In response to the coronavirus pandemic, our thoughts are firstly with everyone affected by COVID-19.
The health and safety of fans around the world is our priority, so the only goal that matters right now is to save lives by staying at home. The only support that matters is to support one another.
Our clubs have been providing wide-ranging support for their communities.
These have included facilities for medical use and accommodation for NHS staff, supporting foodbanks, transporting food and medicines and keeping in contact with the most vulnerable members of society.
Right now, we are all on the same team. We are one team.
We are grateful to the healthcare workers around the world fighting to keep people healthy and we will continue to promote important public health messaging in the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.
Pep Guardiola’s mother has died due to the coronavirus pandemic. Man City release a statement “sending their most heartfelt sympathy” to their manager.
Credit to Leicester. Or should that be shame on Chelsea? Wherever you choose to put the emphasis, the fact is that Wilfried Ndidi is now a more influential Premier League midfielder than N’Golo Kanté. The Frenchman has been good this season, of course, but Frank Lampard, like Maurizio Sarri, has not been getting the best out of him. Ndidi, meanwhile, has been outstanding and, if he dominates central midfield again on Saturday, then Leicester will probably put their Carabao Cup disappointment behind them, take a significant step closer to Champions League qualification, and make the jostling for fourth place very interesting.
) Walker-Peters has work to do
Ralph Hasenhüttl deserves acclaim for the way that Southampton have tightened up since that historic mullering by Leicesterin October. But they have still conceded more goals in their last two league matches than Liverpool have in their last 10. And their defence is likely to have a new look at Anfield on Saturday, with Kyle Walker-Peters set to step in on the right-hand side for the Arsenal-bound Cédric Soares. Japhet Tanganga did a fair job containing Liverpool’s wingers earlier this month but his solitary lapse was punished by a goal that gave the league leaders victory at Spurs. Southampton hope that the player who left White Hart Lane after being overtaken by Tanganga can do better against the champions-elect and reignite his career with help from Hassenhüttl.
) How do City prime themselves for Europe?
Manchester City are in an awkward position. With 14 games still to go, they’ve no chance of winning the league, no chance of finishing outside the top four, and next to no chance of not finishing second. So, though they’re still in both domestic cups, their focus is on winning the Champions League. The question is how they go about it: do they give everything in every game, or do they save themselves so that they’re fresh when they need to be? On the one hand, it’s hard to turn it on just like that, but on the other, it’s hard to turn it on when you’re knackered, and neither approach can compensate for the defensive deficiencies that have cost them in each of the last three seasons. Against Spurs, they should expect to have no choice, because their opponents need points, and José Mourinho needs to make one – not just because his genetic code dictates he can do no other. Since he succeeded Mauricio Pochettino, his team have produced few decent performances never mind any signature performances, playing joyless, guileless football in the process. They and he need something, and soon.
) Chase for Europe continues at Old Trafford
By any measure this is a massive game between two clubs hoping to secure European football next season – Wolves and Manchester United drew 1-1 at Molineux in August and there is still nothing to separate them, level-pegging as they are on 34 points, with the dream of fourth place or the relative nightmare of mid-table still possible. It might be key that Wolves have had 10 days to prepare, the benefit of losing to these opponents in the FA Cup third round, while United have had to negotiate two testing cup matches. Given their poor recent league results – their last two games ended in 2-0 defeats to Liverpool and Burnley – United and their manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, could not afford to take the visit to Tranmere lightly, while the Carabao Cup semi-final would have demanded full focus even if the opposition had not been Manchester City. But this game could turn out to be much more important than either of those.
) Coincidences abound at Vicarage Road
After three months out with injury Danny Welbeck is expected to return to the Watford squad for this game, against Everton, a side he was repeatedly linked with last season. Perhaps the greatest tactical problem Watford have faced this season is a complete inability to attack cohesively without Troy Deeney to knit the forward line together, but Welbeck has the technical quality to improve an unhealthy over-reliance on their captain – if he can stay fit. The game will also feature a winger who used to play for Everton and Barcelona but is now with Watford and one that used to play for Watford, now plays for Everton and is rumoured to be wanted by Barcelona. In geographical coincidence news, Everton’s last visit to London was when they drew with Crystal Palace on the first day of the season, since when they have not played, even in the cups, anywhere between Birmingham and the south coast. They play Watford, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham in their next five away games.
6) Howe has striking headaches against buoyant Villa
Bournemouth’s 3-1 win over Brighton last week merely confirmed that Graham Potter’s team are in a world of bother, not that Eddie Howe’s side are too good to survive this season. There is no reason to back them to win Saturday’s relegation showdown with Aston Villa – except, of course, that Villa have been prone to shooting themselves in the foot, including when these sides met at Villa Park in August. But Dean Smith’s team are getting things together and go into this game looking as strong as they have at any other point in the campaign, with a relatively new formation and plenty of confidence following consecutive last-gasp wins over Watford and Leicester. They are likely to create a lot of chances for their new striker, Mbwana Samatta, while Howe must decide whether to keep waiting for Dominic Solanke to locate the net or to give a first Premier League start to Sam Surridge instead.
7) Norwich need to roll back the months
When these sides met in August with the sun on their backs, Norwich romped to a 3-1 victory inspired by a Teemu Pukki hat-trick, and Newcastle looked much the likelier to figure in the relegation battle. Five months on, and it’s Norwich who face the survival battle, while Newcastle have moved into the middle tier and could be about to escape Mike Ashley’s frying pan for the ethical fire. On the field, things have begun to tick for Newcastle, which makes this another formidable assignment for Daniel Farke’s side, who haven’t been playing that badly – they were frankly robbed at Tottenham – but are carrying an air of loveable-but-doomed about them. So they need to take points, preferably three, from fixtures such as this. Unlike Newcastle, Norwich have had a quiet transfer window and with Spurs and Liverpool up after this, the Canaries need to tighten , buckle up and win here.
8) Dyche seeks to stem the flow
There are seven clubs that Sean Dyche has faced as a manager without so much as drawing. Six of those – including Sheffield United, who will visit Turf Moor in April – he has only faced once, but the other is Arsenal, who he has come up against 10 times already in league and cup without success of any sort. He has come close on occasion – the Laurent Koscielny stoppage-time handball winner of 2016, say, or the two stoppage-time Alexis Sánchez penalty winners of 2017 – but always, somehow, the Gunners have prevailed. With Arsenal still inconsistent as Mikel Arteta beds in and suffering a string of defensive injuries – though Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will return from suspension – and Burnley having beaten Leicester and Manchester United in their last two league games, perhaps this will be the time. “There’s been a lot of last-minute goals and it would be nice to get one against them,” said Jack Cork. “They are going through a transitional stage and it would be good to get them at a time where they’re a little bit vulnerable and try and get at them.”
9) A fun clash of the frail?
If you were to organise a conference for the latest round of football’s interminable Entertainment v Efficiency debate, the ideal venue would be Brighton. Graham Potter’s funky new side have played some lovely stuff but continually found ways not to win. And now look at them! They have fewer points than Chris Hughton’s bores had at this stage last season and find themselves going to West Ham feeling almost as vulnerable as their hosts. A clash between two teams who are far from clinical, often short on aggression and always liable to make a defensive blunder could be, in its own inefficient way, highly entertaining.
10) How will Wilder manage change?
It’s a long time since a promoted side has imposed itself on the Premier League as brilliantly as Sheffield United. Though Wolves’ patient possession game worked very well last season, Blades’ fast, aggressive approach is far more interesting to watch and has also been accomplished without the involvement of Jorge Mendes. Most particularly, what they are doing and what we are enjoying is a triumph for Chris Wilder, who understands football in all its aspects: his adult response to Oli McBurnie enjoying himself is every bit as important as all the cogitation and innovation. But this week he has set himself a new challenge: can he integrate an expensive outsider? Attracting a talent of Sander Berge’s calibre looks like being yet further testament to the work he has done, but disturbing the balance of something which already works is always a risk. We have no reason to think that Wilder will not find a way – beginning at Selhurst on Saturday.
See all the moves in the winter window as Brighton turn Aaron Mooy’s loan deal into a permanent move.
The January 2020 transfer window for Premier League clubs opened on Wednesday 1 January and will close at 23:00 GMT on Friday 31 January 2020. Clubs completing deals late on Deadline Day, 31 January, will be able to submit a Deal Sheet between 21:00-23:00 GMT. Clubs will have until midnight on Deadline Day to complete the information needed by FIFA’s Transfer Matching System to apply for international clearance for new signings. Here are the signings and outgoings, loan or permanent, announced by Premier League clubs.
ARSENAL.
Out Ben Sheaf (Doncaster Rovers) Loan Tyreece John-Jules (Lincoln City) Loan Emile Smith Rowe (Huddersfield Town) Loan Konstantinos Mavropanos (Nurnberg) Loan Deyan Iliev (Jagiellonia Bialystok) Loan James Olayinka (Northampton Town) Loan
ASTON VILLA.
In Danny Drinkwater (Chelsea) Loan Pepe Reina (AC Milan) Loan Mbwana Samatta (Genk) Undisclosed Louie Barry (Barcelona) Undisclosed Out Jonathan Kodjia (Al-Gharafa) Undisclosed Lovre Kalinic (Toulouse) Loan
BRIGHTON.
In Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield) Undisclosed Out Anders Dreyer (Midtjylland) Undisclosed Max Sanders (AFC Wimbledon) Loan James Tilley (Grimsby Town) Undisclosed Tudor Baluta (ADO Den Haag) Loan Tom McGill (Crawley Town) Loan
BURNLEY.
In Henri Ogunby (Man City) Undisclosed Out Christian N’Guessan (Oldham Athletic) Loan Adam Phillips (Morecambe) Loan Ryan Cooney (Morecambe) Loan Scott Wilson (Blyth Spartans) Loan Will Harris (Warrington Town) Loan Tunde Bayode (Curzon Ashton) Loan Anthony Glennon (Grimsby Town) Loan Josh Benson (Grimsby Town) Loan
CHELSEA.
Out Danny Drinkwater (Aston Villa) Loan Marc Guehi (Swansea City) Loan Conor Gallagher (Swansea City) Loan Jamal Blackman (Bristol Rovers) Loan Victor Moses (Inter Milan) Loan
CRYSTAL PALACE
In Cenk Tosun (Everton) Loan Scott Banks (Dundee United) Undisclosed Out Sam Woods (Hamilton Academical) Loan
Out Raul Uche (Real Valladolid) Undisclosed George Thomas (ADO Den Haag) Loan Andy King (Huddersfield Town) Loan Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Blackpool) Loan
LIVERPOOL.
In Takumi Minamino (RB Salzburg) Undisclosed Out Herbie Kane (Hull City) Loan Rhian Brewster (Swansea City) Loan Isaac Christie-Davies (Cercle Brugge) Loan Allan Rodrigues de Souza (Atletico Mineiro) Undisclosed Nathaniel Phillips (Stuttgart) Loan Daniel Atherton (Marine) Loan
MANCHESTER CITY.
Out Patrick Roberts (Middlesbrough) Loan Lukas Nmecha (Middlesbrough) Loan Ian Poveda (Leeds United) Undisclosed Henri Ogunby (Burnley) Undisclosed
MANCHESTER UNITED.
Out Ethan Hamilton (Bolton) Loan Alex Fojticek (Stalybridge Celtic) Loan Max Taylor (Stalybridge Celtic) Loan Ashley Young (Inter Milan) Undisclosed George Tanner (Salford City) Loan Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (Oldham) Loan
NEWCASTLE UNITED.
In Nabil Bentaleb (Schalke) Loan Details Valentino Lazaro (Inter Milan) Loan Details Stan Flaherty (Arsenal) Scholarship
NORWICH CITY In Ondrej Duda (Hertha Berlin) Loan Details Lukas Rupp (Hoffenheim) Undisclosed Details Out Anthony Spyrou (Released) Details Philip Heise (Nurnberg) Loan Details Rocky Bushiri (Sint-Truiden) Loan Details Akin Famewo (St Mirren) Loan Details Carlton Morris (MK Dons) Loan Details Dennis Srbeny (Paderborn 07) Undisclosed Details Louis Lomas (Tampa Bay Rowdies) Loan Details Louis Thompson (MK Dons) Loan Details Simon Power (King’s Lynn) Loan Details Timi Odusina (Hartlepool) Loan Details James Husband (Blackpool) Undisclosed Details Sheffield United In Jack Rodwell (unattached) Details Jack Robinson (Nottingham Forest) Undisclosed Details (pictured) Out Richard Stearman (Released) Details Harry Sheppeard (Loan) SteelPhalt Academy Details Ben Heneghan (Blackpool) Loan Details Tyler Smith (Rochdale) Loan Details Southampton Out Christoph Klarer (SKN St Polten) Loan Details Josh Sims (New York Red Bulls) Loan Details Tottenham Hotspur In Gedson Fernandes (Benfica) Loan Details Out Jack Clarke (QPR) Loan Details Paris Maghoma (Brentford) Undisclosed Details Armando Shashoua (Atletico Baleares) Loan Details Brandon Austin (Viborg FF) Loan Details Watford In Joao Pedro (Fluminense) Undisclosed Details Ignacio Pussetto (Udinese) Undisclosed Details Out Dimitri Foulquier (Granada) Loan Details Marvin Zeegelaar (Udinese) Undisclosed Details West Ham United In Darren Randolph (Middlesbrough) Undisclosed Details Out Nathan Holland (Oxford United) Loan Details Roberto (Alaves) Loan Details Martin Samuelsen (Hull City) Undisclosed Details Wolverhampton Wanderers In Leonardo Campana Undisclosed Details Nigel Lonwijk (PSV Eindhoven) Details Out Ivan Cavaleiro (Fulham) Undisclosed Details Patrick Cutrone (Fiorentina) Loan Details Rafa Mir (Huesca) Loan Details Connor Ronan (Blackpool) Loan Details Jesus Vallejo (Granada) Loan
Yet City are still second and last season they became the first side to retain the Premier League title in decade.Guardiola: “Liverpool are just fantastic, phenomenal, overwhelming. We have to accept it and learn from that.” Pep Guardiola is full of praise for ‘fantastic’ Liverpool Pep Guardiola is pleased with Manchester City’s overall performance this season but says title rivals Liverpool have simply been “phenomenal”. City trail runaway leaders Liverpool by 16 points and manager Guardiola has long since conceded defeat in the race for this season’s title.
John Aldridge won a league title with Liverpool in 1988. He believes the current side could go down as the greatest in the club’s history Guardiola admits Liverpool have been a class apart this term but is convinced his side would be in the running for the title in any of the other major leagues in Europe. “Liverpool obviously will be champions of the Premier League, but they would be champions in Spain, champions in Italy, champions in Germany,” he said. “They would be champions everywhere after 23 games, 22 victories, one draw.
Jurgen Klopp insisted he and his team will not get drawn into the celebrations as the supporters sang ‘We’re going to win the league’ during their 2-0 win against Manchester United “In the recent past when Chelsea won the league, the next season, they didn’t qualify for the Champions League, Leicester the same and Chelsea again the same. When we won the league we repeated the league.”In Spain with the points we have we would be there, one or two points behind the leader, in Germany we would be there, one or two points behind the leader, in Italy as well. “But Liverpool are just fantastic, phenomenal, overwhelming. So we have to accept it and learn from that.”
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