Ahead of every weekend this season I will give you my three thoughts on what’s going on in the Premier League. These might not always be the biggest stories, but rather my personal observations as the games approach each Saturday.
Here’s what makes me somewhat intrigued ahead of Matchday 24.
Alexis Sanchez could transform Man United
The January transfer window often fails to meet the expectations of all those hacks who spent the month fabricating potential moves, but so far this January has been fun, something the NHL trade deadline isn’t.
Dominating the news this week has been the Alexis Sanchez–Henrikh Mkhitaryan swap deal. It is such a big move, it is this week’s Big Question. So, who will win this deal? The obvious answer is Manchester United, who acquire the better player, but that is not to dismiss the Armenian, who could be quite brilliant for the Gunners if he rediscovers his top form.
Mkhitaryan might be the replacement for Mesut Ozil at Arsenal, assuming he leaves in the summer. Ozil and Mkhitaryan are more similar than Sanchez and Mkhitaryan, although let’s be honest, on paper it does look as if Manchester United have won this deal. It is a throwback signing, to the days when United would blow all the competition out of the water for a player’s signature. A four and half year deal for a player in his late 20s is a gamble, but let’s not pretend Jose Mourinho concerns himself with anything that far down the line.
Versatility is the key word here, as Sanchez provides just that. He is a huge upgrade on both Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in the wide areas, and might well be an upgrade (at the very least a different option) to Romelu Lukaku up top, and could just as easily play off, or behind the big Belgian. Bottom line? United is a vastly better team with a happy and healthy Alexis Sanchez on its books.
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Theo Walcott starts anew at Everton
Filed under the “Things that make me feel really old” department is Theo Walcott’s move to Everton. The 28-year-old is 12 years removed from his heroics at the 2006 World Cup, where he stunned the entire squad by boarding the team plane to Germany as a teenager. Still, the raw potential had many an England fan dreaming of a future filled with World Cups and European Championships.
Sadly, his career fell well short of other such English hopefuls as Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, never reaching close to the heights that we expected. Sure, Walcott had his moments, and at times promised us all the potential would be fulfilled, but in the end, his was a disjointed Arsenal career, where “decent enough” was a term used far more liberally, than “great.”
Now it is up to Everton and Sam Allardyce. Big Sam has had success with technically gifted players before, but Walcott arrives, even now as he approaches his 30s, as a project. I have no idea where he fits in with the Toffees; out wide as per usual, or will he get his chance to finally play as a striker? There is something very poetic to see him on the same team as Rooney, though.
Has Liverpool turned a corner?
Liverpool travels to Wales to take on the slightly improved Swansea City on Monday night. The Reds are coming off their best performance of the season, a 4-3 win over Manchester City. That result followed an emotional Merseyside derby win.
Could it be that Liverpool have turned the corner, and that even without Philippe Coutinho they are now on the right trajectory to cement top-four football, and maybe an assault on the title next season?
Maybe, but then this is a team that has flattered to deceive before under Jurgen Klopp, and on more than one occasion have followed up a famous performance, with an absolute stinker. For example:
• Earlier this season, a brilliant 4-0 dismantling of Arsenal was followed up with a 5-0 loss to Manchester City.
• In October after destroying Maribor 7-0 in the Champions League, Liverpool then lost 4-1 to Tottenham.
• Last season, the Reds won a classic opener 4-3 versus Arsenal, but then lost 2-0 to Burnley.
• After beating Man City 1-0 last season, a poor 2-2 draw with the awful Sunderland followed.
• The same season, after drawing the almost unbeatable Chelsea 1-1 in January, Liverpool lost 2-0 to Hull.
• Then after beating Spurs 2-0, a 3-1 loss to Leicester followed.
The point is that consistency has haunted Liverpool since Klopp arrived, and a banana skin against Swansea after such a great result would surprise nobody.
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