Stories By Graham Ruthven
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Sport
Man Utd are improving quickly, but final step to becoming title challengers will be the hardest
The energy inside Old Trafford was obvious to even those who only watched Saturday’s Manchester Derby on TV. Manchester United have been re-energised by Erik Ten Hag this season with the 2-1 win over Manchester City extending their winning run to nine matches in all competitions.
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Sport
Liverpool’s season starting to resemble Jurgen Klopp’s final season as Borussia Dortmund manager
Jurgen Klopp didn’t hold back in his assessment of Liverpool’s performance against Brighton on Saturday. “Bad, really bad,” he said having just watched his team suffer a heavy 3-0 defeat that could have been even worse.
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Sport
Arsenal must be careful not to disrupt team harmony with January transfers
Not even Mikel Arteta could have envisaged Arsenal would be in this position this far into the season. The Gunners were on a steady upward trajectory before the start of the 2022/23 campaign, but they have taken a gigantic leap forward in their development since the summer with Arteta’s side five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
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Sport
Jordan Pickford would be a good replacement for Hugo Lloris
Hugo Lloris’ blunder against Aston Villa on New Year’s Day certainly wasn’t the first he has made as Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper in recent times. While the Frenchman has been an excellent servant over the last decade for the North London club, mistakes have crept into his game at an alarming rate.
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Sport
Three Premier League clubs that Harry Maguire would improve in January
If Harry Maguire’s Manchester United career isn’t over, it’s certainly trending in that direction. The 29-year-old enjoyed a positive 2022 World Cup campaign for England, but has returned to his club even further down the pecking order with Luke Shaw impressing as a left-sided centre back in recent matches.
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Sport
Kalidou Koulibaly has been as big a flop for Chelsea as Romelu Lukaku was
Chelsea believed they had secured one of the transfers of the summer when they signed Kalidou Koulibaly. Not only had the Blues captured an elite level central defender, they had got the deal done for £34m at a time when a new dominant leader at the back was needed after the departure of Antonio Rudiger.
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Sport
Andreas Pereira is proving his doubters wrong by flourishing at Fulham this season
Fulham were expected to struggle in the Premier League this season. Fans were concerned about a lack of investment before the start of the 2022/23 campaign with Marco Silva even voicing his disgruntlement at the apparent inactivity.
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Sport
Donny van de Beek is finally proving his worth at Manchester United
If Erik ten Hag isn’t able to get the best out of Donny van de Beek for Manchester United, the chances of anyone else faring better in the management of the Dutch midfield is rather low. After all, it was under ten Hag’s stewardship at Ajax that van de Beek earned himself a reputation as one of the game’s best young midfielders.
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Sport
Tottenham must use January window to show Antonio Conte they are still the right club for him
Tottenham Hotspur had a difficult enough job persuading Antonio Conte to join them in the first place, but now it seems the North London club must convince their own manager some more that they can give him a platform to achieve success.
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Sport
Stefan Bajcetic has all the qualities to be Liverpool’s long-term replacement for Fabinho
The cameo of Stefan Bajcetic off the bench for Liverpool in their Boxing Day win over Aston Villa was, as Jurgen Klopp put it, “like a Christmas story.” Liverpool fans were surely warmed by the festive display of the 17-year-old who scored his first senior goal at Villa Park, bolstering his growing reputation for the Anfield club.
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Sport
Everton are sleepwalking towards relegation with Frank Lampard in charge
Everton have become accustomed to the fear of relegation in recent times. Last season, the Toffees looked to be in trouble, but managed to scrape enough points to stay in the Premier League. This season, Frank Lampard’s team are back in trouble and there’s no guarantee they will be able to escape once more.
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