Don Robbie

By Andy Baber Christmas is just around the corner and the Premier League could not be better poised, with the battle at the top and the bottom of the standings the very definition of tight. This weekend kicks off a stacked schedule of fixtures which will see all 20 teams play three games over the next week, providing an opportunity for some serious jostling for places. Here’s the key talking points to look out for this weekend. Can Watford get back to winning ways? The drama starts on Friday night at the Brentford Community Stadium where Watford will look to snap a run of three consecutive defeats and ease their relegation fears. Claudio Ranieri’s side have faced a tough run of games since stunning Manchester United last month, losing to Leicester City, Chelsea and Manchester City in their last three. They currently sit 17th, three points clear of the drop zone, while Brentford head into the contest four places higher than their visitors having drawn with Leeds United last time out. Th...

By Oli Dickson Jefford Another dramatic weekend of Premier League action is drawing to a close with Arsenal taking on Everton tonight. And though that match will have plenty of implications on how the table looks heading into next weekend, there is still plenty to talk about from Saturday and Sunday’s action. Chelsea slip up as Man City take league lead The title race is continuing to build up nicely and Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool are still leading the away by a comfortable margin - though they’ve swapped positions after the weekend. Chelsea, who were top of the table, needed a win after only taking a point from their previous match against Man City, though fell to a 3-2 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium. Arthur Masuaku’s cross-cum-shot in the 87th minute proved to be decisive for David Moyes’ men, who have now beaten all of the traditional ‘Top Six' in 2021. Most frustratingly for Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel will be individual errors from the likes of keeper Edouard Men...

  By Charlie Bennett The   Premier   League   campaign is almost a third of the way through and with Christmas now less than a month away, we are heading for a crucial period at both the top and bottom. Round 13 sees Manchester United head to Chelsea on Sunday in the game of the week, while there are plenty storylines up and down the   league .  So, with that in mind, let’s check out the talking points.  Howe has no time to lose  Eddie Howe has barely had time to sip a Brown Ale but he’s already under pressure to deliver results at Newcastle.  Norwich’s upturn in form has left the Magpies bottom of the table and they are now five points adrift of safety.   January, it seems, can’t come soon enough, when Howe will have access to the bottomless pit of cash Newcastle now have at their disposal. But there are seven games between now and then and if they fall much further behind in their battle to stay up, some of their leading targets may be...

What is England's best starting XI right now? By Jonny Bray What is there left to say?  England are class. A common criticism of the qualifying for World Cups and European Championships is that the quality of some opponents is so poor that it's hard to send fans of the Three Lions home happy. But a 10-0 win against San Marino shows that England aren't just better than these teams now. A 10-0 win shows they're now able to put these sides to bed without their dinner. It was like watching a slow-motion car crash as England showed the best of what they can offer right now, while also providing a glimpse of the future. But what is the strongest side available to Gareth Southgate, as things stand? Goalkeeper   Despite an increase in competition, goalkeeper is still probably England's weakest position. There  are four or five options to fill the spot, each as slightly above average as the next. The first choice as things stand must be Jordan Pickford, whose for...