The Arsenal debate: Vermaelen, Koscielny or Mertesacker?

That Arsenal
won in Munich on Wednesday is no real surprise: it has been a recent disturbing
tendency of the Gooners to perform valiantly in causes already cast unto the
wind. 



However, the Highbury/Emirati gallantry has
provided pundits on the Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast with more ammunition
for the argument that the North Londoners’ best central defensive partnership
doesn’t

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Moyes all set to continue at Everton

With Everton’s
demise at the hands of Wigan in their FA Cup Quarter Final, the future of
David Moyes has been cast into doubt. 
During his long and successful tenure at Goodison Park, the Scot has
been lauded as an exemplary manager who consistently compelled teams to
overachieve in spite of a modest budget.



However, this success has been juxtaposed against a stark lack
of results when it

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Redknapp's fearless Queens Park Rangers

Despite a
weekend win at Southampton, QPR have taken up residence Struggle street and
there doesn’t seem to be an exit for miles. 




Though they’ve entered perhaps the easiest portion
of their schedule all season, the Rs remain tied firmly to the bottom of
the English Premier League table.   Escape is – at best – improbable.  Common wisdom suggests that a club needs 40
points to dodge

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Benítez and Chelsea: the inevitable breakup

The Rafael Benítez experiment at Chelsea has quickly and predictably moved into an endgame as inevitable as it will be tedious.  The Spaniard will depart Stamford Bridge at the end of the season –perhaps much, much sooner – after presiding over half a season of rebellious players, fractious fan groups and disappointing English Premier League season.



In a curious press conference after win at

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Alternative XI: New South Wales escapees

30%
of all Australian First-Class contracted players have their origins in New
South Wales.  However, the frequency with which players
have departed Sydney for Sheffield Shield opportunities is quite alarming.



This isn’t a new phenomenon: for decades New South Wales
have produced players who have achieved more for adopted states – either money
or opportunity has lured players the likes of Sir

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And they say (League Cup) romance is dead...

Not only do Cups competitions make for interesting subplots
to seasons that run as long as eight months, but they also pit different league
levels against each other.  This gives
Millwall fans a pleasant (and utterly
nonviolent) away day at Manchester City, or the Glovers of Yeovil
Town a lucrative home fixture against Chelsea. 



Smaller clubs are offered a puncher’s
chance against larger,

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Graphic: Four-year EPL efficiency

This efficiency study tracks how effective each English Premier League team has been since 2009-10.  It does so by mapping a team's offensive efficiency (measured in shots per goal scored) against their defensive resilience (measured in shots faced per goal conceded).  Data is updated to 22nd February 2012 and so includes Liverpool's recent 5-0 win over Swansea City.

The axes cross at "league

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