When you start to look for the patterns, they usually appear in some form.Like how spookily similar Tottenham Hotspur’s starts to Premier League seasons are under Mauricio Pochettino, where poor form gives them a lot to recover from in the second half of the campaign. Or how they just seem to draw too many games without suffering defeats. Take this season, for example: Spurs have lost fewer games than leaders Chelsea, despite the seven-point gap between the two clubs. But draws and a stuttering start is why they find themselves behind.And then there’s an even spookier one. Exactly one year ago, to the very day, Leicester were top of the table with 69 points – the same count Chelsea currently have – while Tottenham were in second with 62 points – and yes, you’ve guessed it, that’s the exact tally they have right now.Of course, there are differences: due to EURO 2016, more games had been played by April 3rd last season than have been played this time around. Last season we started earlier and finished earlier, and so Spurs’ 62 points after 29 games this time is a significantly better tally than their total after 32 games last year. But replace Leicester with Chelsea, and it starts to look like a little bit of history repeating, albeit with a slightly better, more mature Tottenham and a rampant, reinvigorated Chelsea.

In fact, that’s perhaps the biggest similarity between this season and last. Although Leicester’s title victory was a one-off bolt from the blue which is unlikely to be repeated ever again, Chelsea’s resurgence still hits a similar note. This is a team made up of the champions of the previous season, with a few helpful additions, and so Antonio Conte’s side are hardly a 5000/1 shot. But just as Leicester’s compact 4-4-2 which comprised a defensive solidity and a blistering counter-attack that shocked the league, similarly Conte’s 3-4-3 has been a tactical surprise of Leicester City proportions.

And perhaps that’s where Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been unlucky. They’ve come up against two sides who didn’t just beat the rest of the league, but ‘out-tacticed’ them, too, to borrow a Sam Allardyce-ism.

Chelsea’s defeat at the weekend leaves a small hope of reigniting a title race, but that could get even bigger over the coming weeks. Manchester City travel to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday in arguably Chelsea’s toughest game of the run-in: there’s a real chance that the leaders could drop even more points, and two defeats in a row really would be taken as the signs of a crisis. They will also visit Manchester themselves this month, playing United at Old Trafford; a Jose Mourinho side desperate to avenge their 4-0 humiliation at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, but that was the last time they suffered defeat in the Premier League.

And yet, if it’s a straight shoot-out between Tottenham – the team whose implosion played out so publicly under the lights at Stamford Bridge last year in a game which handed Leicester the title – and Chelsea – a side in which every member of the starting XI except Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso has at least one league winner’s medal to their name – you get the feeling it’ll be the Blues who hold their nerve the longest.

There seems to be an inescapable sense of history repeating. Whilst Chelsea might well drop points, the same was said about Leicester last season, and whilst Tottenham are the team who will pounce if they do, they still contrived to finish third last year, rather than first.

This time 12 months ago, Tottenham were in the same position as now. You’d imagine they’ll have learned from the experience, their young team a year older, a year wiser. And yet their opponent this time is the opposite to what Leicester were last time: they are seasoned winners.

Chelsea could still lose this, but Spurs could still drop further back.

Michael Owen has claimed that West Ham United will be in deeper danger of relegation if they fail to get a result against Swansea City this weekend.

Manager Slaven Bilic has been given a vote of confidence from the board, but one wonders if that will change should the team suffer their sixth straight defeat this weekend.

There were high hopes for the Hammers heading into the new season after finishing seventh in the Premier League in the previous campaign.

A move to the state-of-the-art London Stadium was met with anger from numerous fans, and results have not been welcomed.

The team have lost 16 of their 31 games in the top flight and have only won on nine occasions.

Ahead of this home game against relegation battlers Swansea City, the East London outfit reside five points above the drop with seven games left to play.

In his predictions for BetVictor, Owen has backed Swansea to cause an upset in Stratford, either with a win or a draw.

“If the Hammers are not already in a relegation battle they certainly will be if they don’t pick up at least a point from the visit of Swansea. If Slaven Bilic’s side don’t score early, it could easily be a tense, nervous affair for the home supporters.”

Last summer, Manchester United parted with £89million to prise former youth team star Paul Pogba back to Old Trafford from Italian giants Juventus. The France international was expected to set the Premier League alight, and continue the fine form which saw United value him as the world’s most expensive player.

Pogba is a central midfielder; a man destined to play down the middle. At Juventus he proved he could consistently find the back of the net, and at United he has scored goals this season. There have been questions over exactly where Pogba should play in the middle of the park. Is he a holding midfielder, or should he be playing behind further forward? He has the ability on the ball to play behind a central striker, and in this forward role, would rack up goals and assists in abundance.

United already boast a world class striker in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but talk has been rife about the Red Devils’ interest in France striker, and Pogba’s close friend, Antoine Griezmann. Should Griezmann grace Old Trafford next season, the partnership that could form between himself and his international teammate could be something of legend.

However, if Pogba is to play a more forward role, who should partner Ander Herrera behind this plethora of attacking talent?

Marouane Fellaini has found himself in the role this season, as has Michael Carrick. Fellaini is not a long term option for this role by any means, with many United fans feeling it is time that the big Belgian moved on from Manchester.

Carrick has held the United midfield together for over a decade, but at 35-years-old, his time is coming to an end. High hopes were had for Morgan Schneiderlin, but the new Everton man did not have the ability to step up to the elite level at which United expect.

Many have been touted as possible options to replace the ageing Carrick in the middle, but these three players stand above the rest as realistic, reliable options for the role of Jose Mourinho’s midfield general…

Tiemoue Bakayoko

Before this season had begun, not many outside of France would claim to have heard of Tiemoue Bakayoko. Not many may even have heard of him before Monaco’s heroics against Manchester City. Yet now the young Frenchman is being touted as one of the most promising holding midfielders in European football.

Only 22-years-old and on the verge of a Champions League semi final appearance, Bakayoko has been a stalwart in the Monaco team that scores for fun. Patrolling the gap in front of the back four, Monaco have been able to build attack after attack through Bakayoko’s reading of the game, as the midfield man boasts an average of almost three interceptions per game in the Champions League this season.

He also scored the goal that took Monaco past Manchester City, so is already endeared to the Old Trafford crowd. Bakayoko would be an excellent addition to United’s midfield.

Franck Kessie

Franck Kessie is another man unheard of before this season. With 15 international caps for the Ivory Coast already under his belt, the 20-year-old is a star of the future. A successful loan spell in Serie B last term paved the way for his return to the Atalanta starting XI this year, and he has continued his form in the Italian top flight.

In 22 starts the midfielder has been involved in nine goals, which is a fantastic return for a holding player. Kessie’s form has contributed to the success of his side, with Atalanta pushing for an unlikely European spot. Due to his ability to control a game from the middle whilst having an eye for goal, he has drawn comparisons with compatriot Yaya Toure, and rightly so.

Team mate Alejandro Gomez suggested in February that Kessie had agreed a deal with Roma but since then no deal has materialised. Chelsea have been strongly linked with the player, and Mourinho should move fast should he wish to sign one of Africa’s hottest prospects.

Kessie would slot straight into the United line up, and a partnership in the middle alongside Ander Herrera could be seen at Old Trafford for many years to come.

Toni Kroos

The one that got away for ol’ David Moyes. The former United manager claimed that he was extremely close to securing the German’s signature for United only to be scuppered by the board. Ouch!

Toni Kroos is one of, if not the best player in his position. The German international proved this on the big stage by winning the World Cup in 2014, and has continued to do so since his move to Real Madrid.

The former Bayern man has the ability to control games, and does so with consummate ease. Unbelievably, Kroos may be a realistic option for United this summer. In their endless search to bring together a team of ‘Galacticos’ Real Madrid have pinpointed United stopper David De Gea as their future number one.

They have chased De Gea for a number of windows, and this summer may finally be the year the Spaniard moves back to his home city. United will not let their prized asset leave on the cheap however, and Kroos may well have to be included in any deal which sees De Gea leave Old Trafford.

If United are offered Kroos plus cash in the summer for goalkeeper, they should be biting Madrid’s hand off.

Leeds United manager Garry Monk confirmed following the 1-1 draw against Wigan Athletic on the final day of the season that left-back Charlie Taylor refused to play.

The 23-year-old – who came through the youth system at Elland Road – has been strongly linked with a move to West Bromwich Albion in recent months and had a transfer requested rejected last summer.

He was due to be named in the matchday squad for the trip to the Latics on Sunday, but was a surprise absentee beforehand.

Taylor has made 29 Championship appearances for the Yorkshire outfit – who narrowly missed out on the play-off positions – but has often found himself on the substitutes’ bench in the last few weeks with his contract due to run out this summer.

Leeds supporters were quick to have their say on the news via social media, and they wasted no time in laying into the full-back and criticising his attitude.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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According to reports from Marca, Chelsea and Manchester United are interested in signing Real Madrid attacker James Rodriguez.

What’s the word?

Having struggled to replicate the 2014 World Cup, Golden Boot-winning form that earned him an illustrious move to the Bernabeu, it appears Real Madrid have finally lost patience with attacking midfielder James Rodriguez, with Marca claiming they’re prepared to sell the Colombian international for €75million during the summer.

Although he’s struggled to produce his best in the Spanish capital, managing only 13 starts in La Liga this season, potential summer suitors are by no means in short supply. Marca believe Chelsea could go again for Rodriguez after he rejected a last-minute move to Stamford Bridge in the last transfer window, but also document interest from Manchester United – citing Jose Mourinho’s infamous ties with his agent, the renowned Jorge Mendes – and mentioning signals from ‘large parts of the media’. They’re likely alluding to a recent report from AS.

Is he worth €75million?

Equating to £64.39million, that would constitute a new record transfer fee for Chelsea and the second-largest fee in Manchester United’s history after their world-record swoop for Paul Pogba last summer. Of course, comparing to prior is a bit of a pointless enterprise these days considering they jump up with every passing summer – even Pogba’s fee could look like pocket change in a few years’ time based on the current rate of inflation in the European game and particularly the Premier League.

Nonetheless, it does seem rather audacious on Real Madrid’s part to demand pretty much the exact same fee they paid Monaco three years ago despite Rodriguez’s spell with them being largely deemed a failure. He’s managed only 76 La Liga outings in that time, albeit producing a decent return of 28 goals, and has missed 36 games across all competitions through injury – another concern for his reported suitors.

That being said, if Rodriguez can replicate his World Cup form in the Premier League, he’ll easily be one of the stars of the division. It’s currently a bit of a gamble, however.

Which club would he suit best?

The Spanish media seem to think Manchester United are the most interested and Jose Mourinho certainly needs to jostle his attacking options this summer following a campaign that has seen his side manage the fewest goals of any team in the top seven, just 52, especially with Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s future unconfirmed and Wayne Rooney likely to move on.

But one of the problems at Real Madrid has been where to actually fit Rodriguez in. He’s struggled to justify taking the No.10 role in such a talented side, even more so since they’ve found much better balance when set up as a 4-3-3 with a holding midfielder in Casemiro, and isn’t a natural wide-forward in the same way as Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale. Intriguingly, United have also used 4-3-3 for much of the season, a formation Mourinho is largely synonymous with.

On the other hand, the slots behind the striker in Chelsea’s 3-4-3 set-up could suit him perfectly, as the kind of attacking player who seems to drift between the wing and central positions and midfield and forward roles. The wing-backs would create the room to let him tuck inside, while Costa’s movement generates the space to run beyond the Spain international and score goals.

Whereas a move to Man United may once again be a case of a square peg being pushed into different round holes, Chelsea’s more universal, roaming and interpretive attacking midfield slots are likelier to get the best out of him.

On this day in 2005, an underdog rabble of pieced-together Liverpool stars pulled off arguably the greatest comeback in the history European football. Barcelona’s incredible turnaround against PSG earlier this season may have set pulses racing, but the La Liga giants beating their lesser French counterparts on their home turf had nothing on the unlikeliness of the Miracle of Istanbul.

Indeed, what can only be described as an unexceptional Liverpool side containing a few genuinely exceptional players found themselves three goals down to arguably the greatest team of their generation, Carlo Ancelotti’s AC Milan, at half-time. From a near-impenetrable back four to Andrea Pirlo and Kaka in midfield and Andry Shevchenko, at that time the most lethal goalscorer in world football, up top, Rossoneri’s cast was as star-studded as it was talented and their healthy lead after just 45 minutes was by no means surprising.

But then something special happened; Liverpool dusted themselves off, got back out there and pulled themselves level by the hour mark. Suddenly, momentum had shifted and by the time the penalty shootout came to an end it was the Merseysiders who emerged victorious. Certainly not the most convincing European title in the club’s history, but unquestionably the most special. So, where are that gang of unlikely heroes now, twelve years later? FootballFanCast takes a look…

GK – Jerzy Dudek

Perhaps the unlikeliest of all heroes in Istanbul considering the doubts that lingered over his goalkeeping abilities for much of his Liverpool career, Jerzy Dudek’s flailing legs were the difference in the penalty shootout, putting off Serginho and Andrea Pirlo before shutting out the deciding spot kick from Andriy Shevchenko. Fast forward twelve years and Dudek is now a racing driver, believe it or not, trading the thrill of football for the adrenaline of 24-hour automotive endurance challenges. From 33 races thus far, however, he’s made the podium just once and is still waiting for that all-important first win.

RB – Steve Finnan

Steve Finnan worked his way up from the depths of non-league with Welling United to make the Champions League final, the highest pinnacle of club football. He was taken off just after half-time, leaving Captain Fantastic Steven Gerrard to fill in at right-back for much of the match, but is remembered fondly by Liverpool fans as the hardworking, unsung hero of their starting XI. After making his final professional appearance for Portsmouth in the 2010 FA Cup final against Chelsea, the Irishman disappeared off the face of the earth, leading The Liverpool Echo to launch their ‘missing’ campaign in 2015. Finnan turned up shorty after, now living as a property developer in London.

CB – Jamie Carragher

This is an easy one. After retiring as one of Liverpool’s greatest ever players, ranking second in their all-time appearances chart, Jamie Carragher moved into punditry, partnering up with former adversary Gary Neville to cement his status as one of the best in the business when it comes to scathing whiteboard analysis. There are still many who beg him to move into management, putting that defensive nous and industriousness to good use, but for now he remains one of the jewels in the Sky Sports crown.

CB – Sami Hyypia

By the time the 2005 Champions League final came around, Sami Hyypia was a declining favourite, edging towards his 32nd birthday and no longer the dominant centre-half of his lesser years. Nonetheless, he played the full 120 minutes and is remembered fondly by the Anfield faithful for his decade at the club. After retiring in 2010, the Finland international turned his hand to management but has struggled to prove successful thus far; during spells with Bayer Leverkusen, Brighton and FC Zurich, he failed to last more than two seasons, leaving the latter club at the end of last season after winning just nine of his 30 games in charge and consequentially relegating them to the second division. He’s still waiting for his next chance.

LB – Djimi Traore

A strong candidate for the least talented and therefore most fortunate player to ever start a Champions League final, Djimi Traore is equally famed for his comical own goal against Burnley, backheeling the ball into his own net. Unsurprisingly, the Mali international’s Liverpool career only spanned a year after the night in Istanbul, joining Charlton Athletic, then Portsmouth, then Monaco, then Marseille and finally testing himself in the MLS. Somewhat surprisingly considering his lack of common sense on the pitch, the left-back now works as assistant manager at Seattle Sounders, backing up Brian Schmeltzer. That partnership seems unlikely to end any time soon, after Seattle lifted the MLS Cup at the end of last season.

DM – Xabi Alonso

Winning the Champions League with Liverpool was just the start of Xabi Alonso’s incredible career. Equally incredibly, Rafa Benitez saw fit to sell him to Real Madrid in 2009 and buy Alberto Aquillani instead. A year later, he won the World Cup with Spain. Two years after that, he won La Liga. And two years after that, he lifted Europe’s top honour once again. That heralded a move to Bayern Munich, whom Alonso made his final appearance for last weekend. He’s now officially retired, but here’s hoping we see the playmaking maestro return to football as a manager or coach in the near future.

RM – Luis Garcia

The owner of the ghost goal that took Liverpool to the final, Luis Garcia didn’t have such supernatural luck in Istanbul but added real class and netting prowess to Liverpool’s midfield. After leaving Anfield in 2007, aged 29, he went on to represent a further seven clubs, his most recent being Central Coast Mariners – featuring for them ten times in 2016. He now works as a pundit for beIN Sport, but regularly pops up at Anfield to take in the odd game.

LM – John Arne Riise

Once famed as the man with the hardest shot in football, John Arne Riise’s left-footed drives created countless memories for Liverpool fans down the years. The Norway centurion didn’t enjoy the best of finals and even missed in the penalty shootout but remains a cult hero on Merseyside. After a prolonged spell at Fulham, the defender-come-midfielder split the remainder of his career between playing in his native Norway, Cyrpus and the Indian Super League – one can only imagine the amount of sun cream he needed. Riise retired in 2016 but has since signed for SK Rollen in the fourth division of Norwegian football, so the 36-year-old may not be done just yet.

CAM – Steven Gerrard

The Man of the Match in the Champions League final and the star who ignited Liverpool’s comeback, scoring their first to make it 3-1 and winning the penalty to level the scores at 3-3. Of course, Gerrard went down in the history books as Liverpool’s greatest ever player, leaving after 710 appearances and 186 goals to enjoy a brief swansong in the MLS. After hanging up his boots in November last year, he became a youth coach at Liverpool in January.

SS – Harry Kewell/Vladimir Smicer

An undoubted talent who never quite proved it at Anfield, Harry Kewell’s 23-minute Champions League final appearance, coming off through injury, was symptomatic of his Liverpool career. He was replaced by Vladimir Smicer who netted Liverpool’s second with a delicately-placed shot into the far corner and later the penalty that proved to be the decider. Whereas Kewell took the head coach job at Crawley earlier this week after being dismissed as a youth coach by Watford, Smicer’s last great act of note came in 2014 – when he took an anti-obesity stance in the Czech Republic’s EU elections.

ST – Milan Baros

Milan Baros was notorious for his inability to score goals and that’s exactly what happened in the Champions League final, making a muted impression before being eventually subbed off for penalty converter Djibril Cisse. Rather incredibly, however, the flopped striker is still just 35 years of age and continues to ply his trade in the beautiful game, spending the 2016/17 season at Slovan Liberec. He scored one goal in two Europa League appearances this term, but his domestic form – just three goals in 23 Czech First League outings – has left a lot to be desired. No surprises there.

As reported by The Daily Star Sunday, Ross Barkley has emerged as a key target for West Ham United this season with Everton apparently ready to cash in on their top prospect.

What’s the story?

Barkley made his debut at Everton six seasons ago but it appears his association with the club may be coming to an end after he failed to sign a new contract before the end of the season.

One club willing to meet his wage demands is West Ham United with The Daily Star Sunday claiming that the Hammers could splash the cash and pay the England international up to £140,000-per-week.

However, they face significant competition from Tottenham Hotspur who are also circling Goodison Park for Barkley’s services, according to the paper.

Worth the money?

Slaven Bilic badly needs creativity and drive in his attacking midfield and Barkley would provide both, showing over the years at Everton that he has the consistency to be an effective English Premier League star.

He has versatility too, playing in five different positions for the Toffees this season, missing just two league matches across the entire campaign.

Still just 23, he’s yet to hit his prime but a move to the likes of West Ham United, where he would be given the responsibility to be their main man, could allow him to reach his potential and mature into one of England’s top midfielders for years to come.

The summer transfer window doesn’t officially open until the first of July, but the Premier League is already heating up on the business front – especially up in Manchester.

Indeed, Manchester City have already released three of their full-backs and made two new signings, the latest being goalkeeper Ederson Moares, whose move from Benfica was confirmed earlier today.

Bitter rivals Manchester United have some serious catching up to do, but fear not Red Devils fans – the latest odds from 888Sport suggest they’re on course to clinch two exciting transfer deals

United are the odds on favourites to sign Benfica defender Victor Lindelof and Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata with odds of 1/2 and 3/4 respectively – two impressive potential signings that would strengthen Jose Mourinho’s side at both ends of the pitch.

Lindelof has emerged as one of the most exciting defenders in Europe over the past two seasons, whereas Morata has finished the current campaign with 20 goals across all competitions despite playing second fiddle to Karim Benzema.

According to reports in The Sun, Southampton are targeting a summer move for £18m-rated Sassuolo forward Gregoire Defrel, and he could be a direct replacement for Jay Rodriguez.

Rodriguez looks set to leave the south coast outfit in the coming weeks despite the departure of Claude Puel and recent appointment of Mauricio Pellegrino, with a £14m move to West Bromwich Albion on the cards according to the Daily Mirror, with the Argentine boss giving the move the green light.

The former Burnley man endured another frustrating campaign at St Mary’s as he continues to look to rediscover the form that saw him on the brink of being named in the England squad for the 2014 World Cup, before he suffered a serious injury against Manchester City just weeks before the tournament.

Saints may well be looking to fill the gap left by the 27-year-old if he does make the move to the Midlands, and Defrel could be the man to do it after a successful campaign with the unfashionable Serie A outfit.

Here are three reasons Defrel would be the ideal Rodriguez replacement…

Goals

While Rodriguez scored 15 goals in 33 Premier League appearances in the 2013/14 season, he has struggled to replicate that tally since following a long road to recovery because of the injury suffered at the Etihad.

The 27-year-old netted five top flight goals last season – with the majority of his 24 appearances coming from the substitutes’ bench – and Saints would be hopeful that Defrel could better that tally if he completes a move to St Mary’s.

The French attacker showed his ability in front of goal by netting 12 times in 29 Serie A appearances for Sassuolo last term, while he scored four more during their Europa League campaign.

Pace/Dribbling ability

Before his injury Rodriguez was known for his pace and dribbling ability, but there is no doubt that he has lost some of that speed and control because of his injury problems.

That is where Defrel could be the ideal replacement because as well as being a pacey attacker, he also loves to run at defenders – shown by the fact he successfully completed 27 take-ons in Serie A last season.

Those are traits that can be crucial in the Premier League, especially when you look at the significant impact players such as Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and former Saint Sadio Mane make on a consistent basis.

Versatility

While Defrel has spent the majority of his time with Sassuolo playing as a centre-forward, his pace and dribbling ability also mean that he can play as a secondary striker or out wide.

That is similar to Rodriguez during his prime for Southampton, when he often cut in from the left wing when Rickie Lambert was used as a regular centre-forward.

The fact that the Frenchman is left-footed will also mean that he can play on the left or be able to cut inside from the right flank, which could be extremely useful for a range of different formations.

That versatility is something that is likely to impress Saints and new boss Mauricio Pellegrino, as they look to improve their goal tally next season.

Do you agree, Saints fans? Let us know below.

It’s been quite the day for Chelsea fans keeping a close eye on Sky Sports’ famous vidi-printer.

According to the broadcasting company, the west London outfit’s striker search following Antonio Conte’s dismissal of Diego Costa via text message has lead them to both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero.

Of course, both are fantastic strikers in their own right. In addition to bagging 33 goals for Argentina, Aguero has produced 122 Premier League goals for Manchester City, firing them to two titles.

55-cap Gabon international Aubameyang, on the other hand, finished last season with a career-best 40 goals across all competitions, including 31 in the Bundesliga.

It seems unlikely Chelsea will sign both front-men this summer, despite their current shortage up front, so which striker would go you for Blues fans? Let us know which one you’d like to see Conte pull off a swoop for most by voting in the poll below…