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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 02/05/2017 10:10:19
| | Chelsea Confident of van Dijk DealVITALFOOTBALL |
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|| Kilmarnock loanee Freddie Woodman admits he’d love to return to Rugby ParkDAILYRECORD |
| | Conte Set to Agree “Quality” $64million Star Signing for ChelseaSOCCERISMA |
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Kasper Schmeichel could follow in his father’s footsteps by signing for Manchester United. The Leicester goalkeeper has emerged as United’s number one target to replace David De Gea if the Spaniard joins Real Madrid in the summer. (Sky Sports)
However, the Red Devils will face competition from rivals Manchester City, who are also keen on the Denmark international. (Various)
United are ready to splash the cash in the summer having been told they will have to pay Antoine Griezmann £300,000-per-week if they want to sign him from Atletico Madrid. (Various)
The France international has been a long-time target for Jose Mourinho, but will have to make him the Premier League’s highest paid player if they want to bring him to Old Trafford.
Chelsea are reportedly closing in on the signing Virgil van Dijk, and are ahead of the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Man United in the running to sign him for around £50million. (The Sun)
Arsenal playmaker Mesut Ozil reportedly kicked a door after his side’s north London derby defeat on Sunday, with the Gunners now willing to listen to offers for him.
Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho sustained a potential season-ending injury in the victory at Watford, and more bad news comes with news that Real Madrid are lining up a summer move for him.
Meanwhile, there are claims Tottenham right-back Kyle Walker is keen on a move to Manchester City in the summer, with the right-back set to earn over £100,000 per week if he joins the Blues. (Daily Mirror)
Claude Puel could be about to lose his job as Southampton manager. The Frenchman has been involved with a number of training ground bust-ups with some of the Saints’ top stars, who are unhappy with management style. (Daily Star)
William Carvalho has been linked with a move to West Brom in the summer, but Arsenal and Manchester City are also monitoring the Portugal international.
Here are the latest talkSPORT.com headlines:
Former Arsenal striker launches blistering attack on Arsenal over Alexis Sanchez and urges club to SELL star forward
Mario Melchiot has hailed Antonio Conte’s intense approach as the key to Chelsea’s outstanding Premier League season
Atletico Madrid have moved ahead of Arsenal in the race for Paris Saint-Germain ace Lucas Moura
Galatasaray have stepped up their pursuit of Manchester City outcast Wilfried Bony
Lorenzo Insigne has urged Dries Mertens to snub interest from elsewhere and sign a new deal at Napoli – just like he did
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Your #SaintsFC @Sure Goal of the Month for April is…
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Transfer ALERT! Chelsea winning race for in-demand Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk
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Chelsea are ‘closing in’ on the £50million signing of Southampton centre-back Virgil van Dijk, according to reports.
The Dutchman has been one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League ahead of the upcoming transfer window.
The majority of the top flight’s biggest sides are all looking to strengthen their back lines in the summer, with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal all chasing Van Dijk.
LISTEN: Chelsea and Liverpool target Virgil van Dijk ‘ready for move to top club’, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers tells talkSPORT
According to The Sun, Arsenal had offered to make the 25-year-old one of their highest-paid players to seal the swoop.
But Van Dijk, who is still on the sidelines with an ankle injury he suffered in January, is said to have passed up the move and prefers to join Chelsea, who are looking for a replacement for long-term captain John Terry this summer.
And Chelsea are said to be confident of sealing a £50m deal for the Dutch international, after offering to include young defender Andreas Christensen in the deal with Southampton.
The 21-year-old Dane has spent two seasons on loan with German club Borussia Monchengladbach, where he has impressed and quickly become a regular member of their first-team.
And the Saints have reportedly been tempted to part with star asset Van Dijk, as long as the deal will see highly-rated Christensen move to St Mary’s.
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Has there been a shift in Premier League power from north to south?
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Has there been a shift in Premier League power from north to south?
Southern clubs are becoming more successful than their northern rivals in the Premier League, a new Sky Sports study has found.
Sky Sports looked at the top four Premier League clubs over the last 25 years and combined the season-ending points, according to whether the club was based in north or south England.
The graph below shows northern clubs dominated the early Premier League years, led by Manchester United.
Not one southern club finished in the top four during 1994/95 and 1995/96 - the former season marked the greatest disparity between the regions to date with northern clubs accumulating 328 top-four points to the south’s blank.
But Arsenal’s success during the late 1990s and early 2000s, followed by the rise of Chelsea and Tottenham and decline of Manchester United’s league standings has seen southern clubs reduce the deficit to become the dominant force over the last three years.
London-based Chelsea remain on track for their second league title in three years after a 3-0 win against Everton on Sunday.
Meanwhile, second-placed Spurs fuelled debates of a power shift in north London with a convincing 2-0 victory over Arsenal.
North of the border - defined by a University of Sheffield study - fifth-placed Manchester United endured their 10th draw at Old Trafford this season against Swansea, while neighbours City were held in fourth place after a 2-2 stalemate at Middlesbrough.
The north-south border (courtesy of the University of Sheffield)
Both clubs made marquee managerial appointments in the summer in Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, respectively - but both have failed to match southern table-toppers Chelsea and Tottenham.
Liverpool topped the league in November after a 6-1 goal fest against Watford but slipped to fifth after a torrid January before rising back to third - currently sitting 12 points behind the league leaders.
Combined, Chelsea and Tottenham are currently 23 points better off than their northern counterparts Liverpool and Manchester City.
Northern clubs ruled the Premier League summit until 1997/98, with Manchester United winning four titles and Blackburn winning another, while Liverpool, Newcastle and Aston Villa also represented the north with frequent top-four finishes.
Southern clubs broke the north’s grip in 1997/98 when Arsenal won the title and were joined by London neighbours Chelsea in fourth - but United proceeded to claim three successive league crowns.
Arsenal beat United to the title in in 2001/02 but despite the Londoners’ success, the Gunners had five northern rivals between them and sixth-placed Chelsea - equating to 141 extra points to the north in the top four.
Northern dominance began to wane in 2003/04 when the Gunners claimed their last league title to date during their undefeated Invincibles season. Since then, the north and south have both accumulated more top-four points on seven occasions.
The points’ tally of top four clubs remained relatively equal between north and south until 2008/09.
In 2009/10, Chelsea finished one point ahead of Manchester United as champions, and London rivals Arsenal and Spurs also made the top four to claim a combined 146-point advantage over the north.
However, the north reclaimed a slender superiority over the south for the next four years - but two southern clubs finished in the top four during each season.
The tables turned in 2014/15 when Chelsea won the Premier League under Jose Mourinho and the north has endured an inferior disparity since.
Manchester City are the last northern club to win the title in 2013/14, while reigning champions Leicester, classed as a southern club by the university study, helped the south gain a record-high 156-point winning margin over the north.
In fact, City were the only club north of the border to finish in the top four last season, while Guardiola’s side and Liverpool occupy the lower half of the top four this term.
Arsenal’s defeat at White Hart Lane confirmed the Gunners will finish behind their London rivals for the first time in 22 years - but can the Gunners finish above both their northern rivals and guarantee European qualification?
Watch Arsenal v Manchester United live on Sky Sports 1 from 3.30pm on Sunday
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 02/05/2017 12:11:36
| | Chelsea now favourites to sign Van Dijk - reportsGOLIVERPOOL |
| Will Arsenal fans be happy with Wenger if we get Lacazette and Van Dijk? | Just Arsenal NewsJUSTARSENALNEWS | ...treasonously developed by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!
| | Gossip: Schmeichel, Puel, Van Dijk, ShawFOOTBALL365 |
|| Chelsea close in on cash plus player deal for Dutch defenderCALCIOMERCATOCOM |
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West Ham and Southampton in transfer tussle: Offers made for ex-Man City midfielder
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West Ham and Southampton both want ex-Man City midfielder Ahmad Benali
Benali came through the ranks at City, spending 11 years with the club, before leaving in 2012 without ever making his senior debut.
Now at Italian side Pescara, the 25-year-old is reportedly attracting plenty of interest.
The Sun claim Premier League duo West Ham and Southampton are both keen on the £3m-rated midfielder.
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On This Day: Plymouth 1-3 Saints
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European paper talk: Barcelona want Hector Bellerin, PSG in for Alexis Sanchez
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With the major leagues around Europe drawing to a conclusion, talk has already turned to how the big clubs intend to splash their cash over the summer.
Our friends at Football Whispers have rounded-up all the latest transfer rumours from across the continent.
Alexis Sanchez is Paris Saint-Germain’s transfer priority in terms of attackers this summer. They are also targeting Monaco’s Tiemoue Bakayoko to strengthen their midfield. (L’Equipe)
PSG are set to have a clear out in the summer. Jese, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Hatem Ben Arfa and Lucas Moura will all be free to leave the Parc des Princes. (Le Parisien)
The Barcelona board have decided their number one priority for the summer is a right-back, with Hector Bellerin top of their wishlist. The Arsenal defender is keen on the move and won’t listen to offers from other clubs. (Mundo Deportivo)
Cesar Azpilicueta will be a Barcelona transfer target if they fail to land Bellerin. (Sport)
Chelsea want to buy a right wing-back to offer an alternative option to Victor Moses and are interested in Southampton’s Cedric Soares. (Mundo Deportivo)
Geronimo Rulli’s agent has denied Manchester City transfer rumours. Facundo Fraga says his client will be staying at Real Sociedad. (Estadio Deportivo)
Barca also want a midfielder and are targeting PSG’s Marco Verratti. If they don’t sign him, their first choice backup is Nice’s Jean Seri. (Mundo Deportivo)
Jordi Alba has received reassurances that he will be an important player for Barcelona next season, and despite being the subject of Chelsea and Manchester United transfer rumours, he looks set to stay at the Catalan club. (Marca)
Mesut Ozil’s future at Arsenal is uncertain as he wants to play Champions League football. But only Fenerbahce are interested in him at the moment and he isn’t convinced about a move to Turkey. (Sport Bild)
Former Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates is a target for clubs in Russia. Spartak Moscow and Zenit St Petersburg are willing to pay up to €15million (£12.7million) for the Sporting Lisbon defender, but his club sees him as unsellable. (Record)
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@SouthamptonFC - Southampton FC
Who is your #SaintsFC @UnderArmour Player of the Month for April?http://sfcne.ws/UAAprilPotM
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 02/05/2017 13:11:51
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| Rumour Mongering: Chelsea Now Favorites in Van Dijk ChaseSBNATIONTHELIVERPOOLOFFSIDE |
| | Southampton wide-man could end up at Chelsea in summer merry-go-roundSPORTWITNESS |
| | THESACKRACE |
|| Report: Southampton, West Ham United keen on bringing exiled midfielder Ahmad Benali back to EnglandHEREISTHECITY | ...dodgily moulded by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 02/05/2017 14:12:04
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...infatuatedly whittled by Optimus trousers...beta v1.9 - now with EXTRA pictures!| Brendan Rodgers set to receive massive seven-figure boost for Celtic transfer plansFOOTBALLFANCAST |
| | LONDONFOOTBALLNEWS |
|| Southampton in surprise transfer battle with Barcelona for the 'African Xavi’SPORTWITNESS |
|| Chelsea Transfer News: Virgil Van Dijk, Andreas Christensen, Fresh Blues RumoursBLEACHERREPORT |
|| Transfer gossip: Chelsea confident of Van Dijk deal, Sun sayWESTLONDONSPORT |
| | Southampton boss fighting for job after training ground bust-ups101GREATGOALS |
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@SFC_Foundation - Saints Foundation
Fancy teeing off against a #SaintsFC legend? There’s still time to get involved!
http://saintsfoundation.co.uk/saints-foundations-charity-golf-day/
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Seven Tottenham players top the Premier League Power Rankings
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Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen has topped the Power Rankings this week.
The Denmark international maintained Spurs’ title challenge after scoring a late match-winner at Crystal Palace last week and created four chances during a 2-0 win over neighbours Arsenal on Sunday.
Tottenham players achieved a remarkable top-five whitewash with Hugo Lloris (No 2, up 20 places), Dele Alli (No 3, up nine places), Harry Kane (No 4, up 32 places) and Heung-Min Son (No 5, down two places) joining Eriksen among the elite.
Spurs defenders Ben Davies (No 9, up 29 places) and Jan Vertongen (No 10, up 20 places) also represented Mauricio Pochettino’s side in the top 10.
Gary Cahill (No 6, up 157 places) scored in his second successive game during Chelsea’s 3-0 win at Everton on Sunday, while Eden Hazard (No 7, up 28 places) was also back among the top performers this week.
Josh King (No 8, up 13 places) maintained his form with a late match-winner at Sunderland on Saturday to almost certainly guarantee Bournemouth a third consecutive season in the top flight.
The Power Rankings methodology reflects a player’s performance over the last five matchdays by awarding points to players for 32 different stats.
Below, we present this week’s Power Rankings, your club’s top points scorer and the accumulative season rankings.
The Sky Sports Power Rankings will be updated every Tuesday during the season, so be sure to keep an eye on the big movers…
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#OnThisDay in 1989, headers from Rod Wallace and Paul Rideout earned #SaintsFC victory away at #AVFC:
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Summary of non-mainstream articles: 02/05/2017 15:12:18
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| Newcastle keeper Freddie Woodman hopes to emulate Fraser Forster’s pathway to the Premier LeagueCHRONICLELIVENEWS || Not Worried – Ex-Liverpool Star Says Philippe Coutinho Could Face SouthamptonINSIDEFUTBOLCOM |
| | Puel Frustrated With Poor Hull PerformanceVITALFOOTBALL |
| | Cedric & Yoshida Talk HullVITALFOOTBALL |
| | ROUSINGTHEKOP |
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WATCH and VOTE: Premier League Goals of the Week featuring Pedro, Jamie Vardy and Gylfi Sigurdsson
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WATCH and VOTE: Premier League Goals of the Week featuring Pedro, Jamie Vardy and Gylfi Sigurdsson
Can’s overhead kick? Pedro’s bullet? Gylfi Sigurdsson’s sublime free kick? Watch and vote for your favourite Premier League goal from the weekend.
With the 2016/17 season hurtling towards a conclusion, the stunning strikes were on show across the country which we have complied into a handy run-down in the video above. Hit play, choose the best and vote in our poll below.
Pedro - Everton 0-3 CHELSEA: The Spaniard set the Blues on their way to victory on Sunday, moving the ball onto his left foot before thumping home from 25 yards out and scoring his eighth goal of the season.
Gylfi Sigurdsson - Man Utd 1-1 SWANSEA: Once again, it was Sigurdsson who stepped up to help his Swansea side out in their moment of need, curling home an inch-perfect free kick in the 79th minute to take a point from Old Trafford.
Alvaro Negredo - MIDDLESBROUGH 2-2 Man City: Boro twice took the lead against Man City on Sunday and it was a fine strike fromn Negredo that saw them ahead for the first time, swiftly countering before hitting home from the edge of the box.
Jamie Vardy - West Brom 0-1 LEICESTER: Foxes striker Vardy is in a hot run of form and continued his current streak against an out-of-sorts West Brom on Saturday, slotting home from a fine throughball from Shinji Okazaki to take Leicester to the 40-point mark.
Willian - Everton 0-3 CHELSEA: A minute after coming on as a substitute and Willian rounded off Chelsea’s Goodison Park victory, sliding home from a Cesc Fabregas pass.
Emre Can - Watford 0-1 LIVERPOOL: Can gave Liverpool the lead on the stroke of half-time with one of the goals of the season. The Germany international connected with a stunning overhead kick to leave Heurelho Gomes with no chance.
Hit play on the video above then cast your vote for your favourite.
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Southampton boss Claude Puel facing major scrutiny in season’s final weeks
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To most neutral observers, Claude Puel would appear to have one of the safest jobs in football.
Having guided Southampton to a Wembley final within months of being appointed and being on course to cement a top-half finish in the Premier League, you would think the Frenchman has enough credit in the bank to avoid being subjected to any end of season inquests from his paymasters.
But for the bulk of Southampton supporters, the power-brokers looking down from the directors’ box and probably even Puel himself, the picture is not quite as rosy.
Certainly anyone who was forced to sit through Saturday’s turgid 0-0 draw at home to relegation-haunted Hull can understand why newspaper reports from both sides of the Channel suggest Puel’s position as manager will be under major scrutiny in the final weeks of the season.
After all, that joyless 90 minutes has been no means a one-off, especially at home where only the relegation deadwood of Sunderland and Middlesbrough have mustered fewer goals than Puel’s toothless Saints.
It is true Puel was dealt a tough hand after Southampton sold their two main goal threats from the previous season (Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle), and he has been hampered by injuries, but you can count on one hand the number of truly exceptional performances Southampton have produced during his tenure – their heroic EFL Cup semifinal triumph at Liverpool and brave 3-2 loss to Manchester United in the final the notable exceptions.
But for the large part, Puel’s tactics have been too cautious and he has been too frightened to take risks, a far cry from the thrilling football the St Mary’s faithful became accustomed to during the days of Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman.
Throw in rumours the soft-spoken former Nice coach, nicknamed “whispering Claude” by some journalists, has had training-ground fallouts with a number of high-profile players, and suddenly owner Katharina Liebherr and head of football development Les Reed have a major decision to make.
Liebherr and Reed are all too aware Southampton are about to enter a summer transfer window pivotal to their aspirations of transforming the south coast club into a genuine force in English football. The pair share the fans’ frustrations at seeing Southampton labelled a “selling club” following a raft of big-name departures in recent years and are determined to keep hold of the likes of sought-after captain Virgil van Dijk and England defender Ryan Bertrand, whose relationship with Puel is said to be particularly strained.
If they feel retaining Puel increases the risk of another exodus, they are likely to instigate a change.
Of course, players falling out with their manager is by no means a unique situation and there are those in the Southampton dressing room who did not see eye-to-eye with Puel’s predecessor Koeman because of his hard line approach to man-management.
But the one thing Koeman always commanded from those players was a healthy professional respect. Respect which seemed lacking when Shane Long stormed off and headed straight down the tunnel after being substituted, having been brought off the bench during last month’s 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City.
It is no secret Long has been deeply unhappy with Puel’s squad rotation policy, which at one stage meant that if a striker scored one week they would be virtually guaranteed to be left out the next. Long is not alone in that.
Some of Puel’s tinkering has been nothing short of baffling and needlessly damaging to morale, like insisting on leaving top scorer Charlie Austin on the bench for much of Southampton’s ill-fated Europa League campaign when they somehow managed to crash out in a group in which their only half-decent opponents, Inter Milan, opted not to register the majority of their best players.
Midfielder Dusan Tadic’s claims Puel had disrespected him by constantly taking him off during games was another unwanted headache for the man regarded in his homeland as Arsene Wenger’s protege.
Sadly for Puel, his bosses might not be as forgiving as Wenger’s appear to be, unless he can prove his is a harmonious camp and produce some more exciting performances between now and May 21.
Alex Crook is ESPN FC’s Southampton blogger. Follow him on Twitter @alex_crook
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