Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Leicester City, the first competitive fixture at the new-look Anfield, is yet to enter the second half but already looks set to be a multi-goal thriller.

Indeed, despite the title-winning Foxes looking more than resilient in the opening few minutes, a series of direct forward passes down the left-hand side saw the ball land at the feet of Roberto Firmino.

The Brazilian then took a step inside and produced a very shrewd reverse shot, which wrong-footed Kasper Schmeichel and delicately rolled into the bottom corner.

Jurgen Klopp’s boys continued to mount on the pressure after the early goal and Sadio Mane soon popped up with a second for the Reds.

Consequentially, Liverpool supporters were absolutely buzzing on social media. Here are some of the best reactions to their 2-0 lead.

But Leicester are by no means out of this one. Jamie Vardy capitalised on a horrendous error from makeshift defender Lucas Leiva to peg one back for the reigning champions. Needless to say, the mood has changed a little bit on Twitter:

Will we see more goals after the interval? A high-octane opening 45 minutes suggests we probably will!

It was job done in the end for Liverpool after they beat West Brom 2-1 at Anfield this evening.

The Reds scored the opener through Sadio Mane after a well-worked team move saw the Senegalese international hit a fine volley across the front of Baggies ‘keeper Ben Foster before Philippe Coutinho scored the second.

The Brazilian was the best player on the pitch and his goal summed up his performance. He cut inside two West Brom defenders before driving a shot low into the corner at the near post to put the Reds in control going into half-time.

They then had chances to kill the game off and could have ended up ruing missing them when West Brom nicked a goal back with ten minutes to play, ensuring a nervy finish, but the men from Anfield did manage to see the game out.

Their title challenge is well and truly still on, then, and here are FIVE things we learned from the game…

Liverpool can break down stubborn defences

Many were interested to see how the Reds would cope against a typically resolute Tony Pulis side after their stalemate against an equally stubborn Manchester United team on Monday but it was a test that duly passed. The Reds got an early enough goal through Sadio Mane and doubled their lead before half-time to all but kill the game off. It’s come as a relief that they can break teams down.

West Brom need more up front

West Brom adopted similar tactics to Manchester United in the sense that they sat deep and then looked to get the ball to the strikers quickly. The only problem being that the Baggies’ forwards simply were not at the races today. Whilst it’d be silly to suggest West Brom bring in a Zlatan Ibrahimovic level player they certainly need someone who can hold the ball up better if they want to use this tactic.

Liverpool are title challengers

The win has seen Liverpool go joint top of the league behind only on goal difference and you have to say they’ll be around top spot for the months to come. Yes, it is a home win against West Brom so perspective is needed but in a weekend that’s already seen the likes of Arsenal draw at home to Middlesbrough, you can’t underestimate every three points gained. This was a professional performance from the Reds in the end.

West Brom midtable at best

Some sections of the West Brom support want to see them progressing into a side challenging for Europe but it doesn’t look like that’ll be happening this season. They are organised and pragmatic most of the time but they are very rarely going to take the teams above them on, especially away from home. Until they can do something about that they won’t be getting much further than midtable.

Adam Lallana is truly vital

As if there was any doubt about this one before the game it has surely been dismissed now. Lallana is the perfect Jurgen Klopp player as he presses from the middle of the pitch and West Brom simply couldn’t subdue him. Tthe Reds really missed him on Monday night and that is testament to his transformation under his current boss given how much confidence he lacked in his early Liverpool career.

As much as we might not like to admit it, money runs football. Not just in the darker corners of the game, either. Finances can make or break a club and will be the underlying factor in many decisions by owners across the game. It is considered greedy and uncouth to be motivated by money and the prospect that it dominates a sport loved so dearly by so many is an uncomfortable one.

It does though, of course. Football clubs at the top of the English game are businesses. They are run by business people. They also suffer from the bizarre concept of being treated as if they are a public service. The continued notion that they owe something to the fans is understandable, yet it is fading in relevance. A natural side effect of increased monetary wealth is a change in the way that fans are treated.

That much is obvious in a multitude of areas, but it is noticable most jarringly on the pitch, where performances often show priorities that suggest financial – rather than sporting – motivation. Fans want trophies, they want to have the once-in-a-lifetime experience like that of Wigan Athletic’s 2013 FA Cup win. But winning the occasional trophy no longer matters to clubs near the top of the English game. Avoiding relegation, or even achieving a marginally higher league position, is so financially beneficial that it appears several rungs higher in the priority order for many clubs.

European football, particularly the Champions League, has always been a bit different. The incentives for the club’s ‘brand’ and hard cash rewards have made it a lucrative enough prospect.

The injection of yet more wealth into the Premier League could see this change. Money received from Premier League football now supersedes even the revenue that is available from the Champions League. In a finance-driven industry, this would immediately see a shift in the way that the respective competitions are approached.

It raises a question of football clubs, then. Just how far are they willing to go in prioritising their accounts ahead of silverware?

We have seen it impact the domestic game, and it won’t be long before English clubs are wondering whether progressing in European competition is worth risking their Premier League position for. Leicester continue to be the freak exception to the rule in this respect.

For the strongest teams, winning the Champions League will remain the pinnacle. For many of the rest, the increased financial rewards for Premier League success could make it harder to justify the demands of European football.

The prestige of taking on the continent’s best must overcome the desire for additional financial security if Premier League clubs are to treat European football as anything other than a distraction.

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Manchester City fans were relieved after they held out for 1-1 away draw against Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League.

In a match where both teams went down to ten men, David Silva had to bail the Citizens out after Raffael had opened the scoring for the German side.

It was another lacklustre performance from a side that started the season on fire and it begs the question – has Pep Guardiola’s side been found out?

One problem the Spaniard seems to be having at the moment is that he can’t seem to decide on a preferred formation.

City started the season with a 4-1-4-1 formation that had both full-backs tucking in and the wingers – mainly Raheem Sterling and Nolito providing the width.

[ffc_insert title=”The most important chart this Christmas” image=”https://www.footballfancast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/2016-11-19T165554Z_122576154_MT1ACI14676732_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-SOU-LIV.jpg?admin” link=”https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/being-christmas-no-1-is-more-important-than-ever-in-the-premier-league” link_text=”Christmas Number One” ]

The pundits raved over the tactic and while there were teething problems and a few near misses, City won all six of their opening games.

Then came a winless month, starting with a 3-3 draw against Celtic in Europe and a shock 2-0 loss away from Tottenham Hotspur.

Being a proactive and experimental manager, Guardiola switched to a three-man defence in the hope of overloading the midfield. The results were mixed at best as City drew three of the next four – against the likes of Everton, Southampton and Middlesbrough.

They were extremely unlucky in the Everton game (Maarten Stekelenburg put in the performance of his life to make eight saves including two penalties), but would have expected wins at home to Southampton and Middlesbrough.

Unfortunately it seemed all three had worked out how to stifle Guardiola’s plans – by sitting deep and not giving them any space around the box. It’s a tactic a number of sides are likely to employ – one would imagine Burnley will do it at Turf Moor tomorrow – and if Guardiola can’t work out how to beat it, City will drop more points.

It is worth noting that while the results haven’t been amazing over the last couple of months, City are still playing well. According to Squawka, they rank top for possession (59%) and are second to Liverpool for completed passes. On top of that, the loss to Spurs is the only game they were outplayed in having dominated other opposition.

Part of the problem also seems to have come from a lack of cutting edge. Sergio Aguero, who started the season off on fire with 11 goals in six games has slowed down a lot recently, managing only three in his last eleven in all competitions. The Argentine hasn’t looked at his best lately and was particularly poor in front of goal against Crystal Palace: he’s possibly a bit tired.

[ffc_insert title=”Don’t believe the Nietszche quotes” image=”https://www.footballfancast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Joey-Barton-3.jpg?admin” link=”https://www.footballfancast.com/scottish-premier/rangers/dont-be-fooled-by-nietzsche-references-joey-barton-is-a-fraud” link_text=”Joey Barton is a fraud” ]

Manchester City are by no means a one-man team (if anything, Kevin De Bruyne has been their best player this season) but there is no doubt they look a better side with Aguero fit and firing.

Finally it seems Guardiola has no way to solve his defensive woes. City have keep just two clean sheets this season – hardly enough to build a title challenge on.

Many hoped that the return of Vincent Kompany would tighten up the defence but the Belgian has been ruled out for at least a few weeks after coming off after 37 minutes against Palace last weekend.

£47m signing John Stones has had a particularly error-prone start to his City career and was out-muscled by Monchengladbach’s Lars Stindl for the German side’s opener in midweek, while other centre backs Nicolas Otamendi and Aleksandar Kolarov haven’t looked particularly assured either.

City’s leaky backline may be what inspired Guardiola to trial a three-man backline, but at the moment whatever formation the Spaniard plays it seems like the opposition can count on grabbing a goal from a  defensive mishap.

Until Guardiola picks a preferred formation, sorts his defence out, and gets Aguero firing he won’t be able to rest easy. If things carry on as they are, the relief City fans felt on Wednesday night will turn to frustration later in the season.

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For anyone who wasn’t previously aware, Arsenal travel to Manchester City this afternoon hoping to overcome their title rivals and take an enormous stride to claiming a first Premier League crown since 2004.

Ahead of the heavyweight clash between the two clubs, here at FootballFanCast we decided to open the vault and take a look at some of the Gunners’ finest strikes against the Citizens in recent years.

The London club go into the clash hoping to avenge the embarrassing defeat suffered at the hands of Everton on Tuesday. Arsene Wenger’s side lead through a deflected Alexis Sanchez free-kick, but the Toffees masterminded an impressive turnaround to claim all three points.

Nonetheless, against Man City, Wenger faces a different animal as the North West outfit are hoping to overturn their recent run of poor results.

With the game almost upon us, here are the FIVE best Arsenal goals scored against Man City in the Premier League in recent memory…

Thierry Henry – 2004

If ever there was a goal to sum up the ability of Thierry Henry, then this strike against Kevin Keegan’s Manchester City in February 2004 is it.

Henry managed to find space on the left wing before firing a hard driving shot past David James in the Man City goal which was ultimately the winner on the day.

Eduardo -2008

Two weeks before the leg-break that ultimately robbed Eduardo of his career in England, the Croation faced Manchester City and left his mark on proceedings.

His expert turn to find space between the Man City defence and goalkeeper saw him control the ball on his chest before firing low and hard past Joe Hart. Arsenal won the contest 1-3.

Mikel Arteta – 2012

During the 2011/12 season, both clubs had contrasting starts to the season as Man City achieved their greatest ever top-flight beginning, while Arsenal suffered their worst start in 34 years.

By the end of the campaign, the two clubs met with City going in search of a Premier League title. Mikel Arteta’s wonder-strike ensured the Gunners took the three points and handed rivals United the advantage in the title race.

Alexis Sanchez – 2014

In September 2014, Premier League champions City visited the Emirates Stadium hoping to overcome Arsenal once again.

City had taken the lead before two quick goals from Jack Wilshere and Alexis Sanchez earned the Gunners a valuable point.

Sanchez’s brilliant volley was the pick of the bunch, and it wouldn’t be his last goal against the Citizens…

Alexis Sanchez – 2016

Just as City thought they would send Manuel Pellegrini off with a final victory at the Etihad Stadium, Alexis Sanchez decided to ensure his compatriot went away miserable.

His movement, added to Olivier Giroud’s touch, carved City open before he fired past Joe Hart in the City goal.

Jose Mourinho is still shaping his Manchester United squad into one that has his fingerprints all over it. One window isn’t really enough to overhaul years of underachievement, and the Portuguese coach surely knows that now.

Players need to come in and players need to move out, then Mourinho can really start building a team worthy of playing at the Theatre of Dreams.

One tactic that may prove prudent to follow is engaging with Chinese clubs, to see if any of Asia’s big spenders want to buy some of the ‘talent’ that doesn’t have a future under Mourinho.

With Oscar having joined Shanghai SIPG and John Terry rumoured to be another target rumoured to be leaving Stamford Bridge in big money deals, why not explore the option of shipping out players to the Far East to maximise the value of outgoing transfers?

There are plenty of players on big wages in Manchester that are unlikely to become key players in the coming seasons, after all.

Here are FIVE players that Man United should be looking to sell to Chinese Super League sides in January…

Marouane Fellaini

Fellaini’s spell at Manchester United has been far from successful and under Mourinho, the relationship between player, fans and club is only becoming more dysfunctional.

The midfielder has only made eight Premier League starts this season and hasn’t started a game since early November. On top of this, any time he does take to the pitch, he doesn’t look particularly assured.

Likely on big wages, moving him on in January should be a priority and even better if it’s for big money.

Bastian Schweinsteiger

A global superstar who has won almost everything in the game, if there’s one name in the Manchester United squad with the iconic status to attract China’s big money, it’s Schweinsteiger.

His transfer from Bayern Munich hasn’t worked out and despite remaining popular with the fans, he is firmly out of Mourinho’s future plans.

The German legend’s only appearance in Man United colours this season came in a short cameo from the bench in the EFL Cup, which is quite a change in fortunes for the man who ran the show at Bayern Munich for so long.

One last big payday is deserved.

Ashley Young

Another player who has made fewer than five starts under Mourinho, Ashley Young’s time at United is limited. The winger has never quite shown the form he did for Aston Villa since his move to United and at the wrong side of 30, he has no long-term future at Old Trafford.

His 30 caps for England may convince a CSL club to sign him for status alone and he’d no doubt make an impact in a far inferior league.

If United can get decent money for him it’d be good business considering how out of favour he is at the club right now.

Memphis Depay

Memphis Depay is another player going nowhere fast under Jose Mourinho. The winger has only started one game this season and that was in the EFL Cup.

Despite that, he’s a player with talent and any club coming in for him is getting an effective winger when he’s at his best. A Netherlands international, he certainly has the reputation required to pique the interest of the Chinese Super League clubs looking to splash the cash.

Morgan Schneiderlin

Another international with well-known name recognition that is likely to attract interest from plenty of clubs, Morgan Schneiderlin must know his Manchester United career is almost up.

Arriving in 2015 after an incredible rise from League One with Southampton, the Frenchman has struggled to make the step from St Mary’s Stadium to Old Trafford.

His only starts for United this season have come in the Europa League and those performances haven’t been enough to convince Mourinho to make him part of his first team plans.

Following the sacking of Alan Pardew last month it was time for Sam Allardyce to come out of the managerial wilderness after the England debacle and take over at Crystal Palace. ‘Big Sam’ is once again trusted with a club with the sole task of making sure they stay up. That’s his bread and butter.

However, it’s a task that is not going to be all that simple and Allardyce is still searching for his first win since taking charge of the Eagles. Results are going to have to improve soon or there is the distinct possibility of the south London side being dragged into the bottom three.

With the former England boss inheriting a squad that, although talented, has seriously under-performed in the first-half season, he will now look to make the necessary additions to make sure his new employers stay out of the drop zone.

So let’s now look at THREE players who could be moving to Selhurst Park month…

Robbie Brady

Another player that has been linked with Palace of late is Robbie Brady with Allardyce reportedly ready to make a bid for the Republic Of Ireland international. Brady, who will be 25 later this month, will be remembered for his two goals for the Republic in last summer’s European Championship.

Brady has already suffered Premier League relegations with both Hull and his current employers Norwich, so perhaps Palace fans could be excused for thinking he is carrying some kind of jinx. That said, should they capture his signing from the Canaries then they will be getting a very neat and versatile player with top-flight experience.

Not only can Brady play as a winger but can also be used at full-back, a position that Palace have really struggled to fill of late. It cost £7m for Norwich to acquire Brady from Hull and you would imagine should he return to the Premier League then the figure needed to acquire the former Manchester United youngster would be similar.

Kieran Gibbs

One of Sam Allardyce’s first acts could be capturing Kieran Gibbs from Arsenal. The Gunners are having well-documented contract talks with Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, but they are not the only two players whose deals are set to expire in 18 months’ time.

Another player you can add to a worryingly long list for Arsenal is that of Gibbs, and Crystal Palace are monitoring the situation with keen interest as they hope the England international will be ready to leave the Emirates Stadium and make the short move to Selhurst Park.

The 28-year-old has spent his whole career at Arsenal but over the last few seasons has failed to hold down a first-team berth of his own. He only made 15 Premier League appearances last term and has only featured five times in the first-half of this.

And it’s this lack of top flight game time which may well mean that Gibbs decides to end his decade-long stint in north London. As always with a player whose contract is running out, the decision for his employers is whether to sell early or risk that player leaving the club for free. If Arsene Wenger does decide to move Gibbs on and is willing to listen to offers then Crystal Palace will surely be at the front of the queue for his signature.

Modou Barrow

With Wilfried Zaha’s newly acquired Ivorian nationality meaning he has been selected for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations, the Eagles will be without one of their most talented stars until, potentially, early February.

To alleviate that problem, Palace have identified a potential target to replace him in the short-term but also add competition for the wide berths going forward, with that target being Modou Barrow of Swansea.

The Gambian was an unused sub when these two sides met recently at Selhurst Park, a game that saw Swansea snatch a dramatic late winner. With first-team football not necessarily a given for Barrow he may well fancy swapping a relegation scrap in South Wales for one in south London.

West Ham are set to hand Michail Antonio a fresh deal despite the England ace only signing a new contract last year, The Guardian reports.

What’s the word?

Michail Antonio has been in fine form for West Ham this season, leading the scoring charts at the East London side with eight goals- six of which have been from headers, with the England ace boasting a 100% record when he gets a header on target.

The Hammers, pushed by reported interest from Chelsea, have decided that Antonio’s form warrants a fresh deal and are ready to double the player’s salary to £70k-a-week on a five-and-a-half-year contract.

Antonio, who has scored more goals for West Ham than any other player since the start of last season, only signed his current four-year deal a year ago but the new contract will show his importance to Slaven Bilic’s side.

Is it the right move?

West Ham are definitely right to hand Michail Antonio a new deal as £35k-a-week is not a lot for a player of his calibre, which would have made it easy for rival Premier League side’s to pinch his signature.

Whilst also making it difficult for a rival club to land Antonio, it’s also a reward to a player who has been fantastic over the past 18 months and is a piece of positive news for a side who have lacked things to smile about recently- especially with the Dimitri Payet saga.

Antonio was on-fire last weekend against Crystal Palace, securing all three assists in a 3-0 win for the Hammers, and has been directly involved in 11 of West Ham’s goals this season- making him involved in an astonishing 42.3% of West Ham’s Premier League goals.

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The January transfer window is drawing to a close and with it the endless speculation regarding players’ futures at their respective clubs.

Manchester United are a club that have the resources to make an impact on January like few others but there’s been a surprising lack of incoming transfer activity with Jose Mourinho finally finding form in the players currently at his disposal at Old Trafford.

United have seen some players leave, most notably Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay, who both moved in big money deals.

Yet, their squad remains large and arguably bloated and part of Mourinho’s task this season has been identifying the players that either don’t have a future of the club or must move on to progress as a player on loan.

That task may not be complete this January and there’s still time for the United manager to send some players on their way before the window shuts.

Here are FOUR last minute Man United exists he should consider…

Ashley Young

Ashley Young has only started five games this season and it looks increasingly likely that his time at the club is coming to an end. There have been reports this week that the wide player is one of Mourinho’s expected departures before the transfer deadline on Tuesday night.

He provides a decent option as a back-up, but at the wrong side of 30 and less than 18 months left on his contract, it makes sense for him to seek first-team football elsewhere.

His move from Aston Villa hasn’t been quite the success many expected when he switched in 2011 but he has contributed a decent amount in his time at the club, making 150 appearances as a winger, right midfielder and latterly as a right-back.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah

Timothy Fosu-Mensah has a bright future ahead of him at Old Trafford but a lack of first-team football threatens to stunt his progress and a loan move before the end of the window to another Premier League club could be an ideal way to have him take his game to the next level.

He has made three starts for United this season, including in their FA Cup win over Wigan on Sunday. The versatile defender didn’t have a particularly impressive game at right-back but put in a solid shift and likely has enough quality to be a regular starter for teams in the bottom half of the table.

If Mourinho can find a club willing to give him that regular football then it seems smart to let him leave until the summer when the Old Trafford boss can again re-assess his readiness for action at United.

Axel Tuanzebe

Axel Tuanzebe made his professional debut on Sunday against Wigan, coming off the bench to play his first 22 minutes of football at Old Trafford.

Still just 19, the defender should be given the opportunity of gaining football for another club so he can really challenge for a first-team place in the summer.

He’s an England youth international and has a bright future in the game should his development continue, but with the likes of Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones performing to a high standard recently doesn’t have much scope of becoming at a regular for Mourinho anytime soon.

He’d be an excellent choice for most Championship sides and perhaps even one or two Premier League outfits and, like Fosu-Mensah, the club should be proactive in making that happen.

Luke Shaw

Luke Shaw may have got a start on Sunday against Wigan but, incredibly, that was his first appearance since November.

Once tipped for massive things at Old Trafford, there are now question marks from supporters about his future at the club after a number of poor performances and Mourinho’s apparent preference for other options at left-back.

A permanent move away could be unlikely given that he’s still a valuable asset to United due to his potential and age, but perhaps a loan move with allow him to find his confidence and joy of playing football again, away from the glare and pressures of life under Mourinho.

The majority of Arsenal players took a beating from fans on Twitter during their 5-1 thrashing to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night, and one of them was Francis Coquelin.

The 25-year-old defensive midfielder came under fire 11 minutes into the match when he allowed Arjen Robben to cut inside and drill the ball into the back of the net.

The Gunners must have done their homework and would have known that Robben regularly tries that move, but Coquelin was unable to stop him.

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Let us not forget, the Frenchman was comfortably shrugged off the ball by Eden Hazard almost a fortnight ago when the Chelsea playmaker scored a stunning goal in a 3-1 triumph at Stamford Bridge.

Coquelin, who signed a new long-term contract in January, had a disappointing overall performance, completing just six passes before he was hauled off in the 77th minute.

Plenty of fans took aim at the midfielder during a disappointing first leg in their Champions League last-16 tie.

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