Who deserves PFA Player of the year?

The nominations were released for PFA player of the year as we near the end of yet another Premier League season, here I look at who is most deserving of that prize.

6. Philippe Coutinho

The Liverpool man is sure to be delighted to get a nomination for such an award but in all reality a nomination is the best he can hope for. Its been a great season for the “Little Magician” who was Liverpool’s standout player of the year by a distance.

While its been a good season for him he has registered just 4 goal and 4 assists, these figures don't come near to some of the other attacking midfielders in the Premier League and for that reason he will have to be content with a nomination.

In the defence of the Brazilian he has not had much around him to assist and it has not been a good season for Liverpool as a team so to get a nomination is a real achievement. If he continues his form into next season who knows he could be a lead contender for the award but not this year.

5. Diego Costa

After his expensive move from Atletico in the summer Costa has been a real success and is fully deserving of his place on the list. With 19 goals this season he is the joint top scorer in the league.

His goals at the start of the season got the Chelsea train rolling towards the league title they are bang on track for. Having had such a great start to the season Costa will have expected to get his scoring figures into the high twenties but injuries have hampered that in the second half of the season.

This injured spell is ultimately what cost him a real chance of winning the Player of the Year but for his first campaign in England a nomination is nothing to be frowned upon.

4. David De Gea

Spanish keeper De Gea has been the star performer in an inconsistent Manchester United team this season and is a genuine contender to win the award.

With 10 clean sheets thus far its been a great season for the Spaniard who in the early parts of the season was United’s only source of optimism, his terrific performance against Liverpool at Old Trafford was a particular highlight.

Interest from Real Madrid is reportedly high in the shot stopper so if this is to be his last season, what a last season it has been.

3. Harry Kane

Kane is the only Englishman on the list after a remarkable rise to the top for Spurs. The joint top scorer in the Premier League on 19 goals Kane has led Spurs’ charge for the top four places, a charge that ultimately failed.

Kane was not as prolific in the first half of the season and because of this probably won't win the award, his second half of the season however really has been sensational and deserving of being considered for the award.

2. Alexis Sanchez

The second man brought in from La Liga last summer to make the list, Sanchez has been in great form for Arsenal and has been a key part in Arsenal’s recent run of form that has seen them surge into 2nd place.

Individually Sanchez has been marvellous, his goal against Liverpool recently was just one example of what he can offer and has offered for Wenger’s side this season. With 14 goals and 8 assists his stats have backed up his performances and put him well in contention for the prestigious award.

There was a spell where Sanchez went a bit quiet and thats why he is only 2nd in this list.

1. Eden Hazard

Chelsea winger Eden Hazard has been the Premier League’s most consistent player this season and is the key reason why Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea are top of the league right now. The Belgian has scored 12 goals and registered 8 assists this season so far.

Hazard has been a thorn in the side of defences throughout the country, his illusive running style is a joy to watch and warrants the recognition of the PFA Player of the Year award this season.

Worryingly for Chelsea the last three winners of this award have left their clubs the summer after so should Hazard win it will be interesting to see if Europe’s top clubs come in for the Belgian international.

Man City dragged into top 4 battle

Retaining the Premier League title has been the aim for Manchester City since the season began but after Saturday’s loss to Burnley at Turf Moor the Premier League crown looks out of reach and they are now very much embroiled in the top4 battle.

City currently occupy 2nd place on 58 points, 6 behind Chelsea who have a game in hand, realistically the gap will probably be 9 points, maybe just too much of a gap to claw back especially in City’s current form. Behind City both Arsenal and United have managed to creep up on their rivals, Arsenal sit just one point behind the Champions and City’s fierce rivals lie another point back in 4th place. Liverpool, should they beat Swansea, will be a further two points back from United, just four away from the 2nd place they claimed last season.

With only 9 games to go momentum is key, this time last season City were on a run that ultimately led them to lifting the title, this time however they have no momentum and with the three teams behind them in flying form dropping out of the top 4 really is a possibility. Arsenal, despite their European embarrassment, are on a great domestic run. Since losing to Spurs in early February they have won seven games on the bounce. Manchester United have been inconsistent but their 3-0 win over Spurs on Sunday and the performance that went with it will fill the squad with every confidence they can keep on winning. Liverpool are the form team of 2015 and have gathered massive momentum, since losing to Manchester United in December Brendan Rodgers’ side have gone 12 games unbeaten, a run that has propelled them into this top 4 race.

Champions League commitments could also be a big disadvantage for City, their midweek clash with Barcelona will take a lot out of them and should they make it through to the next round, which does seem unlikely, they could be the only of the four challenging for a Champions League place still in Europe with Arsenal looking like their exit is imminent against Monaco. A loss could be be the best thing for City in terms of their domestic form although it could see the end of Manuel Pellegrini’s spell as manager.

Man City must begin to find their form in the near future or missing out on the top 4 will become more and more of a possibility. It is almost unthinkable that Yaya Toure and Aguero could be absent from next years Champions League but as their Manchester rivals found out last year the top 4 is not a given.

Massive few days for Spurs

Tottenham take on Fiorentina in Florence tonight in the second leg of their Europa League last 32 tie with the scores level at 1-1 from the opening leg at White Hart Lane last Thursday. The game takes place just 72 hours before their huge Capital One Cup final at Wembley against fierce rivals Chelsea. It is no exaggeration to say that these two games could define Spurs’ season, especially if they lose.

The task in Italy is far from straightforward, Fiorentina are a good side as they showed getting the 1-1 draw in London but if Spurs play to their best they can and should overcome the Italian side. Getting through to the next round is vital for Pochettino with the FA cup gone they want to have some cup to fight for as the season draws to an end although should they beat Chelsea on Sunday they will at least have some silverware for the season.

Lifting the cup on Sunday would be a huge achievement for Pochettino and his players considering the difference in preparation both them and Chelsea will have for the game. Chelsea have had the week off and will no doubt have been solely focusing on the final whereas due to the Europa League tie Spurs will only arrive back in England on Friday and tiredness could well be a problem, also their preparation in training this week will have been divided between Fiorentina and Chelsea so they more than likely will not be as well set up as Mourinho’s Chelsea.

A win tonight would slightly ease the pressure on the squad when they take to the Wembley pitch on Sunday afternoon, knowing they still have a chance of lifting a trophy would be some consolation were they not to win. Losing tonight would however be a disaster,it would mean defeat against Chelsea would see them end a season without a trophy yet again.

If you were to ask every Spurs fan which game they would rather win it would probably be the Chelsea one, beating one of their biggest rivals in a cup final would be fantastic for the supporters. The 5-3 win at White Hart Lane is fresh in the memory and how they would love to recreate that this weekend. The players won't be thinking of that just yet however and they will be hoping they can come through this three day period with a place in the last 16 of the Europa League and with a medal in their pockets.

Standard of Premier League in question

In light of recent results in the Champions League questions are beginning to be raised as to whether the Premier League is vastly overrated and if English sides are drifting further and further away from Europe’s elite.

Arsenal’s 3-1 home defeat to Monaco was up there with the most embarrassing Arsenal performances ever in Europe in a game they were overwhelming favourites going into. Arsenal were outplayed by a Monaco side that is not exactly setting the world alight domestically and were missing some key players on the night. The 3-1 victory was much deserved and was it not for a moment of magic from Oxlade Chamberlain, Arsenal would have come away from the match with nothing.

Similarly only 24 hours earlier Manchester City lost out to Barcelona in the Etihad by 2 goals to 1 as they once again showed their inability to perform in the Champions League. City were second best for the whole night and after going down to ten men they were lucky to only concede two, an uncharacteristic miss from the spot by Lionel Messi and his failure to convert the rebound give City a glimmer of hope going into the second leg but with Liverpool being the only English side to ever win at the Nou Camp the odds are stacked against them.

Both sides had gone into their respective games with such high hopes, Arsenal appeared to get the ideal draw but capitulated on the night while City saw the Barca tie as a chance to redeem themselves and show they could be a force in Europe but they once again disappointed. League leaders Chelsea also disappointed in their tie a week prior getting a lucky 1-1 draw in Paris after being second best throughout.

Liverpool had already been a major disappointment in the group stages failing to qualify from the easiest group they could've asked for. The recent television deals see the Premier League generating record amounts of money but in terms of quality it doesn't seem to translate. Its fair to say that none of the top English teams at the moment are in the same bracket as Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.

The likes of The Emirates and The Etihad are not stadiums that clubs across Europe fear visiting these days. Arsenal have become a soft touch when it comes to the knockout phases losing out in the round of 16 on the last four occasions. Man City who have only made it to the Round of 16 once losing out last year to the same opponents Barcelona just can't seem to get it right in Europe.

Chelsea continue to be the only real challengers for the Champions League amongst the Premier League sides but still have to adopt a defensive approach when it comes to playing the big guns as they are aware they can't go toe to toe with them on the attacking front. English sides failing to perform in Europe has been a growing trend in recent years and based on the performances we have witnessed in the last week the trend is set to continue.

Is Mourinho right to be aggrieved?

Its become almost a weekly event now, Jose Mourinho coming out after Chelsea games and having something to give out about regarding the refereeing performances, from things as simple as penalties not given to the FA having an agenda against his team Mourinho very rarely stays quiet. Yesterday after Chelsea’s one all draw with Burnley at Stamford Bridge the Portuguese manager refused to directly criticise the referee but did point out a few moments he felt changed the game and its hard to disagree with him on this occasion.

In Mourinho’s post match interview he pointed out four points in the game he felt cost the league leaders all three points. The first was a penalty claim, a Branislav Ivanovic shot flew off the outstretched arm of Michael Kightly inside the box with the referee Martin Atkinson in full view but he decided not to award the penalty. The next incident involved Ashley Barnes who led with his foot in an aerial duel with Ivanovic, the challenge probably warranted a yellow with Mourinho being a bit over the top asking for a red, nonetheless Barnes got away with nothing although that may be down to the silly antics of Ivanovic who rolled on the floor three times before sprinting to the referee to complain.

Next up in Mourinho’s list of complaints was another penalty claim, this time Diego Costa surged into the box and was clearly tripped and pushed but once again Atkinson waved play on which was greeted by the laughter of Mourinho on the sideline. The final complaint Mourinho had to make was the one he feels most aggrieved about which was the Matic sending off. Ashley Barnes, who Mourinho felt should have been off at this stage, came in with a horrible challenge on Nemanja Matic bending his leg and nearly causing a serious injury, Matic who was luckily ok after the horror challenge then got up and shoved Barnes to the ground and was subsequently sent off. Matic will have no complaints about his card but the fact Ashley Barnes got away with what Mourinho described as a “leg breaker” without a card was astonishing. Lets not forget Burnley themselves had a penalty claim turned down but it was in no way as clearcut as the Chelsea appeals.

Mourinho today appeared on Goals on Sunday where he outlined the moments he felt the referee was wrong and was visibly disgusted with how the Burnley game unfolded. This of course is not the first time Mourinho has gone on a rant about refereeing, think back to just December when he publicly criticised a refereeing decision to give Fabregas a yellow card for diving against Southampton when he was clearly fouled inside the box and was later fined £25000.

On this occasion however there is no doubting that Mourinho is right to be upset over Martin Atkinson’s performance, some of the incidents he missed were baffling and he in truth cost Chelsea the game. To say theres an agenda against Chelsea is maybe a bit off the mark, Mourinho has said he believes instead of a five point gap at the top it should be twelve if the games were fair. Twelve points may be a stretch but its for certain that if yesterdays game was refereed properly Chelsea would still be seven points clear of second place Manchester City.

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3 talking points from this weekends Premier League action

Are Chelsea too far ahead to be caught

A 2-1 win at Villa Park, a ground that has in the past proven to be a bogey place for Mourinho’s Chelsea sides was enough for the league leaders to move seven points clear of Manchester City who needed a last minute goal from James Milner to only snatch a draw against Hull City at the Etihad.

With Manchester City struggling to hit the net and undoubtedly low on confidence it will be a massive task for them if they're to turn things around. Chelsea don't drop many points and with fourteen games to go it looks unlikely that they will slip up enough to let Manchester City back into the race.

Only a week ago a Manchester City win against Chelsea would have brought the gap to two points but after drawing that game and their very poor draw against Hull the gap is seven. It has been a massive week in the title race and possibly even a defining one.

The top4 race is really hotting up

After some more big results this weekend it is looking like a five way battle for the 3rd and 4th places in this season's Premier League. Southampton are still refusing to to do as predicted and fall away, a late goal from Mane was enough for them to see off QPR and cement their place in 3rd, with twenty four games gone they now must be considered genuine contenders for the coveted Champions League places.

A Harry Kane inspired Spurs came from a goal down to beat North London rivals Arsenal. The win was a clear statement from Pochettino and his side that they are intent on getting back into the Champions League and few would write them off with Harry Kane in the form of his life.

Liverpool and Manchester United were only able to draw their respective games but Manchester United are still sitting in 4th while Liverpool are in 7th and look to be facing an uphill battle if they are to bridge the five point gap to United.

Relegation looking very likely for these sides.

After both losing again this weekend, Leicester and manager-less QPR look almost destined for the drop. A 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace sees Leicester stay bottom on just seventeen points and with conflicting reports on the future of manager Nigel Pearson, Leicester look to have run out of ideas and its hard to see them turning their wretched form around especially with their next four games being against Arsenal, Everton, Chelsea and Manchester City.

QPR were also subject to a 1-0 home defeat at the weekend when Southampton came to visit Loftus Road, it took a last minute goal to beat them, a goal that is sure to hurt the players. In 19th place on nineteen points, QPR are still only two points off safety but with the departure of manager Harry Redknapp and their terrible form they currently look like never winning a match. The next few games are important and unless they gain some points against Hull and Sunderland who they play in the next week they could find themselves in serious trouble.

Battle of the Bosses

Saturday evening will see the two top teams in this season’s Premier League face off in a potentially title deciding clash at Stamford Bridge. The headlines have been flooded with injury worries and absentees from the game but in a game of fine margins it looks to be a tactical battle between Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini that will decide this huge fixture.

The importance of a win for both sides in this game is crucial, a win for Mourinho’s side would put them 8 points clear and even at this stage of the season that could be a bridge too far for the Sky Blues. A win for City however would close the gap to just 2 points and give City all the momentum going into the final few months of the season in what we expect will be a two horse race with Southampton currently 10 points off the pace in third place.

Games of these magnitude are the ones where managers show their class with the slightest details meaning so much and few managers thrive under the pressure like Chelsea man Jose Mourinho. Mourinho is at this moment in time the most tactically astute manager in the Premier League and doesn’t he know it. Last season Chelsea finished third but their game against Liverpool at Anfield was still the defining game of the season and Mourinho may not have won the league for his own side but he pretty much handed it to this weekends opponents with a tactically flawless display. Mourinho rarely loses big games and it would be a surprise if he started this Saturday.

The same cannot be said for Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini who despite leading Manchester City to the Premier League title last season is yet to win a game of major importance. Last season City’s biggest match of the season was at Anfield, a game they lost 3-2. Fortunately for them, Mourinho’s Chelsea salvaged the title for them but the Chilean was unable to mastermind a victory at Anfield himself. A recent defeat at home at the hands of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side by two goals to nil was another big game that Pellegrini failed to win and it couldn’t have come at a worse time with the Chelsea game just around the corner.

In terms of injuries both sides are pretty even, City are missing both Yaya Toure and Bony who are away on International duty with Samir Nasri also absent through injury. Chelsea will be without their two key summer signings, Diego Costa who has been suspended for three games over his stamp on Emre Can midweek and Cesc Fabregas who is a big doubt because of a hamstring injury. Both managers will be disappointed in not having full strength sides for such a huge game but still possess some great footballers capable of winning this tie.

Without Costa, Mourinho will be forced to play either Remy or Drogba up-front, adequate replacements, the main threat however will come through the brilliant Eden Hazard who has been a star for Chelsea this season. He alongside Oscar and Willian will probably play off the striker and offer great threat in attack. Pellegrini also has some match winners in his side that he will hope can be the difference at the Bridge. David Silva has been unplayable in the past month or so with Thierry Henry even labelling him the “best player in the Premier League” recently and he will be out to prove that statement in this game. Up-front City also have the best finisher in the Premier League Sergio Aguero, the injury hit striker is on the comeback trail and although not 100% fit he will be looking to add to his 14 league goals this season.

One would expect that Mourinho will set up his side to win this game as he tries to end the challenge of Manchester City at this early stage, City however may set up to absorb the pressure and catch them on the break although as the game wears on if its still level Pellegrini’s men will have to go for the winner and who knows maybe former Chelsea man Frank Lampard may step up again with a late goal just to win the game for City on this occasion.

The stats are not pretty viewing for Manchester City fans, Chelsea have played City 17 times at home in Premier League history winning 11 and losing just twice. Under Mourinho they’ve never lost at home to City and Mourinho including his time at Madrid has never been beaten by a Manchester City team at home. If his record was not already good enough, Mourinho has lost one game at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League in his Chelsea career. These stats look ominous for Pellegrini’s side but it is unlikely they will be overly fazed by statistics as they look to reignite their title challenge on Saturday evening.

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Christian Eriksen sends Spurs to Wembley

Tottenham Hotspur set up an all London Capital One Cup final last night after overcoming Nigel Clough’s Sheffield United side 3-2 on aggregate to bring them to their first cup final since 2009 when they lost to Manchester United after extra time in the same competition.

In the final they will face they force that is Jose Mourinho’s side and will need the likes of Christian Eriksen to be on top form if they are to have any hope of overcoming the league leaders who saw off Liverpool in their semi-final.

Christian Eriksen was once again last night the star man for Spurs scoring two goals in the game and proving a constant danger to the Blades defence. His first goal was a moment of brilliance from a free kick where he curled the ball into the left top corner far beyond the reach of a stranded keeper. Eriksen’s second goal was less spectacular but possibly a better goal, as the Dane bore down on goal one on one with the keeper he did not panic and stayed cool slotting the ball right into the corner giving the keeper absolutely no chance and sending Spurs to Wembley.

Eriksen’s great performance last night was just one of many that the Tottenham Hotspur faithful have become accustomed to. In 33 appearances this campaign Eriksen has scored 10 goals and has 2 assists, a good return for any attacking midfielder but a one that the Danish international is no doubt working hard to improve.

He has become an integral part of Mauricio Pochettino’s side and is now arguably their most talented and coveted player along with young English striker Harry Kane. Eriksen was one of few Andre Villas Boas signings they hit the ground running upon his arrival in the wake of Gareth Bale’s big money move to Real Madrid and his form has not faltered. He will be a key part of Spurs’ assault on the top4 in the remainder of the campaign and will play an integral role as they face off against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup final.

As he continues to perform at this high level, interest from rival clubs is sure to grow. Tottenham are used to losing top players with Bale and Modric leaving in the recent past and their fans will be hoping that when clubs come calling, Eriksen will choose to stay at White Hart Lane.

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Positives in defeat for Liverpool

Liverpool saw their Capital One Cup ambitions end last night in Stamford Bridge as they lost out 2-1 on aggregate after extra time thanks to a Branislav Ivanovic header in the 94^th minute.

As disappointing as the defeat will be for Brendan Rodgers and his squad their was plenty of positives to take from both legs that will give encouragement to them in the coming months as they hope to claim a top4 spot and attempt to win a trophy in either the FA Cup or the Europa League or maybe even both.

The performance of the defence in both legs is one sign of the work that is being done on the training ground to resolve the clubs long running defensive woes. League leaders Chelsea were only able to score from a penalty in the first leg and were kept goalless for ninety minutes at Stamford Bridge, a big achievement for any side. Of course it didn’t take long in extra time for Chelsea to catch Rodgers’ side out from a set-piece although that could be put down to tiredness and poor marking by Mario Balotelli who we would not expect to be given much defensive duties in the future. In reality they have come a long way in the past two months defensively and no longer look as nervous at the back.

A large factor in this improvement at the back must go down to the resurgence of Belgian keeper Simon Mignolet. After an atrocious start to the season and after being dropped for back up keeper Brad Jones his return to the starting eleven has been a lot smoother than what was expected. His performance last night was excellent, unfortunately he could not keep a clean sheet but he could do little about the goal and should be happy with his performance. He seems to have a new air of confidence about him and looks a lot more assured since his return.

Despite being on the wrong end of the result, over the two legs Liverpool were arguably the better team, in the first leg they were fantastic and if not for the great performance of Thibaut Courtois and the absence of a clinical finisher they could have had the tie wrapped up before they even got to Stamford Bridge. The away performance was not as dominant as the first but Liverpool gave as good as they got and if Daniel Sturridge was fit and firing they may well have won the game but it was not to be.

The two performances were a small reminder of the Liverpool side we saw last season, the quick attacking play and high pressure on the opposition is back and they once again look a threat to the top teams in the Premier League. Lucas Leiva and Jordan Henderson have developed a great partnership in the middle while Couthino and Sterling have been in great form going forward. Couthino in particular is becoming a real menace to opposition defences and seems to have found the eye for a pass that we are so used to seeing from the little Brazilian.

The biggest positive for Liverpool starting this weekend is the return of main man Daniel Sturridge, goals are the main thing missing in this Liverpool side and the return of Sturridge could potentially bring Rodgers’ side to the next level. There are many positives to take out of these games but unless Rodgers can build on them Liverpool’s season will inevitable end in disappointment.

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Key Battles: Matic v Lucas

Chelsea host Liverpool at Stamford Bridge tonight in the return leg of their Capital One Cup semi final with the scores level at 1-1. The game will be one and lost in many areas but maybe the most important battle of the game will be of the two defensive midfielders Nemanja Matic and Lucas Leiva.

Sometimes seen as the unsung heroes of their respective sides these two holding midfielders may hold the key to victory in tonight’s game. Both men will be tasked with the challenge of breaking up the oppositions attacks and in essence setting the pace of the game. With Chelsea expected to bring the game to Liverpool, Lucas will be the busier of the two as he tries to keep the likes of Hazard and Oscar at bay.

Lucas in particular has been a player who has received little praise in his time at Anfield but since his return to the side this campaign he has been nothing short of brilliant. We only have too look at Liverpool’s Premier League form with and without the Brazilian to see how important he has become to Rodgers’ side.

In eleven games without Lucas the Merseysiders have won just three, with Lucas however they have won seven of their eleven games losing just the one. He has also shored up the defence with the team conceding on average 1.55 goals per game without the defensive midfielder and conceding just 0.91 per game when the Brazilian starts.

Matic has a similar effect on Mourinho’s Chelsea side, he has missed just three games this season in all competitions but of those three games they have won just one giving them a win percentage of 33% without the Serbian. With Matic they have played thirty-one games and have a much higher win percentage of 74%. Similar to Lucas, when Matic doesn’t play they concede more with Chelsea conceding 2 goals a game without him and 0.8 when he starts.

Both men will have important yet differing roles tonight in a game where either could be the difference for their sides. Matic will be expected to control the game from deep, being patient and trying to pick out gaps in what you would expect to be a stern Liverpool defence. Matic will also have to be on high alert against potential Liverpool counter attacks especially with the pace they possess in Sterling and Markovic.

Lucas is likely to be a busy man tonight and will be key if Liverpool are to stop the league leaders from running riot at the Bridge. The Brazilian will be expected to limit the space for the Chelsea attackers and upon winning the ball back try and start quick counter attacks.

In what’s sure to be an intriguing game the battle between these two men in their respective halves of the pitch will be an interesting watch and is potentially where the game will be won and lost.

Crazy weekend leaves FA Cup wide open

The magic of the FA Cup was well and truly on show this weekend as the top three of the Premier League were all knocked out in their fourth round ties leaving the FA Cup wide open this season.

Premier League leaders Chelsea were sensationally knocked out after throwing away a two goal lead at home to Bradford to lose 4-2 to the 2013 Capital One cup finalists. Mourinho said he was both “embarrassed” and “ashamed” by the manner of the defeat as he saw his sides chances of a quadruple this season come to an end.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side were also thrown out as Middlesbrough walked away from the Etihad with a momentous 2-0 victory. Third placed Southampton were another of the Premier League sides to lose out, losing at home to Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace side.

These were not the only shocks of the weekend however, Spurs and Swansea saw their FA Cup dreams come to an end at the hands of Leicester and Blackburn respectively while Liverpool and Manchester United were both forced to replays in their fourth round ties.

The absence of some of these big sides from the fifth round draw is sure to encourage a lot of teams who will now have realistic ambitions of challenging for the FA Cup and hopefully ending the season with a trophy.

Defending champions Arsenal were not to be the victims of another upset as they overcame Brighton by 3 goals to 2. Having won the trophy last season and with both City and Chelsea out it looks as if they will be favourites to regain their crown come May.

Should Manchester United and Liverpool make it through their replays they will also see this FA Cup as a big possibility of getting their hands on a trophy, especially for United who will see this as their only chance of glory this season with no European football and with Van Gaal’s side being well off the pace in the Premier League.

Sam Allardyce’s West Ham squad will be particularly happy with how this weekend has gone as they progressed to the next round after a hard fought win away to League one side Bristol City. The Hammers have been having a great season so far and will be optimistic of their chances of getting to the latter stages of the FA Cup.

Other Premier League sides such as West Brom and Aston Villa are still standing in the cup and should the weekend’s results be anything to go by every side will be full of confidence in the forthcoming rounds.

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3 questions that will be answered this PL weekend

Was Spurs battering of Chelsea a once off?

Pochettino’s side face a trip to Selhurst Park where Alan Pardew will take his first Premier League game as Crystal Palace manager as Spurs look to show that their fantastic win over Chelsea was no fluke.

Harry Kane and Nacer Chadli were superb against Chelsea and after what has been a rocky season they will hope that this win will propel them on to bigger and better things in the second half of the season.

A trip to Selhurst Park is no easy task and Spurs could be caught out if they think otherwise, another win would be massive and could put them on a run that they will hope puts them in a great position to get a top4 place.

Is this Roberto Martinez’s final game?

After four defeats in a row Everton manager Roberto Martinez is under huge pressure to turn things around amid increasing media scrutiny and reports that his days with the Toffees are numbered.

If Martinez could have picked one team he would not want to play on their current run of form he probably would have picked Manchester City but unfortunately that’s exactly who visits Goodison Park this weekend. City are on a good run of form and will fully expect to see off this under performing Everton team.

Lukaku’s late goal midweek in the FA cup may galvanise the team but unless they can get at least a draw, Martinez, who did so well in his first season as Everton manager, could be the next Premier League manager to lose his job.

How will Chelsea respond?

After the big defeat to Spurs last weekend as was mentioned earlier it will be interesting to see how Jose Mourinho’s side respond to losing, a feeling they had only experienced once this season before they visited White Hart Lane.

Luckily for Mourinho’s side they are home to manager-less Newcastle and its hard to see them coming out with anything other than a win, however if Chelsea fail to score early on the crowd may get on their back in light of last weeks result at Spurs. 

Title Race hotting up

Since the season began there has been one team that everyone has been talking about, Chelsea have been brilliant, Mourinho’s side looked unstoppable and were even being talked about as potentially invincible but now despite being the best team in the league by some way they find themselves on top of the table only because their name begins with a C.

After such a great first half of the season Chelsea would have hoped to have built up a nice gap at the top but after defeats to Newcastle and this evenings epic 5-3 defeat to Spurs, Manchester City have been allowed back into the race and they have taken the opportunity to set up what could be a thrilling two horse race for the Premier League title.

It must be noted that most players in Mourinho’s team have never actually won a Premier League title, Chelsea have not won the Premier League since 10/11 under Carlo Ancelotti and have since seen quite a change in the squad, Manchester City on the other hand have the experience of winning the Premier League title last season which could prove vital in the final few months of the season.

As we saw last year with Liverpool, performing the best over the season doesn’t guarantee you the title, its all about having that killer instinct to somehow win the big games, todays defeat for Chelsea could be a massive turning point, especially after Man City got a vital 3-2 win over Sunderland thanks to a Frank Lampard goal, that win and Chelsea’s defeat gives Pellegrini’s team all the momentum going into the new year.

On January 31^st the two sides meet and it could turn out to be a title decider even with a long way to go, after looking like they would walk away with the title Chelsea may now begin to struggle under the pressure, while City, as they did last season, could get stronger and stronger as the season goes on.

The title race could all hinge on two men: Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero, the joint top scorers in the league on 14 goals each these two men will be the key for either side should they win the league, if Aguero can get fit and stay fit for the run in he could single hand idly win the title for City, he is on his day the standout player in the Premier League and was it not for so many injuries he could well be regarded as highly as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Costa may not have the flair of Aguero but his clinical finishing has been key to Chelsea’s season thus far, with the creative forces of Fabregas and Hazard behind him he is sure to register many more goals in the second half of the season.

It has been a relatively straight forward season at the top until now but as per usual in the Premier League nothing is ever straight forward, the coming months are sure to be exciting as Chelsea and City battle it out to be crowned champions.

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