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Premier League week 11 round up: Liverpool move top of the table, Hazard's stunning goal, Zlatan nets brace

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Premier League week 11 round up: Liverpool move top of the table, Hazard's stunning goal, Zlatan nets brace - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Liverpool maintain their impressive form in the Premier League after thrashing Watford 6-1 at Anfield on Sunday. Sadio Mané scored twice, while Brazilian duo Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino produced stellar performances to fire the Reds to the top for the first time since May 2014.

This ruthless dominance under Jurgen Klopp shows that Liverpool are ready for a gruelling title challenge this season and a far cry from the performance-roulette of past seasons. Failing to beat weaker opponents has been a weakness that has plagued Liverpool for so long. We are witnessing something new here, and Liverpool are suddenly several bookmakers’ favourites – including European gambling sites such as http://ift.tt/1j5fsrW – for the Premier League title.

Mané, the summer arrival from Southampton, has once again proved to be the fulcrum of the Red’s attack. However, it was Coutinho, the Brazilian maestro, who once again stole the show with a scintillating all-round performance.

In Wales, Zlatan Ibrahimović ended his scoring drought with two goals against Swansea City. Paul Pogba, the club’s record signing, scored a stunner with a volley from outside the box, but it was the Frenchman’s overall impact on the game that stood out as the main positive for United.

EPL RESULTS FROM WEEK 11 GAMES

EPL results

Harry Kane marked his return from injury with a goal as Tottenham held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in the north London derby at the Emirates. While Arsenal took the lead in the first half after Kevin Wimmer diverted a header into his own net, the visitors were awarded a penalty when Mousa Dembélé was tripped down in the box by Laurent Koscielny.

LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE STANDINGS

Premier League table

On Saturday, Middlesbrough scored a late equaliser to frustrate Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad. Sergio Agüero gave City the lead just before the break, meeting a superb cross from Kevin De Bruyne.

Boro, who barely threatened in the opening 45 minutes, improved after the break and created a few good chances. City dominated the possession but paid the price in the end. They failed to take their chances, but Martin De Roon took his and gave Boro an unexpected point with a late header.

Chelsea produced arguably their best performance of the 2016-17 season, humiliating Everton 5-0 at Stamford Bridge. Eden Hazard continued his great scoring form, giving the Blues an early lead. And 23 seconds later, the Belgian turned into a provider for Marcos Alonso’s goal. Diego Costa went on to score his 9th goal of the season to make it 3-0 at half time.

The onslaught continued after the break with Hazard scoring a stunning solo goal. Pedro made it 5-0 to cap off a memorable night for the Blues.

Elsewhere, Sunderland grabbed the first win of the season after beating Bournemouth 2-1 on Saturday. Ashley Barnes scored the winner for Burnley against Crystal Palace and Bojan Krkić scored late to earn Stoke City a 1-1 draw against West Ham.

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Fifa president Gianni Infantino demands more clarity in transfer system

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Fifa president Gianni Infantino demands more clarity in transfer system - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president, says that the football governing body must act to bring more transparency in the current transfer system.

Every year, top clubs of major Football leagues across the world engage in heavy transfer dealings during the transfer windows. And there is a common perception that the dealings aren’t conducted in a proper way.

Most of the dealings are undisclosed while no one really knows how much money is being split between the clubs, players and the agents. The FIFA president was frank and bold enough to admit that there is “something strange” happening with the transfers.

“Whether it’s true or not, the perception often is that there is something strange happening with these transfers,” Infantino told Reuters. “It is important if you move a few billion dollars in one or two months, you must make sure that every happens in a clean way.”

Although FIFA regulates transfers between clubs in different countries under rules based on the 2001 agreement with the European Commission, Infantino believes the time has come to revise the rule and bring in more transparency and clarity to the system.

Another important agenda in Infantino’s to-do list is to put an end to the “hoarding” that allows top clubs to have dozens of players out on loan. Big clubs, for instance Chelsea who have 37 players out on loan, buy top talents from Europe’s smaller leagues at a very young age. In most cases, these players end up playing elsewhere on loan and hardly get the chance to represent their parent club.

“I believe it is not right but it is permitted,” added Infantino. “It doesn’t feel right, for a club to just hoard the best young players and then to park them left and right, it’s not good for the development of the player, it’s not good for the club itself.“

The Swiss lawyer has elaborated further on his suggestion of expanding the World Cup to 48 teams from 32, saying FIFA plans to hold a round of playoff matches before the proper tournament gets underway. More matches would mean it would create more excitement for fans, broadcasters and sponsors.

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Eden Hazard is back to his best, but can he lead Chelsea to the title?

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Eden Hazard is back to his best, but can he lead Chelsea to the title? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

It’s unfair to single out one single player in the Chelsea team last season who was poor. The entire group was below par, as the Blues slumped to a 10th placed finish following the title win the year before. However, the fact remains that the expectations differ from individual to individual.

Eden Hazard was the star of the 2014/15 title-winning campaign, picking up the PFA Player of the Year award for his performances. His mercurial skill on the ball, coupled with some very timely goals and assists, made Hazard the darling of the Premier League. He was an absolute pleasure to watch, and everyone expected him to kick on and scale greater heights in the following campaign.

Alas, that was not to be. What followed was a drop in form so incredible that it was almost unbelievable. The Belgian looked completely out of sorts, jaded and tired. His dip was exposed more because it was parallel to the one suffered by his team, as Chelsea lost 9 out of their first 16 games before Jose Mourinho was given the sack. After scoring 14 times in the league the season before, Hazard remained goalless in the competition until April 2016. It was downright baffling.

A free role, and a rejuvenation

It was often talked about how Mourinho’s demands from Hazard to also focus on his defensive side of the game  had left the player exhausted. It was plain to see that the winger wasn’t able to maintain his level of intensity in the first half of last season. It is no secret that the player has always wanted a more free role in the side, with the license to express himself as and how he wants. Early last month, he had the following words to say, as quoted here by the Daily Mail:

I like to play as a No 10. I think I have more freedom offensively. For Belgium, we have full backs who run hard and create a lot of space, which is good and I like to play there.

I don’t know if I will play there at Chelsea. You need to ask the manager! I play on the left hand side and I try to do the best I can.

It is unlikely that Antonio Conte was influenced by these words, but Hazard has got what he wants. He isn’t exactly a number 10, as Chelsea’s 3-4-3 system doesn’t have a designated player in the position. But starting from the left hand side, the 25 year-old is now able to manouvre into central areas as he sees fit.

The results are there for all to see. Hazard has scored in 3 consecutive league games for the first time in his career. Upon further analysis, we can see how all of them have come from a different area of the pitch – central (against Leicester City), right flank (Manchester United) and left flank (Southampton).

He is clearly enjoying his football again, and was deservingly given the Player of the Month award for October.

Can he inspire Chelsea to the title?

Hazard has scored 5 league goals this season, one more than he managed in the whole of the last campaign.

Along with Diego Costa, there is not question that he is the main attacking threat in this team. With Cesc Fabregas’ regular place in the side very much in doubt, everyone is going to look to Hazard to come up with the goods in the attacking third. The likes of Willian, Pedro, Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses may offer a lot in terms of movement and penetration, but aren’t going to be the ones to score or create 15-20 goals a season. That is very much down to Hazard and Costa.

At the start of the season, nobody really expected Chelsea to be sure-shot challengers for the title. After losing to Liverpool and Arsenal in September, it looked like the top 4 was the most likely target for the club to try and achieve this season. But now, things have changed. The teams in front of them have shown frailties, while Conte has settled on his best personnel and system. Four wins and four clean sheets in October mean that the Blues are just a point off the top.

Maintaining this level of consistency throughout will be easier said than done, but Hazard certainly has the ability to make a huge difference. While on song, he is nigh-on impossible to defend against. Chelsea will be taking it one game at a time without thinking too much into the future, but with their main man in such blistering form, one can never say never.

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Former Chelsea boss André Villas-Boas’ move to China is cautionary tale for managers

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Former Chelsea boss André Villas-Boas’ move to China is cautionary tale for managers - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

At 31 years of age, André Villas-Boas started his journey into first team management at little Portuguese club Académica. Eight years hence, and a few stops at some of the biggest European clubs later, he now heads to China.

Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG named Villas-Boas their new manager earlier today, replacing ex-England manager Sven-Göran Erikkson. What went wrong for Villas-Boas in Europe, after making waves as the next best thing at the turn of the current decade, catching the fancy of Chelsea’s trigger-happy owner Roman Abramovich?

After winning a treble at FC Porto in his first season at the Estádio do Dragão, Villas-Boas perfectly fitted the profile of Abramovich’s dream manager, one who could take Chelsea to the next level in Europe.

avb-chelsea

“He is one of the most talented young managers in football today and has already achieved much in a relatively short space of time,” Chelsea’s official statement read on the Portuguese’s appointment in the summer of 2011.

Young, successful managers were the vogue back then, inspired by Pep Guardiola’s success at Barcelona, and Villas-Boas’ own record at Porto, where he led the club to an unbeaten league campaign in 2010/11.

Chelsea did win the Champions League the season they appointed Villas-Boas, but by the time they won it, Chelsea had already sacked the then 34-year-old, who had failed to take the Blues in a new direction. It was to prove the start of his eventual fall from the dizzy heights which took him to one of the giants of English football.

Tottenham Hotspur came calling at the start of the next season. And in spite of a fairly respectable finish just outside the top four, his inability to help Spurs punch above their weight to qualify for the Champions League coupled with some disastrous results led him to bid goodbye to the Premier League for a second time in two years.

Once the prodigy who had learnt his trade under Bobby Robson and Jose Mourinho, Villas-Boas had to resurrect his failing career merely four years into management. Zenit Saint Petersburg was his next stop.

His two years at Zenit brought the club three trophies, including a league title in 2014/15, their first in three years. It seemed as if Villas-Boas had somewhat put his career back on track after his tumultuous time in England. And his decision to leave the Russian club at the end of 2015/16 hinted that he was ready to have another bite at Europe’s big leagues.

However, that wasn’t to be the case, and Shanghai SIPG now stand to benefit from one of the most well-known young managers in world football, albeit an expensive one.

Villas-Boas’ story was once considered the guiding light for young, up-and-coming managers who had little to show for in their careers as a footballer. But it has now become a cautionary tale for any young manager looking to make their mark on the big leagues.

He completed only one season at Académica and Porto each, and managed to spend a combined two years at Chelsea and Spurs in England before getting the P45’s. The longest stay of his career at a single club was at Zenit, but he moved on after two years in Saint Petersburg. Perhaps it was a case of heading into too many jobs in a short period of time that has seen him tread a downward trajectory ever since he left Portugal.

From being considered a potential Champions League winner to shouting instructions from the dugouts in China, Villas-Boas has had an eclectic journey as a football manager. And it doesn’t look like he’ll be back in Europe any time soon, even though he is still only 39.

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Arsenal vs Tottenham: Who makes the combined XI?

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Arsenal vs Tottenham: Who makes the combined XI? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Tottenham and Arsenal take each other on in the North London derby on Sunday. Which players make our combined team?

Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)

Spurs’ 1-1 draw against Leicester City on Saturday meant they had conceded only five goals in their opening ten games — the best defensive record in the division so far. Lloris has been crucial to the team’s resilience and often gets ignored from the list of best goalkeepers across Europe. Petr Cech has also had a good season protecting the goal, but Lloris gets the vote in this battle.

Left Back: Danny Rose (Tottenham)

Danny Rose

The Tottenham left-back has been one of the best players for the side this season. Not only is he an important reason why the side has been so tight at the back, with his impressive defensive contribution, but he is also exceedingly well in the offense. He averages 3.8 tackles and 1.8 interceptions every 90 minutes, which highlights his impressive form.

Centre Backs: Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal)

Arsenal and Tottenham have two of the best centre-back partnerships in the league. With Alderweireld injured, the Arsenal duo gets the nod. 24-year-old Mustafi has proved to be one of the signings of the season and his arrival means, for the first time in a long time, it looks like Arsenal have found a great centre-back partnership. Laurent Koscielny finally has a worthy partner at the back. Mustafi and Koscielny are both quick and good in the air. They are strong in both boxes and provide set piece threat as well.

Right Back: Kyle Walker 

This was perhaps the closest battle but the one to narrowly emerge victorious is Spurs’ Kyle Walker. Bellerin is one of the most talented young players out there, and Walker’s improvement under Pochettino has been unbelievable. In this extremely close race, Walker was our pick based on statistics and the fact that Spurs have conceded five goals in the league, while Arsenal have shipped ten.

Walker vs Bellerin

Midfielder: Victor Wanyama (Tottenham)

The Kenyan, who sealed an £11m switch from Southampton in the summer, has impressed so far this season. The 25-year-old has done well protecting the defence, which is his main job, but has eqally impressed taking the ball forward.

Midfielder: Mousa Dembele (Tottenham)

Granit Xhaka’s suspension made our pick for the second midfield spot compartively easier. Dembele’s importance to the Spurs team was highlighted in his absence early in the season. Demebele solidifies the base of midfield and provides the platform to attack. It is of little suprise that Tottenham’s attack does much better with Dembele in the team. Dembele’s ability to hold, carry and distribute possession makes him a potent weapon to have. Tottenham would hope he is fit to play against Arsenal this weekend, for he may be carrying a knock.

Right Winger: Theo Walcott (Arsenal) 

Walcott

It seemed like Walcott’s injury curse had returned but reports suggest Walcott will start against Spurs. The England international has enjoyed a resurgence this season. In 9 Premier League games, the attacker has scored give goals and grabbed two assists. Considering his form this season, this pick was a no-brainer.

Attacking midfielder: Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)

The German international has picked up form lately, and along with creating chances, is also producing significant output. He comes into this game with a goal and an assist against Ludogarets in the Champions League. He is in great form at the moment. Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen haven’t really got going which makes this choice even easier

Left Winger: Son Heung-Min (Tottenham)

The South Korean was close to leaving Spurs this summer, but a conversation with Pochettino changed his inclination. It looks like it was a good decision for both the player and the club. In 6 Premier League starts, he has scored 4 goals and got 2 assists. While the output has dried up in the last few games, Son is capable of delivering.

Forward: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal)

The decision to deploy Sanchez as a number nine seemed to be a poor one initially, but the Chilean has since settled into the role. He has six goals and two assists in the Premier League this season. Kane didn’t perform at the start of the season and is currently a doubt for this game. Even otherwise, Sanchez is clearly the pick.

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Chelsea will beat Everton this week if they can win these three important battles

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Chelsea will beat Everton this week if they can win these three important battles - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Chelsea will look to keep their good form going when they take on Everton at Stamford Bridge in the late game on Saturday. The Toffees though, are in fine touch themselves and will fancy themselves to get something from the game.

Antonio Conte’s men have gone 4 matches without conceding a goal, while scoring 11 themselves during that period. They are in 4th place, just 1 point off the three teams in front of them. A month or so ago, it looked like fighting for the Champions League places would be the tale of this campaign for Chelsea. Now, with the formation and first 11 seemingly sorted out, it would be daft to rule out a title challenge.

Everton, on the other hand, have started solidly under new manager Ronald Koeman. They are currently in 6th, 4 points behind Chelsea. They held the seemingly-unstoppable Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium last month, and will be looking for a similar kind of performance and result in West London.

Here are 3 individual battles that could turn the tide in this match:

1) Diego Costa (Chelsea) vs Ashley Williams (Everton)

With 8 goals to his name, Diego Costa is the Premier League’s top-scorer. On the other hand, with just 8 goals conceded, Everton have the second-best defensive record in the league. The Toffees lost John Stones in the summer but were quick to bring in a replacement; Ashley Williams has been as solid as a rock since arriving from Swansea City.

The Welshman has faced Costa before, and hasn’t had the greatest time against him. In the 2014/15 season, the Spanish striker scored 5 goals in Chelsea’s two games against Swansea, including a hattrick at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have got off to fast starts in games this season, and then strolled to victory. Williams will have to be the general at the back to make sure there aren’t any lapses in concentration early on. Costa is sure to be a constant thorn all afternoon, and how the defender deals with him will be pivotal to the outcome.

2) Eden Hazard (Chelsea) vs Seamus Coleman (Everton)

Eden Hazard was awarded the Player of the Month award for October earlier on in the week. The Belgian is back to his blistering best, and has scored in each of the last 3 games. He is though, yet to register a Premier League goal against Everton in his career.

Seamus Coleman will have to wary of Hazard’s movement, as the winger has been allowed the freedom to drift centrally as and when he wants. The Irish full-back is known his lung-busting forward runs, but he must keep that temptation in check and concentrate more on his defensive duties.

3) David Luiz (Chelsea) vs Romelu Lukaku (Everton)

Lukaku will undoubtedly be Everton’s most potent goalscoring threat. The former Chelsea man is in fantastic form with 7 league goals so far. He will want to add to his tally at the ground where his career took two steps back. The Belgian forward was touted as a future star at Stamford Bridge when he signed in 2011, but he could only manage a couple of loan spells before being sold in 2014.

There is always a nervousness among the Chelsea fans when David Luiz plays, but the Brazilian has been a very different player this time. Since signing in the summer, he has looked like a proper, no-nonsense defender. None of the carelessness and mindless harakiri defending has surfaced thus far, and Luiz will have to be at the top of his game to keep Lukaku quiet.

 

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4-3-3 v Sevilla: Luis Enrique without 2 key Barcelona stars for vital away clash; Key Stats, Team News and Predicted Lineups

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4-3-3 v Sevilla: Luis Enrique without 2 key Barcelona stars for vital away clash; Key Stats, Team News and Predicted Lineups - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Sevilla vs Barcelona
Liga BBVA 2016/17
6th November 2016, 19:45 pm BST
Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville

Sevilla Team News & Preview

Sevilla host Barcelona in La Liga this weekend and the home side will be looking to continue their good run of form with an upset win over the champions.

Sevilla have started the season really well and are just one point behind their opponents Barcelona, who are second in the league table. Furthermore, they have been very good at home and will look to fix their poor record against Barcelona with a win in front of their own fans.

The home side will have seen Barcelona’s weaknesses during their defeat against City in the Champions League and will be looking to exploit them.

However, the absence of Samir Nasri will be a major blow for the home side. The Manchester City loanee was forced off during Sevilla’s 1-1 draw with Sporting Gijon with a hamstring injury. Benoit Temoulinas and Michael Krohn-Dehli are Jorge Sampaoli’s only other injury absentees.

Predicted Sevilla Starting Lineup (3-4-1-2): Rico; Carrico, Rami, Mercado; Mariano, Kranevitter, N’Zonzi, Vitolo; Vazquez; Yedder, Vietto

Barcelona Team News & Preview

Barcelona will be determined to bounce back from their 3-1 loss against Manchester City during the midweek.

The Catalan giants will look to close the gap with league leaders Real Madrid and cannot afford to drop points here. Furthermore, they have a very good record against Sevilla in the league and will look to extend that with another win.

Sevilla are no pushovers and the away side will need to be at their best here. They have been quite inconsistent at times and cannot take their opponents lightly.

Pique and Iniesta are the only injury worries for Luis Enrique’s side. Jordi Alba is a doubt and will be assessed closer to kick-off.

Predicted Barcelona Starting Lineup (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Roberto, Mascherano, Umtiti, Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Rafinha; Messi, Suarez, Neymar

Sevilla vs Barcelona Key Stats

Sevilla have won 19 of their last 22 home matches in La Liga.

Barcelona have scored at least 2 goals in 11 of their last 13 matches against Sevilla in all competitions.

Barcelona have won 7 of their last 8 away matches in La Liga.

Barcelona have won 5 of their last 6 matches against Sevilla.

Barcelona are undefeated in 16 of their last 17 matches against Sevilla in all competitions.

Barcelona have kept a clean sheet in their last 3 matches against Sevilla in all competitions.

Sevilla vs Barcelona Betting Tips

Barcelona have an impressive record against Sevilla and will be hungry for a win here. Get the Catalan giants to win at 8/13 with Ladbrokes.

Sevilla have been in imperious form at home. Get them to win or draw at 5/4.

Barcelona have scored a fair few against Sevilla and considering the current form of both sides, goals are likely in this one. Bet on the match to end with over 2.5 goals (2/5).

Sevilla vs Barcelona Prediction

Both sides are in superb form right now, but Barcelona are head and shoulders above the home side in terms of sheer quality.

They will be desperate for a win after a poor performance against Manchester City this week. Furthermore, they will be confident of a win especially because of their outstanding record against Sevilla.

An away win seems quite likely here.

Sevilla 1-2 Barcelona

 

 

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