The Hammer or the nail?
Man City’s stumbling superstars visit West Ham in crucial showdown
There’s a big London derby Sunday as leaders Arsenal hosts Chelsea. But with the Blues having a season to forget, let’s forget about that one and instead look at Manchester City’s Saturday visit to West Ham.
The Hammers, in sixth place, are still keeping pace with the big clubs, much to everyone’s surprise. In fact, they were on a nine-game undefeated run until last weekend when they lost 2-1 at Newcastle. West Ham defeated City earlier in the season, so will be looking to complete an unlikely double.
On paper, this game should be no contest. In fact, on paper, City should be running away with the league, especially given how inconsistent all the big clubs have been. On the pitch though, City continues to be a disjointed squad of superstars, playing well below their potential.
On the plus side, City is only a point out of first place and star striker Sergio Aguero is back from his latest injury spell. It usually takes Aguero a while to shake off the rust after a layoff, but if he gets on another one his hot streaks, then that could be enough to move Manuel Pellegrini’s side into top spot for good.
He’s back
After a terrible start to the season, Juventus has climbed to second place in Serie A thanks to 10 straight wins. Juve hosts Roma in Italy’s big game Sunday.
Roma has been struggling to pick up points lately and has slumped to fifth spot. Roma’s last three games were draws and the team hasn’t won on the road since October. Coach Rudi Garcia was sacked last week and replaced by former coach Luciano Spalletti, under whom Roma enjoyed good success last decade. Spalletti resigned in 2009 during a slump and ended up in Russia with Zenit Saint Petersburg, where he won two league titles.
One of Spalletti’s top challenges is to improve the form of striker Edin Dzeko as the former Manchester City star has been struggling to find the net. Reviving Dzeko could be doubly important amid rumours fellow striker Gervinho is considering a move to China.
Spalletti’s first game in charge since his return did not go according to script as Roma was held to a 1-1 home draw by last-place Verona. They are looking for a better result in Sunday’s big grudge match, but the odds are against them.
Running away
France’s Ligue 1 has become a onehorse race as Paris Saint-Germain has left everyone in its dust. PSG holds an incredible 21-point lead over runner-up Monaco, which is closer to the relegation zone than it is to the league leaders! PSG could mathematically clinch the title before the end of February.
On Saturday, PSG hosts third-place Angers, which has been its closest rival until last week, when Angers lost away to Nice. Form and history are not in Angers’ favour for Saturday’s trip to Paris. It haven’t defeated PSG in any game since 1975!
Angers is a modest team with a modest history and this season’s success is thanks to solid defending, although scoring remains a problem for the team. Indeed, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s goal-a-game pace for PSG is better than the entire Angers team.
Its top forward is Billy Ketkeo-phomphone, who has only two goals in 19 games. It sounds like he causes more problems for announcers than for opposing goalkeepers.
Bundle up
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley made a bold promise before his team played West Ham last weekend. He offered to give away a free winter jacket if Newcastle won to anybody who signed up on his company’s Facebook page. Ashley owns sporting goods retail giant Sports Direct. Newcastle snapped a six-game winless streak to defeat the Hammers, so Ashley had to make good on his offer after 45,000 people had registered. The jackets retail for $120, so the publicity stunt cost him millions.
Newcastle fans then launched a social media campaign to encourage those who got free jackets to donate them to the homeless. I don’t know how many have been donated, but that was nice thought.