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Premier League 2020/21: Art of pressing

Pressing is an important part of the modern game and the Premier League is one of the best at implementing the art of pressing with sides like Liverpool and Manchester City always amongst the best in the business in Europe.

In this article, we take a lot at how the Premier League sides are performing in this season.

Low volume, low effectivity:

This is the most disappointing of the four categories with the teams not only producing less number of pressures but also ineffective in its implementation with low success rate. As their pressures aren’t resulting in winning possession as often as they would have liked.

Arsenal and Newcastle United have disappointed the most with both the times placed in this quadrant alongside West Ham United and Fulham.

High volume, low effectivity:

With Tottenham Hotspur as it’s most high profile resident this quadrant is more about quantity than quality with the teams producing high numbers of pressures per 90 minutes though the success rate of their pressure isn’t upto the expectation.

Tottenham are accompanied by the inconsistent Everton and struggling Sheffield United in the quadrant.

Low volume, High effectivity:

These are the smarter of the teams as while they’re not putting up the pressure numbers as well as some others though they have been very effective with a high success rate while applying pressure and winning back possession more often.

Manchester United and their friendly neighbours Manchester City are one of the smarter teams in the league along with the likes of Brighton and Wolves.

High Volume, High Effectivity:

This category needs no introduction, it’s basically the Marcelo Bielsa quadrant with the Leeds United miles ahead of any other Premier League side in both the volume of pressures and the effectivity of pressures applied.

Southampton and West Ham have also sneaked into the quadrant and no surprise David Moyes and Ralph Hasenhuttl’s sides are doing amazingly well.

Here is a look at summary of pressing data for all the teams as on date:

December 3, 2020
Spurs and West Ham target Olivier Giroud AGAIN!

According to reports, Tottenham and West Ham United are interested in signing Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud.

After the arrival of Timo Werner to Chelsea, the Frenchman has seen his chances dwindle at Stamford Bridge. The World Cup winner is desperate for first-team football to ensure that he remains in contention for the France squad for the EURO 2021.

Even clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, and Inter Miami are keeping close tabs on the Frenchman’s situation but it seems that the 6-time English champions are reluctant to let Ollie leave. Giroud was back in Frank Lampard’s good books after an impressive scoring streak in the post lockdown season of the Premier League.

November 28, 2020
Transfer Rumor: Alex Kral to West Ham United?

West Ham currently sit on the 8th spot on the Premier League table after a positive start to the season. The hammers succeeded in getting points against Manchester City, Wolves, Leicester and Tottenham already in the 2020-21 season after a disappointing 16th place finish in the previous season. The London based club signed a total of 5 players in the summer, most noticeably: a permanent deal for Thomas Souchek from Slavia Prague and highly rated ex-Brentford player Said Benrahma.

Now, David Moyes is hoping to add another youngster in Alex Kral in the January window.

Who is Alex Kral?

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For many who might not know, Alex Kral is a 22-year-old Czech midfielder who currently plays for Spartak Moscow in the Russian Premier League. Kral started his career from the Slavia Prague academy before being promoted to the senior team. He featured 30 times for Slavia before moving to FK Teplice where he made 48 appearances for the club. His big move away came in September 2019 when he moved to Spartak Moscow.

Alex Kral to West ham?

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Russian football expert Artur Petrosyan has claimed that Kral is wanted by West Ham United. The journalist, who has contributed to the likes of Sky Sports and BBC, suggests that the 22-year-old will cost around £16 million and command a salary of roughly £20k-a-week (Hammers News).

The Mirror claims that Alex Kral is attracting interest from the Premier League after some stellar displays recently.

This deal could be happening in as soon as January for an estimated fee of £20-£30 million.

Why West Ham fans should be excited:

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Kral is a really promising youngster who began his career as a center back but gradually adopted the defensive midfield position.

In 14 league outings for Spartak Moscow this season, the 22-year-old has registered two assists and has averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.9 interceptions, 0.7 clearances and 0.5 dribbles per game. During those appearances, he has made 66.9 passes per match on average with a completion rate of 82.2% (Who Scored).

Another reason why West Ham fans must be excited is that Kral already has two former team mates playing for the Hammers; Soucek and Coufal.

Talking about West Ham options in the center of the pitch are highly rated English midfielder Declan Rice and the overperforming Czech midfielder Thomas Soucek. In addition, Moyes has West Ham’s long serving player Mark Noble to call upon.

Although West Ham’s midfield options are praiseworthy, there is no denying that Kral is a really promising youngster and West Ham would love to get their hands on Kral before his transfer value increases.

Our views:

Rice is constantly linked with a move away from the London stadium, majorly to London rivals Chelsea. Noble is currently in his sixteenth season with the Hammers and is not getting any younger. With the recent tendency of injuries, all clubs are aiming to maintain deep and detailed squads and Kral will be an apt addition to the West Ham midfield along with fellow countryman and former team mate Soucek. The only issue is the seemingly high £30 million price tag which can be excess for any club during this pandemic hit market but if the Hammers have an agreement at around £20 million – they might have an amazing deal in their hands.

November 26, 2020
How can West Ham United lineup against Liverpool? | Premier League 2020/21

West Ham United will take on the champions Liverpool as their run of tough fixtures continue. Although they started with the toughest fixtures on the cards, David Moyes’ side have not succumbed at all. They have managed to get points against big teams and will certainly be very happy with the 8 points they have earned. They managed two big wins against Wolves and Leicester and managed a point against big guns, Spurs and City.

Termed as big team beaters, Hammers will look to get most points from the fixture. Here we look at how West Ham could lineup against Liverpool.

FORMATION: 5-4-1

Defence

David Moyes will look to go with his same back 5 formation and try to soak up the pressure as much as the team can. Liverpool might be hit with injuries but their amazing front 3 of Salah, Firminio and Mane, now joined by Jota, are still performing at their peak and it will take some efforts to top them.

Lukasz Fabianski, in goal, will be guarded with same 5 of Vladimír Coufal, Fabián Balbuena, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell and Arthur Masuaku and try to get a point similar to Man C.

Midfield

A likely 4 midfield with a duo of Tomáš Souček and Declan Rice with Jarrod Bowen and Pablo Fornals on either flanks could be expected. They have been crucial in way David Moyes wants to regulate the game. The young midfield have settled well and will look to continue their form. They all have to be at their ‘A’ game to go against the champions. They also have to hold down the wingbacks from where most of Liverpool’s build-up initiates.

Attack

The biggest blow for The Hammers will be the injury to their star man Antonio. As he has been ruled out of the game, all eyes will be on Sebastien Haller to lead the line as lone striker. He will look to get past a weak defensive Liverpool line with injuries to their center backs.

Getting a point would be ideal for West Ham here but the contest will be highly intensified.

West Ham Predicted Lineup: Lukasz Fabianski; Vladimír Coufal, Fabián Balbuena, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell, Arthur Masuaku; Tomáš Souček, Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen, Pablo Fornals; Sebastien Haller.

October 31, 2020
How can Liverpool lineup against West Ham United? | Premier League 2020/21

Liverpool will welcome West Ham United to Anfield for Saturday’s top-flight showdown.

It’s been a tough couple of weeks for Liverpool with a tight schedule plus the list of added injuries isn’t doing them any favours at the moment. With many players out and some important matches coming up ahead I think it is safe to say that we could have a few surprises here and there.

Under usual circumstances, Liverpool are subservient followers of the 4-3-3 with the team being thoroughly drilled to play their position to perfection. But necessity has certainly caused Liverpool to change things a bit, and Jurgen Klopp has also fancied giving the 4-2-3-1 a try.

In 4-3-3 formation, I believe that you would have Alison Becker in goal as usual and a centre back pairing of Rhys Williams and Joe Gomez looking most likely. Nat Phillips may also get a cameo looking at Liverpool’s dire CB predicament right now.

I believe that Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson should start the match against West Ham United on wing-backs, but Robertson may be given a rest later on if the going is smooth so as not to overexert the lad. Another defender injured is the last thing Liverpool need right now.

Midfield is the trickiest part to predict in this lineup. Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum will be starters in my opinion, and we could see a young Curtis Jones start the game.

Ox is out on a long-term injury, and Thiago is unsure. Klopp would save him for the big games, in my opinion.

The front three of Liverpool could remain the same – Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino & Sadio Mane. However, there were questions raised about the fitness of Mohamed Salah in the last game. I surely wouldn’t want to risk my main man who is in a rich vein of form against West Ham when I have the champions league and a fixture against Man City to look forward too. Diogo Jota would be a pretty good replacement, and he has been impressive in whatever game time he has got until now.

If Klopp wants to put out a 4-2-3-1

We could see Firmino dropping in a sort of false nine with Salah up front, Jota and mane from the planks. It would certainly eliminate the need of a third out and out midfielder, but this depends on whether Klopp would want to take a chance with Mohammed Salah at this crucial stage of the season.

October 31, 2020
Gareth Bale mocked by Spanish press after poor debut against West Ham United

Needless to say that Gareth Bale did not share a great rapport with the Spanish media and after his league debut against West Ham United they have wasted no time to mock the Welsh Wizard.

October 20, 2020
Tottenham vs West Ham: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

The Premier League is back and so are Tottenham Hotspur with a visit from in-form West Ham United set to take place this Sunday.

Tottenham are coming into this fixture as favorites on the back of a historic 6-1 victory at Old Trafford while West Ham are in fine form after defeating Leicester City 3-0.

October 15, 2020
Meet Jarrod Bowen’s stunning girlfriend Jaz

Often most footballers have kept their relationship lives on the low but for West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen, he is one of the few to have his girlfriend in the papers. The midfielder is understood to be in a relationship with Jaz, who is an English graduate.

Jaz reportedly studied English at Oxford Brookes University and is said to have taken up a career in interior design while also managing properties. She has also worked for marketing company Halco, on whose website she says her hobbies outside of work are: “Doing up my house, helping the homeless and sampling cocktails.”

Bowen’s girlfriend seems to be her number one fan and has continued to receive support from her since they came together, with regards to his football career.

Jaz took to Instagram during the course of the 2019/20 campaign while the player was still plying his trade at Hull City – acknowledging Bowen’s account opener for the season when he scored against Ipswich before sealing his move to the Premier League side in January.

She wrote: “Proud GF moment. First goal of the season.”

The pair are not shy to post images of themselves though Jaz has shared more images of the couple on holidays, while also sharing pictures of Bowen in action.

Bowen and Jaz also own a French Bulldog who carries the name Bella.

Below are some of their pictures:

*We don’t mean to infringe anyone’s privacy its just a bid for those die hard fans to know as much as they wound want to

September 27, 2020
Declan Rice to Chelsea – $60m; Is he really worth that much?

Chelsea are the team to talk about this transfer window. They have got in Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz up front and Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Malang Sarr to strengthen the defense with almost confirm arrival of Rennes’ keeper Mendy. But they are not settling down yet as they want to go all in for, their academy graduate, now a West Ham man Declan Rice.

Declan Rice, currently 21, plays as a defensive holding midfielder but has the ability to play as a center back. He has been a key performer in West Ham’s structure and the key to help the Hammers avoid relegation the previous season.

But the main problem which hinders the transfer of Rice is the reluctance of West Ham to let go of him and thus putting up a hefty €80 million price tag. Chelsea are looking for Barkley swap plus cash deal but still the cash is going to be still much higher than what they are looking for. So the question which arises is, that is he worth the price? Chelsea are spending big but should they cash this huge amount on Declan Rice?

In certain opinion it should not be Chelsea’s priority to get him this season. Frank has world cup winning midfielder Kante and Chelsea’s Player of the Season Kovacic to play in the pivot with experienced Jorginho and young gun Gilmour, who will be back soon recovering from an injury, to the cover. Also with arrival of Thiago Silva and Fikayo Tomori looking to stay, Chelsea looks fully loaded at the center back position.

Also this price tag has just made Rice technically an over rated player. He is still 21 and getting him for a price almost similar to Kai, who has proved himself for consecutive seasons in both Germany and Europe level football, is not justified. Also Rice hasn’t proved himself enough in the PL to justify the price tag for which Chelsea should go for. He has not given consistent match winning performances against top clubs and has been vulnerable against great attacking sides. Thus, the Chelsea board should think twice to spend this big again.

The possible solution is that the Blues could wait for January or the next summer to get the services of Declan and hope for reduction in the West Ham demands.

September 27, 2020
Arsenal vs West Ham United: Preview | Premier League 2020/21

The coming weekend is going to be exciting as Mikel Arteta’s men prepare to take on their London rivals West Ham United.

The odds have been in the favour of the Gunners since the arrival of Arteta from Manchester City mid-season. This was obviously proven by the two trophies that the London club was able to win towards the end of their season.

Talking about recent fixtures, Arsenal are coming into the match with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Fulham whereas the Hammers received a 2-0 drubbing by Newcastle United.

Now let’s talk about the coaches. Fans have loved the arrival of their former captain Mikel Arteta as a coach for Arsenal as the club has potentially seen a considerable improvement in the last few months. On the other hand, West Ham barely made it out of the relegation zone under David Moyes. Interestingly, he was also the guy who came into this season with the odds of him being sacked at an all-time high. So a loss here and a couple of disappointing results to follow might just be the end of his tenure as the head coach of the London side.

Talking about stats, Arsenal have scored a total of 11 goals against the Hammers in their last five meetings with Arsenal winning four matches out of those. Add to that the fact that West Ham United’s results have not been good at the Emirates stadium in recent times and the odds of a Gunners victory increase manifold.

Although the Gunners finished well adrift of a Champions League spot last season, they have the advantage of having Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in their ranks who scored 22 goals last season in the league for them and won the golden boot the season before that. Another stat in Arsenal’s favour is that Alexander Lacazette enjoys playing against the Hammers having netted 4 goals in his last 3 appearances against the team and Arsenal could well be looking at increasing their lead at the top of the Premier League table.

This match cannot be termed as a mouth-watering contest but it would be interesting to see how many goals can the Arsenal attack score against a depleted West Ham side.

September 18, 2020