Stories By Greg Lea

• Sport

  Who will win the battle for the 22/23 Premier League Golden Boot?

  For much of last season, it looked like Mohamed Salah would win the Golden Boot at a canter. But the Liverpool forward’s drop-off in form after the Africa Cup of Nations opened the door to Son Heung-min, who grasped the opportunity with both hands.

• Sport

  How will Brazil and Argentina fare in 2022 Qatar World Cup?

  June 30th will mark the 20th anniversary of Brazil’s World Cup triumph in Japan and South Korea. In the two decades since, no South American nation has lifted the famous trophy – the longest ever wait (in terms of the number of tournaments) for the continent which supplied the very first World Cup winners, Uruguay in 1930.

• Sport

  Next season Spurs’ best chance of winning Premier League title?

  It has been a good few weeks for Tottenham Hotspur. Just over a fortnight ago, Antonio Conte’s side wrapped up a top-four finish in the Premier League by demolishing Norwich City on the final day. That win at Carrow Road secured their place in next season’s edition of the Champions League after missing out for two years on the bounce.

• Sport

  Hasenhuttl’s Saints could go marching into the Championship

  Had the Premier League season gone on for a few more weeks, Southampton could have been in real danger. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side finished five points clear of the relegation zone but ended the campaign on a four-game losing streak.

• Sport

  Can Marsch mould Leeds into top-half contenders?

  Leeds United have another season of Premier League football to look forward to. Jesse Marsch’s side had to better Burnley’s result on the final day of the campaign, and that is exactly what they did.

• Sport

  Hammers deliver blow to Manchester City’s title chances

  At 2.45pm on Sunday, it looked like being the perfect weekend for Liverpool. Less than 24 hours earlier, the club had won its first FA Cup in 16 years as Jurgen Klopp’s side beat Chelsea on penalties after a 0-0 draw at Wembley.

• Sport

  Patrick giving Crystal Palace fans plenty to smile about

  Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace beat Watford 1-0 on Saturday, just as they did when the Hornets last visited Selhurst Park in March 2020. But apart from the scoreline, there were very few similarities between that match two years ago and the contest which sent Watford down to the Championship at the weekend.

• Sport

  What does Romelu’s future Luk like?

  With Chelsea searching for a goal against Everton on Sunday, Thomas Tuchel turned to his bench on two occasions. At half-time, Mateo Kovacic was brought on in place of Jorginho. Then, with Chelsea trailing 1-0, a double substitution saw Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic enter the fray with 22 minutes of regulation time remaining.

• Sport

  Premier League relegation battle reaching boiling point

  The pressure was on Everton when they took to the field on Sunday afternoon. Burnley’s victory over Watford the previous day left the Toffees five points adrift of safety. Frank Lampard’s side were in desperate need of a win, but it was the European champions Chelsea who stood in their way.

• Sport

  Clarets show there is life after Dyche

  When Sean Dyche led Burnley into Europe in 2018, a pub opposite Turf Moor vowed to honour the club’s manager. ‘The Princess Royal’ became ‘The Royal Dyche’. The pub was typically busy ahead of Burnley’s crunch clash with Southampton on Thursday.

• Sport

  Should Watford have stuck with Xisco?

  It is tempting to wonder what position Watford would be in now if Xisco Munoz was still in charge at Vicarage Road. The Spaniard, who guided the Hornets to promotion from the Championship last term, was sacked in early October.

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