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Southampton travel to Sparta Prague on matchday five in the Europa League knowing that a win would put them on the brink of reaching the knockout stages of the competition.

Saints have taken seven points from their four matches in Europe this term including a famous 2-1 win against Inter Milan at St Mary’s last time out, as well as beating Thursday’s opponents 3-0 at home in their first match of the group stage.

The Czech side have proven they are a different proposition since then though, winning all three of their subsequent Group K fixtures, and they currently top the standings with nine points.

Claude Puel has regularly rotated his team between the Premier League and Europa League and the Frenchman is likely to do the same ahead of the trip to Prague.

Here is Football FanCast’s Southampton XI that should take all three points in the Czech capital…

GK: Fraser Forster

The England stopper has started all of Southampton’s Europa League matches to date, and after keeping two clean sheets out of four, the giant keeper will certainly be between the sticks again on Thursday night in what is a key game for the club and its supporters.

Forster was key to Saints clinging on for a 0-0 draw against Liverpool on Saturday, and Claude Puel will be hoping he can keep another shutout in Prague.

LB: Ryan Bertrand

While young Sam McQueen put in some impressive performances against Inter Milan in the previous two Europa League matches, Puel should opt to start Bertrand for the important trip to Sparta.

Saints have failed to score on the road in Europe this term and the former Chelsea man would offer an important attacking outlet on the left-hand side that McQueen perhaps didn’t at the San Siro last month. Matt Targett could also feature, but Bertrand’s experience far outweighs the youngster’s.

CB: Virgil van Dijk

With Saints captain Jose Fonte yet to play a single minute of Europa League football this season, van Dijk has skippered the team in his absence and has put in a number of impressive performances.

Despite missing a couple of clear-cut chances during the European campaign, the Dutchman has been a colossus at the back for Puel and even scored the all-important equaliser in the 2-1 win against Inter Milan at St Mary’s last month.

CB: Maya Yoshida

Like van Dijk, the Japan international has started all of Southampton’s European matches this term and he looks set to continue his partnership with the Dutchman in the Czech capital.

Yoshida was exceptional in the win against Inter Milan last time out and he seems to have come on leaps and bounds under the leadership of Puel, looking far more composed and reliable on the ball than he has in previous years.

RB: Cedric Soares

While he has looked decent going forward, Cuco Martina has been criticised by some Southampton supporters for his defensive performances. Now Cedric is back from injury, he should be starting against Sparta Prague if the club are going for the win.

The Euro 2016 winner showed in the goalless draw against Liverpool on Saturday how good his defending can be, while he is also showing improvement from an attacking sense as well – which could be crucial on Thursday.

DM: Oriol Romeu

Who else? The Spaniard has been one of Southampton’s best players this season and he must continue in his important role at the base of midfield for the crucial trip to Prague.

The former Chelsea man has helped protect his defence on a number of occasions this term and he will be key to the Saints putting in a solid performance against Sparta, providing them with a foundation for their attacking players to thrive.

CM: Steven Davis

The Northern Ireland international has been a bit-part player in this Europa League campaign but Puel might opt to the start the midfielder for what is set to be a hostile atmosphere at the Generali Arena.

The 31-year-old is experienced and would bring the composure and maturity to the team that can be needed on occasions like this one, and Saints supporters would be delighted to see their underrated hero named in the starting XI.

CM: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

With uncertainty over whether James Ward-Prowse will be risked after missing the goalless draw against Liverpool because of a muscle problem, Hojbjerg is almost a guaranteed starter on Thursday.

The Danish midfielder and Ward-Prowse showed brilliant energy in the 2-1 win against Inter Milan and Puel will ask the former to repeat that performance against Sparta, using his passing ability and positional awareness to be solid defensively, as well as offering options going forward.

AM: Sofiane Boufal

With Dusan Tadic missing out on a place in the squad for the trip to Sparta Prague because of the broken nose he suffered against Wales playing for Serbia during the international break, Boufal is set to be placed at the top of the diamond in the Czech capital.

The Morocco international played in that role against Liverpool on Saturday and Puel will be hoping to see more in an attacking sense from Saints’ record signing, who spent the majority of the game defending against Jurgen Klopp’s men.

ST: Shane Long

The Republic of Ireland striker injured his hamstring in the 1-0 defeat away against Inter Milan at the San Siro, but he is fully fit now and could be given his first start since returning in Prague.

With Sparta’s form improving over the last couple of months, counter-attacking could become an important tool for Puel’s side on Thursday. Long’s pace and movement means he should be given the nod for a spot in the starting XI.

ST: Nathan Redmond

Despite the fact that Charlie Austin is the club’s top goalscorer, as mentioned previously, pace and counter-attacking should be the game-plan against an ever-improving Sparta Prague side. If Puel thinks the same, then Redmond could get the nod over his strike partner.

Like Long, the England Under-21 international has bags of pace – with a sprinkling of trickery on top – and will cause the opposition defence problems as Saints look to take all three points.

Despite making a positive start to the Premier League campaign by winning four of their opening five top-flight matches, Everton have struggled since then and taken just six points from their last eight games.

The Toffees are still seventh in the table, but manager Ronald Koeman will be concerned about their form and failure to create and convert their chances in recent weeks.

The Merseyside outfit have, perhaps, been too reliant on Romelu Lukaku to score their goals, so maybe it is time a player on the fringes is given a chance in the starting XI.

Everton signed Oumar Niasse for £13.5m from Lokomotiv Moscow midway through last season, but the Senegal international has made just seven appearances in all competitions since and has failed to impress Koeman.

But with the Toffees struggling at this current time, here are THREE reasons why Niasse must be given a chance in the Everton first-team…

Form

While he may not have scored in those seven appearances for the first-team – with the majority of those outings coming from the substitutes’ bench – Niasse has been in fine form for the U-23 side this term.

The 26-year-old has netted seven goals, including one against Southampton on Monday with a brilliant finish from close range – something that the senior side couldn’t repeat at St Mary’s.

A striker in form is always a good thing and maybe it is time for the Senegalese attacker to be given an opportunity by Koeman.

Attitude

After being frozen out of the side and not even getting a squad number from Koeman in the summer, you might have expected Niasse to possibly cause problems behind the scenes.

However, the Senegalese attacker appears to have got his head down and worked hard as he looks to grasp any opportunity in the first-team, or for a move away from the club in the future – shown by his positive attitude and goalscoring form for the U-23s.

The Everton attack

The Toffees have managed just one shot on target in their previous two away matches in the Premier League, and when you saw the likes of Idrissa Gueye, Ross Barkley and Seamus Coleman missing good chances in the defeat to Southampton, you wondered how different it could have been with an in-form striker on the pitch.

Everton are often reliant on Romelu Lukaku but nothing seems to be going for the Belgian at the moment, and perhaps he needs some more competition up top.

Today, West Ham striker Andy Carroll celebrates his 28th Birthday.

In recent weeks, the occasional England international has rediscovered his importance to the Hammers, starting four of their last five Premier League fixtures and scoring in a 4-1 demolition of Swansea City – a performance that saw stat merchants WhoScored issue him the Man of the Match award.

But it’s not always been plain sailing for the towering striker since moving to East London from Liverpool (initially on loan) in summer 2012. Indeed, as our infographic shows, his near one-in-four return isn’t too bad for an old-school target man who’s had to make do without quality service for significant portions of his Irons career…

However, his juxtaposing injury record is impossible to ignore; eight injuries have kept Carroll out of action for a whopping 750 days, meaning he’s been absent for one more game than he’s actually appeared in over the last four-and-a-half years.

So, have West Ham got their money’s worth from their £15m signing? Let us know your thoughts below…

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Manchester City play host to relegation-threatened Burnley this afternoon hoping to overcome their Lancashire rivals just days after seeing their title chances evaporate against Liverpool.

Any chance of a third Premier League crown in six years is seemingly lost, and with less pressure now on the Citizens Pep Guardiola must start giving some of his youngsters the chance make a claim for a role in this City side.

The club has spent £185million to build the City Football Academy, and the rewards are starting to come through. In fact, four players have made their City debuts this season and many more are expected to do the same in the coming years.

Far too regularly this season experienced players have looked uninterested and incapable of playing at the highest heights. With the quality City have at their disposal, bringing a young player into the first-team fold against Burnley would only provide them with a platform to shine.

Here are THREE youngsters should get a go vs. Burnley.

Aleix Garcia

Spanish midfielder Garcia could be labelled the ideal Guardiola midfielder. His ability to find space and remain composed in possession is something the City boss surely admires.

Likened to Xabi Alonso, Garcia would add energy and dynamism into a flat City midfield. Not only is the current side low on energy, but the link up play between midfield and Sergio Aguero was atrocious against Liverpool.

David Silva or Yaya Toure should make way for the extremely talented 19-year-old.

Tosin Adarabioyo

Let’s come to terms with reality, defensively it cannot get much worse for Manchester City than it currently is.

The City backline could be described as midtable standard at best, as the team continue to leak goals and remain vulnerable against any half-decent attack-minded side.

Youngster Adarabioyo should be given an opportunity to shine this afternoon as some of City’s biggest earners are unworthy of their place in Guardiola’s team.

Kelechi Iheanacho

When called upon this season, Nigerian forward Iheanacho has proved he’s worthy of a place in this City side.

Nonetheless, for reasons unbeknown to everyone bar Guardiola, he has found himself on the bench on a regular basis.

Believe it or not, Aguero returned to first-team action on Saturday after missing the previous four games through suspension. However, the Argentine’s contribution was barely noticed and Guardiola must stop relying on him and allow Iheanacho a chance to earn his place in the team.

Joe Hart expects to be sold by Manchester City this summer but a permanent move for Torino is off the cards, ESPN report.

What’s the word?

Despite summer signing Claudio Bravo failing to impress at Manchester City, Joe Hart feels there is no way back into Pep Guardiola’s side and expects to be sold permanently at the end of the season when his spell with Torino comes to a close.

Ruthlessly axed by Guardiola in the summer, with the Catalan boss wanting a goalkeeper with stronger abilities with their feet, Hart was shipped off on-loan to Turin for the season- and he believes he won’t make another appearance in Manchester City’s colours.

Many Citizens fans would like to see Hart back in the side but the loan with Torino does not include a recall option and recent reports have linked Manchester City with signing a new goalkeeper at the end of the season, pushing Hart closer to an exit.

Could he stay with Torino?

Whilst Torino have expressed a desire to sign the 29-year-old England international on a permanent basis but chairman Urbano Cairo has already admitted that a deal would be difficult to finance, due to the fee they’d have to pay and Hart’s contract demands.

Back in December, the Torino man said:

“We will enjoy Hart and cuddle him, but we know he’s not our player and his wages are not accessible for us. We’ll see what we’re going to do in June.”

“I like him, but the January transfer market is never banal. Torino remain my priority, we are targeting Europe and declared that from the start of the season. I would’ve liked to aim for the Champions League, but one must balance the books.”

Qualifying for Europe would help Torino’s financial structure but sat eighth in the table and five points behind seventh spot, it won’t be easy for Torino to compete with the sides ahead of them- which include both Milan outfits and Atalanta, whilst Fiorentina are right on their heels.

Where next for Hart then?

With Joe Hart’s current contract with the Citizens, a move to Europe is difficult for a side to secure as the more established clubs already have their number ones and the lesser sides will find it difficult to finance a deal.

Back in the summer, Hart’s contract was said to be worth £120k-a-week in Manchester and his demands for a new side would likely be similar. Although it’s possible he’ll accept a wage-cut, it’s unlikely it will drop beneath six figures.

For that reason, a stay in the Premier League is most likely but it’s anyone’s guess where he ends up. West Ham were recently tipped as favourites for his signature but other sides may also swoop- with Merseyside duo Everton and Liverpool both touted as potential destinations at earlier points this season.

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Cesc Fabregas has been waxing lyrical about his former club Arsenal, despite receiving some criticism from fans when he joined rivals Chelsea in 2014.

Some supporters were angry that the midfielder opted to join the Gunners’ London enemies when he left Barcelona two-and-a-half years ago.

Fabregas defended his decision at the time by claiming that Arsenal did not trigger the buy-back option that was agreed when the Spaniard moved to the Camp Nou in 2011.

The 29-year-old spent a part of his youth development at the North London outfit before making his first-team debut in 2003.

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Fabregas went on to spend eight years playing under Arsene Wenger and went on to make over 300 appearances for the time.

The Spaniard, who was made captain at the age of 21, won just one trophy – the FA Cup – during his spell.

Since joining Chelsea in 2014, the midfielder has already won more silverware than he did at Arsenal, clinching the Premier League title and the League Cup in his first season.

In the current campaign, Fabregas has had limited game time under manager Antonio Conte, starting just five Premier League matches and coming off the bench in nine.

He is unlikely to start when the Blues take on Arsenal in the Premier League this weekend, but ahead of the game he has had nothing but nice words to say about Wenger and the club.

In a YouTube interview with journalist Natacha Tannous, who is also the partner of former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack, Fabregas said:

“There’s many things said about me, about Arsenal. I don’t really care what people think about me any more. It’s just about what I feel towards them. Arsenal will always be the team that believed in me the most. I was a young kid, 16 years old, playing for Barcelona.

“Arsene Wenger, especially, and Arsenal Football Club, gave me everything. Without them I would not be a World Cup winner, a European Championship winner. And I would not have experienced all of this that I’m doing in my life. I will always forever be grateful.”

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The deja vu is really kicking in. It’s Arsenal against Bayern Munich in the Champions League once again. Depending on your approach, it’s either a glorious rematch or a tedious sequel to a storyline that has been done far too many times.

Arsene Wenger is probably sick of the sight of Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben and Bayern’s exceptionally talented squad. Carlo Ancelotti, one would imagine, is indifferent to the whole situation. If asked what he thought about playing Arsenal it would surely warrant no more than a trademark eyebrow raise and some pleasantries, before sending his team out with the intention of scoring six. The Italian led a Chelsea team to the double – which obviously makes him a real favourite amongst Arsenal fans – but has not had the smoothest sailing in Germany so far.

Bayern are, by common recognition, not playing to the standard expected of them. Having briefly been embroiled in a title battle with the controversial upstarts Red Bull Leipzig, Bayern have produced some chaotic performances and been short of their dominant selves. Even with such concerns over their form, they lead the Bundesliga by seven points and have won 15 of their 20 league matches to date.

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Its not like Bayern are ice cold coming into this encounter, either. Unconvincing at times, yes, but the German club are far from a point of disaster. Ancelotti, though, knows he will be judged on his Champions League performance. Anything other than progression to the final will be deemed a failure for a club demanding of success each season. Arsenal will just be desperate to escape the tedium of last 16 elimination and show they can compete into April and May.

The Gunners have recent experience of Bayern. Their last meeting ended in an emphatic 5-1 victory for the Bundesliga side, but both teams have evolved since then. Although Bayern will still dominate the ball – they average 64.5% possession in the Bundesliga – they are willing to play riskier passes, which is reflected in their lower pass accuracy. Offensively they have been less efficient, however, creating fewer clear opportunities per match.

Setting up in a 4-3-3, Ancelotti’s team will use Philipp Lahm and David Alaba almost as wingers in possession, with Thomas Muller given the freedom to roam into pockets of space in the final third. Xabi Alonso will set and protect the central defenders, with Thiago allowed to carry the ball through the middle third and play line-breaking passes. Arturo Vidal provides the engine and third man runs from deep.

As alien as it is for this Arsenal team, they must drop deeper without the ball and allow Bayern to retain possession. The key is to close down the spaces between their lines and avoid Alonso or Thiago playing through passes behind their defence. Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi have the defensive capability to nullify Robert Lewandowski, but the defence must find a way to pick up Muller.

Arsenal’s best hope of remaining solid out of possession is to match Bayern up in midfield. Switching from 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3 gives an extra body centrally and a sturdy base for the team to spring attacks from. With Mohamed Elneny and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain flanking Granit Xhaka in central midfield, the Gunners would have the energy to break quickly along with the power to harass Bayern’s midfielders.

Mesut Ozil could play a role from the right flank if Wenger starts him, but he may be best used as an impact substitute. Alaba is a great threat for Bayern, whoever plays on Arsenal’s right flank must not only work hard, but be very aware of the Austrian at all points. Focussing on quick attacking transitions, leaving Ozil out for Danny Welbeck or Theo Walcott would provide balance and maybe even peg Alaba’s attacking instincts back.

A minor change in shape, complemented by a more significant adaptation of their approach can be a recipe for success at the Allianz for Arsenal. Bayern are weaker than before, Arsenal have a stronger squad than their previous encounters, but without adapting to the opponent Arsenal will struggle.

Arsenal can win this game, but only if they adapt their game. The trouble is, Arsene Wenger doesn’t do that very often.

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After a slow start to life in the Manchester United hot seat, Jose Mourinho is finally beginning to bring the best out of what is undoubtedly a very talented squad.

A decent performance at Wembley over the weekend helped secure Mourinho’s first trophy as United boss, and there’s certainly an expectation for the Portuguese manager to add to his haul over the coming months and years.

Much of United’s success over the last few weeks can be put down to the reinvigoration of Mourinho’s midfield, with the trio of Michael Carrick, Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera forming an impressive trio in the middle of the park.

Forming the perfect balance of midfield and attack, Michael Carrick typically serves as the anchorman, whilst Ander Herrera acts as the link between him and the more attacking Paul Pogba.

Each player plays a significant and crucial role, but we left it to the fans to decide which was the most important within Jose Mourinho’s first team – and it seems as though Ander Herrera is a very popular man.

An astonishing 70% of fans polled said that Herrera was the most important member of the trio, signalling that the once out of favour Spaniard is impressing in the midfield. Conversely, just 17% of fans think that record-breaking Frenchman Paul Pogba is the most important member of the midfield, which hints that many have been expecting more of the 23-year-old.

Perhaps most shocking of all is that just 13% of fans think that Michael Carrick’s influence is the most vital, with the often underrated Englishman seemingly continuing to go under the radar.

Take a look at the full results below…

Chris Hughton and Rafael Benitez go head-to-head this evening. Hughton’s Brighton are currently one point ahead of second placed Newcastle at the top of the Championship with the two engaging in a season-long tussle as they charge towards the riches of Premier League football.

Their respective statuses in world football epitomise the very best of the Championship. Benitez came to English football for a third spell after periods with Napoli and Real Madrid having previously been in charge at Chelsea – albeit on an interim basis – and Liverpool.

Hughton spent the best part of two decades working at Newcastle and Tottenham as a coach and assistant manager. Taking on caretaker roles at both clubs, Hughton was eventually given his first shot at being a permanent manager by his Tuesday opponents. Mistreated by the Magpies, Hughton was discarded in 2010. Protests at the club followed along with public backlash from former players and journalists. However, he remains an immensely respected man, and is highly regarded around English football.

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As manager of Birmingham, he once again did a good job. Despite playing in the Championship, he took them through to the group stages of the Europa League and a play-off finish. A spell with Norwich City followed – where Hughton was again sacked despite being five points clear of the relegation zone – before being appointed the boss of Brighton at the end of 2014. Finally given the time he deserves by the south coast club, Hughton has taken them from promotion contenders to a well-organised, Premier League bound team.

In contrast, Benitez – who is two years younger – has been at the helm of some of the world’s biggest clubs. Elevating his name with two La Liga titles as Valencia manager in the early part of this millennium, the Spaniard went on to lift the UEFA Cup in 2004 before winning the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005. An ill-fated post-Mourinho spell at Internazionale followed before a couple of years out of management.

His second spell in England came at Chelsea, where he was treated poorly by the fans. He guided the Blues back into the top four and held the ship steady for the return of Jose Mourinho despite the ugly A4 banners regularly produced at Stamford Bridge calling for his removal. Two years at Napoli followed, with Benitez eventually resigning having failed to take the club forward. A half-season as Real Madrid manager then came in 2015/16, but he was removed from the job after a poor start to the La Liga campaign.

A return to the Premier League came as Benitez was brought in to save Newcastle from relegation in the latter stages of last season. But Benitez fell short, having been appointed with too much to do and not enough time in which to do it. Despite relegation, though, he has remained in the post with the aim of returning to the top flight.

Two men respected widely across varying circles are both on course to be returning to the Premier League, then. While their encounter this week could be significant in the short-term, the difference between Brighton and Newcastle and the rest of the Championship is clear. Defeat will hurt for either side, but they should still be fancied for promotion in any case.

Hughton and Benitez will deservedly be returning to the top flight of English football, their markedly different footballing histories represent what makes the Championship such a fantastic division. Hughton has had to persevere to return to the top, but Benitez equally deserves recognition for taking on a near-impossible task at St James’ Park. They could not have much more contrasting managerial backgrounds, but that has counted for little between them this season.

Swearing and shouting on the touchline is too often applauded, but Hughton and Benitez are a reminder that aggression and ‘passion’ are seldom the answer alone. Both have had to deal with their own periods of adversity through their managerial careers – whether at Norwich or Inter – but their teams’ performances this season reflect their ability as managers.

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It’s an old question, but when was the last time Arsenal had a leader? The days of Patrick Vieira and Gilberto Silva, maybe? If not a born, natural leader, then at least a winner, a man whose presence on the pitch is more than enough to inspire his teammates and create a winning mentality?

Perhaps the answer to that question, if things had worked out differently this season, could well have been Alexis Sanchez. As it stands, though, his exclusion from the starting lineup against Liverpool show that his particular brand of leading by example rankles with Arsenal’s current squad.

In fact, there have been signs of it for quite a while, now.

Sanchez has really looked like the only winner in the squad. Perhaps their best player, though he and Mesut Ozil are undoubtedly the two undisputed top class members of that team. What is certain, though, is that Sanchez is a more intense player, more of a ‘born winner’, so to speak.

After Olivier Giroud scored a late equaliser against Bournemouth to bring Arsenal back to 3-3 at the Vitality Stadium in January, the Frenchman was joined by some other players in celebrating a last-gasp goal. Except, it wasn’t really a goal worth celebrating. There was still time to grab a winner, and in any case, a draw away to Bournemouth is hardly a result worth writing home about, even if the Gunners did find themselves three goals down with 20 minutes to play.

Sanchez’s reaction was seemingly to throw a strop, visibly showing his anger and disappointment with the result to everyone watching. It was portrayed – as these events always are in the media – as both a petulant strop and the reaction of a winner whose team had let him down. It probably can’t be both.

It was a similar story only a few days later as the Chilean was substituted at Swansea during a 4-0 victory, reported presciently in The Telegraph as a warning to Arsene Wenger.

Why should it have been a warning to Arsenal? Sanchez was, by most accounts, just proving that he’s the kind of winner that Arsene Wenger hasn’t had in his team for over a decade. But that now seems to be exactly the problem.

Precisely because Arsenal haven’t had that kind of player in over a decade, their squad is now made up of nice, obedient boys who have created a culture that seems sorely at odds with the mentality a world class talent like Sanchez possesses.

The similarities with Dimitri Payet and Luis Suarez won’t be far from coming: the Payet case is fresh in the memory, the Suarez case less so, but also involved Arsenal.

Payet refused to play for West Ham and moved to Marseille in the January transfer window. Slaven Bilic’s side hit dreadful form in the first half of the season before picking up magnificently after Payet’s departure: it was almost as if he was a bad apple infecting the barrel, and his presence in the first half of the season was actually the cause of the bad form.

Luis Suarez seemed unhappy at Liverpool as Arsenal themselves famously bid one solitary pound above his release clause. The Uruguayan was persuaded to stay at Liverpool before nearly guiding them to the Premier League title the next season and moved to Barcelona for almost double what Arsenal were prepared to pay for him.

Sanchez’s contract dispute seems like it has put the Chilean – and Ozil, too – in a similar position to Payet: they are demonstrably Arsenal’s best players, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the mentality of the club is the source of their frustration.

The difference, though, is that removing them from the squad didn’t see the Gunners play any better against Liverpool at the weekend, not in the same way that removing Payet from the West Ham squad seemed to have a positive effect on their team.

The Suarez situation feels more familiar, but Arsenal don’t have the tools that Liverpool possessed to get the positive outcome Liverpool managed.

As pointed out at the start, Arsenal are severely lacking in a leader. Suarez, when he wanted to leave Liverpool, had players like Steven Gerrard telling him to stay. It means something serious when a legend of the game – a man who lifted the Champions League in the most unlikely of circumstances – tells you to give it another year. It surely means much less to Sanchez if Theo Walcott or Laurent Koscielny make the same plea.

In the end, the only player on the same plane of superstardom as Sanchez is Ozil, himself in a similar state of unhappiness at the club.

It’s tempting to think that if Arsenal hadn’t spent the last decade creating such a meek and rudderless culture around the club, they’d have more winners, more superstars, and more determination in the side than they do right now. Currently the only source of those things is Sanchez. Sadly, if they did have more of those things, they could possibly persuade their best player to snap out of his current mood.

Instead, Arsenal’s problem has come full-circle: when they finally do manage to find a player with the right sort of mentality, they simply can’t match his desire.

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