Arsenal scout for a striker

Arsenal have been playing without a recognised central striker this season and have still managed 70 goals and have a better goal difference than Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa in the top four.

Despite not being goal-shy, the Gunners have been sending their scouts to check on potential strikers and wingers and they intend to strengthen their squad in the summer.

Wolves’ Pedro Neto and Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams are strong wing contenders. Brentford’s Ivan Toney has been spoken about for some time but RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres have also been watched.

Mikel Arteta wants a 20-goal-a-season striker in his squad. It can be argued that Arsenal are doing fine without a striker and their 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United a fortnight ago was the climax of a seven-win run during which the Gunners have scored 31 goals.

Many may say “Yes, but you have Gabriel Jesus”. However, he has been out of the team during much of that successful period and Eddie Nketiah has not been as prolific as many hoped.

Most supporters are happy to stick with Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard and consider a winger more important but Mikel Arteta still wants his scouts to report back on a list of strikers.

Arsenal also want to bring in another defender and if Aaron Ramsdale is not content to sit on the bench when Champions League hero David Raya is fit, the club will also need to sign another goalkeeper. 

Mount’s return could be a problem

Good news for Manchester United supporters is Mason Mount’s return to training. He will strengthen the squad but not automatically regain his place in the starting line-up.

His record since joining for £55m (Sh7.4bn) is poor. He has started only four Premier League games and made four appearances off the bench. No goals, no assists.

Mount performed best playing as a No10 at Chelsea but that position in Ten Hag’s team belongs to club captain Bruno Fernandes.

Mason can also play as a temporary right winger which was useful when Ten Hag relied on a counter-attacking strategy.

The United coach originally identified Mount as his link in midfield and was given the job of connecting defence and attack and controlling the middle of the pitch.

However, during Mount’s absence, Kobbie Mainoo has done an exceptional job in that position and Alejandro Garnacho’s impressive development on the right wing also closes the door on Mount.

Ten Hag has been thinking of playing both Mount and Mainoo in the midfield alongside Fernandes but with Mount pushing more upfront. Mason’s long overdue return leaves him with quite a few challenges before he can see daylight as a permanent member of the starting team again.  

Forest and Everton nervous over points deductions

Nottingham Forest have put forward their case for avoiding a points deduction after breaking the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

The defence was put to an independent panel. This will have a significant impact at the bottom of the table with Forest splitting Everton and Luton.

Forest face Luton this weekend. Everton are facing their second defence after being deducted 10 points in November, which was reduced to six on appeal.

The main defence of both clubs relates to the timing of selling two of their prized players. Forest sold Brennan Johnson to Tottenham and received an extra £20m since they delayed the sale and missed the profit and sustainability deadline.

Everton sold Richarlison at a reduced price which they say cost them because they tried to stay inside the rules.

Ten Hag’s back problems

Erik Ten Hag has been explaining the situation with his full-back problems. He said: “In December, I had internal talks with our medical and performance teams. They assured me that Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw would both be fit for January and then we would have the luxury of two fullbacks."

"It is very frustrating if both your full-backs are out injured. If you look at Liverpool, they did not do so well last year because of continuous injury problems. I think it is going to be difficult for Malacia to be fit for this season."

"He is back on the pitch and fighting hard to regain his fitness but I cannot see him back in the team in a season which is coming to an end. Luke Shaw has a muscle injury and I think it’s the same. Maybe he can play the last few games but don’t expect him back this month and possibly next.”

Malacia’s knee surgery did not go too well, hence his long absence.

He arrived back at Old Trafford on crutches and then had to undergo a second operation.

Ederson out injured

Manchester City’s goalkeeper Ederson has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a leg injury after fouling Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez which gave away a penalty.

Ederson limped off in the second half. He is likely to miss the vital match against Arsenal on March 31 and could still be on the medical table the following Wednesday when City face Aston Villa. Stefan Ortega will likely deputise. 

Emery labels his players immature

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery was upset with their defeat to Tottenham last weekend.

He attacked his players, saying: “We have a responsibility to be mature. We have to accept to lose but we weren’t clinical and we weren’t better than our opponents. Then we lost control of our emotions and John McGinn’s red card was disappointing for me.”

Villa had the advantage but Spurs are only two points behind and have a game in hand.

The Premier League are guaranteed four places in the Champions League but there's one extra to be added. Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie 'A' will also get an additional slot, awarded based on performance.

Manchester United will have a tough challenge to qualify given they are six points behind Tottenham and have played a game more. 

Wolves desperate to keep O’Neil

Wolves are discussing a new deal with head coach Gary O’Neil. The club are desperate to keep him due to the impressive job he has done since taking over.

Wolves were relegation contenders when he joined but the Black and Ambers are now fighting for a top-six place. Wolves also reached the FA Cup quarter-finals. O’Neil’s decision will be largely based on how the club intend to proceed next season.

They made heavy losses last year but did not break the financial rules which have ruined Everton’s season with a six-point deduction.

Wolves do not intend to sell many of their players in the next transfer window. However, I am told there will be one high-profile departure.

The club’s position is that they do not have to sell more than two starters but they are not in a position where sales are essential. 

Guardiola’s reason for taking off upset De Bruyne

Pep Guardiola was concerned with two points following the 1-1 draw at Liverpool. He dismissed the argument with Kevin De Bruyne after substituting the Dutchman.

The City playmaker shouted at his boss and later Guardiola climbed onto the stand to sit with Kevin and explained that he thought City were becoming disorganised and there was a danger they might lose so he brought on a strong holding player in Mateo Kovacic, who can collect and keep the ball and as Pep said, that is a particular strength of Kovacic.

Secondly, Pep is concerned that Erling Haaland is not being given enough opportunities to score and is often left isolated. City, during their dominant periods, tended to play down the wings and not through the middle and this resulted in Haaland having only 21 touches of the ball.

He had little to work with and Pep highlighted this during his post-match analysis with the players and worked more on involving his striker during training this week. 

Pochettino says comparison with Mourinho unfair

Things are so bad at Chelsea that Mauricio Pochettino has told his players they can speak to the club officials if they want a change of head coach.

He does, however, feel his position is safe with the players. He believes he has their backing.

Pochettino has one year left on his contract and like United’s Erik Ten Hag, he will be judged at the end of the season when the club looks back on his achievements and failures.

Chelsea can only qualify for Europe by winning the FA Cup or by moving further up the table from 11th place.

Pochettino was, however, irritated by sections of the crowd chanting Jose Mourinho’s name.

He said it was unfair to criticise the current team because they are relatively inexperienced unlike the professionals who won three league titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups during Mourinho’s two periods in charge at Stamford Bridge. 

Kalvin Phillips’ season gets worse

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what has gone so wrong for Kalvin Phillips. After being discarded by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, his move to West Ham was meant to revitalise his career but this has not been the case.

Now his England place is in serious jeopardy.  What should have been an easy afternoon for Phillips against lowly and out-of-form Burnley turned into a nightmare.

He was so bad, that coach David Moyes replaced him at halftime. Edson Alvarez and Michail Antonio were called on to replace Phillips and James Ward-Prowse and they provided a much stronger midfield display.

West Ham do not try to dominate the ball and most of the time do not control the matches in which they play. This exposes Kalvin’s lack of fitness as opponents dispossess him the ball. He also makes stray passes when under pressure.