Stories By Graham Ruthven

• Sport

  Forget Benitez, Farhad Moshiri is the biggest issue at Everton

  Rafael Benitez was doomed as Everton manager from the moment he was hired by Farhad Moshiri to take charge of the Merseyside club. His standing as a Liverpool legend was always going to make Benitez’s presence an uncomfortable one but the circumstances also conspired to make the Spaniard’s job on the blue side of Merseyside nearly impossible.

• Sport

  Wolves heading in the right direction under Bruno Lage

  Not many Wolves fans had heard of Bruno Lage when he pitched up at the club last summer. After all, the 43-year-old had only a year-and-a-half in charge of Benfica to point to on his C.V. The Molineux outfit took a gamble on Lage, but that gamble is now paying off with Wolves enjoying a successful season.

• Sport

  How will Chelsea solve their left-back issue in January?

  As soon as Ben Chilwell went down injured in a Champions League match against Juventus last month, it was clear Chelsea had an obstacle to overcome at left-back. Until then, the England international had been a key figure for Thomas Tuchel’s side.

• Sport

  Crystal Palace have a new star in Michael Olise

  On the basis of the Premier League table alone, the improvement at Crystal Palace this season has been incremental. While the Eagles finished 14th last season, comfortably avoiding any threat of relegation, they are now up to 11th.

• Sport

  Tuchel must reintegrate Lukaku quickly after interview saga

  Thomas Tuchel’s reasoning for omitting Romelu Lukaku from his matchday squad for one of Chelsea’s biggest games of the season was sound. The Belgian had become something of a distraction after an interview surfaced just days before the crunch Premier League clash against Liverpool in which Lukaku raised questions over his future at Stamford Bridge.

• Sport

  5 signings Newcastle could make in the January transfer window

  Newcastle United might have produced one of their best performances of the season in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United but it remains clear that new signings are desperately needed. Indeed, Eddie Howe’s current group are not good enough to keep the Magpies in the Premier League and transfer activity should be expected in January.

• Sport

  Anthony Martial deserves a fresh start away from Old Trafford

  Anthony Martial wasted no time in announcing himself as Manchester United’s next superstar-in-the-making. His debut goal against Liverpool electrified Old Trafford as the French winger, who cost £36m from Monaco in 2015, made the best first impression of any new United signing since Wayne Rooney.

• Sport

  Has Marcelo Bielsa reached the end of the road at Leeds?

  There can be no overstating the impact which Marcelo Bielsa has had on Leeds United as a football manager and a character. Indeed, the legendary Argentinean coach revitalised Elland Road, and the city around it, upon his arrival in the summer of 2018, taking the club back to the Premier League after a 16-year exile.

• Sport

  Do Arsenal need a new centre-forward to reach the next level?

  The sight of Arsenal sitting in fourth place in the Premier League table is proof of the progress Mikel Arteta’s team have made this season. The Gunners might still be a long way from the top of the English game but they stand a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in five years.

• Sport

  Conor Gallagher in reckoning for England World Cup squad

  The 2022 World Cup might be close to a full year off, but Gareth Southgate surely has a good idea of who will be on the plane to Qatar with him. By and large, the England squad that travels to the Gulf state will be the same as the one that made the Euro 2020 final this summer.

• Sport

  The Liverpool defence is now back to its best

  Despite all the plaudits given to Liverpool’s attacking threat, is it their defence which could win them the Premier League title this season?   No Premier League team has scored as many goals as Liverpool have this season.

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