All posts by h79snht.top

Admit it, how many people enjoyed the women’s World Cup in the Summer?

I loved it, seeing players who were committed to the game, not diving around and faking injury to get the referee to give decisions. I too felt the heartbreak when, in the last minute of the game, Laura Bassett scored an own goal to hand Japan a place in the World Cup final.

It was not only a time of sadness, but a time of positivity. The women’s game was on the up, highlighted through the fact that, in America alone, 25.4 million people watched the United States beat Japan 5-2. More than the 18.2 million watched the USA men’s football team play in the 2014 World Cup against Portugal, which puts that all in to perspective.

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So it begs the question, should more people be watching women’s football?

Since that World Cup, where England finished third, there has been more interest in women’s football, with the FA quoting a 29% rise in attendances, 48% overall last year. The average league match jumped from 728 in 2014 to 1,076 in 2015, highlighting that the women’s game in this country is on the up.

This popularity is further illustrated through a record 2,710 people watching Chelsea win the Women’s Super League title. In what was an exciting season, Chelsea beat Manchester City by two points, emphasising that the women’s league is just as competitive as the men’s.

With football getting more and more expensive, more people are starting to attend women’s games to get their source of entertainment. Better television coverage means that it is easier to keep up with, and with the monthyl Woman’s Football Show on BBC , it helps keep fans updated.

This season, of course, stood out for gamers due to FIFA finally adding women’s international teams to the game. Yet should teams and television channels be doing more to promote women’s football? Although BT and BBC do give it a lot more coverage than ever before, should more be done to raise the profile of women’s football?

One thing you notice when looking into the Women’s Super League is the missing big teams. Though there are teams like Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and recently Manchester City, some big names which have made up the men’s Premier League for years haven’t jumped on the band waggon and don’t have women’s teams.

Teams like Manchester United do not have a women’s side, and you would feel that for one of the biggest teams in the world they really should. The commercial success a Manchester United ladies side could have is astonishing, and they are lacking behind other teams.

It highlights that there is still work to do in the women’s game. Yet if they continue to get more media attention, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be watching.

With Mark Sampson signing a new contract as manager of the women’s England side, the game’s future is in safe hands, and hopefully there will be more coverage in the new WSL season.

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When Bournemouth became the 47th different side to play in the Premier League, not many gave them much of a prayer. Having gone from near football league extinction to gaining promotion to the top flight in just 10 years, their meteoric rise was undoubtedly a great story, but this season would likely prove one step too far.

But arriving in the Premier League they soon made many friends and attracted admiring glances from all quarters, their brand of attacking, passing football great to watch and a credit to manager Eddie Howe and his side. And despite only two wins from their first 14 fixtures, they continued to play their own game instead of adapting to suit the more demanding nature of the Premier League.

Their persistence was rewarded with a six-game unbeaten run at the end of 2015 however, the side picking up results whilst staying true to the philosophy. But despite adding to their points tally since the turn of the year, there are signs that the side will still fall foul of some of the naivety that has befallen similar sides in the past.

The most striking similarity that springs to mind is that of the Blackpool side that graced the Premier League just five seasons ago. A small club with an unlikely promotion to the top flight, playing attractive passing football and winning over many fans along the way.

The fellow seaside outfit lit up the 2010/11 season, charismatic manager Ian Holloway guiding them to seven wins during the first-half of the season. Playing on a small, tight pitch in a stadium more suited to lower league football, their manager and players were similarly lauded for playing open, attractive football, regardless of opponent or situation.

Sure, it won them fans and, to begin with at least, it won them games, too. But just three wins during the second-half of the campaign saw them slide down the league and they were eventually relegated, finishing second from bottom. During the latter part of the season, when fitness and squad depth become even more crucial, they were found wanting, unable to adapt or cope with the pressure of the Premier League spotlight.

The Cherries could face a worryingly similar fate during the final 12 games of this season if they are not careful. Currently just four points and three places above the relegation spots, Howe’s side still have four of the current top-six to play, as well as visits from Liverpool and Chelsea.

And while we all like to see a side that ‘plays the right way’ there remains a time and a place for this outlook. Sides that are to survive in the Premier League, particularly one the size of Bournemouth, must consider adapting philosophy, mentality and tactics in certain games, most crucially those during the all important run-in.

The final dozen games of the season will tell us a lot about Howe’s team. Obviously, if they can pick up points whilst continuing to play their brand of football, they should avoid relegation whilst also claiming a moral victory, having not wavering from their footballing style.

But for such a young, relatively inexperienced manager – Howe is just 38 – the demands of a relegation dogfight on both himself and the players may prove tough. If he shows the maturity to change tactics and mentality at key times, he may well keep the Cherries in the Premier League. But the dangers of only knowing ‘one way to play’ are magnified during a run-in, even more so in the nation’s top-flight.

We’ll never know how their season may have gone had Callum Wilson stayed fit and new signings Tyrone Mings and Max Gradel both avoided season-ending injuries themselves. Five goals in seven games suggest Wilson was likely to have an excellent campaign and would surely have finished off some of the flowing football produced by the side from Dean Court.

If we are to have the opportunity to see what he can do with a full season in the Premier League, his team-mates and manager must start to entertain other ways of approaching games in the coming weeks and months, and not just entertain the crowds. It’d be a great story if they can maintain their Premier League status and I don’t think anyone would begrudge them another shot at the big-time. After all, we all like to be beside the sea-side, don’t we?

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Although much was expected of Memphis Depay when he made his big money switch to the English top-flight, the 22-year-old Netherlands international has proven an undoubted disappointment, and now his future at Manchester United looks anything but secure already.

Whilst several high profile stars in the past have needed transitional periods to adapt to the hustle and bustle of the Premier League, the modern game simply doesn’t allow for such a luxury, especially at a club with such ambitious expectations as Man United.

So then, as the bosses behind the scenes at Old Trafford are reportedly running out of patience with the former Eredivsie favourite, must the Red Devils look to part ways with Depay before his situation becomes truly untenable, or is it just a matter of time before the quick-footed Dutch attacker finally makes his mark in the Premier League?

Well, even in the eyes of the most optimistic of Manchester United supporters watching their team in 2015/16, the growing situation at Old Trafford doesn’t look all that bright for the man who nonetheless cost his current employers close to £25m just a short matter of months ago.

Whilst the ex-PSV Eindhoven star clearly seemed like a promising asset across large portions of the 2014 World Cup for his native Netherlands, as well as throughout the previous domestic season in his homeland, this is one player who has most definitely failed to set the Premier League alight.

Depay has simply looked lost out on the pitch on far too many different occasions, his most effective playing position arguably hasn’t been chanced upon by Louis van Gaal, and although the 22-year-old attacker has indeed shown glimpses of talent for Manchester United here and there this season , his overall impact at Old Trafford has been rather frustrating to say the very least.

With Jose Mourinho largely expected to take the reins from Van Gaal, it remains somewhat difficult to envisage Depay being offered another chance to finally prove himself in front of the Red Devils faithful for a sustained period of time. Mourinho will likely want to source his own carefully selected range of attackers for Man United next season, which simply doesn’t bode well for the under-performing Depay in the cold light of day.

The former PSV star has expressed very little of composure when it has really mattered for his current employers, his ability to produce the final ball in dangerous situations has let his respective team-mates down on more than the odd occasion, and as for his effectiveness in front of goal and in one on one situations… perhaps the less said about that the better!

Although Depay could theoretically begin to hit the ground running for Man United when EURO 2016 eventually reaches its natural conclusion this summer, it nonetheless remains hard to imagine the Red Devils offering the flying wide-man a guaranteed first team place next term within the grand scheme of things. The upcoming summer transfer window will likely include several high profile acquisitions for the long-standing Premier League club, especially among the often heavily criticised Old Trafford striking department.

So then, on the basis of such thinking alone Manchester United may as well look to recoup some of the £25m they lavishly splashed out on Memphis Depay at the beginning of the 2015/16 campaign, simply because he has offered so little so far.

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Hello internet! Welcome back to another edition of Fantasy Premier League captain choices, in which we look into which players have a rather high possibility of earning mega points for their respective managers.

But before we dwelve into our options, let’s look at our performance from the previous gameweek, which was the big Double Gameweek 34 many have been anticipating.

1. Alexis Sanchez (25)

2. Daniel Sturridge (17)

3. Sergio Aguero (26)

4. Dimitri Payet (6)

5. David de Gea (12)

We got our choices mostly spot on this past gameweek, with Dimitri Payet only player getting less than double digits despite hitting an assist in his second game.

But, it’s the performances of Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez that was the highlight of gameweek 34, with those than that captained them earning 52 and 50 points respectively. Many managers even chose to give them the Triple Captain chip, and it paid off big-time. David de Gea and Daniel Sturridge also accumulated good numbers, but it won’t be as easy this weekend, with six teams not featuring in gameweek 35.

Here are our FIVE CAPTAIN CHOICES ahead of Gameweek 35!

Alexis Sanchez

First up is one of the men on form, Alexis Sanchez (11.0). The Arsenal star has finally found the form that made him their best player last season, with the Chile international scoring six goals and supplying three assists in his last seven games.

His last two matches for the DGW amassed 25 points, and up next for the Gunners are Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats have only kept one clean sheet at home all season, and with Sam Allardyce’s men needing a win to lift themselves out of the bottom three, expect Arsenal to hit back on the counter with Sanchez being the impetus.

It could be another double-figure haul for the former Barcelona attacker.

Sergio Aguero

The other man in good knick, Sergio Aguero (13.5) was the other to take gameweek 34 by storm, amassing 26 points in two matches. His current form reads six goals in his last four games, and the Argentina international will once again be up for it this weekend.

Manchester City host Stoke City at the Etihad, with the Potters losing 10 goals in their last three matches. Aguero could be a huge factor once again, with Mark Hughes men not having much to play for dangling in mid-table.

However, City will face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final on Tuesday, meaning that Aguero is unlikely to play all 90 minutes, especially if they’re already in a lead.

Harry Kane

Yes Harry Kane (10.3) comes back into our thinking, with the only reason for him missing out last week was because of Tottenham Hotspur’s one game in a DGW. Yet he accrued 13 points against Stoke City, and is on good form himself.

However, it is the entire Tottenham side that are in good knick, and with Mauricio Pochettino’s men pushing hard to apply pressure on Leicester City’s title bid, expect the Lilywhites to be ruthless at White Hart Lane this coming Monday.

Oh and he is the current top scorer in the Premier League.

Daniel Sturridge

Everybody seems to be on form at the moment. Daniel Sturridge (10.0) seems to have shaken off his injury troubles and has now played five games in succession, scoring four goals and supplying two assists during that period.

Up next for Liverpool are Newcastle United, who are one of the Reds’ favourite opposition to play at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp’s men are currently also extremely buoyed by recent results, especially their epic 4-3 comeback win over Borussia Dortmund the previous week.

The Europa League semi-finals will play a big factor though, with Klopp once again set to rest several players before they play Villarreal this Thursday. Yet with Divock Origi injured, Klopp has no real centre-forward apart from Sturridge, boosting his appeal.

Riyad Mahrez

Favourite to win the PFA Player of the Year, Riyad Mahrez (7.3) will have the chance to show the world why when Leicester City host Swansea City at the King Power on Sunday.

The Foxes are in touching distance of completing one of the biggest underdog stories in sports history, and nothing but a win over Swansea City will do them good with Tottenham hot on their trail. And with star striker Jamie Vardy suspended, Mahrez must take the mantle in his absence.

There is no doubt in his ability after 16 goals and 11 assists, but he hasn’t amassed any attacking returns in his last three matches. Leicester will need him this weekend.

Following yet another Premier League title bid that promised so much but ultimately went out with a whimper, Arsenal are set to keep themselves exceptionally busy during the summer transfer window.

Of course, we say that almost every summer – only for Arsene Wenger to buy one first-team player and a bunch of teenagers nobody’s ever heard of.

But the coming offseason should be a little different. Entering the final twelve months of his contract, the Frenchman will almost certainly step down if Arsenal don’t come close to claiming the crown next term, so he has to improve the squad over the summer.

Likewise, the Bosman departures of Tomas Rosicky, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini should oblige Le Professeur to make additions to the Gunners’ engine room whether he likes it or not.

With that in mind and the summer transfer window just around the corner, Football FanCast have combined the club’s top stars and their biggest transfer targets to create Arsenal’s dream midfield for next season.

Are these five guys an improvement on the Gunners’ current midfield options? Let us know by commenting below!

CENTRAL MIDFIELD – GRANIT XHAKA

Arsenal’s engine room is crying out for a midfielder like Granit Xhaka – the tough-tackling Borussia Monchengladbach skipper who picked up three red cards in 28 Bundesliga appearances this season. Former manager Ottmar Hitzfeld once dubbed the Switzerland international ‘young Schweinsteiger’ and he’s a similar kind of player, using quality on the ball, strength and tenacity to assert his authority over the middle of the park. Countless sources have tipped the 23-year-old for an Emirates transfer this summer – including The Telegraph, who speculate a £30million deal – and Xhaka has insisted his future will be decided before the Euros.

CENTRAL MIDFIELD – MARCELO BROZOVIC

A somewhat more progressive central midfield option for Arsenal comes in the form of Marcelo Brozovic, who has been linked with the Gunners during the last two transfer windows and again ahead of the summer. The 23-year-old has just come to the end of an impressive season with Inter Milan, bagging four goals and five assists in 25 Serie A starts whilst being jostled around a number of midfield roles. Financial issues at the San Siro could see the Croatian international leave for around £16million – but there are certainly higher-profile midfield targets on the Gunners’ transfer radar.

ATTACKING MIDFIELD – MESUT OZIL

Any doubts over Mesut Ozil failing to justify his £42.2million transfer fee have been completely extinguished this season. The German international picked up six goals and 19 assists in 35 Premier League appearances, alongside a further two strikes in the Champions League. His attacking partnership with Alexis Sanchez is seemingly improving by the game and Arsenal’s starting Xi is being moulded around the world-class playmaker more and more. The right signings this summer could bring even more out of the 27-year-old, which brings us onto…

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LEFT WING – RIYAD MAHREZ

Having fired Leicester City to the Premier League title and himself to the PFA Player of the Year award, finishing the campaign with 17 goals and eleven assists in 37 league outings, Riyad Mahrez will inevitably be in hot demand this summer. But of all the clubs linked with the Algerian winger, Arsenal seem like the cosiest fit; he’s blessed with that fluid moment and technical trickery that has defined the Gunners’ attacking efforts throughout Arsene Wenger’s tenure. But the tabloids have valued the 25-year-old at around £40million and that figure is certainly in the right ballpark.

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RIGHT WING – ALEXIS SANCHEZ

Alongside Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez is unquestionably the most important element of Arsenal’s starting Xi. Combining tiki-taka pedigree with the physical fundamentals of the Premier League, the Chile international has been a real force since signing for the Gunners in summer 2014, going on to amass 42 goals in 90 outings across all competitions. However, the north London outfit do face a bit of a fight to keep hold of the potent winger-forward this summer, amid persistent reports of Bayern Munich targeting the 27-year-old.

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There has been very few Premier League managers in recent years who have utilised young players as frequently as Mauricio Pochettino.

At Southampton, starlets like Matt Targett, James Ward-Prowse, Harrison Reed and Sam Gallagher were established successfully into the first-team, while at Spurs the Argentine has constructed his first-team squad around young, home-grown talent.

With four competitions on the radar yet again for Tottenham, Pochettino may need to delve even deeper into the club’s academy to find talent in 2016/17, and there is plenty available.

Here are the FIVE starlets who could give Mauricio Pochettino food for thought ahead of the new season.

Josh Onomah

Featuring in 18 games in all competitions last campaign, Josh Onomah is fast becoming a fully-fledged first-team player at Spurs.

Having signed a new four-year-deal at the club earlier this year, the 19-year-old looks set to gain further senior experience this season; a fully justified reward for one of the brightest young English players around.

Harry Winks

Another youngster at Spurs to have recently signed a new deal, Harry Winks had to bide his time before grabbing a taste of first-team action, which he eventually claimed last season.

Winks has been training intermittently with the first-team since the age of 16 and it has proven to be an ideal transition for the 20-year-old, who now looks a level above the reserve team games that he so often features in.

Cameron Carter-Vickers

So impressive have the performances from Cameron Carter-Vickers been for the U-21s in 2016, Pochettino even shared his admiration of the 18-year-old publicly:

“We have another youngster from the academy – Cameron Carter-Vickers. He is still young but has enough quality and he is training with us from the beginning of the season and playing for the Under-21s. It’s a good opportunity to stay with us now more consistently.”

Possibly the most exciting talent in Spurs’ youth set-up, expect the American defender to feature at the Lane this coming season.

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Kyle Walker-Peters

Like his almost namesake, Kyle Walker-Peters is a promising young English right-back who has impressed at youth level with his consistency and attacking flair.

Despite his diminutive stature, Walker-Peters plays with great heart and has been noticed by Pochettino, who gave the 19-year-old a spot on the senior bench twice last season.

While a couple of loan spells may help develop the young defender, there is no reason why he could not hold his own in some of the upcoming campaigns’ ‘lesser’ competitions.

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Shayon Harrison

Another player who impressed Mauricio Pochettino last term, young Shayon Harrison trained with the first-team a number of times and established himself as an upcoming star in the Spurs youth ranks.

The lightning fast striker has impressive agility in the box and is capable of finding the net on a regular basis.

While Harrison may need a few more months of youth football to continue his development, the lack of striking options at Spurs may mean that the 19-year-old is thrust into senior football sooner than he thinks.

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Juan Mata has had a tough time of it in England so far.

After leaving his native Spain in 2011 for Chelsea, Mata enjoyed two seasons of continued success. Topping assist charts and scoring his own share of goals, Mata was Chelsea’s standout player between 2011 and 2013, and he was duly rewarded with back-to-back in-house Player of the Year awards at the club.

A fans’ favourite, Chelsea supports were keen to see how Mata would develop under new managership as Jose Mourinho joined the club; but then things took an unexpected turn.

Mourinho, for whatever reason, didn’t rate Juan Mata, and despite two years of sustained success Mata found himself out of the Chelsea first-team for the first time.

Six months after becoming manager, Mourinho proceeded to deem Mata surplus to requirements and this sealed the Spanish midfielder’s fate. By the end of the January transfer window in 2014 Mata had left Chelsea and joined Manchester United.

What followed was two good, if not spectacular, seasons in red.

Fast forward to 2016, and Mourinho is the new Man Utd boss, leaving Mata’s future in jeopardy once again.

His substitute appearance in the Community Shield sealed Mata’s fate, with Mourinho giving Mata the infamous ‘sub-sub’; taking the midfielder off just minutes after he was brought onto the pitch as a substitute.

Now, Mata’s departure looks inevitable; and he could do a real job at another top side.

With that, here are FIVE clubs that should look to sign Juan Mata this summer

Everton

Everton have been long-linked with Mata, and it is easy to see where he would fit in at the side.

A club of lower stature and less quality, Mata would immediately come into the side and become the team’s star. After several years of inconsistent appearances, it would be wise for Mata to join a side where he can play week-in-week-out.

Everton are a good fit in terms of playing style too – pass and move, one touch passing style of football has always been sought at Goodison Park, and Mata is particularly strong in this vein.

You always have to look towards the needs of Everton as a side; and there’s no doubting that the side could really do with some improvements in the attacking third. A slot alongside Barkley would prove deadly for Everton going forward.

Chelsea

Chelsea are yet to be linked with a move for their ex-Player of the Year; and to be honest it is hard to see why.

Mata was a real fan favourite with the Blues, and immediately settled into life with Chelsea and in London.

There would be no better way to get Antonio Conte on side that to bring Mata back; and there’s no questioning what he would offer to the side.

With Oscar woefully inconsistent, additional attacking depth will be key for Chelsea going forward and Mata is the perfect man for that role.

Not to mention the fact that he would no doubt be available for a cut price fee, meaning the club would still be in the black compared to what they sold the midfielder for.

Atletico Madrid

A return to Spain has always been mentioned when discussing the future of Mata, and Atletico Madrid are a side that could really benefit from his return.

A reunion with Fernando Torres could bring Torres back to his best, and there is no doubting that Mata’s style of play would suit the club well.

The side are crying out for offensive creativity, and Mata could prove deadly in combination with the ruthless and prolific Antoine Griezmann.

Tottenham

Another team that would perfectly suit Juan Mata, Tottenham would struggle to do better than the Spanish international.

Their quick, pass and move style of play would suit Mata down to the ground, and alongside Deli Alli he could prove absolutely deadly.

With the side reportedly keen to bolster their attacking options, should Mata become available he should become a genuine target.

A Premier League ready midfielder is hard to come by.

Real Madrid

Having started his career with Real Madrid, a return to his hometown club would no doubt be a dream for Mata.

The side have occasionally been linked with his signature, and whilst he currently would struggle to fit into the XI a lot could happen over the next few weeks.

James Rodriguez is consistently being linked with a move away from the Bernabeu, as are Isco and Alvaro Morata. Should any of those stars leave, Mata could be an ideal replacement.

This one is the least likely, but you can definitely see where Mata would fit in.

As if the Manchester Derby couldn’t get any more exciting, we have Pep Guardiola vs. Jose Mourinho as the sub-plot for at least this weekend!

In truth, the pair are likely to be around for the foreseeable future, and their rivalry (stemming from being on opposite sides of the El Clasico divide in Spain) adds further dynamite to an explosive mix.

The Derby is, of course, bigger than the men in the dugouts, and the battle of the North West city has long been contested with passion, vigour and skill. Post-2000, the gap in quality between the two sides has reduced significantly, with investment at Man City having seen them move out of their rivals’ shadow to become, arguably, the bigger team in Manchester – the past few seasons’ finishes suggest as much.

It’s feasible that the pendulum will swing once again over the coming years, but we cannot know where we’re going unless we look at where we’ve been, so here are FIVE of the best Man United vs. Man City clashes of this millennium…

5 – Manchester City 4-1 Manchester United (March 2004)

*CLICHÉ ALERT* The form book often goes out of the window on derby day. A cliché is a cliché for a reason, and in March 2004 Man City caused a real shock when they thrashed their bitter rivals. The Red Devils entered the match on the back of being eliminated from European competition, and their continental (sky) blues were ruthlessly taken advantage of.

To rub salt into the wounds, Liverpool hero Robbie Fowler opened the scoring before Jon Macken, Trevor Sinclair and Shaun Wright-Phillips completed the home side’s scoring – Paul Scholes did net for the visitors.

It’s important to remember (if the above names didn’t give it away), Man City were a distinctly average Premier League side at the time, while Man United were at the height of the ‘Fergie’ era.

4 – Manchester United 2-1 Manchester (February 2011)

This game will always be remembered for that Wayne Rooney goal.

In what would eventually prove to be a pivotal result in Man United’s pursuit of the title, the England international scored one of the greatest goals in Premier League history with 78 minutes on the clock when he scissor-kicked a floated Nani cross into the Man City net. Critics will tell you he shinned it, but as a moment of pure footballing theatre, it’s rarely been surpassed in the years since.

Even before Rooney’s acrobatics, the match was pretty enthralling with Nani having handed his side the lead before David Silva’s deflected effort levelled proceedings.

3 – Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United (April 2012)

Not a game that will be forever remembered by the goals brigade, April 2012 was hugely significant both in terms of where the title would end up, and the shift of power in Manchester.

Vincent Kompany slammed a header into the Man United net in first-half stoppage time in what proved to be the only goal of the game.

The rest of the tie was a nervy, chess-like encounter, but City held on for a win that would, when the season climaxed, prove to be absolutely vital.

2 – Manchester United 4-3 Manchester City (September 2009)

The Michael Owen derby. The veteran forward, a somewhat controversial signing, had the last laugh on Carlos Tevez’s return to Old Trafford following his contentious transfer across the city of Manchester, netting deep into injury time (95 minutes, to be precise).

The goals were flowing at Old Trafford and it looked as if Craig Bellamy’s strike on 90 minutes would settle the score at 3-3, but Owen popped up with a trademark cool finish to secure one of the most memorable derby wins in recent years.

1 – Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City

How could it be any other? This game was seismic in terms of the shift of power in Manchester, with the Citizens running out vastly superior in their bitter rivals’ back yard.

Few had really taken Man City’s claim to be the kings of their city seriously until the October afternoon in question, but 1-6 didn’t flatter them, with Sergio Aguero, Mario Balotelli, David Silva and Edin Dzeko the scorers for the visiting side.

Oh, and it will be remembered for that t-shirt…

Southampton have had a disappointing start to their 2016/17 season. They are in the relegation places, winless after four matches.

Similar to other summers, the Saints also lost two of their star performers – Victor Wanyama and Sadio Mane.

However, this time, they also signed impressive winger Nathan Redmond and broke their previous transfer record to sign Moroccan attacking midfielder Sofiane Boufal from French side Lille.

The French-born player originally started his career at Ligue 2 club Angers, rising through the youth ranks and featuring for the first team on 54 occassions.

He transferred to Ligue 1 side Lille in January 2015 and immediately had suitors across Europe tracking his progress.

He scored 12 goals in 35 appearances in his first and only full season with Les Dogues.

Despite attracting the interest of La Liga giants Barcelona as well as Premier League runners up Tottenham, Boufal actually signed for the the Saints on August 29th 2016.

Claude Puel will be hoping he can bring some of his magic to the south coast in the coming weeks to help reinvigorate Southampton’s slow start.

And here are five reasons why Southampton have bought shrewdly by bringing Boufal to St. Mary’s Stadium…

His trickery

The new Southampton playmaker is known for his sensational quick feet and his trickery on the ball.

Often likened to former Lille legend Eden Hazard, who now also plies his trade in the Premier League, the Moroccan’s technique with the ball is frightening.

He can take players on at will and is firmly assured in his ability and the Saints fans have reason to be excited.

He’s still only 22-years-old

He is seen as one of the hottest properties in world football and yet the Moroccan wonderkid is still only 22 years old.

Boufal has been brought up in France during his whole playing career before his big money move to the English south coast this summer.

However, at only 20-years-old he made the move from Angers to Lille, going straight into the pressures of Ligue 1 football and adapted admirably so there’s every reason to expect big things from Boufal.

His vision

Often something not levelled at young attacking midfielders is their vision and intelligence to make the right decisions.

At only 22 though, Boufal seems to have that in abundance.

He can spot and make a pass, not too dis-similarly to Eden Hazard.

With the rapid Shane Long playing up front, Boufal can expect lots of exceptional forward runs, giving him lots of opportunities to create and assist.

His finishing

Amongst some of his best attributes, the Saints fans can look forward to plenty of goals scored by their new man.

He scored an impressive 14 times for Lille in 43 league appearances, averaging just under one every three games.

The 22-year-old is calm and composed in front of goal and has a silky touch so expect to see the net bulging many occasions this season!

His exceptional ball control

His ball control is so good, we had to mention it twice!

In all seriousness, when he’s not doing the tricks and flicks, Boufal is able to hold the ball and keep it at his feet better than some of the best!

He has an uncanny ability to get himself out of tight spots so if Southampton are ever holding on to victory with minutes to spare, don’t be surprised to see the youngster hold the ball up in the corner for most of that time.

He’s definitely one to watch and will no doubt prove to be a very shrewd signing for the Saints.

Celtic are looking good for another title this season, even if it is only October.

The Bhoys are four points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a game in hand over their nearest rivals and are unbeaten, having won six of their seven games.

After an embarrassing competitive start under Brendan Rodgers with a 1-0 loss to Gibraltar side Lincoln Red Imps, the club overcame it to reach the Champions League group stages and, despite a hammering by Barcelona, they are looking in pretty good shape this season.

They have an exciting squad that showed they can compete with the likes Manchester City and transfermarkt.co.uk certainly backs this up with their valuations of the Bhoys players.

Here are the top ten according to the website…

10. Efe Ambrose – £2.13m

The Nigerian international splits opinion in the Celtic fan base. To some he is a really strong presence in midfield that isn’t scared to battle whilst others see him as too limited to play for the club. He seems to be struggling for starts under Brendan Rodgers so his time may be coming to an end in Glasgow.

9. Erik Sviatchenko – £2.13m

Sviatchenko is a dominant force at the back and looks to be forging a decent partnership with veteran Kolo Toure at the back this season. Very few strikers get the better of him in the Scottish top flight and that is why he makes this top ten list.

8. Moussa Dembele – £2.55m

The only surprise here is that Dembele isn’t higher on the list after his start to the season. A hat-trick against Rangers and a brace against Manchester City have endeared him instantly to the Bhoys fans and the fact they signed him on a free from Fulham makes things all the more sweeter.

7. Jozo Simunovic – £2.55m

The young Croatian doesn’t seem to be figuring in Brendan Rodgers’ plans right now but his potential is what ensures he is in this list. With a run of games he could be a real star for a team but whether or not that is in fact at Celtic remains to be seen.

6. Emilio Izaguirre – £2.55m

The defender has made very few appearances this season and must be considering his future right now. Although the two games he’s played in have both seen Celtic keep clean sheets, they have not come in the league and it looks as though he’s not going to get ahead of Kolo Toure and Erik Sviatchenko for a while.

5. Kris Commons – £2.55m

The former Nottingham Forest player is yet to feature this season but his value hasn’t taken too much of a hit because of it. A good player on his day, Commons is coming to the end of his career and may decide to see out the remainder of it somewhere else.

4. Mikael Lustig – £2.98m

Lustig has been a key player for Celtic this season and Brendan Rodgers clearly likes him. The right-back is one of the senior figures in the squad now at the age of 29 and knows what it means to represent the club at the highest level. His high placing on this list does justice to how good he can be.

3. Scott Sinclair – £2.98m

Sinclair has made a good impression at the club so far this season after his £3.49 million move in the summer from Aston Villa. He’s shown some of the form that made him such an exciting prospect at Swansea and that could be down to linking up with Brendan Rodgers again.

2. Scott Brown – £3.83m

The captain leads by example for Celtic and  epitomises everything about the Glasgow club. You’re guaranteed effort with him and when he’s on form he gives Celtic some great bite and drive in midfield.

He kept Joey Barton famously quiet in the Old Firm and just got on with his business as usual.

1. Patrick Roberts – £4.25m

The man on loan from Manchester City is a very exciting prospect and rightly deserves to be at the top of this list.

The 19-year-old can play down the left or mainly down the right whilst he also offers the option to play through the middle and wherever he ends up after this season, he’s surely going to be a continued hit.