10 minute read
A THREE-WAY SPRINT
THE UGLY
The return of supporters and the atmosphere of full stadiums at the start of this season after a year of largely playing behind closed doors was and continues to be a thrill to behold. It’s almost as if match-going fans have reminded us all how their presence adds so much more to the footballing spectacle. However, some fans have taken things way too far, with a concerning rise in unsavoury incidents over recent months. After the disorder outside Wembley which marred the Euro 2020 final in July, behaviour among a small but very visible minority has spoiled an increasing number of games. In January alone, four players were struck by objects thrown from the crowd. A lighter was aimed at Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger in their win over rivals Tottenham, while Burnley’s Matthew Lowton and Aston Villa duo Matt Cash and Lucas Digne received on-field treatment after being hit by plastic bottles against Leeds United and Everton respectively. It’s an issue not just confined to the Premier League either, as two League One fixtures saw lengthy stoppages due to o ensive chants from the stands, and Cardi City o ered to pay fellow Championship club Bristol City for structural damage supporters caused to their stadium. Flares and pitch invasions are also becoming more frequent, with examples such as in the Carabao Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Liverpool, and Leicester City’s FA Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest. All this is being backed up by the statistics, as figures released in January showed a 47% rise in football-related arrests in England compared to 2019-20, before the start of the pandemic. Although the situation is far less serious than it was decades ago, a worrying trend has begun to develop and the police are set to meet with the Premier League and other stakeholders in order to address these issues.
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ABOVE: Lucas Digne needed treatment after being struck by a missile thrown from the stands against former club Everton
LEFT: A lighter was aimed at Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger
TOP (OPPOSITE PAGE): Wolverhampton players celebrating
BOTTOM (OPPOSITE PAGE): Jesse Lingard in action
Romelu Lukaku has taken to social media to send a cryptic message just weeks after being forced to apologise to Chelsea fans for a controversial interview. Lukaku admitted that he wasn't enjoying the tactical setup at Chelsea while saying that he hoped to return to Inter one day, with the Belgian forced to apologize shortly after. The striker posted a simple message on his public Snapchat, saying: "If you have to force it then it probably doesn't fit." Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne has revealed that Michael Owen was his favorite player growing up. The Belgium international midfielder cited the former Liverpool striker's 1998 World Cup goal vs Argentina as the main reason he idolized the forward. De Bruyne would have been seven years old at the time that Owen scored that goal, telling BT Sport when asked who his childhood idol was: "Michael Owen. When I was young, it was Michael.’’
GOING UP
They’ve gone about their business very quietly and e ciently, but Wolverhampton Wanderers are slowly emerging as surprise contenders for a top-four place. Appointed in the summer, manager Bruno Lage has done an impressive job, with his tactical awareness making his side competitive in every match and extremely di cult to score against.
GOING DOWN
This has been a largely miserable season for Jesse Lingard, and not of his own making. Having chosen to stay at Manchester United last summer after being promised more firstteam football, that hasn’t materialised at all, and now yet more frustration awaits after being denied a January move at the eleventh hour.
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has o ered an update on Youri Tielemans' contract situation amid reports that Liverpool and Arsenal are both interested in signing the Leicester midfielder. The Leicester boss has previously admitted that Tielemans has "reached a point where he's going to be attractive for other teams" and "has to ensure he looks at every option". Rodgers has now also conceded that the Foxes are not in a position to prevent their best players from moving on if a bigger opportunity arises elsewhere. The Belgian's current deal at the King Power Stadium runs out in 2023 and it has been reported that he won't be signing an extension.
TOP 6 PREMIER LEAGUE WINTER SIGNINGS 2022
Liverpool's Luis Diaz reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Leicester City
Burnley had access to €30 million in funds after selling New Zealand international Chris Wood to Newcastle. Sean Dyche chose to reinvest €14 million of it to bring in Wout Weghorst, who had hit 20 Bundesliga goals last season. The Netherlands international had a stellar debut against Manchester United as he bagged an assist in Burnley’s 1-1 draw against the Red Devils.
Kieran Trippier’s move to Newcastle sees him return to the Premier League after a two-and-a-half-year stint with Atletico Madrid. The right-back was the first signing made by the Public Investment Fund, kicking o a new era in the Tyneside club’s history. Atletico Madrid received €15 million upon sanctioning the transfer.
Lucas Digne has been among the Premier League’s best left-backs recently. A consistent performer for most of his Everton career, Digne flattered to deceive this campaign. A move was imminent, and the Merseyside club couldn’t help but accept Aston Villa’s €30 million bid for the player.
Newcastle United spent around €100 million in January, and €42.1 million of that money went to securing the signing of Bruno Guimares from Lyon. The Brazilian midfielder had caught the eye of several clubs across Europe, including Premier League giants Arsenal. The fact that a relegation-threatened club managed to snap him up ahead of the Gunners shows that the Newcastle revolution is set to begin.
Liverpool were one of the few Premier League giants to make a significant signing in January. With their €45 million acquisition of Luis Diaz, Jurgen Klopp will look to provide competition to the likes of Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota. Like Salah, Mane and Jota, Diaz is also a goalscoring winger. Klopp has had immense success in turning promising gems into world-class players, and the 25-year-old is expected to tread along that route.
On Deadline Day of the January 2022 transfer window, Cristian Eriksen signed for Brentford, marking his return to the Premier League. Since he was a free agent, the Bees did not have to pay a transfer fee for him. He was solid in the league when he represented Tottenham Hotspur. Brentford fans will be hoping for the Dane to recreate his past exploits. He has signed a six-month contract until the end of the 2021-2022 season.
Danish soccer player Christian Eriksen is presented as a new player of English Premier League soccer club Brentford F.C.
BELOW (MAIN): Napoli’s forward Dries Mertens (L) jubilates after scoring a goal during the Coppa Italia round of 16 match between SSC Napoli and ACF Fioren tina
LEFT: Napoli's Juan Jesus
a three-way sprint
Things really started to heat up in the Serie A title race after Milan’s victory in the Derby della Madonnina in early February cut Inter’s lead to just one point. A three-way sprint is starting to look likely now heading into the spring, with Milan and Napoli breathing down Inter’s neck. Oliver Giroud’s brace for Milan in their 2-1 derby victory over Inter on February 5 certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons at the top of the Serie A table. That was the first loss for the Biscione since October, when they su ered a 3-1 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico against coach Simone Inzaghi’s former side, Lazio. By the end of that weekend, they were sitting just one point ahead of the Rossoneri and Napoli, however, they still had a game in hand. The Nerazzurri’s unbeaten run had lasted 14 matches and included six clean sheets in a row, proving just how di cult last season’s champions are to beat. In contrast, Stefano Pioli’s side ended a twomatch winless run in the derby, after a shock 2-1
Thome defeat to Spezia and a hard-fought goalless draw with Juventus at San Siro the previous week. Meanwhile, Napoli put a dreadful December behind them where they won only one of their five leagues that month, including home defeats to Atalanta, Empoli, and Spezia by winning four on the bounce. The Partenopei went on a strong unbeaten run at the start of 2022, while Luciano Spalletti’s men seem to be over the bad luck that saw their squad decimated by injuries and Covid-19 absences between November and January. As we head into spring, the Serie A title race appears to be a battle between Inter, Milan, and Napoli, although Juventus may believe they have a chance of re-entering the debate. The Azzurri had set the early pace in the first few months of the season, winning their opening eight games before Jose Mourinho’s Roma battled to a goalless draw at the Olimpico in October. The Rossoneri leapfrogged Napoli at the top of the table by going unbeaten through their first 12 matches, before back-to-back defeats to Fiorentina and Sassuolo at the end of November. The Neapolitans reclaimed top spot following an excellent 4-0 victory over Lazio at the Stadio Diego Armando
ABOVE: Can Luciano Spalletti lead Napoli to their first title since 1990?
BELOW: Ibrahimovic is leading by example
TOP RIGHT: Napoli in action against AC Milan
BOTTOM RIGHT: Inter Milan vs Roma
‘MILAN HAVE SURPRISED MANY BY LASTING THIS LONG’
FIVE CRUCIAL FIXTURES IN THE TITLE FIGHT
With three teams likely to be battling it out for the Scudetto, Ciro Di Brita points out five key dates for your calendar
NAPOLI V MILAN - 6 MARCH Milan travel to Naples in the first week of March in what could prove to be a massive clash in the Scudetto race. Victory for either side would provide them with a huge boost for their final 10 fixtures.
JUVENTUS V INTER - 3 APRIL The Derby d’Italia will be played on matchday 31 and Juventus will be happy to derail Inter’s title challenge. The Bianconeri have improved under Max Allegri as the season has progressed and this trip to the Allianz Stadium is a tough one for the champions.
NAPOLI V ROMA - 16 APRIL After Roma put on a defensive masterclass in the reverse fixture, we can expect Jose Mourinho to deploy similar tactics in the return. The home crowd will do their best to pull the ball into the away net, but Napoli’s ability to break down the Giallorossi could be huge for their title hopes.
INTER V ROMA - 24 APRIL Mourinho returns to San Siro for the first time in the league in matchday 34, with both teams needing a victory for di erent objectives. With Milan travelling to the capital to play Lazio the same weekend, this Milan-Rome double-header could be pivotal in the title race.
MILAN V ATALANTA - 15 MAY Milan host Atalanta on the penultimate day of the season, with Rossoneri fans hoping their title aspirations are still alive at that point. If they are, this will be a huge game against La Dea, with Inter travelling to Cagliari and Napoli hosting Genoa over the same weekend and all three having winnable fixtures on the final day.
