Chelsea are unlikely to go on the offensive at Arsenal, Moyes may be gone but his shadow lives on and QPR must battle to the end of the season
1) Chelsea more likely to batten down the hatches than attack
There is a mysterious Chelsea chant, in which the Shed End profess their love of the club. “We all follow the Chelsea, over land and sea,” they bellow before, for reasons no one really understands, yelling “And Leicester!” A win against Arsenal on Sunday, would mean that Chelsea could clinch the Premier League title at the King Power Stadium on Wednesday evening which, at the very least, might give a nonsensical chant some meaning at last. But somehow it seems unlikely as José Mourinho will be just as happy with a draw at the Emirates. Yes, there is the headline stat that Arsène Wenger has not beaten Mourinho in 12 attempts in the league. There is also the fact that Chelsea have not lost a league match to Manchester United, City, Arsenal or Liverpool since Mourinho returned to the club in 2013, but that does not mean Chelsea have won all those matches, or even come close. Chelsea have issues up front: Diego Costa, Loïc Rémy and Didier Drogba are all in various states of crockedness, while it will be interesting to see how Cesc Fàbregas deals with the abuse he will face on his return to Arsenal. With Wenger’s side playing so well at the moment, Mourinho is likely to adopt a similarly defensive approach to that which he took against Manchester United last Saturday. The results of that could lead to another match like the 0-0 these two sides played out on 23 December 2013. This one may not be quite the thrilling title decider some are billing it.
2) Leicester’s high-octane approach may be too much for Burnley
Humdinger alert! You don’t want to miss this match! This has the makings of a momentous clash between two teams – Leicester and Burnley – with exceptional work rates and urgent requirements for points. Burnley’s need is greater and to win they will need to find a way to supply Danny Ings with enough chances to end his eight-match goal drought, with the suspension of Ashley Barnes unlikely to help. Leicester, on the other hand, have relatively little trouble creating chances, with Esteban Cambiasso, Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, Marc Albrighton and Jeffrey Schlupp all apt to attack from a variety of positions. Mostly their problem this season has been converting their opportunities but in recent matches they have finally shot with more precision, and last week Leonardo Ulloa ended a barren streak even longer than Ings’ current one. If Nigel Pearson sticks with the high-octane direct approach that has brought his team three successive wins, then Leicester could blast their way closer to a sensational escape from the drop zone. But don’t write off a Burnley victory that would add even more intrigue to the relegation battle.
3) Sherwood will need more than confidence at Manchester City
Tim Sherwood is often praised for speaking his mind, for avoiding cliches and is occasionally called, by those on whom all forms of irony are presumably lost, no-nonsense. Yet even he will find it difficult to avoid such pitfalls this week. The problem he faces is a familiar one. Strugglers spring a surprise in the FA Cup but must revert their gaze to their league travails. There may be plenty of different ways to say “one game at a time” but it will be impossible to keep his players’ minds off Wembley. To make matters worse, they will run into a Manchester City side who rediscovered some of their swagger against an albeit woeful West Ham side last weekend, with Sergio Agüero’s goal a particular highlight. They are not without their own problems – Yaya Touré’s days appear numbered and Manuel Pellegrini’s future is similarly bleak – but Sherwood will need more than his huge levels of self-confidence to conjure anything from the Etihad. Jack Grealish and Charles N’Zogbia will be marked men having had the run of Wembley and Ron Vlaar is in for a busy evening if Agüero is in the mood. Sherwood called City the best team on the planet after they dismantled hisTottenham side 5-1 at White Hart Lane in January 2014, bringing him back down to earth after he had started his tenure with six unbeaten league matches. Few would give City similar acclaim at present but it’s a safe bet they will burst another of Sherwood’s bubbles.
4) Moyes may be gone but his shadow lives on
It was following Manchester United’s defeat by Everton just over a year ago that David Moyes’s brief and dour reign at Old Trafford was brought to an end. His shadow still lingers over this fixture. Manchester United’s performance at Goodison Park last year was their worst in the league all season. It was also a display that cast his successor at Everton into a flattering light and Roberto Martínez drew plaudits for being the anti-Moyes – all positivity, attacking intent and verve – plaudits that he has struggled to live up to this season. Both sides arrive at this fixture in form, with each having lost just one of their last six and Everton not having lost at home this year. Manchester United will be happier to use the Moyes era as a reminder of what not to do but Everton could learn a lesson from their former manager’s approach to this fixture. Between 2008 and his departure from Goodison, Moyes lost just once to Manchester United at home. A result like that could be the springboard from which Everton can dominate a reasonably simple run-in.
5) Will Swans pile on more misery at Newcastle’s bleak house?
The statistics for Newcastle are dire – six straight defeats; one win in 10; five goals scored and 19 conceded in those last 10 games. Fans boycotted the match against Spurs and are planning to boycott this weekend’s game against Swansea as well.There have been record profits of £18.7m but nothing spent to reinforce a team that was left with only 13 fit outfield players last month. A makeshift manager has been hung out to dry. This is not what Newcastle used to be. This is not what people once swarmed up to Gallowgate for, breathing names like Keegan, Beardsley, Gascoigne and Sir Bobby, or Supermac, Waddle, Milburn and Moncur. They lie 14th in the table with five to play, but three of those below them with a game in hand. There is a chance that Newcastle could go down – this current side, on current form, may well deserve it too. There are fans who, despite themselves, might welcome it. Blood the youth in the Championship, learn to compete again, try to win, and hope against hope the owner loses interest and abandons them. When did supporting Newcastle turn into this?
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