Chelsea have been flying in the Premier League this season and it’s going to take a huge turnaround for anyone other than Antonio Conte’s side to lift the title at the end of the campaign.

The Blues have looked pretty much unstoppable since adopting a three-man defence following a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal earlier in the season and their latest challenge sees them clash with West Ham United on Monday evening.

The Hammers endured a wealth of problems in the first-half of the campaign but have enjoyed a revival since, with Slaven Bilic’s side now sitting in the top-half of the table ahead of Chelsea’s first-ever visit to the London Stadium this weekend.

Whilst Bilic’s side may be optimistic of a result, former Arsenal man Paul Merson can’t see that happening and is expecting Chelsea to take further steps towards Premier League glory. Making his weekend predictions for Sky Sports, he said:

“Chelsea look like a well-oiled machine at the moment which is showing now signs of any faults. They did lose to West Ham at the London Stadium in the EFL Cup earlier in the season, but I do not expect a repeat performance. I expect Chelsea to win this game. West Ham have struggled in front of their own fans and are a better side away from home.”

Merson is predicting a 3-1 win for the visitors, which could potentially see the Hammers slip all the way down to 13th in the league standings.

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The 2016/17 season has so far had an eerily familiar air for Arsenal. A decent start was followed by a lacklustre end to the calendar year, with the Gunners now looking to rescue their season and push for a decent finish. A pretty standard year at the Emirates, then, all told.

Except, this season was supposed to be so different. With Arsene Wenger’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, and with no renewal yet in sight, the Arsenal fairytale was looking destined to take shape. Like a Hollywood blockbuster, Wenger was supposed to lead his side back to Premier League glory and ride off into the sunset – but at present, the film looks more like a repeat of Groundhog Day.

The Gunners are currently sitting in 4th place, with Liverpool breathing down their necks, and their Champions League tie against Bayern Munich is as good as over after being crushed in Munich.

All wasn’t lost though, with the always-influential Santi Cazorla expected to return for the second-half of the season. With confirmation that he is set to miss the rest of the season coming last week, though, could there now be no way back for Arsene Wenger?

On the surface, Cazorla doesn’t come across as the sort of player to really put his mark on games and dominate them – but for Arsenal, he has been absolutely vital in recent years. Though often utilised as a wide attacking midfielder or as a number 10, Wenger decided to play Cazorla deeper, and his decision has certainly been vindicated.

From that position, he is able to control and dictate games, with his majestic passing ability and tempo building play forming the cornerstone of Arsenal’s attacks. He is unique in the Arsenal midfield in that he is as technical as they come, but is solid enough to play as one of the deeper midfield two. Players like Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin all play a significant role and are important, but their qualities are far more useful when Arsenal don’t have the ball. Cazorla comes to the forefront when Arsenal are attacking, with their entire play often running through the Spaniard.

That doesn’t take away from the defensive aspect of his game either. He has learned to compensate for his slight frame and attacking nature, with his ability to read the game and break up play within an instant becoming vital for the Gunners at the back.

The reason why players like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have been so influential in an Arsenal shirt is due, in large part, to the presence of Cazorla. He is able to pass and move, but he is also able to create space and move past players – allowing the players in front of him to get into more threatening positions.

Francis Coquelin brings so much to Arsenal’s first team, but he isn’t able to do half of what Cazorla can do going forward – and so it is no surprise that Ozil has struggled so much in his absence. The Spaniard has so often gone under the radar for the Gunners, and now they are suffering from his absence.

Many have tried and failed to fit into Cazorla’s place. Xhaka has looked poor, Ramsay has struggled, and whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been passable in the role lately – it is quite clear that he is a square peg in a round hole. That is a testament to just how influential Cazorla really is.

For Wenger, then, he may be going down a path from which he cannot return. An FA Cup trophy might not be enough to earn him a new contract, and so his lasting legacy could be one of failure, rather than success. If Cazorla were in the side, it could have been so different. Instead, though, Wenger is having to rebuild his side to cope with his loss, and the results are – unsurprisingly – simply not up to par.

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According to reports in The Sun this week, Southampton and Everton could go head-to-head for the £20m signature of Sporting Lisbon defender Ruben Semedo.

Saints boss Claude Puel is looking to sign a centre-back this summer as a replacement for Jose Fonte – who joined West Ham in January – and he might need to bring in another if Virgil van Dijk continues to attract the interest of the bigger sides in the Premier League.

Even though they brought in free agent Martin Caceres last month, the Uruguayan was only signed until the end of the campaign and his future at St Mary’s is far from certain either.

Meanwhile, with Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams getting no younger, and few other options available to him, Toffees manager Ronald Koeman will also surely be looking to strengthen his options at centre-half in the summer.

The duo are both said to have regularly scouted Semedo, and it appears as though they have been largely impressed with what they have seen.

However, they may be slightly concerned that he has been dropped from the starting XI for his side’s last four Primeira Liga matches in recent weeks by manager Jorge Jesus.

Despite that, the 22-year-old might have done enough to convince scouts from both clubs that he is ready for a move to the Premier League, and his stats from this term back that up.

In 18 league appearances, Semedo has shown what a good defender he is by winning 34 tackles, as well as making 54 interceptions and 47 clearances.

If Saints do lose Van Dijk, Claude Puel will want someone who can replace his strength in the air and having won 48 aerial duels, Semedo has certainly shown that to be one of his main attributes.

Both Puel and Koeman like their centre-backs to be good on the ball, and with a 90% passing accuracy he ticks the boxes there too.

One negative does come in the form of the 22-year-old’s discipline though, with the centre-half being sent off on two occasions this term.

That is something that can be easily rectified though, and his impressive defensive attributes could be enough to see both Southampton and Everton launch bids to bring him to England this summer.

Man City have had an up and down season under Pep Guardiola, leaving our fans here in the Tavern somewhat perplexed by what has gone on some weeks.

At times brilliant and at other times truly woeful, the City fans at the minute literally do not know what to make of where they might end up at the end of the season.

Part of the reason for the inconsistent performances is certain players dipping below the levels they have set themselves over previous years.

In a squad full of stars, some players have simply drowned under the pressure of being successful, and our landlord thinks a few City players have gone backwards under Pep.

With this in mind, we have taken a look at TWO Man City players who have regressed under Pep Guardiola…

Sergio Aguero

The Argentine strike might be getting the game time now that Gabriel Jesus is injured, but there is little denying he has not been himself under Guardiola.

Aguero has often looked short of confidence and not been his usual dynamic self, despite still leading the goal charts for City. The little striker will be hoping to get back to his best sooner rather than later though, whether that be at City, or elsewhere come the summer.

Fabian Delph

The former Leeds and Aston Villa is simply sitting on the sidelines under Pep, offering very little to the team and getting little to no game time.

This suggests the former Barcelona manager is not all that thrilled or impressed with Delph, and that he could well look to move him on. It is a shame for Delph, who had at one time in his career got himself well into the England set up.

However, that now seems a big distance away for the midfielder.

West Ham United fans have given their reaction to Diafra Sakho’s claims that he is ready to contribute in the final eight games of the season.

The Senegal international recently returned to training after spending almost four months on the sidelines following back surgery.

The 27-year-old has made just two Premier League appearances this season due to the injury, but now he has told West Ham TV that he is raring to go.

It has not been the most enjoyable season for West Ham fans due to the controversial move to the London Stadium and a string of disappointing results.

Slaven Bilic’s side managed an impressive seventh-placed finish in the previous campaign, but they now sit 14th in the table after winning just nine of their 30 fixtures.

On top of that, the club have recorded defeats in their last four league matches, which has not eased the fans’ frustrations.

Plenty of supporters are hopeful that Sakho can make a different in the home stretch, while others are not so convinced.

According to the Sun, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is ready to sanction a surprise £20m swoop on Manchester City for ‘keeper Joe Hart his summer.

What’s the word?

Having been dropped by Pep Guardiola at the start of his first campaign in charge of the club, the England international was sent out on loan to Serie A side Torino amid doubts about his suitability to get involved in City’s build-up play under the Spaniard.

While he remains the No.1 choice at international level, there appears to be little chance the 30-year-old has any future at all with the Etihad giants, despite playing key roles in both of their Premier League title wins.

Though his performance level was called into question by Torino president Urbano Cairo, Il Toro were understood to be wanting to keep Hart in Turin beyond the end of the campaign.

Still, the Italian are reportedly unable to afford him and the Sun suggest the Reds are keen on swooping in. For their part, City are said to be willing to allow him to leave to a Premier League rival following his years of service, as Chelsea did to Petr Cech when he joined Arsenal.

What about Mignolet?

Well, Simon Mignolet has failed to wholly convince at Anfield for the past few years. He, along with summer signing Loris Karius, have made their fair share of mistakes this term, though the former has been improving of late.

Indeed, Kop legend John Aldridge recently suggested he had done enough to establish himself as Jurgen Klopp’s No.1, though this report claims a £20m move for Hart has been sanctioned.

An upgrade?

Yes. Hart may have seen his stock fall in the past year or so after a poor Euro 2016, as well as the Guardiola situation, though has twice won the Premier League and remains England’s undisputed No.1.

While he too is prone to the odd mistake (and Liverpool’s defensive problems go far deeper than just their ‘keeper) there would be little doubting Klopp will have strengthened should Hart arrive.

It may not have been pretty or their most memorable performance under Jurgen Klopp, but Liverpool did what they needed to do at the Hawthorns on Sunday – eking out a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion to move up to third in the Premier League table.

The Baggies are enjoying a fantastic season and represent exactly the kind of side Liverpool usually struggle to perform against, protruding physicality, organisation and attrition over attacking football and technical flair.

Once again, it wasn’t a stellar display from the Reds but an incredibly important one as we embark upon the business end of the campaign. So, who was Liverpool’s best performer at the Hawthorns?

We put that exact question to Reds readers last night in our exclusive poll – here’s a rundown of who made the top three.

3. Lucas Leiva

Any Liverpool fans wondering what purpose Lucas Leiva truly serves on Merseyside only has to watch this game back. He competed relentlessly with West Brom’s engine room and finished up with three tackles and one interception, whilst completing the most passes of any Liverpool midfielder or forward. He also won three aerial duels, including a flicked-on header at a set piece to set up Roberto Firmino for the only goal of the afternoon.

2. Simon Mignolet

Simon Mignolet’s received plenty of stick throughout his Liverpool career but the Belgium international certainly couldn’t be faulted against the Baggies, producing two crucial saves to keep the home side at bay. It’s actually been an incredibly solid season from the former Sunderland man – it’s hard to remember the last time he made a mistake in the Premier League – and although most Liverpool fans would have opted for Loris Karius to be the new No.1 when he arrived last summer, the German’s move to Merseyside has seemingly spurred Mignolet on to produce a much higher level of performance.

1. Roberto Firmino

It may seem simplistic but it’s hard to overlook the only goalscorer in a 1-0 win, with Firmino’s finish from close range (courtesy of Leiva’s aforementioned flick-on) proving the difference upon the final whistle. But the Brazilian’s performance was by no means limited to just that; he also completed five successful dribbles and created five chances – the best returns of any player for either side – and even weighed in defensively with two tackles, one interception and one clearance. Many feared how Liverpool would fare for the rest of the campaign in the absence of the injured top scorer Sadio Mane, but Firmino has proved in his last two appearances that he’s capable of filling the void.

Results

West Ham United will know that they will be on the verge of securing their Premier League status for another season if they can pick up all three points against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

The Hammers looked to be on the verge of being sucked into a relegation battle following five successive defeats between March and April but they have bounced back and taken five points from their last three fixtures to move away from the bottom three.

Lying on 38 points going into their clash against the Potters, Slaven Bilic’s men can surpass the magic 40-point mark with a victory and it would be a huge relief in what has been a disappointing campaign.

West Ham supporters have been having their say on how they feel the match against Stoke will go, and they seem to be divided with some feeling in positive mood, and others remembering that they have often struggled when they have faced Mark Hughes’ men.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye has proved to be one of the bargains of the season in the Premier League, but Toffees fans still want to see more from him next term.

The Senegal international moved to Goodison Park from Aston Villa last summer for £7.1m, and he has gone on to become a key man for Ronald Koeman’s side in the middle of the park, helping them secure Europa League football.

The 27-year-old was once again impressive in the 1-0 victory against Watford on Merseyside on Friday night as he helped his team keep a clean sheet in their final home game of the campaign.

Afterwards he posted a message of appreciation via social media, and Everton supporters were quick to thank him for his influential performances this season.

However, some believe he needs to add more goals to his game next term in order to help the club push on again.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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According to SkyBet, West Ham United are the 9/4 favourites to sign Southampton midfielder Dusan Tadic this summer.

Irons manager Slaven Bilic is keen to strengthen his attacking options following a below-par campaign and he is still looking for a replacement for the creative Dimitri Payet, who left for Marseille during the January transfer window.

A need for a central attacking midfielder who can play wide could mean that Tadic is an attractive proposition for the Hammers.

Meanwhile, there could also be major changes at Saints over the course of pre-season with Claude Puel’s future seemingly uncertain, while there may be players coming and going too following a disappointing goalscoring campaign in which they netted just 17 times at home.

One of those casualties could be the 28-year-old after he endured his worst Premier League season since moving to the south coast outfit in 2014.

Here are three reasons Southampton should sell Tadic to West Ham…

He could be on the decline

After scoring four goals and providing a further seven assists in his first Premier League season and then netting seven and giving 13 assists in his second campaign, Tadic has struggled to make an impact in a low-scoring Saints side this term.

The 28-year-old scored just three goals and provided five assists during a disappointing top flight campaign in terms of attacking threat, and the club may feel that he is on the decline as he approaches his 29th birthday.

Critcising the manager in public

Whether he disagreed with his decisions or not, Tadic was wrong to publicly criticise Claude Puel in March by saying that the Frenchman’s decision to substitute him off in some matches had cost Southampton a result.

Since then, the 28-year-old has stayed on the pitch more than he did previously but amid a disappointing personal campaign, the matter should have been sorted out behind closed doors.

Having reportedly also not seen eye-to-eye with previous boss Ronald Koeman, Saints may feel it’s time to sell the potential trouble-marker this summer.

He can’t play in the same team as Boufal

The Moroccan became Southampton’s record signing last summer following his arrival from Lille but he has struggled to make an impression following an injury-hit campaign.

The 23-year-old has certainly looked more comfortable as a number 10 rather than out wide, where he has less defensive responsibilities, and the club could look to utilise him there more next term.

The problem, however, is that it is also Tadic’s preferred position, so Saints may choose to invest in the talent of Boufal rather than try to utilise both of them in the team, as they tried and failed to do in the 0-0 draw at home to Hull City.

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