#fixtureinfocus

Manchester City host Chelsea this weekend and will be hoping to continue their comeback from a 2-1 loss to Newcastle in January. Having won their last two, City are back on track and have capitalised on their title rivals, Liverpool, dropping seven points from their last five games, thus surrendering a seven-point lead they held at Christmas. Now level on 62 points, City will be cheering on Bournemouth on Saturday, who visit Anfield. Then the onus is on the champions to get a win against the Blues – who inflicted their first defeat of the Premier League season in December – and keep their seat at the top of the table. This week’s chosen fans, Digital Sport editor and Manchester City fan Chris McMullan and Chelsea-mad TT assistant editor George Blake, offer their predictions ahead of the huge clash… BERNARDO SILVA PLAYED AT CENTRE-MID IN THE ABSENCE OF KEVIN DE BRUYNE EARLIER IN THE SEASON BUT IS NOW BACK ON THE WING. HAVE CITY MISSED HIS ENERGY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARK AT TIMES? Chris: “I think City have lacked energy full stop in the last few games. Scoring early – arguably too early in hindsight – against Newcastle seemed to have a tranquilising effect on the team whilst against Arsenal and Everton, the Blues came through but without a certain verve. “Would moving Bernardo back into the middle help in that regard? I’m not so sure – the fact that City are in a title race should focus minds, and De Bruyne’s slow return to form should help, too. Perhaps the more salient point is whether Bernardo’s lack of pace and directness in comparison with Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane is a factor in City’s overall lethargy.” George: “I think you could argue that pushing Bernardo out wide does make life more difficult for City, in that they have less energy in the middle of the park, but the tradeoff is having De Bruyne in there instead. Nobody in the Premier League can pass quite like the Belgian, and let’s not forget, he was the heartbeat of this team prior to his recent run of injuries. “In truth, it’s more of a win/win situation for Pep Guardiola, as though he may lose something in moving Silva out, he’s gaining a whole lot more by being able to include De Bruyne. And Bernardo isn’t ineffective on the flanks, either, so it’s still working for City. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the pair get better in the coming weeks with more time playing in their respective positions.” An unlikely engine in the City side, the former Monaco man was used alongside the other Silva in Guardiola’s midfield as De Bruyne recovered from a knee injury and impressed, but since the Belgian’s return, he has been shifted back out to the wing. De Bruyne can do things with a football that no other Premier League player can and, as indispensable as he and David Silva are, one wonders if they have missed Bernardo’s legs in the middle. The 24-year-old broke the season record – previously held by himself – for ground covered in City’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool, clocking an incredible 13.7km. Chelsea have a similar workhorse in their midfield… N’GOLO KANTE HAS – CONTROVERSIALLY – BEEN DEPLOYED FURTHER FORWARD BY MAURIZIO SARRI THIS SEASON. DO CITY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT HIM WHEN HE GETS ON THE BALL AS MUCH AS WHEN HE’S OFF IT? George: “A lot has been made about the positional change for N’Golo Kante, but as a Chelsea fan I just don’t see it. There’s been this strange discourse surrounding Kante’s importance to the team, and it flipflops on a week to week basis. If he plays poorly, suddenly Sarri is the devil, but if he plays well, it’s a bit of genius from the Italian. “The reality is that Kante suits the position well. He’s still able to impact the game defensively, but he’s also able to make use of his other traits, like his great passing range, to make an impact going forward, as he did with Gonzalo Higuain’s first goal last weekend. I read somewhere that he’s got three goals in his last 25 games, whereas Mateo Kovacic has scored one in his last 95 games. I think that tells you all you need to know about which player is playing too far forward.” Chris: “Jurgen Klopp used to claim his gegenpressing style was his best playmaker and winning the ball deep into the opposition’s half is about as dangerous an opportunity as you could wish for. The attacking team is turned on the back foot in an instant and the defenders who’d been set up to attack are now in no position to defend. “While it’s true that Kante has a peculiar knack of dribbling the ball 20 yards without succumbing to a challenge and is particularly hard to knock off the ball when he has it thanks to his low centre of gravity, it’s his ball-winning abilities in City’s defensive third rather than his ball-carrying ones that Guardiola will have to worry about.” Kante showed excellent vision to spot Higuain’s near-post run against Huddersfield and this was far from a one-off. The World Cup winning defensive midfielder has been ousted from that role by Sarri’s golden boy, Jorginho. The Frenchman’s tireless running is hugely important to his side and the more he plays in his new position, the more he will improve. While what Sarri is doing with Kante might not please some Blues fans, it will make Kante far more well-rounded and who knows what kind of beast he could become in the next few years. While the aforementioned midfield duo are shoe-ins in the Chelsea XI, it is far less certain as to who will occupy the right-wing slot… If you’re Aymeric Laporte, playing left-back for City, who would you rather face out of Willian and Pedro? Chris: “‘Would you rathers’ are rarely nice…. “This one, however, isn’t as horrible as it could’ve been thanks to the fact that Eden Hazard plays on the left for Chelsea. That doesn’t mean that he won’t drift, of course. “If I were Laporte, I think i’d prefer to come up against Willian just because Pedro’s pace is a little greater and the Brazilian is less likely to want to beat you on the outside. “Having said that, I do believe Willian is the player Guardiola will fear most because of his propensity to conjure something out of nothing, particularly from set pieces, and for the greater good you’d like to think Laporte would prefer to see Pedro lining up on the opposite side of the halfway line at kick-off.” George: “I know I’d rather be facing Willian. I think he is unfairly criticised for his contributions, as he’s a crucial part of the team and is very underrated – but as a defender you know exactly what to expect from him. He’s either going to pass it sideways or he’s going to go on the outside and cross the ball. “Pedro, meanwhile, is more dynamic and can cut in or go out or pass around you. I think Pedro’s been a bit of a secret weapon for the Blues this season, and he’s always a goal threat.” Sarri, though, seems to prefer the Brazilian to Pedro – former Shakhtar man Willian has made 21 league starts to the Spaniard’s 14. Both got the nod last time the two top six sides met as Hazard stepped into a false-nine role, although, with the arrival of Gonzalo Higuain, there will surely only be room for one of the wide-men this time around. They will have another opportunity to test their qualities against the champions this month though… How important is it, psychologically, for both teams to get three points from this game considering that the Carabao Cup final is just around the corner? George: “I think for Chelsea it goes beyond just the Carabao Cup. Another big loss and we’re back at the stage we were after Bournemouth. However, if we win – and Higuain scores again – we’ll be looking a whole lot better. “We’ve already proven that we can beat City, and so I don’t think that’s overly important, but it’s just about whether we can sustain a run of form leading into that fixture and beyond.” Chris: “Top six encounters are huge games in the season these days and you could go as far as to say era defining, too. At the Etihad Stadium around this time last year Antonio Conte’s Chelsea surrendered meekly and that display as much as anything else may have cost the Italian his credibility. “This time around, if Chelsea were to win, it could be era defining for Guardiola because, although his 100-point season is unlikely to be beaten, defeat here and in the Carabao Cup final could see his side unravel. Victories on an unstoppable march to multiple trophies would see this period of the year burnish the legend further and ensure that he and his team go down as one of English football’s greats. Having bested City last time out, Chelsea know that they’ve got another upset in them and they will go into the cup final with that knowledge regardless of Sunday’s result. For the Cityzens, though, a loss could sow some major doubts in the minds of the players, who will be faced with the prospect of their quadruple hopes crashing down going into the clash on 24th February. Finally, what are your score predictions? Chris: “On this week’s FIFpod I said 3-0 to Manchester City and – despite the fact I may now regret that hubris – I’m going to have to stick to it.” George: “This is a rare game in that if we lost I wouldn’t be too heartbroken, as I really don’t want to see Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, but it’s important that we get a good result so we stay ahead of the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal. I’m going to go for 3-2 Chelsea.” Who will be the next ‘Big 6’ manager to be sacked? The Pl>ymaker FC squad all seem to agree on one name. Find out who in the video below… #DavidSilva #FixtureInFocus #ManchesterCityVsChelsea

Despite being on the verge of signing for Juventus on a pre-contract agreement according to The Independent, Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey once again got the nod in the starting XI ahead of out-of-favour teammate Mesut Ozil during his side’s 2-0 win against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. While he was more of a regular in the side earlier in the campaign and even captained the team on occasion, the former Germany international appears to have steadily slid down the pecking order under manager Unai Emery due to lack of form and suitability for certain matches, as per The Telegraph, coupled with injury issues. The 30-year-old was left out of the 18-man squad for the defeat to West Ham United earlier this month but did make his return to the fold against the Gunners’ London neighbours at the weekend. However, it it was Ramsey who started in the position behind the two strikers in a 4-3-1-2 system. Despite looking all but certain to be a Serie A player when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign, Emery admitted in quotes via The Independent that he is happy with the attitude and focus of the Welshman, who made his first Premier League start since the 5-1 defeat to Liverpool against Maurizio Sarri’s men. However, he perhaps didn’t make the contribution that he should have in the victory considering the position he was playing in, which is plain to see from his statistics. The 28-year-old managed one shot on target from two attempts, made one key pass and failed to complete a single dribble, as per stats-based website WhoScored. In addition, he was dispossessed on three occasions as he failed to impose himself on proceedings and feed Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of him. One of the main reasons that the Wales international started ahead of Ozil was surely the contribution makes from a defensive point of view, but he didn’t even do that as he made no tackles and just two interceptions. Given that side of the game is seen as one of Ozil’s main shortcomings and how he would surely feel he could have made a bigger impact from an offensive point of view in a central position that suits him, he should be fuming that he didn’t get the nod ahead of a player who looks to be definitely leaving Arsenal. It’s a strong indication of how drastically Ozil’s importance to the team has waned during Emery’s short time in charge. Look away Arsenal fans! American Soccer Fan is back to troll more fans at the London Stadium in the video below… #FixtureInFocus #PremierLeague #AaronRamsey

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer announced himself as a serious contender for the position of Manchester United’s next permanent boss with his tactics in the 1-0 win over Tottenham, who had a man strongly linked with the role himself in Mauricio Pochettino stood in their dugout. SOAK UP THE PRESSURE AND COUNTER The interim boss set his side out to soak up the pressure that an in-form Spurs were always going to put his side under, and then looked to hit the north Londoners on the counter attack with the pace of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. That tactic is easier said than done, as in Harry Kane, Heung-min Son, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, Pochettino’s men carry a real threat going forward which is certainly not easy to nullify – Tottenham’s 70 goals in all competitions ranks as the fourth most in Europe’s top five leagues behind Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. Of course, you could say that David de Gea bailed the Red Devils out on numerous occasions – the Spaniard’s 11 saves were the most any keeper has made in a single Premier League game so far this season – but Solskjaer’s idea to frustrate Spurs and leave his fastest players on the shoulder of the last man worked perfectly in leaving huge gaps between the defence and midfield. ALLOWING HIS PLAYERS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES Whilst attempting not to offend the likes of Cardiff, Huddersfield, Newcastle and Bournemouth, it is far harder for a professional footballer to loosen up and express themselves in a game such as the one against Spurs than in the aforementioned four – Solskjaer’s first four league games in charge. The Norwegian boss has now become the first United manager to win his first six games in charge, if you add the FA Cup win over Reading to the five straight league wins, and the key reason behind that is the freedom he gives his flair players. Against the aforementioned smaller sides, the likes of Paul Pogba, Rashford and Martial were in great showboating form, but it remained to be seen whether they’d dare to do as such against a title contender, but they acted no differently. Pogba’s stunning pass to set Rashford in for the game’s only goal was an excellent one, and the England international’s finish oozed confidence and assurance – the fact that they continued their ruthless attacking form is credit to the manager, by keeping them motivated and focused on the task at hand despite the opposition. Solskjaer’s main rival for the gig was stood beside him on the touchline in what was almost an audition for the role – if it was to be a direct battle for the job, the baby faced assassin has put himself in a tremendous position. #DeleAlli #FixtureInFocus #PremierLeague

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United head to Wembley Stadium this weekend to take on Mauricio Pochettino’s in-form Tottenham Hotspur side. The encounter represents the first major test of the Norwegian coach’s reign at Old Trafford so far. The Red Devils have made a fine start to life under Solskjaer, earning victories against Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town, Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Reading, but the test that Spurs promise is an altogether different proposition. Not only is this a big challenge for Solskjaer, but this match also represents a huge crossroads in United’s campaign. The trajectory of the rest of their season – and of Solskjaer’s time in charge of the club – may well be decided on Sunday. Quite how big an impact Solskjaer has already had at Old Trafford is, in a sense, hard to judge. Of course, results and performances have improved drastically in his short tenure, but to what extent that is due to a kind of relief and freedom being felt by the players having escaped the miasmic clutches of Jose Mourinho is impossible to say. What’s more, United could simply be currently enjoying the effects of the fabled ‘new manager bounce’. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has caused a stir in Norway! Watch the video above to find out what we’re talking about… Just how solid the foundations of Solskjaer’s United revival are though is what we are about to find out. Victory on Sunday would be momentous and could set the course for United to claw back some of the ground lost on their rivals and restore some pride before the end of the season. Defeat, on the other hand, could have a devastating effect. Five wins on the spin against the sides Solskjaer has faced so far is one thing, victory away from home against one of United’s big six rivals is quite another. Mourinho lost the ability to rouse his side for such occasions, as his ultimately decisive final defeat at the hands of Liverpool is testament to. However, if the United squad are so energised by the arrival of a fresh guiding voice that they’re able to overcome Spurs – who are enjoying an eight-match winning run of their own – then it will be safe to say that Solskjaer’s effect has been a true, tangible one. However, if United lose – or, more pertinently, lose in an uninspiring, toothless manner that demonstrates a lack of attacking ambition – then they could quickly find themselves back at square one. Such a result and performance would undermine the progress that has supposedly been made under Solskjaer and would also reveal the limitations of the influence that the new man can have. This could have profound knock-on effects at the club too. While Solskjaer has played down the idea of fresh arrivals this month, he has confirmed he will have some input into the club’s transfer plans following speculation that he could be given £50million to spend. This would imply that the Old Trafford hierarchy have faith in the former striker to spend wisely in the market, but such belief in his ability to take this team forward could be eroded by yet another humiliating defeat suffered by the club at the hands of a rival. At the same time, a reduction in their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League would surely push the club towards recruiting in the summer rather than this month, when deals are always problematic. Therefore, the outcome of Sunday’s fixture could have serious implications for United’s January transfer plans. Another consequence of defeat would be the growth of the gulf between United and the rest of the Premier League’s leading pack. Arsenal, currently fifth, face West Ham at the weekend and Unai Emery’s men will be the favourites to take all three points. If they do so, and United leave Wembley Stadium with nothing, the gap between them and fifth place will stretch to at least six points. What’s more, United’s already faint hopes of mounting a spectacular recovery and challenging for a Champions League spot will be all but extinguished. Finally, a loss on Sunday could destroy the United squad’s confidence, which is already likely to be fragile. For all of their recent positivity to be wiped out by being outclassed by Tottenham would be hard to take, and even harder to recover from. The honeymoon period for Solskjaer is over. This weekend could be the making or the breaking of his interim spell in charge at Old Trafford. #FixtureInFocus #ManchesterUnited #PremierLeague

Liverpool and Manchester United suffered contrasting results in the Champions League during midweek, and in some ways the two results were indicative of their seasons so far. The Merseyside outfit scraped through to the knockout stages of the competition thanks to an impressive 1-0 win at home to Napoli whilst, even though they were already through to the next round, United suffered an embarrassing loss to Valencia. Things will be interesting when United visit Anfield on Sunday then, and as form often goes out of the window when these two old foes meet, here at Football FanCast we’ve taken a closer look at the tactical factors that will decide the outcome. THE KEY BATTLE – MARCUS RASHFORD VS JAMES MILNER Although much of the build up will be dominated by how Liverpool can hurt United, and rightly so given their league positions, Marcus Rashford could be the key weapon for the visitors on Sunday. The 21-year-old has been in blistering form in recent weeks and is perhaps one of the main reasons that the wheels haven’t completely fallen off for Jose Mourinho. In fact, Rashford has netted twice and provided four assists in United’s last four games in all competitions, so he is certainly the man that Jurgen Klopp will be worrying about. Rashford also netted both of Manchester United’s goals when the two sides last met in the league in March earlier this year. The youngster bagged twice in the first half at Old Trafford that day to give his side all three points, and he will be hoping to do the same this weekend. He will be boosted by the fact that Liverpool have had a deluge of defensive injuries in the past week, and it would seem that Trent Alexander-Arnold will miss the game, along with Joe Gomez who would be the natural second choice at right-back for the Reds. Given that Nathaniel Clyne won’t be back to full fitness either, it appears James Milner will once again fill in at full-back. The 32-year-old is an exceptionally versatile player and he played the role in the recent 4-0 win over Bournemouth. Rashford though will provide a completely different test for the former Leeds and Manchester City man. THE KEY DYNAMIC – ATTACK VS COUNTER ATTACK In recent seasons, games between Liverpool and Manchester United have been extremely tight and often scrappy affairs, with the same fixture at Anfield last term resulting in a 0-0 draw. With Jose Mourinho in charge, the Red Devils have tended to set up with plenty of men behind the ball and the sole intention of not losing the game to one of their most bitter rivals – we can’t see the Portuguese boss straying from tradition this weekend. Liverpool then will have to play on the front-foot, but luckily for Klopp this is how most teams have approached the Reds this season and his side have produced some extremely impressive and professional performances. United will be hoping to hit the home side on the counter attack, but if Liverpool can dominate possession then Mourinho’s side may not have a chance to get out of their own half. THE DECIDING FACTOR – CAN LIVERPOOL BREAK DOWN UNITED? The deciding factor in the game then could be whether Liverpool’s midfield and strike force are able to open up a packed United defence. So far this season we haven’t seen the blistering starts from Liverpool that were custom at the start of Jurgen Klopp’s reign, but they are now a far more balanced team. It also says a lot that when watching them, we now expect the Reds to find a way to break the deadlock no matter how long that may take. For example, in the 3-1 win against Burnley at Turf Moor, Klopp’s side had to wait and wait, even falling behind before they eventually found the key to unlocking Sean Dyche’s well-drilled side. Comparing Manchester United to Burnley won’t please many Red Devils fans, but that is the reality of the situation under Mourinho when playing a top six rival. THE IMPACT SUBS – XHERDAN SHAQIRI VS MAROUANE FELLAINI Liverpool’s £13m signing of Xherdan Shaqiri now looks to be one of the best bargains of the summer window. The diminutive Swiss winger has serious quality and his eye for a pass means he could be the one to breach the United defence on Sunday, especially if he comes off the bench when legs are tiring. Since his move from Stoke, the 27-year-old has recorded three goals and three assists for his new club, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he added to that against the Red Devils. For United, their impact sub is someone at the opposite end of the spectrum to Shaqiri, but he can be just as effective in his own right. When United are in trouble, Mourinho calls upon Marouane Fellaini. The 6 foot 4 former Everton man has plenty of experience in derby games against Liverpool, and up against Dejan Lovren you would back him to win the header every time. #LostAndWon #FixtureInFocus #ManchesterUnited

Manchester United must travel the short distance to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday where they’ll meet Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions, Manchester City. The Red Devils arrive in 7th place in the table and already nine points short of table-toppers City. Though, whilst on paper this ought to be a fairly straightforward victory for the Cityzens, this fierce local rivalry often serves up surprises. In order for United to stand any chance of victory though, Jose Mourinho must get his team selection right. A problem position for United right now is the centre-forward role. In Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, they have two big-money stars in awful goalscoring form. Therefore, for this huge derby clash, Mourinho should be bold and entrust the central striking duties to the 21-year-old 29-cap England man, Marcus Rashford. United fans certainly seem to favour Rashford. In our poll, he received a total of 58 votes. Second choice Sanchez was trailed by the big Belgian No. 9, Lukaku, who amassed an embarrassing -20 score. See the full results below. #FixtureInFocus #ManchesterUnited #EtihadStadium

Liverpool head to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to face an in-form Arsenal side in the Premier League. The Reds will likely need to take all three points back to Anfield in order to keep pace with the holders and current title favourites Manchester City. Jurgen Klopp’s side face no easy task in taking on the Gunners though, who have been resurgent under the charge of new boss Unai Emery and are currently enjoying a thirteen-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. The north London outfit’s home record is also particularly impressive. Liverpool’s job gets even bigger when the appointment of Andre Marriner is taken into account. The referee will likely allow a free flowing game but his leniency with sides taking a more physical approach may well play into the hosts’ hands. Out of 17 officials to have presided over a top flight match so far this season, Marriner ranks 15th in terms of fouls awarded per game, averaging just 19.22 a match. By contrast, Roger East has averaged 26 fouls per game so far. What’s more, the 47-year-old is not averse to letting robust challenges go. Marriner ranks 12th in terms of fouls per tackle, averaging 0.6 fouls per challenge. With Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira likely to be paired up together in midfield for the home side they ought to be relishing the opportunity to get stuck into their opponents in order to break their rhythm. With Emery’s side likely to employ an aggressive game plan, especially in order to snuff out any emerging counter-attacks quickly, they’ll also be encouraged by Marriner’s relative reluctance to show yellow cards. His average of 2.89 yellow cards per match sees him rank 13th out of the 17, while Craig Pawson leads the way on 4.43 yellows per game. We aren’t particularly likely to see a penalty on Saturday either, with Marriner on average only awarding spot kicks 0.22 times per game this season – seeing him rank 10th out of the 17. We are, however, likely to see a free flowing, aggressive game that should prove to be a real Premier League spectacle. One final bit of good news for the Gunners is the fact that the home side have emerged victorious in 44% of the matches that Marriner has overseen so far this season, whilst the away side have only had three points to celebrate 33% of the time. All that being said, Arsenal will still have to be at their very best to secure a result against the Reds. #FixtureInFocus #PremierLeague #AndreMarriner

FootballFanCast.com’s Fixture In Focus coverage is brought to you by 5p0rtz. Try 5p0rtz’s Beat the Streak Predictor and you could win £1million! Click here to play. In his pre-Croatia press conference, England boss Gareth Southgate expressed his satisfaction with the Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling strike partnership, hinting that they will start together once again in Rijeka. WHAT DID HE SAY? “Harry (Kane), since I’ve worked with him as a young player at times played as a number 10 and at times played as a number nine, so it has always been part of his game to drop in, to link. Of course in the summer, him and Raheem (Sterling), with Raheem’s pace it often worked that Harry was the good one to drop in deeper and link the play, or Raheem did it. “We like them to be fluid in that way and I think that can cause opposition defences problems because you’re a bit less predictable.” WHAT DID HE REALLY MEAN? Considering Southgate also mentioned that his side were there to win the game, we can garner from this that he considers Kane and Sterling to be his first choice pairing up front. After making the Tottenham man his captain in the summer, this pretty much guarantees that Kane will start despite his recent sluggishness. Towards the latter stages of the World Cup, the 25-year-old looked off the pace and he hasn’t been allowed a rest after getting straight to work with Spurs. With 19 goals in 32 international games, Kane is obviously England’s biggest goal threat and biggest talent, but his inclusion could be a worry for Tottenham fans considering their current injury list. RASHFORD SNUB Marcus Rashford could have quite reasonably expected to start in Croatia after he scored England’s only two goals in the previous international break against Spain and Switzerland, but it seems as though Southgate will stick with Sterling up front. Rashford – who Transfermarkt value at £58.5million – is still only 20 years old and clearly has a big future ahead for both Manchester United and England, but he would have reason to feel aggrieved if Sterling gets the nod once again considering the Manchester City man has only netted twice in all of his 44 caps for the Three Lions. #5P0Rtz #FixtureInFocus #ManchesterUnited