Left Field

Covid's grip on the Premier League's neck appears to be tightening again with Manchester United the latest to successfully appeal for a game to be called off. A new variant is in play, cases are on the rise and there are concerns that matches could once again return to being played behind closed doors. We discuss the scenario everyone dreads.Over in Switzerland, UEFA, to the amusement of many, cocked up the Champions League draw. They got it right at the second time of asking allowing us to p...

It's been a while since a Premier League club has succumbed to Covid but with a clutch of cases in Conte's camp, Spurs have had matches with Rennes and Brighton postponed. Against the backdrop of vaccine passes being introduced for match-going fans in England, the arrival of winter has once again underlined that we're not out of the grip of this rather tedious pandemic. Rather than get too down about things, we instead focus on the great week enjoyed by Divock Origi. With legend (and meme) st...

Robert Lewandowski had to settle for a sympathy award at the Ballon d'Or ceremony as Lionel Messi pipped him to the big one on a night when Jorginho took bronze as the best player in the world. We chew over the criteria behind a controversial list that had Mo Salah down in seventh.Back in England, Newcastle United underlined their credentials for the drop with another limp performance, this time against Arsenal. Can they find salvation in the January transfer window or will players be put off...

After a host of poor results, culminating in a humiliating 4-1 defeat at Watford, Manchester United's owners couldn't ignore the issue any longer. Finally, after 168 games in charge, they pulled the plug on the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era. It was painful for all involved, evident by the tears shed by the Norwegian in an interview with the club's in-house TV channel. Where do United go from here? They don't seem so sure with an interim, Michael Carrick, due to be replaced by another interim if th...

We're pretty much done with international football for 2021. A select few countries can start booking flights to next year's World Cup in Qatar, others, including some big names, face nervy playoffs. We assess the winners and losers from a dramatic week that included spectacular bottle-jobs by Portugal and Italy, a formal complaint by South Africa to Fifa, England engaging in some superb stat-padding and Ireland, Wales and Scotland all burnishing their reputations with decent results.All...

You take a week off and all hell breaks loose in the Premier League.Left, right and centre, managers have lost their jobs with Norwich and Aston Villa following the lead of Newcastle and Spurs - the managerial merry-go-round always spins faster just before an international break. We mull over the comings and goings and what might happen next at the clubs affected.A different type of manager has also come under the spotlight this week - social media managers. Following a cock-up by Bruno Ferna...

After a humiliating 5-0 defeat by Liverpool at Old Trafford, the end is nigh for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Norwegian labelled Sunday his 'darkest day' and rumours abound that the Glazer family may now pull the plug on a man they awarded a new contract to just three months ago. For Jurgen Klopp, Mo Salah and the red side of Merseyside - utter bliss. The only unbeaten team in the Premier League have their swagger back after last year's stumble and look ready to push Chelsea and Manchester City ...

New owners, same old Newcastle. Well...for now, at least. After a week of joyful scenes in the North East following a takeover by (not) Saudi Arabia, St James' Park was brought down to earth by another terrible performance by Steve Bruce's side. We discuss what happens next for the smash-nosed manager and the Geordies' project. After a record-breaking 29 away games without defeat, the wheels finally came off for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer away from home. Leicester ran riot on an afternoon that has ...

What a game between Liverpool and Manchester City? End-to-end, fantastic goals and in Mo Salah and Phil Foden, two men of the match! We discuss the fallout from a Premier League cracker and what it says about the title race.Will Manchester United, who've looked bang average for a couple of weeks, be able to keep pace? More dropped points at Old Trafford, this time against an Andros Townsend-inspired Everton, suggest probably not.At the other end of the table, Watford - surprise, surprise - be...

Only a couple of weeks ago, Spurs were top of the Premier League and Arsenal were bottom. Nuno Espirito Santo was manager of the month and Mikel Arteta was the bookies' favourite to be sacked. Now, courtesy of Sunday's derby win, it's the Gunners who are on the charge and the Lilywhites in freefall. We try and figure out what's happening in north London.The top of the Premier League may have a familiar look to it but Brighton, Everton and West Ham are doing their best to cling onto the coatta...