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There’s nothing quite like a Premier League Boxing Day clash – filled with all the intensity you’d expect from your standard English top flight fixture, yet further enriched by the festive atmosphere, the chilly weather and of course, the odd player that’s clearly helped himself to a few too many mince pies and mulled wines the night before.

The clash between Manchester United and Newcastle on December 26th is arguably the pick of the afternoon, with 13 of the last 16 Premier League fixtures at Old Trafford producing three goals or more.

Red Devils fans will have full confidence in their home advantage, having won seven of their last eight matches at Old Trafford. But contests of such festive feistiness are often decided by who dominates the individual battles, so with that in mind, here’s a list of FIVE that could determine the outcome on Boxing Day.

JAK ALNWICK VS THE WORLD

Spare a thought for Newcastle United’s 21 year-old third-choice goalie Jak Alnwick. He was the hero of the hour when coming on for the injured Rob Elliot in a shock 2-1 win over Premier League leaders Chelsea, but has since gone on to concede nine goals in just three games.

And things won’t be any easier against Manchester United; their world-class attacking cast are extremely clinical, with a shooting accuracy of 48% and scoring one goal every 2.7 efforts on target this season.

Newcastle’s defence isn’t the best – in fact, it’s the second worst in the Premier League’s top half in terms of goals conceded, after Liverpool’s – so Alnwick shouldn’t expect particular heroics from those in front of him.

Indeed, if the Magpies are to get anything from United’s visit, Alnwick will need to be in superfluous form.

Wayne Rooney vs Moussa Sissoko

With Wayne Rooney retaining his central midfield role from United’s last two Premier League outings, it looks set to be a battle of the forward-thinking powerhouses when the Red Devils skipper locks horns with Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko.

Both are industrious, progressive attackers who will look to make bursting runs from deep positions to instigate attacks.

In terms of output, the Frenchman can leave a lot to be desired, whilst Rooney’s quality in scoring and creating situations is well known.

Yet, Sissoko’s a potent weapon on the counter-attack when facing heavyweight opponents through his strength and pace – as proved against Chelsea and Manchester City this season, where he picked up a goal and an assist respectively.

Should Wazza Roo suffer from lapses of positional ill-discipline due to his unfamiliarity in the middle of the park, the Newcastle midfielder will be quick to take advantage.

JUAN MATA VS CHEICK TIOTE

Rooney’s push into deeper midfield may not be ideal for Manchester United, but it does present them the opportunity to get Juan Mata and the England skipper into the same starting XI and perhaps more importantly, in his most effective capacity at No.10.

Despite struggling for a regular first team role since his £37million move last January, the former two-time Chelsea Player of the Year boasts a respectable eleven goals and six assists in 29 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils, including a return of five goals in 14 outings this season.

Fortunately for Newcastle however, in Cheick Tiote they claim one of the Premier League’s top holding midfielders, that many of the bigger English clubs would love to get their hands on.

Mata can often find himself outmuscled in the central attacking hub so the Ivory Coast international’s physical presence could be enough to nullify the Spaniard’s creative threat.

That being said, only Crystal Palace’s Maourane Chamakh commits more fouls per match than Tiote in the Premier League right now, and Manchester United are more than capable of hurting the Magpies from set pieces – Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Juan Mata are all prolific from dead ball situations.

DARYL JAANMAT VS ASHLEY YOUNG

Make no mistake, Ashley Young has found a new lease of life as Manchester United’s emergency left wing-back this season, averaging an impressive 1.6 tackles, 2.3 interceptions, 1.5 dribbles and 1.3 accurate crosses per match.

If we were to flip that proverbial coin however, one could easily argue this is a fantastic opportunity that the rest of the Premier League has failed to exploit – the 29 year-old isn’t a natural defender by any stretch of the imagination and at some point, inevitably, that will let him down.

Thus, continuous bombardment down the right flank could be the Magpies’ route to success against United.

Daryl Janmaat’s endured a mixed start to his Newcastle career but few would dispute that the Netherlands international is far better going forward than towards his own goal, having already notched up three assists this term.

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Whether Remy Cabella or Yoan Gouffran start on the right on Boxing Day, Janmaat needs to be in close support to double-up on Young as much as possible.

He’ll understand the ins and outs of Louis van Gaal’s 3-5-2 system better than any Newcastle player too, having excelled in the same formation under the United gaffer’s leadership during Oranje’s World Cup campaign.

AYOZE PEREZ VS UNITED’S BACK THREE

In a similar fashion to Ashley Young, United’s defensive situation is hardly ideal. Chris Smalling could return to the starting XI pending a late fitness test, but it looks set to be the same line up, of Phil Jones, Michael Carrick and Jonny Evans that endured a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

Evans has really struggled in wide centre-half roles this season whilst Carrick, although tall and anticipatory, isn’t a defender at all.

Resultantly, Newcastle front-man Ayoze Perez might fancy his chances of capitalising upon the chaotic unfamiliarity of United’s three-man defense on Boxing Day.

The youthful Spaniard reportedly rejected offers from Real Madrid and Barcelona to move to Tyneside this summer and he’s already living up to the hype, with four goals in just eight Premier League starts.

He’s netted just once since early November but a huge talent capable of providing moments of individual magic, the 21 year-old is the kind of player who will relish facing the 13-time Premier League champions.

The January transfer window proves to be a crucial one for Tottenham Hotspur, but while it might set something of a benchmark in terms of on field ambition, it’ll also go some way to suggesting how high their aspirations sit away from the field of play.

While Andre Villas-Boas’ side has developed something of a steely efficiency in recent weeks, there’s still plenty of room for improvement as the club seek to push on for a fourth placed league finish, as well as success in the Europa League.

And in their quest to pursue some of the gifted talents linked with bolstering the Lilywhites’ campaign, such as the Christian Eriksens and the Willians of this world, they bestow the perfect asset in chairman Daniel Levy. The Essex-born businessman has not been without his faults during his time at the club, with his infamous brinkmanship sometimes causing the club as much harm as good.

But in terms of squeezing the best value out of deals for Spurs, from both a buying and selling perspective, there are few in the trade who can better Levy’s skills at the negotiating table.

Although while Levy’s public profile within English football has been built mostly upon his hard bargaining and eye for a profit in the transfer market, it’s very easy to forget just how well he’s run Spurs’ financial ship.

Regardless of how you view some of Levy’s managerial appointments and departures since he was appointed chairman in 2001, the way in which he’s managed to continuously ensure funds have been available for player transfers, while ensuring the club lives very much within its means, has been an admirable feat.

Throw in a £40million new training ground, the acquisition of nearly £90million worth of land over the last decade (in preparation for stadium development) and the fact the club’s overall finances continue to look both healthy and astute, if nothing else, the chairman can hardly be accused of lacking positivity. Certainly, compared to where the club sat in 2002, it’s difficult to argue to the contrary.

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And of course, as Tottenham have grown in stature within the Premier League over the last decade, there’s been a natural correlation with the growing expectations of supporters. Having already had a taste of dining alongside Europe’s elite in the Champions League, all associated with the club crave a second, more sustained bite of the cherry. Consequently, continued investment in personnel is key to mounting an viable assault upon such ambitions.

But within the last 12 months at least, for a club with such lofty top four ambitions, investment has been very cautious indeed. In face, since January 2011, the club has in fact made a net profit in the transfer market.

Considering the tumultuous box office nature that was their summer transfer window of 2012, just because Spurs have been living within their means hardly means that they haven’t spent money. Tottenham shelled out just under £60million on talent this past summer, including the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Hugo Lloris amongst others, which was in fact the fifth highest outlay on players during the summer in the whole of Europe.

Although poignantly, they did of course also sell a fair few players as well – not just any ordinary ones, either. Amongst those to pass through the White Hart Lane exit door were Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart and when all was said and done come the start of September, Tottenham had made a net spend of around only £500,000.

And if we cast our minds back to the start of the calendar year and the ill-fated January transfer window that Spurs endured, there’s still around £8million of Roman Pavlyuchenko shaped money that was never eventually spent. There is a school of thought suggesting that while the funds were there to be invested, Levy was perhaps reluctant to hand then manager Harry Redknapp a transfer warchest. Rightly or wrongly, if that warchest still remains, then Andre Villas-Boas could certainly do with seeing it next month.

This isn’t to accuse Levy for five minutes of hiding any money down the White Hart Lane sofas. The club are turning over near enough £100million less than both their league and local rivals Arsenal. While Spurs profited from their Champions League adventure a couple of years ago, so did their players, with the wage bill hopping up £24million from 2010 to 2011. While many from that squad have since moved on, the club is still paying many Champions League wages, without actually playing in the competition.

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Throw in the nice new contract Gareth Bale earned in the summer, £6.5million in agents fees since October 2011, an untold amount on signing on fees as well as legal/planning costs surrounding the failed Olympic Stadium bid and the NDP and it’s hardly as if there is some mythical amount of buried treasure kicking around N17.

Yet come deadline day on the summer transfer window, many supporters were glued to their phones and televisions waiting to hear news upon the protracted transfer of Joao Moutinho from Porto. The move eventually collapsed, but had it gone ahead, it would have been to the tune of £22million; a transfer record for the club that would have blown their recent frugal economic policy in terms of player recruitment out the water.

If Levy was prepared to sanction such a deal last August, then he must ensure that money is available for Andre Villas-Boas to spend as he wishes in the January transfer window.

No one is either expecting nor wanting the club to live outside of its means, but there can be no more smoke and mirrors like posturing in terms of player recruitment. Tottenham must strengthen their campaign on all fronts next month, not weaken it as they did at this time last season. If the warchest really was hidden from Redknapp last January, Daniel Levy must give it to Villas-Boas this January. If he doesn’t, then we perhaps gain a far better idea to quite how bare the coffers are in the white half of North London.

Sam Allardyce claims he was at Manchester United’s Champions League clash with Sevilla to scout “a couple†of Sevilla players.

What’s the word?

Allardyce was spotted at Old Trafford on Tuesday as Manchester United crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of Sevilla.

Many fans speculated he was there to scout Manchester United players. Big Sam’s claims in his press conference today were quite the opposite.

Last year’s summer spending spree was disastrous for Everton, and it remains to be seen whether Allardyce will even still be at the club next season. If he is still there, it is surely a good sign for fans that he is shopping at a Champions League match.

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Who would be a good fit?

There are a number of players Allardyce could be have been keeping his eye on, and there are plenty of problem positions at Goodison right now.

Steven N’Zonzi is a player on a lot of fans minds. The French midfielder had a pretty forgettable time at Stoke but has excelled since moving to Sevilla. Valued at £27million by Transfermarkt, the towering defensive midfielder would be a pricey move for the Toffees, but would form one formidable partnership with Idrissa Gueye.

Perhaps the biggest problem at Everton right now is the lack of a solid partnership in the heart of the defence, evidenced by some of the awful away results this season. French centre back Clément Lenglet may go some way to fixing that if he was one of the players on Allardyce’s radar.

The 22 year-old defender has drawn lots of plaudits for his play in Spain this season, and could potentially help Michael Keane find form and build a long-term partnership.

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Wissam Ben Yedder could be another blip on the radar; the French striker scored both Sevilla goals at Old Trafford and would be a vast improvement on the current attacking ranks at Goodison.

Everton fans, who would you like to sign this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

After missing out on Arturo Vidal over the summer, Manchester United are almost certain to dip their toes back into the transfer market in January to solve the issues facing Louis van Gaal. The Dutchman’s side’s midfield appears to be weak in comparison to the club’s rivals’ efforts, with a lack or energy and guile worrying for a side with top four ambitions.

Fredy Guarin is the latest name to be aligned with Old Trafford in the gossip columns, with Inter Milan rumoured to be ready to sell their man at a discounted fee. So, would the deal make sense for United? We think so, and here are FIVE reasons why.

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CLICK ON THE MAN HIMSELF TO REVEAL THE FIVE

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No energy in midfield

The one major criticism levelled at Manchester United over the course of the past year and a bit has been the lack of any sort of presence in midfield. Although the Red Devils’ porous defence has grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons, the absence of energy in front of them has often left them completely exposed to quick counter attacks.

Guarin is a player with bags of oomph, and could be the man to inject some much-needed life into Louis van Gaal’s engine room.

Blind is not a holding midfielder

Although a decent passer of the ball and a player with obvious composure, Blind is not a holding midfielder. The Dutchman emerged in the position last season at Ajax after being moved centrally from his left-back role, but impressive displays in Holland don’t always transfer across the North Sea to England. Blind would perhaps be more useful back in his natural position or in a similar role to Ander Herrera, where his range of passing could be used more effectively without the pressure of shielding his defenders.

He can score!

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Even though United have bucket loads of attacking potential from the likes of Angel di Maria, Wayne Rooney, Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie, more goals from a deeper position would be useful. As the video above shows, Guarin is pretty handy in front of the oppositions’ net, with his composure and power useful traits.

Cheaper than Vidal or Strootman

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While money is seemingly no issue for United right now, United could, perhaps, do with a cut-price option to free up funds for the pursuit of a genuine top class centre-back. Talk over the summer suggested that Chelsea had all but agreed a £12.5m deal for the Colombian, with such a figure a bargain for a player of Guarin’s experience and quality.

Man United cannot afford to be tardy

Simply put, if United want to secure a Champions League return, failings in the transfer market cannot be repeated. The Red Devils’ late deals for Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao had a whiff of desperation about them, with the pair having not been linked with the club for much of the summer. As other targets moved elsewhere or ruled out move, the duo became the focus for United.

So, getting in a player early in January to solve a problem area makes sense, right? Yes.

Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew has claimed that the Manchester City of last season are superior to that of this season ahead of today’s lunch time clash at St James’ Park.

Manchester City beat Pardew’s side home and away last season, including the vital victory that saw them claim pole position going into the final day of the season against QPR.

But despite Mancini’s side still sitting second in the table, Pardew doesn’t feel that they have improved at all from last season and is hopeful of a big result this afternoon.

Newcastle are struggling for consistency in the league this season and are just two points clear of the relegation zone. Along with hosting the Premier League champions today, Pardew’s side face Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton in the next three weeks but the under pressure Newcastle boss is confident his squad has the work ethic to quickly improve.

“They [Manchester City] were definitely the best away team we played last season,” Pardew told talkSPORT.

“We got nothing off them last year but I don’t think they are as strong as they were last year coming into this game.”

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“We are having a tough run, we don’t disguise that, but the work ethic is there,” he added.

“One big result, which could happen this weekend, could change a lot of the picture and we could find ourselves in a good position in the league.”

As reported by The Scottish Sun, Rangers are interested in signing Malian international midfielder Lassana Coulibaly this summer.

What’s the story?

The Light Blues have already made seven first-team signings this summer following the appointment of Steven Gerrard, but the expectation is that they are far from adjusting their squad ahead of next season.

One player on their radar is Angers midfielder Lassana Coulibaly, according to The Scottish Sun.

They say that he is a loan target of Gerrard’s, although the player would require a work permit, which could complicate his arrival.

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Who is he?

Still just 22 years of age, Coulibaly arrived at Angers last summer from fellow Ligue 1 side Bastia, but has failed to win a regular starting place in their midfield, starting just eight league matches last term.

The £1.1m-rated man has however made 64 career appearances in the French top-flight, demonstrating he likely has enough quality to his game to make an impression in the Scottish Premiership, which is a poorer standard of league.

A deep lying midfielder, he can provide competition for the likes of Graham Dorrans and Ryan Jack next term, giving Gerrard plenty of options and depth in the position next term.

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Do you think Rangers should sign Coulibaly?

You can have your say in our poll below…

Snow showers have been sweeping the nation this week, which has poured doubt over certain football fixtures.

On Friday night, Middlesbrough and Leeds United are due to go head to head at the Riverside Stadium in a Championship clash.

Leeds will be looking for back-to-back league wins for the first time since December, while Boro aim to stretch their unbeaten run to three games in a row.

However, there are concerns that the game could be postponed due to the disruptive weather.

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Boro released an update via their official website claiming that the pitch had been covered in snow overnight.

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The club explained that they are “working hard” to ensure that tomorrow evening’s game goes ahead as planned, but nothing can be guaranteed, particularly as the snow is expected to get heavier in some parts of the UK over the next few days.

Leeds fans are, as expected, keeping track of Middlesbrough’s updates on Twitter, and some are not best pleased.

I cannot stress the importance of Arsenal signing a holding midfielder this summer if they intend to challenge for next season’s Premier League title.

£37million signing Alexis Sanchez possesses the ability to become a talisman for the Gunners and has made an enormous statement of their revived pulling power in the transfer market. Right-back Mathieu Debuchy and goalkeeper David Ospina are strong additions too, whilst former Southampton youngster Calum Chambers is an impressive long-term investment.

But their potential to awaken the north Londoners from their dormant state in the English title race will always be capped without a player who can bring structure, physicality and defensive awareness to Arsenal’s midfield.

Last season, Arsene Wenger’s side claimed just six points against top five opposition and lost all of their four away fixtures with an aggregate score of 20-4. Three of the contests, against Liverpool, City and Chelsea, were over within the first half hour. That is evidence enough that, even if Arsenal can carve up the Premier League’s rank-and-file sides with their definitive brand of one-touch football, their balance against high-quality opposition must change.

Simply put, the Gunners are far too vulnerable on the counter-attack and this weakness has become dangerously obvious over the past few seasons. Divisional rivals know how to get a result against them; it does not take particular planning or tactical ingenuity.  Signing a holding midfielder might not be the ultimate solution – Arsenal’s progressive philosophy will always leave them inevitably more open than the average Premier League side – but it would certainly be a step in the right direction, and evidence Wenger is taking his club’s title ambitions seriously.

Wenger has been rather ambiguous when quizzed on the matter of a defensive midfielder this summer, distancing himself from rumours and even alleging the role may go to Jack Wilshere. But it could be an effort to save face, with all his likely transfer targets seemingly only moving further away from an Emirates switch.

Sami Khedira’s wage demands are unjustifiable for the north London club, Morgan Schneiderlin was allegedly on the verge of rejecting Arsenal for Tottenham before Southampton declared that the Frenchman would not be sold this summer, 22 year-old  William Carvalho could set the club back in excess of £30million and Lars Bender, well, Lars Bender hasn’t been mentioned in the same breath as Arsenal since mid-July.

It’s time to think further afield, and in that regard I suggest Arsenal turn their attentions to midfield monolith Steven N’Zonzi, who rather conveniently has handed in a transfer request for the second summer in a row at Stoke City. Clearly his ambitions are set a little higher than the Potteries.

Don’t let mid-table snobbery cloud your judgement. Admittedly, the 25 year-old is no world-beater and a lack of experience in European football, compared to Arsenal’s other aforementioned targets, is a major disadvantage.

But N’Zonzi’s progression since first joining the Premier League in 2009 has been continuous and promising. He won the Player of the Year award during his first season at Blackburn Rovers, remaining ever-present in the side for the next two campaigns as relegation continually threatened, before being named the Young Player of the Year during his inaugural term with the Potters, having swapped Ewood Park for the Britannia Stadium in summer 2012.

The 6 foot 4 midfielder is aggressive, brutish and often disobedient; in April 2011, he received a four-match ban for a two-footed lunge on Laurent Koscielney, and has overall amassed 31 yellow cards in 157 appearances throughout his Premier League career.

But the Frenchman is not simply a shin-crusher designed to intimidate the opposition – although I do feel that Arsenal’s collective mentality would benefit from an injection of such ruthlessness. Rather, N’Zonzi was at the heart of Stoke’s transition towards a more eye-catching style of football last season that earned Mark Hughes critical redemption from his sorry stay at QPR.

He averaged 57 passes per match last year – more than any player on the Potters roster – and boasted a pass completion rate of 87%. More than a water carrier however, 63% of N’Zonzi’s passes were forward, averaging just under one key pass per match. Those statistics are slightly lesser than Mikel Arteta’s – understandably considering the Spaniard’s undisputed technical quality – but exceed Jack Wilshere’s on all fronts with the exception of the latter. It’s also a better passing rate than Everton’s Gareth Barry and Newcastle’s Cheik Tiote, who have both been linked with Emirates moves before.

Moreover, N’zonzi’s height and strength bring something completely different to Arsenal’s engine room. With the exception of Aaron Ramsey, none of Arsenal’s midfielders measure above six foot and none come anywhere close to the Stoke star’s two aerial duels won per-match  last term. Wilshere, comparatively once again due to the high possibility that he could be utilised as the Gunners’ deepest-lying midfielder next season, won just four aerial duels throughout the entirety of the 2013/14 campaign.

I’m not attempting to suggest N’Zonzi is the ideal acquisition to maintain the theme of Arsenal’s technical midfield. Just like the many, many defensive midfielders mooted as potential Gunners targets over the last few years, he can easily be accused of cumbersomeness.

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But the stats, in addition to the Frenchman’s role in Stoke City’s recent transition, show that the 25 year-old is capable of lending himself to that style of play, keeping tidy in possession and plugging up gaps in front of the back four. And clearly an ambitious character, N’Zonzi strikes as a player who could undergo enormous, rapid improvement if he were surrounded by greater quality.

N’Zonzi’s name may not be eye-catching in comparison to some of the other defensive midfielders linked with Arsenal this summer. But do not let that fool you – he’s productive in possession, resilient in defence, physically assertive, has Premier League experience and in my opinion, the potential for further growth is as large as his towering 6 foot 4 frame.

Likely available for a figure around the £10million mark, the Stoke City midfielder could prove to be a real coup for the North Londoners.

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Both sides have been on an impressive runs as they look to put these on the line in an exciting fixture at the Liberty Stadium.

Swansea have gone unbeaten for the last six Premier League games, and three victories in their last four outings has put them within touching distance of the top four. The Swans have managed victories against Newcastle and Arsenal, in this run winning both 2-0, with last weekend’s victory at the Emirates in particular, catching the eye of many.

It has also been over 2 months since Michael Laudrup’s men conceded over a goal in a Premier League outing, which is ominous for opposing teams as Swansea tighten up at the back.

For Norwich their slow start to the campaign is a distant memory with Chris Hughton’s side stringing together an eight-game run undefeated.

If the Canaries can secure a result and others go their way they could surge into the top 10 and this could also mean an unprecedented unbeaten run of nine matches – a new Premier League record for the club.

Norwich will have Sebastien Bassong fit and available after the defender suffered a knock late on against Sunderland. The injury list at Carrow Road does consist of John Ruddy however, who has undergone a thigh operation and faces up to three months out while defender Michael Turner (shoulder) and on-loan striker Harry Kane (metatarsal) will miss the clash.

Swansea are without goalkeeper Michel Vorm and Pablo Hernandez and with the team in good form there will be no rush to haul them back into the side.

Wayne Routledge could also return having recovered from a knock.

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Danny Graham is surely set to feature having scored 6 goals in his last four outings against Norwich.

Prediction: Swansea 1-2 Norwich

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As reported by The Scottish Sun, Rangers could miss out on summer transfer target Harry Wilson after Norwich City opened talks with Liverpool about a potential move to Carrow Road.

What’s the story?

Steven Gerrard has already made a large amount of first team signings ahead of an important season for the Ibrox side, including utilising Liverpool links to land Ovie Ejaria on loan and the free transfer of defender Jon Flanagan.

The Anfield legend is however now facing an uphill battle to land one of his summer transfer targets.

The Scottish Sun say that Harry Wilson was on Gerrard’s list of potential arrivals at Ibrox this summer, but Championship side Norwich City have now moved ahead of the Scottish giants in the race to sign him.

The paper reckon that the Canaries have opened talks with Liverpool about a possible switch, looking to replace James Maddison who left the club recently for Leicester City.

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Is it important Rangers sign him?

Harry Wilson demonstrated on loan last season that he has significant talent, shining for Hull City in the English Championship.

Signing for the Tigers in January, he scored seven goals and assists four more in 13 appearances, providing the kind of attacking contribution that would be a massive hit at Ibrox next season.

With the ability to play on either wing, he has the skill and versatility to play a massive role in Gerrard’s first season at the club and they should be making a renewed attempt to sign him this summer, despite Norwich’s interest.

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Do you think Rangers need to sign Harry Wilson ahead of next season?

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