Will this be Leicester’s strongest season in the Premier League since their 2016 Championship?

Leicester reacts to Leicester City's Premier League Title Success on May 03, 2016 in Leicester, England.

(May 2, 2016 - Source: Matthew Lewis/Getty Images Europe)

Be afraid, be very afraid!

With Arsenal on the ropes and down on the floor, a familiar foe was standing right over their carcasses; Jamie Vardy. Two goals for the English international in a 3-0 victory for the Foxes meant that the Gunners had officially become his favorite customer. With a tally of 8 goals against them in the Premier League, against no else has he scored more. Rodgers' boys had not only inflicted a third loss in three matches for Emery's charges; but pulled off a Thanos and the magical stones on them. With 3 snaps of the fingers, more of rippling of the net in this context, Arsenal's hopes of finishing in the top four had vanished into thin air, almost at the speed of Leicester light or sound of their red agonies. The Foxes themselves had almost nothing to lose but plenty of pride to gain. A top 7 finish was almost out of reach given how well Wolves and Everton had performed in the preceding month leading to the fixture. Rather, on that 28th of April 2019, a bloody message had been imprinted on plain tables with the claws of a Fox, "they were coming for all of them when the season restarts." This time not as Foxes wearing sheep clothing, as they did in the 2015/16 when they won the Premier League title with odds of 5,000-1. But as the real deal, untamed and unleashed!

Statistically 3rd best in the Premier League?

Back to the main question, could 2019/20 really be Leicester's strongest season since winning the title in 2016? Well, the short answer is an emphatic yes! Just for kicks, since the appointment of former Liverpool manager in February of 2019, only champions Manchester City and European champions Liverpool have won more Premier League points than the King Power residents. Not a bad company to keep. If we are to extrapolate this historical data, we learn that it's pretty realistic for them to finish 3rd behind the aforementioned two. Not to worry, we are not putting all our eggs in that one basket, there is more wind in their sails, but first; let's look at how they've started.

“Upfront, we all know what they’ve got; some good old English speed and killer instincts in Jamie Vardy. The befitting introduction to this piece. The 32-year-old scored 14 goals in 17 Premier League appearances since the arrival of Rodgers on March 3. Only Aubameyang and Mane came close to that record with 12 goals each. ”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Jamie Vardy and James Maddison of Leicester City applauds fans after the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Leicester City at Anfield on October 05, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom.

(Oct. 4, 2019 - Source: FELIPE TRUEBA/Getty Images Europe)

Foxes don't false start

At the time of writing this piece, Leicester were in 4th place, just two points off second-placed Manchester City. It had only been 8/38 games into the season but the table quite accurately told how the 20 teams had fared. The Foxes in particular could have been higher up the pecking order given their performances had been miles, better than the results. That rampant display against Arsenal at the close of the 2018/19 season was indeed no clouds without rain. In their first 8 matches of the new campaign, they lost only two.

A narrow 0-1 lost at Manchester United and 1-2 away at Liverpool. In the latter, the Reds actually needed a 90+5 Milner penalty to get all 3 points and register a successive 17th Premier League win. They were unlucky not to get a win at Chelsea after coming from behind to take the game to the Blues and eventually secured a point. At home against Tottenham, the Foxes soundly beat the 2019 Champions League finalists by a 2-1 scoreline. Also included in the 8 games is an emphatic 5-0 win over Newcastle. Clearly, they look more than ready for the challenge. Super competitive against the big guns and ruthless when matched up with the so called lesser opposition.

Wilfried Ndidi of Leicester in action during the pre-season friendly match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City at Molineux on July 29, 2017 in Wolverhampton, England.

(July 28, 2017 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

A well balanced and vicious squad

The mix is just right. It's no fluke that they've performed the way they did. After Manchester City and Liverpool, Leicester arguably boast of the most balanced squad. Forget the price tags, star names and focus on the word "balanced." Let's actually look at how they line-up. Even after losing Harry Maguire to Manchester United in a world record deal for a defender, Johhny Evans and Caglar Soyuncü look like a good combination of experience and youth. No wonder they've conceded only 7 goals, a 2nd best record in the division after Liverpool and tied with Sheffield United.

The modern game is all about full-backs flying up and down the flanks, and the Foxes have two of the best in the division. Ben Chilwell who is mostly preferred by Gareth Southgate in the current England setup and the dynamic Ricardo Perreira who recorded the 4th highest tackles in the league last season. Wait, did we forget Schmeichel? The skipper goalkeeper needs no introduction and his sure displays in goal has him continue staking a claim among the best there is. From the middle of the park and going forward, they're even better. All of the 22-year-old Nigerian international, Wilfried Ndidi who has consistently and statistically been among the top two tacklers in the league since the 2017/18 season, the £40 million signing in Youri Tielemans and Newcastle top goal scorer from last season in Ayoze Perez; provide depth and options. Time will not allow us to exhaust the insurmountable talents of Harvey Barnes, Hamza Choudhury, Demarai Gray, Marc Albrighton or the man from Sampdoria, Dennis Praet and maybe everyone's favorite, the puppet master who pulls all the strings, James Maddison. But the point is more than clear, their midfield is loaded!

Upfront, we all know what they've got; some good old English speed and killer instincts in Jamie Vardy. The befitting introduction to this piece. The 32-year-old scored 14 goals in 17 Premier League appearances since the arrival of Rodgers on March 3. Only Aubameyang and Mane came close to that record with 12 goals each. Even as a backup, the former Manchester City and Nigerian forward in Kelechi Iheanacho could be lethal enough if afforded the opportunity. It get's even more interesting when we learn about the ingenuity of the man who organizes them.

Brendan Rodgers, Manager of Leicester City celebrates victory with Wes Morgan of Leicester City after the Premier League match between Leicester City and AFC Bournemouth at The King Power Stadium on March 30, 2019 in Leicester, United Kingdom.

(March 29, 2019 - Source: Michael Regan/Getty Images Europe)

They've got Rodgers, Brendan Rodgers!

Let's get one thing clear, joining Leicester is not a step up for the Irishman but a step up for the club. Brendan Rodgers' CV is up there for everyone to see and his talents are no strange to the Premier League. Jurgen Klopp is not the first man to bring Liverpool within touching distance of the league title since 1989-90, Rodgers did it in the 2013/14 campaign. Only needing two wins to clinch the coveted prize, the Reds blew up a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 at Crystal Palace that effectively handed the Premier League title to Manchester City. How good a job the now 46 year-old had done in that race cannot be overemphasized. He bloodied the likes of Raheem Sterling and set-up Luis Suarez for worldwide success.

Rodgers' next job at Celtic was more silverish and fruitful, winning the Scottish treble twice between 2016-18 In all, he left Scotland with 7 titles in 3 years to his name. In feeding their ambition, calling upon the tactician is almost as good an appointment as it gets. Even more, Rodgers himself returns with a slight knack to prove a point in the Premier League after Liverpool gave him the sack. It's the intersection of ambition. Little wonder they've already upped their game; the manager knows the league, knows how to win and has great experience working with young English players which Leicester have in abundance.

If you want be a little bit cynical, you could argue that amongst the so called big 6 teams, perhaps only four have better managers as per their CVs. United's Solskjaer and Chelsea's Lampard have been barely tested but we won't hinge on that, knowing it doesn't always work like that.

Right place at the right time, as traditionally top sides falter

Leicester as a club tested the highest glory, liked the smell and have always been back for more ever since. They've sacked managers such as the Premier League winning manager himself, Claudio Ranieri, Craig Shakespeare and Claude Puel for doing only enough to stay in the top flight. Their boldness has perhaps seen fortune knocking on their door. For the first time in quite a number of years, the traditional big 6 sides look shaken.

Jamie Vardy of Leicester City (l) celebrates after scoring the first goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Leicester City at St. James Park on September 29, 2018 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 28, 2018 - Source: Stu Forster/Getty Images Europe)

Obviously not Liverpool and highly doubtful of City even after starting the campaign very strangely losing to Wolves and Norwich. Manchester United are languishing in the bottom half of the table and their young and unbalanced squad look like they would have punched way above their weight if they finish within the top 6. It looks like 3rd place will be Arsenal's to lose as we may need rocket science to understand what's really going on at Tottenham, and the young Chelsea side look no better than the Foxes. Wolves who finished above Leicester last campaign look burdened by Europa League commitments and West Ham seem decent with record signing Sebastian Haller up top and the talents of Yarmolenko, Lanzini somewhere in the mix; but even Premier League winner in Manuel Pellegrini is still pondering on how to fix his defence. What about other last season's big performers in Everton and Watford? At this point, they both look like they are fighting just for their lives. The former were in 18th place after 8 games and the latter rock-bottom in 20th, courtesy of non-existent strike force and managerial crisis respectively, howbeit amongst many other things.

Foxing their way through

With all of an extremely talented and balanced squad, tactically astute manager, an ambitious board and the vulnerable state of state of the top 6, the stage looks set for the 2015/16 Premier League champions to fox their way through. Well, except if other sides exponentially improve their performances. At this rate, the Foxes are unlikely going to wait for that to happen but rather continually go for the jagular!

UEFA Champions League Preview (Matchday 2): Group B

Group B

Tottenham vs Bayern Munich– Tuesday, 01 October 2019

All is not well in the Tottenham camp. A mixed start to their Premier League campaign has seen fans and neutrals desperately look for the side that made them 2019 Champions League final against Liverpool, with no success. An opening night 2-2 draw at Olympiacos in Greece was another disappointing return which followed a 2-2 draw at North London rivals, Arsenal; having taken a 2-0 lead in both matches.

Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Muenchen celebrates scoring his teams second goal of the game during the UEFA Champions League Group E match between Ajax and FC Bayern Munich at Johan Cruyff Arena on December 12, 2018 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

(Dec. 11, 2018 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe)

Tanguy Ndombele has been a massive signing for Spurs with the midfielder having scored twice already in London, more recently in the 2-1 weekend win over Southampton. Now facing Bayern is a different ball game. The Germans took long but eventually labored to a 3-0 win over Red Star on opening UCL night. Lewandowski is unsurprisingly still firing, they are unbeaten in the league and have done well in North London whenever they played Arsenal in recent years.

Niko Kovac’s side are definitely backing themselves to add to Mauricio Pochettino’s woes before they find their feet again.

Red Star Belgrade vs Olympiacos– Tuesday, 01 October 2019

Competitive! That’s one way to describe this fixture. Red Star’s 0-3 loss to Bayern on matchday 1 goes nowhere close in explaining the complexion of that encounter. It was quite harsh on the Serbians who left it all on the pitch and could be a massive encouragement of what they can do in the 2019/20 UCL season. Their fans know how to create a winning atmosphere, having backed their heroes to famous victories over the likes of eventual champions, Liverpool last season. Olympiacos themselves know some things about atmospheres as their own lifted them up to fight back and draw 2-2 with Tottenham on opening night. The home team, Red Star are clearly favorites but it will surely be as electric as they come. A classic teeth biting and edge of your seats UCL encounter.

Kevin Prince Boateng’s shocking move to Barcelona explained

You know you are a liar if you say you saw this one coming! Yes, Barcelona have confirmed the signing of Ghanaian legend Kevin Prince Boateng from Sassuolo in the 2019 Winter Transfer Window. The versatile forward will be joining the club on an initial €2m loan for the remainder of the season with an option to buy mooted to be in region of €8 million. But why are we really surprised by this move?

His playing positions

Kevin-Prince Boateng of US Sassuolo pulls the ball into the goal during the serie A match between US Sassuolo and Genoa CFC at Mapei Stadium - Citta' del Tricolore on September 2, 2018 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy.

(Sept. 1, 2018 - Source: Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images Europe)

Kevin Prince Boateng is one of the most versatile players that we have seen in recent years. In the early stages of his career, he played in all of the midfield positions that you can think of. He anchored the stew in England with Portsmouth and Tottenham before being given the creative responsibilities in Italy and Germany with teams like AC Milan and Schalke FC. Just recently, he was deployed as an out and out striker at the Spanish club Las Palmas.

I do not see him adding anything to the already packed midfield of the Blaugrana who have Arthur and Coutinho taking turns to prove themselves in late cameos off the bench. Even in front, Ernesto Valverde has the experienced Luis Suarez and arguably the world’s greatest footballer of all time, Lionel Messi, who also plays as a forward. This would only mean that the African player will have to settle for a second fiddle role to the latter. He could be a competent substitute forward.

His age

The former Ghanaian international shined at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa with his nation. His performances left fond memories in our minds which make it surreal to even think that that was 9 years ago. On the 6th of March this year, Kevin Prince Boateng will be turning 32 years of age. The tall and aggressive all-rounder might not be past his prime yet but is close to the retirement package days which raises questions as to why he would join Barcelona now. He has lost some of his pace and will not be the ferocious threat he was at Milan under Allegri, but will have to complement it with his experience. He has been kicking the ball up and down the soccer pitch for close to 15 years now and can surely manage to do the basics in the remainder of this season.  

“Kevin Prince Boateng is one of the most versatile players that we have seen in recent years. In the early stages of his career, he played in all of the midfield positions that you can think of. He anchored the stew in England with Portsmouth and Tottenham before being given the creative responsibilities in Italy and Germany with teams like AC Milan and Schalke FC.”

— Tinotenda Magiya, FirstTouch Africa

The Club

Kevin Prince Boateng is a well-known Real Madrid fan who once shared in an interview in 2017 that he would prefer to play for Real Madrid than Barcelona. He even went on to express his frustration that he had not gotten to the club of his dreams because he had not been hard on himself enough to improve his game to reach a level required at the Spanish club. Knowing all this, surely, the Barcelona fans would not be happy about having a Madridista on their books considering the rivalry between the two clubs. In his defense, Boateng said, “Don’t ask me about Real Madrid... is just the past! I only want to focus on Barcelona and I hope to score at Bernabéu for the next Clasico.”

We can say a lot about this transfer but there’s one fact to be acknowledged by all. Boateng has played for many clubs in Europe, now 11 to be exact, and has always delivered. It says a lot about him and the many African players who have done it before him. Make sure to follow him during his time at Barcelona.

Will Ivory Coast’s Jean Seri be enough for Fulham?

“With his midfield boxing ability and agility, he looks exactly like what Fulham needs but has had since the beginning of the season.”

— Simiso Shabangu, FirstTouch Africa

Sometimes when a ship sinks, it’s not all the mighty men that are called out for help, but rather many call upon the name of the captain. Fulham is finding itself in a similar position where relegation is looming closer than any possible win. With that threat slowly becoming a reality, players and fans have looked around and cast their eyes on Jean Michel Seri. Will the Ivorian be enough to stop what might befall the Cottagers or will he possibly go down together with the London ‘ship’.

Looming Danger

Jean Michael Seri poses with the Carling Goal of the Month Award for August 2018 at Fulham FC Training Ground on September 12, 2018 in New Malden, England.

(Sept. 11, 2018 - Source: Getty Images Europe)

Fulham were recently promoted to the English Premier League after waiting for a while. In the 2015/2016 season, they finished 20th in the EFL Championship and were saved from relegation by 11 points. In typical water into wine staff, they got the “We are finally Premier League” card in June of this year. Even though they are stars in the current LilyWhites setup acquired for over £120 million in the summer, things are not looking good for the West Londoners as they are rock-bottom on the Premier League standings with a single win in 12 matches.

Technical Ability

With his midfield boxing ability and agility, he looks exactly like what Fulham needs but has had since the beginning of the season. His former coach, Slavisa Jokanovic, who just got axed was quoted saying, “Fulham does not have players like that, so he has come as the right answer.” The talented midfielder is physically fit in a way that is worthy of the Premier League which is arguably the most demanding league in Europe. He knows how to snatch the ball from the opponent while possessing the ability to shoot  from distance. Above that, he is quite acquainted with the 3-5-2 or 4-2-3 formations that demand very gifted midfielders like himself. With what he has to offer, is it enough for him to help his team survive the chop? It is argued that if a player has the ability to play in the formation that most teams in the league play, then victory is not something that is far off. It is also a bit too early in the league to draw conclusions about relegation in the league as we are only 12 games into it. A lot can still change and Seri can still show up more for the Cottagers.

Bigger Challenge

Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City shakes hands with manager Claudio Ranieri as he is replaced during the Barclays Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Leicester City at Selhurst Park on March 19, 2016 in London, United Kingdom.

(March 18, 2016 - Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)

The challenge is that the issue of relegation does not come as a result of one player and cannot be solved by individuals. Tim Sherwood, the former Tottenham manager cited the lack of quality of players in the squad as a reason for the relegation fears. He said the problem even goes beyond the way they play but it lies deeply with the caliber of players that they have bought. What that then means is that in spite of how good the 27-year-old Jean Serri can be, he cannot save his team from relegation. After all, he is just a midfielder, who takes up so much space of the field and cannot be a complete squad on his own. Furthermore, Fulham also spent over £120 million purchasing new players into the team. Having a lot of new players is coin toss as you have may people who are not accustomed to the style of play of the team. Being a great player is one thing, but being merged into the culture of a team is a game changer. With all the challenges that the team is facing, it becomes even more evident that the talent and dedication of the Ivorian midfielder may not enough to save the day.

The final word, though, is that the talks about relegation might be a bit premature at this point. A single game can change a team’s course. We will sit back and see if the highly rated Jean Michel Seri who previously attracted the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona before eventually switching to West London, will be enough to avert Fulham’s relegation. Additionally, the sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic and appointment of Claudio Ranieri who led Leicester City to a fairytale premier league title in the 2015/16 season could be an interesting plot twist for Fulham and Seri. Other African players such as Riyad Mahrez and Jeffrey Schlupp shined under Ranieri’s tenure at the Foxes. Seri and Fulham may be the latest beneficiaries of his abilities and experience, or not.

We will be watching.

Is Wanyama risking pulling off an "Obi Mikel" at Tottenham?

Kelechi Iheanacho of Leicester City and Victor Wanyama of Tottenham Hotspur battle for possession during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City at Wembley Stadium on May 13, 2018 in London, England.

(May 12, 2018 - Source: Warren Little/Getty Images Europe)

It’s not everyday that you come across a Kenyan in the global football circles. Football is simply perhaps not their thing, there are other things they are quite good at. Exceptionally so. For instance, when it comes to marathon running, they are the best Olympians. Everyone knows that. Should you get a chance to stumble upon one, he/she must be really outstanding and that’s the case of Victor Wanyama, the Kenyan captain and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder. Well, there is however an unsettling feeling around Vic’s Spurs career which is floating in the air.

A Pochettino’s Tottenham “Renaissance” Trooper

The North London is now easily regarded as one of the top six sides in the English Premier League, thanks to Mauricio Pochettino’s current reign, who took the reins from Tim Sherwood in 2014. The Argentine has transformed the club’s philosophy into a highly coveted attacking style of football and has seen them return to UEFA Champions League football, even rubbing shoulders and beating the likes of  record winners Real Madrid, 3-1 at Wembley in the 2017/18 tournament. The club is on course to open their new stadium and however still pressing on towards some first piece of silverware under Pochettino, all sounding much like their North London rivals, Arsenal under Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman who is widely regarded to have “built” the club’s Emirates stadium and brought in an attractive style of play to England but also enjoyed limited silverware success in a 22-year tenure.

Now, true to the story is that Victor Mugubi Wanyama emerged as one of the special troopers in Pochettino’s transformed squad. He first made contact with the Vic in 2013 when he signed him from the Scottish Premier League club, Celtic for a fee understood to be £12.5 million to become the first ever Kenyan to play in the English Premier League.

“Southampton is a good club and it has good players, so I just want to train hard and work hard to be a part of the starting XI. We’ll see where that will take me. It feels great and I am happy to be here. There were other options, but Southampton is a club with ambitions so I chose to come here. I’m very grateful to be here and I’m looking forward to playing in the Premier League.”

— Victor Wanyama on signing for Southampton

Mauricio clearly loved Wanyama’s style of play and even brought him to Spurs in 2016 and went on to become a crowd favorite as a “no nonsense” type of defensive midfielder who shoves opponents off the ball with great stamina to pick out passes in the attacking third or sprint forward to finish some chances. In fact, according to the Premier League official stats, he boasts of a superior tackle success rate of 76% in 140 appearances in the division, higher than the 2018 FIFA FIFPRO XI winner, N’golo Kante or arguably the best defensive midfielder in the division, Everton’s Idrissa Gana Gueye.

Injuries setbacks

Victor Wanyama of Tottenham Hotspur poses with the trophy for Carling Premier League Goal of the Month for February 2018 at on March 8, 2018 in Enfield, England.

(March 7, 2018 - Source: Paul Harding/Getty Images Europe)

A series of major and minor injuries have seen the 27-year-old’s career progressing slower than it first looked. He suffered a knee injury in the early stages of the 2017/18 season that saw him sidelined for four months, only to return to full training in December 2017. Since then, he has found it hard to pick up some momentum with slight injuries and mostly managerial decisions sidelining him out of the side. He has managed just fifty-five appearances since 2016 for Spurs with 36 starts in the first season while only nine starts have come to his name since August 2017. Wanyama is clearly a player who seem to be moving further down the pecking order as each day goes by at Tottenham. He did have a wow moment in February 2018 when he scored a thunderbolt for Spurs at Anfield against Liverpool after coming on as a substitute. With that stunner, he won the Premier League goal of the month but that was the last of it.

An Obi Mikel Chelsea vibe surrounding Wanyama’s career?

Nigeria’s John Obi Mikel, is one of Africa’s greatest exports to the English top flight who is believed to have wasted a career at Chelsea after spending eleven years at the club from 2006-2017 managing only 249 appearances with a handful of them as a substitute and some in the least competitive matches such as those for domestic cups. Most people build legend status in that time, for example the Ivorian Didier Drogba did was worshipped at the club after spending only eight years. Mikel even accepted a change of role from being a potent attacking midfielder to a defensive one in that period, eventually getting a break late on when he moved to the Chinese Super League.

At 27 years of age, its starting to look like Wanyama might become a permanent bench warmer after managing just one appearance this 2018/19 season in all competitions. Even Spurs fans are getting frustrated at the snub of the Kenyan international for the English trio of Eric Dier, Moussa Dembele and Harry Winks in the Tottenham midfield. With Pochettino believed to have a keen eye on English talent and developing it, Wanyama might be risking a career to remember for all Kenyans.

What do you think is the fate of the Kenyan rare gem in Victor Mugubi Wanyama?

FT English Premier League Preview: Can Salah replicate his form from last season?

I imagine this question has been on everybody’s mind since Liverpool’s Champions League Final against Real Madrid. People are wondering if the Egyptian wizard Mo Salah can replicate his performances from last season. There is no simple answer to this question, but I will try to break down my thought process and let you in on how I think the forward can be a threat in the coming 2018/19 EPL season.

2017/18 was a fairytale season for new summer signing Mo Salah who arrived at Liverpool from AS Roma for a fee believed to be around £35m. Many thought it was an expensive purchase for a player who was most likely going to be a substitute when Klopp’s workhorse, Adam Lallana, returns from injury. Little did we know that the African star sought to challenge the records not just for the club but the historical competition dubbed ‘the most competitive in the world’. Mo Salah grew week by week into a fierce striker capable of scoring against any opposition placed in front of him. If you were not following football last season, you definitely need to know that he scored a record-breaking 32 league goals as well as providing 10 assists in the process. Perfection personified!

Now, the talk has been going on about whether he can grow from this season and replicate this performance especially after seeing his World Cup dreams dashed early in Russia. The Liverpool forward had suffered an injury in the UEFA Champions League final against 13-time champions Real Madrid. This meant that he arrived at the tournament in Russia not fully fit and was unable to make it past the group stage. Many believe that this dented his confidence and could affect his performances in the upcoming season commencing on the 10th of August. Some even drop in the issue of fatigue and say that he has not had enough time to rest which means that he is most likely going to burn out. All these arguments are fair and point to the direction that our bets should not be on the 24-year old Egyptian to star again under Klopp.

But what about the other side of it? What does history say about people like him who dramatically exceed expectations in their first seasons at big clubs? Players, who build year-on-year? Let me help you. Think of Tottenham’s Harry Kane. The forward shocked people when he scored 21 goals in the 2014/15 season. Some even called it a fluke and were convinced that the striker would never come close to those numbers again. Well, they were right. Not in the sense that he failed to reach 21 goals again, but that he has consistently scored more than 21 since that season. He went on to score 25, 29 and just recently reached the 30 goal-mark in a heated race for the golden boot with Salah. This is evidence of a player playing in the same league who managed to produce the goods after an unbelievable season.

Apart from that, Salah’s performance against Manchester City in the International Champions Cup on the 26th of July, 2018 shows that he has not let his foot off the gas. The player was brought onto the pitch in the second half with their team trailing by one goal to nil. It took him only 3 touches in just 53 seconds to find the back of the net and draw Liverpool on level pegging against Pep Guardiola’s side. The Egyptian headed past the helpless Joe Hart despite there being calls for him being offside. His presence inspired the Merseyside club into a victory as Sadio Mane finished off the comeback with a calmly taken penalty on the 94th minute.

What else did they talk about? Oh, yes. Fatigue. They say he is not going to be fit throughout the season. I think these comments are premature as well. Liverpool now have the strength in depth that they have lacked in recent seasons. They recently acquired the services of a certain Swiss talent called Xherdan Shaqiri. The man is short but can give you problems on the flanks and cutting in on his favored left peg. He is most likely going to be taking over in the matches that are not a top priority to the club which especially the cup games. If not him, then Lallana as well will be ready to prove to everyone that he is still a capable team player. All these options mean that Salah can afford to rest and be recalled in the big games to terrorise the defence like he is capable of.

Finally, he must be hungry for success. After witnessing his team bow out to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid, Mo Salah must be bitter about that loss, and his lack of contribution due to his injury. His dream, like every other player, is to win the biggest competition in Europe and shine on the biggest stage. After having tasted the fruits of hard work by reaching the final, he must be ready to push again, create chances, and score more goals for Liverpool to realise his dream. Antoine Griezmann is an example of a player who cried countless times after being eliminated by Real Madrid in the competition. But that pushed him to work harder and await his opportunity, and now he is a World Cup champion. Salah is ready for success. I believe he will replicate his performance. What’s your take?

FT English Premier League Preview: How will Aubameyang fair during a full EPL season?

Some call him Arsene Wenger’s gift to Unai Emery. Pierre Aubameyang was the last (mid-season) signing made by the Frenchman before he called time on his long career at Arsenal. There is a lot of hype around the forward and what he is capable of doing. I guess this comes naturally after he claimed Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry’s famous number 14 shirt. The question we try to answer here is how will he fair in a full English Premier League season as compared to other forwards.  

The Gabonese international is a well-known predator in front of goal. He scored a total of 23 goals in 29 matches across all competitions in the 2017/18 season. This obviously includes his contribution in Germany before the turn of this year and his record-breaking start in the EPL for Arsenal. He was brought in with a huge pedigree because he managed to outscore some of the best strikers in the world like Robert Lewandowski in the Bundesliga. Now, he has moved to England for a new challenge.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang #14 of Arsenal and Juanfran #20 of Atletico Madrid completes for the ball during the International Champions Cup 2018 match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Arsenal at the National Stadium on July 26, 2018 in Singapore."Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images AsiaPac"

The top goal scorer in the previous season was a fellow African, Mohamed Salah, of Egypt who scored 31 goals in 38 matches. Although he scored more than Pierre, the Arsenal man has a better shooting accuracy with 61% and also a better goals-per-match ratio with 0.77. Salah stands at 44% and 0.69 respectively. This on its own, proves that the Gabonese forward is a more efficient goalscorer than the person who lifted the Golden Boot accolade at the end of last season.

It is undoubtedly going to be interesting how Aubameyang will fair in a full season against other top goalscorers in the league including Sergio Aguero, Harry Kane, the above mentioned Mohamed Salah and Romelu Lukaku. The new Arsenal coach, Unai Emery, has been preaching about hard-work and is trying to find a new way for the team to play after being used to the tactics of Wenger for 22 years. The recent pre-season friendlies have shown that the team is becoming quicker in transition, which makes them deadlier on the counter. These tactics certainly suit a player of Aubameyang’s abilities whose pace is unquestionable. He managed to score a hattrick against Boreham Wood in a thumping 8-0 victory for the Arsenal. He managed to achieve all of this without the creative genius of Ozil and Mkhitaryan on the pitch. Just imagine how much more he can accomplish with those deadly passers of the ball on the pitch.

I think that Pierre will be a contender for the Golden Boot award in the English Premier League this season. He has already proved that he can do it in England, and can do it better than Salah so there should not be any reason to doubt his abilities in front of goal. However, there are some worries about his contribution in recent weeks after seeing that the new Arsenal coach is deploying the striker on one of the flanks. Against, Boreham Wood, he played on the left and against Atletico Madrid in the International Champions Cup, he was drifting to the right. This might limit his chances in front of goal and might affect his final standing as far as the top scorers' list is concerned. Who else will be the part of the attacking squad this season?

Romelu Lukaku is also in his second season with Manchester United and has adapted well to Jose Mourinho’s style of play. He scored 16 goals and provided 7 assists for the runners-up in the league. His position in the team is almost guaranteed as the club does not have another out-and-out striker to compete with him for his place in the squad. If he remains fit this season, he will certainly challenge Aubameyang to the top spot on the scoring charts.

Harry Kane is a proven goalscorer in the English Premier League. He has scored more goals in every season since the 2013/14 season. He was the top goal scorer for two years running before Salah came back to England. His Tottenham side is suited for a striker of his abilities and he will be sure to bang in goals. The Englishman seems to be more motivated by goals than trophies which makes him a threat to Aubameyang. He will give it his all to be the highest goalscorer in the league after managing to achieve this feat in the previous World Cup hosted by Russia.

Last but certainly not least. Sergio Kun Aguero. He plays for the defending champions, Manchester City, who won the league with 100 points last season. He scored a total of 21 goals in the league despite being dropped to the bench for Gabriel Jesus on a couple of occasions. Some pundits argued that he was the best finisher in the league, and rightly so, but that was before Salah and Aubameyang came onto the scene. Will he have enough to lift his first golden boot award since 2015?

Top Goal Scorer Predictions:

1. Aubameyang

2. Salah

3. Kane

4. Aguero

5. Lukaku

FT Top 5 Young Players With African Roots: Dele Alli [Tottenham]

The English international was born on 11 April 1996 in Milton Keynes, England. His full name is Bamidele Jermaine Alli and was born to a Nigerian father, Kenny of the Yoruba tribe and English mother, Denise. Dele’s father moved to the United States a week after he was born and was raised by his mother who suffered from alcohol problems. He fell in love with the game at a tender age and joined the Milton Keynes Dons youth system when he was just 11. At 13, Alli moved into the home of a teammate at MK Dons and stayed with Alan and Sally Hickford whom he considers being his adoptive parents although he was never legally adopted. His first touch professional football was a back-heel pass in his senior debut for MK Dons in 2012 when he came on as a substitute against Cambridge City.

Three years later,  English Premier League giants, Tottenham Hotspur signed him for an initial fee of £5 million. After a loan spell at MK Dons, Alli made his Tottenham debut against Manchester United in August 2015. For the rest of the 2015/16 campaign, he delivered performances that won him the PFA Young Player of the season after scoring ten Premier League goals in his rookie season and helping Spurs qualify for the Champions League after a five-year drought. In the ensuing season, he changed his kit name to Dele citing that he “felt no connection” to his legal surname after parting ways with his mother. In that campaign, Dele consolidated his place as one of the most exciting talents in the football world, winning the PFA Young Player of The Year for the second time and the buzz continued with rumors linking him to the likes of Real Madrid. He, however, stayed at Spurs and has become an integral part of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad alongside Harry Kane. He has become the most highly rated young player with an increased valuation of  €82.6 million, a staggering 142% increase in a year. It has not all been chocolate and roses for Dele as he has received a fair share of criticisms for some sluggish performances and behavior. He is, however, proving to be a growing player and individual who is expected to star for the three lions in the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia.

Here is how some football icons described the 22-year-old:

“In the box, he looks like a striker, and outside the box, he plays like a midfielder." - Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham Manager

"He is fast, fluid and has a great skill set" - Rafael van de Vaart, Dutch Footballer

Frank Lampard thinks he is sneaky and intelligent to have the ability to, "to get into the box without being marked".

3 Peat? Real Madrid through to the UEFA Champions League Final

Real Madrid have shown that they are not all that as they have shipped in a lot of goals when playing with teams like Tottenham, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern Munich came into the game with the intention to press Real Madrid high up the pitch and score some goals if they were to stand a chance of qualifying to the final. They received a boost in welcoming Alaba back to the team who missed the first leg of the clash because of a thigh injury. Real Madrid had Benzema up front alongside Ronaldo and Zidane omitted his most preferred defensive midfielder, Casemiro.

The game was off to an interesting start as Joshua Kimmich repeated his heroic efforts in the first leg as he scored the opener for Bayern in just the 3rd minute. They succeeded in marking Ronaldo who has been a threat since the beginning of the tournament but what they did not realize is that their plan was predictable. Zidane knew that they would do that so he focused his team’s attack on Benzema who has been out of form. The Frenchman scored the equalizer for the defending champions in the 11th minute from a cross by Marcelo. Bayern Munich had the opportunity to go into the break with a lead but on-loan Real Madrid midfielder, James Rodriguez unbelievably blazed over the bar from two yards out.

Benzema scored the second for again for Madrid after Ulreich’s bizarre mistake. The goalkeeper lets a back pass from Thiago run past him because of indecision. He looked like he wanted to catch the ball before remembering the indirect rule so ended up sliding and attempting to kick the ball. Real Madrid capitalized on that and they were once again ahead in the tie. Now, Bayern needed two goals to make to the next round. James Rodriguez scored one and Bayern gave their all in search of a second. Thomas Muller had the very last chance of the game when the ball fell to him but he failed to score and Real are through to the final on aggregate. 3-2 was enough to see them through to the third final in a row. What can easily be concluded is that they are not as scary as people thought. They showed their weaknesses against Tottenham, Juventus, and Bayern but were lucky to pull through. Will they get away with it again in the final?

FA considering 800M bid on Wembley Stadium

The FA have confirmed that Shahid Khan has offered an 800m bid to buy Wembley Stadium. The FA are considering this enormous bid from the billionaire who owns Fulham and Jacksonville Jaguars. He plans to strengthen the Jaguar’s presence in the capital of England. London has started attracting interest from other NFL teams as Tottenham Hotspur signed a 10-year deal with the NFL that will see the White Hart Lane host some of the games at their 61 000-seater when it is completed. It is also believed that not many changes will be seen from the stadium as the FA are expected to keep their headquarters at the stadium free of rent while Fulham will remain at Craven Cottage. This money can be reinvested by the Football Association and finance the building of 1,500 new full-size pitches across England.

One Wembley source was quoted as having said, “If we are ever to have the chance to change the face of football in this country, this offer could make that happen.”

The terms of the deal are not quite clear at the moment but the England national team will be expected to maintain the stadium as their home. An issue could be the potential clashes between the international games and the NFL games which commence in September. The UK is really eager to grow the NFL and are excited by the potential purchase of the stadium.  

Manchester United through to the final after beating Tottenham 2-1

Manchester United have done it again and are on the right path to prove that they are becoming a competitive team in England. The club have been struggling since Alex Ferguson left but Jose Mourinho has achieved instant success after taking over from Louis Van Gaal. The Portuguese manager won what he calls a treble in his first season i.e. FA Community Shield, Carabao Cup and the UEFA Europa League which gave them qualification to the UEFA Champions League. This season, he tried to catch up with the cash rich City side who invested a lot but could not push for a title challenge as everyone anticipated. The club also crashed out of the Carabao Cup this season before being knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Sevilla in the quarterfinals. Mourinho’s man now only had their eyes on the FA Cup for a last chance to salvage some silverware to the club. They had enough to defeat their opponents today to make it to the final of the tournament but it was not easy.

Dele Alli opened the scoring for Tottenham on the 11th minute from a Christian Eriksen cross and it looked like it was going to be a defeat for the Red Devils but they had other thoughts. The winter signing scored the equalizer for United to make it 1-1 on 24 minutes after Paul Pogba outmuscled Dembele on the left before delivering a perfect cross for the Chilean forward to score. Jese Lingard wasted an opportunity to give United the lead three minutes later when he blazed over the goal from a cross by Lukaku only 3 minutes after Sanchez had scored. Dier also had an opportunity when he shot from distance and saw his effort hit the post. Lukaku then combined with Sanchez in a counter attack that saw the Spanish midfielder, Ander Herrera scoring the winning goal. This is such a disappointment for the Tottenham team who have been improving year on year. They really need to start winning trophies soon if they are to keep their top talent because they have come short on so many occasions. Kudos Mourinho and his team. On to the next one now.

Harry Kane trying to keep up with Salah

This season has seen the rise to stardom by an African player in the Premier League once again but this time by a player who had already failed to make the cut in this league before moving to Liverpool. You guessed right, Mo Salah has been in the limelight for the greater part of the season and has even gone ahead of the most clinical English striker in Harry Kane. The Tottenham forward had enjoyed the success of winning the Golden Boot twice in a roll before this season and was probably confident of pipping the usual front-runners in Aguero, Lukaku and probably a striker in Morata who had brought a huge hype when he moved to Stamford Bridge. Little did he know that he would be given a run for his money by an Egyptian winger who had failed to cement a first team spot when he was playing for Chelsea before leaving for Italy. This season, Harry Kane has been behind the Liverpool forward and he recently appealed for a goal in order to catch up with Salah. The Liverpool forward scored his 30th Premier League goal during last weekend and Kane had to wait for Tottenham’s game in hand played on Wednesday to also score a goal in a match that ended in a draw for the Spurs against Brighton & Hove Albion. There are only four games left to play and the Tottenham striker has vowed not to give up without a fight. Again we ask, will Kane have enough to pip his counterpart for his most prized asset? Drop your comments below.  

Old Trafford expansion put on hold

Manchester United who have had an average season this year are facing a dilemma on how to increase the capacity of their stadium. The club have been contemplating on redeveloping Sir Bobby Charlton Stand and the plans were drawn up about three times in the past 10 years but they are once again put on hold because of logistical reasons. The club are not the first to extend the capacity of their stadium as Tottenham, who are currently renting the Wembley Stadium, have already started construction at the White Hart Lane. Chelsea also will be using Wembley soon when the construction commences at the Stamford Bridge. The problem with Manchester United’s stadium is that it cannot be used while the construction takes place like how Liverpool did in Anfield. This means that they would require to use other facilities aside from their home ground and the only other option in Manchester is the stadium of their rivals. The practically of that is unlikely considering the relationship between the two clubs. That being the case, Manchester United have decided to put that project on hold once more as they look for other alternatives.

Manchester United Managing Director had this to say, “"It would be a multi-season challenge and it isn't certain that there's a way of doing it which doesn't render us homeless."

Old Trafford already has the capacity of up to 80 000 and still want more considering that there is work required to accommodate higher numbers of disabled supporters. It would be interesting to see who United will maneuver this situation if they decide to start working on redeveloping the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand.

Abroad: Harry Kane desperate to beat Salah to the golden boot

Tottenham and English striker, Harry Kane has revealed his intentions to try and catch up with Egyptian trickster, Mohamed Salah on the race to the English Premier League top goal scorer award. Kane claimed Spurs’ second goal in their 2-1 win away at Stoke City. However, the Premier League Goals Accreditation panel gave the goal to Kane’s Danish teammate, Christian Eriksen. In a post-match interview, the English forward alluded that the Eriksen’s free kick brushed off his shoulder before hitting the back of the net.

“I swear on my daughter’s life that I touched the ball, but there’s nothing I can do. If they turn it around, they turn it around. If they take my word, they take my word.”

— Harry Kane

Tottenham have made a decision to lodge an appeal to the Premier League to review their decision for Kane to be awarded the goal. The 24-year-old was starting his first match for Spurs since 11th of March after being sidelined with an injury. He is currently on 24 EPL goals, five behind Salah who would win the golden boot in his first season at Liverpool if Kane fails to catch up. The Tottenham man is hunting his 3rd consecutive golden boot to equal Thierry Henry’s EPL record and very much believes he can still get the job done. But with Salah firing across all cylinders, only time will tell.

When asked about Mo Salah, Kane replied:

“I’ve got to focus on my game. I can’t control what he does. Obviously, as a striker, it would be great to win the golden boot again and I will keep working hard from now until the end of the season”

— Harry Kane

Alli leads Tottenham to a 3-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge

Tottenham Hotspur’s star striker was facing a race against fitness to play in this London derby between his club and Chelsea. He was disappointed not to make it which meant that a lot of pressure was piled on Englishman Dele Alli and Eriksen to produce some fine performances and deal with Chelsea in the top 4 race. The duo did not disappoint but were made to wait after a great start from Chelsea. Alvaro Morata scored the first for Chelsea from a Victor Moses cross as he headed down past a helpless Lloris who had committed to try and keep out the cross. The Spanish striker celebrated with passion but Chelsea were not done. They kept attacking and probably forgot about their compact defending as Tottenham created a lot of space for Eriksen to riffle a shot from 30 yards out which was saved by Caballero. The same opportunity was presented again for Eriksen and he made no mistake this time as he fired a long range effort past the Italian Caballero who was replacing Courtois in goal. Alli then scored the second goal after running off the defenders and finished off a 50-yard pass from Dier. Alli coupled that up with another goal 4 minutes later which made it 3-1 for Tottenham. They eventually ran away with the win to end their poor run against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. This was Tottenham’s first win at Chelsea in 28 years. This result piles more misery on Chelsea and has all but confirmed their fate of Europa League football for next season. Chelsea were hoping to reduce the point deficit between them and Tottenham but are now left 8 points behind with 7 games to play. If they are not careful, they can easily be overtaken by Arsenal who have faced an upturn in form recently and are just 5 points behind them.

Conte backs Morata to be ready for the clash against Tottenham

At long last, the English Premier League resumes this weekend. The international break was welcomed by those teams that were not performing well but to those that were starting pick up form, it was unfavorable. Its time has passed and our focus goes back to the most competitive league in the world. A Super Sunday clash between Chelsea and Tottenham is on everyone’s lips and the managers have already started motivating their players. This time, it is Antonio Conte who talked about his big money signing Alvaro Morata on his fitness levels. The Italian backed the Spanish forward to be 100% ready for the clash which is as big as the North London derby. Alvaro Morata had been off form recently and the manager had been forced to deploy Hazard as a false 9 in his absence. Now he is expected to step out of the shadows and show that he can be the man that Conte bought back at Juventus and again at Chelsea last year. Do you see him being the man of the show on Sunday?

Manchester United win 2-0 against Brighton

Criticism for the Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku has died down in recent weeks as the player has rediscovered his goalscoring touch and he contributed once again to Manchester United’s win on Saturday. It had been a quiet night for the team who were failing to break the Premier League side’s defense before Nemanja Matic found Lukaku with an inch perfect cross for the striker to nod home just before the break. That made it his 25th goal in his debut season at Manchester United. Mourinho’s men had enough time to add another one 7 minutes before time as Ashley Young’s freekick found Matic at the back post and the midfielder made no mistake as he scored the second to secure a 2-0 win against newly promoted Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup. Next up is the semifinals and the boys have to be at their best if they are to have a chance against Tottenham Hotspur.

February Awards: Victor Wanyama and Jordan Ayew Star

Kenyan international, Victor Wanyama’s goal grabbed the Premier League goal of the month award while Swansea’s Jordan Ayew was named the Welsh club’s player of the month. Wanyama came off the bench, scored a stunner from 40 yards against for Tottenham Hotspur and helped the North Londoners force a draw against Liverpool at Anfield. It was also the night of great goals, in which Salah mesmerized on-lookers by getting the better of two Spurs defenders and finishing off in emphatic style.

"The ball was bouncing and I didn’t want to think too much so I just let it fly. It was a good goal and I’m happy to win Goal of the Month.” - Victor Wanyama

Though he was red-carded this weekend for a rash challenge on Huddersfield man, Jordan Ayew is enjoying glory days at Swansea. He has been phenomenal in their recent revival, raising the club’s EPL survival hopes and progressing in the English FA Cup. It’s only fair to give him such an accolade. We might actually enjoy more of the Ayew brothers as Jordan was recently united with his brother Andre at the Swans.