Erik's Wand & A Strange Title Race

 

                 Erik Ten Hag was appointed United manager 10months ago

Manchester United's win over Leeds United on Sunday evening seemed to be much more than the three points, as has been said and reiterated by United fans and football lovers alike , there's a wave at Old Trafford never seen since when? well most people say Sir Alex me I say since Jose Mourinho. Well, the point is this United look like genuine contenders in every competition they're in at the moment and yes the belief is back. The hope of a comeback while trailing, the conviction of getting a win even when the odds look dour and the sudden realistic expectation of silverware at OT are all testament to Erik's magic wand. There's always been this argument of which manager got the best out of Marcus Rashford but I think we have a winner now. Marcus is on fire and to be fair the whole squad is. At least their confidence seems to be in a good place.

                       Rashford has 21goals in all competitions this season

A title race stranger than fiction

When Arteta left his position as Pep's assistant for the Arsenal top job, few I mean only very few would have have envisaged that arteta's gunners would challenge the cityzens to the title. The apprentice challenging the sorcerer. Arsenal's title charge has been robust and astute, defying logic and everyone's projection. However, in recent weeks their charge seems to have dimmed just a bit with one point from a possible six it is that time in a title fight where composure come to play. The big question is do Arsenal have what it takes to fight off serial winners city and be England champions for the first time in 19years. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.

Mikel was Pep's understudy

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Jose Mourinho's Triumph Against Chelsea Spoke Volumes, But His Struggles Continue

Manchester United on Sunday evening recorded a second home victory over Chelsea (Mou's off and on ex) in less than a year. It was typical of the Blues who were champions of England to take the game to United and they didn't disappoint as Alvaro Morata rattled the woodwork in the 5th minute. Willian then started and finished off a sweeping counter attack in the 32nd minute.

Mourinho's red devils actually looked toothless in the first thirty minutes of the encounter with much credits going Alexis Sanchez for that. During the opening exchanges against a big rival United were anything but threatening.

The Comeback

Manchester United's big Belgian Romelu Lukaku managed to get behind Marcos Alonso and Andreas Christensen for a typical no.9 finish after a beautiful interplay between Martial six minutes before the break. Lukaku had clearly moved on from the reverse tie in November where he failed to have a touch of the ball in the opposition half. The former Everton marksman could have added more gloss to his performance on the day with a half volley but Thibaut Courtois'  fingertip save made sure the scores remained even.

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JLings came on for Anthony Martial in the 64th minute to help United complete a rare comeback

Scorer Lukaku turned provider in the 75th minute when he 'danced' two Chelsea defenders to provide a cross which Messi Jesse Lingard nodded home from close range. The red devils held on to seal the victory with an improved second half, but that victory came with more questions than answers for Manchester United.. .

A Misfiring Sanchez

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Sanchez had no impact against Chelsea

Aside Sanchez's cross for Lukaku's half-volley in the second half, the Chilean was largely anonymous in a game that was his biggest yet as a Manchester United player. Mourinho might be questioning his own decision to sign the two-time South American champion. Sanchez's arrival was supposed to herald 'a new beginning' for the 2013 Champions however the Manchester club have seen their form drop in the league. Sanchez's impact has been close to nothing and once again the signing has not gone Manchester United's way.

No Attacking Appetite

It is very clear that Jose Mourinho has fashioned his team for predominantly defensive approaches and it is saddening for the football world to see Manchester United play with such lack of belief. Anthony Martial before his substitution was not a threat though he assisted Lukaku in bagging the equalizer. A club like Manchester United should approach games with pride and with attacking mindset which was missing for large parts of the game.

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10 Interesting Facts You Should Know About Chelsea

Chelsea is one of the best England clubs who has gone through so much in their history.
Since the founding in 1905, Chelsea has changed the name, a couple of owners and many players.
The club has become a theme for many songs and movies.
Today, we will share with you 10 amazing facts about Chelsea.

1.       The Chelsea adventure began on March the 10th in 1095 at the Rising Pub.
Those days they were called the Pensioners because of the pensioner's crest and the nickname stuck for years.
The first man who removed the crest was Ted Drake,
who became the manager in 1952 changed the crest and introduces the nickname “The Blues”.
Chelsea was born again as a completely new club under his wing.

2.       But, not everything was great for Chelsea after Ted Drake. In 1982,
Chelsea was on the verge of bankruptcy and Ken Bates bought the club for only £1 and started
investing.
Eventually, he sold Chelsea to Roman Abramovich for £140 million in 2003.

3.       On 25th of August in 1928, Chelsea changed the history of football uniforms (with Arsenal).
Chelsea was one of the first clubs which had numbers on shirts.
It happened during the match against Welsh side Swansea City

4.       Chelsea holds many records and one of them dates back in 1971 when
Chelsea had won the match against Jeunesse Hautcharage in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
The final score was 21-0 and it was enough for the records in European competition.

5.       To prove that it is the best club in England,
Chelsea had the record for the longest streak of unbeaten matches at home.
The streak was 86 matches and it lasted from 20th March 2004 to 26th October 2008.

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6.       The best scorer ever in played in Chelsea was Bobby Tambling,

who scored 202 goals in 370 games, in his 11-year career in Chelsea.

7.     Frank Lampard is Chelsea's most capped international player because it has amazing 86 caps.

8.       What all 2 of UEFA’s major trophies have in common? Chelsea.
Yes, Chelsea is one of the first British clubs to win all 3 titles.

9.        Chelsea as the best English club was the theme to many Football movies, including
“The Great Game” and “The Football Factory”. But, that is not all.

10.   Chelsea club is the theme of many songs like the
“Blue is the color” which was the no5 in the UK charts in 1972 and
later recognized as the club’s song and the song
“We’re gonna win” performed by the famous Bryan Adams and dedicated to Chelsea.

 AUTHOR BIO:

Mark is a football fan and a foosball player who has a blog about foosball called the Foosball zone.
There he writes everything about foosball, from history to the
foosball table rewiews and the reviews of foosball table parts like – the foosball ball.

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OPINION : Three Reasons Why Harry Kane Needs To Quit Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur endured their fifth draw of the season at West Ham on Thursday night. The Lily whites needed an 84th minute stunner from Heung-Min Son to cancel out Pedro Obiang's equally exceptional goal 14 minutes earlier. As much as Tottenham were the bookies favourites going into the game, the hammers had a right to feel two points lost after the final whistle was sounded. A Harry Kane goal could have stolen the points had he managed to score, well he did not neither could any of his teammates find a way past Adrian. Mauricio Pochettino's men now sit 5th in the Premier League table with 16 games left to play. Harry Kane's 18 league goals this season has not been enough to push Tottenham into the top four as we begin a fresh year. It is now due for the England striker to move on and this is why we think so.

1.TROPHIES .. .OBVIOUSLY

The past two seasons have seen Spurs push the league leaders 'hard'. Their rewards for this push has been third place (in the 2015/16 season) and Second (in the 2016/17 season). While Tottenham's flair and team set-up was admirable and indeed enviable in both seasons, they never genuinely looked liked they were going to win anything despite the supply of goals from Harry Kane. The former Leicester City attacker should take a cue from the likes of Robin Van Persie (Arsenal To Manchester United 2012) and Luis Suarez (Liverpool to Barcelona 2014) .

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Van Persie won the league in 2013 after switching from Arsenal to Manchester United

A striker of Kane's age should be in a team of 'stars' where there is collective effort and of course these are the ingredients necessary for lifting trophies.

2. FOR LONGEVITY 

Football is a physical game and its impact begins to tell as each player approaches the twilight of his career. It's been seen over the years that stress on young players begin to tell on their careers as the near their peak. This is why Harry needs to move to a club where his services wouldn't be solely and highly relied upon.

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Michael Owen was heavily relied upon during his Liverpool days

At a club where a young striker is the principal source of goals without any trophies to show simply adds a lot more pressure to the player as he ages.

3. SILENCE THE CRITICS

In the past we have seen players switch clubs and lose their scoring boots in the process. Kane is the focal point of Tottenham's game and it is safe to say most crosses are intended for the no.10. Whether Kane can pull his weight among the 'galacticos' or 'cashiticos' is anybody's guess.

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Luis Suarez helped Barcelona to a Treble in his first season in Catalonia after enduring a painful 2013/14 campaign with Liverpool

However, the former Leicester City loanee can do us football lovers a collective favour by leaving Tottenham to a bigger club and actually winning the a trophy.

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Batshuayi Refutes Gay Accusations On Twitter

A Twitter handle was on hand to inform the general public of Michy Batshuayi's decision to come out as gay after secretly coming out to his Chelsea teammates. The twitter account made the world know of this 'false claim' about 16 hours ago but king of twitter bants Batshuayi was on hand to shutdown those claims.

This was the account's claim.

Michy Batshuayi set to become the first openly gay footballer in the premier league after coming out to teammates 🏳️‍🌈 #CFC pic.twitter.com/ly9tqR3T6h

— TCD (@TheChelseaDaily) November 15, 2017

Batshuayi's response

😂😂😂😂 bro even your mother knows thats false 🙈 https://t.co/Vs0gEl711b

— Michy Batshuayi (@mbatshuayi) November 16, 2017

In Premier League history no player has openly come out as gay while still playing. Former Aston Villa midfielder and ex-Leeds winger Robbie Rogers both came out as gay after leaving English football.

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UCL Matchday 3 #BetTalk (1)

Group E

Spartak Moscow v Sevilla

Sevilla sit pretty at the summit in Group E, an opening day draw at Anfield was followed up by a 3-0 victory at NK Maribor, since Sevilla's debut in the competition close to a decade ago they've tried but not with a lot of success to establish themselves as a force in Europe's elite competition. The Spanish club have owned the Europa league for the better part of five years but they will fancy their chances in Russia against Spartak Moscow, Both teams suffer indifferent league forms but it's Sevilla who have the experience on this stage. Should Sevilla and Liverpool both win the Spanish club will need just 4 more points to make the knock out stage.

Tip

Sevilla should win this one, not easily

There should be more than 2 goals

Maribor v Liverpool

Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp has come under fire recently following Liverpool's questionable performances of late. The Anfield club played out a 0-0 draw against Manchester United on Saturday. Liverpool need inspiration from somewhere and they need it as quickly as possible. They have a great chance against the Slovenian champions who are unbeaten at home in the league this season.

Tip

Liverpool to win

Group F

Manchester City v SSC Napoli

This game will be Pep Guardiola's second big test of the season. The citizens left the home of English champions Chelsea unscathed thanks to a moment of brilliance from Kevin De Bruyne, but this is a different kind of test. Napoli are unbeaten in the Serie A and deservedly so. An opening day defeat to Shaktar is their only loss this season. Manchester City will need to do a Shaktar at the Etihad on Tuesday evening, meanwhile Hamsik is still in search of that record breaking goal. Manchester City are in a very buoyant mood in front of goal even without Sergio Aguero and so are Napoli So....

Tip

Both teams should find the back of the net

Any team can actually win the game

The goals should exceed two

Feyenoord v Shaktar Donestk

Feyenoord has experienced first hand the sting of Manchester City and Napoli but Shaktar managed an opening day victory over Napoli and will look back on that as a driving force as the travel to Feyenoord's home, both teams should realistically be looking at Europa league berths  but this is a game both teams will believe they have a chance of winning this one but Shaktar are in a better form overall.

Tip

This is not a group of draws so any side can win this

There should be a lot of goals

Group G

Monaco v Besiktas

Monaco who are still without a win in this season's competition play hosts to a rejuvenated Besiktas. Besiktas' exploits in the transfer market seems to be paying off at least in Europe, the Kara Katallar sit 8th in the Tukish league but will not be short of confidence when the travel to the Stade Louis II Stadium.

If Monaco want to entertain any hopes of progression in the business end of the group stage this is a game they have to win, a heartbreaking 3-2 loss at Lyon on Friday did not do their confidence any good but we fancy Falcao and company to rise to the occasion.

Tip

Both teams to Score

Monaco to win

RB Leipzig v FC Porto

The surprise package of the German Bundesliga last term have had a difficult start to life in Europe with 1 point from a possible 6. They play host to the 2004 winners and RB Leipzig who are fresh from an away victory against Borussia Dortmund are in a 'good place' as they play Porto today.

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RB Leipzig have struggled in Europe

FC Porto are more seasoned in this competition and will be looking to add to their three points. Domestic form is great for both sides.

Tip

Both Teams To Score

Fc Porto To Win Or Draw

Group H

APOEL Nicosia V Borussia Dortmund

The two winless clubs in this tough group go head-to-head. Dortmund are a stronger team and have a lot of ground to make up  as they chase Real Madrid and Tottenham. Football is not mathematics but this should be a straightforward win for Dortmund.

Tip

Dortmund to win

Real Madrid v Tottenham

Tottenham proved against AFC Bournemouth over the weekend that they are not a one man team afterall. Christian Eriksen's goal helped the lily whites to all three points, their first victory at their makeshift home, but this game is different in complexion. This is a game away at the home of the European Champions. Real Madrid are beginning to get their acts together in the Spanish league and should Tottenham push them a little bit there might be cracks for Harry Kane to exploit. The truth is that Spurs are underdogs going into this game and they could use that to their advantage.

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Harry Kane went home with the match ball against APOEL Nicosia

Real Madrid are a different team in Europe, they have the confidence to win a against any team and that was illustrated against Dortmund on Matchday2. 

Tip

Real Madrid Should Win

A cagey fist half 

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Liverpool v Manchester United : Three Things That will Decide The Game

Manchester United visit eternal rivals Liverpool in the Premier League's early kick off on Saturday. Club football is back and what a way to welcome back the highly engaging league. The meetings between these two last season lacked a lot of the usual buzz and flair that surrounded it in the past, in January a mysterious Paul Pogba handball in the penalty area that gave Liverpool the lead in the first was the major incident that got pundits busy after the game, well that was nine months ago, this new season has seen both teams begin their campaigns on different gears. Romelu Lukaku has proved to be an inspirational signing for Jose Mourinho and Manchester, Mohammed Salah is attempting to do likewise for Liverpool. The Egyptian has taken to life better at Merseyside than he did in London three years ago, maybe it could be down to the different management styles of Jurgen Klopp and Mourinho. Manchester United have started stronger this season but there are certain factors that can swing the outcome of this game against the red devils or in their favour.

Liverpool Should  Rely On The Counter

The Liverpool's defence under Klopp is not famed for seeing out games with a clean sheet and on Saturday they will be up against a certain Romelu Lukaku who has been a handful for most defences in the 7 games played so far this season. Considering Manchester United's form and swagger at the moment it is only natural that they take the game to Liverpool and unlike last season this time around it will be Klopp's men who will need to do the 'bus parkin' exercise. Why? Well as much as Liverpool have goal minded players such as Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho, Mohammed Salah and Daniel Sturridge, starting the game with attacks will be ill advised because Liverpool have proved in recent weeks that they do not have a reliable defence and it might come down to a game of who outscores the other.

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Southampton Stopped Manchester United From Scoring More Than Once

As mundane as it may sound Klopp may want to realistically consider the option of sitting back and attack the opponents on the counter i.e giving Jose a taste of his own medicine, IF the reds dedicate more bodies to do their defensive duty and also attack in numbers it's not gonna be smiling faces at the end of the day for Manchester United, like in the game against Southampton where United only scrapped through. Liverpool will need to do a Southampton.

Distances Travelled During The International Break And The Injuries 

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Coutinho Was In Action For Brazil Two Days Ago

Klopp and Mourinho will be welcoming their players back from International duty, this first task will be for club medics to asses the fitness of these players yeah? but we all know that the final round of the South American qualifiers stretched into Wednesday morning and Coutinho who is a key element of Jurgen Klopp's side played 86 minutes of that game and was replaced by club colleague Roberto Firmino. Mohammed Salah will also be jetting in from Egypt, by the time the game between Liverpool and United kicks of the likes of Coutinho and Firmino of Liverpool and Antonio Valencia of  Manchester United would have had exactly 60 hours to travel, rest, train and get ready for the game. This is not a factor to be overlooked as both teams could be forced to play a slow paced game, tired legs will surely count in the second half and it could be down to the club with the most rested players winning the day, Talent and Ability will be hardly count in circumstances like this.

Total Distance Travelled By Liverpool Players - 75,484 miles

Total Distance Travelled By Manchester United Players -  69,691 miles

Manchester United have the likes of Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Ashley Young who were not involved in any game these past two weeks so the break puts United slightly at an advantage. The injury blow to Sadio Mane and Marouane Fellaini are both significant at the moment but it has not always been so, this is because Fellaini who hasn't been a fans' favourite has suddenly become prolific in front of goal and gives United the added aerial threat when it's needed. Aside from the other long term absentees from both sides there's no fresh concern, so is it safe to say Fellaini's injury cancels out Mane's?

Manchester United Shouldn't Change The Recipe

It is typical for managers to tamper with their usual formations, name different players in the starting line up and may even go ahead to change their training regimes just to overcome a difficult opponent. The results of Manchester United's games this season prove that things can change quickly in football. The positive thing about Mourinho's second season is that he has managed to turn the draws of the previous season into victories this season. The plan of introducing Anthony Martial in the latter part of games have worked like magic and it is only sensible for the manager to stick to the script knowing that there is European football by midweek.

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Anthony Martial Has Scored Three Goals From The Bench This Season

While it is typical of a Mourinho team to park the bus in games like this, It will only make for a boring game as Liverpool will likely accept such an approach from Manchester United and may now search for a mistake that might help them overcome the red devils for the first time since 2014. The key for Manchester United on the day will be to play they way they've played all season.

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Neymar Finally Reacts To Argentina's World Cup Qualification

Neymar has shown that there is no love lost between himself and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, while Argentina needed to win Ecuador in Quito on the final day of the CONMEBOL qualifiers they required Brazil to do them the favour of beating South American champions Chile.

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A Lionel Messi Hat-trick helped Argentina Squeeze Into Russia

Brazil were 3-0 victors on the night against the continental champions and that result gave life to Lionel Messi's exploits for the alibiceleste in the Ecuadorian capital. The emotions exhibited by the Argentine team after the victory only showed how close the 2014 finalists were close to missing out on next year's World Cup. 

Messi Fires Argentina To Russia

After Brazil's game v.Chile Journalists asked Neymar if he was happy Argentina made it through to the World Cup and the 25-year-old replied "yes, very happy" and with a huge smile. There's a huge rivalry between Brazil and Argentina in football but it seems Neymar put his personal ties with Messi first as Brazil played professionally. The selecao finished the qualifiers with a 10-point lead on top of the log table.

There were talks and rumours of bad blood when Neymar seemingly took a €222 million step to PSG all in a bid to be away from Messi's 'shadow', the Brazilian captain repeatedly shutdown those talks but after the final South American qualifying round there's little or nothing to show that Neymar has a problem with Messi. In Neymar's absence Barcelona has made a 100% start to life in the Spanish league this season while Neymar who now has the company of Edinson Cavani and co. has scored eight goals in as many games.

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VIDEO : This Video Of Hazard Mocking Raheem Sterling Is A Must Watch

Chelsea host Manchester City in Saturday's late kick off. The defending Champions have managed to put the opening day loss to Burnley at Stamford  Bridge behind them and have gone on to win four of their last five games in the league and two wins in two in Europe.

Manchester City's games against Chelsea last season were not palatable experiences for Mr.Guardiola neither has Aguero's car accident done anything to ease City's cause, but all these aside the man called garden of Eden managed to make mockery of Sterling in training, watch the video below.

Hazard is seen in these video making gesture almost identical to the way Man City winger Raheem Sterling moves his body, on Wednesday it was Batschuayi and today Hazard. Are Chelsea players all trolls? This video will surely stoke the flames ahead of the game on Saturday.

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King Of Twitter Michy Batschuayi Brutally Trolls Costa In This Cheeky Tweet

Chelsea's visit to Atletico Madrid's new home started off sadly when Antoine Griezmann put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot five minutes before half time but Antonio Conte's men managed to turn the half time score around.

Alvaro Morata became the first player to score at Atleti's new home when he nodded home Hazard's cross but Chelsea needed a late goal in the 94th Minute from late substitute Michy Batschuayi who only came on ten minutes earlier.

The Belgian took to twitter firstly to praise himself but he couldn't resist the temptation of trolling former strike partner Diego Costa.

This was Batschuayi praising himself.

When the game needs a 94th minute winner 🕶️ call me #Batsman 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/b3kRxzfq9Y

— Michy Batshuayi (@mbatshuayi) September 27, 2017

And then this.

Great honour to meet one of the great strikers I used to watch when I was younger ⚽️⚡️ ... and no Im not talking about Diego 🤣❤️😂❤️#ElNino pic.twitter.com/n7Z2K9aHPi

— Michy Batshuayi (@mbatshuayi) September 27, 2017

Batschuayi caught up with Fernando and Diego after the game and was obviously in a jocular mood.

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Arsenal Fans Destroy Thomas Lemar After Monaco Loss ... .He Probably Cut Their Bets

French winger Thomas Lemar was subject to multiple bids from both Arsenal and Liverpool, the transfer saga surrounding Lemar's club future came to a head when Mr.Wenger made a failed last gasp bid of £92 million on deadline day to secure the 21 year old's services.

Lemar and Monaco has since moved on from the events of the summer and are have a decent season in the France's Ligue 1 but in their second game of the Champions league against FC Porto on Tuesday evening the visitors twisted the plot as they thrashed the French Champions in France.

Arsenal fans who are still burnt from Lemar's rejection to join them descended on the young attacker on twitter. The winger who was being a team player by putting some defensive work was turned inside out by FC Porto's Yancine Brahimi and BOOM!!! Twitter erupted.

This was the 'event'

Oh no! 🙈

Brahimi has just done Thomas Lemar (21) dirty 🔥pic.twitter.com/iufxWKtoEQ

— Footy Scouted (@FootyScouted) September 26, 2017

Reactions

The first thing I'm doing when I get FIFA is adding Thomas Lemar to my manager mode squad

— アマデウス (@Amvdeusxx) September 26, 2017

Thomas Lemar will soon join us in the Europa League.

— 😎 (@brian_gooner) September 26, 2017

Yacine Brahimi ain't have to do that to Thomas Lemar, bruh. That boy got scholarship offers! pic.twitter.com/908tm7YLLo

— Whose Mans Dembélé (@ayyy_west) September 26, 2017

Lemar's ankles... pic.twitter.com/IZzuPyKInU

— A²⁷ (@MaximeLxpez) September 26, 2017

Brahimi sending Lemar to the local chip shop

— andrew hunnisett (@andrewhunnisett) September 26, 2017

I hope Arsenal don't end up paying the rumoured ninety sth million £ for this Lemar guy abeg #AFC

— oye olu (@_oyeolu) September 26, 2017

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Five Managers Who 'Lit Up' The Touchline In The Past

1. Carlo Ancelotti

The AC Milan legend who has been in the habit since the age of 25 was known to be puffing away while smoking was still allowed in the coaching dugout. The 58 year old was also famed for smoking in Chelsea's Cobham training base.

2. Gianluca Vialli

Another former Chelsea manager makes the list, the ex Juventus striker in this picture can be seen puffing away as Chelsea prepare for a UEFA Champions League game in 2000. The Italian became restricted when coaches were banned from puffing on the touchline.

3. Walter Mazzari

Walter Mazzari is the third Italian On the list. Mazzari is one of the few managers that have actually smoked on the touchline. The former Napoli manager who can be seen taking a drag during a Napoli training session once stunned Watford players when he smoked in the dressing room while in charge of the hornets.

4. Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger can be seen taking a soft drag during his time as Monaco boss. The Frenchman has come a long way since his time as a manager in France, Mr.Wenger is now a 'new man'.

5. Marcello Lippi 

The fourth Italian on this list is a World Cup winner with Italy, in this picture we see Lippi puff away to celebrate the Azzuri's World Cup in 2006. The 69 year old has managed Juventus, Sampdoria, Napoli and Inter was never shy to take a drag in public. 

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Liverpool Are Now Willing To Let Coutinho Leave

Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho has reiterated his decision to join Barcelona and Mirror reports that the Merseyside club are willing to let the 25 year old leave in January. The Liverpool manager had claimed during the weekend that Liverpool fans had forgiven the Brazilian for wanting to leave in the summer.

Antonio Conte Has Cast Doubt Over His Future At Chelsea

Chelsea's Italian manager led the London side to Premier League triumph in May and signed a two-year contract extension two months later but Daily Star reports that the 48 year old is far from settled in the capital. The former Juventus and Empoli manager still misses Italy and also fancies a role of Sporting director. He may quit the dug out for good in the near future, but in the mean time Chelsea travel to Spain to face Atletico Madrid , guess who will be the special guest. Diego!

Spanish Club Deportivo Want Frank De Boer.. .So Soon?? 

The Sun reports that axed Crystal Palace manager is wanted by Deportivo La Coruna who have suffered a dismal start to the campaign. De Boer had a very short and disappointing stint in the Premier League with no win and no goals. The former Barcelona star still enjoys a high reputation in Spain despite his struggles in England and is in pole position to replace Deportivo's manager Pepe Mel.

Carlo Ancelotti Has Not Ruled Out A Move Back To Paris

Ex PSG manager Carlo Ancelotti  in an interview with Le Figaro stated that he is happy at Bayern,  but urged his interviewers to "never say never" in football. This is according to Calcimercato . Ancelotti has suddenly come under intense pressure following Bayern Munich's poor start to the Bundesliga season. Bayern travel to PSG on Wednesday for their second Champions League game of the season.

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Twitter Reacts As Gareth Barry Reaches Milestone

Twitter was awash with praises for the Englishman as he surpassed Ryan Giggs' record of English Premier League Appearances. Many football stars and his former clubs were on hand to congratulate the 36 year old.

Ryan Giggs led the praise

“It’s a massive achievement”

Ryan Giggs pays tribute to Gareth Barry… pic.twitter.com/HA88KTqkAw

— Premier League (@premierleague) September 25, 2017

Congrats to Gareth Barry - the @premierleague’s all-time record appearance maker! 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/yNOqQ4dhHE

— Manchester City (@ManCity) September 25, 2017

2 May 1998 - #PL debut
25 Sep 2017 - #PL appearance record (633)

Relive Gareth Barry's journey with @ToppsMatchAttax... pic.twitter.com/46iGXHvvyT

— Premier League (@premierleague) September 25, 2017

Gareth Barry made his Premier League debut with Aston Villa in 1998

Well done, Gareth Barry. Premier League appearance record – 6⃣3⃣3⃣

Fantastic effort from a true professional 👏🙌👊🦁#AVFC pic.twitter.com/Qf9KTdXaLb

— Aston Villa FC (@AVFCOfficial) September 25, 2017

Congratulations, Gareth Barry! A #PL record-breaker… pic.twitter.com/dnXlTDCJOR

— Premier League (@premierleague) September 25, 2017

Congratulations on your @PremierLeague appearance record, Gareth Barry, from all of us at Arsenal 👊 pic.twitter.com/qdU2UVIf5T

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) September 25, 2017

Gareth Barry's Premier League career ⚽️

🅰️ 632 games.
📅 19 years.
📆 232 months.
🗓️ 1012 weeks.
⏳ 7086 days.
⏱️ 52,871 mins of action. pic.twitter.com/6zgisQSfx2

— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) September 25, 2017

Congratulations to Gareth Barry, who has passed Ryan Giggs to become the Premier League's record appearance holder! https://t.co/7WSiRSkkwv pic.twitter.com/NluPhHBnB9

— Goal (@goal) September 25, 2017

Congratulations Gareth Barry!!!

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Three Lessons The EPL Weekend Came With

Chelsea's trip to Stoke on Saturday came on the back of the club's confirmation that striker Diego Costa will be heading back to Atletico Madrid and Alvaro Morata turned up for the party in style, elsewhere Leicester City narrowly and unluckily lost to visitors Liverpool.

1. Morata Can Do The Business But He's Not Costa's Replacement

Alvaro Morata Is Chelsea's record signing and was brought in from European Champions Real Madrid. The Spaniard has netted six goals in six games and a hat-trick at the bet365 stadium was not a fluke. Morata's three goals on the day did well in his bid to exorcise any thoughts about the departing Diego Costa. His compatriot had helped the blues to two league titles in the space of three years, but Morata's display on Saturday was almost magical, just what the manager would have wanted. The Chelsea fans as well as the neutrals who had longed for the former Real Madrid and Juventus striker to score with his foot must have been stunned with that display, but then again there's a man called Diego Costa who is not famed for scoring way to many but the Brazilian born attacker manages to net 'winning goals' when Chelsea need them. The mood of the Chelsea faithful shouldn't be dampened but facts are facts and Costa's departure would be felt if or when Chelsea begin to find it difficult in imposing themselves on the opposing defence. The team may figure out that with a 'new striker' in Morata they would actually need to change the entirety of their approach in order to get the best out of the Spaniard.

2. Manchester United's Win Was More Than Just Three Points  

The ability for Jose Mourinho's Manchester United to 'hold on' and see off the game at Southampton did not just give the red devils all three points, it also showed how far the group of players have come as a team. Mourinho's men seem to have successfully broken the curse of draws that plagued and haunted the team last term. Romelu Lukaku's solitary strike in the first half was just enough to clunch all three points. Performances and results like this were a mainstay in Sir Alex Ferguson's title winning seasons. There were some games where the performances were not top class, not by a long shot but the results were grinded out. The game on Saturday was a character of a title winning side and that character as important as the three points.

3. Great Victory But Liverpool Are Behind 

A missed penalty from Jamie Vardy helped ensure that Liverpool steal all three points at the King Power Stadium against Leicester. The fact that the reds did not have Sadio Mane available was a factor. All due respect to the 2016 Champions who actually beat a weakened Liverpool three days earlier but Jurgen Klopp's men have it in  them to come away with a more convincing victory at but like last season Liverpool win big when they want to but their unconvincing  display in some games meant they had to seal UCL qualification right at the last day of the previous season. The group of players have a lot of work of to do by playing together and grinding out results just like they did on Saturday.

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Matchday Preview : What A Win Will Mean For Manchester United

Manchester United in the next six days travel to Southampton, then to Russia to play CSKA Moscow and the back to Old Trafford to Play  Crystal Palace before going off for the International break. 13 points from a possible 15 is testament to the fact that Jose Mourinho's side have turned a new leaf since finishing sixth in the league last season. A league campaign plagued with a lot of draws.

Should the red devils manage a win at Southampton (one of the grounds where they drew last term) the confidence among the group of players will no doubt reach fever pitch, the trip to Moscow will of course be in the mind of the gaffer as he rotates the squad to try to keep the players as fresh as possible.

Manchester United have the upper hand in this fixture but past records count for little when English teams play. The synergy of Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford is yielding unexpectedly good results for the manager and another three points will further put the pressure on the chasing pack. Mourinho recently stated that he trusted the squad to cover well for the injured Paul Pogba and his injury is a chance for the other midfielders in the squad.

Team News

Manchester UnitedPaul Pogba (Hamstring) and Marcos Rojo (Knee) are the only absentees apart from Zlatan Ibrahimovic who is on a long term lay off. Luke Shaw is back with the group and raring to go.

Southampton
Virgil van Dijk could make his first start since January and his presence will certainly be a boost for Mauricio Pellegrino. Manolo Gabbiadini and Charlie Austin are also available for the Saints.

STATS & FACTS

• There has been 36 meetings between these two teams in the League, United 24, Southampton 7, Draws 5.
• Manchester United have scored 9 goals on the 80th minute or after since the beginning of the season.
• Romelu Lukaku will equal Louis Saha's record for number of goals after six games if he scores today.
• 8 different players have scored for United this season.
  

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