Jamie Vardy the Premier League's Top Goal Scorer but NO Recognition

Trawl through the Premier League’s leading scorers – or, to be more specific, a list of 25 players who have registered three goals or more this season – and there are only five Englishmen. Saido Berahino, Raheem Sterling and Nathan Redmond have scored four times, Callum Wilson, whose campaign has been cruelly wrecked by injury, has five to his name, and then there is the man who is not only flying the flag for his country but also leaving Sergio Agüero, Alexis Sánchez and the rest of the Premier League in his wake. Jamie Vardy, take a bow.

Vardy has plundered nine in as many appearances, three more than anyone else, and if the Leicester City striker gets another goal against Crystal Palace on Saturday, he will join a select band by becoming only the sixth player in the last 20 years – Ruud van Nistelrooy, Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Adebayor and Daniel Sturridge are the others – to score in seven successive Premier League fixtures.


Jamie Vardy praises impact of subs Riyad Mahrez and Nathan Dyer
Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has deflected the praise from his brace in the 2-2 draw at Southampton towards subs Riyad Mahrez and Nathan Dyer

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Whether Vardy is getting the praise and credit he deserves for blazing such a trail at the start of this campaign is another matter. Roy Hodgson thinks extremely highly of Vardy, with the England manager surprising many by calling him up at the end of last season and giving him four caps between now and then, but wider recognition seems harder to come by, so much so that Vardy could be forgiven for thinking how different it would be if one of the Premier League’s A-listers had scored at a similar rate at the start of this term.

It will certainly be interesting to see who picks up October’s Premier League player of the month award. September’s went to Anthony Martial, the French teenager who made a big impression for Manchester United after scoring on his debut against Liverpool before adding another two against Southampton. Interestingly, however, United’s supporters did not deem Martial worthy of winning the award at club level and instead voted for Juan Mata. Vardy, for the record, scored four in three fixtures across the same period, including two against Arsenal.

It is the nature of the media beast that the spotlight shines brightest on the biggest clubs and the sexiest names, whether that be Chelsea trying to emerge from a crisis, Sterling scoring the first hat-trick of his senior career or Jürgen Klopp enjoying a pint of Stella Artois, and it is perhaps also true that in an age when domestic football is a global product, a wiry former factory worker from Sheffield may not be everyone’s cup of tea on the other side of the world.


Those close to Vardy talk about “club snobbery” and wonder whether it counts against the striker that, as well as playing for an unfashionable Premier League team – albeit one that is thriving and where he is extremely happy – the 28-year-old goes under the radar because he is a product of the non-league football pyramid, rather than a teenage prodigy that spent 10,000 hours in an elite academy.

Others may not be falling over themselves to get excited about Vardy’s goalscoring exploits because of off-the-field matters, notably the incident in a casino when he made a racist remark to another gambler, whom he called a “Jap” during an argument. Vardy deeply regrets the whole episode and has publicly apologised for his behaviour, which breached the Football Association’s code of conduct for England players, and he has also met and said sorry to the person he abused.

Leicester and England stood by him and nobody can dispute the fact that Vardy has stayed true to his promise to let his feet do the talking from now on. Beyond the deluge of goals, which have arrived at an average of one every 89 minutes this season, Vardy has had more shots on target (30) than any other Premier League striker, created more chances (15) and made more tackles (13). Indeed Sánchez is the only player in the top flight to have touched the ball on more occasions (one more, to be exact) in the opposition box than Vardy.

An aggressive runner who never gives defenders any peace, Vardy is much more than a predator who comes to life in the penalty area, and Leicester have reaped the rewards of playing to his strengths. He is a constant menace and thrives in a team that presses high up the pitch, acting as Leicester’s first defender when they are without the ball and, by playing on the last man’s shoulder, the focal point of their attack once in possession.


His transformation from this season to last, when he came good towards the end but scored only once in his first 24 Premier League appearances, has been startling and there are several factors behind the turnaround. Chief among them is the fact that Vardy has flourished since being used as an out-and-out striker, rather than deployed out wide, which is where he often found himself in the first half of last season under and also the role that Hodgson had in mind when he started him wide on the left in the Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania last week.

Vardy had his moments on the flank last season, most memorably in what he describes as the game of his life, when he ran Manchester United ragged in that extraordinary 5-3 victory at the King Power Stadium 13 months ago, but he is not a winger and never will be. Playing him through the middle leaves the opposition much more exposed to his pace and allows Vardy to have a far greater influence on the game (it is, of course, one thing to command that role for Leicester and quite another with England).

As well as the positional shift, Leicester’s staff point to the way Vardy has worked on refining his finishing skills by recognising the importance of placement over power at times – his brilliant opening goal against Arsenal this season was a case in point – and in doing so acknowledge the part that Kevin Phillips, the club’s former first-team coach who has since moved onto Derby County, played in that process.

Last but by no means least is confidence, which Vardy admitted is “oozing” after his second-half brace at Southampton on Saturday salvaged a point. Vardy, clearly, is not going to keep scoring at the same rate – at least that is what Claudio Ranieri, Leicester’s manager, said before the Southampton game – and it is tempting to think that the real test for him will come when the goals dry up for a few matches and we see how a player who is enjoying only his second season of Premier League football responds.

Yet those who have closely followed Vardy on a remarkable journey that started with Stocksbridge Park Steels in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League will point – with some justification – to his position at the top of the Premier League goalscoring charts and his place in the England squad, and argue that he has long since answered all the questions that have been asked of him.

Griezmann to Manchester United

Manchester United fans have been sent into a transfer frenzy over Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann, and it’s all down to his brother.

On Thursday, 24-year-old Griezmann was linked with a surprise move to Old Trafford, following the news that Chelsea had swooped for former Barcelona forward Pedro when he looked nailed on to be joining United.

Louis van Gaal has made it no secret that he wants creativity and pace added to his attack, and the United manager was being mooted with a possible bid for the Atletico forward.

However, The Independent explained why this deal is highly unlikely to happen, and it appears that the France international’s brother, Theo, has joined in on the fun.

On Thursday night, Theo appeared to troll United fans with two tweets in relation to their club. The first read “Glory glory Man United As the reds go marching on on on!” while a similar second simply said “Glory glory man united”.

Premier League Predictions

Here are our premier league predictions for this year:

1. Manchester City
2. Chelsea
3. Manchester United
4. Arsenal
5. Liverpool
6. Tottenham
7. Swansea
8. Everton 
9. Southampton
10. Stoke
11. Crystal Palace
12. Leiciester
13. West Ham
14. West Bromwich
15. Newcastle
16. Watford
17. Norwich
18. Aston Villa
19. Bournemouth
20. Sunderland

Top 4

We believe that Manchester City will win the league in a tight race to the finish with Chelsea and only win because of the depth Manchester City has signed. This depth will come in handy when Champions League starts later in the year. Manchester United will finish about 6 points behind Chelsea and there will be a small gap between them and Arsenal.

Euro League
We believe that Liverpool, Tottenham and Swansea will qualify for the Euro League

Relegation
Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Sunderland will all have a sad ending to the season ending in relegation. Bournemouth and Sunderland will not go near survival, while Aston Villa will only just get relegated.

How Manchester City can win the League

One word sums up Manchester City's belief that they can regain the Premier League title: Goals.


Although Manuel Pellegrini's men finished last season as the division's top scorers, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Southampton were all able to boast superior defensive records. Many would presume that City's priority this summer should have been to strengthen a back four that shipped an amazing nine points against the three relegated (?) clubs alone. But City have once again decided to leave 'winning ugly' to Chelsea.


An initial payment of £44 million has secured the promising youngster Raheem Sterling, while even an even higher fee will be needed to bring in Wolfsburg's Kevin De Bruyne before the transfer window closes.


Throw players like that into an explosive mix that already includes Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri and Wilfried Bony and it is clear that Pellegrini has no plan of copying Jose Mourinho's pragmatic approach winning football matches.


Mourinho and Pellegrini: Two very different styles.


Even before John Terry lifted the Premier League trophy at Stamford Bridge in May, Pellegrini was telling anyone prepared to listen that it was a lack of goals that had cost his team the title. Eighty-three goals scored was not enough.


The previous season when City finished top, 10 points ahead of Chelsea, it was the 102 goals City scored - 31 more than the Londoners - that was the key statistic.


In fact, the old saying that strong defenses win leagues has something of a hollow ring to it in the modern attack-minded Premier League.


Since 1992, no fewer than 15 of the 23 champions have also finished top of the goal charts. Yet only 10 teams have bragged the best defense and finished first - and five of those clubs were also able to call on the most strong attack that same season.


Mourinho has bucked the trend. Each of the three times he has won the title for Chelsea, they have bragged the best defense. Only once have they scored the most goals - in 2006- when their total of 72 was matched by Manchester United. Mourinho depends on defensive solidarity to win his Premier League titles. It illustrates just where the Chelsea manager's priorities lie that he has supervised and controlled the best defensive record in every single one of his four full seasons in England.


Of course, striking the right balance is extremely important. Liverpool scored 101 goals in 2014 but conceded 50 and finished second.


That's why City have invested £8 million to add the energy and stubbornness of Fabien Delph to a midfield that some rival managers identified as being one-paced when it came to doing the dirty side of the game.


If - and at £70 million it's a big if - City can revive the move for Juventus' Paul Pogba, they would be buying a midfielder capable of leading and inspiring the team, especially during Yaya Toure's frequent dips in form. The Ivory Coast international may well be back to his best after a rare summer off and no African Cup of Nations in the New Year and, at his peak, there is no better midfield controller in the Premier League.


What is clear is that Pellegrini must find a cure for Vincent Kompany's prolonged period of sub-par performances.(?) Vincent Kompany appeared depressed after matches and needs to find his best form after a disapointing season last time around. He must hope, too, that Eliaquim Mangala's inconsistent first season was nothing more serious than a settling in period.


The fact that Joe Hart picked up his fourth consecutive Golden Gloves award last season suggests he is up there with the best goalkeepers in the division. But it will be by recruiting players with the ability to break down strong defensive teams and overcome the proverbial "parked bus" he often encouters, that Pellegrini will take Man City back to the summit of the English game. Too much was asked of Silva last season when Toure was missing and Samir Nasri was unable to step up, so the pace and direct running of Sterling will bring another dimension to City's attack.


Raheem Sterling: Will he get the goals that fire City to the title? Aguero showed what he is capable of when he stays fit, and much will depend on how the Argentine responds after a long summer that ended in disappointment at the Copa America.


With Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic gone, Bony will have to prove he was worth the £28 million pounds paid to Swansea last winter by replacing their contribution to the team, and especially the goals tally.


Although Pellegrini recently signed a contract extension until 2017, he will still go into the season with the long shadow of Pep Guardiola hanging over him. The Pep talk will only get louder if City don't mount a sustained title challenge.

Chicharito and other signings that can assist Tottenham to top four

Last season, Tottenham won the battle but lost the war against neighbours Arsenal. They got the better of their rivals twice in the derbies with a draw away and a home win, but in the end they lost out on a top four finish, and will be gracing the Europa League again for another season.

Having finished six points out of the top four last season,  Tottenham showed glimpses of how good they can be on their day. They famously beat the future champions Chelsea 5-2 after being behind by two, and beat Arsenal 2-1 at White Hart Line with one of their own Harry Kane scoring the winner. With the right signings, Tottenham can build on last season and battle in the Colosseum of football, the Champions League, instead of the overshadowed fight pit that is Europa League.

Up until Harry Kane burst on the scene, Tottenham's strikers were struggling to put the ball in the back of the net. The mediocre pair of Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldaldo failed to inspire the fans with any confidence. It was only from the end of 2014 that a Tottenham striker looked lethal in the form of Harry Kane. Kane carried Tottenham and made himself a household name in 2015, but he is only one man and has only had a good half season. Plenty of players have been one season wonders, so Tottenham need another striker that can pick up the goalscoring if Harry Kane is out of form or gets injured. In a world where proven available strikers are few and far between, as shown by Manchester United and Arsenal's hunt, Tottenham have been linked with Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez. He spent last season on loan at Real Madrid, and showed what he is capable of when he is given starts towards the end of the campaign with goals against Atletico Madrid and performances like that against Celta Vigo. He is just the striker Tottenham should sign as before his loan to Spain he was a proven Premier League goal scorer and he would suit spurs style. He is much different and more effective than Soldado and Adebayor as he makes the runs in behind the opposition that lead playmaker Christian Eriksen would love. He also stretches the defence so the wide players in Nasir Chadli and Erik Lamela could cut in and exploit pockets of space. He would be a great signing to Spurs and improve their chances of a top four finish.

A position which was arguably their weakest last season, Spurs need a centre defensive midfielder. They need someone who can screen the backfour with a great passing range, positioning and tackling. Two players that are similar but contrasted by age Tottenham should target are William Carvalho and Thiago Motta. Sporting Lisbon's William Carvalho has been linked with a move to Arsenal, but so have a lot of players. The twenty three year old star shined as an anchor in midfield for Portugal recently in the under 21 Euro's. This is the role that Tottenham need as he possesses all the skills required as he has the aforementioned passing range, positioning, and tackling. Carvalho is also Yaya Toure-esque in the way that he can make bulldozing runs from the midfield into the oppositions third.
Thiago Motta is the other name that Tottenham should take note of. Spurs have been linked with the want-away PSG star. Motta is currently thirty two but celebrates his thirty third birthday this month. Although in the twilight of his career, Motta is still one of the best holding midfielders in the world and would offer Tottenham's young midfield what Carvalho couldn't, experience. Motta is a champions league winner with Jose Mourinho's famous Inter side, and from there he moved to Paris Saint Germain and has picked up multiple domestic medals. Although not as mobile as Carvalho, Motta's positioning, intelligence and passing is better. The Italian wouldn't be a long term solution to Spurs midfield, but he would push their top four prospects for the upcoming season.

Tottenham currently have four wingers in Andros Townsend, Nasir Chadli, Erik Lamela and Aaron Lennon. The latter though has one foot out the door as it appears he has no future with the club. The other three though have struggled for consistency in the Premier League. Townsend arrived on the scene when Tim Sherwood was in charge. He appeared to be a breath of fresh air but defenders soon realised his reliability on cutting in on his left and shooting from range. Chadli started last season scoring goals at important times for Tottenham, but wasn't consistent later on in the season. Lamela has arguably been the worst of the three having struggled to adapt to the Premier League since his big money move in 2013. What Tottenham need is a consistent winger. Tottenham are linked with Crystal Palace's Yannick Bolasie. Bolasie is a winger with a lot of flair, but Palace have reportedly slapped a 25 million pound price tag on him. Bolasie would be a good option as he was one of the Premier Legaue's best wingers last season, his best moment when he terrorised Liverpool in Palace's dominant 3-1 victory last season. He is known for his silky dribbling and skills, but Tottenham should only consider him for a maximum of 10 million pounds as playing for a team like Palace with the objective of avoiding relegation is different to playing with Tottenham targeting Champions League football.

Other wingers Tottenham should consider signing are Bayer Leverkusen's Karim Bellarabi. Bellarabi is a tricky player who possesses a fair amount of pace on the right hand side of midfield. He had a strong campaign for Leverkusen and has the ability to cut inside or run down the line. He started Germany's last Euro Qualifier in their dominant win over Gibraltar and managed to get on the scoresheet. This performance showed that he can take his game to another level by playing with the international side.

So far Spurs have mainly focused on improving their defence in the transfer window with their signings of Toby Alderweireld, Kieran Trippier and Kevin Wimmer, as well as Clinton N'jie. Alderweireld is the by far the best signing after having a great season for Southampton, but for Tottenham to challenge for top four, they need a conistent striker, holding midfielder and winger, and the players mentioned are just who they need.

What is wrong with Chelsea

Two matches in and the champions are wheezing. This has already been Chelsea’s worst start since 1998, well before Roman Abramovich’s purchase of the club. The defeat at Manchester City on Sunday left them five points adrift of last season’s runners-up in the fledgling Premier League table. It is too early to talk of crisis, with both Branislav Ivanovic and Diego Costa having publicly pushed for improvement rather than panic, but there are reasons why Chelsea have failed to find their early season sparkle.

1) Pre-season Form
The bulk of Chelsea’s first-team had only returned for training on 14 July, only 24 hours before the squad departed for Montreal. There were three games in the United States, with those personnel who had been involved in the Copa América joining the party after the game against New York Red Bulls. From that tour, with its travelling to and from Canada on the days of the game, Chelsea returned to England with only two full days to prepare for the Community Shield. If that lethargic performance owed a little to jet lag then another friendly, against Fiorentina at Stamford Bridge sandwiched in midweek before the start of the title defence, gave the programme a haphazard look.

The whole buildup felt frantic, and a far cry from the relaxed – almost idyllic – schedule put in place for a 26-man squad at their camp at Waldarena in Velden, Austria when the serious, back-breaking preparations began a year ago. José Mourinho had revealed his frustration on that front in his media briefing last Friday. “We were tired towards the end of last season and the team had problems,” he said . “We went for a slower start – a short pre-season, with only three matches before the Community Shield – and we knew that the start is not going to be the same kind of start that we had last year.”

2) Lack of transfer activity
They have also been unable to replicate the early and impressively efficient transfer dealings that marked last summer’s approach. In 2014, Diego Costa and Filipe Luís had virtually been secured before the end of the campaign, while moves were already afoot to lure Cesc Fàbregas back to the Premier League on the quiet. Those players, and Thibaut Courtois, were in place for the start of the season and the only other major addition, Loïc Rémy, was recruited from Queens Park Rangers nearer the deadline once Fernando Torres had been quietly ushered off the wage bill, initially to Milan.

Yet fast forward to the present and Chelsea have not actually added any competition for places a year on. Radamel Falcao has replaced Didier Drogba, Asmir Begovic has come in for Petr Cech, and Baba Rahman for Filipe Luís. Victor Moses and Bertrand Traoré are back at the club but have yet to benefit from playing in the Premier League, while Tomas Kalas, Isaiah Brown and Dominic Solanke have joined the huge ranks of loanees rather than challenging for senior places. Maybe Uefa’s apparent relaxation of financial fair play regulations, to which Chelsea were steadfastly applying, caught them on the hop and confused the overall policy. Clearly Antoine Griezmann, Koke and Pedro have not been as easy to prise away from their various Spanish clubs, while Everton have steadfastedly resisted advances for John Stones.

“You can say: ‘Why didn’t we do our business before the start of the pre-season?’ like we did last year but it’s not because we don’t want to, it’s because it’s not possible,” Mourinho said. “So, in this moment, we are a bit limited but I have no doubt the club will give the squad a couple more players.”

There is, indeed, still time to add to the squad though, at present, the sense is Chelsea have allowed their rivals to catch up unchallenged.

Maybe the disappointing Juan Cuadradro can be moved on, back to Italy, and a replacement secured to ease the burden on Eden Hazard and Diego Costa up front. Perhaps Stones can still be lured from Goodison Park. The decision to remove John Terry from the fray at the Etihad Stadium has been interpreted, rightly or wrongly, as Mourinho urging Abramovich to open the chequebook. The manager certainly aspires to bring in two more faces before the closure of the window.

3) Aging Players

Terry’s departure at the interval at City represented the first time he had been replaced in 177 games under Mourinho, the manager explaining – plausibly – that Kurt Zouma’s pace would be more beneficial after the interval when the hosts could play at ease on the counterattack. Yet the idea that the captain’s withdrawal was also designed to remind the hierarchy of the need for reinforcements is just as credible. It was always going to hog the limelight.

Terry played every minute of every league game last season. The backline – the entire team – relied on him, and he arguably enjoyed one of the most impressive campaigns of his career, even returning to Cobham, albeit after a promotional tour of China, to start his pre-season preparations before the bulk of the squad. Yet this is a player who turns 35 later this year, a veteran on whom this team cannot necessarily look to every week to inspire.

The same might apply to Ivanovic, who made 49 appearances last season, almost all of which were marked with barnstorming, lung-bursting charges down the right flank from full-back. The Serb provides as much forward propulsion and width as anyone in this Chelsea team but he is 31. He may be a freak of nature, a player whose industry and drive are remarkable, but can he be expected to sustain it every week for another campaign? There were signs towards the end of last term that he was tiring. His start this season has been distinctly, and uncharacteristically, unimpressive with Jefferson Montero having scorched him on the opening weekend.

Neither case is particularly surprising. Age creeps up on everyone but the size of Chelsea’s senior squad, last season and this, places so much emphasis on senior figures such as Terry and Ivanovic maintaining form and fitness. Mourinho used fewer players in the Premier League than any other manager last season, apparently the result of the team starting so well and players, in effect, becoming undroppable. But the result was many were shattered towards the end of the campaign and, even with a break of a month in the summer, still appear groggy even now.

4) Incorporating Fabregas

Suggesting that before last Christmas would have appeared lunacy. Fàbregas, in combination with Costa and Hazard, had illuminated Chelsea as he eased back into the Premier League with consummate ease. When he endured his dip in the spring one could point to niggling injuries or the volume of games. The hope was a summer’s rest would provoke a repeat of his blistering form. Instead, like those around him, he has only offered flashes of his best (most notably that exquisite pass through to Costa as the game fizzled out in Manchester).

Fàbregas’s quality is clear. He will rediscover his zest at some stage, probably sooner rather than later, and Chelsea will tick far more efficiently as an attacking force as soon as he does. Yet it is interesting to note Mourinho’s wariness to pair the Spaniard alongside Nemanja Matic – the deep-lying partnership through that spectacular start last year – in games against the stronger sides in the division. More often than not, Ramires is drafted in to add bite and energy, even discipline to a point, in that central role with Fàbregas thrust further up-field into something akin to the No10 position. Yet he rarely appears to influence quite so effectively these days in that more advanced role. It is as if he benefits from seeing the bigger picture from deep, picking out his passes from further downfield.

The Spain international could justifiably argue this team have not functioned quite as smoothly since that scintillating win at Swansea in January, and that he is only one of a number of players whose fizz has gone flat. Yet as a senior performer, a World Cup and two-times European Championship winner, the onus is on him to lift the squad. Hazard cannot be expected to do that alone.

5) Mourinho's Mindset

Word is the manager has not been “The Happy One” over recent weeks, despite signing a four-year contract. The fact his father, José Sr, has been seriously ill for some time should be acknowledged. Those off the field issues, so often forgotten from the outside looking in, affect everyone and can clearly influence behaviour. In the day job, the frustrations at pre-season and recruitment will have been unnervingly omnipresent for some time.

To date his exasperation – aside from around Courtois’ dismissal against Swansea – has really manifested itself only in the treatment of the first-team doctor Eva Carneiro and the physio Jon Fearn, an outburst and decision to demote that has merely demonstrated the sense of dissatisfaction in the dugout. There has been no plausible explanation for the decision and it is not the first time Mourinho has shaken up the medical staff but it did expose the reality all is not well behind the scenes before the team made it obvious at City.

The Premier League season is not yet a fortnight old and this team have shown they can gather momentum and steamroller allcomers but it is safe to assume their defence was not supposed to start this way. They are already embroiled in an unanticipated game of catch-up.

Talking Points from Man City's dominant win

In one of the most important battles for the crown of England, the dethroned king of last season that is Manchester City slayed the team that took their throne, Chelsea, 3-0. In a first half that Manchester City showed their determination to put last season behind them, Begovic kept out Aguero twice with great saves. Aguero would finally get the better of the Bosnian in the end though after a counter attack led by Raheem Sterling would lead to City patiently carving open the Chelsea defence with Yaya Toure and Aguero combining at the edge of the box. Vincent Kompany would then hurt Chelsea's chance of a comeback with a header from a corner late in the second half. Fernandinho put the sword through Chelsea's heart late on when David Silva closed down Ivanovic's clearence and it fell to the Brazilian who finished first time.



1. City show desire and passion missing from last season
The main difference in this performance and that of last season's matches against Chelsea was City showed the desire to leave their blood, sweat and tears on the field. Vincent Kompany and Elaqium Mangala both showed a great understanding and were warriors willing to battle to the end with the brute Diego Costa. Aleksander Kolarov bombarded forward and whipped devilish crosses all game, while Bacary Sagna was a shield blocking all of Eden Hazards quick stabs trying to get to Joe Hart. Yaya Toure and Fernandinho never stopped running, covering every blade of grass on the field. They were also combatant with all their tackles in their personal battle against the duo of Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic. The wide players of Raheem Sterling and Jesus Navas were always tracking back and closing down the opposite wide players, and when in attack ran directly at their man. David Silva showed that he can match his poetic nature with a darker aggressive side, and Aguero challenged for every aerial ball although he was most likely to lose out and also chased onto every through ball.


2. Raheem Sterling adds another dimension
In his home debut, Sterling showed why City invested so much in him. He adds another dimension to City's attack in the form of a direct and counter attacking option as shown in City's preseason and their opening goal. Sterling ran from his own half into Chelsea's defensive third gliding past players. From there City's attack carved open the Chelsea defence with Silva, Toure and Aguero combining before Chelsea could recover their shape. This goal was a mix of the patient, elegant City fans have come to love and a direct style that Raheem Sterling brings from his days at Liverpool.


3. With Otamendi, City's defence will be world class
With Manchester City seemingly taking the lead in the race to sign Otamendi, Mangala showed no sign of being affected by the news during the game against Chelsea. Him and Kompany were both world class in the game against the champions and shut out one of the Premier League's best in Diego Costa. With the addition of Nicolas Otamendi, City's defence will be world class and can rival that of Chelsea's. Otamendi had a spectatcular season with Valencia and helped them achieve a Champions League qualifying spot. He will add experience and composure to Manchester City's back four, and will be able to replace Kompany should he struggle like he did last season, or Mangala if he shows a lack of composure. Also with the addition of the Argentine, Pellegrini has the option to play Mangala at left back, a position he played along with centre back at Porto.

Chelsea set to steal Pedro

Chelsea expect to complete the signing of Pedro from Barcelona within the next 24 hours after the Premier League champions triggered the £21.2m buy-out clause in the Spain forward’s contract and effectively beat Manchester United to his signature.

Pedro was due in London yesterday to undertake a medical and discuss personal terms, with United having withdrawn their interest. Their executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, had flown to Spain earlier this week to discuss the precise terms of his club’s offer, both to the winger and Barcelona, and a deal had appeared to be close – but United never actually moved to trigger the clause in his current contract.

Instead Louis van Gaal, having initially been inclined to secure Pedro, has drawn encouragement from the performances to date of his current squad and is understood to have sanctioned his club’s withdrawal from negotiations. Chelsea’s late emergence to challenge their interest appears to have forced their hand, with the player apparently convinced he should pursue his career at Stamford Bridge.


The Premier League champions – who recognise United as serious contenders for the title this season after a pristine start to the campaign – had come close to securing the 28-year-old World Cup and European Championship winner in January, only for José Mourinho to opt against pursuing a deal because Pedro was cup-tied in the Champions League.

Chelsea eventually signed Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina instead, though the Colombian did not feature in the knockout tie against Paris Saint-Germain and has proved a huge disappointment since moving to England. He has effectively been made available for transfer, most likely on loan.

The deal for Pedro, which had been raised again earlier this summer, will add significantly to Chelsea’s attacking options as the club endure their worst start to a domestic season since 1998. The winger has spent a decade at Camp Nou and has won 15 major trophies over his career at the Catalan club, only signing a contract extension through to 2019 in June, but he craved more game-time last season.

Chelsea are also weighing up whether to submit a fourth and final bid worth £40m to Everton for the England defender John Stones after seeing an offer of £30m knocked back on Tuesday. The owner, Roman Abramovich, will back Mourinho’s attempts to strengthen the squad before the closure of the window and has encouraged the recruitment department to secure the manager’s targets.