At the beginning of this campaign all of the Premier League betting that concerned Fulham focused on the possibility of relegation and this was hardly a surprise.

Despite greatly impressing last season in coming up from the Championship, the same was true of two years ago and four years ago when similarly they secured promotion. On each occasion they immediately dropped, becoming in effect a yo-yo club.

There was no compelling evidence that this time would be any different.

Soon enough though, indeed right from their tremendous opening-day display at home to Liverpool, it became apparent that Marco Silva’s side had serious designs on breaking this cycle, an inkling partly based on Aleksandar Mitrovic grabbing a brace that afternoon.

Having gained an unwanted reputation for being prolific in the second tier but shot-shy in the top-flight, two goals from the outset boded extremely well for both the burly Serb and Fulham.

The Cottagers were fearless, fluid and well-organised against the Reds, ceding most of the possession but little else. They looked like they meant business.

Losing just one of their first five games – and that to a late cruel blow at the Emirates – was a flag planted into the sand and even when gravity began to take hold and the defeats came Fulham continued to give a good account of themselves, scoring in each of their six losses leading in to the mid-season break. 

By the time Qatar 2022 eventually honed into view, Fulham proudly resided in ninth. That’s not too shabby for a team widely tipped in the online betting to drop before a ball had even been kicked. 

Once Premier League action resumed it got better and better for Silva’s men, winning four on the bounce, their latter victory coming at the expense of their neighbours and long-time superiors Chelsea and you would think at this juncture that praise would be widely lavished on the over-achievers from West London, a popular club at the best and worst of times. 

Instead, for whatever reason, Fulham’s unexpected charge into the European spots has been somewhat overlooked, with Brentford and Brighton getting all the love.

Regardless, they play on, exceeding expectations on an almost weekly basis and doing so by virtue of attractive but carefully-orchestrated football.

At the back Tim Ream, their leader-in-chief, has been consistently superb, aided on either side by flying full-backs in Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson who are both so criminally under-rated their general regard should be jailed with the key thrown in the Thames.

In midfield, summer signing Joao Palhinha has bossed many of the stats attributable to his position and ahead of the Portuguese tackling-machine Willian is enjoying a career renaissance, adding some genuine class to Fulham’s attacking mandate. 

Then there’s Mitrovic, the king of Craven Cottage and adored by its faithful. To date, the 28-year-old has scored 0.57 goals per 90. 

At some juncture it has to be properly recognized what Marco Silva and his well put-together collective are achieving this term and perhaps that starts here. 

The Cottagers are fearless, fluid and well-organised, happy to cede possession but little else. They truly mean business.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

We are all very aware of who the established 'big six' are, the clubs in question being Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal.  

These are the marquee names who have come to define the Premier League, dominating the conversations, dominating the winning of silverware, and so elite is their stature compared to the distinctly everyday Wolves and Southamptons of this world they have been given a practical shorthand term, to denote their supremacy. 

They are the established ‘top six’, aside from the few occasions when another club dares to briefly muscle in on their turf. Then, to make it clear who is being referred to, they are the ‘traditional’ big six. 

Really though, how odd all of this terminology is, when it’s accepted there is nothing traditional about their perceived aristocratic standing at all.

As for their established hegemony, in 24 of the Premier League’s 30 years of existence at least one of these sextuplet have finished seventh or lower come May. 

Granted, Manchester City pre-takeover does a lot of heavy lifting in this statistic, but still.

🔴 According to Sportico, #ManUtd are the most valuable club in the #PremierLeague, worth $5.95bn.

The #PremierLeague’s ‘Big 6’ teams have a collective value of more than $25bn. 💰

More: https://t.co/qYFVpILoq4 pic.twitter.com/JW30eSjHqo

— Tifosy (@tifosy) March 3, 2023

Furthermore, when the Premier League first came into being back in 1992, this celebrated cabal consisted of five clubs, with Everton included and City and Chelsea nowhere to be seen.

The story goes that two years prior, representatives of Liverpool, United, Arsenal, Spurs and Everton kicked up a hefty fuss about television revenue being shared out equally and from this resulted a breakaway league, the one we know, love, and hate to varying moderations now. 

From this too came the first accepted cabal at the top. The ‘big five’.

A decade on, Everton were mercilessly ejected from what was perceived to be a closed shop at the top, and soon after Spurs also lost their place as Chelsea, United, Liverpool and Arsenal qualified for the Champions League pretty much each and every year. 

Across 11 seasons, only three other clubs got a look in, by finishing fourth or better – Newcastle (twice), Spurs and Everton.

The rest of the time this ruling quartet dominated proceedings, swapping titles like Pass the Parcel and finding themselves short-priced in the sports betting every August. So it was, the ‘top four’ was born. 

In due course, Manchester City were – very reluctantly – invited into the VIP enclosure, their sustained success necessitating their entry. At some point too, from a succession of high finishes, Tottenham were invited back and this brings us to the present.

To an established top six that isn’t especially established. To a traditional ‘big six’ that were first grouped together about ten years ago. 

The potted history above is designed to illustrate that gaining, and retaining, royal status in the Premier League is not something that is set in stone.

That it is, to an extent, fluid and from this a discussion can be had about the current health of the ‘big six’ and how it is generally regarded. 

Certainly, for the time being its future appears to be secure, an appraisal based on Arsenal finishing eighth two years running in recent seasons yet still able to renew their membership without any complaints.

Both Leicester and West Ham meanwhile have made daring forays into the highest echelons of late but found themselves blackballed as potential appointees. 

In hindsight, that was the correct decision, with both now battling relegation.

The wage bills from the Premier League's Big Six shows the scale of Arsenal's achievementhttps://t.co/zI9mYDc7Yu

— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) March 1, 2023

Because what we have learned from Manchester City’s circumstances is that the criteria needed to join the elite comes from sustained and consistent success and when we consider how their rise happened all eyes inevitably turn to the north-east, to Newcastle and their transformational takeover.

Might the newly-minted Magpies break into the top six/big six sometime soon? And if they do, who drops out to make room, or will the phrase be broadened to a seven?  

Elsewhere, beyond the influx of vast fortunes, what is particularly interesting is the challenges being made by fearless upstarts, clubs that have got their recruitment right and are busy making inroads into the ‘established’ elite via damn good football.

At the start of this season, Fulham’s Premier League betting odds centred only on the possibility of an immediate return to the Championship. Eight months on, they reside a lofty seventh, pleasantly surprising on a weekly basis. 

Brentford too are impressively staking a claim for some heightened real estate, as good a run club as they come.

As for brilliant Brighton, should they continue to defy gravity and produce outstanding fare for the next couple of years, perhaps a debate will be had about the fairness of Spurs being viewed as a ‘top six’ entity, and not the Seagulls.

For the time being however the status quo of the current landed gentry will remain. History tells us though that change is always around the corner.

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Horse racing can be a thrilling sport to watch, both on TV and live in the stands. Cheltenham is a popular course in the racing calendar and is a favourite among punters thanks to showcasing the very best in jumping.

Meanwhile the Grand National is one of the famous races in the world, viewed by a whopping 600 million people each year. 

But what makes horse racing a great social event? Research, commissioned by 888sport, polled 2,000 adults and discovered how popular horse racing actually is for us Brits. Read on to find out more about the races and other sporting trends.

The Three Big Meetings

There are the big three races on the calendar: Cheltenham Festival, Grand National and Royal Ascot.

Our research found that as many as 90% of followers of the big three racing events will have a flutter, typically placing a stake on six races – but it’s not just the betting which attracts viewers and visitors.

In fact, nearly 4 in 5 (79%) horse racing fans make events like Cheltenham and the Grand National a social occasion.

It should come as no surprise that racing is seen as a social event, given that 20% of respondents said they become a fan just for the duration of these sporting occasions, despite not typically watching the sport.

Piquing Interest

The big annual events in horse racing are a great way to pique interest in a sport they may not have previously considered.

Although 44% of people interested in horse racing only follow the main events such as Grand National and Cheltenham, our research found 40% of all those surveyed are interested in going to a live horseracing event in the next 12 months. 

This is a phenomenon we see beyond horse racing events – our research found 35% only ever follow tennis during Wimbledon.

A quarter (23%) only watch rugby when the Six Nations are on, 18% only tune in to Formula 1 when the British GP takes place and 39% of people only watch football during a major competition such as the World Cup or Euros.

But 34% enjoy watching sports they haven’t viewed before, so such events can sometimes be great gateways into new interests.

A spokesperson for 888sport says: “The fact that so many people are interested in these events despite not typically following the sport shows the appeal that Cheltenham and other events held.

“Across the 28 races there will be twists, turns, and upsets galore – spectators will be on the edge of their seats – we can’t wait.”

Becoming experts in the field

Have you ever started watching a sport and transformed into an expert? You’re not alone!

Our study also found, of the 34% of adults who follow horseracing, 51% claim to become an expert in it, but only for the duration of the events – the Grand National, Cheltenham, and Ascot in particular.

Despite over half of people claiming to be an expert, only 21% always research details around the best horses, trainers and other details. So how does one pick a winner?

It’s all in the name.

The top methods used when choosing which horse to place a stake on include:

• The horse’s name 
• The odds 
• Past successes of the thoroughbred
• Weather conditions 
• Tips from racing supplements and blogs 
• The colour of the jockey’s uniform.

With 59% of all adults having bet on a horse race at one time or another, only 21% claim to have a good instinct for picking out a winner.

Backing the favourite

So is there method in the madness of backing a horse based on a name? Looking at the odds can highlight how the bookmakers think a race will go, however, the favourite doesn’t always win.

In fact, 3 in 10 Cheltenham races (30%) see the favourite take the crown. And if the favourite doesn’t win every time, could the name make you a winner? 

Well back in 2022, Commander Of Fleet crossed the line a champion in the Coral Cup at Cheltenham with impressive odds of 50-1. 

• Global Citizen finished first in the Grand Annual Handicap Chase with odds of 28-1.

• The impressively named Ahorsewithnoname didn’t come first, but with 50-1 it came pretty close in second place.

• The Nice Guy was declared the winner with 18-1 odds.

Whether you have a connection to a name, think it’s funny, or love to back an underdog – there might just be something behind a name. 

The horse racing calendar

With Cheltenham Festival around the corner, you can start to plan for the year ahead.

The three major racing events take place in the first half of the year, so there are plenty of opportunities to take some friends to a day at the races or grab the girls for ladies’ day:

• March: Cheltenham Festival
• April: The Grand National
• June: Royal Ascot

So who’s attending? People in the 18-24 age group appeared to be the most interested in attending a horseracing event in the future.

While the 18-24 and 25-34 age groups are also the most likely to plan their year around one or more key events of the UK sporting calendar – not just horse racing!

The research discovered 81% like to watch major sports events – the likes of the Superbowl, the Boat Race, and the Ashes. With 35% of those passionate fans planning their entire year around them.

A spokesperson for 888sport says: "There are those who like to stick to one or two sports and follow them closely, those who watch everything going, and those who just watch the big events.

“Whatever your preference, there are plenty of events to choose from and enjoy.”

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

 

There are seven persuasive arguments for believing there is still plenty of life left in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

All of them were evidenced at Anfield on Sunday, March 5th as a formerly rapid, rabid, formidable unit remembered themselves and across 90 minutes decimated a hated rival in record-breaking fashion.  

Not even Liverpool at their best, and Manchester United at their worst – both extremes commonplace between 2018 and 2021 – produced a score-line so comprehensive and a disparity so emphatic.

Twenty-four hours on and it’s a result that still stuns. Liverpool 7 – Manchester United 0.

Talked down, disrespected, even written off, Mo Salah and company flew into United from the off, hell-bent on proving one hell of a point and this they did, and more.

It feels fundamentally incongruous therefore to claim in the aftermath of this awesome display of attacking excellence that this very same team is in decline.

Furthermore, that only regression can be anticipated from this point forward, a reversion to a norm that will eventually lead to the departure of Klopp.

If nothing else, the timing of such a discussion feels distinctly off. It feels like booing at a wedding.

To deny that Liverpool are mired in trouble, however, is to focus all of our attention on a single game of football, a game incidentally – but importantly – that saw the Reds score a xG-busting seven times from eight shots on target.

That alone hints strongly that what we witnessed at the weekend was an outlier. A freak occurrence. 

Elsewhere, Liverpool’s season has largely been one of inconsistency and struggle, with significant flaws evident that aren’t going away anytime soon.

And though we can surmise that thrashing a historical rival will inject a good deal of confidence into a collective that was in scant supply of it, these are problems that will arise again and again before this campaign is out.

It's a diagnosis that especially applies to a failing defence that has conceded 1.2 goals per 90 across 2022/23. 

At first glance it’s a perfectly respectable return but not when you’re Liverpool, not when you play in the manner they do, pushing up both full-backs and deploying a smothering methodology that necessitates a high back line.

Then that defence has to be perfect and moreover protected by a midfield that is highly industrious.

When Liverpool are on top - "We have the best CB, full-backs, keeper, back-up keeper, number six and strikers in the world"

When Liverpool are struggling - "It's too haaard. The deck is rigged"

Mentality minnow.

— Stephen Tudor (@SteTudor123) October 15, 2022

In season’s past both their rearguard and midfield regularly fulfilled this mandate, or more accurately they were brilliant on far more occasions than they weren’t, and what this meant was Liverpool’s ferocious and relentless attacking roster could have an average day, or several, and still nick a determining goal.

In 2019/20, their title-winning campaign, Klopp’s men boasted the meanest defence in the top-flight and won over a third of their fixtures by a single-goal margin. 

They still hammered opponents by fours or fives on their good days of course. It was these tight victories though that secured them the league, brought them success.

Compare and contrast to the here and now, where Liverpool still have afternoons and evenings when everything clicks in the final third – a prime example being last Sunday – and when this happens there are few teams in the world that can touch them. 

When they don’t though, when Gakpo, Nunez, Salah and the rest are frustrated, and chances go begging, no longer does a single moment of magic suffice.

Instead, deconstructions at Brentford, Brighton, and Wolves occur. The disastrous second-half against Real Madrid recently in the Champions League unfolds.

In short, they have become a team of famine or feast, all or nothing; a boxer with a tremendous punch but a glass jaw.

And teams like that typically get excluded from the Premier League betting odds for the title, making do with a drawn-out chase for a top four spot at best. 

The solution to eradicating the vast swathes of space left behind the full-backs, and tightening up a midfield that too often affords time to opposing numbers, is two-fold, one of which Klopp is entirely unwilling to cede to, the other being beyond the club’s capabilities. 

A compromise in Liverpool’s approach and a change to their system would greatly help address defensive frailties but seemingly Klopp, if anything, is more intent on doubling down on his attacking ethos, leaning in on his pacy front three to compensate for vulnerability at the back.

Don’t be surprised therefore if Liverpool succumb to further heavy losses from now until the end of the season, as well as pulverizing those who are wasteful of the chances afforded them.

That’s something to consider in the sports betting in the coming weeks. 

Then there’s the personnel issue, with centre-backs too routinely guilty of making individual errors and midfielders, on the wrong side of thirty, looking flogged half to death. 

Can the club afford to overhaul both areas, bringing in three or four new names at enormous cost? They cannot. 

All of which infers that inconsistency will become the new consistent for Jurgen Klopp’s Reds for some time to come. But the fans and the club have come to expect much better than that.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

Football constantly gets a bad rap and perhaps not without some justification. 

Yet within its grubby sphere, good people exist who do good deeds. And when they do, it warms the very cockles of our hearts. 

5) Di Canio goes against type

It would be quite a stretch to refer to Paolo Di Canio as saintly, the former West Ham and Juventus forward being a controversial and outspoken figure, a self-proclaimed fascist no less. 

If there was trouble, the fiery Italian usually found it. If there was a referee to push over, all the better.

In December 2000, however, the infamous hot-head cooly displayed a charitable side, catching a cross in the final minute at Goodison Park, with Everton’s goalkeeper Paul Gerrard out of his goal and injured.

For declining the chance to score a late winner in unfair circumstances, the player was later awarded a FIFA Fair Play Award. 

4) Restoring order 

Nottingham Forest were a goal to the good against Leicester in a 2007 Carling Cup game but at half-time the contest became an irrelevance when Foxes defender Clive Clark suffered a cardiac arrest in the changing room.

Rushed to hospital the player was thankfully soon after described as ‘stable’ and went on to make a full recovery.

Going back to that awful night, the match was understandably abandoned and in the rearranged fixture Leicester players stood aside at kick-off, to allow their opponents to score and restore Forest’s advantage.

The betting community meanwhile paid out on both the eventual ‘real’ scoreline of 3-1 and the 3-2 official result. 

3) Vittorio the gent 

There are several examples of players correcting refereeing decisions despite it not being in their best interests, the most famous of which is probably Robbie Fowler insisting he had lost his footing when trying to round Arsenal’s David Seaman in 1997.

A particular favourite though is US Tremoli forward Vittorio Esposito taking umbrage with a penalty awarded to his team in 2012 when facing rivals Torres.

After protesting with the official and getting nowhere, the striker purposely skied his spot-kick to ensure justice won the day.

It is not known how those who backed Tremoli in the football betting felt about it, but the rest of the world applauded. 

2) Kahn the consoler 

Sometimes it’s the smallest acts on the biggest stage that tugs at the heartstrings and after winning a Champions League final in 2001 nobody would have begrudged Bayern’s Oliver Kahn from wildly celebrating the pinnacle of his career. 

Instead, as his team-mates hugged and beamed from ear to ear, the legendary stopper spied his opposite number, Valencia’s Santiago Canizares crumpled in despair.

Kahn’s first act on winning one of the football’s most prestigious prizes was to console his fellow keeper, staying with him until the tears had dried. Sniff.

1) Mature beyond his years 

Aged just 19, future Spurs star Jan Vertonghen showed a whole lot of class when playing for Ajax against SC Cambuur in 2006.

In attempting to pass the ball to the Cambuur keeper, after a team-mate had received treatment from an impromptu stoppage in play, the Belgian defender unintentionally scored a worldy from fully 50 yards. 

Quickly acknowledging his mistake, Vertonghen then instructed his side to step aside and allow Cambuur a clear route to goal on the restart.

Picture, if you will, the following scenario.

When watching a Premier League game, aired on BT Sport, you have an inkling that Team A, let’s say Chelsea, are gaining the upper hand. So you head to the relevant football betting market and back them to score next.

Five minutes later and your hunch proves correct, but wait a minute because VAR has intervened, casting your good fortune in doubt. It seems the goal-scorer was offside in the build-up but at this juncture it’s hard to say for sure. 

As uncertainty mounts BT dutifully head over to their analyst for such moments, Peter Walton, who confidently asserts that the goal will be ruled out.

On hearing this you celebrate, knowing the goal will most definitely be given and you’re quids in.

Given how often Walton’s advice and opinion has been sought by his employer down the years, it is reasonable to expect that he gauges the situation correctly most of the time.

After all, here is an ex-Premier League referee of nine years standing. Here is an individual who purports to know the rules of the game inside and out. 

Even if we’re being generous in our estimation, it’s absolutely fair to expect the 63-year-old to be accurate in his assessment some of the time. After all, even a stopped clock is bang on the money twice a day. 

Yet bafflingly, staggeringly, and to some considerable and legitimate annoyance on our part, this well-paid expert someone manages to be hopelessly wrong virtually all of the time.

Indeed, it’s almost admirable how consistent he is in being proven wrong and you suspect his strike-rate would improve significantly if he simply flipped a coin off-camera. 

A sizable reason for his constant wrongness derives from Walton repeatedly backing up the decision made by the on-field official, even when that decision is clearly an error of judgement.

In fact, there is an advert that Walton appears in, where he sends himself up in this regard, for his default bias towards his former colleagues. 

Let’s pause for one moment and consider this. 

BT’s football coverage is subscription-only meaning viewers shell out a set fee each month to watch games they air. To provide the best coverage and offer value for money, BT then employs an authority on such matters to help untangle the complicated process of officiating and VAR to the laymen masses.

Only he’s not an authority on such matters at all. He is an anti-expert, there to simply defend his profession, often when colliding head-on with conclusive logic. 

Walton is then further remunerated by making fun of this fact in an advertisement. 

That Johnny Rotten line springs to mind. The one about getting cheated. 

Even on the very rare occasions when he sides with the studio over the referee, Walton’s success rate at being unsuccessful persists.

In early 2021, Manchester City scored a contentious goal that saw Rodri come back from an offside position to relieve an opposition defender of the ball. It was an important goal too, shortening City’s betting odds in the title race.. 

On witnessing this perceived transgression Walton was as outraged as the panel, claiming the decision to be farcical and just plain unfair.

That was until the Premier League contacted the BT studio during a commercial break to explain why the goal was very much within the laws of the game as it stood. 

Cue a dramatic change of heart from Walton, and if this was fair enough in context, here’s what he had to say during his pious reappraisal. 

“The rule has been in for a while now so for managers and players to not know it…they need to.” 

So do experts, Peter. So do well-paid experts.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 6th March 2023

A self-obsessed, banter-saurus who puts Alan Partridge to shame, former Sky anchor turned prolific blogger Richard Keys is just too easy to make fun of. But heck, let’s do it anyway.

Not included in our best-of-Keysy moments below are his instances of infamy.

• The time when he was caught making derogatory comments about female referee Sian Massey, comments that ultimately led to his sacking at Sky.

• The time when he responded to Karen Brady’s assertion he is sexist with a flippant, ‘Do me a favour, love’.

• The time when leaked footage revealed his crude one-way conversation with Jamie Redknapp concerning a female acquaintance.

• The time when he was accused of humiliating a heavily-pregnant Gabby Logan on a flight. 

There is nothing funny about any of this. It’s just gross.

Elsewhere though, when he’s not residing in a previous century, this legend in his own lunchtime – not to mention his opinions – can be pure comedy gold.

5) Be Careful Moysey

You don’t have to look far to find a steaming pat of mature that passes for a hot take from the seasoned, hirsute presenter. In fact, just this week he was at it again.

With Premier League bosses Graham Potter and David Moyes both speaking out about the heightened criticism they receive in their job – the former revealing he has been subjected to death threats – Keys promptly took to his typewriter.

Highlighting the need to talk, in an age when mental health awareness is thankfully ever-increasing, Keys then insisted Moyes should be careful when complaining about his lot, managing a club tipped for the drop in the football betting. 

No, it doesn’t make any sense. But then again, nothing does when it comes to Keys and his successful career.

4) #BringAndyBack 

The man himself can take no credit for this one. Indeed, he probably deserves a little bit of credit for not responding, despite presumably really, really wanting to.

In 2015, a grassroots campaign began on social media, championing the idea of Andy Gray returning to our screens.

Quickly growing in stature, the campaign studiously failed to mention Gray’s partner-in-crime Keys. Frankly and truthfully, the whole point was to omit him completely. 

Yet a favourite vignette arrived when this rule was broken and a prominent Twitter account directly contacted the ex-TV-am sofa-dweller, asking him to back the appeal. Perfect. 

3) Better Business 

In the summer of 2017, Everton went a bit mad in the transfer market, spending over £125m on a cluster of new signings, almost all of which turned out to be horrible duds. 

Gylfi Sigurdsson was brought to Goodison for a whopping £50m. Davy Klaasen and Cenk Tosin stunk up the place for huge fees. Across Stanley Park meanwhile, Liverpool purchased Mo Salah and Andy Roberton for a million more than Sigurdsson. 

Having spent nearly a lifetime in the environs of football you would expect Keys to make the right call here, to have his finger on the proverbial pulse. 

Instead he went with the following – ‘Loving Everton’s business this summer. Here’s an early call – they finish above Liverpool this season.’ Oh Keysy...

2) A High-Five Too Far 

Arsenal took a lot of flak last season for the manner in which they relinquished a top four spot. Their winning mentality was very much brought into question.

On beginning this term with three straight victories therefore it was entirely understandable when they wildly celebrated coming back from behind against Fulham. Slowly but surely, they were proving a point.

Hopelessly misreading the room however, Keys was severely critical of their overt happiness on the final whistle, claiming their high-fives were over-the-top. 

When he received pushback on this, he of course took to his cathartic blog, penning this masterpiece…

“Arsenal over-celebrated their win over Fulham. It was disrespectful to the opposition. And for me - it is a measure of how far they’ve fallen,”

Presently, Mikel Arteta’s men have fallen five point clear at the top.

1) Big Sam To The Rescue

A stonewall classic in the Keys canon arrived via his presenting of beIN Sports back in the autumn of 2020, in the immediate aftermath of Manchester City drawing with Leeds.

With the Blues’ title odds lengthening in the sports betting all eyes fell on their defence that had become uncharacteristically porous of late, and the font of all footballing knowledge had just the solution. 

“They should bring Roy Hodgson or Sam Allardyce in temporarily. I mean, any of these guys have shaped teams defensively, haven’t they.”

City went on to boast the meanest defence in the top-flight that season, winning the league by 12 clear points. It is not known if this is because the greatest coach of our generation sought advice from a man who once won promotion with Bolton.

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FIRST PUBLISHED: 6th March 2023

Having been schooled at Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, Cesc Fabregas arrived in London in the autumn of 2003, aged just 16.

A mere month later this skinny Catalonian kid made his debut for Arsenal, against Rotherham in a League Cup game but mostly that season he absorbed himself in English life, fending off homesickness and training with – and looking up to – giants of the Premier League in the form of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry, the latter an ever-present in the Premier League top scorer odds.

That year the Gunners became Invincibles, and the highly-promising teenager watched on from the sidelines, recognizing the towering standards that needed to be reached week in, week out in order to be successful. It amounted to a masterclass. 

Twelve months later came his most prominent contribution to date, a contribution we only found out about much later, when it all royally kicked off at Old Trafford following a fractious game that saw Arsenal relinquish a 49-match unbeaten run.

In a melee down the tunnel, an infamous fracas that became known as the ‘Battle of the Buffet’, it was Fabregas who threw a slice of pizza at Sir Alex Ferguson, further enflaming the situation.

Cesc Fabregas is enjoying life under Maurizio Sarri 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/tIcStFzkmv

— 888sport (@888sport) October 14, 2018

This isn’t mentioned here purely because it’s funny – and absolutely it is, a 17-year-old frisbeeing some pepperoni at a stonewall legend of the game – but also, such a wanton act of anarchy gets to the heart of how the midfielder later established himself as one of the very best of his ilk, over and above his rare talent. 

He was fearless. He was combative. Added to his silky array of continental attributes was a scrappy edge to his character that the likes of David Batty and Paul Ince would wholly have approved of.

It was an edge that ensured he always put in the legwork when out of possession before transforming into a Rolls-Royce with the ball at his feet.

Indeed, unquestionably Fabregas was one of the best Premier League midfielders of all time, elite in every aspect. His achievements more than back up such a lofty claim, with an astonishing 111 assists carved out across 16 top-flight campaigns.

Only Ryan Giggs can top that. For Arsenal he was a 21st century Liam Brady, capable of changing a game’s course with a sumptuous throughball. For Chelsea he was a title winner twice-over. On two occasions he was included in the PFA Team of the Year.

Moreover, seeing him play was a scenic pleasure. The elegant manner in which he moved, dancing through challenges, making them futile.

The flicks and tricks that elicited fifty thousand smiles. The unfussy nature of his passing even though he could ping a cross-field ball with the best of them. 

Presently, Arsenal are in serious contention to win a title that eluded Fabregas at Highbury then the Emirates, but their chances would be improved further if he was there still.

Lighting up Arsenal’s centre-circle, forever aiming to match the towering standards set by the Invincibles. More times than not, he reached them too, week in, week out, giving us a masterclass.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 6th March 2023

It is never less than amusing when a player whose C.V. traverses both north and south of the border, is asked to compare the Merseyside derby, or the North London derby, to an Old Firm dust-up between Rangers and Celtic. 

They try to hide a smirk, they really do. They try to be diplomatic and offer a politician’s answer. 

The humour lies in them hopelessly failing each and every time. Their face betraying them. Their words careful but revealing.

Because the indisputable truth is that when it comes to electrifying atmospheres and visceral meaning, to searing joy in the heart, or searing pain in the gut, no fixture in British football is in the same stratosphere as an Old Firm clash.

The same can be said too of the most fractious affairs the continent can offer, though perhaps Spain’s Clasico comes close. Even then, it’s close but no cigarillo.

Whether battle commences at Ibrox, Parkhead, or at Hampden Park in one of the numerous closely fought finals they’ve competed in down the decades, with little to separate them in the live betting, when these sides meet 135 years of hostility, religious and political divide, mutual loathing, and a fundamental difference in identity is all fused together into one tremulous stadium, packed full of natives ready for war-fare.

And somewhere amongst it all there just happens to be a football. 

The games are frenetic, feisty, played at a thousand miles an hour, and woe betide any player who shirks a challenge, not that anyone would dare.

From the days of black and white to technicolour splashes of blue and green some truly wonderful and gifted players have graced this encounter, but even they roll up their sleeves for this one, propelled by a level of adrenaline that is usually reserved for hanging off a cliff.

Ready to die – but thankfully not literally – for the cause. 

Brian Laudrup, that most stylish and artisan of talents, called the games ‘terrifying’ but loved every minute. Graeme Souness insists an Old Firm is the world’s ‘most special derby’ and for good reason.

And the cause being chased and fouled for is always ultimately the winning of three points, no matter how loud the songs are celebrating their religious leanings and castigating the beliefs of a rival fan-base each hates with a passion.

It’s a passion that frightens from afar and yet is infectious, and it’s often wondered how Rangers vs Celtic would fare if their frightening, infectious football was transported to the English top-flight. What would their Premier League odds be?  

But this is a Scottish stramash right down to its marrow and should always be wholly that. It’s embedded to a place – Glasgow - but not a time, because history seeps into every matchday, informing, dividing, making every meeting between them infinitely bigger than eleven players taking on eleven players. 

And we, the outsiders, watch on, aghast and transfixed in equal measure. Voyeurs to a pitched-battle we only half understand but totally get.

It would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be there. One to tell your grandkids about. Try saying that about Arsenal v Spurs.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

 

FIRST PUBLISHED: 28th February 2023

The increasing popularity of weekend football breaks is a clear illustration that these days we’re no longer content simply supporting our football clubs. We want to experience too the iconic stadia around the world.  

Naturally, Barcelona’s Camp Nou is a big favourite in this regard while a couple of nights spent in Milan, complete with a trip to the San Siro, also ranks highly on our collective wish list. 

For those with an especially adventurous streak however, who are willing to venture outside of Europe, one ground stands head and shoulders above the rest, a ground widely known as the ‘Chocolate Box’.

Home to the famed Boca Juniors, champions of Argentina on 35 occasions and the club that introduced Diego Maradona, Riquelme, and Carlos Tevez to an unprepared audience of millions, La Bombonera is located just a few kilometres south of Buenos Aires, a capital that itself elicits excitement and the tease of danger.  

Firmly entrenched in a working class area of the city, it also happens to nestle up close to the Caminito of La Boca, a neighbourhood of great cultural significance, not to mention a neighbourhood of great beauty, its houses painted a multitude of colours.

It is here where Latin music was born and continues to thrive. 

As for the stadium itself, its distinctive name derives from its distinctive structure, with its curved three sections awkwardly encountering a ‘flat’ stand that runs the entire length of the pitch.

This used to be lateral metal boxes until the ground was refurbished in the mid-Nineties and prior to this, and now, it’s shallowness is from necessity, the stand backing onto houses. 

Legend has it that when La Bombonera – now regrettably named the much more prosaic ‘Alberto Jose Armando Stadium’, after an esteemed former president, though thankfully nobody really calls it that – was first designed, its architect noted the unusual D-shape and compared it to a box of bon-bons given to him as a present.

This nickname, shared among the few, quickly entered popular parlance. 

If the ground itself is a welcomed curio in a modern world where so many stadiums all appear identical, its highly unusual design pales to La Bombonera’s biggest selling point, that of its ferocious, tribal atmosphere. 

With a capacity of 54,000 and a pitch that just about meets the minimum size requirements set by FIFA, watching Boca is a cramped, intense affair, surrounded as you are by flare-wielding, blue-and-yellow zealots. 

Here you can completely forget about your side’s depressing Premier League odds, and for that matter, the lengthy live betting odds as they trail back home and instead immerse yourself in relative carnage.

It’s an atmosphere that will make its mark forever, the memories remaining long after the tinnitus has eventually passed.

This is particularly true should you be fortunate enough to visit when River Plate are in town, the pair sharing a mutual antipathy that is legendary in the sport.

In 2004, the Observer observed that the ‘Superclasico’ makes the Old Firm look like ‘a primary school kick-about’. 

A weekend in Milan therefore would undoubtedly be fun. An afternoon at the Chocolate Box however, would be little short of unforgettable.

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*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 27th February 2023