Cameroon won't host CAN 19

Cameroon stripped of hosting rights to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations

Cameroon have been stripped of hosting next year's Africa Cup of Nations, says the Confederation of African Football.                  

African football's governing body (Caf) says it is because of delays in the progress of Cameroon's preparation for the tournament, due to start in June.

Officials made the decision at a meeting on Friday in Accra, Ghana, that lasted more than 10 hours.

Caf president Ahmad Ahmad says it will work to "determine a new organising country by the end of the year".

The tournament is set to be the first held in June and July and will be expanded from 16 to 24 teams.

Ahmad said last year that Cameroon still needed "to convince Caf of its ability" to host the event, with the country playing down fears sanctions would be imposed if preparations were deemed to be behind schedule.

But in August the chairman of Caf's Nations Cup organising committee, Amaju Pinnick, said "nobody is going to take it away from Cameroon".

Morocco have been touted as potential hosts, having stepped in to hold this year's African Nations Championship after Kenya were deemed not ready.

Ronaldo, Mbappe & Griezmann are finalists in Globe Soccer Awards

In what will be the tenth edition of Dubai's Globe Soccer Awards, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann have been nominated for the best player prize

The winner will be announced at a ceremony on January 3, 2019, in association with the 13th Dubai International Sports Conference, organised by Dubai Sports Council.

Globe Soccer's chief executive, Tommaso Bendoni, made the announcement.

"The 10th anniversary of the Globe Soccer Awards is a special milestone," he said.

"We are delighted to present Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann as the finalists in the best player category."

The ex-Real Madrid forward, who won the Champions League last season, is a four-time winner of the award and has been shortlisted on eight occasions, and will be looking to win for the third consecutive year.

However, he will be competing with two World Cup winners in the Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid stars.

Ronaldo advises Juventus board to sign Asensio

According to Rai Sport, the Serie A giants have made a prelim.
inary inquiry and Cristiano Ronaldo has given the thumbs up on his former teammate.

Juventus are considering a move for Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio and Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly advised the Old Lady’s board to pursue the possibility, according to Rai Sport.

Asensio has fallen slightly out of favour under Santiago Solari at the Bernabéu, starting three of the new coach’s five games in charge, including the Copa del Rey trip to Melilla.

Asensio out of sorts at Real Madrid

The Spain international has also not been performing to his own high standards, managing just one league goal and a strike in the 4-0 rout of the Segunda B outfit in the cup, along with three assists in all competitions

Originally placed to assume the mantle vacated by Ronaldo on the left of Madrid’s attack, Asensio could now be set for a move to Serie A to join forces with his former teammate as Juve look to increase their squad’s firepower in the hunt for a long-awaited Champions League triumph.

''Ronaldo deserve ballon d'Or '' said juve's manager Allegri.

Allegri: Ronaldo deserves Ballon d’Or, Pjanic has 'no flaws' & Perin starts

Juventus boss Max Allegri says Cristiano Ronaldo deserves the Ballon d’Or, Miralem Pjanic has ‘no flaws’ and Mattia Perin will start against SPAL.

The match kicks off on Saturday at 17:00 GMT – click here for a preview.

“SPAL play good football and constantly look to build,” Allegri said at a Press conference.

“They’ve already won in Rome away, playing well there, and also won at Bologna.

“They’ve picked up some great results away from home, they’re physical and aggressive, and they recover many balls.

“We must be sincere in our approach, managing the game well, knowing they’re one of most difficult smaller sides to face because they can make you payü

Ronaldo’s fine. I don’t know anything about this Ballon d’Or thing, even if he deserves it. Dybala? His goal for Argentina will have given him confidence.

“He came back on Thursday and did some light work, but tomorrow he could start from the bench.

“Ronaldo and Mandzukic will play. They have a good chemistry, like everyone behind them.

“Paulo and Ronaldo have played less together, but they’ll refine their understanding in time.

“With those three up top, we can express ourselves well. We’re on track to arrive in March in excellent condition.

“Khedira is out, Emre is recovering and in a couple of weeks he’ll be available. Matuidi will be back today from the three days of rest I gave him.

“We’ll go with what we have, but we’re not in a state of emergency. The team are fine physically and mentally.                                    

Pjanic has ironed out all the flaws from his game and is now a top player. He has vision, plays nice geometries and had a great game in Milan, showing his range of passing.

“He also won back balls, which let us counterattack. I sometimes take him off so he can recover, plus I have Bentancur who’s growing quickly.

Perin will play tomorrow. Chiellini? He’s got better with age, but I have to manage him as we play three games a week.

“We’ll see what he’s like today. If he doesn’t play then we also have Rugani and Benatia. Juventus have five of the best defenders in the world.

“Rugani played at Empoli and had a good game. Benatia the same in Milan. I needed someone like him in that match.

“Maybe tomorrow Rugani will play, but if I choose someone then it’s because I think that player is suitable for that game. They’re all exceptional.”

Neymar to force PSG EXIT.

Neymar to force PSG exit as Barcelona prepare to welcome him

The Catalans want the Brazilian to take the initiative and push for a move back to Camp Nou, while he will also have to mend bridges with fans

Barcelona have set in motion their 'Operation Neymar' to re-sign the Brazilian striker, who is ready to call time on his career at Paris Saint-Germain.

Goal understands that the Catalans have been in touch with Neymar's camp to start the process of his comeback to Camp Nou.

Neymar, who moved to PSG in 2017 for a world-record transfer fee of €222 million (£195m/$260m), is unhappy at Parc des Princes and looking for a way out despite just over a year in France laden with goals and trophies.

The star's team have been in touch with several Barca directors, who have responded with detailed instructions over how a deal that just a few short months ago seemed impossible could become a reality.

First of all, Barca are insistent that, after director Pep Segura's recent public comments over the possibility of the Brazilian returning, the next step must come from the player himself.

The club board are aware that the manner of Neymar's exit left a large part of the fanbase disillusioned with his behaviour, that he rushed his departure and did not conduct himself in a manner fitting of the illustrious club.

As a gesture of goodwill, Neymar could make a public statement assuming his rashness in leaving in such a fashion, a move that would calm wary supporters.

A salary cut may also be necessary. Neymar takes home almost €40m with PSG, a figure out of Barca's reach given their current problems to keep wages under control.

The Blaugrana board sees such a reduction as essential for the deal to prosper, while Goal understands that Neymar would also be willing to negotiate lower terms.

"If the war of lawsuits continues, it will be impossible for Neymar to return," a director of the Catalan club told Goal in reference to several court wrangles that continue to loom over the player and club in Spain.

The 'DIS case', dating back to his first days at Barca after completing his controversial transfer from Santos, is still being heard, while Neymar's writ over an alleged €26m in unpaid back wages and a counter-suit from Barca over €30m in bonuses from his renewal are also outstanding.

If both sides are serious about his return, they must bury the hatchet and put the lawyers to rest.

PSG too will have to be compensated after receiving comparatively little in return to date for their mammoth investment. Once Neymar meets the conditions set by Barca's road map detailed above, the club will then turn their attentions to the Ligue 1 giants.

In order to avoid hostilities, either open or brimming under the surface for years to come, Barca believe Neymar must force the issue, making a public recognition that he is not happy at PSG and wants a change of scenery.

Such a move would soften the Parisians' stance at the negotiating table and permit talks to occur, with the Catalans open to using either Ivan Rakitic or Ousmane Dembele as bargaining chips.

Neymar is well aware of what must be done to seal his return to Camp Nou. He and his camp have been informed of all Barcelona's requirements, and it is up to him to show that he is serious about joining up once again with Lionel Messi and Co.

If he does not comply, from Barca's perspective it is very simple: there will be no emotional comeback for their prodigal son.

Suprise suprise Suprise. That Neither Ronaldo nor Messi will take ballon d'or this year

Reports claim that Ronaldo & Messi will miss out on Ballon d’Or podium

Several Italian newspapers are reporting that Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi will miss out on the Ballon d’Or podium.


Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport and La Stampa are among the publications which believe there will be no Ronaldo or Lionel Messi in the final three.

Il Corriere specifically refers to a video published by L’Equipe promoting the ceremony on December 3, which begins with images of Ronaldo’s victory last year.

However, the Portuguese is followed by Kylian Mbappe, Raphael Varane and Luka Modric, before there is a break in the footage.

Varane has lifted both the World Cup and Champions League this year, and the Frenchman would become the first defender to win the Ballon d’Or since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.

Furthermore, the publication states the No 7’s absence is partly linked to his decision to leave Real Madrid for Juve.

The 33-year-old has won five Ballon d’Ors in his career and recently claimed he ‘deserved’ to add to his haul.

Who is the richest footballer in the world

Messi & Cristiano are the best but who is the richest footballer in the world?

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi aren’t just the world’s best footballers, they’re also the richest players on the planet

With modern-day salaries, bonuses and endorsements, it can be relatively straight-forward for the world’s top stars to earn a small fortune.

However, long gone are the days when players solely earned their wages from the teams they played for, and many footballers now are paid more by outside sponsors than their actual club.

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have tapped into that market, and have been richly rewarded for their marketing exploits.

For Ronaldo, his huge social media following, Nike CR7 brand and sponsorships deals with likes of Tag Heuer, EA Sports and Sacoor Brothers have helped him amass an estimated fortune of $450 million.

Messi, on the other hand, is worth just less than his old foe - an estimated $400m.

According to Forbes, Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor are the only athletes who earn a higher annual salary than the Barcelona forward’s $111m annual income.

Ronaldo's income via endorsements far outstrips Messi’s, and makes him one of the world’s richest athletes.

The pair have become so marketable throughout their careers that their closest competitors have earned less than half of the sums gained by Ronaldo and Messi.

The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic ($190m), Neymar ($185m), Wayne Rooney ($160m) and Gareth Bale ($125m) are also among sport's most wealthy individuals.

However, it’s not just current players who can earn a fortune from their talented feet. Former professionals such as David Beckham ($450m) and Ronaldo ($150m) gained contacts and links from their playing days, which they are still benefiting financially from today.

Former Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan is another example. The 81-year-old has an estimated net worth of $210m.

However, perhaps the wealthiest footballer of all is Leicester City winger Faiq Bolkiah.

The 20-year-old is the nephew of the Sultan of Brunei (Hassanal Bolkiah) - who is worth an estimated $20billion

Pogba has said yes to Juventus.

Pogba has said yes to Juventus return in January 

Pogba has said yes to Juventus." That's the headline on Corriere dello Sport. The Italian newspaper say the Manchester United midfielder could even make the switch in January

seems the tension between Pogba and Jose Mourinho in the Old Trafford dressing room is no longer sustainable. The player's desire is to return to the Italian club, who he refers to as his "family."

Pogba returned to Turin recently as a United player in the Champions League. While there, he was given a warm reception by the home fans, who would be delighted to welcome him back.

The France star did not celebrate the goal which gave United a 2-1 win and after the game was asked about a possible return to Italy: "Who knows? Now I am at United."

In this context, the report says that Juve will make a big effort to bring him back -- and could even be prepared to do a deal this winter.

That's more likely now given that UEFA have changed the rules, meaning that players are no longer cup-tied in the Champions League if they've played in the group stages with another side (as was the case with Philippe Coutino at Barça last season).

Juve are also in need of a new midfielder following an injury to Emre Can -- although his knock may not be as serious as first feared

How can Real Madrid sell Ronaldo for £100m?

How do you sell Ronaldo for €100m? - Villas-Boas questions Real Madrid

The former Chelsea and Tottenham manager has questioned Real Madrid's decision to part with a superstar as he considers a future role in Serie A


Andre Villas-Boas has questioned the logic behind Real Madrid’s decision to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid while admitting to considering his own switch to Serie A.

The Portuguese is currently out of work having turned his back on coaching to focus on motorsport.

He has, however, admitted that he will be returning to the dugout at some stage, with the former Porto, Chelsea, Tottenham and Zenit boss having already hinted at a move to Germany.

Villas-Boas has now conceded that Italy could be another potential landing spot, telling Corriere dello Sport: “I'm not in a hurry and will wait to see what's going to happen during the season.

“For me, choosing well means also understanding why a club wants me. The latter is a key aspect: teams change coaches with great speed and often do not look at the technical philosophy of a technician, but his percentage of career victories. So they end up being disappointed when quality is lacking in the game and the public loses interest.”

He added: “Italy obviously interests me. From a tactical point of view it is one of the most difficult championships. In the future who knows?”

While Villas-Boas could take on a Serie A challenge at some point, a fellow countryman is already there.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo completed a stunning €100 million (£88m/$113m) transfer to Turin over the summer, with Real prepared to part with their all-time leading goalscorer.

Given the struggles that have since been endured at the Santiago Bernabeu, Villas-Boas admits to having been left baffled by the Blancos’ willingness to part with a modern day legend.

He said: “It totally surprised me. How do you sell Cristiano for 100 million? It does not make sense from any point of view: neither sport nor economic.

“Congratulations to Juventus for the blow they were able to make.”

Villas-Boas

Neymar and FC Bacelona

Neymar & Thiago not targets for Barcelona but door kept open for Camp Nou return

The Blaugrana have no intention of moving to bring the Brazilian 

back from Paris Saint-Germain any time soon, but have not ruled out a future approach

Neymar is not a transfer option “on the table at the moment” for Barcelona,

 claims general manager Pep Segura, but a return to Camp Nou is not being

 ruled out.

The Brazil international made 186 appearances for the Blaugrana, 

netting 105 goals, prior to making a record-breaking move to

 Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2017.

A second spell in La Liga has been mooted since he departed 

Catalunya, with Real Madrid being heavily linked with a player 

who once graced the books of their fiercest rivals.

Talk of a potential retracing of his steps to Barcelona has also 

been discussed, but that is not an option set to be explored any time soon.

Segura told Cadena Ser of the Neymar rumours: 

“Neymar is a player who is not on the table at the moment.

“I have already said that no young player that leaves for 

money will return. We stand by that. But the circumstances 

with Neymar are totally different.

“We always must evaluate the circumstances of the market

 and assess what the best moves for us will be in relation to those.”

Neymar has enjoyed a productive spell in France, finding the

 target 41 times in 46 outings while helping PSG to a domestic 

treble in his debut campaign.

He is not the only former Barca star to be impressing elsewhere

, though, or the only one to be sparking speculation regarding a

 possible return.

Thiago Alcantara is a product of the famed La Masia academy 

system but headed to Bayern Munich in 2013 amid fierce competition

 for first-team places.

The 27-year-old Spain international has emerged as another 

mooted target for Barca, and Segura will not be shutting that transfer 

door either.

He added: “Thiago Alcantara? He left us as a professional footballer

, so he enters the same parameters as Neymar and he could also 

return if that is what is requested.”

Barca have been busy in recent windows acquir

Asensio wants to rejoined Ronaldo at Juve

Marco Asensio reportedly wants to reunite with former Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus.

According to Tuttosport, Madrid ‘perceive some movement’
from Asensio towards Juve, the winger have been ‘captivated’ by
the reception Ronaldo received from Juve fans last season.

The newspaper explains Alvaro Morata ‘also told him wonderful
things about Turin and the Bianconeri’ during their time together
at the Allianz Stadium.

Furthermore, the Spaniard would be of the opinion that he can

 take ‘a further leap in quality’ under Max Allegri, citing the cases
 of Morata and Paul Pogba.

Asensio was thought to be one of the players who would step up
in the No 7’s absence, but the 22-year-old surprisingly warned ‘it’s
 not up to me to carry this team’ earlier in the week.from all football-
hotfootadress.blogspot.com

Who has better stats in 2018 - Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi

Forget city derbies, Clasicos and revenge games, Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi is the greatest rivalry of modern football, and continues to divide opinion. This year saw a major change in the competition between the pair as Ronaldo traded Real Madrid and La Liga for Juventus and Serie A.

However, that has not stopped the debate over who is better and whether their recent performances are good enough to compete for major individual awards including the Goal 50.

A major part of the story can be told from the players' individual statistics, but of equal importance is how the players helped their teams compete and win trophies. The 2017-18 season saw both Ronaldo and Messi continue to add medals to their trophy cabinets, while the duo also travelled to the World Cup to represent their countries.

With Ronaldo now in Italy, meetings between the two will now be less common. Fans will be hoping they get matched against each other in the Champions League or else at international level. They played each other three times last season, starting with the Supercopa de Espana where both players scored in the first leg, but Ronaldo lifted the trophy thanks to a 5-1 aggregate win.

Messi netted from the spot in Barcelona's 3-0 win at Santiago Bernabeu early in the season, before cancelling out Ronaldo's early goal in a 2-2 draw back at Camp Nou, helping Barcelona go on to win La Liga - his ninth league title.

Barcelona were not as impressive in Europe, going out at the quarter-final stage following a 4-4 away goal defeat to Roma. Real Madrid had no such problems, going all the way to the final, where a 3-1 victory over Liverpool saw Ronaldo become the first player to lift the Champions League trophy five times.

Ronaldo's 2017-18 season saw him average exactly a goal a game in all competitions, netting 44 times in 44 appearances. He featured 27 times in La Liga, scoring 26 goals and provided five assists. He also scored two goals at the Club World Cup, where he added another winner's medal. He played in the UEFA Super Cup victory over Manchester United, but did not find the target against his former club.

The Champions League was where Ronaldo excelled, scoring 15 times in 13 appearances. During the group stage, he became the first player ever to score in all six group games, but really showed his world-class ability in the knockout stage where he scored a brilliant bicycle kick goal against Juventus which earned him a standing ovation from Juve's fans and then secured Real's progress with a 98th minute penalty in the second leg. His 15 goals were enough to see him finish as the Champions League top scorer for the sixth consecutive season and seventh time overall.

However, his 26 La Liga goals were not enough to earn him the European Golden Shoe, finishing eighth as Messi led the pack on 34 goals, two clear of Liverpool's Mohamed Salah. Messi became the first player to win the award five times. The Argentine also provided 12 assists in the league, and was involved in eight Copa del Rey goals in six appearances (four goals and four assists).

Despite Barcelona's mixed season in Europe, Messi was also prolific in the Champions League, creating two goals and scoring six of his own in 10 matches. He also added one goal from two games in the Supercopa.

Messi's discipline was worse than Ronaldo's over the course of the season. Messi had seven yellow cards to Ronaldo's three, but only the Portuguese forward was sent off in 2017-18.

At international level, both players finished 2017 strongly to help their countries qualify for the World Cup. Messi scored a hat-trick in Argentina's must-win game against Ecuador, while Ronaldo provided goals and assists in three of the last four 

VOTE: Who is your pick for All Football Player of the Week?

Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid's Karim Benzema,
PSG's Edinson Cavani, Dortmund's Marco Reus and
Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski are the five nominees
 for our All Football Player of the Week, with four of the stars
included in our All Football Team of the Week.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo scored his first goal for Juventus in Champions League
 and sealed the win in heavyweight clash against Milan.

The Portughese star slotted home opener from perfect
 Leonardo Bonucci cross in Juventus' 2-1 defeat to
 Manchester United, which became his first
 Champions League goal since arrival in Bianconeri.

He also scored his first goal from open play at San Siro
 as he bagged a 81-min goal against Milan to help Juventus go
12 league games unbeaten.

2. Karim Benzema

Benzema finally found his scoring shoe as he was involved in 5 goals
 in Real Madrid's two wins last week.             

The French forward scored two goals and laid on an assist for
Gareth Bale to seal a 5-0 thrashing over Viktoria Plzeň
 in Champions League.

On Sunday, the No.9 scored again and forced an own goal to
help Los Blancos to a 4-2 away win over Celta.

3. Marco Reus

Reus shined in Klassiker with a double helping Dortmund bounce
back from Atletico defeat.                               


The BVB captain sealed a thrilling 3-2 win over Bayern Munich
with a brace as he converted a 49-minute penalty and
 scored a 67-minute goal.

After Klassiker show, the German star has now registered 8 goals
 and 3 asssit in his impressive start to season.

4. Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski has always been the fearful weapon for Bayern.                                                                                                                                    

The Polish striker scored double in Champions League against
 Athens AEK after which he became the 7th most scoring player
 in the tournament.

He continued his form in Bundesliga as he found the net against
 former side Dortmund again, even though his double wasn't
enough for a win this time.

5. Edinson Cavani

Cavani was decisive in Ligue 1 hammering against Monaco.                                                                             

After being benched against former side Napoli, the
 Uruguayan forward returned to starting XI of PSG
to face struggling Monaco.

3 shots, 49 minutes were enough for him to complete a
stunning hat-trick to help the Parisiens run a 4-0 rout.

Real Madrid already appoint Solari as their new coach

Real Madrid has appoint Santiago Solari as their new coach. 

Real The Argentine was only allowed to be in temporary charge for two weeks, after which the club had to make a decision on his future and now they have done so, after four wins from four.

ESPN initially reported that after the victory against Celta Vigo on Sunday night, Los Blancos sent Solari's new contract to the Spanish Football Federation and MARCA have confirmed the news.

The coach has earned the right to continue in the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu hot seat after beating Melilla, Real Valladolid, Viktoria Plzen and Celta Vigo although it's true that the club had already made their decision before the match at the Estadio Balaidos on Sunday night.

It represents the best start of a Madrid coach in 116 years.

The Real hierarchy wanted to keep the Argentine in charge and will hope that the current run of results can continue instead of having to scour the market for a new coach after the departure of Julen Lopetegui.

Four wins in a row, 15 goals scored and only two conceded mean that Solari has quelled any doubts and managed to wriggle himself free of the 'interim' label.

Juventus boss Allegri named best manager in Italy for 2017/18

Juventus boss Allegri named best manager in

 Italy for 2017/18.                         

Max Allegri affirms ‘I hope to stay at Juventus for a

 long time’ after winning the Panchina d’Oro award

 for best Italian Coach of 2018. 

Allegri beat off competition from Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri 

and Lazio’s Simone Inzaghi, who finished third and fourth 

respectively, while he becomes the Coach with the

 most Panchina d’Oro victories on four.

“Like I always say, the less damage we do

 the better,” he said upon receiving the accolade at Coverciano.

“I thank my staff, who take so much pressure off

 me and let me grow older more slowly.

“Credit must also go to the players and club. I hope to stay here for

 a long time. Now I’m more reflective. My years of experience

 in Serie A have let me grow.

“The objective is to win our eighth Scudetto and then this 

blessed Champions League.

“We’ll see if we have a bit of luck on our side. 

The important thing is to understand how we’ll be in March.

“The level has risen, so we must have the quality to match. 

For the Scudetto, however, our attentions are on Napoli and Inter.”

English premier league

Things we learn from the PL weekend: Man Utd not good enough.  

10 things we lean from the 12th week of Premier  

League this season! 

1. Manchester United's run of decent results was only going 

to be valid if they could perform in the derby. They did not.

 Simply put, they are not good enough.

United have lost four of their opening 12 games for the first time 

since 1990-91. This is the first time in the Premier League

 era they have a negative goal difference after 12 games.

 And only Fulham have fewer clean sheets than them.

  

 

David de Gea conceded no more than 29 goals in each of the last 

two seasons. He's already let 20 in. 

Even for a Jose Mourinho United vintage, 

this one has a particularly bad taste

2. There are obvious ways to measure a manager and

 they mainly involve trophies and trinkets.

 But judging Mauricio Pochettino works best 

on different guidelines.

A huge tick in the positive column is his development 

of young players, highlighted on Saturday

 by 20-year-old defender Juan For 

 scoring on his second Premier League appearance.

His first at Wolves was fraught with errors – he gave away two penalties. 

But Pochettino kept faith and backed a player he has brought through.

 Foyth received the 11th Premier League debut he's handed out 

while at Spurs. Pochettino may just be the country's 

best developmental coach.

3. Liverpool were hit by a wave of negativity after their 

loss to Red Star Belgrade. It was an inquest over a side that

 have still not lost in the Premier League.

A supposed issue is the switch to a more possession-based

 style, one that was intended to allow them to control matches rather 

than just bow to the wild cacophony of heavy metal football that Jurgen 

Klopp pioneered.

But they have not lost that lightning ability to break and that is still 

when they are at their best. There were just 14 seconds between

 Aleksandar Mitrovic's offside header and Mohamed Salah's opener.

 Ozzy Osbourne would be proud.

4. Cesar Azpilicueta is a fine full-back and his ability

 on the ball is not in question. Even so, he stayed far

 too deep against Everton on Sunday.

That grew into a problem as the hosts struggled to break 

through their stubborn opponents. 

Marcos Alonso got forward well and came close to scoring.

Azpilicueta seems slightly stunted in an attacking sense — probably 

not helped by years playing at left-back and right centre-half. 

He made no key passes and had no shots.

5. There is plenty to admire about Arsenal's revival under Unai Emery, 

and part of that is their ability to grind out results, 

as they have managed on this 16-game unbeaten run.

But there's a little spark missing, something that 

he should look to bring back to the team over the 

international break. The draw against Wolves, 

earned late on, was their third consecutive one

 at home in all competitions.

A plus is Henrikh Mkhitaryan getting his 

first goal since March. It should,

 Emery will hope, improve his confidence.

6. Salomon Rondon has all of the tools to be a force in the

 Premier League. He is big, strong, has a good touch,

 can hold the ball up well and is more technically gifted than

 his size suggests.

But one thing he has not shown since he moved to these shores 

is consistency. His first goal against Bournemouth was 

number one in a 

Newcastle shirt. He bagged another,

 giving him only his second brace

 in the Premier Leaguemmm.                        

He has talent. What he needs is the mentality and fitness to

 prove it on a regular basis. He should be more than enough to help 

Newcastle stay up.

7. Sometimes upturns in form benefit from contributions from 

the strangest of sources. Cardiff City have now won two of their last four games after no 

previous Premier League victories this season.

That has coincided with Callum Patterson's own purple patch. 

He was key in the early stages of their promotion last season,

 scoring an important 10 goals. But he went through a run of

 just one goal in 14 games.                              

Now he has three in his last four after his tap in against Brighton.

 Having him back up to that level can only help Neil Warnock's 

side battle relegation.

8. This is a uniquely awful time for Southampton, 

who have never endured a worse start at home – failing to 

win any of their first six – in their entire league history as a club.

It is now the middle of November and they have 

only won four Premier League games in the entire 

calendar year. Les Reed, a man key to their rise,

 has gone, and there seems to be no sign of improvement.

Recruitment and the entire football side of their operations 

have been misrun for a few years. We are now seeing the results.

9. Huddersfield's draw with West Ham may be incredibly 

costly come the end of the campaign and it once again highlighted 

the overly negative manner of David Wagner's approach.

They should have pushed for a second while on top – they have the 

pace to play on the counter and press well. It was what their 

promotion was founded on.

But they have now not scored more than one for 22 Premier League games 

straight. It is a ludicrous run and should tell them something – it is

 better to go out of the division with a flicker than a whimper.

 Their mentality has to change.

10. Charlie Taylor did not have the easiest of times last season. 

He made just 11 appearances in the Premier League after 

his summer moving, finding it difficult to break into a

 settled and successful line-up.                       

This season has been very different, and he is now marking

 himself out as a defender of talent. He has played in every game 

and made a superb last ditch tackle on Kelechi Iheanacho at

 Leicester that saved a point.

No defender at Burnley has played more than his 12 games 

this season. He is now a trusted cog in Sean Dyche's team.