Stories By Greg Lea

• Sport

  When will the EPL provide a Ballon d’or winner?

  On Monday evening, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or Neymar will win the 2015 Ballon d’Or awarded to the footballer considered to have been the best in the world in the last calendar year. When will the EPL provide a Ballon d’or winner? Ronaldo has received the prize in both of the last two years, but it is widely expected that Messi will take the award home for the fourth time.

• Sport

  Aguero shows class again but can they keep him fit?

  Aguero shows class again but can they keep him fit? It is a sign of the high esteem in which Sergio Aguero is held that stadiums tend to fall silent whenever he gets the ball inside the penalty area. That is exactly what happened on numerous occasions in the opening half of Manchester City’s come-from-behind 2-1 win over Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

• Sport

  After an outstanding year, Crystal Palace target Europe

  After an outstanding year, Crystal Palace target Europe. It was not the perfect end to 2015 for Crystal Palace, but it was not a bad way to round off a fantastic year either. Monday’s 0-0 draw with Swansea City extended the Eagles’ unbeaten record to six games and kept them within four points of the Champions League places at the midway point of the campaign.

• Sport

  BIG WEEK FOR ENGLISH CLUBS TO PROVE THEIR QUALITY IN UCL

  If 2015/16 was supposed to be the season when English clubs re-established themselves as a genuine force in Europe, there has been little evidence of a renaissance up to now. Ahead of the final group games of this year’s Champions League, Manchester City are the only Premier League side to have already sewn up their progression into the knockout phase, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United all just a loss or draw away from elimination at the first hurdle.

• Sport

  SANCHEZ ADDS TO ARSENAL’S INJURY WOES

  Sanchez adds to Arsenal’s injury woes. After 40 minutes of Arsenal’s encounter with Norwich City at Carrow Road on Sunday, only one outcome looked likely. The Gunners were utterly dominant and barely allowed their opponents out of their own half for most of the first period, with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil – the duo who combined for the opening goal, created by the Chilean and scored by the German – looking particularly dangerous whenever they picked up the ball.

• Sport

  Depay shows why it is too early to write him off

  Depay shows why it is too early to write him off. A string of injuries is often spoken of as a crisis, but Manchester United’s spate of absences ahead of Saturday’s clash with Watford would have been viewed as an excellent opportunity by Memphis Depay.

• Sport

  Willian a rare bright note in poor Chelsea season

  Willian a rare bright note in poor Chelsea season. There have not been many positives for Chelsea to take from their opening 12 matches of the Premier League campaign. The defending champions were widely tipped to win a second consecutive title this term but, less than a third of the way into the season, those hopes lie in tatters.

• Sport

  IS LUIS SUAREZ WORTHY OF A PLACE AT EUROPE’S TOP TABLE?

  It is a duopoly that has dominated the world game for seven years: not since 2007, when Kaka was crowned the best footballer on the planet, has anyone but Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi won the Fifa Ballon d’Or.

• Sport

  SANCHEZ BACK TO HIS BEST AS ARSENAL TITLE BID GATHERS PACE

  It may have taken him a while to get going, but there is no doubt that Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez has now recaptured his best form as the first quarter of the Premier League season comes to a close.

• Sport

  INTERNATIONAL CALL-UP NOT MERELY A REWARD FOR CLUB FORM

  International Call-Up Not Merely a Reward For Club Form   In terms of the quality of football on display, it is becoming increasingly difficult to argue that the World Cup today is superior to the latter stages of the Champions League.

• Sport

  EXCITING MANE TAKING THE PREMIER LEAGUE BY STORM

  The aftermath of Chelsea’s 3-1 defeat to Southampton on Saturday was inevitably dominated by talk of Jose Mourinho and the Blues’ ongoing failings. The Saints, though, deserve plenty of credit for a comfortable victory at Stamford Bridge, with one of the visitors’ players putting in a particularly excellent performance.

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