Norwich drew for the third game in succession and remain winless under Chris Hughton after playing out an entertaining goalless draw with West Ham at Carrow Road.
The Canaries had taken a share of the spoils in their last two fixtures following the opening day hammering at the hands of Fulham and were hoping to take maximum points for the first time season at Sam Allardyce’s expense.
And Hughton should have been celebrating his first victory since taking over from Paul Lambert in the summer but saw his side pass up a number of gilt-edged opportunities during the 90 minutes.
They were indebted early on to Russell Martin for keeping the scores level after clearing Carlton Coles header off the line before goalkeeper John Ruddy repelled Kevin Nolan’s close range effort from Joey O’Brien’s cut back. Robert Snodgrass, Grant Holt, Sebastien Bassong & Andrew Surman were then denied by a combination of Jussi Jaaskelainen and the Hammers defence in a frantic bout of penalty area pingball.
Surman then thought he’d won a penalty for Norwich as the game approached half time after he was felled by a rash challenge from James Collins on the edge of the penalty area but referee Chris Foy correctly awarded a free kick. The Canaries continued to apply pressure after the break with Jaaskelainen tipping Simeon Jacksons stinging strike over the bar. Substitute Matt Jarvis then smashed an effort well over for West Ham whilst Collins headed just over with three minutes remaining.
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But they could have been heading back to East London with nothing to show for their endeavours only for youngster Harry Kane to squander a glorious chance two minutes into added time. The Tottenham loanee was played in by Snodgrass on the break but showed his inexperience tamely shooting straight at Jaaskelainen.
Throughout the season, Toby Alderweireld’s future at Tottenham Hotspur has dominated the conversation on social media.The Belgian centre-back is yet to put pen to paper on a new contract, which has sparked rumours that he could be on his way out of the door.Alderweireld’s future will become clear this summer, but many have tried to read between the lines.Since recovering from a hamstring injury in February, the defender has been in and out of the team.[ad_pod ]In fact, the 29-year-old has made just four appearances, and in only three of those did he play the full 90 minutes.On the final day of the Premier League season, Mauricio Pochettino’s side secured third position in the table in what was a dramatic match against Leicester City.In the end, the team earned a 5-4 victory, with Harry Kane and Erik Lamela getting on the scoresheet.Alderweireld started in what could end up being his last ever match for Spurs, and his post-match tweet sparked a big reaction from the fans.
Arsenal will look to keep the pace with the teams above them when they face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday night, but Gunners fans don’t want Alex Iwobi to keep his place in the starting XI.
With manager Arsene Wenger reverting to the 4-2-3-1 formation in recent weeks having favoured the 3-4-2-1 system earlier in the campaign, the Nigeria international was handed a start on the right-hand side in the 3-3 draw against Liverpool.
However, he didn’t make too much of an impression before being replaced by Danny Welbeck in the 78th minute, and the north London outfit’s faithful are hoping to see a change when they visit their neighbours from the capital.
Arsenal supporters were quick to have their say on the 21-year-old via social media, and while one said “I’m going to be vexed if Iwobi starts tonight”, another said ‘I beg you to drop Iwobi’.
Tomorrow marks the very last day of this year’s summer and the only souvenir you will have are the memories, the tan and the Facebook photos you took at Zante with your mates. Some of you didn’t have a good summer for various reasons; some got caught up on work, others had to retake a university course, others got dumped by their girlfriends and some others got a second degree burn at their holiday at Magaluf.
If you belong in the second category then don’t despair our dear reader because we know a very well known person who also had a bad summer and that is Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger.
The 63-year-old has been facing countless complaints from all sides because of the lack of signings and the poor image the squad showed last season. Arsenal seem to be pulling it together lately with two wins against Fenerbahce for the Champions League qualifiers and an impressive victory against Fulham at the Cottage. However, yesterday Luis Figo’s touch drew the Gunners alongside last year’s Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, old foe Marseille and Rafa Benitez’s Napoli.
Besides the difficult upcoming Champions League matches, the North London club has only managed to sign Yaya Sanogo and former Gooner Mathieu Flamini both on free transfer. Arsenal missed out on all of their big targets such as Gonzalo Higuain, David Villa and Stevan Jovetic and the transfer window slams shut in just three days. Wenger will have to rely on his current talent but unfortunately Lukas Podolski, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta are all suffering from injuries.
The Gunners don’t seem to be able to convince anyone but there is one thing that can turn all that contempt around and that is a win this Sunday against the North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
A triumph against Spurs would bring Arsenal back on the map as the best club in North London and, as a result, one of the best Premier League teams. This turn of events would restore serenity at the Emirates and would give an enormous morale boost to the manager, the players and the supporters.
Even if the Gunners don’t manage to advance to the Round of 16 in Europe they will still have the upper hand when it comes to the top four places of the Premier League. During his 17-year-reign at Arsenal, Wenger has never failed to advance in the Champions League and with that win the streak can definitely continue.
In addition, Spurs have improved drastically this season, even though they are losing Gareth Bale, as they have signed top quality players such as Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado, Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela. If the Gunners overcome a squad as greatly as improved as Tottenham then they can definitely pose a threat to all the other big clubs and possibly return to the title picture as serious contenders.
Numerous parties around Europe are not expecting much from Wenger’s team but after a good Sunday all their opponents might be alarmed and lose a lot of their confidence ahead of their clash with the North London team. Every European team are expected to be extra careful when they play an English club, especially at the away matches, but some get too tight in their game and thus are prone to mistakes on the back and midfield.
All sounds good but the best thing that will happen after an Emirates triumph is that the media will finally calm down. Wenger is no stranger to press conference outbursts but his latest in Constantinople shows that he has really had enough. But if his squad gets the better out of the North London derby and vanquishes their rivals then the media will have no other choice but to praise the Frenchman and his team.
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For the sake of argument though we need to admit that it is still too early in the Premier League, as proven by last week’s bore between Manchester United and Chelsea. Spurs have not yet reached their absolute potential which is shown by their two penalty wins against Crystal Palace and Swansea. The arrival of former Roma forward Erik Lamela is also expected to strengthen the front line, assist Soldado and offer some extra solutions to manager Andre Villas-Boas.
Other sceptics might debate Spurs’ quality and start comparing them to Arsenal’s Champions League opponents. Not sure about Marseille or Napoli, even though the latter have been reinforced greatly albeit Edinson Cavani’s departure, but Dortmund seem to impose the same threat as last year. Jurgen Klopp’s squad didn’t lose any key players and have instead strengthened greatly with the acquisitions of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
If Wenger wants to erase all that moaning then he will have to work extra hard for a win that could give his club the bragging rights of the best North London squad. If Arsenal win on Sunday then it is safe to say that from then on things will be looking up and the Frenchman will at least get to have a happy end to this summer.
With Premier League spending reaching £490 million it is easy to think that this summers transfer window was marked by the big money signings like Eden Hazard and Robin Van Persie.
While both players look set to be worth the significant outlay, looking through the list of transfers this summer there has been a number of shrewd signings that haven’t broke the bank.
In fact even some of the more significant transfers have been done relatively cheaply. The likes of Jan Vertonghen, Hugo Lloris, Lukas Podolski, Shinji Kagawa, and Marko Marin have all been near enough to the £10 million mark. And lets not forget about others such as Clint Dempsey and Adam Johnson. Few would argue against any of these players being good investements and great value for money.
Then we have the free transfers. Steven Naismith, Mladen Petric, and Hugo Rodellega look to be good acquisitions as free transfers go.
The big money moves will take the headlines but the cheaper transfers can be just as effective. Below are three players who could be the bargain’s of the summer.
Dimitar Berbatov
Officially the Bulgarian moved for an undisclosed fee, although it is thought he cost the Cottagers around £5 million. Berbatov had been on the periphery at Old Trafford but there is no doubt he still has something to offer the Premier League. The obvious criticisms about the strikers attitude and work rate remain but he is a wonderfully gifted football and guarantees goals. If he can recapture the form he showed under Martin Jol at Spurs he will be a great signing for Fulham.
Michu
The early signs would suggest that at £2 million, the Spaniard could be one of the signings of the season. Having scored three goals in two games Michu looks as if he will continue to get goals from midfield having registered 15 for Rayo Vallecano last season. There is more to his game, he is technically very good and given the transfer fee looks to be an inspired signing by Michael Laudrup.
Pavel Pogrebnyak
Scoring goals is so often a problem for newly promoted teams so securing the services of the Russian on a free transfer is a good piece of business. Pogrebnyak has proved he can cut it in the Premier League with six goals in 12 games for Fulham last season and if he can replicate that form over the course of the season he will be crucial to Reading’s survival chances. With promotion to the Premier League reportedly worth £90 million, this free signing could potentially be a fantastic return.
West Ham United fans are happy to see David Moyes leave the club this summer despite doing what he was tasked with and keeping them clear of relegation from the English Premier League.
It’s been a tough season for Irons fans and at one point they were in free-fall on their way to the Championship amidst supporter demonstrations and dreadful form.
Moyes though has managed to tap into a fighting spirit at the club and get the results required to stay clear of danger, eventually finishing nine points clear of the bottom three after victory against Everton on the final day.
With his contract reported to expire at midnight tonight, he is expected to move elsewhere.
Fans believe this is the best thing for the club, although recognise the job he’s done since arriving at the London Stadium.
Can the club now appoint a manager that not only gets results but also plays the kind of football supporters want to watch?
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Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on it all…
Raymond Domenech has told Hugo Lloris to spurn a move to Manchester United because they are not a bigger club than Tottenham, as reported in The Daily Mail.
The Spurs stopper is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s top goalkeepers, but with the North London club failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League, his future is up in the air.
United have been linked with a move for the French national team captain as a potential replacement for David De Gea, who is wanted by European powerhouses Real Madrid.
Despite this, the former France coach Domenech has stated that a move to Old Trafford would not be the right choice.
“I have no decision to take for him, but in my opinion he has to play in Chelsea, Arsenal, or Manchester City, to play in the European Cup,” he said.
“Tottenham is a big club – it is not the biggest. Manchester United qualified for the Champions League, but I can’t see really the difference with Tottenham.
“For me, it’s Chelsea, Arsenal, or Manchester City. Because I think Manchester United is no more a big club, in England, for me. I think like that.
“I think Arsenal will be every time a big club, Chelsea also – City is becoming a big club – but I think United is with Tottenham, with the other clubs. Not one of the biggest clubs, so there’s no difference.
“For me, he’s a great goalkeeper so he needs to be in the best English club, or French, or Italian, or German.”
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Spurs will be desperate to hold onto Lloris ahead of next season, with the White Hart Lane outfit looking to strengthen this summer and have another crack at the top four in 2015-16.
United fans will hope their side does not have to turn to Lloris, as this will mean that De Gea has opted to leave Old Trafford.
Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino has rejected talk Chelsea will sign Saints’ teenage ace Luke Shaw over the close season.
The left-back has been one of the south-coast club’s stand-out players this campaign and has been linked with Chelsea in recent weeks.
The 17-year-old is tipped to have a huge future in the game and has attracted plenty of scouts to St Mary’s this season after some outstanding displays at full-back.
Chelsea are thought to be weighing up a summer offer but Pochettino, when asked about the speculation, rejected those claims and even suggested the Londoners should be more concerned about Saints trying to sign their players this summer.
He said: “Perhaps we will go and get some Chelsea players ourselves. I think that [executive chairman] Nicola Cortese staying is the best possible news for next season.
“That is very good for the squad, for the whole club. We will talk about the summer and the budgets with Nicola.”
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The Premier League returned this afternoon with 6 games all kicking-off across the country.
Known for it’s surprises, the opening day of the 2012/2013 season was no different. After a squad overhaul, expectations were high at Loftus Road, and with the visit of Swansea, QPR had a great opportunity to get three points on the board. However, Michael Laudrup’s Swansea side had other plans, with new signing Michu scoring a brace, Nathan Dyer also claiming a brace and Scott Sinclair bagging a fifth goal to seal an emphatic victory for the swans. Mark Hughes was left disgruntled after a disappointing start to the season. QPR 0 – 5 Swansea
Elsewhere in London, Martin Jol’s Fulham side were evidently eager to get their season started with swagger, with Damien Duff, Alexander Kacaniklic and Steven Sidwell all scoring and new signing Mladen Petric bagging himself a brace. Chris Hughton’s Norwich simply could not impose themselves in midfield and suffered a telling loss. Fulham 5 – 0 Norwich
A new era at Anfield was ushered in by the appointment of Brendan Rodgers as manager. However, a trip to the Hawthorns to face Steve Clark’s West Bromwich Albion proved difficult for Rodgers and his Liverpool side. A goal before the break from Zoltan Gera placed West Brom firmly in the driving seat, and matters got worse for Liverpool as Daniel Agger was sent off in the 57th minute. Shane Long missed the resulting penalty, but this was soon amended as Peter Odemwingie struck 5 minutes later and loan signing from Chelsea, Romelu Lukaku, rounded out a fantastic win with a third. West Bromwich Albion 3 – 0 Liverpool
At Upton Park, West Ham returned to the Premier League with a win over Aston Villa, with Kevin Nolan scoring the winner just before the break. Reading’s return to the Premier League was not so glorious, as they conceded in the first half with Michael Kightly scoring on his debut for Stoke. However, the Royals rallied and earned themselves a penalty, with Adam Le Fondre converting from the spot in the 90th minute. Arsenal began life without Robin Van Persie with a goalless draw against Sunderland, whose resolute defense never looked like conceding. West Ham 1 – 0 Aston Villa, Reading 1 – 1 Stoke, Arsenal 0 – 0 Sunderland
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So what have we learnt from this afternoon’s action? Have any players in particular stood out for you?
West Ham United are celebrating securing their Premier League status tonight after a win against Leicester City and results elsewhere mean they can not be relegated this season.
Their 2-0 win away to the Foxes meant that a Southampton win later in the day would keep the Saints in touch, but a last minute Everton goal ensured the Hammers will start next term in the top-flight.
Fans were obviously delighted with the victory, offering particular praise to on-loan Joao Mario, whose goal opened the scoring before Mark Noble put the three points beyond doubt.
Mario has only made 12 appearances since joining in January but some supporters believe he has already shown enough to earn a permanent move to the London Stadium this summer.
Will the Hammers pay the money to sign him from Inter Milan or will they pass on the opportunity?
Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on it all…