5 lessons the EPL came with

These are performances merged with facts that served us another defining weekend of premier league football.

1. Eden Hazard can be the difference for Chelsea

for the first time in his Hazard has scored in three consecutive premier league games and he capped it with an assist. There is no doubt about his talent and this season Hazard can exorcise the ghosts of last campaign by leading Chelsea to unprecedented heights.

2. Manchester United need a reshuffle , not a miracle

 The continued and consistent starting of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in every game is a good idea but not the best, younger and quicker strikers should be given a chance in the centre half. Zlatan is a magnificent striker no doubt but nature never lies and it might be time for him to be just what he is meant to be at his age 'an impact player', He managed 12 shots against Burnley  a Premier League highest since 2011, but shots are shots . They're not goals





 3. Giroud is an Arsenal

Olivier Giroud has had limited playing time this season but grabbed a brace when offered the slightest opportunity with seven goals in seven appearances against the black cats. This is the knd of stuff that gladdens a manager. 

4. There is only one Aguero
Sergio Aguero has been with City through thick and thin and didn't do that reputation any harm against Westbrom, after six games with no win it could only have been one man who was there with a brace to bail out the citizens yet again.





5. Ahmed Musa deserves respect .... And he should get it 



 After being the record signing of the champions albeit for a brief while and being dropped on the bench for the best part of ten games two goals in two games is a marker for his legitimacy for first team football and commitment to the Foxes' title defense.

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Jose provokes the FA again ... . we're getting tired

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is set to be handed a stadium ban by the FA, this is due to his bust up with referee Mark Clattenburg at halftime in the 0-0 stalemate with Burnley . Jose was incensed over Clattenburg's 'refusal' to award Man United a penalty when Jon Flanagan fouled Man United's Matteo Darmian in the penalty area. The ban is still based on referee Clattenburg's  match report when released

Mourinho was ordered to the stands by fourth official Kevin Friend after originally trying to seat next to the United supporters. Mourinho has until 6pm on Monday to appeal any form of misconduct.





Plot Twist
An embattled Mourinho still found time and composure to visit the Burnley dressing room to personally congratulate each Burnley player on their performance and of course their manager Sean Dyche

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Arsenal and Liverpool look a force but Man City stay ahead

It was business as usual for Arsene Wenger's men in saturday's lunch time kick off. Many seasons after their last EPL triumph we have come to get used to an Arsenal side that starts a season so well and fades away midway, but this term the gunners have their sights clearly set on continually improving by the day and as the games come. 'Inconstistency' is a word that can easily be associated with Arsenal in seasons past but that is not the case this season.

Liverpool are scoring for fun   

When ever they take to the field you can sense a flurry of goals coming, you can almost imagine the scoreline. In players like Mane, Coutinho, Firmino , Henderson and Milner one can't but expect goals and plenty of it, there are more players that can deliver the goods in this team and to think of the fact that the have to European distraction is like an extra 10 points already.

City are not looking back

When it mattered Manchester City delivered and they did so with a textbook performance. A victory is a victory but a low winning margin could have seen City lose top spot, I think they might have thought about this too before setting out to pick Westbrom apart. A message that they're not giving up on the spot position in a hurry.

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4 Reasons Why Juan Mata is Key for Manchester United

 (Picture: Getty)
Juan Mata is like fine wine and time after time, manager after manager he manages to remain integral and cannot stay ignored, these are the reasons why we think so.


1.Cometh The Hour, Cometh The Man  
On Wednesday night at old trafford it was very clear to all and sundry that Manchester United were in jail and needed to be bailed out after the 4-0 hammering at Chelsea. Mata steps up with not just a winning goal but also a stunning performance , so did he in the FA cup final in May where he got the equaliser against Crystal Palace and we cannot forget the stunning goal against Liverpool at anfield . Class really is permanent.

2.The Man United Way

  Man united has suffered a lot whenever Mata is left on the bench during a game because there's no better passer of the ball with a quicker feet in the Man United set up , therefore this man is not just key but should also have a guaranteed spot in the 11.

3. Class is Permanent 
Previously overlooked by a certain Louis Van Gaal when the ex man utd boss went on a shopping spree for midfielders, Mata was stuck on the bench for a greater part of the first half of the 2014/15 season but later on that season the class never hid and his passing accuracy and eye for goal never went unnoticed.

4. Midfield Goals 
Every team has a certain level of dependence on goals from their midfield if they have to genuinely and legitimately be viewed as contenders, that man who pops up out of nowhere to get the random goals in random games and Mata is in this mould, it is no coincidence he scored Manchester United  first league goal this season.

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Forgotten Footballers - 2

FLORENT SINAMA PONGOLLE

Sinama Pongolle is a French footballer born in Saint-Pierre, France on 20th October 1984, He began his career at Le Havre before signing his first professional contract at Liverpool aged just 16. Sinama Pongolle went on to score four goals for the Merseyside outfit in an on /off  period of five years.





Career High :-  In the FIFA  Under-17 world Championship in 2001 held in Trinidad and Tobago, Sinama Pongolle was named player of the tournament  ahead of Carlos Tevez.

In the group stages of the 2004/05 UCL season where Liverpool were eventual champions Pongolle came of the bench against Olympiacos to instantly level the scores.


Clubs Played For :- 
 Sinama Pongolle signed for Liverpool in 2001 and was loaned to Le Havre and Blackburn between 2001 and 2006.
On August 2006 Sinama Pongolle left English Football for Spain, signing for Recreativo and then for Athletico Madrid in 2008 as back up for Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero, his spell with the rojiblancos was fairly successful and he earned his first international cap that same year.

Sinama Pongolle went on to play for Sporting Lisbon, FC Rostov and Chicago Fire, in 2016 he signed for Chainat Hornbill in Canada in Thailand. He has scored a total of 64 club goals in 289 games at the time of this report.

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Let's take time out of our busy schedules to laugh at man united

Reports in the Italian media claimed Mourinho told Conte: "You don't celebrate like that at 4-0, you can do it at 1-0, otherwise it's humiliating for us". As it rained heavily on the 'happy one'. Let's all take time to laff out lout 

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Forgotten Footballers - 1

Today''s episode of forgotten footballers features Collins John , the former Fulham front-man who was a torn in the skin of premier league defenders even as a teenager.



Collins John is a Dutch footballer of Liberian Descent , born in Zwedru on October 17 1985 . He began his career professionally at FC Twente at 18 and was a member of the dutch team for the FIFA under 20 tournament hosted by Holland.

Career High :-  John scored 20 goals in 95 appearances for Fulham between 2004 and 2009 even though he was momentarily loaned out to Leicester City, Watford and N.E.C in that period.

John won the BBC goal of the month for November 2005 for his volley against Middlesbrough

In 2004 John made his International debut for Holland in a game against Sweden, the following year  John was part of the Under 20 team for the FIFA tournament.

John featuring for the Dutch youth side

Clubs Played For :- After his stint at Fulham moved to Belgian Pro league side Roeselare in December 2009 with his contract terminated in less than two weeks due to indiscipline. He had further spells at several clubs in a bid to revive his career . Chicago Fire (2010), FK Gabala (2011), Mes Sarcheshmeh (2011/12) , Barnet (2012/13) in 2014 John signed for Pittsburg Riverhounds but after 13 games his contract was mutually terminated.

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5 Lessons the EPL came with

Many times over, the English Premier league serves us with interesting facts, reminders and  lessons as followers of the interesting league. From Leicester's heavy loss to  West Ham's first win in since August, these are the lessons we've learnt.



  1. LEICESTER CITY ARE STILL HUNGOVER
the 2015/16 EPL season showed us a 'hungry' Leicester City, throwing tackles all around with finesse and discipline, this new season has shown a lax Leicester, distracted by European involvement and haunted by the ghost of their own high standards.

 

2. ARSENAL ARE NOT FAZED.... .IN ANY WAY

You will like to think  that with the advent of 'powerful' managers in the English Premier League Arsene wenger will sulk and maybe be jittery but nah, nothing of sorts, the way Arsenal are going  I'm not saying they will be Champions , not at all but , they're not gonna be pushed out of their 'comFORT zone'


3. WE SHOULD TAKE KOEMAN SERIOUSLY....  FO OUR OWN GOOD
 

1 loss in 8  premier league games is surely a decent effort by Eveton's new handler Ronald Koeman  and worthy of  recognition by anybody who has any kind of admiration for English football and coming in at the home of the best team at the moment Everton might be headed for a desired era.

4. CITY MIGHT HAVE BEEN HACKED... .'MIGHT'

Two missed penalties and other missed chances contributed in handing the citizens their fist draw of the season, puncturing their 100% record at home, hard luck could easily be sighted but  Guardiola's men were coming from the back of their first premier league loss and they were harrassed in the same manner on saturday as they were at white hart lane, premier league teams can be unforgiving when they see a loophole.

5. NOTHING HAS CHANGED FOR SUNDERLAND

David Moyes has appeared helpless and his men toothless in this premier league campaign , it is the same old sunderland , same old position on the log table and the growing concerns remain for the misfiring black cats and it will take a quantum leap to get out of their position on the log table.

Read More

5 Lessons the EPL came with

Many times over, the English Premier league serves us with interesting facts, reminders and  lessons as followers of the interesting league. From Leicester's heavy loss to  West Ham's first win in since August, these are the lessons we've learnt.



  1. LEICESTER CITY ARE STILL HUNGOVER
the 2015/16 EPL season showed us a 'hungry' Leicester City, throwing tackles all around with finesse and discipline, this new season has shown a lax Leicester, distracted by European involvement and haunted by the ghost of their own high standards.

 

2. ARSENAL ARE NOT FAZED.... .IN ANY WAY

You will like to think  that with the advent of 'powerful' managers in the English Premier League Arsene wenger will sulk and maybe be jittery but nah, nothing of sorts, the way Arsenal are going  I'm not saying they will be Champions , not at all but , they're not gonna be pushed out of their 'comFORT zone'


3. WE SHOULD TAKE KOEMAN SERIOUSLY....  FO OUR OWN GOOD
 

1 loss in 8  premier league games is surely a decent effort by Eveton's new handler Ronald Koeman  and worthy of  recognition by anybody who has any kind of admiration for English football and coming in at the home of the best team at the moment Everton might be headed for a desired era.

4. CITY MIGHT HAVE BEEN HACKED... .'MIGHT'

Two missed penalties and other missed chances contributed in handing the citizens their fist draw of the season, puncturing their 100% record at home, hard luck could easily be sighted but  Guardiola's men were coming from the back of their first premier league loss and they were harrassed in the same manner on saturday as they were at white hart lane, premier league teams can be unforgiving when they see a loophole.

5. NOTHING HAS CHANGED FOR SUNDERLAND

David Moyes has appeared helpless and his men toothless in this premier league campaign , it is the same old sunderland , same old position on the log table and the growing concerns remain for the misfiring black cats and it will take a quantum leap to get out of their position on the log table.

Read More