Stories By Greg Lea

• Sport

  A West Ham season promising little is producing a lot

  The season was just one game old but already West Ham United appeared to be in disarray. A 2-0 home defeat by Newcastle United on the opening weekend was bad enough. Worse still was that the revolt seemed to be spreading from the terraces to the dressing room.

• Sport

  Liverpool front three stuttering at the worst possible time

  When Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez suffered season-ending injuries earlier in the campaign, Liverpool’s task of retaining the Premier League title got a great deal harder. The Reds have indeed stuttered in recent weeks and now sit fourth in the table, but their defence has not been the problem.

• Sport

  Burnley takeover adds new chapter to Sean Dyche fairytale

  Much like his team’s defence, he wasn’t giving much away. Quizzed on his plans under a new ownership group that was on the verge of completing its takeover of the club, Burnley boss Sean Dyche insisted he knew less about the impending deal than the inquisitive reporter.

• Sport

  Has Mourinho finally lost patience with Alli?

  The January transfer window is open, and Tottenham Hotspur could soon have a decision to make. Paris Saint-Germain’s appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, coupled with his increased isolation at the hands of Jose Mourinho, has led to renewed speculation that Dele Alli could be on his way to the French capital.

• Sport

  Is Lampard forwards dilemma holding Chelsea back?

  The forwards usually steal the attention but the pre-match focus ahead of Arsenal’s meeting with Chelsea on Boxing Day was on a pair of full-backs. Reece James was back in the Blues’ team after missing their previous game through injury, while Ben Chilwell was also included in Frank Lampard’s starting XI despite limping off in that prior victory over West Ham United.

• Sport

  Grealish and Zaha set to serve up Boxing Day treat

  Aston Villa’s Boxing Day clash with Crystal Palace will see two of the Premier League’s entertainers go head-to-head. When they are at the top of their games, there are few better players in the division to watch than Jack Grealish and Wilfried Zaha.

• Sport

  Liverpool expose fatal Tottenham flaw in title clash

  All eyes were on Anfield on Wednesday, when Tottenham Hotspur had the chance to further underline their Premier League title credentials by beating the champions, Liverpool, on their own patch. Victory over a Liverpool team that had won each of their previous home games so far this season would have been Spurs’ biggest result of 2020/21.

• Sport

  Poor timing but West Brom right to sack Bilic

  On Tuesday night West Bromwich Albion picked up one the most impressive result of their season so far, drawing 1-1 at Manchester City. By Wednesday afternoon their manager, Slaven Bilic, was out of a job.

• Sport

  Edinson Cavani proving that class is permanent

  It was an inauspicious start. Despite presumably being told he was going on at the beginning of half-time, Edinson Cavani was not ready to take his place on the field until the second period had begun.

• Sport

  VICTOR MOSES IN FROM THE COLD

  It had been a long time coming. Victor Moses’ inclusion in Antonio Conte’s XI for Chelsea’s 2-0 victory at Hull City last month was his first Premier League start for the club since May 2013, when Rafael Benitez’s side ran out 2-1 winners at Aston Villa.

• Sport

  RANIEIRI’S LEICESTER TURN FOCUS TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

  Leicester City’s poor form in the Premier League has led to suggestions that 2015/16’s title winners have chosen to place most of their eggs in the basket marked ‘Uefa Champions League’ this term.

More Posts