In case it still hasn’t settled in your mind, Leicester City are Premier League champions. Yes, the team that narrowly avoided relegation under Nigel Pearson are the best team in England. Well, they were.

Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes have broken records and shocked the footballing world in the last twelve months.

Nearly as big as their on-field achievements has been their transfer window work. Retaining all of their key players, apart from N’golo Kante, is astonishing in itself. They’ve joined the big boys and this season is their chance to prove that they are here to stay, to prove a nuisance to the ‘big’ clubs – who so often disappoint.

Arsenal are the next team to face Ranieri’s Premier League victors and it comes at a tricky time for Arsene Wenger. With the Frenchman dithering as much as ever, he is facing criticism from both the press and the Gunners’ fan base. He needs a win, but can he do it?

Well, these FIVE are the ones to watch and may just determine the result…

Petr Cech

Arsenal’s defence was, frankly, calamitous against Liverpool. Petr Cech did not cover himself in glory, but the defensive display in front of him was humiliating for Gunners’ worldwide.

Conceding four at home on the opening day of the season is bad enough and a clean sheet against Leicester might just calm the sporadic Arsenal fans this weekend. Cech, who will hope for a little more protection, will need to be at his very best if he is to stunt the electric Leicester attack.

Assuming Arsenal don’t right the wrongs of last Sunday, Cech will need to have the game of his life.

Ahmed Musa

Jamie Vardy might be the name most synonymous with Leicester’s title win, but their new boy, Ahmed Musa, is tipped by many to be the star of this season. The electric former CSKA Moscow striker showed glimpses of his talent during pre-season and will, like Sadio Mane did last weekend, stretch Arsenal’s flaky defence.

Of course it’s not all about pace, but, if paired with Vardy, Arsenal could get pulled all over the place.

Riyad Mahrez

Last year’s player of the year signed a new contract with the Foxes this weekend and that was possibly the biggest boost for the club since they lifted the title back in May.

Their Algerian right winger netted Leicester’s only goal of the game against Hull, but the burden against Arsenal will largely be a creative one. Tasked with splitting the defence and jinking through the tightest of gaps, Mahrez might even be double-marked by Wenger’s side to restrict his influence.

However, you feel that if Mahrez has a good game, Leicester will likely come out on top.

Danny Drinkwater

Drinkwater looked a shadow of his 2015/16 self in Leicester’s season-opener against Hull. If Mendy starts against Arsenal it may help the former Manchester United midfielder, but he will need to find his form of last season if Leicester are to enjoy much success this time around.

The deep-lying playmaker was often the man who produced the final ball to slot in one of Jamie Vardy’s surging runs. his role was fundamental to how the Foxes played.

Against Arsenal, space in the midfield will be limited and Drinkwater will also be tested defensively against the highly-talented Gunners midfield third.

Alexis Sanchez

Alexis started as the lone central striker for Arsenal against Liverpool, rather than from his more common position on the left-wing.

The sluggish Leicester centre-back pairing will hope to keep their defensive line deep – which may provide a challenge to Alexis – but, if there is space opening up behind the defence, Alexis could prove to be the match winner.

There’s another new era beginning at Southampton and this time it’s under the Frenchman Claude Puel.

The former Nice boss is setting out on his first managerial role outside of France but will be cautiously optimistic about his reign given what has gone before him at the club in recent years.

The Saints have got a real knack of not letting departures bother them. In recent years Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman have left the St. Mary’s dugout whilst a whole host of players have also moved away from the South Coast yet the team if anything has got stronger.

After a sixth place finish last season the club will be embarking on a Europa League campaign for 2016/17 and the new man in charge will surely be looking to strengthen his side as much as possible.

Puel spent 17 years managing in France so must have a decent idea of the market over there. Therefore we at Football FanCast think these FOUR Ligue 1 stars could be on his wishlist…

Yoann Gourcuff

Gourcuff is a clever attacking midfielder who can also play just off of the main striker.

He’s played for some of the biggest clubs in France as well as AC Milan in Italy and has clocked up 31 appearances for the French national side – scoring four goals.

He’s the kind of player Southampton like and the prospect of him dovetailing with Dusan Tadic and Shane Long may interest Puel.

Lassana Diarra

Diarra has bags of experience from both the Premier League and around Europe and would surely strengthen the Saints in the holding midfield role.

He may have played for great rivals Portsmouth but he’s also played for Real Madrid, Chelsea and the French national team. Despite seemingly being around for ages he’s only 31, so any deal for the Marseille man would tick a lot of boxes for Southampton.

Sebastien Corchia

For a European campaign, Southampton need extra strength in depth and Corchia would give them this in the right back position – Cedric Soares is the current first choice but Puel will want to make sure he stays on his toes.

The Lille defender joined from Sochaux in 2014 and will turn 26 in November, showing he’s perfectly placed to challenge Soares for his position.

Diego Rolan

Southampton lost Graziano Pelle earlier this summer so will be hoping Shane Long and Charlie Austin can do the business.

With Austin’s injury niggles continuing though, the club might want to look for another striker to boost their ranks.

Rolan is a Uruguay international with 17 caps to his name and also boasts Europa League experience with Bordeaux who were in Liverpool’s group last season.

Leicester City’s fans were treated to some of the most entertaining football in the club’s history as they won the Premier League title last season.

Players like Mahrez and Vardy were producing moments of magic every week for the Foxes, with the Algerian’s strike against Chelsea and Vardy’s wonderful volley against Liverpool still in most fans’ memories.

Leicester fans may be able to cast their minds back to a few belters before this year; some will even recount strikes from the King Power was called The Walkers Stadium, or even from the Foxes time at Filbert Street.

Even prior to their title win, Leicester could boast a few legends at the club such as Gary Lineker, Steve Walsh, Alan Birchenall and Emile Heskey. However, there are some obscure names who managed some absolute scorchers.

Here at the Transfer Tavern we’ve dug through the archives to pick out some amazing Leicester goals you probably don’t remember.

MUZZY IZZET vs Tottenham, 1998

The first goal on our list comes from Turkish midfielder, Muzzy Izzet.

Izzet managed a few pearls in his eight years at the club, but arguably none were better than this strike against Spurs.

After Les Ferdinand, who would later play for the Foxes, scored the opener for Spurs, Emile Heskey hit an equaliser in the first half.

This set the stage for Izzet to win the game with a stunning volley and secure three points for Martin O’Neill’s side.

LILIAN NALIS vs Leeds, 2003

Leicester’s 4-0 demolition of Leeds United was one of the few bright spots of the 03/04 season.

The Foxes secured their first win of the season thanks to a brace from Paul Dickov and goals from Lilian Nalis and Jamie Scowcroft.

It was the first goal from the Frenchman that provided the highlight as Nalis hit a looping 25-yard volley to score his first for the club.

Unfortunately the season ended in relegation for both sides, but at least Leicester can look back fondly on this day.

JEFFREY BRUMA vs Watford, 2011

Considering he was recently playing the Champions League for PSV, you could be forgiven for forgetting Jeffrey Bruma even played for Leicester.

Now at Wolfsburg, the Dutchman had a stint on loan to the Foxes while they were still in the Championship.

In their 4-2 win against Watford, Bruma managed two superb strikes, with the better of the two shown above.

That game was Bruma’s only real contribution for Leicester that season, but fortunately both parties they both moved on to better things.

It’s fair to say that Bob Bradley has been handed something of a baptism of fire in his first game in charge as Swansea manager.

When the American accepted the offer, he was probably hoping his reign would begin against somebody other than the most in-form side in the league. Arsenal are the only side who have managed to win all of their last five games and have confirmed themselves as title contenders.

In stark contrast, Swansea have failed to win since the opening day of the season and gained only one point from their last six games under Francesco Guidolin, staying out of the relegation zone on goal-difference alone. The Swans have often looked bereft of confidence and ideas this eason but did at least muster some fighting spirit in losses to Manchester City and Liverpool.

That underdog siege mentality may be channelled by Bradley as he looks to inspire an unlikely victory – or at least a positive result – against the Gunners.

The American will also hope to make the most of the ‘new manager syndrome’ that takes hold of a club when the players new eager to impress the boss. Stranger things have happened than a side down on their luck shocking one of the big guns and the Welsh outfit also have statistics on their side.

Swansea have a superb record at the Emirates, winning three of their last four games and managing a draw in the other one.

In fact, in the last six games between the sides, Swansea boast the better record with a 50% win percentage as opposed to Arsenal’s 33%. The Swans have become something of a bogey team for Arsene Wenger of late, infusing their usual passing play with a defensive steel they don’t always show on the road.

One potential problem is that the side that seems so comfortable playing against Arsenal had its heart ripped out when captain Ashley Williams moved the Everton for £12m in the summer.

Williams – who also captained Wales at Euro 2016 – was always one to lead by example and seemed to excel when under pressure, often acting as a one-man wall against barrages of enemy attacks.

Without the 32-year-old in the defensive ranks, it is difficult to see who will rally the troops when Arsenal begin to turn the screw with Federico Fernandez, Mike Van Der Hoorn not as defensively solid and Leon Britton not a captain in the same mould as Williams.

With or without the Welshman, Bradley will be intent on preserving Swansea’s Emirates record and will take encouragement in any form in which it comes.

Some Swansea fans will be happy to give the side of a period of grace as they adjust to a new style of play and not expect anything against the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

Not their manager though. Bradley will want to get his Swansea career off to a winning start to kick his team into gear at the earliest opportunity.

And he will see the Emirates as the perfect place to start – baptism of fire or not.

Pictures say 1000 words, or so they say. One image can tell the tale of a moment, ask endless questions and provoke long debates. Tottenham will rarely play quite as poorly as they did against Bayer Leverkusen, as their game was shackled by the German team pressing, disjointing their own efforts to harry the opposition high up the pitch.

Mauricio Pochettino will certainly have plenty to say about that performance, having witnessed his side so shaken for the entirety of the match. His substitutions could only do so much, particularly as almost every single player was playing below the required standard for such a tough opponent.

Leverkusen’s own poor domestic form has done little to stop their dominance of Spurs, with the Germans taking four points from their two games and entrenching themselves as the favourites for qualification, along with AS Monaco.

Now heading into a North London derby weekend, Spurs’ season could begin to unravel. Momentum is near non-existent after a run of abysmal results and the side looks worryingly short of ideas with the ball.

Nonetheless, Wednesday night’s heartache made for some brilliant photographs.

Second Home

Spurs’ second match at Wembley this season and its not even the second half of the campaign yet.

That is, of course, because the national stadium is their Champions League home and the Lilywhites’ fans made a special effort to create a hostile atmosphere before kick-off.

Injury Woes

Having been without Harry Kane and Toby Alderweireld of late, the last thing Mauricio Pochettino needed was another one of his successful spine from last season injured.

The rock in their midfield and ball retention king, Mousa Dembele, went off injured during the first half, prompting a change in approach for Spurs.

Get up, Dele

Felled in the penalty area, Dele Alli was aghast when the referee did not award him a spot kick.

Vincent Janssen was on the pitch, too, so it would’ve been the perfect opportunity to produce his party piece. Alli was a figure of anger for his perceived dive, but there was the slightest of contact – which could have seen the referee make a favourable decision for the former MK Dons man.

Summed it up

The way that Spurs conceded the opening goal to Kevin Kampl perfectly summed up their woe on Wednesday night.

As the ball clipped off the foot of a Spurs defender to fall to an unmarked Kampl, there was a sweeping silence across Wembley amid the realisation that their team are on the brink of another season in the Europa League.

Mountain to climb

Tottenham’s Champions League fate is now out of their hands. A glum Wembley perfectly reflected the mood of the players, who looked utterly dejected after a dire display.

A victory in Monaco is needed for Spurs to have any realistic chance of qualification and that looks a distant possibility after Wednesday’s performance.

The Football Association has announced the TV scheduling for the third round of the FA Cup, and fans are not happy.BT Sport and the BBC share the broadcasting duties, and as you would expect, the Premier League heavyweights have been given priority.The first live match will be screened by the BBC on Friday, January 6, and it has arguably been seen as the biggest pull of the draw as West Ham United and Manchester City go head to head at the London Stadium.Over the course of the weekend, the match between holders Manchester United and Reading will be broadcast live, as will Arsenal’s tie with Preston North End.More top-flight representatives will dominate the TV schedule, with Liverpool taking on either Plymouth Argyle or Newport County, while Tottenham Hotspur’s encounter with Aston Villa will Âbe screened from White Hart Lane.BT Sport will wrap up the FA Cup weekend on Monday by airing the action between Cambridge United and Leeds United at Abbey Stadium.

Considering that the FA Cup prides itself on lower league teams being given the chance to win major silverware, fans feel that the message is not coming across through the TV scheduling.

In fact, supporters have taken to Twitter to express their unhappiness.

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In case you haven’t realised, it’s the small matter of Liverpool against West Ham this weekend. The Reds play hosts to the under-fire Hammers hoping to close the four-point gap that has developed between themselves and Premier League leaders Chelsea at the summit of the table.

Ahead of the visit of West Ham, Football FanCast have decided to open the historical files and reacquaint ourselves with some of the best Reds strikes scored against the Irons in recent years.

There’s no denying Slaven Bilic will be hopeful yet another wonder goal doesn’t occur this weekend as he is desperate for three points – or even just not to be humiliated once again this season.

Everyone is all too aware of the Reds attacking prowess and their ability to accumulate huge winning margins, but can they add another stunning strike to this collection on Sunday?

Here are five of the best goals Liverpool have scored against the Hammers in recent years.

Robbie Fowler – 1997

What a goal by ‘God’. Robbie Fowler scored his 86th Liverpool goal during the club’s victory over West Ham in September 1997.

Seven minutes after half-time, the Reds were struggling to impose themselves on Harry Redknapp’s Hammers side. Fowler took matters into his hands and scored a beautiful volley that’s still fondly remembered on Merseyside.

Goals like this highlight exactly why Fowler remains a legend amongst Liverpool fans.

Steven Gerrard – 2006

With F.A. Cup glory seemingly slipping away from Liverpool in 2006, Steven Gerrard still had more to say regarding the outcome of the final against West Ham.

At this stage of the match, seconds were remaining on the clock as the Reds bombarded the Hammers backline. A headed clearance fell straight into the path of Gerrard, who hammered a half-volley in from thirty yards.

Liverpool won the contest on penalties and Gerrard’s goal has gone down in FA Cup folklore.

Dirk Kuyt – 2007

Dutch forward Kuyt emerged as somewhat of a cult hero during his time at Anfield as his devotion to the cause became a fundamental factor of the Reds’ success during the late 2000s.

Goals like this one scored at Upton Park in January 2007 further highlighted the Dutchman’s ability, with solid technique and a low driving shot.

Daniel Sturridge – 2015

If ever there was a goal to sum up the ability of Daniel Sturridge perfectly then it’s this one. During Liverpool’s home clash with West Ham in January 2015, Sturridge returned from injury in devastating fashion.

The touch to take the ball away from the Hammers backline was exquisite, but the finish to fire past Adrian was even more impressive. A typical Sturridge goal.

Philippe Coutinho – 2016

Coutinho’s Brazilian flair was expertly witnessed during their F.A. Cup fourth round clash at Upton Park in February. After going a goal behind thanks to Michail Antonio, Coutinho took proceedings into his own hands and fired the Reds back into the contest.

A twenty-yard free-kick saw Coutinho cleverly shoot underneath the jumping West Ham wall to provide Liverpool with an equaliser. The Reds lost the match, but the goal was truly superb.

Despite Jose Mourinho having found what looks to be an ideal midfield triumvirate in Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick and Paul Pogba, Foot Mercato have waded into the debate by claiming that Marseille’s Lassana Diarra is a target for Manchester United.

What’s the story?

Well, as per the Foot Mercato article and tweet (above) from the writer of the piece, Khaled Karouri, Man United are keen on veteran ex-Arsenal, Chelsea, Portsmouth and Real Madrid midfielder Diarra. The Frenchman, who has had a journeyman career that’s seen him play his football in England, Spain, Russia and his homeland, enjoyed a renaissance last season after controversially leaving Lokomotiv Moscow and even forced his way back into the Les Bleus set-up before a knee injury ended his hopes of featuring at EURO 2016.

Despite his impressive 2015/16, Diarra has been a bit-part player of late at Marseille – he’s not played a full 90 minutes since early November and has been stripped of the L’OM captaincy in favour of loanee Bafetimbi Gomis – somewhat plunging his future into doubt and alerting Man United. Foot Mercato claim that, along with teams in China, the Red Devils want the 31-year-old midfielder, whom Mourinho coached during their time together at Real Madrid.

The article, and Karouri’s tweet, suggest that Morgan Schneiderlin could head the other way, which would make sense given that the former Southampton star has not started a Premier League match under his Portuguese boss. However, any deal may hinge on the French side paying a significant fee and involving Diarra in a swap transfer, with the Manchester giants having already rejected a bid of £19m from Everton for him. Also, the one-time Pompey FA Cup winner is battling with a fine in excess of £8m for his breach of contract with Lokomotiv, so money may talk in terms of his next transfer.

Experience over youth

Mourinho is often panned for looking to proven stars rather than youth, and a move for Diarra would be another example of this. Giving up on Schneiderlin, 27, and replacing him with a player who is now the wrong side of 30 makes little sense in the medium to long-term, but it’s hard to argue against the Special One’s record at some of the biggest clubs on the planet – Real, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Porto.

Looking back at his return-per-game (via Squawka) from last season, Diarra ranks well among Man United’s current defensively-minded midfield options. There are the obvious caveats of this being last term’s numbers and Ligue 1 being of a lower standard than the Premier League, but 2.6 tackles-a-match is impressive, as was his interceptions score and passing accuracy. Diarra even created more chances than Schneiderlin, Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

In theory, he could be a good option to rotate in and out of the midfield with Carrick, who, at 35, will be unable to play week in, week out over the remainder of the campaign as the Red Devils battle for the EFL Cup, the Europa League, the FA Cup and a top-four finish, while his experience may be useful in crunch matches.

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Fantasy Premier League have announced the winners of the FPL half-time awards (up to GW19) and to be honest, there aren’t many surprises.

In five awards categories, players were handed trophies to reward their contributions for their respective Premier League clubs, and of course the FPL teams across the globe that have counted on them to consistently return high points with every passing game week.

The categories were: Highest FPL points scorer, Fan’s Favourite, Best U21 player, Most saves by a goalkeeper and Biggest price increase.

The highest FPL points scorer so far is obviously Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, who has been superb for the Gunners this season. The Chile totalled an impressive 136 FPL points between the opening day of the season and GW19.

The Fans’ Favourite is, of course, Manchester United showman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has settled nicely in the Premier League since his free transfer from PSG in the summer. His early season form led to 41.2% of FPL players selecting him for their teams, regardless of his high price tag.

Dele Alli’s incredible performances for Spurs earned him the Best U21 Player award after racking up 100 points, while Diego Costa’s goal scoring from for Chelsea nabbed him Biggest Price Increase award, as his price rose a staggering £1.2m up to GW19.

All of the award winners are below…

Highest FPL points scorer – Alexis Sanchez (ARS) – 136

Fan’s Favourite – Zlatan Ibrahimovic (MUFC) – 41.2%

Best U21 player – Dele Alli (TOT) – 100

Most saves by a goalkeeper – Tom Heaton (BUR) – 82

Biggest price increase – Diego Costa (CHE) – £1.2m

We’re now well in to the second half of the season, so who’s going to clean up at the end of the season?

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Manchester United do not want Ashley Young to leave the club before the end of the transfer window next week, according to the Manchester Evening.

What’s the story?

Earlier this week the Daily Mail reported that the former England international had asked manager Jose Mourinho if he could leave the club on loan.

The winger has struggled for game time at Old Trafford this season, making just nine appearances in all competitions.

Only two of his outings have been Premier League starts, which reportedly prompted him to consider moving elsewhere for more first-team minutes.

However, the Manchester Evening News states that Mourinho wants Young in his squad following the departure of Memphis Depay, who recently joined Lyon for £16m.

Young is the only specialist left winger in Mourinho’s squad and he is not prepared to lose him midway through the season.

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Will staying now boost his long-term chances?

In all honesty it is difficult to see the 31-year-old become a regular starter while Mourinho is at the helm.

Having said that, Antonio Valencia has been able to revive his career under the Portuguese coach.

In Young’s case, he may feel that he has been denied an opportunity for first-team football, with Everton, Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion and Watford all thought to be interested in signing him.

A lucrative switch to the Chinese Super League was also touted as an option, but it looks as though Young will remain at Old Trafford for the rest of the season.

The winger is likely to revisit the idea of leaving in the summer if he fails to get more minutes under his belt in the next few months.

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