Napoli 1 Juventus 1: Hamsik cancels out Khedira on Higuain's return

Juventus moved six points clear at the top of Serie A after drawing 1-1 at Napoli, Marek Hamsik equalising following Sami Khedira's opener.

Marek Hamsik cancelled out Sami Khedira's early opening goal as Napoli drew 1-1 with Serie A leaders Juventus on Gonzalo Higuain's first return to Stadio San Paolo.

Roma's 2-0 victory over Empoli on Saturday had cut the champions' advantage and a trip to third-placed Napoli was always likely to provide a stern test for Massimiliano Allegri's side.

But Juve took the lead after just six minutes, Khedira playing a one-two with Miralem Pjanic after a powerful run through midfield and beating goalkeeper Rafael from close range.

Hamsik levelled for Napoli by finishing off a Dries Mertens throughball and the Belgian almost put his side in front only to be denied by the post, with neither side able to find a winner.

The draw will be welcomed more by Juve, who move six points clear of Roma with eight league games remaining as they seek a sixth straight title, while Napoli are four points ahead of fourth-placed Lazio in the battle for Champions League qualification.

The two sides will meet again at Stadio San Paolo on Wednesday for the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final, with Juve holding a 3-1 lead from the first game in Turin.

Napoli were dealt a blow when Pepe Reina, who had started every league game this season, could not recover from a calf injury to take the gloves and replacement Rafael was beaten by the first shot of the match after six minutes.

Khedira collected a loose ball in midfield and burst through two weak Napoli challenges before swapping passes with Pjanic and slotting a low first-time shot through Rafael's grasp to score his fifth goal of the season.

Hamsik drilled a good chance off-target after Napoli pressure forced a loose Giorgio Chiellini pass and the midfielder lashed another clear opening wide of the post on the half-hour.

Napoli continued to press against a deep-lying Juve defence and Mertens should have done better after finding space in the box, the forward instead shooting straight at Gianluigi Buffon.

A rare Juve attack saw Mario Lemina lash an effort wide, before Lorenzo Insigne went close with a curling strike and Napoli had the ball in the net after 55 minutes but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside.

Jose Callejon tapped the rebound home after Buffon blocked a Mertens shot with his legs and the attacker was clearly beyond the last defender, but Napoli would not be denied on the hour mark.

A neat reverse pass from Mertens freed Hamsik as the pair swapped passes and the captain made no mistake with a blasted finish into the roof of the net, giving Buffon no chance.

Napoli were then gifted a golden opportunity to take the lead when a poor Kwadwo Asamoah backpass sent Mertens through on goal, but the attacker could only hit the post from a tight angle after beating Buffon to the ball.

Higuain endured a quiet game and was whistled mercilessly by the unforgiving home supporters as his goalless run extended to five games, but the point is more useful to Juve than Napoli.

Bayern Munchen smash Augsburg

Bayern Munich resumed their imperious Bundesliga form with a 6-0 win over Augsburg, Robert Lewandowski netting three goals in the victory.

Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick as Bayern Munich moved one step closer to becoming German champions for a record fifth consecutive year by thrashing Augsburg 6-0 at Allianz Arena.

It was a case of normal service resumed as the Bundesliga title-holders cruised past their Bavarian neighbours on Saturday, showing no signs of their excellent form having been disturbed by the international break.

Lewandowski opened the scoring with his 22nd league goal of the season, before Thomas Muller made it 2-0 inside a first half that saw Bayern steamroll the visitors and render any game plan Augsburg might have had irrelevant.

Manuel Baum called for a “brave” Augsburg performance before the game but no amount of courage could have compensated for the gulf in quality between this glory-bound Bayern side and their relegation-threatened opponents.

Lewandowski scored two more after the break either side of a Thiago Alcantara strike, and Muller netted late on to ensure Bayern enjoyed an ideal start to a testing period in which they will play nine games in 30 days, including the two legs of their Champions League quarter final against Real Madrid.

Franck Ribery was at his irresistible best from the outset, jinking and weaving his way through the Augsburg defence and swinging in a cross that Kingsley Coman could not quite get his head to after three minutes as Bayern dominated in customary fashion.

The opening goal arrived when Thiago made an incisive burst, dropping a shoulder to glide past Jan Moravek before picking out Lewandowski, who took a touch, let it bounce and hooked the ball into the top corner of the net to make it 1-0 after 17 minutes.

Thiago fired a volley wide from the edge of the box six minutes later, by which time Bayern were starting to taunt their lowly visitors and Muller hit the post with a low drive from 20 yards after 27 minutes.

Bayern doubled their lead after 36 minutes when Ribery’s raking pass found Lewandowski and the Pole’s cross was poked into the net by the knee of Muller, who claimed only his third goal of the season.

The game was put out of Augsburg’s reach in the 55th minute, when Ribery’s threaded pass found the feet of Lewandowski who shrugged off the attentions of Kevin Danso and buried a low shot into the corner of the net from inside the box.

The pick of the goals came after 62 minutes when Thiago surged forward and played a one-two with Muller that was intercepted by Lewandowski, who back-heeled the ball back to the Spaniard for the easiest of close range finishes.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men were playing with verve and swagger, and Thiago hit the crossbar with an audacious 25-yard shot, while Arjen Robben’s introduction only added more flair and audacity to the Bayern attack.

Thiago and Coman were both brought off early by Ancelotti, who could hardly be blamed for prioritising the glut of forthcoming fixtures over the final 20 minutes of a very comfortable victory.

After Lewandowski completed his hat-trick with a close-range finish, Muller executed a fine piece of control to gather a long ball and bury the sixth at the far post, but he was hacked by Christoph Janker in the process and forced off, the hosts ending the game with 10 men on the pitch, having used all their substitutes.

Albania vs Italy Preview & Prediction

Italy vs Albania
2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers – Europe, Group G.
Date: Friday, 24th March 2017
Kick off at 19:45 UK/ 20:45 CET
Venue: Stadio Renzo Barbera.

Italy and Spain will have a huge battle for the top position in the group G. Both sides have ten points each after the opening four rounds of the competition and we can expect the head to head match in Spain to determine the group winners.Palermo is going to host the national team for their affair with Albania this Friday. The hosts will obviously be heavy favourites, but the potential upset from Albanians could seriously complicate the situation in the group.

Italy

Italy have done a huge job by beating Israel 1-3 on the road at the start of the qualifying campaign.

They then drew with Spain 1-1 on the home court before managing away wins at FYR Macedonia and Liechtenstein.

Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti are the leading figures having combined seven goals so far in the campaign. The due have been enjoying terrific seasons for Lazio and Torino and we expect them to keep the good form going and get their names to the score-sheet against Albania as well.

Albania

The visitors were off to a positive start as they saw off FYR Macedonia and Liechtenstein in two initial fixtures.

However, the team led by Giovanni de Biasi failed to find the back of the net in the consecutive losses to Spain and Israel. The loss to Israel seriously challenged their ambitions of making yet another upset and secure the back-to-back appearance in the big competition.

Italy vs Albania: Head to head

This will be the first official head to head encounter between the two sides.

Italy managed a narrow 1-0 win when the two teams took on each other in a friendly back in November 2014. Stefano Okaka was the man who scored the only goal at Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris in Genova.

Italy vs Albania: Prediction

Italy will obviously be heavy favourites with the impressive attack led by Immobile and Belotti.

Since the goal difference might well prove out to be the deciding factor in the battle for the top of the group, we’ll back Italy to win by at least two goals as the top betting option.

Keylor Navas : "Au Real Madrid, tout le monde est dans la ligne de mire"

Avant de se rendre en sélection nationale, Keylor Navas est revenu sur les critiques dont font souvent l'objet les joueurs du Real Madrid.

En difficulté à de nombreuses reprises cette saison, Keylor Navas a souvent fait l'objet des critiques par la presse espagnole et les supporters du Real Madrid. Le gardien des Merengue a notamment été fautif sur des buts encaissés face au Borussia Dortmund, à Naples, au FC Séville et à Las Palmas. Keylor Navas est conscient que tous les joueurs de la capitale espagnole sont la cible des critiques et que cela fait partie du jeu.

"Tous les joueurs du Real Madrid sont dans la ligne de mire et peuvent être critiqués. Nous sommes habitués au sifflet du public. Il est toujours agréable de se rendre dans le pays de chacun et de l'opportunité de jouer avec l'équipe nationale. Tous les voyages sont productifs", a déclaré Keilor Navas à Deportes Cuatro avant de se rendre au Costa Rica pour retrouver sa sélection nationale.

Le portier du Real Madrid est toujours autant motivé : "Je suis très calme et heureux, je veux juste gagner beaucoup de titres, voilà pourquoi nous sommes ici, au Real Madrid. Je vais continuer à me battre comme d'habitude". En revanche, il a refusé de commenter les rumeurs annonçant une arrivée au poste de gardien de but chez les Merengue lors du mercato estival.

Barcelona vs Valencia

BARCELONA 4 - 2 VALENCIA

AC Milan vs Genoa: Preview and Prediction

AC Milan vs Genoa

Italian Serie A.

Date: Saturday, 18th March 2017

Kick-Off: 19:45 UK,

Venue: Stadio San Siro (Milan).

AC Milan will have to rebound from a painful setback as they take on Genoa at the Stadio San Siro.

Rossoneri fans, players, and anyone affiliated with the seven-time Champions League winners are still seething after losing to Juventus last week Friday. It was not the lost that will have Milan supporters angry, but how. Juventus, a team that some have argued receives better treatment by referees in Italy (especially at Juventus Stadium) did little to dispel that growing belief as they received a spot-kick in the late minutes of stoppage time.

It was a contentious one at best, but it was enough to undo Milan’s hard work, and Vincenzo Montella’s men ended up on the wrong end of a 2-1 score-line. Nonetheless, they are still in contention for Europa League football, something that, given they have failed to qualify at all for Europe for the past few seasons, will at least be some kind of redemption for the struggling side.

Of course, were this still December, they would be in contention for a Champions League spot, but that ship has long sailed. A top six finish is the objective, and they will have a great chance to get back on track as they host Genoa. The Grifone have been absolutely abysmal as of late, and have won just one out of their last 13 games. They come into this match having lost to Sampdoria in the Derby della Lanterna.
That marks the first time since 1960 that Genoa have lost both “home” and “away” to their bitter cross-town rivals, and that comes as yet another major blow for a team who were once considered as dark horses for a European spot.

To compound matters, Genoa have been quite poor on the road this season. They have won just three times and have problems both scoring and keeping their opponents from scoring. In fact, the Grifone have shipped two or more goals in nine out of their last 14 away fixtures, which represents a perfect opportunity for Milan to gain some of that confidence back. However, it may be a lot easier said than done due to some major absences the hosts are facing.

AC Milan vs Genoa: Head-to-head statistics

• Milan have a record of W11-D7-L2 in their last 20 home games against teams ranked below them in the table.
• Genoa have a record of W2-D3-L15 in their last 20 away games against teams ranked above them in the table.
• The Grifone have failed to win 11 of their last 12 matches.
• Milan have lost only one of their last 25 home Serie A games against Genoa (W18 D6).
• Genoa have won four of their last five Serie A meetings against Milan (L1).
• This is after gaining only two points in the previous eight meetings.
• Milan have scored in all their last 16 home league games against Genoa.

AC Milan vs Genoa: Prediction

Milan have some major absentee worries ahead of this fixture. Carlos Bacca, Jose Sosa, and Alessio Romagnoli are all suspended. Meanwhile, Ignazio Abate, Suso, Giacomo Bonaventura, and Riccardo Montolivo are all out injured.

Genoa also have some notable abentees, including Mattia Perin and Miguel
Veloso (injury) whilst veteran defender Nicolas Burdisso is banned for this clash. The Grifone also won the reverse encounter 3-0, but that was during a time they also beat Juventus 3-1 – when things were actually going right for the team. A lot has changed since then.

Given that Milan have not been able to keep clean sheets in their past few home games, the visitors may be able to nick a goal, but if the Rossoneri truly want to put their loss to Juve behind them, they should be able to take advantage of Genoa’s flagging form to get something out of this game.

Hazard and Chelsea to end Real Madrid speculation

Eden Hazard and Chelsea are set to end all speculation about his future.

The Belgian has been linked with a & euro;70 million move to Real Madrid, where he's regarded as a priority.

However, TMW says the Hazard camp are in advanced talks with Chelsea over an improved contract.

The deal is being viewed as a way to shut the door on Real.

Chelsea are offering a one-year contract extension to 2021 and an increase in terms - with Hazard now close to putting pen to paper.

From Italy: Antonio Conte betrayed by Roman Abramovich

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is unhappy with the club’s business during the January transfer window.

Apparently, the Italian wanted to strengthen his side during the midseason but Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich failed to deliver substantial funds for Conte’s targets. Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, are reporting that Abramovich betrayed Conte and broke his promise regarding new signings.

The report adds that Conte could quit the Blues at the end of this season if he is not granted substantial funds for the summer transfer window. The Italian wants to challenge in the Champions League next season and will look to add more depth and quality to his squad.

It will be interesting to see if Abramovich accepts Conte’s demands this summer. The Italian is a world class manager and the Blues cannot afford to let him go right now.

The Blues have been linked with the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley. Chelsea are looking to sign the Everton duo in a deal that could be worth up to £100 million. The money should not be a problem for the Premier League leaders who managed to offload the likes of Oscar and Mikel this season for considerable fees. Furthermore, Diego Costa has been linked with a return to La Liga and that would boost Chelsea’s resources too.

Champions League match report: Monaco 3-1 Man City (Agg: 6-6)

Manchester City was dumped out of the Champions League by French league leaders Monaco, who progress to the quarter-finals of the competition on the away goals rule after a 6-6 aggregate score in a thrilling encounter.
Over the two legs, Monaco deserved to progress – their ruthless attacking style ultimately too much for a poor City defence. From minute one, Monaco’s desire was evident – first to every loose ball, well organised at the back and decisive on the attack. It took all but eight minutes for teen sensation Kylian Mbappé to fire the hosts ahead.
This was just the start City had feared, the two-goal cushion cut to one goal, and more worryingly Monaco sniffed more danger. Jardim’s side is populated with a plethora of individual talent in a young squad, a number of whom are deservedly linked with City and other elite European clubs.
After a number of scares for the City defence, Monaco found themselves in dreamland, leading Pep Guardiola’s side 2-0 on the night. Benjamin Mendy raided down the left flank before picking out Fabinho who drilled his shot past Caballero.
Question marks lay around the defending for both goals, but perhaps more worrying was City’s lack of attacking prowess. De Bruyne and Silva, so often receiving the plaudits in these reports, were poor tonight. City headed into the changing rooms at half-time, having been played off the pitch and maybe even lucky the scoreline was only 2-0.
However, whatever Pep said at half time worked – but the damage was already done. City came out in the second half with intent and purpose to every spell of possession, with urgency and the desire to get in behind.
Sterling went through on goal after a devastating De Bruyne ball, but he was caught in two minds whether to shoot or tee up Agüero – the chance went begging. Minutes later, Sergio should’ve scored from a position where we have seen him score so many times over the years but he was denied by Subasic.
It felt like it was going to be one of those nights where whatever City tried, it wouldn’t come off, but in the 71st minute, Leroy Sané fired City in front on aggregate with his rebounded effort. City’s patience had paid off, and they had themselves a precious lead with 20 minutes to play.
480 seconds was all that separated Sané’s goal and Bakayoko’s strike, which was ultimately the goal that ended City’s European dreams for this season. The city had looked vulnerable from set-pieces all night, as the zonal marking situation was nearly exploited a few times, but the marking for this goal was what I’d expect to see on a Sunday morning on the local playing field.
Suddenly Monaco, who looked dead on their feet, found new wind and managed to start matching City man for a man like they did in the first half.
Substitutions from this moment were key. Monaco introduced an experienced head in Joao Moutinho, who ensured Silva and De Bruyne weren’t allowed much space to operate in. On the other hand, Iheanacho was sent on by Guardiola, and I can barely recall him touching the ball. I said substitutions were key, but perhaps omissions also played a factor – Yaya Touré, who has been one of City’s best performers in the calendar year, was left on the bench by Pep. In truth, Monaco saw out the remaining minutes without any real problems.
Overall, City didn’t turn up until the second half, and that was what cost them. Monaco is a very efficient side, and there is no wonder City are linked with what seems the majority of their starting lineup. To crash out on away goals is cruel, and it is hard to pick positives in the defeat but with defending like that, it is hard to say the Champions League was a realistic ambition – as the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern would probably have a field day against City’s full backs.
It would be easy to scapegoat Pep’s tactics or the defending, but whichever way you look at it there is no hiding from City’s ageing back line, which will be the top priority in the summer.
It is equally easy to forget City were eleven unbeaten prior to this, so it isn’t the end of the world, with the FA Cup and top four still to fight for – starting with Liverpool on Sunday, before trips to Arsenal and Chelsea.

Manchester United edge into Europa League quarter-finals

Manchester United have booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League courtesy of a 2-1 aggregate victory over Rostov at Old Trafford this evening.A 1-1 draw in Russia a week ago had given United the slight advantage heading into tonight's match, and Juan Mata's second-half strike sealed their place in the last eight despite a largely frustrating evening for Jose Mourinho's side.It was a depleted Rostov squad that made the trip to Manchester, with the visitors only able to name four substitutes due to suspensions for captain Aleksandr Gatskan and Timofei Kalachev.In contrast, United were able to make five changes to their side, including a recall for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the Swede almost broke the deadlock inside five minutes when he poked the ball against the post from an impossible angle after Marcos Rojo had tested Nikita Medvedev with an unmarked header.It was one-way traffic throughout the opening 45 minutes as United dominated possession, but they struggled to find the breakthrough and Ibrahimovic missed another opportunity to open the scoring when he was denied by a sprawling Medvedev after beating the keeper to the ball on the edge of the box.Henrikh Mkhitaryan's away goal in the first leg had given United the lead in the tie, but the Armenian failed to hammer home that advantage when he was released through on goal, sending his finish wide when looking to lift the ball over the keeper.

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The hosts continued to apply pressure and Ibrahimovic was once again within the width of the woodwork of breaking the deadlock in the 34th minute when he cut inside his man before thumping a fierce effort against the post.

Paul Pogba then fired a free kick over the top before Rostov finally recorded their first shot of the match in first-half stoppage time, although it was never troubling Sergio Romero in the United goal as Alexandr Erokhin sliced a 25-yard effort well off target.There was one final piece of work for Medvedev before the interval when Pogba curled a shot into the arms of the keeper, who made a comfortable save to ensure that his side went into the break still level.Despite still being ahead in the tie, the level of United's dominance without reward on the scoreboard was increasingly frustrating for the hosts, and they suffered another blow in the opening minutes of the second half when Pogba limped off with a suspected hamstring injury.The tenuous nature of their away-goal lead was reiterated 10 minutes into second half when Sardar Azmoun cut inside Rojo before curling an effort towards the top corner that Romero needed to be at full stretch to push away.It was Rostov's first shot on target of the night, but a second arrived moments later when the resulting corner was only cleared as far as Christian Noboa, who drew a more routine stop from the United keeper with a first-time volley from range.United responded with a half-chance of their own as Ibrahimovic flicked a header over the bar, but their grip on the game began to loosen as the second half progressed, with Rostov beginning to see more of the ball in better positions.However, it was during this period that the breakthrough finally arrived for the hosts as a rare defensive error from Rostov was ruthlessly punished. Mata pounced on a loose ball in midfield to launch an attack, and ended up applying the finishing touch from close range after Mkhitaryan's cross had been flicked on by Ibrahimovic.Rostov's task of finding a goal had not changed despite falling behind on the night, though, and Romero needed to be alert to prevent extra time with just over 10 minutes remaining when he scooped Alexander Bukharov's header around the post.In the end, it proved to be Romero who kept United in Europe despite their dominance for the vast majority of the match, with the back-up keeper making one final save to deny a stunning 30-yard free kick from Noboa that looked to be heading for the top corner.That proved to be the final kick of the game as the referee deemed that there was not enough time to take the resulting corner, with Rostov unable to force extra time as United took one step closer to winning the only major European trophy which has so far eluded them.The Red Devils, who are now unbeaten in their last 22 home games in all competitions, will next turn their attention back to the Premier League when they take on managerless Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Sunday.

This Champions League Quarterfinal Draw Is So Good

There are only eight teams left standing in the Champions League. This is the stage of the tournament where Europe’s biggest and best clubs (and Leicester City) will battle for ultimate supremacy. And quite the fascinating battle it will be, because the draw is fantastic:

Every matchup here is great. Atlético Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid Jr.! Obi Wan Celotti vs. Darth Zidane! A rematch of the 2014-15 UCL final!
This draw is maybe a little unfortunate for Leicester, though. Their success in Europe this season closely mirrors their success in England last season, where most teams see that they’re playing Leicester and figure “Oh, these guys are jokes, this won’t be hard at all,” and proceed to play a wide-open game that plays directly to the Foxes’ strengths.
Atlético will not do this. I called Leicester Atlético Jr. above because the two teams have a very similar playing style, only Atleti do everything better than Leicester and with way better players. Atlético aren’t great at breaking down deep defenses, though, so maybe Leicester will stymie Atleti’s attack long enough to keep things close. Either way, it will be fun to see these two purveyors of the much-maligned 4-4-2 slug it out for a semifinal spot.The Borussia Dortmund-Monaco tie is great as well, in no small part because it ensures someone outside the Barça-Real-Bayern-Juve hegemony makes the semifinals. These are two fun and young and attack-minded squads, though Monaco’s physical dominance is exactly the kind of thing Dortmund struggle against. However, BVB have Christian Pulisic. Don’t count out the wonderteen deciding the tie all by himself with a couple hat tricks in each leg.

 

The next two matchups are UCL final-worthy heavyweight bouts and are absolutely tantalizing. They are also rematches of big Champions League matches we’ve seen recently. It’s hard to pick a favorite for either tie, and the two clubs that do make it through this round will be the big favorites to go on and win the whole thing. This tournament is awesome.

Lest we forget that the Europa League also matters now that there’s a Champions League berth available for the winner of that competition, here’s that quarterfinal draw:

Manchester United’s best hopes for Champions League play next season probably lie here in the Europa League, and it shouldn’t be too hard for them to get past Anderlecht and carry on to the semis.

Manchester United made transfer approach for Monaco’s Fabinho

Manchester United manager, José Mourinho, revealed last week that the club would be looking to sign a maximum of three to four players next summer. While adding depth in the attacking midfield areas is his primary focus, he would be looking to bolster his central defence as well.

Mourinho may have as many as five top defenders – Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly, and Daley Blind – in his squad, but he would still be looking to bring in quality defenders next summer. If the reports are to be believed, Mourinho is looking to sign Monaco’s highly rated defender, Fabinho, and has even spoken to the Brazilian about a possible transfer to Old Trafford.

Fabinho’s father has revealed that a host of European clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal have approached the player. La Liga champions Barcelona are also interested. The Brazilian likes United and Mourinho’s work in particular, but his father, Joao, reveals he has a soft spot for Manchester City.

He said, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News:

We have been in talks with Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and approached by Barcelona. We like Manchester United and Mourinho’s work, but we have a soft spot for Manchester City.

United were linked with the Brazilian last summer, and Mourinho could revive that interest again. The Red Devils are also reportedly interested in Fabinho’s club teammate, Tiémoué Bakayoko, but they face strong competition from City and Chelsea.

Fabinho is a good defender, and he would add depth to the United side. He is a versatile player, and can play at right-back and in midfield. Monaco would demand a fee of around £25m for the Brazilian defender.

Good Managers Exist Outside the Premier League – To Say Otherwise Is Arrogant

The English Premier League has, this season, been dubbed the battle of the superpowers.  Not on the pitch, however, but on the sidelines.  Back in August 2016, the season started with fans’ mouths watering at the prospect of seeing some of world football’s best minds intellectually battle it out, using England’s biggest clubs as pawns in their game.

In the summer break alone, Antonio Conte arrived at Chelsea, Pep Guardiola at Man City and Jose Mourinho at Manchester United.  They joined a lineup of Premier League managers that already included the much-lauded Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and stalwart Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.  With such embarrassment of riches in dugouts across England, combined with the excitement around young managers such as Mauricio Pochettino and Eddie Howe, there was near-hysteria amongst fans and media alike at what this could mean for the title race that lay ahead.

So far, the battle hasn’t disappointed.  Drama and tension have reigned in a season that has seen the supposed ‘big teams’ regain a stronghold on the league that was so memorably hijacked by Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City in 2015/16.  At the time of writing, Conte’s Chelsea maintain a vice-like grip on first place, 10 points ahead of both Tottenham and Arsenal in second and third, with Liverpool, Man City and Manchester United not far behind.  If people thought these fresh new faces would take the Premier League by storm, the story so far suggests they weren’t wrong.

But there has been an interesting development in the discussion around the calibre of managers in the Premier League that has extended beyond England’s shores.  With confusion abound regarding Arsene Wenger’s future at Arsenal, speculation has been rife about who could replace him at the Emirates.  The Frenchman’s 20-year association with the Gunners could end in summer 2017, with his contract expiring and Wenger himself refusing to give any assurances he’s likely to stay on in North London.

Who could replace the man who currently holds the record as the longest-serving current manager with a single club in the English football league?  Wenger’s impact on the game has been widely praised and, in particular, his ability to change Arsenal from a club with an inherent booze and party culture to one where athleticism and professionalism was king.  His focus was on novel training methods and he did more to change the external influences on players and their game than, perhaps, anyone else in Premier League history.  Wenger focused heavily on diet, with the famed Mars Bar incident only serving to illustrate the way in which he operated from day one at the club.

“I changed a few habits of the players, which isn’t easy in a team with an average age of 30 years – at the first match the players were chanting, ‘We want our Mars bars!'” Wenger recalled. “At half-time, I asked my physio Gary Lewin, ‘Nobody is talking, what’s wrong with them?’ He replied, ‘They’re hungry.’ I hadn’t given them their chocolate before the game. It was funny.”

The idea that a man so revolutionary in terms of English football may have to be replaced has, for some reason, left many spectators baffled.  There is a pervading attitude that, combined with the fact the Premier League have a perceived monopoly on world football’s best managing talent, there are few capable of replacing Wenger in charge at Arsenal.  Few fans of English football seem able to look beyond their own domestic leagues for inspiration or are able to see the array of talent that lies beyond their shores, both in management and in other areas of the game.

Thomas Tuchel, the young and invigorating German who succeeded Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, is bookmakers’ favourite to take the helm at Arsenal and yet, still, appreciation for him seems less forthcoming in Britain, in general, than it might be had he already managed in England.  He, and so many other managers of his kind, are almost immediately expected to be without the necessary qualities to manage in England. “Yeah, but could he do it in the Premier League?” they say, citing the supposedly desirable qualities of pace and power in the English game as reasons why his ‘foreign ways’ may never work.  Indeed, the Premier League is home to a man who, around this time last year, faced the same accusations.  Despite arguably being one of the most successful and innovative coaches of his generation, the afore-mentioned Guardiola was somewhat sneered at by corners of the British press.  “His greatest challenge in the Premier League may well be embracing the lack of control,” wrote The Guardian’s Barney Ronay in September 2016, “the random elements, where the moment is often decided on luck, muscle, adrenal inspiration.”.  His considerable achievements at both FC Barcelona and, later, FC Bayern were downplayed.  Commentators attempted to invalidate his methods, claiming that the considerable talent he had at his disposal in terms of playing staff meant that he’d had it easy and that it wouldn’t wash on a wet Tuesday night in Stoke.  Yes, Pep has had his struggles at the Etihad this season, but there’s no doubt the tides are turning in Manchester.  Guardiola may yet prove his previous triumphs were no fluke and that, even in England, novel and new thinking can overcome brute force and strength.

There are myriad other managerial talents across the footballing world who appear, at large, to be being ignored when discussing who could take over from Wenger.  Take Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus.  Despite only just over a decade in management, he already has three Serie A titles and two Coppa Italias, as well as one appearance in a Champions League final appearance in 2015.  His appointment at Juve followed a four-year spell at Milan in which he won their last top-flight title and, in his current home of Turin, he has operated a seamless transfer of power from previous manager Antonio Conte.  He has maintained the Bianconeri’s dominance in Italy, as the club continues its return to power following the infamous Calciopoli scandal.

Off the more well-trodden footballing paths, there is yet more talent lurking.  Talents like Viktor Goncharenko, the young Belarusian coach who helped make BATE Borisov the first club to represent his home nation’s history.  Or Julian Nagelsmann, the German prodigy who, at just 29 years old, has already found his way to the helm of Bundesliga club 1899 Hoffenheim.  With already nearly a decade of coaching experience under his blet, Nagelsmann is changing the face of coaching in his homeland, at a time in his life when most others in the game would only just be reaching the peak of their powers as a player.

The notion that Tuchel, Allegri, Goncharenko or any of the numerous other managing talents in mainland Europe and beyond couldn’t deploy their ideas in England is, frankly, laughable.  Football is football.  Whether it’s played in Birmingham or Barcelona, Reading or Rome, novel and fresh approaches to football will always benefit the leagues on which they are imparted.  England is no different, and neither should it be considered so.