Monday Morning Manager WK22
Finally! I know my opening can tend to be a bit Arsenal-centric from time-to-time and I try to fight it in the interest of trying to uncover the most interesting stories from all around the league but this time it is unavoidable. Sure, I could talk about Chelsea breaking through their road malaise in style. I could talk about it taking a week to prove it this time out but Ronald Koeman proving again that he clearly knows more about the transfer market than everyone else in the league combined. I could talk about West Ham’s false re-re-birth (it was Hull City). I could talk about Alan Pardew looking like he might “do a Pulis” at Crystal Palace while his former club flounders. But no, this Monday, there is nothing more interesting to talk about than Arsenal finally figuring out a Plan B on the road against a good team.
I won’t recite the litany of recent embarrassing defeats on the road but suffice it to say that nearly all Arsenal supporters were expecting a loss this weekend with our manager continuing to persist in trying to attack against superior forces on the road. Instead, what we were treated to was some brilliant and disciplined counter-attacking football. Arsenal played deeper and allowed City to hold the ball but they managed to keep City out of dangerous positions. It took a while to recognize this tactic from our team since but it is what Arsenal have been crying out for against the biggest teams in recent years and for whatever reason, Wenger finally relented.
There were a number of performances and decisions that stood out particularly. Hector Bellerin didn’t look at all out of his depth playing in a big match. He wasn’t a star by any stretch but neither did he allow his marker to blow by him like a training cone the way Calum Chambers has famously done in a few big matches this season. I’m sure Wenger will continue to look for more experienced help in the January window but Bellerin certainly looks like he should be given more opportunities.
Francis Coquelin. Wow, who would have guessed a loan spell at Charlton for half a season could do this much good. In previous cameo appearances during the inevitable injury crises, Coquelin has looked rash, out of position and generally not up to the task of playing in the Premier League. Since his recall from South London, Coquelin has been the steadying influence at the base of the midfield that Gooners have been crying out for since the man who has spawned more “Next…” comparisons than anyone else in world football left for Italy. With that man, now a Manchester City employee, likely sitting in the stands, Coquelin did what those in his position are supposed to do, shield his defenders and fire up his team. Like Bellerin, Coquelin should probably be cast in the role of valuable deputy for the rest of this season but if Wenger can’t manage to get William Carvalho, Morgan Schneiderlin, or one of the other oft-mentioned high profile targets then he could do worse (and has done rather frequently for years).
Olivier Giroud is another player who hasn’t always been a favorite of the Arsenal support. As far as I can tell his biggest crimes can best be described as 1) he’s French but not Thierry Henry and 2) he’s not as prolific as Robin van Persie was in his last season at Arsenal or his first season at United. While being one of those two things would be great, there are far worse things to be than Giroud. Against City he did a great job of holding up play when the ball came his way and giving the defense a little bit of a break from City’s possession. When he got his opportunity from a combination of lazy City marking and a nice Santi Cazorla chip into the box he scored to put the game away. You can’t ask for much more than that from a target forward at the top of the formation in a counter-attacking game plan. It didn’t come with the sex appeal of Henry or RvP but it was just as effective on this day.
David Ospina wasn’t spectacular but there was no call for him to have to be spectacular. It was enough that he was steady and that he seemed not to require the same worry that Wojciech Szczesny (and Jens Lehmann before him) bring with them to each match. There were no uncertain walkabouts, no failed attempts to come out for a cross, and (presumably) no cigarettes in the locker room after the match even if no Arsenal supporter would begrudge the new goalkeeper a celebratory puff or two after his big win.
Finally, we leave the conclusion for the man of the match and the man of the entire weekend (yes, I’m giving it away a few pages before it is officially announced at the end of the column) – Santi Cazorla. With record signing Mesut Ozil looking on an presumably healthy, Cazorla put on a two-way display that I’m not sure anyone knew he had in him. The Spaniard has been very good to great in the attacking end of the field for the past few months but what impressed so much on Sunday was the extent to which he also came back to defend and, most impressively, pull all the right strings in midfield to get the ball from the defensive end to the attacking end. It was a master class in close control and short passing. When Tomas Rosicky came on for Aaron Ramsey it was even more impressive as the two midfielders playing just ahead of Coquelin played off of each other in a way that had to have Xavi and Iniesta smiling.
Looking ahead, there are some interesting questions coming out of this match.
What will become of Mesut Ozil? It’s hard to imagine he or the club being happy with him on the bench but who is he going to replace for more than an occasional match at this point? Cazorla is playing at a higher level than we’ve seen from Ozil since his first two months in the Premier League in 2013. He’s not replacing Sanchez on the left side of the attack. It seems unlikely that he’ll unseat the speedy triumvirate of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck on the right. He doesn’t seem well-suited to come in for Aaron Ramsey in a deeper-lying midfield role because he doesn’t play any defense or run tirelessly. Has he just become the most expensive rotation/Cup player in recent memory? (Well, maybe not as expensive as Falcao)
The other big question is how Arsenal’s recent performances – specifically those from Bellerin, Coquelin and Ospina – change the club’s priorities in the transfer window. Coming in to January you had to think the priority was holding midfielder > reserve central defender > reserve right back. Then Mathieu Debuchy got hurt again and the criticality of buying/acquiring on loan a starting right back rocketed up the list. With Coquelin and Bellerin having provided solid performances over the past few weeks it’s easy to see Wenger focusing first and foremost on bringing in a center back. Most supporters will be angry if he doesn’t buy at all three positions but certainly Wenger has an excuse this time around if he emphasizes a different position over holding midfield.
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The Title Race
Chelsea – Position: First Place, Points: 52, Form: 10 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Moderate Light (MAC, @AVL, EVE, BUR, @LEI) It’s almost as if Jose Mourinho and his team have been reading this column and took offense that I called them out on their mediocre road form so far this season. They just crushed Swansea. That was as emphatic a response as you can ask for on the road in the Premier League. If Oscar, Hazard, Fabregas and Costa are all going to play well at the same time it is reasonable to wonder if there’s a defense on the planet that can resist. Oh, and yes, I’m going to go with the notion that Jose Mourinho is a loyal reader and my column from last Monday was posted in the Chelsea locker room all week to motivate his players.
Manchester City – Position: Second Place, Points: 47, Form: 8 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Moderate (@CHE, HUL, @STO, NEW, @LIV) What a stinker, huh? The attack wasn’t particularly impressive against a defense that is known to have some holes. The captain returned to the line-up and looked mediocre-at-best in giving up a penalty and failing to marshal the troops to defend Santi Cazorla’s free kick for Arsenal’s second. Maybe Aguero and Kompany are just rusty after significant layoffs but in the case of Kompany his reputation has outstripped his performances for two entire seasons now. Not since City’s first title has he been the rock at the center of their defense. That’s not good news for a team that is already at the edge of Financial Fair Play and their roster limits for international players and already spent big in this transfer window for a fourth forward. They need to come up HUGE on Super Bowl Saturday at Stamford Bridge to stay in the title race. Wasn’t it just a minute ago they were tied and carrying all the momentum?
The Race for Europe
Southampton – Position: Third Place, Points: 42, Form: 13 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Difficult (SWN, @QPR, WHU, LIV, @WBA) Last Monday I said “Ronald Koeman may or may not be a genius. He did get the first Saints win at Old Trafford since dinosaurs walked the earth but he was proven mortal by Eljaro Elia who wasn’t superman in his Saints debut. If Elia had been a big, immediate success then we might have been forced to admit that Koeman is indeed Midas and everything he touches will turn to gold.” Um, maybe we should have given he and Elia a second match before deciding that Koeman isn’t Midas/a genius. Elia’s Saturday was the sort of stuff that you only see if cheesy sports movies. Elia has barely registered since the 2010 World Cup but there he was, scoring the Saints’ first goal and running half the pitch to give Koeman an emotional hug. That would have been a good enough story but then Southampton conceded a rare goal and Elia was there in the second half to rescue the win. Who said the Saints would miss Sadio Mane? Or Morgan Schneiderlin? Or Victor Wanyama? Oh, and if you’re looking for a strong pick-up in leagues that count things like tackles and intercepted passes then Harrison Reed looks like he’ll be getting a run in the side and he looks like he’s going to be the next youngster to come off the assembly line. Oh, and is it too much to dream about second place after City looked mediocre for two consecutive weeks? I just wanted to be the first one to throw it out there since the Saints are likely to be two points off of second come the end of the day on February 1st.
Arsenal – Position: Fifth Place, Points: 39, Form: 12 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Light (AST, @TOT, LEI, @CRY, EVE) Last week I wrote about the win over Stoke City “Still, like Chelsea winning at home, this isn’t the match that we were ever going to learn anything from. The big questions all come next weekend when Arsenal travel to a somewhat weakened Manchester City side where Sergio Aguero won’t have started a match in two months, Vincent Kompany won’t have played at all in about a month, and Yaya Toure will be gone. Only when Arsenal find a way to win in those circumstances will we be able to say we have some insight into any improvement this group may have made now that they’re closer to healthy.” I think we covered that sufficiently in the opening. Between the FA Cup win last May and this win there are certainly some positive signs among the usual frustrations of being a Gooner.
Manchester United – Position: Fourth Place, Points: 40, Form: 8 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Light (LEI, @WHU, BUR, @SWN, SUN) It’s hard to call what United did against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday a “rebound” from their loss to Southampton in Week 21. Yes, they won and did so on the road but QPR are bad and United were only mediocre. The attack still looks fundamentally flawed despite all of the big name talent and Louis Van Gaal seems to have no idea how to fit the pieces together. Look for James Wilson to get some playing time even if it comes at the expense of a far bigger and more expensive player, United at least looked somewhat threatening with his pace up top. The biggest thing United have going for them is the continued kindness of the schedule makers. The trip to West Ham in early February won’t be easy but the other four of their next five are about as easy as it gets in the Premier League and that’s coming on the back of a trip to Loftus Road. If LVG can’t figure it out with a six week long equivalent of training camp to do so then United don’t deserve a top four finish.
Tottenham Hotspur – Position: Sixth Place, Points: 37, Form: 10 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Moderate (@WBA, ARS, @LIV, WHU, @QPR) Like Manchester United, Spurs just aren’t playing well enough when they win to convince anyone that they deserve anything better than their current place. Oh, and then they conspire to drop points when they shouldn’t like they did in Week 21. On the positive side of things, Christen Eriksen continued his one-man campaign to justify the sale of Gareth Bale by doing his best Bale impression this season. He’s no where near as spectacular an athlete as Bale but the hallmark of Bale’s final season was pulling points out for Spurs in the final minutes and Eriksen continues in that fine tradition with another late win in Week 22 against Sunderland. The big question is how long Spurs can press their luck. Will the newly solid Arsenal back line concede a late goal like that in Week 24? How about Team Tony Pulis in Week 23? Spurs will need to kick it up a few notches before they create any belief in the notion of a top four finish. Until then we can just enjoy Eriksen (and Lloris who made a great late save as well).
Liverpool – Position: Eighth Place, Points: 35, Form: 13 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Difficult (WHU, @EVE, TOT, @SOU, MAC) Liverpool are quietly tied with Southampton as the form team in the Premier League over the past five matches with 13 points from 15 available. That’s the good news. Well, that and Liverpool getting goals from two, count ‘em two, forwards against Villa. The bad news is that they’ve been beating up on the soft underbelly of the Premier League and things get significantly more difficult starting with Week 23 when Liverpool face a string of four teams ahead of them in the table around a derby match with Everton at Goodison Park. Hard to believe they’ll still be five points from a Champions League spot by then. Hard to believe they’ll even be within ten points of a Champions League spot by then.
West Ham United – Position: Seventh Place, Points: 36, Form: 5 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Difficult (@LIV, MAN, @SOU, @TOT, CRY) It was Hull City so let’s not get too carried away. The Hammers are facing the same tough upcoming road that Liverpool are with their next four matches being tough ones. They could easily be spoilers in the race for fourth but they’re not really in it no matter how strong the spine of Carroll, Downing, Song, Noble, Reid and Tomkins looks.
The Relegation Zone - where we examine events at the other end of the table as established clubs flounder and newly promoted clubs reveal who they are going to be this season. Like the sections above, I’ve reordered with the most likely to be relegated being first and the least likely of the group last.
Leicester City – Position: Twentieth Place, Points: 17, Form: 7 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Difficult (@MAN, CPL, @ARS, @EVE, CHE) It was a nice effort but they just didn’t have enough to overcome a solid mid-table club in Stoke City. Things get pretty ugly over the next month with trips to Old Trafford, the Emirates and Goodison Park along with visits from the Alan Pardew Revolution and Jose Mourinho’s murderers row. It might be that we get to March 1 and the Foxes are still stuck on 17 points.
Burnley – Position: Seventeenth Place, Points: 20, Form: 5 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Difficult (@SUN, WBA, @MAN, @CHE, SWN) Up 2-0 after 17 minutes at home against a fellow relegation struggler in Crystal Palace the Clarets looked like they were on their way to a much-needed three points. Sadly for a bunch that is easy to root for, Alan Pardew has borrowed heavily from Tony Pulis’ magic act and managed his second straight Premier League win for the Eagles in spectacular fashion. QPR, Hull City and Leicester City all lost as well so Burnley are still marginally clear of danger but the loss certainly makes the decision related to selling Danny Ings more difficult as well. If you’re making a push to stay up then no amount of money that is going to be paid for Ings is going to replace the value of a second season in the Prem. If you’re not going to keep two goal leads at home against relegation fodder then maybe it makes more sense to sell Ings, out of contract at the end of the season, and look to reload for another push in the Championship next season.
Hull City – Position: Eighteenth Place, Points: 19, Form: 6 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Moderate (NEW, @MAC, AST, QPR, @STK) West Ham are just a better team but the fact that Hull City were probably considered a better team coming into the season shows just how poorly bad luck with injuries and failed transfer dealings have treated Steve Bruce and company. None of Big Sam’s acquisitions – Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho, Alexander Song, Carl Jenkinson, and Morgan Amalfitano – were out of the question for Hull City. Big Sam did a better job bringing in talent, adjusting the talent he had on hand (see Downing, Stuart), and managing that talent. It isn’t always a case of having more money to spend, sometimes, it’s what you do with it.
Sunderland – Position: Sixteenth Place, Points: 20, Form: 4 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Light (BUR, @SWN, QPR, WBA, @MAN) The worry from this match is that Sunderland had every chance to pick up a point against a better team and they capitulated late and got nothing for their effort. In a relegation “race” where there are four points separating 19th from 12th every point is a big deal and points against top half teams have to be considered precious commodities not to be squandered. But squander them the Black Cats did. Defoe showed some sparks but coming back from MLS will likely take a little adjusting.
QPR – Position: Nineteenth Place, Points: 19, Form: 2 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Moderate (@STO, SOU, @SUN, @HUL, TOT) Probably not much to talk about here. They were never going to get any points off of Manchester United even at Loftus Road. Even with United playing poorly for them. There is just a talent gulf that is too wide to bridge. The only notable moments were a few shots on target from Charlie Austin and the brief return of Adel Taarabt to the playing field. The Rs will be looking forward to trips to Sunderland and Hull City in mid-February to pull themselves out of the relegation zone and it’s hard to bet against them in either of those matches given how poorly things are going for those two teams right now.
Aston Villa – Position: Fourteenth Place, Points: 22, Form: 2 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Difficult (@ARS, CHE, @HUL, STO, @NEW) Tied with QPR at the bottom of the current form table with two points from their past five matches. The Villains just can’t seem to score. If Liverpool’s leaky defense couldn’t get them a goal then it’s hard to imagine they’ll be getting anything from the upcoming matches at the Emirates (Week 23) or against Chelsea at Villa Park (Week 24). It may not be until Week 25 at the KC Stadium that Villa scores again. Could they challenge Derby’s record for the fewest goals in a Premier League season? It’s certainly in frame (and that’s the only thing in frame at Villa Park) with Paul Lambert’s men being on pace to score fewer. Listing Villa sixth on this list of relegation candidates may be giving them too much credit – if QPR get a road victory or two in February then Villa may continue to drop down this list.
Crystal Palace – Position: Twelfth Place, Points: 23, Form: 8 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Moderate (EVE, @LEI, NEW, ARS, @WHU) Six points in two matches for Alan Pardew on his triumphant return to Selhurst Park. Good times in South London, indeed. The notion that the Eagles are 12th in the table is deceiving given the bunching between 19th and 12th but you’d still rather be 12th with a two match winning streak and a four match unbeaten streak than anywhere else in that grouping. A visit from struggling Everton and a trip to bottom Leicester City followed by a visit from Pardew’s former Newcastle team who haven’t won since Pardew left means the Eagles could conceivably be in eleventh by mid-February. The only downside was a tepid performance from new signing Yaya Sanogo.
West Brom – Position: Fifteenth Place, Points: 21, Form: 4 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Moderate (TOT, @BUR, SWN, @SUN, SOU) The Baggies face Everton later today with the Toffees brand name and bigger players going up against the Tony Pulis magic.
Everton – Position: Thirteenth Place, Points: 22, Form: 1 points from past 5; Upcoming Schedule: Moderate (@CPL, LIV, @CHE, LEI, @ARS) Still to play their Week 22 match against the Baggies but they’ve fallen down another place for now with Palace having leapt over them in the table.
Newcomer of the Year - where we track the progress of players new to the Premier League this season
Alexis Sanchez – Sanchez was just a nice contributor to Arsenal’s biggest win of the season. That’s good news for the quality of the squad but if Chelsea revert to winning big as they did at the Liberty Stadium then Sanchez may slip a spot or two in upcoming weeks.
Cesc Fabregas – It was shocking that Chelsea scored five and Fabregas only got one assist but give him credit that he’s already eclipsed last season’s season leading assist total (Steven Gerrard at 13) with this much of the season remaining.
Diego Costa – A brace on the road and Costa is back to his best. If he scores against City in a Week 23 win then he’ll rocked back to the top of the group.
Charlie Austin – A couple of shots on target but Manchester United were too good for the Rs and Austin. That’s no crime.
Dusan Tadic/Graziano Pelle/Sadio Mane/Eljero Elia – This is the group entry for Ronald Koeman’s imported attacking players and they were at it again with Elia providing both goals in the 2-1 Saints win. No one of these players has been transformational but the group has consistently provided enough to keep the Saints winning.
Gylfi Sigurdsson – That was just not good from any of the Swansea players but Sigurdsson’s contribution to Chelsea’s first goal made a bad day even worse. We’ll just chalk that up to a bad day against a better team and not count it against Gylfi too much unless it persists.
Bojan – He’s back with the winning goal in a tight match against Leicester City. We’ll see if he can start another string of impressive performances now that he’s healthy again.
Alex Song – He had a very nice assist on Downing’s goal (West Ham’s third) and an incisive pass that put Enner Valencia in to set up Morgan Amalfitano on the Hammers’ second goal. A very good day for the Barcelona man that will continue the drumbeat that has emerged about Song ending up at a bigger club when his loan spell is over at the end of the season.
Fraser Forster – No clean sheet but it’s hard to blame him for letting in an own goal.
Diafra Sakho – Sakho is still out for the African Cup of Nations and there were some good performances from the likes of Daley Blind and Phillip Wollscheid but not enough to get them on a list that is looking across the season rather than at one week only.
Who We’re Watching: Bafetimbi Gomis (he should be starting for Swansea with Bony at the ACN and then likely headed to Manchester City, Angel Di Maria (maybe he’ll find some form), Enner Valencia (likely to get a run of starts with Sakho off to the ACN), Daley Blind/Marcos Rojo/Ander Herrera (back from injury), Eljero Elia (new at Southampton), Phillip Wollscheid (started at CB for Stoke against Arsenal), Lazar Markovic (he should get a run of games with Lallana out)
Just Missing Out: Angel di Maria, Enner Valencia, Thibaut Courtois, Jefferson Montero, Toby Alderweireld, Falcao, Andrew Robertson, Leonardo Ulloa, Danny Welbeck, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera, Eric Dier, Kieran Trippier, Joseph Schlupp, Patrick van Aanholt.
Dropping Off:
The Phantom Point All-Stars – Where we list those players who failed to tally any “major” statistics (goal, assist, clean sheet) but scored big in the more subtle categories like tackles won, passes intercepted, blocked shots, shots on target, successful crosses or corners won that can make a fantasy week in formats that reward these statistics. Occasionally, we’ll reward a player who gets an assist or a clean sheet if they also had a big “phantom” weekend.
Nacho Monreal – Yes, there was a clean sheet in there but he also had seven passes intercepted, three tackles won and a blocked shot AND he drew the penalty that led to Arsenal’s first goal. No fantasy points for that last bit in most formats but my undying gratitude will have to substitute.
Kieran Trippier – He got an assist along the way but he was fouled five times, intercepted four passes, won two corners, completed two successful crosses, and won two tackles. If only his team could have held a two goal lead.
Cesc Fabregas – This is the week of big phantom performances along with a clean sheet/assists and Cesc is no different. He got an assist on a Costa goal but also intercepted four passes, won two tackles, blocked a shot and registered a shot on target. Big week in a big win.
Enner Valencia – Here we go again. Valencia had a nice assist along with two shots on target, winning four fouls, winning three tackles and completing a successful cross.
Jesus Navas – I’m not sure I remember a weaker big phantom point performance than Jesus Navas’ on Sunday. He compiled two shots on target, four corners won, and two successful crosses in the attack while intercepting a pass and winning a tackle. Somehow, you barely knew he was there despite all that action.
Harrison Reed – I mentioned the young Saints holding midfielder above and he’s going to be worth watching while Schneiderlin and Wanyama are out of the line-up. Against Newcastle he was good for four interceptions, four fouls won, four tackles won, a shot on target and a blocked shot. A very good start to his deputizing.
Jose Fonte – Joining Reed in phantom point goodness was Jose Fonte who intercepted six passes, won four tackles and blocked two shots. No wonder Newcastle looked unlikely to score.
Falcao– Back from exile against QPR with three shots on target while being fouled four times, winning a corner and winning a tackle. You’d like more for the money but at least it was something.
Tom Huddlestone – The former Spurs midfielder won four tackles two corners and two fouls while registering a shot on target, blocking a shot and completing a successful cross. A solid effort at reclaiming his starting spot even if his team was abused by the Hammers.
Michael Keane – There were obviously a lot of shots headed toward the Burnley goal because in addition to the three that went in, Keane blocked two as well as shooting once on target himself. He also intercepted two passes and won two tackles in the losing effort.
The Fake Narrative of the Week - It is impossible to go a week without encountering a narrative somewhere in the football media that appears to be totally made up for the sake of gaining attention. They usually fall into the categories of made up transfer rumors, hanging on too long to a mental image of who a player was and not who he currently is, or preying on a long-held stereotype based on club, nationality, or position. When I come across them, I'll let you know and then let you know why I think they're silly.
Manchester City is out of it if they lose at Chelsea – In late November we (me included) were giving the title to Chelsea. They looked great and City looked just off the pace. Fast forward to December. City excelled while Chelsea slumped a bit and they were even on New Years Day. A loss at Stamford Bridge on the last day of January certainly won’t make things easy on City but all it takes is one more stretch of mediocre results for Chelsea and City can jump right back into the title race. The real concern is that City lack that player that just terrifies opposing teams who are ahead or even late in a match. Sergio Aguero is exceptional but neither he nor anyone else on his team carries that same aura that everyone (especially Wayne Rooney) had at Manchester United under Sir Alex and Chelsea has under Mourinho. It’s that dread that by individual brilliance or collective determination they will score any late goals that are needed. It was the difference between Wenger’s best Arsenal teams and United who nearly always seemed one step ahead and it feels like the difference now too. I was oddly calm in the waning minutes of the match yesterday because City just don’t seem to have that collective character this season and they don’t have that one clutch individual either.
Sponsor I'd Like To See - As you can see from the lack of sponsorship for this column or this page, there's room for some additional corporate involvement here at the Rotoworld.com Premier League page. In a blatant attempt to solicit any sponsors who may be reading, I'm going to start suggesting some sponsors who might want to call the nice people at NBC Sports to find out what it would take to become part of the team.
Papa John’s Pizza – Joe Montana is looking uncomfortably like he’s headed towards being an Emperor Palpatine look-alike in his most recent Papa John’s commercial with Peyton Manning and Papa John himself. Our site may not boast any Super Bowl rings but aren’t nearly as expensive to sponsor as the former 49ers QB either so how about throwing a little of that promotional money our way?
Random Closing Thoughts - Well, this one's pretty obvious and it will be how we close out the column each week at least until a better idea comes along.
My Second Club – I’ll say it again, they may well be two points out of second place when Week 23 comes to a close on February 1st. Could they eclipse City even temporarily? The fact that seems just as likely as Manchester United eclipsing the Saints is pretty much huge news.
This Week’s Good Points: Arsenal (3) and Crystal Palace (3) are the big winners here in a week that contained few surprises with City the only one of the top eight to lose.
The Good Points Table: Crystal Palace 17; Leicester City: 16; Burnley 11; Newcastle 10; Stoke City 10; Sunderland 9; Hull City 9; Spurs 8; West Ham 6; Swansea City 6; Arsenal 6; Manchester United 4; Aston Villa 4; West Brom 4; Chelsea 3; Southampton 3; QPR 2, Everton 1.
This Week’s Bad Points: Manchester City (3) topped this category for the second weekend in a row with Burnley joining them after dropping three points at home.
The Bad Points Table: Manchester United 19; Liverpool 18; Spurs 16; Manchester City 15; Arsenal 12; Everton 12; Chelsea 10; Newcastle 9; Stoke City 6; Swansea 7; Southampton 5; Aston Villa 5; Burnley 3; Sunderland 3; Hull City 3; West Ham United 2; QPR 2; and Crystal Palace 2.
Southampton’s Champions League Chances: Everyone kept pace so not much to report here.
Player of the Week – For the second week in a row an Arsenal player was the best on display with Santi Cazorla picking up a goal and an assist to go along with an incredible number of animated GIFs of his dribbling and passing while surrounded by City defenders in his own end. Consideration was also given to Oscar, Diego Costa, Eljero Elia, and Alex Song.
Transfer Happenings – There wasn’t a great deal officially announced last week with big exception being Leicester City’s capture of Andrej Kramaric which looks like a strong buy for both the balance of this season as well as next in the Championship. Jermain Defoe seems like a strong upgrade at Southampton if he can get back to the Premier League pace quickly. Not much immediate dividend from the Crystal Palace capture of Yaya Sanogo on loan. Charles Gil came on as a substitute against Liverpool but didn’t get enough of a run to give us much of a sense of his quality. Arsenal appear to have captured Krystian Bielik but he’s 17-years-old and has been playing in the Polish first division so it’s hard to see him getting any playing time outside of maybe the FA Cup before next season no matter how good he’s projected to be. Oh, and did I mention that the Elia guy who the Saints purchased looks like he might work out?
My Favorite Things – Santi Cazorla with the ball at his feet…Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky passing…the Koeman/Elia hug…Christen Eriksen in the clutch (actually, this really aggravates me but he has been impressive enough to sway even an Arsenal supporter)…Danny Ings pushing forward in the race for “Emerging Young English Forward of the Year”…Bojan’s ballet teacher (did you see that pirouette?)…Alex Song’s deep-lying passing…Jon Walters as an under-appreciated contributor…Harrison Reed’s stock…Chelsea’s title aspirations (again, this aggravates me but it is undeniable).
My Least Favorite Things – Burnley’s defense with a lead…Fernando as a “defensive” midfielder (there was no defense there)…Vincent Kompany’s performances (vs. his reputation)…Hull City’s second half defense…Florin Gardos ruining my Fraser Forster/Nathaniel Clyne/Ryan Bertrand clean sheets – that’s a big hit on one mistaken goal…Manchester United’s attack (Marouane Fellaini and James Wilson shouldn’t be the sharp end of this stick)…Jose Mourinho persisting with Petr Cech when Thibaut Courtois is healthy.
What did we find out? Nothing for sure mind you but Arsenal took a step forward in everyone’s estimation while City took a huge step back. At the same time we were reminded that Chelsea are our likely champions. At the bottom of the table we probably saw Palace state their intent to stay out of the relegation fray.
What’s Next? Chelsea hosting Manchester City is certainly the headliner in two weeks when the Premier League resumes (FA Cup next weekend for those still in the competition) but there are some interesting matches on the undercard as well. Liverpool and West Ham kick off difficult stretches against each other at Anfield in an effort for both to stay at the fringes of the fight for fourth. Manchester United has a chance for revenge against Leicester City at Old Trafford in a match that probably won’t be very competitive but will be interesting if United fail to score early. Sunderland and Burnley face off at the Stadium of Light in a “relegation six-pointer” while Crystal Palace will host Everton in what will be an unexpectedly interesting match-up even if Everton overcome West Brom later today.
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