United Kingdom, MAy 16
1) Giroud continues to polarise opinion despite his hat-trick
What a strange afternoon it was for Olivier Giroud. The Arsenal striker scored a hat-trick in the 4-0 home win over Aston Villa, taking his final tally for the season to 24 goals – 16 of which were in the Premier League. But for most of the game – specifically the period between his fifth-minute opener and his finish for 2-0 in the 78th minute – he drew the ire of the Emirates Stadium crowd like a magnet. Whenever a move broke down, there were screams of frustration and derision, and Giroud was invariably the target.. And yet, after he had completed his hat-trick, there was a rousing rendition from the stands of his song, which goes to the tune of Hey Jude. Giroud has had plenty of highlights this season, including the goal in the Champions League victory over Bayern Munich and the hat-trick in the decisive group stage win at Olympiakos. The feeling remains, however, that here is a very good centre-forward but not one who possesses the requisite world-class level.
2) Benítez shows just why so many Newcastle fans want him to stay
Football really is played in the mind – St James’ Park devoted 90 minutes imploring Rafa Benítez to remain as their manager, to which the Spaniard responded by proving precisely why he’s worth the fuss and why Sunderland’s Sam Allardyce was so worried about a manager who arrived fractionally too late to save Newcastle and relegate Sunderland. Freed of the pressure invoked by the fear of relegation, Benítez’s players knew exactly how to adhere to his instructions to deconstruct Tottenham’s so-called high press, courtesy of a blend of patient counter-attacking football – representing a hybrid of the best of Alan Pardew and Steve McClaren. Spurs may have suffered mentally after losing out to Leicester on the title but this was still a tactical masterclass on Benítez’s part.
3) Chelsea face a summer of change
Chelsea’s final home game of term was overshadowed by the locals’ appreciation of Claudio Ranieri and Leicester City’s achievements this season, as well as their raucous pleading for John Terry to extend his stay in south-west London into a 19th senior campaign. Rather less focus was drawn to Guus Hiddink’s own farewell as he concluded a second spell in interim charge of this club though, just before he departed, the Dutchman sought to lighten the mood. Asked whether, this being Chelsea, there might a third coming at some stage in the future – perhaps even if Antonio Conte endures a stodgy start to life at Stamford Bridge next season – Hiddink snapped back: “A big possibility, yes.” The honesty initially felt refreshing, even if the sense of mischief was quickly exposed. “No, I’m joking,” he added. “I don’t even know if I’ll be available, so I don’t think so. They’re going now into a period where I’ll not be needed. And it would be very bad if I was called in, what, early December (to take over again). That would be bad for Chelsea. No, I have full confidence they will go up now back to where they belong: fighting for silverware and being in the top four.”
4) West Ham must target a new striker
For all their complaints about controversial refereeing decisions, West Ham United only have themselves to blame for their failure to clinch European football and dropping 11 points from winning positions in their final 10 games can also be attributed to their lack of ruthlessness. Their latest show of wastefulness came as they ended a positive season with a 2-1 defeat to Stoke City and Diafra Sakho was particularly culpable, spurning a glorious chance to make it 2-0 early in the second half. West Ham’s need for an upgrade up front is clear. Andy Carroll has finished the season well and has looked fitter in recent months but Enner Valencia has suffered a dramatic loss of confidence and Emmanuel Emenike will not be signed on a permanent basis. There are also doubts over Sakho’s future, though the Senegalese forward is worth keeping if he starts next season in a more positive frame of mind. In that context, links with Marseille’s Michy Batshuayi and Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette make sense. Jacob Steinberg
5) Mané’s resurgence turns him into an important bargaining chip
It had reached the stage, either side of the transfer deadline, when it seemed sensible enough for Southampton and Sadio Mané to plot a relatively amicable parting of ways. He had infuriated Ronald Koeman by arriving late to a team meeting at the turn of the year, consequently sitting out a defeat at Norwich that was wholly in keeping with the Saints’ winter form, and links with Manchester United never really went away. His performances back then gave little reason to baulk at a suitable fee but Mané has been in stunning form during the final two months of the season – scoring eight goals in as many games and showing marked improvement in much of his build up play – and looks very much the kind of player an upwardly mobile team needs to stick around. Speaking after the 4-1 win over Crystal Palace, Koeman defended Mané’s overall contribution during the season and pointed out that the player, still just 24, had completed only his second Premier League season after joining from Red Bull Salzburg.
6) Swansea’s final league position hides a multitude of sins
Full credit to Swansea as they finished 12th in the Premier League, 10 points clear of the relegation zone, and in a season when they looked almost doomed at one stage (anyone who witnessed the 4-2 defeat at home against Sunderland in January could have been forgiven for fearing the worst). So it is quite an achievement to stay up. Yet perhaps that final league position hides a multitude of sins. It has been a chaotic season, featuring three different managers, and it would be naive to think that everything is fine now that Swansea have secured a sixth successive season in the Premier League. André Ayew and Gylfi Sigurdsson scored 23 of Swansea’s 42 goals and neither player is a centre forward. The next highest league scorer is Bafétimbi Gomis with six. After that there are four players on two goals. Maybe the biggest of them all is whether Guidolin is the right man for the job.
7) Sunderland looking stronger for their home-grown talent
If there’s anything more likely to send a supporter skipping into summer with a spring in their step than a glorious late-season surge to survival at the expense of their most hated local rivals, it’s rounding that off by witnessing the debuts of a couple of promising local youngsters in a lively away performance. Sunderland’s much-changed team at Watford was full of local promise: Jordan Pickford, a 22-year-old goalkeeper from Washington (Tyne and Wear, not DC), appeared in the Cup against Arsenal and the league against Tottenham in January, playing well despite conceding seven goals, and was impressive again, handling everything that came at him with assurance and releasing Duncan Watmore for a counter-attack with a fine, quick kick from his hands. Tom Robson, from Stanley, had a decent game at left-back – though Watford’s wing play is not the most threatening – and Winlaton-born Rees Greenwood, one of the stars of the side that finished second in the Under-21 Premier League, was full of running in front of him.
