Returning to: the Premier League
Lionel Messi and Argentina’s victory in Qatar closed the curtains on an unforgettable tournament. The Premier League returns on the 26th of December.
So what’s in store?
You’d be forgiven to think that the 2022/23 season was already finished, at least I definitely did. The World Cup started just over a month ago, but somehow it feels as though entire months have come and gone.
It is perhaps just a reflection of how much the World Cup left us to think about — both on and off the pitch.
Alexis Mac Allister, who is now a World Champion with Argentina, could potentially return to league action facing off against Southampton on boxing day.
There’s a lot more in store, so let’s unpack and rewind the tape to see where we left the Premier League, starting from the top -
Arsenal’s title challenge
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners are still five points clear of Manchester City in the league standings — their push for the title will suffer because of the loss of Gabriel Jesus to injury. The Brazil striker had a knee injury during the tournament and is most likely out for the rest of the season.
Reinforcements will be necessary if Arsenal are to maintain the trajectory they are on at the moment. Mykhailo Mudryk seems to be a major target during the window, the Ukranian has been public about his admiration for the club and their style of play.
Arsenal return on boxing day to face West Ham United. The visitors are on a poor run of form and are perilously close to the relegation zone.
No Ronny? no problem
That seems to be the message Erik ten Hag is projecting after Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent exit from Manchester United.
ten Hag said: “He’s gone, it’s the past.
We are now looking forward and we’re looking to the future.”
Quite how bright that future is remains to be seen, but given his recent displays for Portugal, it certainly seems that Ronaldo’s exit was the best thing for all parties involved.
Replacing Ronaldo with a brand new striker is a priority for ten Hag and Man Utd, but how practical that is to achieve in January is unclear.
Cody Gakpo has dominated all the paper talk of late and the young Dutch forward himself admitted that he thought about a move to United last summer and the signs are that he would be keen on a switch to Old Trafford if the club comes knocking on PSV’s doorstep again.
Despite a strong showing for the Netherlands at the World Cup, it would make a lot more sense for United to pursue Memphis Depay instead, I’ll let the Athletic’s Carl Anka takeover for you here.
United are fifth in the league standings and return to action against Nottingham Forest on the 27th.
Wolves look to Lopetegui
Former Sevilla boss Julen Lopetegui took the reins at the Molineux just ahead of the start of the World Cup and has a difficult job on his hands to lead Wolves to survival.
Strangely enough, they sit at the bottom of the league table with just 10 points from 15 matches. A wretched return of results and an even more disastrous record in front of goal — just eight goals scored- has all added to the cauldron of their season so far.
Jorge Mendes clients will hope the phone will be buzzing for them to join Lopetegui’s side this January, reinforcements will be crucial in attack especially with striker Raul Jimenez’s departure a case of when rather than if at this point.
Cherries get Foley boost
Gary O’Neil’s first foray into senior management has received a boost in the form of Bill Foley, a self-proclaimed dictator and US based businessman who also owns NHL franchise Vegas Golden Knights.
Bournemouth are currently sitting 14th in the table and are in a good place, for the time being at least. It is a squad in need of investment and Foley will look to aid O’Neil’s search for the right players to secure Premier League status for another season.
That’s not all, Foley and his consortium are also believed to be interested in buying a stake in Ligue 1 outfit Lorient FC and are also interested in clubs in Belgium and South America too.
Clearly the multi-club is something that more and more clubs are looking to establish, with Brighton and Hove Albion a clear example of the model working well.
A majority of the Cherries squad is still made up of Championship-level players and quality signings from around the top five European leagues may just be necessary for Foley’s pursuit of Premier League survival fruitful.
Jones for Ralph
In case you forgot, Southampton replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl with Luton Town manager Nathan Jones.
Stylistically a very different manager from Hasenhuttl, Jones’ appointment is a bold one from the Saints hierarchy given their precarious status in the league.
Southampton currently sit second from bottom in 19th place and will face Brighton and Hove Albion when the league resumes on boxing day.
To give you some stylistic pointers about Jones’ style and philosophy, which he says will ‘take time’, here’s a few statsy facts —
Luton Town have averaged the fewest 10+ Open-Play passing sequences in the Championship this season.
They also have the fewest passes per sequence — 2.07
They also averaged the fastest sequence time — 5.27 seconds.
All numbers thanks to the Analyst by Opta.
This tells us one thing for sure, Jones’ side will not be one that look to have the ball, they’d much rather burn teams without it.
Saints fans will hope things click into gear soon otherwise their time in the top-flight could soon be done.
European adventures hammering West Ham
West Ham United have had a mixed campaign so far. David Moyes and his players have enjoyed great success on the European front in the UEFA Europa Conference League, however, league form has suffered as a result.
They are currently sat 16th in the league standings with 14 points, a disappointing return of points for a team that has qualified for UEFA competitions in back to back seasons.
Three back to back home defeats before the start of the year have left Moyes’ position in question but a perfect in their maiden Conference League campaign has provided some much needed positive distraction away from domestic troubles.
The Hammers face Arsenal on boxing day but have three winnable fixtures after that which could be useful in building momentum for the second half of the season.
Well hopefully now you feel somewhat caught up and ready for the return of the Premier League and the storylines that come along with it. Playing in the World Cup will have its own physical and mental impact on the returning players and it will certainly be interesting to see how things play out. Hope you enjoyed this read!
