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With the appointment of Maurizio Sarri last summer, Chelsea tacitly accepted that they had fallen behind the rest of the Premier League’s top clubs philosophically.

Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham have all created identities, playing styles and approaches in which winning silverware is just the byproduct; the sheer entertainment, enjoyment and optimism they create, in the immediate term at least, is the most fundamental benefit, and an important one during an era where six major clubs can conceivably win any three of the domestic trophies on offer.

Compare that to Antonio Conte, who brought two trophies in two years to Stamford Bridge but left everybody miserable, partly through despondent demeanour and partly through an increasingly mind-numbing penchant for tactical pragmatism.

Even Chelsea’s 6-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday paid homage to that; while it was the Blues’ biggest loss in 28 years, Chelsea at least attacked in patches at the Etihad Stadium and approached the game with earnest intentions. When Conte took Chelsea there last season, they lost 2-0 without creating anything that could be considered a meaningful attack and until the last few minutes failed to even venture outside of their own half.

Whether Roman Abramovich prefers to see his team go down swinging or limit damage with whatever qualifies as the footballing equivalent of a clinch is a decision the Chelsea owner will have to make, one that will determine whether his sudden interest in a more ambitious brand of football is genuine or merely a brief flirtation.

But regardless, the fundamental problem with Sarri isn’t the style of football he offers Chelsea, but the tactical stubbornness accompanying it. That’s where Chelsea fall short of Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham, the clubs Sarri’s appointment was an attempt to emulate.

It shouldn’t be forgotten this is Sarri’s first season, one in which he has continuously warned that Chelsea aren’t in shape to truly compete for the title, and it shouldn’t be forgotten that Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino all struggled during their opening campaigns as they introduced significant changes to style of play. In fact, they finished up third, eighth and fifth respectively, barely improving if not worsening the efforts of their predecessors.

But those three managers, even during their inaugural seasons, were open to experimentation. Perhaps not in style, but certainly in personnel, shape and structure. That has only been more the case since Conte’s introduction of 3-4-3 filtered out through the rest of the Premier League; even if just for a handful of games per season, it made every club recognise the need for a Plan B, a second setup whether that be to simply facilitate opponents with three-man defences or find a different manner of beating sides that came their way.

This season alone – according to Whoscored – Manchester City and Liverpool have used four different formations in the Premier League, Tottenham and Arsenal have used seven and Manchester United have used nine. Four of those five, Liverpool the exception, have switched between a back four and a back three at least once as well.

Chelsea though, have been set up in a 4-3-3 system, one anchoring midfielder behind two box-to-box players, for every minute of every game so far this season – all 26 of them. The only slight differentials have come in personnel; Olivier Giroud is more direct than Gonzalo Higuain and Eden Hazard, Ross Barkley is more swashbuckling than Mateo Kovacic, and Willian looks to score goals in different ways to Pedro.

Fundamentally though, Chelsea have been playing exactly the same way for the entire season, even if it means sticking square pegs in round holes. N’Golo Kante has probably been the most discussed example of that, but it applies to Hazard and Ruben Loftus-Cheek as well. Sarri preferred to play Hazard out of position as a centre-forward than designing mechanics to get the best out of him in the absence of a reliable striker, while Loftus-Cheek – unquestionably a central player – has spent most of this season making cameo appearances on the wing.

At times it has bordered upon baffling, and Sunday’s defeat felt like a poignant moment. After going a goal down to Raheem Sterling within the first five minutes, would there have been anything wrong with moving Kante alongside Jorginho for the next quarter of an hour to provide a stronger base in midfield? Could Ross Barkley not have pushed up and sat on Fernandinho, in the same way so many teams have done with great effect to Chelsea’s own anchorman this season? Could Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta not have tucked in to create a fully flat back four, rather than stretching themselves so thin?

This is after all, the home of the reigning Premier League champions, and while Sarri seemed genuinely perplexed when quizzed on how Chelsea have conspired to lose their last three away games, the explanation is markedly simple: unless you’re the best team in the league by a country mile – which Chelsea currently aren’t – you can’t expect to use the same game-plan indiscriminate of opponent, venue or other circumstance and expect to continuously win games.

Jamie Carragher compared Chelsea to Arsenal after Sunday’s loss in reference to their sudden lack of spine and strength. But the greater similarity, assuming Carragher was comparing to Arsene Wenger’s Gunners, lays in Chelsea’s painful predictability. Wenger’s Arsenal increasingly paid the price for never venturing far away from 4-2-3-1, for always leaving themselves too exposed at the back and for holding onto possession to the point where it became genuinely pointless, and within just six months at Stamford Bridge it’s already become patently obvious how Sarri will set up his side for any game.

Amid an era in which the overall managerial quality in English football is the highest, most complex and sophisticated its ever been, being easy to predict is predictably perilous. Sarri is a talented manager with fantastic ideas, but if he isn’t prepared to bend those ideas around the necessities of reality, Chelsea will always be stuck behind the calibre of club they’re trying to compete with.

Leeds have performed superbly in defence this season but a lapse of concentration in the closing stages against Cardiff signalled a lack of composure amongst the backline.

That was partly due to Marcelo Bielsa bringing on youngster Pascal Struijk in place of Gaetano Berardi, which meant there was suddenly inexperience and a lack of leadership in the heart of the defence.

It is that latter attribute which is particularly important, and will be significant in handling a Fulham side which has scored 33 goals in 22 league games.

That’s what makes the possible return of Liam Cooper so crucial.

The defender revealed he is fit, hoping to get back into the team after missing the previous three matches, and is taking part in training prior to Saturday’s match

Several supporters are understandably pleased and relieved with the news, as you can see below…

Cooper’s return is exactly the lift Leeds need after Saturday’s huge disappointment that saw them squander a three-goal lead, and though the Cottagers present a difficult challenge, the 28-year-old coming back into the team will act as a confidence boost which should help the defence return to its familiar strength.

It is little surprise that the Whites have lost just two out of the 15 games the skipper has played in, with just seven goals conceded in the process – and the last of those defeats came almost three months ago.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

While some fans also acknowledge the efforts of Berardi, who hasn’t done much wrong of late, there is an understanding that Cooper’s return to play alongside Ben White means Leeds should be back at their best.

Meanwhile, Danny Mills has been discussing the future of Marcelo Bielsa, and revealed some worries which will likely concern Leeds fans too.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

When speaking to SER Catalunya (via Sport) just recently, Pedro expressed his wish to go back to Barcelona one day, and it does sound like a tempting prospect for the Catalans.

What did he say, then?

Of course, Pedro and Barcelona share a long and rich history.

The now 32-year-old winger has practically spent his whole career in the Catalan capital and he rose through their ranks during his youth, only to depart for Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2015.

While he was one of the Blaugrana, however, he scored 99 goals and assisted a total of 62 in 321 games. By all means, that’s a pretty impressive return for a man who obviously doesn’t hide his love for the club.

When speaking to SER Catalunya, Pedro admitted he still hopes for a return in the future.

Here’s what he said, as quoted by Sport:

“It’s an option that’s always there and that I hope it could happen. Everyone knows what I feel for the club and it’s evident that it’s a possibility to go back.

“I’ve always said it. It’s a club I have special love for because I support them. I’ve had so many experiences there and was there so many years, I feel loved by the fans.

“I don’t know if it’s in the hands of the president, the coach or whoever. I think for them my return is difficult but it’s clearly a possibility.”

An intriguing prospect

With the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Carles Perez already in the team, it seems unlikely that Barcelona would ever go for a 32-year-old.

But with the former constantly struggling with injuries and the latter only just breaking into the team, maybe the Spaniard could offer them exactly what they need.

His contract is due to expire next summer and that means Barca could snap him up at a bargain price or, in an ideal world, for free.

Not to mention that he is still very reliable and offers that incredible work-rate in the forward line that not many have. With only 592 minutes under his belt in the ongoing campaign, he has clearly fallen down the pecking order in Frank Lampard’s squad but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t offer something back at his former club.

Even though he scored 99 goals during his Barcelona tenure, that was not nearly what he was all about.

His winner’s mentality and willingness to do the dirty work while Lionel Messi and co. banged in the goals was what made him such a perfect fit for the Catalans.

As Xavi Hernandes, a Barcelona legend, said himself, he gave so much to that team, as quoted by UEFA:

“He gives us a lot because he opens up the pitch – he takes players on and looks for space. He harries, presses and infuses us with his energy. When Pedro plays, the opposition full-backs can’t get forward, and if they do, he runs 30m to track them. He never stops running – he never tires.”

He still hasn’t lost that footballing IQ and that part of his player profile is something the current Barcelona should still very much welcome in their team.

It does sound like a stretch to say they’ll go for him but maybe it wouldn’t really be such a bad idea at all.

This season has not been the best for Southampton.

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The Saints are currently languishing at the bottom of the Premier League table – they are currently in 18th position and in the relegation zone, albeit on goal difference – and are struggling to put together a run of games that could keep them in the top tier.

Watch Chelsea vs Southampton Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

Whilst their defensive record particularly catches the eye – they have conceded 36 times this term, which is more than any other side in the division – their attacking one is almost as bad. They have scored just 18 goals, with only three sides managing less.

Calling all Premier League experts: Who do these unique statistics belong to? Find out below….

Danny Ings has had to lead the attack almost on his own. His nine goals contribute to half of all of those in the league, whilst he has also managed one assist as well. Alongside him, he has had to put up with Che Adams and Shane Long and Michael Obafmei, all of whom have failed to score so far.

If only Hasenhuttl had a striker who could score at the highest level? Well, he actually did have one until Charlie Austin left for West Brom for £4m during the summer. Clearly he felt he could do without him, even though he had plundered 16 goals in 34 starts for the club in the top flight.

Since moving to The Hawthorns, he has hit the ground running. Although he has not always been a guaranteed starter, he has still managed seven strikes in the Championship, whilst he has also got himself one in the League Cup as well. Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised – the 30-year-old scored 18 in the Premier League during the 2014/15 season despite QPR getting relegated – but the former RB Leipzig boss probably is. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sold him.

Selling the England international was a mistake from Hasenhuttl, and he is now paying the price as his side struggles for goals. With the transfer window just around the corner, he has the chance to rectify it and sign a new forward.

In other news, one change of position could rejuvenate this Southampton midfielder.

Leeds United haven’t shown many weaknesses this season.

The Whites may not be in the best run of form at the moment, but they’re still top of the Championship with the joint-best defensive record in the division, despite conceding four goals against Birmingham on Sunday.

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Of course, playing against a team with such a strong defence leads to the opposition trying to figure out different ways of getting the ball in the net, and a number of sides this season have attempted to use set-pieces as their route towards goal.

Birmingham were the latest team to attempt this method, and while they scored four goals on Sunday, just one came from a corner, and that was down to a Kiko Casilla mistake more than anything else.

To be fair, you can’t blame teams for thinking that corners would be lucrative against Leeds. The Whites’ backline is unusually small with Ben White, Luke Ayling and Liam Cooper all standing below 6 ft 1, and there isn’t much height throughout the squad beyond that either.

However, the stats show that Leeds have only conceded eight set-piece goals this term which has them pretty much slap bang in the middle of that particular league table.

While that may be seen as a weakness for a team with such a solid defensive record, the fact of the matter is that conceding corners can actually be a positive for the Yorkshire club.

So many times this term we’ve seen the Whites regain possession from a dead-ball and break quickly to create a goalscoring chance. On Sunday, Leeds’ opening goal came from that exact scenario, and they were unlucky to not get another after Stuart Dallas broke and presented the ball to Eddie Nketiah following a Blues corner.

A true test for any Leeds fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

Leeds have recently scored from breaks from set-pieces against Cardiff and Birmingham, and while not all of them have been from corners Leeds have scored plenty of other counter-attack goals this season.

Teams looking for corners against Leeds seems to be playing right into Marcelo Bielsa’s hands as his side are so effective on the break.

In other news, Phil Hay has named three positions that Leeds are looking to strengthen in January.

Sunderland have looked to operate quickly in the transfer market and the unveiling of Kyle Lafferty as their latest signing has been warmly greeted by fans.

The club confirmed the signing on Friday with the 32-year-old signing a deal until the end of the season, and such a small time frame should motivate the striker to play to his best in order to earn a renewal and perhaps the chance to play in the Championship. Initially, he will be with the Black Cats until the summer.

Watch Sunderland Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Lafferty was a popular figure in Scotland during spells at Rangers and Hearts – as evidenced by the well wishes sent to him – and it could be a similar story at the Stadium of Light, with some supporters already growing fond of him and pleased that he has arrived, while others are looking forward to seeing him in action soon.

Some fans looked towards the future with a sense of optimism, hoping he either scores a hat-trick in their next outing or even finds the back of the net with a winning goal.

If he can provide what is expected of him and score goals to lift the Black Cats higher up the league then he may become the first-choice striker and maybe even a fan favourite.

League One will be a new experience for him but he has spoken of his happiness at signing for the club so it could be a good fit if the team plays to his strengths.

Can you remember how much each of these transfer icons cost? Only experts will get 100% on our quiz…

Some fans are just satisfied that his arrival should see Will Grigg slip down the pecking order, and they feel that the Northern Ireland international can do no worse than his compatriot who has just one goal all term in the league.

Elsewhere, fans have also been discussing another Sunderland player after he achieved a big milestone recently.

West Ham United have signed Darren Randolph from Middlesbrough for an undisclosed fee, as reported by the club’s official channels.

The 32-year-old signed on a three-and-a-half-year deal on his return to the Hammers, making the step up from the Championship.

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He is likely to come in as a backup option for Lukasz Fabianski when the Poland international is available.

There are plenty of West Ham fans who are underwhelmed by the acquisition of the Republic of Ireland international.

This stance was indicated by one fan sarcastically saying “next level stuff”, while another has referred to the move as “pathetic”.

Having somebody come in who made 28 league appearances across two seasons as a goalkeeper is not exactly the most exciting move.

There are also concerns around his injury record, as he has already missed 13 league matches this season, with one fan putting “#incompetentboard” at the end of their tweet showing disgruntlement.

This stance comes with Lukasz Fabianski and David Martin both having suffered from injuries of their own this campaign.

It’s the dawn of a new decade in the Premier League, but how much do you know about the last 10 years?

When looking at the deal, one of the fans insisted that you “can’t get more West Ham than that”.

Meanwhile, West Ham would be wasting their time with a move for a Serie A midfielder.

Rangers return to action this evening following a winter break in Dubai.

It’s been nearly three weeks since the Gers were last in action against Celtic prior to the turn of the year, and fans will be excited to see their side back in action when they take on Stranraer at Ibrox this evening.

Ahead of the game, Steven Gerrard appeared in front of the media alongside summer recruit George Edmundson.

A reporter noted Edmundson’s presence and asked the manager if there was anything to read into that, which Gerrard candidly replied to by stating “he’s starting against Stranraer”.

The central defender has only played in 104 SPFL minutes since he moved to the club from Oldham in July, but it appears the fans have been impressed by the rare glimpses they’ve caught.

Indeed, Edmundson commanded plenty of effusive praise from fans on Twitter after hearing he will start this evening.

These fans, meanwhile, simply offered general encouragement to the man they call “the fridge”.

Let’s hope he moves with a little more mobility than a fridge this evening…

Finally some other fans expressed their high hopes for his future at the club.

The 22-year-old has been a bit-part player at best – turning out in just 464 minutes across all competitions so far this season – but he’s done enough during his time on the pitch to convince two supporters that he’s destined for a bright future.

In other news, these fans were furious with pundit’s valuation of a key Rangers player…

Hugo Lloris says Tottenham Hotspur will not give up on potentially qualifying for the Champions League, per The Independent.

What’s he said?

Lloris made a surprise return from injury on Wednesday night, starting between the sticks as Spurs won 2-1 against Daniel Farke’s men.

Goals from Dele Alli and Son Heung-Min proved decisive as Spurs cut the gap to Chelsea, in fourth place, to six points.

Spurs still have to play the Blues before the season is out and Lloris is confident that he and his team-mates have their destiny in their own hands.

A true test for any Spurs fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

He said: “We know it’s not the best season of the last five years but we need to stick together, carry on and get the maximum points as possible.

“We can see it’s not easy for the other challengers for the top four and today the situation is we’re six points behind Chelsea.

“We need to keep believing in ourselves and keep going until the end.

“We know there will be a lot of chances to get back but it’s up to us. We always talk about consistency in the Premier League and it will be the key to get a few wins in a row.

“At the moment it’s not the case but we try to build something, especially in terms of confidence, to get back in the right way.

“We are positive in the changing room and that’s the only thing that matters today.”

Must improve

Spurs were poor against Norwich.

They may have won but this was an ill-disciplined display from Jose Mourinho’s side.

They allowed Norwich, the team currently bottom of the Premier League table, to have 12 shots on goal, per WhoScored, and almost allowed them to snatch a point, conceding a penalty that Teemu Pukki converted.

With a tough run of games coming up – they face Manchester City in the league after an FA Cup meeting with Southampton at St Mary’s – Spurs can ill-afford to play as badly as they did on Wednesday.

Failure to improve will only result in the top four slipping further and further away.

Mourinho will be hoping that Lloris’ return coincides with an upturn in the club’s form.

Meanwhile, one image from Spurs’ win over Norwich must result in action in the transfer market! 

Everton fans have taken to Twitter to heap praise on Mason Holgate, following the thrilling 3-2 win over Watford on Saturday.

The 23-year-old was making his 16th start of the Premier League campaign at Vicarage Road, and proceeded to deliver an excellent display as Carlo Ancelotti’s side battled back from 2-0 down to win 3-2, thanks to Theo Walcott’s 90th minute winner.

While he didn’t get on the scoresheet or grab an assist, Holgate was terrific.

The Everton No.2 – lining up alongside two-goal Yerry Mina – recorded one tackle, two interceptions and four clearances, while also completing 59 passes. No player on the pitch made more passes than Holgate.

Additionally, the former Barnsley man had one shot on target, embarked on one dribble and also drew three fouls from the opposition – WhoScored handed him a 7.04 rating for his performance.

The win over Nigel Pearson’s men put Everton into ninth place on 33 points, before Sunday’s Premier League action kicked off.

Let’s see how the Everton fans on Twitter reacted to Holgate’s display…

To kick off the reaction, these two fans couldn’t hide their adoration for the man who spent time on loan at West Brom last season.

@MoistKean9 said “can we just take time to appreciate how good Mason Holgate actually is?”

Jenny then replied to that tweet, saying “I love him” and that no matter where the Englishman plays, he “fits in perfectly” – she also added that Holgate is “one of the first names on my teamsheet”.

Elsewhere, another two supporters were left starry-eyed over Holgate’s display.

‘BirkenheadBlue’ said that the defender “always seems to be a Man of the Match contender” whereas Chris added that Holgate “looks class now he has his mojo back” – this fan also said that the Doncaster-born player was “a victim of Allardyce’s management”.

Lastly, these two fans continued the adoration over the 6 foot man.

Brian said Holgate is “getting better by the game” and that he was Man of the Match against Watford.

For away day veterans only: Can you name all of these defunct stadiums?

Also, @DockMoore felt he should be given the captain’s armband by Ancelotti, calling Holgate Everton’s “best defender” and mentioning that he has “come on loads this season” – high praise indeed.

In other news, a journalist has talked up this “unlucky” Everton player following the win over Watford…