Stories By Graham Ruthven

• Sport

  Leandro Trossard is proving his class for Arsenal

  Leandro Trossard wasn’t Arsenal’s first choice. Instead, the Gunners wanted Mykhailo Mudryk to be their marquee transfer for the January transfer with the Ukrainian winger trailed for a number of months before he ultimately signed for Chelsea.

• Sport

  Militao could be Real Madrid’s next great central defender

  Real Madrid lost their first-choice centre back pairing in the space of just a few weeks in the summer of 2021. First, Sergio Ramos departed the Santiago Bernabeu after a 16-year stint that saw him become the club’s heartbeat.

• Sport

  Which ‘Big Six’ club would Palhinha most improve?

  Even after Sunday’s disappointing defeat to Arsenal, Fulham have widely exceeded expectations this season. Widely tipped for relegation, the Cottagers are well on course to finish in the top half of the Premier League table with Marco Silva and his players preparing for a clash with Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

• Sport

  Arsenal proved they have the depth to be Premier League champions

  If Arsenal go all the way and win this season’s Premier League title race, they will look back on Saturday’s comeback win over Bournemouth as a landmark moment. The Gunners fell behind after just nine seconds against the Cherries and didn’t find a winner until the eighth minute of stoppage time.

• Sport

  Mbappe still makes PSG Champions League contenders

  At 24, Kylian Mbappe is already the all-time top scorer in Paris Saint-Germain’s history. The French international found the back of the net in Saturday’s Ligue 1 win over Nantes to surpass the record previously held by Edinson Cavani with Mbappe a club legend in the eyes of everyone at the Parc des Princes.

• Sport

  Cody Gakpo is the perfect successor to Firmino

  It was always destined Cody Gakpo would score for Liverpool against Manchester United given how close the Dutchman came to signing for the Old Trafford club instead. Indeed, United were made to watch as Gakpo found the back of the net twice in Liverpool’s 7-0 demolition of their biggest rivals on Sunday.

• Sport

  What is the right job for Mauricio Pochettino?

  Eight months have now passed since Mauricio Pochettino last held a job in football management. Paris Saint-Germain was a difficult environment for the Argentine coach and he has since been waiting for the right opportunity to get back into the game, but what would the right opportunity look like? Pochettino’s name is frequently mentioned in the gossip column with Chelsea the latest to be linked with the 50-year-old.

• Sport

  Ollie Watkins’ recent form a reminder to Gareth Southgate

  Ollie Watkins played his part in England’s qualification for the 2022 World Cup, but he missed out on a place in the squad that actually played in the tournament. The 27-year-old’s form dipped at the wrong time and he watched the Three Lions play in Qatar from home just like most supporters of the team.

• Sport

  Which Premier League club would be the best fit for Neymar?

  Neymar’s world-record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 changed football forever. It was a statement of intent by the Qatari-owned club in their mission to become a dominant force while the €222m fee paid for the Brazilian inflated the transfer market in a way that is still being felt to this day.

• Sport

  Erik Ten Hag is finally unlocking Jadon Sancho’s potential

  Jadon Sancho kick-started the Erik Ten Hag revolution. With damaging defeats to Brighton and Brentford fresh in the memory, the 22-year-old’s opener in Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Liverpool last August demonstrated what the Old Trafford outfit could be under their new manager.

• Sport

  Manchester City’s season depends on Champions League success

  Even as his Manchester City team dropped points to Nottingham Forest, allowing Arsenal to take control of the Premier League title race once again, Pep Guardiola could have been forgiven for having other things on his mind.

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