All posts by h79snht.top

After famously enduring a rather unproductive summer in which not a single outfield player was eventually signed at the Emirates, many initially expected the month of January to arrive in far more hectic fashion for Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal side.

Yet as Arsenal only managed to see the £5million capture of FC Basel’s Mohamed Elneny over the line this winter, however, such an outcome invariably failed to take place for the Emirates faithful.

It seems as if the Gunners will never likely define themselves as one of the biggest spenders in the Premier League any time soon, no matter how much certain sections of the Arsenal support would love such a transition to take place.

So with Arsene Wenger’s side currently in with a massive chance of finally bringing the Premier League title home to North London come the end of the current campaign – have Arsenal done enough to secure top-spot this January?

[ffc-gal cat=”arsenal” no=”5″]

Although the Gunners were admittedly linked with a whole host of varying talent across Europe in January, it seems very few genuine world class options were actually made available for Arsene Wenger, despite the endless stream of questionable stories that seemingly come part and parcel of the modern January transfer window.

In truth, Arsenal already possess a squad truly capable of taking the Premier League by storm. The likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez can win certain matches on the back of their own individual performances alone, and as several first team players are due to return from injury at the Emirates sooner rather than later, perhaps Arsenal just didn’t need to carry out much major transfer activity this January.

Arsene Wenger has never been known to spend big across the mid-season transfer period after all. His side have already witnessed a succession of different injury related concerns afflict the squad this season, but whilst such an unfortunate turn of events would usually signal the end of any meaningful title hopes for Arsenal in several seasons past, the Gunners have shown a great deal more grit and reliability throughout the current campaign thus far.

Although the Emirates faithful have often called for some added fire-power to aid the burden placed on Olivier Giroud up-top for Arsenal, as well as perhaps the need to acquire a well-established centre-back to come in and take over from Per Mertesacker at the Emirates, Arsenal simply aren’t operating in the same financial ball-park as some of their big spending Premier League counterparts.

WANT MORE? >> Arsenal transfer news | Latest transfer news

Wenger’s side can therefore rarely be found spending purely for the sake of it. It may admittedly prove testing for some Gunners fans hoping to see several big name talents arrive at their club with every passing transfer window but in reality, it remains hard to imagine the North London club ever taking on such an ambitious approach.

And in the recent capture of Mohamed Elneny, who’s to say that Arsenal haven’t completed one of the shrewdest moves of the entire window? This is a player who looks like he’ll fit in right away at the Emirates. Elneny will likely give the current Gunners squad a nice little boost going in to the rest of the season, and could in-fact aid Frances Coquelin in the middle of the park for Arsenal once the no-nonsense Frenchman finally returns to first team action.

Arsene Wenger’s side may have failed to spend big yet again this January, but as Arsenal arguably didn’t need to go all out in the most recent transfer window, maybe the Gunners are already in strong enough shape to continue their fine domestic form throughout the remainder of the campaign.

[ad_pod id=’football-survey’ align=’center’]

[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]

Mousa Dembele has become accustomed to being second fiddle to others in a deep and talented Spurs squad.

At White Hart Lane, the Belgian has taken a back seat while players such as Gareth Bale, Christian Eriksen, Emmanuel Adebayor and now Harry Kane, and even Deli Alli, have taken headlines.

Dembele allows himself to be played in any position, whether it an attack minded or defensive one, yet still perform admirably. This season in 22 games he already has three goals, which is great considering that he is no longer the main man in that midfield.

Throughout his Tottenham career, the ex-Fuham ace has been in the background and created opportunities for other players to take the glory, and has helped to provide some of Spurs’ most exciting play.

Although he doesn’t regularly start for Belgium, he is one of the country’s current squad players. When he was out injured, Spurs struggled to win, highlighted through their 1-0 loss to bitter rivals West Ham. But, when he played against Arsenal, he provided the experience and level headedness that the team needed.

With youngsters like Alli and Eric Dier still growing, both as players and as people, Dembele offers composure, something the side desperately need considering they are fighting for trophies on two fronts – in the Premier League and Europa League.

He isn’t the biggest star in the team, but he certainly is a fans’ favourite. He may not have won any trophies, but he has consistently given his all for the team. Many are probably thankful that Spurs did not sign Fulham’s Moussa Dembele, due to the fact that their is only room for one in their team!

When you look at the Belgium side, Dembele is certainly playing alongside some talented players. Players such as Marouane Fellaini, Dries Mertens, Youri Tielemens, Axel Witsel and more provide competition for places in the team, yet even though he may not be appreciated for his country, he certainly is for his club.

Even from his Fulham days, Dembele looked destined for bigger and better things, and his move to Tottenham certainly looked to be just the step he needed. Whether he is being defensive as a player or being attacking minded, he has quality. With Mauricio Pochettino bringing through fresh, young talent at White Hart Lane, they need a level-headed leader to help them through.

Although Hugo Lloris is the official captain at Tottenham, Spurs still need leaders within the XI. Dembele does this alongside Jan Vertonghen and Eriksen, helping the young generation become the team of the future. Players like Kane, Alli and Dier need that unofficial leader, and Dembele is that man.

At the age of 28 he is, arguably, in his prime, and his experience will help those players, especially if Europa League progress continues. If he stays based in London, he can help push Tottenham to the big stage, and further his club legend status.

[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]

You know when one under-fire manager claims another manager’s job is on the line that something is going to explode very soon.

So when Crystal Palace’s Alan Pardew fired noticeable warning shots at Louis van Gaal ahead of the FA Cup Final, the managerial sack race took another twist – and could the Eagles man be dictating faith?

In all honesty, it’s a question many fans, players and pundits have probably thought about at some point this season. You need to consider and ask yourself whether a Sir Alex Ferguson team would have settled for a fifth place finish and an FA Cup win, but it very much seems like that is best case scenario at Man United this term.

That has led to many to debate whether or not the FA Cup is enough to save LVG’s reign, and with Jose Mourinho thought to be edging closer each day, will a win in May keep him in employment?

No would probably be the logical answer. When Fergie won the FA Cup for the first time during his United tenure, it was thought to be that which saved him from the chop, and we all knew what happened after. He went on to deliver 13 Premier League titles and four more FA Cups during his astronomic career with the Red Devils.

But in modern-day football you just don’t get that time anymore. Immediacy is the key to any successful spell, especially if you’re managing one of England’s most prestigious clubs. United have flirted with the top four for most of the season, but have never been in a definitive position to actively take the reigns and charge to the summit.

This has been made all the more disappointing due to the poor form of other ‘big’ clubs – with the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool all struggling to even get into the top six. As good as they’ve been, Leicester and Tottenham have been anomalies and had they not performed as well as they have done, United could have been up there with a chance of winning the crown.

But you must look to the example of Fergie and suggest the Dutchman could be given another chance if they win the FA Cup. Van Gaal has very much been behind the development of some of United’s best young players in years, giving them a chance to thrive in the first team and enthuse the Old Trafford faithful.

The form and general progress of Anthony Martial can also be accredited to the work of LVG. The Frenchman arrived in England with a big price tag and big boots to fill, and despite a somewhat slow start, he’s been excellent in the latter parts of the season. He shone in United’s FA Cup win over Everton and will be a huge asset to the team in the coming years.

But United need to win the cup first. Failure to do so will undoubtedly see Van Gaal sent on his way but who will come through the door? A special somebody, perhaps.

[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]

Danny Welbeck is in the form of his life at the minute, but that is not to say the ex-Manchester United man will be starting for England this summer.

Dat Guy has displaced the beautiful Olivier Giroud in the Gunners XI, but he’s yet to reach the brilliance of his North London rival, Hazza K. Welbz rounded the keeper beautifully to put Arsenal in the lead at Goodison, yet it would be some mammoth injustice if he starts for England in France this summer.

That conversion rate is nice and all, although the Manchester United reject doesn’t exactly warrant an England starting role just yet. His England goal scoring record is admirable, bullying the sort of international opposition that would struggle against the ex-Stoke City players who are being wheeled out for Andy Wilkinson’s testimonial.

Unfortunately, the revised XI isn’t quite enough. Welbeck still makes it in and the heroic Dele Alli doesn’t, the sheer immorality is crippling.

Welbeck’s game has looked a marked increase on Olivier Giroud’s lumbering turns and titanic acceleration, yet its not like scoring goals in this Arsenal side is the great challenge. Imagine the mouth watering prospect of Harry Kane linking up with these Arsenal midfielders, it’d be a massacre.

I’d dare say that shooting yourself is a step too far, mind.

Dat Guy is adored by the Gunners’ faithful for his tireless running and for being better than Olivier Giroud, alhough that doesn’t give him a divine right to start at the Euros.

If a fit Jamie Vardy or Harry Kane are left out for Welbeck, there has been some sort of failure in judgement from Hodgson that would be akin to picking Kevin Nolan as a sweeper keeper.

[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]

Arsenal fans are all in pretty joyous moods right now. Arsene Wenger’s men secured second spot on the final day of the season, piping Spurs to the runners-up position, meaning that Gooners have the north London bragging rights for the 21st year in a row.

Arsenal have recently signed Swiss star, Granit Xhaka, which will help bullpen the strength of their midfield. Incredibly, the Gunners are also linked with a move for Jamie Vardy.

Adding to the good spirits of the Arsenal fans is of course that EURO 2016 is underway in France this summer, but there are a few names in the Gunners’ ranks to have missed out on a spot at the showpiece tournament.

One in particular, is of course, Theo Walcott. Walcott was hailed by many as the next footballing sensation when he broke through as a teenager, but his career has never fully taken off.

Walcott was left out of Roy Hodgson’s England side after his dreadful season at the Emirates, and here are FIVE reasons why the flying attacker should leave north London this summer…

Game time

Walcott won’t be getting many minutes on the pitch next year if he stays at Arsenal. Not only do Arsenal have a whole list of pacey, skilful wingers, but the Gunners look to be strengthening their attack too in the transfer window. Walcott, at 27, will soon be hitting the peak of his career, a peak he surely doesn’t want to spend on the bench.

The fans

Moans, groans and all kinds of abuse can be heard from the stands at football matches nowadays, but none louder than when Walcott spurns an easy chance or runs into a cul-de-sac. The Arsenal fans have grown tired of Walcott’s lack of a ‘footballing brain’ and he could perhaps use a fresh start.

England

The World Cup is in just two years’ time. Walcott will be 29 when the competition in Russia kicks off and he will surely want to be involved in the England set up. Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Daniel Sturridge are all likely to be in the side and Walcott will really need to fight for a place in the squad let alone the line up!

[ad_pod id=’euro-2016′ align=’center’]

Star man

Walcott may not want to move to a ‘smaller club’ than Arsenal but there would be plenty of benefits.

At a club such as West Ham for example, Walcott would be far more valuable and the fans would respect him a lot more. nine goals and seven assists isn’t such an awful record after all, but playing in a team that once had Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp leaves fans with high hopes at all times.

[ad_pod id=’euro-2016′ align=’center’]

Striker

Walcott has always wanted to play up front but at Arsenal, his current role is mostly on the wing. If Walcott were to leave north London, there would surely be plenty of clubs that would be perfectly willing to play Walcott in a position of his choice, as he would be a star man for another team.

[ad_pod id=’euro-2016′ align=’center’]

England international Andros Townsend ended his short stint at Newcastle and secured a move back to the Premier League after signing for Crystal Palace on Friday morning.

This will no doubt be a blow to The Magpies but they can’t be too surprised that the former Tottenham winger isn’t staying around for life in the Championship.

Townsend would have obviously been disappointed not to have been called up to Roy Hodgson’s England squad, especially after his own impressive end of season form but after the past couple of weeks, maybe that’s not the worst thing in the world.

That end of season form was always going to alert a whole host of Premier League clubs and spark a race for his services. It was never going to be a matter of if he gets signed by a top flight club, but who he would end up signing for.

It’s fair to say that Townsend could have his pick of any Premier League club outside the top six. When playing for Tottenham it didn’t quite allow him to show his skills as the opposition were inclined to sit back more but after playing for both QPR and Newcastle, he has shown on a more regular basis of what he is capable of.

After links to a whole host of clubs it was a move back to London that appealed to Townsend the most and after Crystal Palace met the £13m release fee then the only thing that was missing was Townsend’s signature on a brand new contract.

He’ll go into a side that is known for it’s pacy wingers with both Yannick Bolasie and Wilified Zaha looking to torment defenders. But it must also be said that when these two were out injured Palace didn’t have a plan B, so by strengthening these wide ranks it should give them a few more options.

Going the other way in the deal was striker Dwight Gayle. He spent three seasons at the South London club but saw his game time decline with each one. During that spell he scored 15 Premier League goals but last season’s campaign only warranted three, as he was edged out of Alan Pardew’s plans.

Perhaps he can’t quite cut it at the top level but he looks useful at Championship level. He scored 13 in 29 for Peterborough in the 2012-13 campaign, that being just under one goal every two matches. If he can score at that ratio for Newcastle then that will go some way towards softening the blow of losing Townsend.

And with the addition of Bournemouth’s Matt Ritchie coming shortly after Gayle’s official unveiling, you can’t help but think Rafa Benitez has gone on to strengthen his side despite losing one of his best players, which should boost his side’s promotion chances next term.

This article was submitted via our Write For Us feature. Think you can do better? Submit your own article via the link below, and give yourself the chance of winning monthly cash prizes…

[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]

It is all change at Chelsea this summer.

With Antonio Conte installed as manager, the Italian boss is moving quickly to reinvigorate his flailing side after a terribly disappointing campaign last season.

A 10th place finish will not be tolerated again, and Chelsea must look to rebuild and redesign their problem areas – and perhaps the area with the most issues last year came at the back.

Injuries and form really hurt the Blues’ defence, often stumbling to cagey defeats and last minute goals.

That MUST change under Antonio Conte, and the only way to bring the Chelsea defence back up to par is to bring in some reinforcements – forming a new look Chelsea back line.

With that, this is Chelsea’s DREAM back four for next season including starlet Ola Aina.

 Right Back – Ola Aina

Defensive starlet Ola Aina has been the shock of the summer so far for Chelsea, with the young full back coming into the side during pre-season and taking to his new role like a fish to water amongst the more experienced members of the Chelsea first team.

Coming through the Chelsea academy, Aina recently signed a new four year deal with the club; and Antonio Conte clearly sees him as a future Chelsea star.

He has been picking up more minutes than any other player in the Chelsea squad so far, and so it seems inevitable that he will get a chance to impress in the first team next season.

With first choice right back Branislav Ivanovic out injured with a dislocated shoulder, the door has been left wide open for Aina to take his chance, and if his pre-season performances are anything to go by – he should have no trouble making the step up.

A pacey, technically gifted full back capable of playing on either side, he has everything needed to become a top star in the future.

 Centre Back – Kurt Zouma

Last season was not good enough for anyone in the Chelsea back line, but after Kurt Zouma suffered a season ending injury and left the first team fold, things got even worse for the Blues.

Despite his tender years, Kurt Zouma became a real mainstay of the Chelsea first team before his injury, and without him there the side really missed his physical presence and defensive ability.

He can read the game better than any player in that back line, and having the opportunity to play next to John Terry his game had improved ten-fold.

He is now fit again and looks raring to go in pre-season training, and he will no doubt find himself back in the first team fold as soon as possible.

Zouma is still young and raw, but like Ola Aina he has fit into the Chelsea first team with no issues at all. An easy choice for the centre of defence.

 Centre Back – Kalidou Koulibaly

With John Terry getting on and Gary Cahill often unreliable, bringing in a new central defender has been a priority all summer long for Antonio Conte, and it seems as though Kalidou Koulibaly has become the Italian boss’s first choice.

A strong, pacy defender, Koulibaly would fit right into this new look Chelsea back line.

Naturally left sided central defenders are a rarity in the modern game, with John Terry one of the last to slot in there comfortably, but Koulibaly is of the same mould – meaning he is the perfect man to take the place of JT in the starting line up long-term.

 Left Back – Cesar Azpilicueta

Many Chelsea fans would love to see Azpilicueta on the right hand side of the Chelsea defence, but over the last few seasons he has proved that he is the ideal man that you need at left back.

Defensively solid and one of the most consistent players to ever wear a Blue shirt, you know exactly what you’re getting with Cesar Azpilicueta.

Despite the club spending £20+ million on a left back last summer to replace Azpilicueta, he has refused to budge and was a standout performer in a generally poor Chelsea side last season.

He will rarely produce game changing crosses or passes, but rarely is Azpilicueta ever beaten at the back and he never has a bad game; he is EXACTLY what Chelsea need to rebuild their defence next season.

After the disappointment of losing at Wembley to Monaco in their Champions League opener Tottenham bounced back in the best possible fashion by beating Sunderland 1-0.

The scoreline suggests a tight game but Jordan Pickford rightfully won the plaudits that afternoon after his string of saves kept the score respectable.

That win saw Tottenham continue their unbeaten start and they now move to third in the Premier League. There is still a long way of the season to go but Spurs fans would no doubt be delighted if they could stay come the end of the season, especially with what is set to be a much tougher campaign this time around.

Mauricio Pochettino will probably dismiss any talk of the top four at such an early stage of the season but let’s now look at the three reasons why Tottenham can continue their top four run…

A mean defence

Tottenham’s defence is once again proving to be very strong. They have only conceded two goals in their first five matches and are yet to concede from open play. A defence that gave very little away last season was the bedrock of that impressive Tottenham side and it looks like being the case again this time around.

With Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld at the back they arguably have the best centre-back partnership in the Premier League and with England internationals Kyle Walker and Danny Rose on either side, this is a defence to be reckoned with.

Not only that but now this defensive tandem has had a season to bed in, they will look to be even stronger this time around.

But it’s not just the four names mentioned above. One of key strengths last season was that each player could be replaced with minimal disruption to the side. Kevin Wimmer, Kieran Trippier and Ben Davies are all more than able deputies and that will be important throughout the course of the campaign.

A squad game

One of the criticisms that Mauricio Pochettino came in for last season was the fact that he was perhaps too loyal to his key players. This led to key players probably playing a few too many games and it really started to show towards the final few games of the season.

The mitigating circumstances could well be the fact that Pochettino didn’t quite have the squad depth in which to rotate as much as he liked to – especially in midfield and attack – but with the new summer signings, it looks as if that issue has now been rectified.

With Moussa Sissoko joining other new faces Victor Wanyama and Vincent Janssen, it means Pochettino has options and he has already shown this season that he is not afraid to bench such stars as Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen. With there now being competition for places in the squad, this should invariably raise everyone’s game as they bid to make the starting eleven.

It also shows that Pochettino is willing to learn from his faults from last season and that can only be a good thing as it shows that he’s a manager who is always looking to adapt and improve. A good manager can identify weakness in his players but a great manager can identify weaknesses in himself.

Goals across the board

Harry Kane may have started slowly but even though he has only scored two league goals, it hasn’t been to the detriment to the side. The fact that the load has been spread around the Tottenham side has been a real positive and it’s going to be all the more important now that Kane is out for an unconfirmed amount of time.

With the addition of Vincent Janssen to the squad they finally have that backup striker that they have been craving for so long, and the aim for Janssen now is to get that first goal and make sure he doesn’t follow in the footsteps of the last No.9 they had at the club – Roberto Soldado.

With Heung-min Son bagging a double at Stoke and goals coming from Lamela, Wanyama, Rose and Alli, it shows that Tottenham are capable of scoring goals throughout the side and that will somewhat soften the blow of Kane’s recent injury.

As mentioned previously, with their defence being so tight, it means that they don’t necessarily have to score a hatful of goals to win a game, as victory against Sunderland proved. But should they be required to do so then they certainly have enough players who know where the net is in the hunt for all important league points.

Ultimately, if you finish in the top four  for one season, it’s no good just playing well in that competition, you need to make sure you play well enough to get back there year after year. It’s not going to be as easy for Tottenham this time around but they certainly have the means in which to do so, and it’s certainly not going to be dull in the last few months at White Hart Lane.

In just over three weeks’ time, we’ll have FIFA 17 disks gleefully slotting into our consoles of choice. September 29 is the magical date that all football-loving gamers are counting down to, with the annual release of EA Sports’ much-loved game growing closer by the second.

We’ve all seen the overall top 30 players in terms of ratings (if you haven’t, CLICK HERE), but what about the division we all care about the most: the Premier League? Well, here’s the moment of truth, the TOP TWENTY Prem players in FIFA 17 are below… and there’s a big Riyad Mahrez-shaped elephant in the room with the PFA Player of the Year not included! As well as this, ten of the players on the list played for clubs that finished outside of the top four last season.

20 – Philippe Coutinho

Liverpool’s only inclusion in the top 20 is Coutinho. The Brazilian combined decent shooting and passing stats, and is sure to be lethal in the right hands!

19- Willian

The standout Chelsea player from 2015/16, the Brazilian has a healthy looking 85 overall rating, with blistering pace his standout trait.

18 – Diego Costa

An old-fashioned centre-forward with 80+ shooting stats, Costa will be useful!

17 – Laurent Koscielny

The first defender to get a mention in the top 20, Koscielny will be widely used in Ultimate Team.

16 – Dimitri Payet

On the back of his heroics over the course of the past 12 months, Payet’s rating has leapt to 86, making him one of the Prem’s standout attacking midfielders.

15 – Vincent Kompany

An absolute beast at the back for Manchester City, Kompany will once again be a FIFA favourite.

14 – Cesc Fabregas

The silky Spaniard’s dribbling and passing stats make him a great central midfield option.

13 – Santi Cazorla

The impish Arsenal playmaker may not be physically imposing, but with passing and dribbling stats in the mid 80s, he’ll be a joy to control.

12 – David Silva

Man City’s magician is as good as ever with a tasty overall rating of 87.

11 – Alexis Sanchez

A real all-rounder, Sanchez looks likely to be one of the top attackers in the Prem.

10 – Hugo Lloris

With 90 for reflexes, there won’t be much getting past Spurs’ Lloris.

9 – Paul Pogba

The most expensive player in the history of the game will be loved by Man United fans, who will take advantage of his physicality and five-star Skill Moves rating.

8 – Kevin De Bruyne

The Belgian was lethal in FIFA 16 and looks likely to be even more so this year with 83 for shooting and 86 for passing making him a near perfect attacking midfielder.

7 – Eden Hazard

Chelsea’s Belgian remains an amazing talent despite a difficult year, and his overall rating of 88 is deserved.

6 – Petr Cech

The giant Czech goalkeeper is one of the best in the business, as reflected by his 88 rating!

5 – Sergio Aguero

The Argentine kicks off the top five, with his 89 pace rating looking extremely promising alongside 88 for shooting.

4 – Thibaut Courtois

Chelsea’s stopper is the second-highest rated goalie in the Prem with 89. Chelsea’s defence should be mean this year!

3 – Mesut Ozil

The supremely creative Arsenal man falls just shy of being in the ’90 club’, but he will be lethal in virtual form once again!

2 – David de Gea

Man United’s Spaniard is rightly crowned the top goalie in the Premier League, with his 90 rating a fair reflection of his qualities.

1 – Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Could it be any other player? ‘Ibra’ may not be quick across the turf, but there are few players with a more deadly shot and his physicality rating means he’ll be able to mix it with the best defenders easily.

[survey_monkey id=D9GJTJ8]

[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]

Three seasons ago, Liverpool almost sprang a surprise by winning the title under Brendan Rodgers.

Inspired by the partnership of Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and a very young Raheem Sterling, Liverpool swept aside opposition amassing 84 points and scoring 101 goals in the process.

The 2013/14 side has a lot in common with Jurgen Klopp’s Reds this year. Both were focused on attacking football and outscoring the opposition and both used tactics built on running the opposition into the ground.

Both sides also didn’t have European football to contend with.

Last season was seen as a bedding-in period for Klopp as he was given just over six months in the league to introduce his style of play and run the rule over his new players.

The decision is paying dividends for two reasons as Liverpool are playing with a passion and dynamism that went missing towards the end of Rodgers’ reign, while they also have a lighter schedule to boot.

Excepting injuries, the German has been able to select his best side in every match and have them fresh and ready to run for 90 minutes.

This was demonstrated in the first game of the season where Liverpool scythed through an Arsenal side depleted by missing their Euro 2016 players and an Alexis Sanchez jaded by Chile’s Copa America success. Even now they are fourth in the league, just two points off leaders Manchester City.

The Reds aren’t the only side set to benefit from an eased fixture list this season, with Chelsea and Everton also free from any European conflicts.

The Blues and the Toffees are sat just below Liverpool in the table in fifth and sixth respectively and have also been able to field their strongest teams for the majority of the season.

It has certainly made the job slightly easier for new managers Antonio Conte and Ronald Koeman, who were both installed in the summer. But how much of a difference does a lack of European football make?

Chelsea fans can point immediately to the impact Diego Costa has made as to what a difference a relaxed start can make.

The Spaniard is the league’s current top scorer with seven goals in eight games and has looked a lot more like the man who took the Premier League by storm when he first came to England in 2014/15.

Aside from looking sharper, Costa also seems to be managing his fitness a lot better. It’s early days, but the hamstring injuries that have plagued his last two seasons seem to be on the decline and the striker is completing 90 minutes more often.

Ronald Koeman has a smaller squad to work with than Klopp and Conte but has certainly been making the most of it. Barring a loss at Bournemouth and draw at Palace, Everton have looked in top form, tearing apart clubs lower in the table and holding their own against the top sides.

The Dutchman has been helped by having a side that is mostly fully-fit (Leighton Baines is the only player from the first eleven who is struggling) and is also able to rotate based on form.

Ross Barkley, for example, found himself on the bench against Manchester City last weekend. This could have been a tactical move from Koeman to nullify Guardiola’s midfield, but what is just as likely is that the midfielder was dropped for lack of form.

If Everton had Europe to contend with he may well have had to use an out-of-sorts Barkley in some form to prevent another player getting tired.

Some might say Klopp, Conte and Koeman will have a tougher time keeping their squads happy with less game time. In reality however, the opposite could happen – with less opportunities to get on the pitch and showcase their abilities, players may well work harder in training and put in improved performances when they get the chance.

This has already been the case at Chelsea with Victor Moses.

The Nigerian has been a bit-part player so far in his Chelsea career and hadn’t made any league appearances in the three seasons prior to this one, instead being shipped on loan to Liverpool, Stoke and West Ham.

Many expected the winger to be on his way when Conte arrived but the Italian had clearly seen something in Moses to keep him around. At first the Nigerian was making do with cameos off the bench but he has recently taken the right-midfield slot in Chelsea’s new 3-4-3 formation and looks set to continue for the time being, especially after scoring against Leicester last weekend.

Having no European football is certainly benefitting Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton for a number of different reasons and it will be interesting to see how fresh they are come the winter fixture pile-up.

If they are in as strong a position then as they are now, we may well see a few surprise names at the top come May.