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Nigerian legend and king of the showboat, Jay-Jay Okocha, has explained why he favours Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in football’s GOAT debate.

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Argentine superstar the choice of manyOthers favour Portuguese iconLegendary playmaker a fan of bothWHAT HAPPENED?

The iconic playmaker – who starred for Paris Saint-Germain and Bolton in his playing days, while earning 73 caps for his country – was famed for his ability to get fans off their seats. In more recent times, Ronaldo and Messi have been doing likewise.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

They have rewritten the record books between them – earning 12 Ballons d’Or – and are assured of standings towards the top of any all-time great list. Okocha is an admirer of both, but admits that they bring different qualities to the table.

WHAT THEY SAID

Okocha has told when asked for his take on one of the longest-running debates in sport: “I think both of them rightly deserve to be GOATs but I prefer Messi. As for me…I mean…Cristiano Ronaldo is typical of what you can achieve with hard work, but for Messi everything comes naturally…and he works hard as well.”

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Messi has rediscovered his spark after leaving PSG for MLS outfit Inter Miami, with 11 goals recorded through 10 appearances while also winning the 44th trophy of his remarkable career. Ronaldo is also going strong at 38 years of age, with the Portuguese netting 12 times through 11 outings for Al-Nassr this season – with those efforts taking him to 850 in total.

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Corinthians e Inter de Limeira se enfrentam neste domingo, às 16h, na Arena Corinthians, em jogo da quinta rodada do Campeonato Paulista.

As duas equipes vêm de vitória no estadual: o Timão venceu o clássico diante do Santos por 2 a 0, enquanto a equipe do interior triunfou de virada a Ponte Preta, por 2 a 1, em casa. O Timão ocupa a segunda posição do grupo D, com sete pontos, enquanto o Leão está na terceira posição do grupo C, com seis pontos.

Para a partida, o Corinthians deve escalar uma equipe mista, visando o jogo de volta da segunda fase da Libertadores, contra o Guaraní (PAR). A ideia e ganhar confiança para o duelo decisivo e dar ritmo para atletas que não atuam muito durante a temporada.

Já a Inter não poderá contar com o zagueiro João Victor, emprestado pelo Corinthians.Jean Pablo e Roger Bernardo disputam a vaga da equipe comandada por Elano.

Local:Arena Corinthians, em São Paulo (SP)
Data-Hora:9/2/2020 – 16h (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Raphael Claus
Assistentes: Miguel Cataneo Ribeiro da Costa eEvandro de Melo Lima
Onde acompanhar: TV Globo, Premiere e tempo real do LANCE!

CORINTHIANS: Cássio, Bruno Méndez, Pedro Henrique, Gil e Sidcley; Gabriel e Cantillo; Madson, Mateus Vital e Everaldo; Vagner Love. Técnico: Tiago Nunes
Desfalques: Léo Santos, Danilo Avelar e Ramiro (machucados), Janderson (suspenso).
Pendurados: Cássio, Fagner, Camacho, Cantillo, Camacho e Boselli.

INTER DE LIMEIRA:Rafael Pin, Elácio Cordoba, Oliveira, Jean Pablo e Lucas Balardin; Marquinhos, Geovane, Murilo Rangel e Thomaz; Lucas Braga e Tcharlles. Técnico: Elano
​Desfalque: João Victor(força de contrato)
Pendurados: –

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A chegada de DyegoCoelho ao Corinthians trouxe algumas importantes mudanças no estilo de jogo da equipe. Uma das mais perceptíveis é o posicionamento dos laterais. Agora atuando quase como um terceiro zagueiro quando o Timão tem a posse de bola, Danilo Avelar se mostrou satisfeito com a nova forma de jogar da equipe e elogiou o trabalho do treinador interino.

Nos dois últimos jogos nesta temporada, contra Fortaleza e Palmeiras, Avelar posicionou-se ao lado de Gil e Manoel. A ideia da comissão técnica interina é dar segurança ao sistema defensivo, enquanto Janderson tem liberdade para atacar e o lateral Michel Macedo é atua quase como um ponta, dando opções para os meio-campistas do Timão.

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Na saída do Pacaembu, logo após o empate, em 1 a 1, no Dérbi, Avelar falou sobre o novo posicionamento e revelou estar satisfeito atuando mais próximos dos zagueiros, sobretudo por conta de sua altura – 1,84m.

– Me sinto bem ali, pela minha estatura física dá um suporte mais defensivo, uma característica mais europeia. Espero melhorar mais ainda. Acredito que ainda posso entregar muito mais nessa posição – afirmou o lateral.

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No próximo domingo, às 16h, o Corinthians tem uma decisão pela frente contra o Internacional. A tendência é de que Dyego Coelho mantenha o posicionamento da equipe, sobretudo por estar jogando em casa contra um adversário direto na briga por uma vaga na Copa Libertadores do ano que vem. O duelo contra o Colorado é visto como uma decisão pelo Alvinegro.

A round-up of all the Plunket Shield matches that were played from March 15-18, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2016

Seamer Lachie Ferguson’s figures of 5 for 68 in Otago’s second innings stretched his match haul to eight wickets as Auckland claimed a narrow 10-run win in Dunedin.Chasing 218, Otago were bowled out for 207 in 49.3 overs and to add their woes, offspinner Mark Craig was struck flush on the hand by a Ferguson beamer while batting. The injury forced Craig off the field, and is likely to put him completely out of action for at least six weeks.Ferguson was quick to dismiss the openers on the third day and leave Otago in early trouble at 33 for 2. Derek de Boorder counterattacked, but lacked support from the other end. He struck 81 off 76 before he was bowled by Ferguson. Allrounder Colin de Grandhomme complemented Ferguson well by taking two wickets. Auckland eventually walked away with 18 points.The match was set up by Robert O’Donnell’s 87, which helped Auckland to 255 in the first innings, and a lead of 78 runs, after they were asked to bat. Ferguson and Grandhomme had done the damage in Otago’s first innings as well, with combined figures of 27.5 -8- 66-6. Opener Ryan Duffy carried his bat for 90* off 163, but the other end was a case of revolving doors as Otago were bowled out for 177.Auckland collapsed to 139 within 51 overs in the second innings as Craig Smith took 4 for 35, but had the cushion of the first-innings advantage, and a solid bowling attack.Wellington defended 183 against Canterbury, courtesy three-fors from Ian McPeake and Jeetan Patel. Canterbury were skittled for 129 on a maniac final day, which witnessed the fall of 20 wickets.Having been inserted, Wellington made 206 on the back of England professional Scott Borthwick’s century, which included 13 fours. After rain wiped out the second day, Canterbury, riding on fifties from openers Leo Carter and Michael Davidson, opted for a bold declaration at 159 for 2.Fast bowler Hamish Bennett raised Canterbury’s hopes with figures of 5 for 54, which dismissed Wellington for only 136, with only three batsmen managing double figures, the highest being Michael Papps’ 51 at the top of the order.However, Canterbury’s hopes faded away as they succumbed to a collapse of their own. Each of their top-four batsmen reached double figures, but none managed a substantial contribution.Big centuries by Daniel Flynn and Bharat Popli set up a 115-run win for Northern Districts over Central Districts in Hamilton.After being put in to bat, Northern Districts piled up 458 for 6 declared on the back of a 258-run partnership between Flynn and Popli. Opener Flynn struck 26 fours during his 158 while Popli collected 27 fours during his 172.Central Districts were then bowled out for 293, with several of their batsmen failing to capitalise on their starts. Riding on a 165-run lead, Northern Districts put on 332 for 7, led by fifties from Dean Brownlie, Popli and Daryl Mitchell’s 49-ball 72, before declaring to set a target of 498. Central Districts showed more fight in the second innings, but came up short. Tom Bruce led the way for them with 166 off 233 balls and No. 8 Bevan Small scored 76. Spinners Joe Walker and Anton Devcich wheeled away for 57.2 overs, to share eight wickets between them, to seal the win. Devcich finished with eight wickets in the match.

Steven Smith’s men persisted through New Zealand’s resistance and ended day four of the Christchurch Test a mere 131 runs away from claiming victory and the No. 1 Test ranking

The Report by Daniel Brettig22-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJackson Bird claimed a maiden Test five-for in New Zealand’s second innings•Getty ImagesNew Zealand delayed, annoyed and even frustrated Australia into some of the ugliest scenes of the summer. Yet Steven Smith’s men persisted through it all, and by day’s end were a mere 131 runs away from claiming victory in Christchurch and the No. 1 Test ranking.For all the hosts’ fighting qualities, whether it was Kane Williamson’s dogged 97, Corey Anderson’s self-denial or the common sense rearguard of BJ Watling and Matt Henry, Australia always stayed ahead of the game. For this they can thank Jackson Bird, who summoned his first five-wicket haul in Tests, and also the support of James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh.While David Warner nibbled down the leg side to complete the most underwhelming Test series of his career, Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja fought through to the close against another round of short balls from Neil Wagner.At one point, slip was the only man on the off side, making Wagner’s attack obvious. But the second-wicket stand came closest to being broken when Khawaja nearly edged an attempted drive onto the stumps in Anderson’s final over of the day.Australia’s efforts in the field had been obvious, and often near the edge of exasperation. Tempers had simmered during a long stand between Williamson and Anderson, before Bird struck once with the old ball then twice with the new to take the visitors closer to a fourth-innings chase. But Watling and Henry played with good sense to add 118 and ensure New Zealand have something to defend.Pattinson and Hazlewood again bowled with pace, direction and reverse swing in the first hour and went exceptionally close to dismissing both batsmen more than once. Hazlewood’s last appeal – and Australia’s last referral – moments before lunch drew another denial and considerable frustration from Smith’s men.There was self-recrimination, too, when Marsh dropped Anderson at the gully, and the tourists went to the interval clearly angry at not being able to dislodge the overnight pair. They were more patient when faced by Watling and Henry, eventually rewarded when Pattinson had Watling caught on the leg side and Henry was bowled by Bird.Old-ball swing had been key to Australia claiming four wickets on the third evening, and it was again evident as Pattinson and Hazlewood resumed their barrage. Williamson and then Anderson were both subjects of concerted lbw appeals, but on each occasion DRS replays showed contact with the bat first.Anderson’s escape was queried by the Australians, but was quickly followed by a ball angled across and a sliced drive that burst through Marsh’s hands. By the standard set in this match, including Marsh’s own unrewarded catch off a no-ball on day one, it was a bad miss.Further close calls followed: Williamson edged Hazlewood the merest fraction short of Peter Nevill’s gloves, and right on lunch the bowler appeared to strike New Zealand’s No. 3 in front with a swinging yorker from around the wicket.The Australians appealed vehemently and reviewed instantly, but HotSpot replays picked up the faintest inside edge from Williamson before the ball struck his pad, leaving Smith’s men to angrily confront the on-field umpire and express their surprise.Through all this Williamson and Anderson remained, giving New Zealand something of a foothold in the match against increasingly feverish opponents. They remained unhappy until Bird coaxed Anderson into dragging on in the 79th over of the innings, a wicket that opened up an end for the second new ball.Williamson was on 97 when a hint of seam movement with the fresh ball resulted in an edge onto the stumps and, in the same over, Tim Southee snicked to Smith in the slips. Australia sensed they were close to sealing the match, but Watling and Henry had other ideas.Unfussy but positive, they worked the ball around with calculated moments of aggression to build the lead, not offering a chance in the process. By the interval their union was New Zealand’s best for the eighth wicket in a decade, once more leaving Smith to ponder his options.Pattinson tightened up Watling after the break and was rewarded when he flicked the lowest of catches to Joe Burns in front of square leg. Bird found a way through Henry and Trent Boult offered up a skier to give the adopted Tasmanian a Test five-for – vindication of the selectors’ decision to recall him for the first time in three years.A target of 201 was tricky, but Warner and Burns began briskly, quickly whittling down the equation and easing any nerves. Though Warner fell to Wagner, Khawaja was rapidly into his stride, while Burns batted as if to continue his first innings. New Zealand now have only the faintest hope, Australia both eyes on the Test Championship Mace.

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“Vem aqui que quero te mostrar uma coisa no computador. Qual é a emoção ao fazer um gol desses?” Essa pergunta foi feita por um dirigente do Metalist, na Ucrânia,no meio de 2010, antes de Cleiton Xavier assinar contrato. E foi mais uma prova do tamanho do feito do jogador há exatamente 11 anos: o seu golaço na vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o Colo-Colo, em 29 de abril de 2009, no Chile, classificou o Palmeiras na Libertadores e marcou sua vida para sempre.
​
​- Estou esperando que reprisem esse jogo entre tantos que estão repetindo. Fico até emocionado. Vejo esse lance direto. Sempre tem alguém me mandando vídeo ou palmeirense postando e me marcando. É assim todo ano que chega essa data ou tem jogo de Libertadores. Todos falam desse gol. Foi legal saber que até na Ucrânia viram – disse o ex-meia, aposentado desde 2018, em conversa com o LANCE!, por telefone, de São José da Tapera, no interior de Alagoas, onde mantém a “Escolinha CX10” para crianças carentes.

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O jogo foi batizado de “Batalha da Cordilheira”. Ao Colo-Colo, em casa, bastava empatar. O Verdão só se classificava ao mata-mata com vitória, e pressionou: duas bolas na trave de Keirrison e chance na pequena área que Cleiton Xavier perdeu. Para piorar, o volante Pierre e o meia Diego Souza, destaques do time, se machucaram e o zagueiro Marcão foi expulso, aos 17 do segundo tempo.

Cleiton Xavier já tinha arriscado de fora da área. Aos 42 minutos, limpou o seu marcador, de muito longe do gol, e armou o chute. Na época, o goleiro Marcos admitiu que gritou para o colega não chutar. Dirigentes do Palmeiras, na época, fizeram o mesmo, do camarote. Mas a bola entrou no ângulo esquerdo.

– Fomos para cima desde o início, jogamos bem, criamos várias oportunidades, tentamos de todo jeito. Um pouco antes do gol, pensei ‘hoje, essa bola não entra’. No fim, o gol saiu na pior das hipóteses.Eu estava no melhor ano da carreira, confiança lá em cima, tudo dando certo. Pensei em tentar driblar e, se tivesse um espacinho, chutar. Quando apareceu, não pensei duas vezes: me desvencilhei e fui muito feliz. Não tinha outro ângulo para a bola entrar – lembrou Cleiton Xavier, que sentiu já no dia seguinte a dimensão do que fez.

– Vi muita gente me esperando no desembarque e não entendi nada. Demorou para cair a ficha. Até então, era um gol legal, de classificação, passamos de fase. No Brasil, vi a proporção que tomou. Foi como se tivesse sido campeão, com todos comentando em jornais, televisão. Passei a semana dando entrevista – lembrou, sem dúvidas ao falar do que considera o principal gol da carreira.

– Fiz um gol na Ucrânia na saída de bola e outro parecido com aquele contra o Colo-Colo, só que do outro lado e, claro, sem a mesma proporção, emoção e calor do jogo. Na campanha do título brasileiro de 2016, fiz gols importantes contra Vitória, Inter e Corinthians, e falo sempre que fazer gol no Corinthians é um campeonato à parte, nem tem comparação. Mas esse contra o Colo-Colo tem importância maior por tudo que estava envolvido naquele jogo – indicou.

Confira a ficha técnica da partida realizada em 29 de abril de 2009:

FICHA TÉCNICA
COLO-COLO 0 X 1 PALMEIRAS

Local: Monumental David Arellano, Santiago (Chile)
Data: 29/4/2009
Árbitro: Carlos Torres (Paraguai)
Público: 31.038 pagantes
Cartões amarelos: Caroca, Figueroa e Millar (COL); Maurício Ramos e Willians (PAL)
Cartão vermelho: Marcão (17’/2°T)
Gol: Cleiton Xavier (42’/2°T) (1-0)

COLO-COLO: Muñoz; Figueroa, Mena, Riffo e Salcedo; Sanhueza, Meléndez (Jara, aos 18’/2ºT), Millar e Torres (Caroca, aos 16’/1ºT); Carranza (González, aos 40’/2ºT) e Barrios. Técnico: Gualberto Jara

PALMEIRAS: Marcos; Wendel (Willians, intervalo), Maurício Ramos, Danilo e Armero; Marcão, Pierre (Evandro, aos 15’/2ºT), Souza e Cleiton Xavier; Diego Souza (Ortigoza, aos 36’/2ºT) e Keirrison. Técnico: Vanderlei Luxemburgo

Clubs are spending huge amounts of money as they aim for success at home and on the continent – but which squads are the most expensive?

Some of the world's most costly squads have been assembled in Europe as clubs pursue silverware.

UEFA's annual Club Licensing Benchmarking Report has revealed that the top 20 most expensively assembled squads on the continent rose in value by 26 per cent at the end of the 2018 financial year when compared with 12 months previously.

Some of the confederation's biggest clubs are included in the list, while there are also some surprises.

Getty Images20Southampton | €252m (£216m/$281m)AdvertisementGetty Images19Leicester City | €268m (£230m/$298m)Getty Images18Atletico | €286m (£245m/$318m)ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty17Napoli | €306m (£262m/$341m)

Andrew Ellis smacked a fast-paced 143 in Canterbury‘s first innings to shape his side’s eight-wicket win over Northern Districts in Hamilton. Ellis also chipped in with the ball, taking five wickets in the match, including 3 for 43 in the second innings.Ellis’ 170-ball knock, which included 13 fours and eight sixes, reinforced Canterbury’s advantage after they had bowled Northern Districts out for 257 in the first innings. Northern Districts had stabilised after early wickets through a 68-run partnership between Dean Brownlie and Bharat Popli (55) but suffered a batting implosion, losing seven wickets for 69 runs. It was Daryl Mitchell’s 84 that pulled them past the 200-mark to a score of 257. For Canterbury, Todd Astle claimed 3 for 87, while Hamish Bennett and Ellis picked up two wickets apiece.Ellis’ hundred was complemented by Ken McClure’s 96 and an 81 from Cam Fletcher. McClure and Ellis were involved in a 235-run, fifth-wicket stand that hauled the side to safety from a precarious 77 for 4. Once the pair were dismissed, Fletcher led the side’s rally, guiding them to a score of 485. Legspinner Ish Sodhi was the pick of Northern Districts’ bowlers, picking up 5 for 167, backed up by Scott Kuggeleijn’s 4 for 133.Northern Districts batsmen got starts but only Popli (94) and Kuggeleijn (53) went on to make substantial scores as they were dismissed for 316. Canterbury brushed aside their target of 89 in 17 overs and climbed to second place on the points table.George Worker’s all-round efforts – a knock of 123 and a four-for – supported by centuries from Dane Cleaver and Greg Hay set up Central Districts‘ 87-run win over Wellington, their first of this season’s Plunket Shield.Put in to bat, Central Districts amassed 424 for 6 declared, riding on a 230-run partnership for the sixth wicket between Cleaver and Worker that steadied them after they were 148 for 5. Cleaver hit 20 fours and five sixes in his 208-ball 151 not out, while Worker stroked 15 fours and two sixes.In response, Stephen Murdoch (89) and Tom Blundell (92) powered Wellington to 370 for 7 dec. Kurt Richards was the pick of Central Districts’ bowlers, picking up 3 for 77.Hay then built on Central Districts’ 54-run lead with a patient 127 not out to steer them to 314 for 6 declared, setting Wellington a target of 369. Top-order fifties from Luke Woodcock and Stephen Murdoch (82) gave Wellington a good start but their chase fell away after a batting slide that saw them lose five wickets for 26 runs. Luke Ronchi waged a lone battle scoring 88 as Wellington lost eight wickets to left-arm spinners, Ajaz Patel and Worker, with Worker taking 4 for 58.Brad Wilson’s 107 and Neil Broom’s 84 helped Otago play out a draw against Auckland after they were set a target of 444 at Eden Park.Auckland managed to post a 444-run target thanks Jeet Raval’s unbeaten 202 in the second innings that included 28 fours. Rob Nicol and Colin de Grandhomme also contributed with fifties, the latter striking 52 off 43 balls with six fours and two sixes.After being inserted, Auckland were bundled out for 277 on the first day, riding on fifties from Nicol (60) and de Grandhomme (59). Tarun Nethula then led their response with the ball, taking 3 for 64 to help dismiss Otago for 265.With the draw, Auckland picked up six points to maintain their position at the top of the points table.

John Terry shared a bizarre naked photo with the Carabao Cup ahead of the Blues' clash against Liverpool at Wembley.

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Terry posts bizarre throwback photo with Carabao Cup trophyWon three Carabao Cup titles with ChelseaBlues take on Liverpool in Carabao Cup final WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea will aim to clinch their first trophy in the Todd Boehly as they take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday. Ahead of the big clash at Wembley, former Blues captain John Terry shared a bizarre throwback image of himself on Instagram where he is naked and holding the Carabao Cup trophy.

AdvertisementWHAT JOHN TERRY SAID

Terry uploaded the image on his Instagram story with a cheeky caption that read, "It's a good job these tassels are long."

John Terry InstagramTHE GOSSIP

The 43-year-old spent 19 years at Stamford Bridge where he won multiple trophies including three Carabao Cup titles. He first won the title during the 2004/05 season and then repeated the feat during the 2006/07 campaign. His last triumph came in the 2014/15 season where he scored in the final against Tottenham Hotspur in the club's 2-0 win.

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The Reds will be taking the field on Sunday without star attackers like Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez. The pair missed the team's midweek clash against Luton and has once again failed to make the matchday squad for the big final.

The Argentine returns to north London for the first time on Monday, but the man in the opposing dugout is ensuring Spurs are finally moving on

Mauricio Pochettino finally makes his long-awaited return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday, but in circumstances that few could have predicted; rather than a heralded return to the home dugout after four years away, he will be taking his seat as the away manager, in charge of Spurs' fierce London rivals Chelsea.

That would have been a bitter pill to swallow for the Tottenham support if not for his Australian counterpart, Ange Postecoglou, who has turned the north Londoners' fortunes around and guided them to the upper echelons of the Premier League table. In doing so, has helped the club to finally move on from Pochettino, ending years of clamour for his return. His early success is made all the sweeter by Chelsea's coinciding struggles.

In their brief time in charge of their respective London foes, Postecoglou and Pochettino have enjoyed/endured contrasting fortunes, but Monday night will be a significant waypoint on both of their journeys. So, how do the two tacticians compare so far, and what lies ahead?

• Getty
  

  Forging a togetherness

  Both managers entered clubs that were close to breaking point in the summer, inheriting unhappy, disjointed squads that had underperformed significantly under the previous incumbents. Something that evidently topped their lists of priorities and underpinned their work throughout the summer and into the opening weeks of this season, then, was restoring some unity and fostering a togetherness. Both seem to have succeeded in good time.

  Speaking recently, Pochettino said: "When you have an unsettled squad, always it's difficult and you lose time and then you need time to recover the time you lose. That's where we are. Maybe our performances are good but you need [something] extra, which is mental — a connection. It's energy to be all together, not to have different agendas in the squad. We need time to build that togetherness that you need when you are competing at this level."

  Talking about the unity at Tottenham, newly-named club captain Son Heung-min said: "This is [being a] part of family. We are getting really, really tight in the changing room. Everyone is working for each other, running for each other, fighting for each other."

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• Getty
  

  Two elite man-managers

  As renowned man-managers, it's little surprise that both have already managed to lift the gloom in their respective dressing rooms, but it seems to be a story of two very different approaches that have both yielded success.

  Pochettino clearly likes to be hands-on and familiar with his Chelsea players, and his handling of Mykhailo Mudryk – who was bereft of confidence when the manager arrived but has had his self-esteem restored over the weeks and months since – is a shining example of that. The Argentine has taken the Ukrainian under his wing, worked with him on a one-on-one basis, even playing crossbar challenge with the winger, and provided support as both a manager and a friend.

  Postecoglou, meanwhile, has been watchful from a distance, giving the Tottenham players more responsibility off the field as a collective in an attempt to empower them as individuals. The Australian said recently: "A lot of it has to be player-driven. I can sit there and paint the prettiest of pictures but they need to believe in it, they have to buy into it. As I keep saying, it’s their dressing room. They go there every day. I don’t go into the dressing room. And the environment is going to be key to us being successful."

• (C)Getty Images
  

  Contrasting fortunes

  That is largely where the similarities between the two coaches' journeys to this point end. After a slow start and having ridden their luck at times, Postecoglou has his side battling right at the top of the Premier League as we enter November and – more importantly in the eyes of many a Spurs fan – they are back to playing the front-footed, attacking brand of football last seen under (you guessed it) Pochettino.

  Things have not been so smooth for Pochettino and Chelsea. On his return to English football, the Tottenham favourite oversaw the Blues' worst start to a season in 45 yearsin the midst of an injury crisis. There were always the shoots of recovery, though, as Chelsea vastly underperformed their xG, and they enjoyed a timely resurgence in October as they hallmarks of Pochettino's MO began to shine through.

  However, a dire home defeat to Brentford seems to have knocked them back to square one.

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  Targeted changes vs complete overhaul

  One of the main obstacles to immediate success for Pochettino – as was always likely to be the case – has been integrating a raft of new signings after overseeing a fire sale of unhappy and unwanted players.

  His north London counterpart benefitted from very few of the club's regular first-team starters moving on, and Postecoglou signed off on just a few targeted signings to improve the side in certain areas of the pitch, such as James Maddison.

  Pochettino, meanwhile, has had to contend with 21 outgoings, including the likes of Mason Mount and N'Golo Kante, whom he surely would have wanted to work with, as well as 11 newcomers – the vast majority of whom were young and unproven in the Premier League. Getting them to gel was never going to be instantaneous, and the head coach has already lamented the amount of business done in the summer. "At the moment, I think we are a young team, a young team means too many changes in the summer because of the circumstances and we are suffering – sometimes good and bad results, but performances are consistent," he said.

  When you also factor in the malaise that enveloped Stamford Bridge throughout a nightmarish 2022-23 campaign on and off the field, it is little surprise that it has taken four months to see even the earliest signs of improvement at Chelsea.

  That is not to detract from Postecoglou's work, however; three of Tottenham's main summer signings in Maddison, Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario, as well as returning loanee Destiny Udogie, have all been performing at an exceptional level from the off, which is a complete anomaly in the unpredictable world of transfer dealings.