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Premier League HOT or NOT
What’s sexy - and what isn’t - in football this week…
HOT
Giannelli Imbula
The “new Patrick Vieira” is the most popular reboot in Premier League history, with every lanky defensive midfielder with vaguely French-speaking African roots being lumbered with the tag from Abou Diaby to Salif Diao. So it’s no surprise that Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri couldn’t wait to bestow the same description on his Belgian (tick), ethnically Congolese (tick), lanky defensive midfield (tick tick) team-mate Imbula. But the Swiss winger is clearly talking nonsense, because we never saw the old Patrick Vieira instinctively slam home a spectacular, left-footed, 25-yard volley like the one Imbula scored against Bournemouth on Saturday. Impressive.
Sam Allardyce
Direct football, set piece supremacy, respecting the point, exotic impact signings. Big Sam has chucked all his favourite ingredients into his survival cauldron and finally the broth is becoming infused with his distinctive, salty flavour. Goals from two of the players Allardyce bought in January, courtesy of a free-kick and a corner, secured Sunderland’s victory against Man Utd. And while the Black Cats remain odds-on to be relegated, they look better equipped to beat the drop than at any point this season. Even Jack Rodwell and Fabio Borini were seen guzzling from Big Sam’s cauldron at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. His magic is truly kicking in.
North London
It’s 12 years since Arsenal won the league title; 55 since Spurs did it. But Sunday’s pivotal top-four battles left the impression that one of those lean spells will end in glory three months from now. The Gunners have come through a sticky spell intact, and with an almost fully-fit squad, while Spurs have gradually blossomed into the league’s most accomplished team. Leicester may maintain a slender advantage at the top, but the two London rivals are now the bookies’ championship favourites. Lasagnagate and all the other recent top-four squabbles between the sides suddenly look like small potatoes compared to the meeting at White Hart Lane on 5 March.
NOT
Salomon Rondon
Not since Jonas Olsson was a floppy-haired young lad kicking a ball around the playgrounds of Landskrona, Sweden would he have been the victim of such a blatant display of goalsnatching than he was in West Brom’s 1-0 win against Everton. As the defender’s majestic header looped into the net, his team-mate Rondon managed to flick a shoelace at it just as it crossed the line, before running off shamelessly claiming the goal for himself. With just five goals since his £12m summer move to the Baggies, it’s no wonder the Venezuelan striker was desperate to add to his tally. But goals are even rarer for Olsson, who has taken five years to score that many. Rondon best watch his back this week, because Olsson would be well within his rights to give him some beats after training.
Vincent Kompany
Manchester City’s defensive panacea did bring solidity to Manuel Pelegrini’s back four for about 90 per cent of his comeback match against Tottenham, and he could hardly be blamed for Raheem Sterling being accused of handling the ball with his ribcage to concede a penalty, but Kompany’s role in Spurs’ second goal was unfortunate. Stuck in no-man’s land as Erik Lamela slid in a through ball, Kompany stayed far too deep and played Christian Eriksen onside, allowing the Dane to slot home Spurs’ momentous winner. Even then he didn’t look as silly as Nicolas Otamendi, who was outrageously nutmegged by Lamela’s pass.
Aston Villa
Singling out a player from the Villans’ 6-0 humiliation at the hands of Liverpool would be unfair - not on the player chosen but because it would let the 10 others off the hook. But as abject as Remi Garde’s side were at Villa Park, they don’t half have some rotten luck too. For instance, why is Daniel Sturridge only ever fit to start games against Villa? And why does poor Joleon Lescott’s phone randomly tweet photos of cars at inappropriate times? The only consolation for Villa fans was that Christian Benteke wasn’t able to end his goal drought at Villa Park. They were bad, but not that bad.
