Time’s up for Chicharito

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Just over three and a half years ago, Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez was scoring the goal for Real Madrid that sent them into the Champions League semi-finals at the expense of city rivals, Atletico.

Having enjoyed great success whilst at Manchester United, his time on loan from them at Los Blancos was another feather in his cap, but just 36 short months later everything is remarkably different for the Mexican.

Not even a starring role for his country at the World Cup in Russia seems to have stopped the rot at club level. Continue reading

Classic derby will tell Pellegrini how far Hammers have come

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Ask any West Ham fan which fixture they really look forward to every season, and without hesitation it will be the classic derby against rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.

Even a supposed hatred of south London side, Millwall, pales into insignificance when the north Londoners come to town.

This fixture also has added spice now given Spurs’ own efforts to try and secure the London Stadium which the Hammers currently call home. Continue reading

Man United moving for Arnautovic makes sense

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‘Silly season’ is upon us.

That part of the year before the transfer window officially opens when agents are trying to position themselves front and centre.

When players are trying to get a few extra million and extended contracts from their clubs, and managers are sniffing out a bargain or two.

Column inches need to be filled and as a result, it’s not uncommon for the most outrageous rumours to have ‘legs.’

Ultimately, many of those rumours don’t come to fruition, but if enough stories are pumped out, then surely one will end up hitting the mark.

One such rumour doing the rounds at the moment is Manchester United’s apparent willingness to purchase West Ham’s Marko Arnautovic.

Given the rate at which transfer prices have skyrocketed, we can deduce that a minimum of £50m will need to be spent by the Red Devils to even get the Hammers to the negotiating table.

But what’s the likelihood of that happening?

Jose Mourinho knows the player from their time together at Inter, and one would assume the Portuguese has followed the striker’s progress in the recent past.

He’ll also recall that he labelled the Austrian as a ‘child,’ ‘unmanageable’ and ‘Balotelli’s best friend’ when they coincided in Italy.

However, his need for a backup striker for Romelu Lukaku has been evident across the past season.

It seems fairly clear that both Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are not in Mourinho’s long-term plans and Arnautovic has the advantage of being able to play on either side and as a main striker.

He ticks an awful lot of boxes for what United need at this point.

Goalscoring isn’t his greatest attribute and even though he improved in this aspect of his game under David Moyes, he still averages just one in three.

But Mourinho has others who can ease the burden on that front.

What he doesn’t have is someone of Arnautovic’s stature and work rate to complement Lukaku and save the Belgian from the bouts of tiredness that he’s suffered from in the past 12 months.

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Premier League predictions

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With this being the last weekend of Premier League action, every sides that will be keen to end their season with a win. Here are our predictions for the upcoming games!

Burnley vs AFC Bournemouth – home win

Burnley have been truly phenomenal this season, securing Europa League action against the odds, and will be hoping this game rounds off a fantastic campaign.

With Nick Pope (12 clean sheets) cutting an inspired figure at times this season, this could well be his last chance to make a late bid to become the England keeper come the summer’s World Cup in Russia. Continue reading

Premier League Predictions

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Check out our predictions for the upcoming Premier League fixtures, will Manchester CIty secure the Premier League title at Wembley this Saturday?

Southampton vs Chelsea – away win

There can surely only be one winner here. Whilst Chelsea have underwhelmed this campaign, the Saints have been truly dreadful.

Expect 11 goal Eden Hazard and co. to cause Mark Hughes’s men a fair bit of trouble this weekend.

Burnley vs. Leicester – draw

Two teams that are fighting it out to secure the ‘best of the rest’ accolade, both sides have impressed across the 2017/18 campaign.

Whilst Vardy (61 points) and Mahrez (71 points) have shone in attack for the Foxes, the fact that Heaton and Pope have kept 12 clean sheets between them exemplifies why this will be a tight affair.

Crystal Palace vs Brighton – home win

Whilst Hodgson’s men are on a poor run of results, their performances against big sides like Liverpool have been far from uninspired.

With the Selhurst Park faithful behind them, expect the likes of Zaha (33 points) and Benteke (10 points) to be real difference makers here

Huddersfield vs Watford – draw

Whilst Huddersfield have made the John Smith’s Stadium a tough place to travel to, they remain in a tough battle for survival.

The Hornets seemingly no longer have much to play for this campaign but one would suspect that a player of Doucoure’s talents (seven goals and 39 points this campaign) will be favourite to be the difference maker tonight.

Swansea City vs Everton – home win

Whilst the Toffees have largely stabilised since the appointment of Sam Allardyce, their dour brand of football has left a lot to be desired.

Swansea have made the Liberty Stadium an intimidating arena so far this season and a player of Tammy Abraham’s calibre (five goals on loan from season) could be enough to unsettle the visitors.

Liverpool vs Bournemouth – home win

Liverpool will need an extra bounce off the back of their gruelling midweek Champions League exploits but with the likes of Mane (65 points), Firmino (97 points) and Salah (160 points) leading the line, they’ll be confident of securing another victory at Anfield.

Jordon Ibe has found good form in recent weeks, hitting six assists and 29 points, and he will be will be keen to cause an upset against his old team.

Tottenham vs Man City – home win

A really tough one to call, this depends entirely on how City react to three consecutive defeats within a week.

If Guardiola’s men, led by De Bruyne (87 points) and Silva (75 points) can show a bit of mettle then they’ll be favourites to secure their third Premier League title. Anything less than their best, however, would open the door for the likes of Harry Kane (97 goals) to take full advantage.

Newcastle Untied vs Arsenal – home win

Newcastle’s form since a productive January transfer window has been particularly good, with the likes of Matt Richie 29 points inspiring them to a drive towards mid-table safety.

Arsenal’s away form will be of concern to them. With one eye firmly on the Europa League, this might prove a tough day for them up at St James’ Park.

Manchester United vs West Brom – home win

United will be buoyant after their spectacular comeback at fierce rivals Manchester City and eager to compound that great performance with another win here.

The attacking exploits of the likes of Lukaku (68 points) and Jesse Lingard (64 points) should be far too much for a West Brom side that is rooted at the bottom of the table to handle.

West Ham United vs Stoke City – home win

Both sides have had underwhelming seasons, with Stoke now one of the favourites to go down to the Championship.

Whilst West Ham have largely disappointed this season, the form of Arnautovic  has largely been a pleasure across the campaign. Expect the 39 goal attacker to be the difference maker this weekend.

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Premier League predictions

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Check out the Euro Fantasy League predictions for the weekend ahead as Premier League football returns following the international break!

Crystal Palace vs Liverpool – away win

This tie sees two teams at opposite ends of the table come together in Saturday’s early kick off.

Whilst Crystal Palace have presented a robust challenge for the likes of Spurs and Man United in recent weeks, the like of Salah (156 points) points and Firmino (95) should prove too much for the hosts.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Leicester City – home win

Brighton have made the Amex a tough place to visit over the past few months and this game won’t be a ‘gimme’ for the visitors.

Whilst Leicester have been in good form, and players like Vardy  (53 points) have the capacity to hurt anyone, we’re tipping a home win here.

Manchester United vs Swansea City – home win

The atmosphere surrounding United it one of ill-ease in recent months yet they remain second in the league.

The form of players like Jordan Ayew (25 points) have made the Swans a tough team to face but wins at Old Trafford are tough to come by and it seems probable they will leave empty handed.

Newcastle United vs Huddersfield Town – home win.

After a dour first half to the campaign, the arrival of Kenedy on loan from Chelsea has sparked Newcastle United into life since January.

Dwight Gayle (24 goals) has also grown in form recently and the output of this attacking duo could prove too much for the visiting Terriers.

Watford vs. AFC Bournemouth – draw

Two sides that have blown hot and cold this season, it will be interesting to see whether either side can use the game as a platform too truly push on into the back end of the campaign.

Whilst Jordon Ibe (29 points) and Callum Wilson (34 points) have both shown good form as of recent, it would not be surprising to see this one end all-square.

West Bromwich Albion vs. Burnley – away win

Burnley’s form may have taken a dip in recent weeks but the Baggies’ is nothing short of woeful.

The likes of Tarkowski (10 clean sheets) and Pope (11 clean sheets) have delivered a solid defensive platform from which their game is built and expect them to use this to secure victory on Saturday.

West Ham United vs. Southampton – draw

Two sides in dire straits, there is a chance that a Sparky bounce could inspire a Soton win, but a draw would be an unsurprising outcome.

On the other side of the pitch, the Hammers will be counting on the form of Marco Arnautovic (seven goals and three assists) to inspire victory for them.

Everton vs Manchester City – away win

Guardiola’s men inch closure to the title and a win at Goodison Park will see them get ever closure to a first Premier League victory under the Spaniard.

Sergio Aguero will be hoping he can be the star man for the Citizens, as he looks to build on his 21 goals and remain in the fight for the Golden Boot.

Arsenal vs Stoke City – home win

For all of Arsenal’s woes in 2017/18, their form at the Emirates has remained exceptional.

Expect the likes of new boys Aubameyang (12 points) and Mkhitaryan (46 points) to prove too much for a relegation threatened Stoke.

Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur – Away win

This game could prove pivotal in deciding which team qualifies for the next season’s Champions League campaign.

The Blues may have a home advantage but the balance is probably tipped in the favour of the visitors, who are led by an in form Heung-Min Son who sits on 12 goals for the campaign – they will be hoping he can fill the void for a Harry Kane (98 points) that may not be fit enough to return at the Bridge.

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Premier League predictions for the weekend ahead

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Another week of Premier League action looms ahead of us with some valuable fixtures at both ends of the table, check out our predictions here!

Manchester United vs. Liverpool – home win

Still widely considered to be the biggest game in English football, this threatens to be a real cracker this weekend.

Whilst Mo Salah has been in incredible form this season – leading Liverpool’s line with 24 goals and 134 points – United have overcome some big sides at Old Trafford this season, a factor that probably makes them marginal favourites.

The exploits of David de Gea, who has conceded just 22 goals in 29 appearances could Continue reading

Premier League predictions for the weekend ahead

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There are some big matches ahead this weekend, with the fixture list bringing us a top of the table clash between Manchester City and Chelsea and a relegation scrap between Southampton and West Brom that could define the final standings when the season draws to a close. Check out our weekend Premier League predictions!

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