Tomas Soucek (West Ham): It was a desperately sluggish start by West Ham on Saturday and I suspect David Moyes might have had a few choice words to say to his players in the dressing room at half-time. Whatever he did say clearly worked as the Hammers looked a different team after the break.
It’s the second time that Soucek has made my team selection this season and it’s because the Czech Republic international has this ability to score important goals that invariably win matches. Luton’s players and their coaching staff have given their fans their very best but in a league as unforgiving and ruthless as the Premier League they were never going to survive.
As for Moyes, well, he has departed on good terms and left the club in a far better state than when he arrived. The West Ham fans have driven him out and wait to see what Julen Lopetegui can do. Be careful what you wish for.
Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace): If I was a Crystal Palace fan I wouldn’t want the season to end. The team are having a fabulous run of unbeaten games and playing the best football I’ve seen from a Palace side since the days of Vince Hilaire, Gerry Murphy, Kenny Sansom and Billy Gilbert under the guidance of Terry Venables. Eze would have fitted into that side perfectly.
In fact I think he would have fitted in any Palace side of any generation. He’s a beautiful footballer and plays the game, in the same way as Kevin de Bruyne, with a certain elegance. Eze and Michael Olise have a tremendous chemistry and when they are on the park together they make Crystal Palace play. If the club can keep this team together then Palace fans are in for a treat.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea): What a pass by Cole Palmer for Mykhailo Mudryk to score. It literally split Nottingham Forest’s defence in two. This was an extraordinary match with so much riding on the outcome for both clubs.
Chelsea needed three points to keep their interests in a top-seven finish alive while for Forest it was all about survival. The home side had no business losing this match once Callum Hudson-Odoi put them 2-1 up, but being good enough to close out a game is something Forest have struggled with all season.
Meanwhile Chelsea go from strength to strength. With Reece James fit again, and producing quality balls for strikers like Nicolas Jackson to finish, anything is now possible for this young aspiring team. Whatever else happens they must keep Palmer at Stamford Bridge.
Michael Olise (Crystal Palace): Crystal Palace have gone six games unbeaten and that includes wins at Liverpool away and Manchester United at home. It was Olise who destroyed United at Selhurst Park a week ago and he did exactly the same against Wolves in a matter of minutes.
This prodigious talent has replaced Wilfried Zaha as the Palace golden boy and is half the fuss. His goal against Wolves was so beautifully executed it was worthy of goal of the month.
When a player turns away having scored and without the slightest celebration, it suggests he has supreme confidence in his own ability. This was a superb performance by Olise and Palace will have their work cut out to hang on to him.
The deal sees COH Sports take 100% control of both the men's and women's football teams, the hotel at Bramall Lane and all real estate.In a statement, the conso
It is not only the fans who have been stunned by the club's progress, but the players too.Left-back Leif Davis joined Ipswich from Leeds in 2022 and has been in
Foxtel the Company that pioneered streaming in Australia has been sold to UK Streaming Company DAZN in a $3.4M deal that is a record for an Australian streaming
Foxtel has been sold in a massive $US2.2 billion ($3.5b) deal that will bring UK sports entertainment juggernaut DAZN to Australia’s shores — and catapult l