Five teams will earn their place in the Champions League competition next season and Arsenal and Manchester City are virtually assured of qualification. The question is “Who will join them?”
Manchester United are considered favourites to win a place. Michael Carrick’s team have lost only once in their last 10 games and the atmosphere in the dressing room at Old Trafford is both exciting and confident. It feels like a completely different club with Carrick in charge and Ruben Amorim gone. His influence has grown and was one of the main reasons that Harry Maguire signed a new one year extension to his contract this week. United also hold a seven point lead over sixth place Chelsea. Aston Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool are in contention with Everton also chasing a place alongside Brentford. Fulham can join them with a win away at Liverpool but Brentford play Everton so one of them is likely to slip back unless the match is a draw.
Villa have a tricky away game at Nottingham Forest who are fighting for their Premier League survival but somehow coach Unai Emery seems to conjure up wins from almost nothing. Forest are the long-distance goal scoring specialists with Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi and even attacking midfielder Elliot Anderson joining in.
Villa have missed Youri Tielemans and John McGinn for several games but Emery is a clever coach and he will likely push his team over the line. They do have a tricky final two matches against Liverpool and Manchester City.
Chelsea players are still trying to master Liam Rosenior’s style of football and they have struggled but must win their next three games against both Manchester clubs at home and Brighton away to have any chance of making the top six keeping Brentford and Everton behind them.
Liverpool are the questionable team as their form has been hot and cold. Arne Slot is under pressure but he does have quality players from which to choose. They have a difficult run to the end of the season with a trip to United and Aston Villa but they are also at home to Chelsea.
After speaking to all the major contenders for a Champions League place, the majority of clubs think United will make it and Liverpool will finish fourth. Villa and Chelsea could hang on for a place in Europe but Everton and Brentford might crash the party!
De Zerbi impresses in training
Last week newly appointed Tottenham coach Roberto De Zerbi took his first training session. It was typical of the man and classic De Zerbi.
The Italian was in the middle of everything that went on, shouting, pointing, pushing, praising and instructing players to motivate his team. He organised a rondo, physical warm-ups and a drill which relied on players keeping possession from one end of the full size training pitch to the other. Finally, he set up six-a-side games using all available players to make up three teams. I was intrigued to notice that he spent considerable time with Lucas Bergvall and standing with his arm around the shoulder of the young Swede he had three separate long talks. He also concentrated on Mathys Tel during the rondo and told him to look around and move more with the ball before passing. One golden gem for all budding footballers to remember was directed at 20 year-old Archie Gray. De Zerbi told him that many teams now play man on man so there is pressure on defenders when they have the ball…the thing to do is to pass quickly using either one or two touches and no more.
Spurs have been notoriously bad at playing out from the back this season but De Zerbi believes in taking on a high press and quick tackling to win the ball. He said, “Win the ball. Attract the pressure. Attract the pressure.” De Zerbi commanded respect from the outset and either some of the players had done their research on the new coach or they remember that the Italian played top level football as a No10 in Serie A.
Dowman could be the ace card to win Arsenal the title
Following Arsenal’s surprise crash out of the FA Cup to Southampton and their Carabao Cup exit to Manchester City, Mikel Arteta said with defiance, “Now we have to show who we are.”
Arteta is under enormous pressure not to throw away yet another season for the fourth year running. Winning against Sporting CP in mid-week has helped his cause. Arteta was criticised for pulling his players out of their international call-up matches suggesting that perhaps he was making up the excuse that they were injured but only Gabriel started against Southampton and he went off injured after 72 minutes.
Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Piero Hincapie did not even make the trip down to the south coast. Rice and Trossard did however start in mid-week.
One bright light is the emergence of Max Dowman who was the Gunner’s best player in the cup loss to the Saints. The 16-year-old was fresher, more energetic, more influential and more skilful than his teammates. He quite literally glided past defenders on silky runs. Speaking to Arsenal fans after the loss they all recognised that Arteta has done a good job shielding the schoolboy youngster by playing him sparingly in Cup games and making late substitute appearances. That said, now is the time to use every available asset to make sure Arsenal get over the winning line and lift the Premier League trophy after the final game of the season. The Gunners have not won a trophy for six years and Max Dowman is a player who could help change all that…they need him…now.
Liverpool already planning for next season
After hearing reports regarding Arne Slot’s future at Liverpool, I drove 300 miles north of London to Anfield to do some investigating in order to discover what is likely to happen to the club in the summer.
Much depends on the final run-in to the end of the season and losing 4-0 to Manchester City in the FA Cup has not helped Slot’s cause. There is an outside chance that the Reds could still win a trophy but they have a real challenge to progress in the Champions League. The possibility of retaining their Premier League title was lost some time ago and qualification for next season’s competition will be tough.
There has been talk of replacing Slot with former player Xabi Alonso who has embarked on a very successful managerial career. However, I am told that Liverpool are not on side with Alonso’s favoured back three formation as they do not think it suits their current players.
Slot has been telling friends and close family that he expects to be in charge of Liverpool next season after having discussions with the owners Fenway Sports Group.
After spending heavily on “technical” players during last summer, the Premier League has changed considerably in approach play. Liverpool now recognise the current trend is to play more physically, using pace and energy down the wings and playing more directly through the centre. Set pieces are very much favourite at the moment as is the long ball up to attackers and Liverpool’s defence have struggled this season.
With Mo Salah leaving, Liverpool expect to sign two new wide men and RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande is being carefully watched every week by their scouts and is likely to be a top priority. Leipzig wants to keep him for another season but I can reveal that Liverpool are talking of putting £100million on the table.
Goodbye Kieran Trippier, hero of Newcastle
All good things come and go and eras begin and end. Such is the case with Newcastle’s Kieran Trippier who I am sad to see is leaving St James Park at the end of the season.
His arrival for only £12million from Atletico Madrid in 2022 proved to be an excellent piece of business by the Magpies. He has made over 150 appearances for the club, often as captain, scored four goals as a defender and has a Carabao Cup winners’ medal in his trophy cabinet.
It is unclear as yet whether other notable players such as Sandro Tonali, Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon might be sold but I do know that Newcastle are planning a major overhaul during the summer with money being made available by their Saudi owners plus incoming transfer fees.
Kieran is one of those players who is both inspirational on the field and in the dressing room and has been vitally important to coach Eddie Howe. He is however now 35-years-of-age and it is time to plan the next stage of his life. He doesn’t command a starting place any longer or play for England but on the terraces of Newcastle football club he will long be honoured and remembered.
Chelsea vs Manchester City
This match is a severe test for Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior despite having home advantage.
There is considerable doubt over Enzo Fernandez’s future and following his less than secret talks with Real Madrid, the Blues have suspended him for this game.
After four successive defeats and their Champions league qualification spot in doubt, Rosenior has been working at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground this week to find a way of lessening the impact of losing Fernandez. The Argentine provided the goal which drew the game with City in January.
Rosenior thinks that with no Fernandez it could give Cole Palmer a better free roaming role because both players have been trying to win the No10 position permanently and Palmer has often been moved out to the wing which he does not want. Despite that, Rosenior thinks Cole can be most effective against City by operating as an attacking midfielder and taking on Rodri and Bernardo Silva.
Chelsea are sixth in the table and outside the Champions League places but they are only one point behind Liverpool and the dressing room is motivated to gain that 5th place which would qualify them for next season.
With the absence of Fernandez, Joao Pedro will be expected to add to his 11 goals since Rosenior took over. He has overshadowed Chelsea’s Ipswich import Liam Delap who has disappointed so far. Pedro is very good at adopting the No 10 role and this is an alternative for Rosenior. He could drop deeper which would give Delap a chance.
After stops and starts, highs and hiccups, Pep Guardiola has finally got his team to hit top gear. There is no doubt that the coach has used right wing Antoine Semenyo and centre back Marc Guehi well and they are two reasons Manchester City have improved both their attack and defence. Humbling Liverpool in the FA Cup with Erling Haaland returning to his lethal best has changed Rosenior’s defence training work this week.