Liverpool have had an indifferent season so far, especially compared to the highs of last season’s title challenge. Currently eight after 20 matches – with just eight victories and seven defeats – it was always going to be difficult once Luis Suarez left the club.

Add to that Daniel Sturridge missing the majority of the season so far through injury, and that’s 52 goals taken out of the side. Any team would struggle but recent form suggests Liverpool are slowly getting back to their best and are just seven points off a Champions League position. With Sturridge expected back sooner rather than later, a top four finish isn’t completely out of the question, especially due to the inconsistencies of some of the teams above Liverpool.

Liverpool are currently six games unbeaten – four in the league – and are still in both domestic cup competitions. Whilst a two legged League Cup semi-final against Chelsea will be extremely tough to overcome, nothing can be ruled out with Liverpool and their love of the League Cup. And in the FA Cup, a kinder home tie against Bolton awaits, a match they will be strong favourites to win.

Although their last Premier League encounter ended in a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Leicester, Brendan Rodgers’ men have certainly shown vast improvements in the past month. A 3-4-3 formation has been implemented with two wing backs as part of the midfield four and both Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho allowed to drop deeper if needed. This formation has seen Liverpool become a little more solid at the back whilst more adventurous up-front, as demonstrated in the 4-1 defeat of Swansea. This type of formation is suited to Steven Gerrard’s style of play, as demonstrated in recent weeks, and he will be a huge loss when he departs at the end of the season.

But the weaknesses still appear and, despite having two wing-backs that can make up a back five off the ball, the defence still concede too regularly. One of the first times Liverpool used this tactic was against Man United in the 3-0 loss at Old Trafford. Liverpool matched United for most of the match, created many clear cut chances, which may have resulted in goals had they been able to call upon a quality centre forward instead  of makeshift option Raheem Stirling. The Reds’ consistently poor defensive displays are also clear indications there are still areas in which Liverpool must improve, but they are not a million miles away from competing for a European place again.

They must either buy a centre forward this month, or at least start playing with one, because it could prove vital in their search for consistency and a top four finish. Rickie Lambert might have had a tough start to life at Liverpool, but he is able to score goals if given the opportunity and, while Mario Balotelli has been poor,  a loan move away from Anfield could be what he needs to rebuild his confidence in front of goal. Daniel Sturridge returning will be like a new signing for Brendan Rodgers, but only if he can hit the ground running after a lengthy lay-off. But he is the type of striker Liverpool have been missing, a proven goalscorer who has impressed greatly since arriving in Merseyside.

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It was always going to take time to adjust to Luis Suarez’s departure but there are signs that Liverpool still have a side full of quality. A bit more time should be allowed because the club can still fight all the way for a top four finish and perhaps even some silverware come May.

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There are few things more cringe-worthy in the modern game than the sort of pre-game banter often exchanged between official club twitter accounts.Arsenal and Monaco seem to be masters of the art, however, as they proved tonight with this exchange:

Some say the arguments that take place beneath YouTube videos is the lowest form of discourse. Others believe that this is offered by Jeremy Kyle.

However, as Arsenal and AS Monaco have shown us tonight, it would seem the kind of ‘banter’ exchanged between official club twitter handles is making a strong argument for that crown.

Arsenal are the only team, alongside Real Madrid, to have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League in every season since the new format in 2003/04. However, they have been knocked out in the last 16 in each of the last four seasons.

Monaco, on the other hand, have gone through against English clubs in their last three knockout encounters: in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup quarter finals v Newcastle, in the 1997/98 Champions League quarter finals v Manchester Utd and in the 2003/04 Champions League semi-finals v Chelsea.

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Despite enjoying the profits of the much documented ‘Luis Suarez cash’ that got spent rather hastily throughout the course of last summer, Liverpool’s latest batch of new signings simply haven’t worked out as well as most would have expected for Brendan Rodgers.

It must obviously be remembered that the likes of Lazar Markovic, Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren still remain in the early stages of their Anfield careers, with certain new additions such as Emre Can already proving to be worthwhile acquisitions so far – but ultimately the Reds just haven’t reinvested their money with a great deal of efficiency.

With Roma’s star midfielder – Miralem Pjanic – still seemingly remaining a high transfer priority for Brendan Rodgers however, perhaps Liverpool’s recent transfer activity might just start being seen in a different light. The Bosnian international could simply prove to be the missing piece of the puzzle for Liverpool next season.

As the 24-year-old will reportedly cost the Premier League club in the region of £37million though, would such a bold investment really be worth it for Brendan Rodgers in his attempts to transform the Reds into a title winning side? The answer might just be yes…

Although continuing to get the chequebook out in such a carefree manner may come across as somewhat unsustainable at first, Liverpool just haven’t been able to match the lofty expectations of their fans throughout the Premier League era – so maybe more risks will inevitably have to be taken.

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Miralem Pjanic though – should he eventually sign at Anfield – would nevertheless offer something that the Reds are currently lacking. The Bosnian star shined at last summer’s World Cup for his ability to connect his team’s strikers with the rest of his side. Through a combination of his flawless passing, intelligent vision across the pitch, and impressive composure on the ball throughout the whole 90 minutes – Pjanic acts as an attacking anchor for his respective teams, and more often than not proves worthy of his current status in European football.

Roma have recently been experiencing somewhat of a renaissance in recent years, successfully challenging Juventus for that all-important top spot in Serie A ahead of both Inter and AC Milan. Such a turnaround in fortunes comes as no surprise however, as this recent golden era for the Romans has conveniently coincided with Miralem Pjanic’s time at the club. His role within Rudi Garcia’s team therefore comes with a great deal of importance.

Should Liverpool finally give the go ahead on such a deal, space within Brendan Rodgers’ current squad would simply have to be freed up in order to successfully house the former Lyon man.

Alongside the likes of Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho – with Daniel Sturridge performing his usual duties up top and Adam Lallana fleeting in and out of proceedings – Liverpool would perhaps have what it takes to both reassert themselves domestically and in the Champions League, as well as finally moving on from missing the ever remembered Luis Suarez down at Anfield.

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At a hefty £37m though, time will simply have to tell on this particular transfer story. With the likes of PSG previously reporting an interest in bringing the up and coming talent under their wing, Liverpool will simply have a huge task ahead of them if they want to be the ones to land the Bosnian.

If the Reds manage to successfully do it however, Brendan Rodgers’ side will definitely be looking a great deal stronger in the run up to the new 2015/16 campaign. Ahead of Jordan Henderson perhaps, it might just be Miralem Pjanic who turns out to be the man worthy of effectively replacing Steven Gerrard at Anfield for the foreseeable future.

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Aston Villa’s late season resurgence is likely ensure they will remain in the Premier League as well as giving them a season-ender at Wembley for the FA Cup Final. Much of the plaudits for this Midlands renaissance have been heaped at the feet of their new manager Tim Sherwood; but his centre forward, Christian Benteke, has proved to be the catalyst for their improved run of form.

With the Belgian now enjoying his most consistent run of form since his debut season in England, clubs are again rumoured to be looking at the Villa man, but is he good enough to make the step up to the elite level?

His first season at Villa Park was one of the better debut campaigns for a striker in a number of years. In a struggling side he managed to plunder 19 league goals, at a ratio of better than one in two. His unerring speed and eye for goal made him one of the hottest properties in English football and despite the club’s protestations, Benteke put in a transfer request and seemed destined to leave the Midlands for a multi-million pound fee.

However, the striker retracted his request and stayed at the club, and since that transfer fiasco the 24 year old has struggled to regain the kind of blistering form he found at the start of his Villa career. This was until the emergence of Mr. Sherwood, the striker has been revitalised under his new boss and has managed to notch six goals in his last four games, including a winner at Tottenham, a hat-trick against QPR and the equaliser at Wembley against Liverpool.

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In a season of immense struggles for the club he has still managed to hit double figures, and in doing so has scored nearly 50% of his team’s goals. His recent form has earned them enough valuable points to mean glances over claret and blue shoulders are becoming less and less frequent.

His recent form has again stoked the fire of speculation and it seems as if Liverpool are keen on adding the Belgian to their ranks. Brendan Rodgers’ team has struggled to find the net this term and a natural goalscorer is top of his wish list. Benteke has consistently managed to find the net – he has nearly 40 in less than 85 games for the Villains – and this record becomes even more impressive when you consider he has been in a poorer team and had a serious knee injury.

Quality, high level strikers are at a genuine premium in football and ones that have proven themselves in the English top flight are at an ever greater one. Christian Benteke crosses all the boxes that any team needs from their head of attack and has the potential to be one of the division’s top players.

The Villa striker has proven his worth at a struggling side but now he must surely be looking over the other side of the fence and see the glory that could await him. His performances at Villa Park have earned him a move to one of the country’s genuine title contenders and he may prove to be a shrewd bit of business to anyone that can acquire him.

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Manchester United’s fourth place finish marked a decent first season in charge for Louis van Gaal, who ensured the club’s primary aim of securing Champions League football was met with six points to spare.

Attention has already turned to next season, however, and there is still plenty of work to do in order to fulfil the notably higher expectations they will face. It’s already clear United want to be challenging for the league title next term, but the squad will have to be strengthened if they are to have any hope of overhauling the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea.

Despite the defence remaining a cause for concern and the goalkeeping situation a worry with the future of goalkeeper David de Gea still in doubt, it’s the attacking players that could have the biggest influence on their success next season.

The Red Devils struggled at times in the campaign just gone with a lack of firepower ultimately costing them a top three finish. It was hard to envisage that at the start of the season, but with Robin van Persie struggling for both fitness and form and Radamel Falcao failing to make a significant impression; there appears to be a real need for a new striker this summer – especially as the latter has been sent back to Monaco.

A few names have already been linked with a move to Old Trafford including Harry Kane and Gonzalo Higuain, but there is the possibility that Real Madrid could be willing to cash in on Karim Benzema. This is the player Van Gaal should be prioritising over the summer and a signing that could make them a real threat next season.

The arrival of Rafa Benitez at Madrid has led to speculation that Benzema may lose his place in the side, with Ronaldo tipped to fill the centre forward position at the Bernabeu. And with suggestions that the striker could also be used in some sort of deal to finally sign De Gea; Benzema’s time in Spain could be coming to an end.

Arsenal have also been strongly linked with the Frenchman who still remains one of the best goalscorers in Europe, and the destination of the 27-year-old could well be the difference between which of these teams finishes higher next season.

Benzema netted 22 goals last term, and it’s that sort of return that United will be desperate for going forward. He’s not only a superb finisher that will guarantee goals, but his ability to create opportunities for his team-mates would make him a great asset to United, providing the cutting edge they lacked so dearly.

Given the outstanding exploits of Ronaldo; Benzema’s contribution often gets overlooked, but the fact he’s scored 123 goals in less than 250 appearances for the Spanish giants highlights his class and potency.

At the prime of his career; he certainly looks like the marquee signing that United require upfront and would send a huge signal of intent to the rest of the Premier League.

Van Gaal will be desperate to improve on the lacklustre tally of 62 goals that his United side registered last season – their second lowest in Premier League history – and a pairing of Wayne Rooney and Benzema would definitely provide them with the firepower to do so.

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Whether or not the forward leaves the Spanish capital this summer remains to be seen; and you’d have to say it would be strange were Real willing to let a player of this quality depart. But if this is the case what the Red Devils mustn’t do is allow him to join the Gunners without doing all they can to secure his signature.

Which ever team can win the race for the £30m striker will not only have put themselves in the best position to wrestle the league title off Chelsea, but also have dealt a huge blow to one of their major rivals before the season has even got underway.

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The most under rated player currently in the Premier League is going to be pivotal to any title challenge for Arsenal in 2015/16. Injuries have cut down his opportunities in 2014/15, but German World Cup winner Mesut Ozil has won two trophies in two seasons at the Emirates Stadium already.

Arsenal’s investment in Ozil has taken a lot of criticism and his languid style has not been taken to by much of the British media. The German’s gliding between the lines and drifting across the field doesn’t match the blood and guts that is so adored by man followers of the English game. Yet Ozil’s success, as for any player focused on creativity, relies so heavily on his team mates’ movement.

His brilliance at Real Madrid was worthy of a being a ‘Galactico’, but Ozil’s exceptional statistics were largely down to the perfect finishing of Cristiano Ronaldo. The more prominent that assists become in judging a player’s success, the more we need to be aware that the assist is reliant on the quality of finisher the ball is provided to. Ozil lives off having players stretching the game and running in behind, while he finds space between the lines. Without the correct team picked around him, he cannot thrive as he did in Madrid.

The freedom Ozil enjoyed at Madrid, even with Jose Mourinho as manager, was largely due to the defensive cover. Xabi Alonso was playing in a role that Arsenal, other than with Francis Coquelin, haven’t truly filled for a while. The presence of a controller from deep in midfield will help both Arsenal and Ozil to provide a base for creative freedom and continue to toy with Premier League defences.

The next addition must be a man deeper than Ozil and Schneiderlin or a player like Sporting Lisbon’s William Carvalho seem ideal. Either of the two could be final piece in Arsenal’s talented jigsaw as Wenger searches for his first league title since 2003/04. Bringing the best out in Ozil, by very nature of his play, will bring the best out of the entire Arsenal squad, and the quicker the German racks up the assists the faster Arsenal will become realistic title challengers.

The addition of Alexis Sanchez has taken much of the burden off of Ozil with another big-money signing distracting at least some of the attention, and Sanchez’s goals regularly saved the Gunners in his first campaign. While the talk may be of a need to add a new striker, retaining Theo Walcott allows for several options for Wenger and will be sufficient to get the most out of Ozil, Wilshere and Ramsey.

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If Arsenal are to challenge, they must build around the qualities of Ozil, Sanchez and Ramsey. Providing he can avoid long injury lay-offs, expect to see Ozil as a leading contender for player of the season by May 2016.

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that he and the rest of the coaches are helping Dele Alli get back to his best.

The 21-year-old has experienced a dramatic change in his career over the past few years.

Since moving to the North London club from MK Dons, the midfielder went from League One to becoming a regular starter in the Premier League.

Alli has also transformed into an established England international and is expected to be on the plane for next summer’s World Cup in Russia.

The midfielder was integral in Spurs finishing second in the top flight last season, but he has struggled to recreate that form in the 2017-18 campaign.

Alli’s attitude has been called into question again after he escaped a red card during last weekend’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City.

The midfielder failed to make an impact, and the biggest talking point involving the young player was when he caught Kevin De Bruyne’s ankle in a dangerous challenge.

Pochettino is not worried about Alli’s dip in form, though, and vows to help his player get back to top form.

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Sky Sports quotes the manager as saying:

“His success in two and a half years is massive, a fantastic achievement. It’s not that he isn’t doing good – the problem is that in the past he was amazing. Sometimes to be consistent, a player needs to go down to come back up. The most important thing now is support from the club and the coaching staff, to trust and help him reach the same levels as before.”

English football has a knack of writing off its young talents too quickly. If they’re not holding down a first team spot at a major club by the time they’re 22, they’re usually deemed as being unable to ever reach the realms of top-class – and often come under huge criticism as a consequence.But no two individuals are ever completely the same, and we shouldn’t expect young footballers to take exactly the same journey of development. The idea of one size fitting all just doesn’t make sense in such a diverse sport and some footballers, like Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard, inevitably take longer than others to realise the full extremities of their ability.Indeed, Lingard has split opinion amongst United supporters and the wider Premier League audience practically ever since he became a first-team regular under Louis van Gaal. While the Red Devils’ last two permanent managers and the current England boss have all demonstrated recurring faith in the attacking midfielder, many have questioned his quality and consistency.Now aged 25, however, the Three Lions midfielder is finally starting to hit peak form, with seven goals and two assists in his last nine Premier League appearances, and he delivered yet another impressive showing on New Year’s Day as Manchester United fought their way to a 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.It was Lingard’s 81st minute strike, a right-footed curler from the edge of the box, that sealed the victory for the Red Devils. But that was just the icing on the cake amid another incredibly productive display from United’s academy product. He finished up with the most efforts at goal of any United player, while recording the most dribbles, winning the most fouls and completing 86% of his passes.The strange thing, however, is that Lingard’s late rise to prominence was predicted by another of his former managers – the great Sir Alex Ferguson. As quoted by Manchester Evening NewsÂand discussed by one United fan on Twitter, the Scot said back in 2012…

It just goes to show that a little patience can go a long way in English football.

Liverpool won a thrilling encounter against Manchester City in the English Premier League on Sunday, emerging victorious in a 4-3 result that delighted supporters and neutrals alike.

It was the first time Man City have lost in the league this season and catapulted the Reds into third position, level on points with Manchester United and Chelsea.

Jurgen Klopp’s side scored early on through Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain before the visitors equalised just before half-time thanks to Leroy Sane.

However, a three goal blitz in eight second half minutes provided the victory for the Anfield side and despite a spirited comeback from Pep Guardiola’s men, Liverpool held on for a famous victory.

Reds fans were overjoyed with the victory and had special praise for opening scorer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in particular, who produced an accomplished midfield display to further cement his important to Klopp’s starting eleven.

He’s had a great season since moving from Arsenal in the summer and supporters are looking forward to even more in the months ahead.

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Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…

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According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United are ready to step up their bid to sign Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey after the Magpies completed a loan deal for Chelsea winger Kenedy.

The Sun says the Irons made an enquiry for the 25-year-old earlier in the month, but the Tyneside outfit didn’t want to sell because of a lack of strength in the depth in their squad.

However, the addition of Kenedy will go some way to sorting that issue and potentially allowing Shelvey to move on, which will have caught the attention of Hammers boss David Moyes even though a separate report in The Sun on Saturday claimed the player is currently earning £90,000-a-week.

The Scot is desperate to add to his midfield options before the January transfer window slams shut after earmarking it as one of the weak areas of his team, who currently lie just four points above the relegation zone and six points off the bottom of the Premier League table.

Meanwhile, Hannover 96 star Salif Sane, who is rated at £7.2m according to Transfermarkt, has once again been impressing in the Bundesliga and has arguably been his side’s standout performer this season, and he could be seen as a potential alternative target to the Newcastle man.

Given how well he the Senegal international has been playing, bringing him to the London Stadium could prove to be a shrewd move.

Here are three reasons West Ham must forget Shelvey and sign Sane instead…

His qualities

According to WhoScored.com, Sane is statistically the joint-second best player in the Bundesliga this season following a string of impressive performances for 10th-placed Hannover.

The 27-year-old has a decent passing accuracy of 82% in 18 Bundesliga appearances this term, while he has won 106 of the 132 aerial duels he has contested, won 33 tackles as well as making 53 interceptions and 138 clearances.

The 6ft 5in defender is great defensively, but he has also shown his ability going forward by making seven key passes and successfully completing six of the seven dribbles he has attempted.

Versatility

While Sane has primarily played as a centre-back for Hannover this season, he is also able to play as a defensive midfielder – as he did on a number of occasions for the Bundesliga outfit last term – because of his ability on the ball.

The 27-year-old’s strength and quality in the air would mean that he would provide a huge barrier in front of the West Ham backline if he did join them, while he would be able to slot into the centre of the defence if he was required too as well – something that Shelvey wouldn’t be able to do.

Wages

According to The Sun, Shelvey is currently earning £90,000-a-week with Newcastle and he isn’t likely to want to take too much of a pay cut if West Ham aren’t willing to reach that figure.

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Sane will certainly be on a much lower number at Hannover right now and the east London outfit wouldn’t have to break the bank to bring him to the London Stadium.

Considering how impressive he has been this season and previously, the Irons should be looking to sign the Senegal international before January 31.

Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.