scored a Premier League goal in August. He is the man Mauricio Pochettino relies on for goals, and Kane himself will have been hoping to dispel the myth that he is a slow starter. Ironically, Kane scored twice for England on September the first, so will be hoping to get off and running domestically when Spurs face Everton in their next league fixture.

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Frank de Boer

Crystal Palace's new manager has lost all three of his opening league games, and is the bookies' favourite to be the first Premier League manager to lose his job. Defeat at Anfield was perhaps expected, but a 3-0 home loss to Huddersfield on the opening day was a massive shock, and de Boer himself admitted that his side needed to show more courage after their most recent league outing, another home defeat (2-0 to Swansea). Palace bought in Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool on Deadline Day, and the Palace gaffer will be hoping that he can tighten up a struggling back-line, despite visits to both Manchester City and Manchester United in late September.

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