As reported by The Mirror, West Ham United are interested in signing FC Basel attacking midfielder Mohamed Elyounoussi this summer.
What’s the story?
If the Hammers survive relegation this season then the summer transfer window will be a massive opportunity to add talent to the squad and rebuild a team that is significantly under-performing in the eyes of supporters.
With plenty of positions to strengthen, it’s important that they find players both good enough to make an impact in the top-flight but also affordable.
One such player that ticks the boxes is FC Basel midfielder Mohamed Elyounoussi.
The Mirror report that West Ham and Southampton are both monitoring the player and are weighing up making a move, with his club rating him at £15m, well within the budget of the Irons.
[ad_pod ]
Who is he?
Elyounoussi made himself known to English football just last week with a man-of-the-match performance away to Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League, setting one goal and scoring the other.
That contribution is part of a seven goal and 13 assist total this season, the kind of attacking performance that highlights he is ready to take his career to the next level.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The player has reached double figures for goals in every season since 2014, demonstrating that he can find consistency in performance, impressive for a player who is only 23.
The reported £15m is a drop in the ocean in today’s transfer market and so any move is relatively risk free for West Ham, who should definitely be interested in bringing the versatile attacker to the London Stadium this summer.
The January transfer window has never been the ideal opportunity to buy players, but gives Premier League clubs the chance to offload some deadwood from the wage bill before the season’s final run-in.
Nobody will know that better than Sam Allardyce – over the last few years he’s proved to be an exceptional operator in the transfer market, using his knowledge and negotiating to bring success at Bolton Wanderers and now West Ham.
And after spending around £30million during the summer, the Upton Park roster is looking a little overinflated. So with that in mind, here’s a list of FIVE players the Irons could axe when the transfer window reopens in January.
Some have contracts winding down, others want first team football and a few are simply surplus to requirements.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON BIG SAM’S BIG FACE TO REVEAL ALL
[/ffc-gallery]
ANDY CARROLL
With summer signings Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho already proving to be an incredibly potent, new-look strike-force, rumour has it West Ham are looking to sell club record signing Andy Carroll in January:
Co-chairman David Sullivan dubbed the Hammers’ £15million investment in the crocked front-man ‘a mistake’ during the off-season, having made just 15 Premier League appearances, scoring only twice, since the club acquired his services permanently from Liverpool in summer 2015. That was after a nine-goal loan spell the season previous, the highlights of which are viewable below:
//www.youtube.com/embed/Ntoi4rRMgsE?rel=0
The 25 year-old’s 6 foot 4 frame has come to epitomise West Ham’s direct style of play under Sam Allardyce, but with the East Londoners now branching out from their attritional roots, it remains to be seen just how well Carroll can perform under the new philosophy.
He’s currently sidelined once again after surgery on his ankle that will see him out until late November at the earliest, but that apparently hasn’t deterred interest from former club Newcastle:
Carroll claimed 31 league goals for his boyhood club, propelling them out of the Championship and netting eleven times in the Premier League before moving to Anfield for a £35million fee in January 2011.
Likely selling fee:£7million-£10million
WINSTON REID
In regards to key centre-back Winston Reid, West Ham find themselves between a rock and a hard place.
The New Zealand has been vital to the Hammers’ successes since moving to Upton Park after the 2010 World Cup; he was an important figure in the side that got them promoted back to the Premier League in 2012, and a year later earned the Hammer of the Year award.
Last season too, there was a clear correlation between West Ham’s form and the defender’s fitness – in his absence from November to February, the Upton Park side’s league position absolutely tanked. Here’s a look at the 26 year-old in a Man of the Match display against Newcastle:
//www.youtube.com/embed/vhYZjrgfBsA?rel=0
But Reid is yet to sign a new contract in east London, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season – an issue that’s been high on West Ham’s agenda since the summer.
A number of big Premier League clubs have taken notice, particularly Arsenal and Liverpool who are both currently enduring issues of fitness and form at the back:
And the Hammers will have to decide whether to get a return on their star defender when the transfer window reopens or risk losing him for free in the summer. Co-chairman David Gold however believes Reid could yet agree new terms with the club:
Likely selling fee:£4million-£7million
DIEGO POYET (on loan)
19 year-old midfielder Diego Poyet joined the Boleyn ranks this summer after claiming the Player of the Year award at Charlton Athletic, despite only making his Championship debut in February this year.
The son of Sunderland gaffer Gus is an incredible prospect; last season he averaged the most tackles per match of any second tier player, as shown below:
And considering he’s now contending with the likes of Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan, Alex Song and Cheikhou Kouyate, he’s done well to make two appearances in the Premier League already this season.
But he’s not quite at the level of the top flight yet (understandably, seeing as his competitive career thus far consists of just 22 appearances) and a loan stint back in the Championship could do Poyet a world of good – something that was mooted back in September when the emergency loan window first opened.
It seems the highly-rated youngster could do with some breathing space from Upton Park too – he’s still in the doghouse with Andy Carroll and the fans for some less-than-positive tweets about West Ham and their towering front-man from a few years ago were recently revealed:
Carlton Cole
//www.youtube.com/embed/0ZuCxU6Cw6M?rel=0
With rumours rife that Andy Carroll could be ousted in January and the potential for Senegal international Diafra Sakho to miss the busiest part of West Ham’s season with the African Cup of Nations, back-up striker Carlton Cole could suddenly emerge as an important player for the Hammers in the new year.
Furthermore, re-signing the 30 year-old mid-way through last season proved to be a shrewd move from Sam Allardyce – his six goals were vital in assuring the Hammers’ Premier League survival.
He’s already got off the mark this season too, netting in a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace.
But the former Chelsea, Charlton and Aston Villa front-man’s contract is up at the end of the season and the Irons will feel compelled to sell if a decent offer arrives in January. He was reportedly on the verge of joining Bournemouth during the summer:
And move to the Championship when the transfer window reopens – or one of the Premier League’s relegation battlers – remains a likely scenario.
It appears Adolf Hitler however, wouldn’t be too happy if that was the case:
//www.youtube.com/embed/5zV8ggnPKwM?rel=0
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Likely selling fee:£500k-£1million
MATT JARVIS
Matt Jarvis made his first appearance of the season against QPR on Sunday, having missed the start of the campaign due to a thigh injury.
But the Hammers have excelled in the winger’s absence, particularly attacking midfielders Stewart Downing, Ricardo Vaz Te, Mauro Zarate and Morgan Amalfitano, so it remains to be seen just how relevant Jarvis still is to the first team.
And in truth, the once-capped England international has never quite lived up to his billing since leaving Wolves for Upton Park in a £10million move two years ago, netting just four goals in the 64 Premier League outing since.
He’s yet to come close to paralleling his talismanic heights as Molineux, as shown in the below video:
//www.youtube.com/embed/7Atee3HsFy8?rel=0
West Brom were strongly linked to the 28 year-old during the summer:
And although Sam Allardyce issued a hands off warning at the time, West Ham’s impressive league form could convince him otherwise by January.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes the FA should punish Swansea defender Ashley Williams for kicking the ball at Robin van Persie’s head during their 1-1 Premier League draw.
The centre-back’s attempted clearance struck the Dutchman, who was on the ground following a challenge, with the whistle having already been blown.
Williams was booked for his part in the incident, but Ferguson believes he deserves greater punishment for his “deliberate” act:
“I think the FA has got to look into it. Irrespective of him having a yellow card he should be banned for a long, long time.” The Scot told Sky Sports after the game.
“It’s the most dangerous thing I’ve seen on a football field for many, many years.
“(It was) absolutely deliberate. The whistle’s gone, the game has stopped and he’s done that a foot from the player.
Fergie went on to suggest that van Persie was lucky to escape without injury:
“He could have killed the lad – it’s a disgraceful act and he should be banned for a long, long time.”
Williams played down the incident, claiming that it was purely accidental:
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“I tried to clear the ball it hit him on the head. I was trying to clear the ball. He was obviously a bit angry about that. It was a much ado about nothing.”
United took the lead through Patrice Evra, before Michu levelled with a close range finish.
Aston Villa continued their big English Championship promotion push on Tuesday night, storming to a 3-0 victory away to relegation strugglers Sunderland.
With just eleven games remaining before the end of the season and Cardiff City four points ahead in second place, it’s hugely important that the Villans pick up wins consistently and didn’t disappoint against the Black Cats.
Lewis Grabban got the opening goal against the club he impressed with earlier this season, which was followed up by a James Chester header and a Bryan Oviedo own goal.
Fans were delighted with Grabban’s performance and the striker himself likely enjoyed it too, given Chris Coleman’s comments earlier this week.
[ad_pod ]
Supporters believe him to be one of the signings of the season, a player who could be the difference between that automatic promotion spot and the play-offs.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Now with three goals in his last three matches, he’s certainly making an impression.
Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…
QPR are in real trouble at the moment. They currently sit at the bottom of the Premier League with four points, having scored only four goals while conceding 15 in seven games. The international break will give them a chance to find their feet and perhaps get back on track to achieve their target of avoiding relegation.
But what if they still struggle to find the goals come January? Here are FIVE striker options we think could solve QPR’s goal scoring problem.
[ffc-gallery]
CLICK ON ANDY CARROLL TO REVEAL THE FIVE
[/ffc-gallery]
Fill out our survey and win a pair of PUMA EvoPOWER boots as worn by Mario Balotelli, Cesc Fabregas and Marco Reus!
Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool.
[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]
Peter Crouch
Peter Crouch was a summer transfer target for QPR and could remain a target in January if the R’s struggle to find the goals needed. The Englishman has played under QPR manager Harry Redknapp before at Southampton, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur, and this would also be Crouch’s second spell at the London side as well. Crouch has two goals from seven games so far this season and is known for his strong presence in aerial duels, making him a useful tool. His age (33) may only make him a temporary solution, but with a market value of around £1.75m he might be a good option.
Gary Hooper
The 26 year old is current at Championship side Norwich but is yet to feature for them this season. During his time with the Canaries last season in the Premier League, Hooper only scored six goals from 32 league games, however he was prolific during his time at Celtic, 82 goals from 138 appearances. Redknapp could turn to him and attempt to pull out the form he showed north or the border.
Andy Carroll
The Englishman is currently out with an ankle injury he picked up during the pre-season and is yet to feature in the league for his current side West Ham this term. The Hammers seem to be coping without him as they currently sit in 7th in the league with Senegalese striker Diafra Sakho finding the net four times already in five games. This could mean that Carroll is now surplus to requirements, allowing a move across London to QPR. His transfer market value is around £8.8m.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Fabio Borini
The 23 year old is currently at Liverpool but has only featured in two of their league games so far this season. Liverpool are likely to want to hang onto the rights of the Italian until the end of his contract in the summer of 2017 unless the offer is right. Therefore, a loan move to QPR for the remainder of the season might be more viable. Last season whilst on loan at Sunderland, Borini quickly became a fan favourite, scoring seven goals in 32 league appearances – four of those goals coming in the last five games of the season. His transfer market value is around £7.5m.
Andre Ayew
Andre Ayew is in his final year of his contract at current French Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille and was close to a move to The R’s last summer. The 24 year old Ghanaian has an impressive goal scoring record in France, on average, scoring a goal every four games for the club. So far this season, he has scored two goals and earned two assists from nine league games. A move to QPR would see him link up again with Englishman Joey Barton, who went on loan to Marseille back in the 2012-2013 season. The goals Ayew can produce could be a huge boost towards QPR’s Premier League survival chances and solve their attacking problems. His current transfer market value is £11m.
Aston Villa recorded another vital point in their survival bid after holding in-form Stoke to goalless draw at Villa Park.
The stalemate extended Villa’s unbeaten run to four games and keeps them two points clear of the relegation zone as Paul Lambert prepares for a tough festive fixture list starting with a trip to Liverpool next week.
Potters boss Tony Pulis will be concerned that his side failed to break down the home side, who’ve also struggled in front of goals this season, and push themselves into contention for a European place.
Once again the talking pre-match point talking points were dominated by Lambert’s decision to leave Darren Bent out of the starting lineup despite coming up against a side renowned for their defensive strength.
Christian Benteke was again lead the line for Villa but couldn’t continue his recent goalscoring form although that was in large part down to Stoke skipper Ryan Shawcross, who produced a stunning block to stop the Belgian’s stinging volley from beating Asmir Begovic in the 12th minute.
Frustrations threatened to spill over when Ciaran Clark barged into Glenn Whelan just before the interval, sparking a slight skirmish that was quickly diffused by referee Roger East.
Both teams struggled to fashion any clear cut chances in the first half and it wasn’t until after the break that Benteke threatened again, but he could only shoot tamely at Begovic from Matthew Lowton’s knock down.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The visitors continued to look impotent in attack and their chances of leaving the Midlands with all three points were extinguished when Ryan Shotton was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 90th minute.
Shotton became the first player to be shown yellow card for back chatting an official, before being sent for an early bath after hacking down Fabian Delph.
Everton fans have been debating the sale of Ramiro Funes Mori, and it seems plenty of fans are unhappy with the defender’s move.
Funes Mori officially joined Villarreal last week, but fans are completely split on if it was the right call.
The tough tackling Argentine was never perfect, but he showed the fight and passion that fans expect as a bare minimum from their players, something that too many of the Toffees’ recent signings haven’t shown.
Marco Silva’s squad is now dangerously thin at the back, and the Toffees will surely bring in another central defender this summer.
Ashley Williams will follow Funes Mori out the door if fans have anything to say about it, as the Welsh captain has angered the Goodison faithful with his lack of discipline and effort.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257647″ player=”12034″ title=”Three reasons we love to hate… Brazil and Argentina”]
Phil Jagielka is now closer to 40 than 30 and Mason Holgate is still learning his craft, leaving just Michael Keane as a really dependable option at the heart of Silva’s defence.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Silva and Marcel Brands need to trim the squad and wage bill this summer, but fans clearly aren’t convinced they started in the right place, as slightly more fans voted to keep the 27 year-old defender than sell.
According to reports by the Chronicle Live, Nottingham Forest supporters are hopeful that they will sign out of favour Newcastle United loanee Jack Colback on a permanent deal this summer, and Magpies fans are all saying the same thing about him.
The 28-year-old fell out of favour under Rafa Benitez last summer after refusing to leave the club for geographical reasons even though he had offers in the table, and he was demoted to train and play with the youngsters before securing a temporary spell with Forest until the end of the season last month.
The midfielder has seemingly made a big impression for the Championship outfit, and the Chronicle Live has quoted a number of the City Ground faithful on Twitter that are keen to bring him to the club permanently.
Newcastle supporters were quick to have their say on the comments from Forest fans via social media, and they are all hoping for a similar outcome.
While one said “there’s quite a few NUFC fans hoping for exactly the same thing”, another told them to “crack on then!”
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew comes with more managerial lives than a cat. He’s survived relegation-threatened seasons, double defeats to local rivals Sunderland, seven-game touchline bans and a near-permanent frosty relationship with the fanbase since taking the St. James’ Park hotseat back in 2010.
But it appears the 53-year-old’s position as Magpies manager has now become untenable – the Toon currently find themselves at the bottom of the Premier League table with just two points in four games following a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Southampton at the weekend.
Pardew was already operating on borrowed time on Tyneside, so the tabloids have proceeded with haste in mooting potential replacements for the 53 year-old.
Thus, without further ado, here’s a list of FIVE potential successors to Alan Pardew at Newcastle.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON THE UNDER-FIRE GAFFER TO REVEAL ALL
One candidate for the Newcastle gig that’s already hit the tabloids is Hull City boss Steve Bruce:
The 53 year-old branded links with the Magpies post ‘disrespectful’ over the weekend, but heckled out of the Sunderland dugout in 2011 for being a ‘fat Geordie b*****d’, it’s no secret Bruce is a lifelong Toon fan. //www.youtube.com/embed/bHB_6vItYG8?rel=0 It could well be the managerial role he was born to take and consistent Premier League spells with Birmingham, Wigan Athletic, the Black Cats and now Hull City further back up the former Manchester United defender’s managerial credentials. Although Bruce is the tabloids’ pick as the next Newcastle boss and his stock in England is at an all-time high after guiding the Tigers to the 2014 FA Cup final – and subsequently, Europa League qualification – it remains to be seen if Mike Ashley is prepared to fork out a compensation agreement for his next manager. The Sports Direct owner’s prior history suggests an unemployed appointment is considerably more likely.
DAVID MOYES
Football – Everton v Manchester United – Barclays Premier League – Goodison Park – 20/4/14Manchester United Manager David Moyes Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Carl RecineLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
The bookies, on the other hand, are backing Manchester United flop David Moyes to become the next St. James’s Park boss.
The Scot endured a nightmare ten months in charge at Old Trafford, leading the Red Devils to the worst title defence in Premier League history since the 38-game season began. In case you need to remember how bad it got…
//www.youtube.com/embed/i7W4xh7s5n8?rel=0
But Moyes’ sensational rise at Everton has not been forgotten – he transformed the Toffees from relegation candidates into top six regulars during his eleven years at Goodison Park. In that time, he won the LMA Manager of the Year award three times; in 2003, 2005 and 2009.
The 51 year-old needs to rebuild his reputation after the hellish United stint and rejection from Galatasaray earlier this summer further suggests he’ll be prepared to take on a less coveted club.
But Moyes was on £4million-per-year at Everton and £3.5million-per-year at Manchester United, so in terms of potential wages, he’s by far the most expensive option on this list.
TONY PULIS
//www.youtube.com/embed/t_x4XzBnrww?rel=0
After transforming Stoke City into the sturdy mid-table Premier League side they are today and producing nothing short of a footballing miracle at Crystal Palace last season, Tony Pulis has to be considered a strong candidate for almost any top flight vacancy.
Indeed, the 56 year-old picked up the Eagles in November last season with just seven points but guided them to a shock 11th-place finish. That marked the first Premier League survival in the club’s history and saw Pulis named Manager of the Season.
The former Bristol City, Gillingham and Potters gaffer has made his reputation from overachieving with underwhelming budgets – something which will certainly appeal to Mike Ashley.
But he left Palace by mutual consent at the start of the current season reportedly due to a dispute over control of transfer policy at Selhurst Park, and it remains to be seen how much license Ashley would issue Pulis in terms of recruitment.
His long-ball philosophy too, although clearly effective at top flight level, may not sit well with the Toon faithful who still remember the free-scoring days of Kevin Keegan’s tenures.
Either way, the Newcastle owner will have to act quickly with Pulis strongly tipped to take over from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Cardiff City:
NEIL LENNON
Neil Lennon left Celtic at the end of last season on his terms and the former Hoops captain was billed as a candidate for several Premier League and Championship jobs available at the time.
Indeed, after claiming three consecutive SPL titles with the Bhoys, two Scottish Cups and masterminding some of the most memorable European nights in the club’s history, including this Champions League victory over Barcelona…
//www.youtube.com/embed/E9be3uZYvBg?rel=0
…the Northern Irishman’s planned move to English football felt inevitable. But he’s still waiting for the perfect opportunity and that could well be Newcastle, although a lack of managerial experience in the Premier League will work against him.
Lennon is a feisty character and no stranger to touchline confrontations:
//www.youtube.com/embed/iv6qCSXmp04?rel=0
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
But he offers great potential as a manager and could prove an inspired choice for the Toon dugout.
STEVE CLARKE
One of the rank outsiders with odds of 33/1 – rather worryingly, the same odds as Joe Kinnear – is former West Brom boss Steve Clarke.
The 51 year-old may not have the faith of the bookies but he knows St. James’s Park well, having worked as assistant to Ruud Gullet from 1998-99, helping the Magpies reach the 1999 FA Cup final, before acting briefly as caretaker following the Dutchman’s resignation.
Although his Hawthorns stay was Clarke’s only spell as a No.1, he’s served as assistant at Chelsea, Liverpool and West Ham, working with the likes of Jose Mourinho, Gianfranco Zola and Kenny Dalglish, and is held in high regard throughout English football.
He also guided the Baggies to eighth during his first ever season as a permanent manager, recording their highest win percentage in the Premier League era and the club’s best top flight campaign since 1981. The season will be remembered most for this 5-5 victory with Manchester United on the final day:
//www.youtube.com/embed/1rKOdVAKTv8?rel=0
The former Chelsea defender was given his marching orders in December 2013 however after a run of four straight defeats, a decision viewed by many as exceptionally harsh. Clarke was then placed on gardening leave until May 2014, and surprisingly missed out on the recently-vacated Crystal Palace job to Neil Warnock.
His hard-working philosophy suits the Magpies well but as previously mentioned, the don’t bookies believe he’s one of Mike Ashley’s priority choices.
Emmanuel Adebayor went from hero to zero for Tottenham after his red card opened the door for former club Arsenal to storm to victory in the North London derby. The Togo striker had earlier given Spurs the lead before receiving his marching orders for a lunging tackle on Santi Cazorla.
That opened the flood gates and Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud all struck before the half time whistle to send the Gunners into the break 3-1 ahead. Cazorla added a fourth on the hour mark before Gareth Bale reduced the arrears 11 minutes later. But Theo Walcott would have the final say as he capped off a fine afternoon’s work, firing home a fifth goal to lift Arsene Wenger’s men above their capital neighbours in the table.
Norwich pulled off the shock of the day as they registered their fourth home win on the spin to beat Manchester United at Carrow Road. Former United trainee delivered the hammer blow on the hour mark, losing marker Chris Smalling before sending a looping header over Anders Lindegaard and into the net. Try as they might the visitors couldn’t find a way past John Ruddy in the home goal as they succumbed to only their second defeat to the Canaries in 15 Premier League meetings.
And neighbours City took full advantage as they stole top spot with a thumping 5-0 win over struggling Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium. David Silva got the ball rolling, bundling home the opening goal two minutes before half time before Sergio Aguero calmly slotted home from the spot after Andreas Weimann’s handball. Barry Bannan was punished for a similar misdemeanour in the 65th minute, Carlos Tevez this time converting from 12-yards before Aguero put the finishing touches to a swift counter attack two minutes later. And 16 minutes from time Tevez completed the scoring by tapping home Samir Nasri’s low cross.
West Brom continued their fine start to the season with a surprise win against title chasing Chelsea at the Hawthorns. Roberto Di Matteo’s first return to the West Midland’s didn’t go to plan as former Blues coach Steve Clarke guided the Baggies to a memorable victory and into a Champions League place. Shane Long’s close range header on 10 minutes gave the home side the lead but a period of sustained possession finally produced an equaliser six minutes before the break, courtesy of Eden Hazard nodding home Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross. However the visitors fell behind again just after the break as Peter Odemwingie converted what proved to be the winning goal from Long’s near-post delivery.
Luis Suarez continued his fine form, scoring twice for Liverpool as they easily beat Wigan at Anfield. The Uruguay international was linked with a move to Manchester City during the week but reaffirmed his commitment to Reds with a virtuoso display that saw him open the scoring two minutes after the break, firing the ball high past Ali Al-Habsi following good work from Raheem Sterling. And just before the hour he netted his second of the game and 13th of the season, poking the ball home after latching on to Jose Enriques pass. The Spanish defender then got in on the act, notching his first for the club five minutes later to round off an impressive victory.
QPR’s woes deepened as they made it 12 games without a Premier League victory after losing against bottom three dwellers Southampton at Loftus Road. The pressure is now beginning to build on Mark Hughes to turn around Rangers’ fortunes and they faced another uphill battle after Rickie Lambert broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute to put the Saints in front. That was doubled in first half stoppage time as Jason Puncheon fired home. After being booed off at the break the hosts responded and four minutes after the restart Junior Hoilett nodded in from Adel Taarabt’s pinpoint delivery. But any hopes of nicking a point were extinguished seven minutes from time as Anton Ferdinand turned Morgan Schneiderlin’s cross into his own net.
Fellow basement boys Reading finally ended their long search for a top-flight victory, coming from a goal behind to beat Everton 2-1 at the Madjeski Stadium. It appeared to be service as normal for the Royals as a comedy of defensive errors led to Steven Naismith poking the ball into the net to give the visitors a 10th minute lead. It wasn’t until the second half that the Royals started to threaten the Toffees goal and equalised through Adam Le Fondre brilliant header in the 51st minute. And the former Rotherham striker proved to be the match winner for the home side, beating Tim Howard from the penalty spot 11 minutes from time after being fouled by Seamus Coleman in the box.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Swansea took advantage of Newcastle’s poor form to consign Alan Pardew’s men to a second successive defeat at St James’ Park and lift themselves into the top half of the table. Michael Laudrup’s side were by far the better team on Tyneside but had to wait until the 58th minute before breaking the deadlock. A woeful clearance from Tim Krul fell to Pablo Hernandez, who crossed for Michu to head past the Holland keeper. The victory was wrapped up with three minutes remaining as Jonathan De Guzman smashed home after Krul had parried substitute Danny Graham’s striker, before Demba Ba headed a consolation for the Magpies in injury time.