It’s stated that the Reds have ‘asked for information’ about a potential deal to sign Nino in January.
Pedulla reports that both Roma and Feyenoord are interested in signing Nino and both clubs are considering activating his release clause.
Nino can leave Fluminense for around €7million (£6million) ahead of his contract expiring in December 2024.
Zenit St Petersburg have already activated that release clause but Nino isn’t interested in a move to Russia.
Fulham and Liverpool are now believed to have made moves for Nino as they weigh up a bargain signing in January.
Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images
Who is Liverpool target Nino?
Nino hails from Recife in Brazil and started his career with local club Sport Recife before heading to Criciuma, where he played 83 first-team games.
The 6ft 2in centre back then joined Fluminense in 2019 and has now racked up nearly 250 appearances for the Copa Libertadores winners.
Nino has been vital part of Fernando Diniz’s daring and possession-based approach and is now a Brazilian international under Diniz too.
An aggressive, front-foot defender – like many South American centre backs are – Nino is a physical presence and certainly isn’t afraid of a battle with a striker.
Nino has also been prominent in terms of carrying and passing the ball out from the back in Diniz’s style.
Nino scored an own goal against Manchester City in the Club World Cup final on Friday, which may leave Liverpool fans a little concerned.
Liverpool’s recent record with Brazilians has been strong though and the Reds could push for Nino to follow in the footsteps of Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino.
By: Muhammad Saeedon December 25, 2023/comment : 0HITC,
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Legends from Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United feature in our best Premier League strikers of all time.
We can all praise goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and wingers, but they just don’t match up to the excitement of a lethal striker.
Putting the ball in the back of the net is paramount and that’s why the top strikers go for huge money and, similarly, earn huge money.
Premier League fans have been blessed over the years with some of the top strikers in history turning out in England’s top flight.
Narrowing the list down to seven was a truly thankless task but here, we pay tribute to the seven best strikers in Premier League history…
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Thierry Henry
Arguably the greatest player we have seen in the Premier League, Thierry Henry was a nightmare for defenders for many years.
You almost knew what was coming; the darting runs from an inside-left position and the trademark curled finish into the corner of the net.
Knowing it was coming was one thing, but stopping it was another as Henry wreaked havoc on his way to 175 goals in 258 Premier League appearances.
Henry won the Premier League Golden Boot four times, the Premier League Player of the Season twice and has already been entered into the Premier League Hall of Fame.
The Frenchman now has a statue outside the Emirates Stadium and it will be difficult for any Arsenal player to match Henry’s legacy in the famous red and white shirt.
Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Alan Shearer
We couldn’t possibly do this without naming Alan Shearer.
The top goalscorer in Premier League history with 260 goals to his name, Shearer carved out a great reputation for himself with Southampton and Blackburn Rovers.
Shearer then returned home, joining boyhood club Newcastle United in 1996 whilst becoming an absolute club hero.
Shearer may have never won a trophy at Newcastle but 148 goals in 303 – the final of which came against Sunderland – means his legacy can’t be spoiled, not even by a dismal spell as Magpies boss.
The first inductee into the Premier League Hall of Fame, Shearer’s record makes him the man to chase for all strikers in the Premier League – and the next man up may have passed up the chance to beat his record…
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Harry Kane
Even Tottenham Hotspur fans were probably stunned by the rise of Harry Kane.
There wasn’t huge hype surrounding Kane in the Spurs ranks and loan spells at Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City didn’t seem to put him on a path to super-stardom.
Kane couldn’t stop scoring in the 2014-15 season and just never looked back, smashing a ridiculous 213 goals in 317 games.
Kane’s finishing is simply on another level and his creative abilities made him a truly exceptional centre forward.
The England captain decided to quit Tottenham for Bayern Munich over the summer, 47 goals short of Shearer’s record.
Maybe Kane will come back to Tottenham one day to push for that record, maybe we look back at his ankle injuries as being the major problem.
Either way, Kane will go down as one of the very best goalscorers we have ever witnessed in Premier League action.
Wayne Rooney
Just behind Kane on the list of top Premier League goalscorers is Wayne Rooney, who was headline news from the very moment he scored his famous goal for Everton against Arsenal at the age of just 16.
Rooney managed 15 goals in 67 Premier League games for Everton before leaving for Manchester United in 2004.
That’s where Rooney went on to cement himself as a Premier League great, smashing 183 goals in 393 appearances whilst winning five Premier League titles.
Another Premier League Hall of Fame inductee, Rooney even went back to Everton and enjoyed one last season with his boyhood club.
Rooney’s influence at Manchester United was felt for nearly 15 years and he more than deserves his name on this list.
Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Sergio Aguero
As far as Premier League debuts go, Sergio Aguero had one of the greatest in memory having come off the bench to bag two goals and an assist in Manchester City’s win against Swansea City in 2011.
By the end of the 2011-12 season, Aguero had written himself in Manchester City and Premier League history, scoring a dramatic injury-time winner to secure the Premier League title.
Aguero’s debut was a warning to the rest of the Premier League and went on to score at least 20 goals in six of his 10 seasons at City.
The Argentinian won five Premier League titles and was in the PFA Team of the Year on on two occasions having dazzled in a City shirt.
Longevity is a key factor in these lists and Aguero certainly offered that in a decade-long spell with City, scoring big goals and plenty of them.
Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Didier Drogba
When it comes to strikers, there is a tendency to only look at the goals.
Didier Drogba is one of those strikers who was worth so much more than just putting the ball in the net.
The numbers don’t blow you away; Drogba only broke the 12-goal barrier in the Premier League in two seasons as a Chelsea player.
The Ivorian was an iconic figure though, scoring big goals whilst emerging as a vital leader during a lengthy spell at Stamford Bridge.
Four Premier League titles and 104 goals in 254 Premier League appearances put Drogba in the upper echelon of Premier League strikers and one of Chelsea’s true legends.
Andrew Cole
Andrew Cole may now be as flashy of a name as Luis Suarez or Robin van Persie but his goalscoring record is impossible to ignore.
Cole smashed a ridiculous 34 goals in his first official Premier League campaign and barely stopped scoring.
55 goals in 70 games for Newcastle was followed by 93 goals in 195 outings for Manchester United, cementing him as a Premier League great.
Cole continued to score even into his 30’s, finding the net for Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City and Portsmouth.
Cole’s England career was a disappointment but five Premier League titles and fourth place on the Premier League scoring list is immensely impressive.
5 Sep 2000: Andy Cole of Manchester United celebrates during the FA Carling Premiership match against Bradford City at Old Trafford, in Manchester…
Honourable mentions
This was an incredibly difficult list to narrow down and some truly unbelievable players missed the cut.
Erling Haaland will of course be in this list in the future, but it felt a little too early for him even after breaking the Premier League goal record last season.
Luis Suarez could have made the cut on talent alone but the longevity of some other players just pushed the Uruguayan down a little despite his excellence at Liverpool.
Dennis Bergkamp and Eric Cantona spring to mind too, two players who maybe don’t fit the mould of a classic number nine but were able to produce moments of magic from a little deeper.
Ruud van Nistelrooy hit 20 or more goals in four of his seasons at Manchester United and certainly deserves to be in the conversation.
Robin van Persie, Ian Wright and Fernando Torres were under consideration too, with the Premier League boasting an embarrassment of riches in attack over the years.
That there are this many elite strikers to miss out just goes to show the level of quality we have seen in the Premier League and picking just seven is almost impossible – but we will leave it to you to decide yours!
By: Muhammad Saeedon December 25, 2023/comment : 0HITC,
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Here, we rank the best Premier League managers of all time.
The Premier League is the holy land for every manager in world football and as such, it has helped carve out some incredible careers since its inception in 1992.
Only the best can make a name for themselves in England’s top-flight. It’s the ultimate test of skill, tactical adeptness and mental strength for the most ambitious of gaffers.
So what is the easiest way to rank the top seven? Of course, that is by the number of Premier League titles each manager has won. That’s how it will largely play out below, as well as statistical evidence that backs up why bosses who have managed the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool are worthy of being amongst the best Premier League managers ever.
David Moyes
Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images
David Moyes may not have won a Premier League title like the rest of the managers on this list – but he’ll go down as one of the greatest the league has ever seen.
Why? His longevity is inspiring and his consistency – bar an underwhelming spell at Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement – has earned him huge respect amongst his peers.
Moyes squeezed the utmost potential out of Everton, including Champions League qualification for the first time in the club’s history after a fourth-placed Premier League finish. He also achieved their highest Premier League points tally in 2012/13 (65 points).
Moyes has since managed United and now bosses West Ham United for the second time, orchestrating a turnaround in the club’s fortunes with top-six finishes and European qualification. The Scot’s best Premier League achievement bar none is reaching third spot on the all-time list of most Premier League games managed behind Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.
Claudio Ranieri
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Claudio Ranieri will go down as one of the all-time great Premier League managers for just one single yet astonishing success – and we all know what it was.
But in case you don’t, the Italian engineered easily the most remarkable story in Premier League history by guiding Leicester City to the 2015/16 title against astronomical odds. The ‘Tinkerman’ captured the world’s imagination and got the best out of a group of players who never quite knew what they were capable of achieving.
Ranieri outfoxed Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho among others to the league crown and did so with an average possession rate of 42.4 percent per match. Other-worldly!
Jurgen Klopp
Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool are one of the most historically successful clubs in the world but up until 2020, the English football powerhouse had never lifted a Premier League title. Jurgen Klopp addressed that blemish and did so under uniquely challenging circumstances.
Klopp is the current longest-serving manager still in a Premier League job and Liverpool have hardly looked back under his stewardship. His ‘Gegenpress’ brand of football was a Premier League first and that has helped forge a fascinating rivalry with Manchester City and Pep Guardiola over recent seasons.
Klopp has one Premier League title to his name but won it in record time (31 games), despite the chaos caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the German holds records for the longest unbeaten Premier League home run (68 matches) and became the first Premier League gaffer to win four consecutive manager of the month awards.
Jose Mourinho
Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Arguably the most charismatic Premier League manager of all-time, Jose Mourinho really was the ‘Special One’. He made an incredible immediate impact at Chelsea after joining from Porto in 2004, trumping Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger by winning back-to-back Premier League titles.
Mourinho became the first manager in Premier League history to achieve more than 95 points in a single campaign (2004/05) while also going that season unbeaten at Stamford Bridge.
He also still holds the record for the fastest manager to reach 50 Premier League victories (62 games), marginally higher than Pep Guardiola. Mourinho would win his third and final Premier League title in 2014/15 amid his Chelsea second coming.
Arsene Wenger
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Long-serving former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was the ultimate trailblazer for foreign managers carving a career out in the Premier League.
He very quickly convinced English football of his qualities and methods as he revitalised the Gunners when taking over in 1996. Wenger secured three Premier League titles within the space of six years, not least the 2003/04 crown when his ‘Invincibles’ went the entire campaign without losing.
Wenger would serve Arsenal for an incredible 22 years and has racked up the most Premier League games as a manager (828). He also picked up three manager of the season awards and 15 manager of the month gongs.
Pep Guardiola
Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images
The mastermind Spaniard has transformed Manchester City into the dominant force in English football and perhaps the best team we’ve ever seen in Premier League history.
Pep Guardiola is a tactical genius and has reimagined how other managers think about playing the modern game – see Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur.
The former Barcelona boss isn’t too far off hitting the 10-year mark as City supremo and has won five of the seven possible Premier League titles he could get his hands on. In addition, Pep holds the record for the most consecutive Premier League wins in a season (18) and is the fastest manager to reach 100 home wins, taking him just 128 games.
Sir Alex Ferguson
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Fergie time may be well and truly over but as the godfather of modern English football, Sir Alex Ferguson’s achievements as manager of Manchester United between 1986 and 2013 remain simply unmatched.
Fergie outlasted the competition by racking up a staggering 13 Premier League titles, still a seemingly unassailable record. Other claims to fame include the most Premier League wins as a boss, the most home victories (305), the biggest number of away triumphs (223) and the most manager of the month awards (27) among countless others.
Statistically, there’s not much you can do to argue against this – not even Guardiola at the moment. These numbers may never be surpassed and it is testament to the great man’s relentless ambition to chase trophy after trophy after trophy for all of 26 years at Old Trafford.
By: Muhammad Saeedon December 25, 2023/comment : 0HITC,
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The Premier League has been home to some of the greatest right-backs in the history of football.
Particularly in recent years, the Premier League has excelled in producing super-talented right-sided defenders.
The position has evolved drastically over the years. Full-backs of old were often no-nonsense and stuck to their defensive duties, whereas modern-day names can do it all, and often are one of the most creative outlets in a squad.
With this being said, who is the greatest to ever do it in the English top flight? Here we rank the seven best Premier League right-backs of all time.
7: Pablo Zabaleta
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Pablo Zabaleta had an illustrious career which spanned 12 glorious seasons in the Premier League. He arrived in 2018 into Manchester from Espanyol, where he quickly became a fan favourite at the Cityzen’s.
His tough-tackling, no-nonsense attitude, typical of an Argentine, quickly saw him rise to captaincy at Manchester City, where he’d lead them to several domestic honours. These include two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup and two League Cups.
He finished his career in the Premier League with West Ham, retiring in 2020. Zabaleta has earned his place on this list.
6: Cesar Azpilicueta
Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images
Cesar Azpilicueta will go down as one of Chelsea’s most loyal players ever. The Spaniard arrived in 2012, for a measly fee of just £7m, which also makes him one of the biggest bargains in Premier League history.
Whilst at the Blues, the Spaniard won two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup, a League Cup, two Europa League‘s and the Champions League. Not bad going.
The tenacious full-back also earned Chelsea captaincy during this time, before his eventual departure in July 2023. After 11 glorious years of Azpilicueta, he’s more than cemented his place among the league’s elite.
5: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Trent Alexander-Arnold has already established himself as one of the greatest full-backs the Premier League has ever seen. Rising through the Liverpool academy ranks, the technically gifted Englishman has been integral to Liverpool’s recent Premier League successes.
With more than 50 assists already to his name, it’s no surprise he’s already among the very best in history. Trent possesses qualities that managers can only dream a right-back can have on their side. He’s a free-kick specialist, one of the best passers around and even has an eye for a goal.
He’s already won the Champions League, the Premier League, the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup. Alongside this, his personal accolades include three nominations for the PFA team of the year and a Ballon d’Or nomination.
4: Lauren
Photo by Ben Radford/Getty Images
Despite not necessarily having the longevity of some of his competitors on this list, the fact Lauren was the right-back in an invincible Premier League side pretty much justifies a position on this list anyway.
But Lauren wasn’t just a spare part in the Arsenal side, the Cameroonian could do it all at full-back and was one of the first names on the team sheet as an uber-reliable option.
Lauren won two Premier Leagues and three FA Cups with the Gunners, winning one more additional FA Cup in his two seasons with Portsmouth, where he departed the Premier League an absolute legend.
3: Lee Dixon
27 Jan 1991: Lee Dixon (left) of Arsenal gets away from Gary Speed of Leeds United during the FA Cup Fourth Round match at Highbury Stadium in Lon…
A criminally underrated player who epitomised what it was like to be a ‘traditional’ Premier League full-back is Lee Dixon.
Dixon made 305 appearances for Arsenal, spanning a career that began even before the Premier League’s existence. This longevity was his most impressive feature, still to this day being the only player to ever win league titles in three different decades.
Retiring at 38, Dixon won it all at Arsenal, including four league titles, three FA Cups, a League Cup, and the 1994 Cup Winners Cup. They don’t make them like Dixon anymore.
2: Kyle Walker
Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images
Arguably one of the fastest players to ever grace the Premier League, Kyle Walker just misses out on top spot. Despite not winning anything during the earlier stages of his career at Tottenham Hotspur, he made up for lost time at the Etihad.
Since Pep Guardiola got his man, Walker has won five Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, four League Cups, and the Champions League. This includes the elusive treble in the 2022/23 season.
Walker has been at the heart of everything good at Manchester City in their recent dominance and despite the plethora of incoming and outgoings, has remained an ever-present force in one of the greatest sides to ever exist.
1: Gary Neville
Photo by Tom Purslow/Manchester United via Getty Images
At the top spot, has to be Manchester United legend – Gary Neville. Despite often playing himself down as a pundit in the modern era, anybody will tell you Neville possessed undeniable raw talent.
He was part of Manchester United’s Class of 92 and stayed with the Red Devils until his retirement in 2011. During this time, he won a ludicrous eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups, and two Champions Leagues.
His trophy cabinet alone speaks for itself. He is the greatest right-back in Premier League history.
By: Muhammad Saeedon December 25, 2023/comment : 0HITC,
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The seven best left-backs in the Premier League of all time, including Arsenal legend Ashley Cole and Everton hero Leighton Baines, after 21 years of England’s top-flight.
English football was forever reborn in 1992 when the top teams broke away from the FA and the Football League. They felt the sport needed a radical restructuring that gave their league full control. It has since birthed iconic left-backs like Arsenal product and England hero Cole.
Cole was the best left-back in the world for much of his career and remains one of the finest full-backs to date. While the likes of Everton icon Baines join the Stepney-born star as one of the top seven left-backs to grace the Premier League across the division’s first 21 seasons…
1) Ashley Cole
Photo By Phil Cole/Getty Images
Clubs:
Arsenal, Chelsea
Appearances:
385
Goals:
15
Titles:
3 – 2001/02, 2003/04 (Arsenal), 2009/10 (Chelsea)
Iconic Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, described selling Cole to Chelsea in 2006 as the ‘regret of my life’. The left-back was not just one of the best players in his position in Premier League history but one of the best overall. His status as a great of the game was undisputed.
Cole provided Arsenal and later Chelsea the complete package on the left-hand side of their defences for 15 years. He also won two Premier League titles whilst at Highbury – including during the Gunners’ Invincibles campaign – and once more after moving to Stamford Bridge.
He boasted a gifted natural talent and Cole was as effective in the final third as he was in the defensive third of the pitch. The defender knew precisely where he had to be at all times to make an impact. Carlo Ancelotti even felt he was worthy of making the 2010 Ballon d’Or list.
“Everyone can see that Ashley Cole is the best left-back in the world,” Ancelotti said, via The Guardian, in October 2010. “Every year it is difficult for a defender to be on the list for the Ballon d’Or because, usually, it is just for strikers and midfielders.
“He played with extraordinary quality for us last season, both defensively and when scoring goals and making assists. And he can run for much more than 90 minutes. He is a light man, his weight is 65 kilos and his endurance is really fantastic, he is like the great Sebastian Coe.”
2) Leighton Baines
Clubs:
Wigan Athletic, Everton
Appearances:
420
Goals:
32
Titles:
0
Baines made his name in first-team football with Wigan Athletic and helped the Latics reach the Premier League in 2005. But, two years later, Everton would sign a future Blues legend in a bargain transfer. His move to Merseyside in August 2007 only set the club back up to £6m.
In return for a modest initial investment of £5m, Everton added one of the most reliable left-backs in Premier League history to their squad. He would even develop into a prolific threat from free-kicks. Baines had an incredible talent to strike a dead-ball with absolute precision.
His skill often drew interest from rival clubs, too, but Baines remained at Goodison Park until retirement called in 2020. The Toffees even called Manchester United’s £12m bid for an ego-free icon ‘insulting’ in August 2013. It followed his second time in the PFA’s Team of the Year.
3) Denis Irwin
Photo Credit: Clive Brunskill /Allsport via Getty Images
Denis Irwin emerged from the youth ranks at Leeds United in 1983. Yet he made his name at the Whites’ bitter rivals, Manchester United, after joining from Oldham Athletic in 1990. The left-back left a career the second tier for the top-flight with his move to Old Trafford, as well.
Yet despite never playing a top-flight game before joining Manchester United, Irwin instantly became the Red Devils’ main man. The Irishman would also win seven Premier League titles from 1992 to 2002. He only failed to win a top-flight title in 1994/95, 1997/98 and 2001/02.
Irwin established himself as a firm fixture of Alex Ferguson’s plans at Old Trafford as the left-back gave Manchester United one of the Premier League’s quickest and smartest defenders. Ferguson even chose Irwin as the first name in his dream Manchester United XI during 2021.
“Honestly, I would say Denis Irwin would be the one certainty to get in the team,” Ferguson exclaimed, via The Sun. “I called him an eight out of 10… He was an unbelievable player.”
4) Nigel Winterburn
Clubs:
Arsenal, West Ham United
Appearances:
352
Goals:
5
Titles:
1x 1997/98 (Arsenal)
Before Cole broke through at Highbury, Arsenal already boasted one of the best left-backs to grace the Premier League in Nigel Winterburn. Such was his immense presence in Wenger’s sides that the Gunners named the defender as their Player of the Year for the 1998/99 term.
Winterburn also won one Premier League title following on from two Division One titles. His commitment to Arsenal could only be matched by his professionalism on the pitch, too. The Gunners also retained one of the English top-flight’s most formidable backlines of his time.
Wenger’s arrival in north London also helped to turn Winterburn into a more attack-minded left-back. He was already a resolute defensive force before the Frenchman took charge after cutting his teeth as a key part of the Crazy Gang at Wimbledon throughout the mid-1980s.
5) Graeme Le Saux
Photo by David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive
Clubs:
Chelsea (twice), Blackburn Rovers, Southampton
Appearances:
327
Goals:
12
Titles:
1x 1994/95 (Blackburn Rovers)
Chelsea coaxed Graeme Le Saux to England as a youth while plying their trade outside of the old top-flight. But the birth of the Premier League saw the left-back slip out of favour before moving to Blackburn Rovers. Yet his time at Ewood Park returned their historic 1994/95 title.
Le Saux was a key part of the Blackburn team that realised then-owner Jack Walker’s dream in Lancashire. While his return to form at Ewood Park later helped Le Saux secure a return to Chelsea, where the Jersey native would go on to further his status as a Premier League icon.
The Blues paid Rovers £5m for Le Saux’s return four years on from selling him for £650k. He would more than justify the increased price tag, though, as an early adopter of a marauding role. Le Saux also returned to the PFA’s Team of the Year in 1997/98 after his place in ‘94/95.
6) Stuart Pearce
Clubs:
Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, West Ham United
Appearances:
202
Goals:
20
Titles:
0
Stuart Pearce took the hard route to the top but Psycho, eventually, proved to be one of the best left-backs in Premier League history. The England cult legend came up from non-league football before cutting his teeth at Coventry City. He then became a Nottingham Forest icon.
Pearce joined the Reds in the 1980s and remained loyal to the City Ground outfit when they endured relegation during the inaugural Premier League season in 1992/93. He also became their captain en route to an instant return while delivering a ferocious goal threat for Forest.
His left foot was a fearsome weapon but it was Pearce’s no-nonsense defending that earned the Psycho nickname. The left-back played with a brutal intensity that secured him a place in the PFA’s Team of the Year five times and Forest’s Player of the Year three times in his career.
Manchester United finally signed Irwin’s successor when Ferguson bought Patrice Evra from AS Monaco in January 2006 for just £5m. The deal handed the Red Devils a future icon for a cheap sum as the Frenchman proved to be one of the most consistent left-backs of his era.
Evra was nearly the complete package at Manchester United with his leadership skills just as significant as his athleticism. He was also an intelligent operator from either end of the pitch and won five Premier League titles. But Evra’s efforts were often left in the shadow of Cole’s.
Yet his tenacity and technical know-how always ensured Manchester United were not worse off than their rivals in London. Evra also made the PFA’s Team of the Year three times before tasting success with Juventus. He later returned to England with a spell at West Ham United.
By: Muhammad Saeedon December 24, 2023/comment : 0HITC,
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What a signing Declan Rice has been for Arsenal following his big-money transfer from West Ham United in the summer.
Despite all the hype and the big fee over his head, the England international is proving his worth for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Arsenal faced one of their biggest tests yet on Saturday when they recorded a 1-1 draw against their Premier League title rivals, Liverpool.
Michael Owen was full of praise for Declan Rice and how he was ‘absolutely everywhere’, as he told Premier League Productions (23/12/23 at 7:40 pm).
Playing as that lone defensive-minded player, the grass Declan Rice is covering is just out of this world, and he is doing it with quality.
The pure definition of a box-to-box midfielder and a player many a team, even Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, would love to have in their team.
And on Saturday, he ensured that Arsenal are sitting top of the Premier League table at Christmas after the Gunners earned a point on Merseyside.
Declan Rice v Liverpool
“Declan Rice was absolutely everywhere and if you have him in your team, then you always have a chance,” said Owen.
“They have a good centre-half pairing as well, so they are a very difficult nut to crack. Plenty of teams have tried and failed at Anfield. To get a point is a very good result for them.”
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Could Declan Rice be the difference?
You could argue that if Liverpool had Rice, then they would seriously back themselves to win what is an open Premier League title race.
Yes, if Manchester City do what they typically do, then does anyone really have a chance?
But, as of this moment, they have been dropping points and they are sitting fifth in the Premier League table, albeit, they have a game in hand.
And for Arsenal, in order to get over the line this time around, they might just find that Rice is the difference-maker.
By: Muhammad Saeedon December 23, 2023/comment : 0HITC,
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Liverpool and Arsenal shared the spoils in their Premier League title tussle at Anfield on Saturday.
After Aston Villa dropped points at home to Sheffield United on Friday night, it opened the door for either team to take advantage and sit top of the tree at Christmas.
It was his quite stunning assist that allowed Mohamed Salah to equalise after Gabriel Magalhaes’s opener, with Micah Richards labelling the forward-thinking fullback as ‘absolutely special’, as he told Match of the Day.
Forget about defenders, not even midfield players can pass the ball better than the 25-year-old.
That’s why the Anfield academy product is so valued by the Liverpool supporters, with Micah Richards giving him his flowers.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s passing
“He is absolutely special,” said Richards. “Trent Alexander-Arnold was just exceptional, especially with his passing.
“But it’s not just his passing, it’s the space he creates for himself to make these passes. He just knows when to pass it, the weight of the pass is just brilliant as well to set up an attack. I don’t know a defender who can set up attacks like this. One of the best I have seen in the Premier League.
“57 Premier League assists – it’s unbelievable. Watching him and how modern-day fullbacks have evolved, it’s just brilliant to see, it really is. The link-up between him and Salah was brilliant.”
Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Arsenal top at Christmas
Before this gameweek, many felt that it would be Villa who would be top at Christmas because they had the easier game of playing Sheffield United at home.
As a result, many also predicted a score draw between Liverpool and Arsenal, which would have then kept Villa at the top.
But a point for Arsenal was enough for them to, once again, be the kings at Christmas.
Last season, they fluffed their lines and blew up during the last six weeks of the campaign. Their problem now is that they have a lot more pressure and teams hunting them down.
Whilst Arsenal have yet to prove whether they can do it, Liverpool have been there and done it, so this title race, with Manchester City set to return to action after Club World Cup duty, is set to become very interesting.
