Graham Potter’s Brighton welcome Southampton to the Amex on Monday in the weekend’s final Premier League game.
Five months after July’s 1-1 draw, the match branded by broadcasters as ‘the south coast derby’ – a fixture between two sides that lie 68 miles apart – returns with the teams lying at different ends of the table.
Southampton are in eighth and would need a number of results to go in their favour on Sunday to rise any higher, while Brighton have struggled to turn promising performances into wins and are down in 16th.
❤️ R A L P H ❤️
Today marks 2️⃣ years since Ralph Hasenhüttl took over as #SaintsFC manager! ? pic.twitter.com/tBvAnZNj4b
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) December 5, 2020
When Is Kick Off? Monday 7 December What Time Is Kick Off? 20:00 (GMT) Where Is it Played? The Amex TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports Premier League/Sky Sports Main Event (UK), fuboTV (US) Referee? David Coote
Tariq Lamptey is set to return for Brighton after serving a one-match ban for his red card against Aston Villa.
However, playmaker Adam Lallana is ruled out, having aggravated a groin injury against Liverpool. Neal Maupay is a doubt.
Lamptey tussles with McGinn before his sending off | Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images
As for Southampton, top scorer Danny Ings has returned to training and is closing in on a return. The England striker picked up a knee injury in October against Villa and hasn’t featured since. Mohammed Salisu, Nathan Redmond and Will Smallbone will all be assessed.
Brighton are on ten points but how they haven’t picked up more is a source of huge frustration for their side.
Potter’s men have flattered to deceive so far this season, with strong performances not being backed up with the requisite maturity. They showed tremendous resolve to secure a point against champions Liverpool last time out, but remain one of only two Premier League sides yet to secure a win at home.
Brighton are also winless in six Premier League meetings with the Saints who, up until their second-half capitulation against Manchester United last weekend, had gone seven matches unbeaten.
After a ropey start to the season, Hasenhuttl’s men have hit their stride, winning three of their last five Premier League fixtures. James Ward-Prowse is also in great nick, being nominated for the league’s Player of the Month award.
Brighton
Brighton 1-1 Liverpool (28/11) Aston Villa 1-2 Brighton (21/11) Brighton 0-0 Burnley (6/11) Tottenham 2-1 Brighton (1/11) Brighton 1-1 West Brom (26/10)
Southampton
Southampton 2-3 Manchester United (29/11) Wolves 1-1 Southampton (23/11) Southampton 2-0 Newcastle United (6/11) Aston Villa 3-4 Southampton (1/11) Southampton 2-0 Everton (25/10)
One thing you can say about Brighton is that they have a set philosophy which they rarely deviate from. That has its evident upsides and downsides.
Southampton love to press and that spells problems for the hosts. The Seagulls can’t let naivety prevail, particularly when they have the capabilities to hit their opponents where it hurts with Danny Welbeck running in behind the high line.
Welbeck finishes with aplomb at Villa Park | Pool/Getty Images
Neither team is reticent to attack. There will be chances and goals, but given their start to the season, if Southampton are clinical they should just edge it.
There may have only been eight tournaments so far, but the Women’s World Cup remains one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar each year it rolls around.
The USA have enjoyed dominance on the international stage with four victories in the competition, though that hasn’t stopped some of the world’s other stars shining on the biggest stage.
Let’s get into it. Here are the top scorers at the Women’s World Cup. But just before we get started, yes, you’re going to see a lot of USWNT players here. They tend to score a lot of goals.
Videkull with Sweden | Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Videkull’s best scoring return came at the 1991 World Cup with five, though she was slightly outshone by the USA’s Michelle Akers-Stahl who ended up getting ten.
Nevertheless, her efforts still helped Sweden secure third place at the tournament. She’d score another at the 1995 competition, taking her total tally up to six.
Svensson celebrates scoring against Brazil | Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Svensson featured at three World Cups, with her best run with Sweden coming as runners up in 2003.
She scored three times during that run, with another two coming four years prior in the United States.
Miyama’s first two World Cup goals salvaged Japan a group stage draw against England in 2007.
She’d get another two four years later by netting against New Zealand and the United States, with two more coming at the expense of Switzerland and the Netherlands in 2015.
Japan won the tournament in 2011 and were runners up at the next edition.
Meinert celebrating in 2003 | ROBYN BECK/Getty Images
A World Cup winner with Germany in 2003, Meinert’s six goals came in 16 appearances.
Four of those came at the 2003 tournament, with one in the final against Sweden. She had previously scored twice at the 1995 edition.
Katia celebrates in 2003 | TIM SLOAN/Getty Images
Katia helped Brazil finish second and third in the 2007 and 1999 World Cups respectively.
However, four of her six strikes came at the 2003 event, though the Selecao would bow out of that tournament in the quarter finals to Sweden.
Herlovsen facing England during the 2019 World Cup quarter finals | Soccrates Images/Getty Images
Herlovsen scored her first World Cup goals in 2007, netting against Ghana and China.
She would score twice each at the 2015 and 2019 events, with Norway exiting at the last 16 and quarter final stages respectively.
Gulbrandsen celebrates | FREDERIC J. BROWN/Getty Images
World Cup glory never came knocking for Gulbrandsen, though she was the part of the Norway side that won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Her six goals all came at the 2007 competition, winning the Bronze Shoe behind Brazil’s Marta and the USA’s Abby Wambach.
Jennings-Gabarra celebrating the 1991 win | TOMMY CHENG/Getty Images
Jennings-Gabarra was part of the USA sides that won the 1991 World Cup and finished third in Sweden four years later.
She was integral to that first success, scoring six including a hat trick against Germany in the semi final.
Styling your celebration on Koln hero Anthony Modeste will get you nods of approval from any dingy, football hipster bar in Shoreditch. But the reality is White has outshone one of her favourite player on the world stage.
The striker has featured at three World Cups and led England’s charge to the semi finals in 2019, scoring six goals including the equaliser against the USA in the semi finals.
After not being released by her club team for the 1991 World Cup, Sissi seemed determined to make up for lost time eight years later.
The attacking midfielder scored seven goals at the 1999 event, sharing the Golden Boot with China’s Sun Wen. Brazil finished third that year.
Milbrett ended her international career in 2006, competing in 206 games and scoring 100 goals for the USA.
That proficiency in front of goal probably makes it a bit of a shock that only seven of those strikes came at World Cups, but that still averages out at just over two goals per tournament, which ain’t half bad.
She won the 1999 edition, during which she scored three times.
Lisa De Vanna still plays for Australia, having recently made her 150th appearance for the Matildas.
Four of her seven World Cup goals came in 2007, when Australia made the quarter finals. They were knocked out by Brazil, with De Vanna scoring in the defeat.
She also netted in the 2011 and 2015 tournaments.
Sawa captained Japan to glory in 2011, scoring five goals including a 117th minute equaliser in the final against the USA during extra time. Japan would win the resulting shootout.
A midfielder by trade, her other three goals came at the 2003 competition, with efforts against Argentina and Canada.
Sasic after scoring a penalty against France at the 2015 World Cup | Francois Laplante/FreestylePhoto/Getty Images
Sasic ended the 2015 World Cup as the tournament’s top scorer, pipping Carli Lloyd to the award by virtue of playing fewer minutes than the American. The pair were tied on six goals and an assist.
The German scored a hat trick in the opening game against the Ivory Coast and bagged a brace in the last 16 victory against Sweden.
She also netted twice at the 2011 event, having been ruled out of the 2007 World Cup due to a tibia fracture.
Pettersen celebrating another goal | Ben Radford/Getty Images
Pettersen helped fire Norway to World Cup glory in 1995, scoring three goals at the tournament.
The Scandinavian nation also had Ann-Kristin Aarones, Hege Risse and Kristin Sandberg, who contributed another 14 goals combined, showing how deadly they were at the tournament.
Pettersen ended her international career with 66 goals in 98 games.
Liu playing against Russia | JOHN G. MABANGLO/Getty Images
Liu represented China for 15 years, helping her nation come second at the 1999 event.
Finishing her career with eight goals in the competition, Liu also won six AFC Women’s Championships.
Lilly played at international level for 23 years, featuring in 354 games for the United States. That’s quite a lot of matches, isn’t it?
Her goals at World Cups were spread pretty evenly over five events, with her best return of three coming in 1995.
Hamm celebrates at the 2003 World Cup | Stanley Hu/Getty Images
A two time Olympic gold medalist with two more World Cups in the bank, Hamm is widely regarded as one of football’s greatest ever players.
She netted 158 goals for USNWT in 276 appearances, with eight of those strikes coming at the World Cup. She competed in four tournaments and scored twice at each one.
Garefrekes during the 2011 World Cup | Martin Rose/Getty Images
Garefrekes managed 43 goals in 130 appearances for Germany, winning the World Cup twice.
She scored four times at the 2003 edition, including an important strike in the semi final victory over the USA.
Making her debut for Norway in 1990, Riise won the Women’s Championship in 1993 before their triumph at the World Cup two years later.
She claimed the Golden Ball for her performances in the competition, scoring in the final against Germany.
When she’s not busy sending for Donald Trump, Rapinoe loves a goal at a World Cup. She’s got nine so far, with the first coming in 2011.
She got six of her nine in the 2019 edition, including a penalty in the final against the Netherlands.
England fans are still ragin’ about Morgan’s tea drinking celebration when she scored against the Lionesses in the 2019 semi final.
People in England do drink tea, so that part is fair. We’re not still crying over it though. We’re definitely not crying. Definitely not.
The striker has nine goals in World Cups, five of which came against Thailand in a slight mismatch that ended 13-0 to USWNT. They celebrated every single goal too, for what that’s worth.
Medalen competing for the ball | JOHN MOTTERN/Getty Images
Medalen ended her international career with 152 caps and 64 goals, being part of the Norway side that won the World Cup in 1995.
She scored twice in that edition, though her best personal showing came four years earlier when she found the back of the net six times in five outings.
Canada’s greatest ever footballer, Sinclair is the leading goalscorer in women’s history with 186 and has featured at five World Cups, scoring in each one.
Ten of her goals have come on the world stage, with Canada’s best showing coming at the 2003 event when they finished fourth, Sinclair scoring three times.
Mohr at the 1991 Women’s Championship | TOMMY CHENG/Getty Images
Mohr was a forward renowned for her pace and ambidextrous shooting ability, and was voted Europe’s Footballer of the Century in 1999.
She never won a World Cup with Germany, despite shining brightly at the 1991 edition by scoring seven of her total ten goals in China, but was part of two successful Women’s Championship campaigns.
She passed away in 2019.
Any midfielder would be overjoyed with a record of 123 international goals in 294 games. It’s a record that reflects Lloyd’s standing as one of football’s greatest ever.
The USWNT legend has collected too many accolades and awards to mention, but one that stands out is becoming the first ever player to score three goals in a Women’s World Cup final and just the second in any senior World Cup after Geoff Hurst.
Aarones was the top scorer at the 1995 World Cup, won by Norway following a 2-0 victory over Germany in the final.
She was that tournament’s top scorer with six goals, adding another four in 1999 to take her tally to ten in just 11 games.
Wiegmann celebrating Germany’s win in 2003 | Ben Radford/Getty Images
Wiegmann wracked up over 150 appearances for Germany, scoring 51 goals, and was always clinical at World Cups.
Her goals were evenly spread over four tournaments, being the side’s primary penalty taker, and her career culminated with victory in 2003.
Wen celebrating during the 1999 World Cup | TIMOTHY A. CLARY/Getty Images
Sun won both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot at the 1999 World Cup, though her China side ultimately fell to the USA on penalties in the final.
She netted seven goals at the 1999 World Cup, with her last in the competition coming in 2003.
Cristiane was part of two Olympic gold winning Brazil teams, scoring 14 goals.
She wasn’t quite as successful with Brazil at World Cups, though 11 goals – including the Goal of the Tournament at the 2019 edition – show the forward could more than cut it on the grandest stage.
Akers celebrates at the 1999 World Cup | Tom Hauck/Getty Images
If you’re named the FIFA Female Player of the Century, then of course you’ve scored a fair few goals in your time. That’s precisely the case for Akers, who totted up 105 for USWNT.
12 of those came at World Cups, and it was in the 1991 and 1999 editions where she starred.
She was the leading scorer in the inaugural competition with ten goals – including five in one game against Taiwan – and won the Bronze Ball in 1999.
It’s just the 184 goals at international level for Wambach, making her the second top scorer in history. 14 of those came at World Cups.
The USWNT legend won the competition at the final time of asking, scoring her final World Cup goal in a 1-0 win over Nigeria. She also won four gold medals at the Olympics.
Part of the Germany team that won consecutive World Cups in 2003 and 2007, Prinz is her nation’s greatest ever goalscorer with 128 at international level.
She netted crucial strikes in the finals of those aforementioned competitions against Sweden and Brazil, with the former being a Golden Goal winner in extra time.
Out in front comfortably with 17 goals, Marta is the greatest goalscorer in World Cup history. That includes the men’s version, with Germany’s Miroslav Klose lagging behind on 16.
However, she’s never been able to fire Brazil to World Cup glory, with second place in 2007 the closest the Selecao have ever come.
Marta has also won six World Player of the Year awards.
Chelsea fans couldn’t have asked for a better welcome back to Stamford Bridge, could they?
Well, I suppose the final result could have been more comfortable, or perhaps Frank Lampard’s men might have killed the game sooner, but Leeds United were never going to roll over. In the end, the Blues put in a performance that stunk of title contenders.
FT. What a win for the Blues! ?#CHELEE pic.twitter.com/huQENMwWfe
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 5, 2020
And that’ll be just as exciting to the Chelsea faithful as a hypothetical, comfortable 3-0 win over their rivals. They say that in order to be taken seriously as a contender for the Premier League trophy, you must possess an array of winning methods in your locker.
Blowing teams away, grinding out results, or just edging past a dogged opponent. On Saturday night, Chelsea produced a performance that encapsulated all three of these traits in one 90-minute spell.
Lampard’s men suffered an early setback, getting caught out by a clever ball behind the defence, and a rare lapse in judgement from goalkeeper Edouard Mendy left them trailing. Against a team as canny, relentless and spirited as Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds, this would have set alarm bells ringing all over West London.
Instead, the Blues were calmness personified in their pursuit of retribution. They almost hit back immediately, but Timo Werner somehow contrived to smash the crossbar from less than a yard from goal.
How? | DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/Getty Images
It’s going to be one of those days, then?
Not with this fire power, it’s not. Chelsea pushed on regardless of their missed opportunities, and worked the perfect opening to make amends. Man of the moment Olivier Giroud did not pass up his chance to shine.
Hakim Ziyech beautifully crafted some space for the onrushing Reece James, who whipped a trademark cross into the front post, and his French recipient did the rest, poking the ball home and restoring parity on the half-hour mark.
Now with the wind in their sails, the hosts were rocking and rolling. Chances came and went – but the important thing was, they came in the first place. They had to be patient and wait to edge their noses in front, with Illan Meslier in top form, and Leeds standing firm – albeit creaking a touch.
As with any top team however, they found a way. Lampard’s men broke the white barrier through defender Kurt Zouma, who towered above his markers to crash a brilliant header into the net. Stamford Bridge erupted – it was the moment they had all been waiting for.
Now ahead, Chelsea began to put on a show. They snuffed out Leeds’ threat impressively, and broke with devastating pace, as Werner and Christian Pulisic linked up to draw a string of excellent saves and blocks from the Whites’ backline.
As the minutes ticked by, Lampard’s men also showed signs of mental growth and maturity, refusing to crumble under late pressure and stood firm. The visitors worked a couple of opportunities, but Mendy was rarely tested, as the ever-reliable Thiago Silva demonstrated exactly why the Blues were right to take a punt on him, despite his advancing years.
Lampard is on a mission | Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
That dynamic duo Werner and Pulisic had the last laugh, combining to rip Leeds apart and put the result beyond doubt, adding a nice, glossy shine to a hard-fought 3-1 victory.
Lampard will undoubtedly be delighted. He has finally found a winning formula that compliments both his defence and attack, and he’s beginning to land on the right personnel for the job in hand.
The Chelsea boss will play down any talk of a title push as premature for the time being, but fans who were fortunate enough to step inside the Bridge on Saturday can now confirm with their very own eyes: they are well and truly in the hunt.
Start dreaming boys and girls, Lampard is on the march.
Chelsea came from behind to beat Leeds United 3-1 on Saturday evening, firing Frank Lampard’s men back to the top of the Premier League.
The Whites took a shock, early lead at Stamford Bridge, when Patrick Bamford latched onto a through ball, rounded Edouard Mendy and tapped home into an empty net. Chelsea somehow failed to equalise straight after, with Timo Werner rattling the bar from a yard out.
GIROUUUUUDDDDDDDDD! ⚽️
? 1-1 ? [27′] #CHELEE pic.twitter.com/Ecnjm7Xc6R
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 5, 2020
But the Blues did get their goal through Olivier Giroud just before the half-hour mark, as the Frenchman reacted quickest to poke home a Reece James cross. Lampard’s side had to wait until the 60th minute to break through a second time, when Kurt Zouma leapt highest to power home a superb header.
And Chelsea rounded off the scoring in injury time, Christian Pulisic converting to fire the hosts back to the top of the league.
Let’s check out the player ratings from an exciting evening at Stamford Bridge.
The architect | Pool/Getty Images
Edouard Mendy (GK) – 5/10 – Imperious form came to an end early in this match with a lapse of judgement to rush out for the opening goal. Set the whole team off on the wrong foot.
Reece James (RB) – 8/10 – Lovely whipped cross for Giroud’s strike, hit with plenty of pace and venom. Forced Harrison to switch wings in search of some joy.
Kurt Zouma (CB) – 7/10 – Caught out by the through ball which split the defence, and got done for pace and movement by Bamford. Powered home a great header to put Chelsea ahead.
Thiago Silva (CB) – 8/10 – Played no part in the concession of the opening goal. Commanding once more, leading the backline with authority.
Ben Chilwell (LB) – 7/10 – Forever aiming to charge down that left-hand side and whip in a cross for the waiting Giroud. Solid, as always.
Still yet to get going | Pool/Getty Images
Kai Havertz (CM) – 5/10 – Not at the races, although possibly suffering from playing out of his preferred position. Had little impact on the first half. Subbed in the second.
N’Golo Kante (CM) – 7/10 – Had to be at his best against the relentless Leeds press and counter, but was up to the challenge. Always in the right place to cut passing lanes and get Chelsea moving again.
Mason Mount (CM) – 9/10 – Full of bite in the tackle and looked ready for battle. Displayed plenty of heart and endeavour, and got his reward by swinging in the corner which Zouma dispatched expertly.
The man of the moment | Pool/Getty Images
Hakim Ziyech (RW) – 6/10 – His work on the equaliser can’t go unnoticed. Beat a man, drew two into his path before releasing James down the right to cross. Beaut. Sadly his final act, pulling up injured immediately after.
Olivier Giroud (ST) – 8/10 – Had a great chance to equalise in a good position, but skewed his strike wide. Made no mistake second time round, snaking out a boot to level the scores. A constant threat.
Timo Werner (LW) – 7/10 – How did he miss?! On the goal line, it just needed a touch. Not that touch, though. Shocker. Had Alioski on toast when he switched to the right flank. Always a threat and should have got on the score sheet at least once.
We’ve been forced into our first change.
? 1-1 ? [30′] #CHELEE pic.twitter.com/1G0N9GDLWX
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 5, 2020
Christian Pulisic (LW) – 8/10
Mateo Kovacic (CM) – 7/10
Tammy Abraham (ST) – 5/10
Heads up | DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/Getty Images
Illan Meslier (GK) – 6/10 – Almost gift-wrapped an equaliser for Giroud, but the Frenchman’s wastefulness saved the keeper. Had little chance with the goals, but denied Werner smartly to keep Leeds in the game.
Luke Ayling (RB) – 6/10 – Neat and tidy in possession, helping Leeds escape cul-de-sacs with some intricate play. Not an easy evening against Pulisic and Werner but kept his cool in the face of adversity.
Robin Koch (CB) – N/A – Suffered an early injury which forced him off the pitch inside ten minutes.
Liam Cooper (CB) – 6/10 – Stood strong in the first half, as a barrage of crosses rained down from either flank. Quite the opposite in the second half, as he slipped and failed to clear the decisive corner.
Gianni Alioski (LB) – 4/10 – Rattled the post with a nice strike, although it wouldn’t have counted had it gone in due to an offside call. Got done down his flank by Ziyech and James for Giroud’s goal. Subbed.
On the move | Visionhaus/Getty Images
Kalvin Phillips (CDM) – 7/10 – Produced an inch-perfect ball to free Bamford for the opener. Tried to slow Chelsea down but struggled to stem the flow as the Blues found their groove. Still impressive.
Stuart Dallas (CM) – 6/10 – Typifies this Leeds team with endless pressing, running and dynamism. Ultimately, didn’t have the quality to hurt the Blues.
Mateusz Klich (CM) – 7/10 – Occupied an inside right position, popping up in space to feed Ayling and Raphinha down the wing.
That trio | Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Raphinha (RW) – 6/10 – Always looking to cut in onto that delicious left foot, and gave Chilwell the odd fright. Moved out to the left but had less impact. Quite possibly should have put Leeds ahead but miscued twice.
Patrick Bamford (ST) – 7/10 – Kicked off the scoring with a lovely goal, rounding the keeper coolly. Should have celebrated though, Patrick.
Jack Harrison (LW) – 5/10 – Far from his best on Saturday. Pocketed by James and dispossessed too easily. Rightly substituted.
9′ Diego Llorente makes his #LUFC debut as he replaces Robin Koch. 0-1
Right then, what happened in this weekend’s Championship fixtures? Anything of note? Oh yeah, DERBY COUNTY WON A FOOTBALL MATCH!
After two long months and 11 painful games, the Rams have rediscovered the sweet, sweet taste of success, and in doing so have clawed their way off the foot of the Championship table.
As usual, the latest instalment of second tier football was packed with slipups and surprises, with the position of table-toppers changing hands on more than one occasion. So, without further ado, let’s find out who the biggest winners and losers from the weekend are…
Who would have thought it?
After throwing away late leads in their previous two fixtures, Derby have finally managed to get the job done and have lifted themselves off the bottom of the Championship table.
Not only that, the win also marks the first win in management for Wayne Rooney, as he and Liam Rosenior look to steer the Rams away from the drop zone.
There’s still plenty of work left to do, but this victory could be a huge springboard for the club as they look to avoid becoming part of an end-of-season relegation dog fight.
Not a happy bunny | James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Oh Neil. We’ve seen that look so many times before, haven’t we?
In fairness, Neil Warnock’s side could’ve just been played off the park by the 2009 Barcelona team and he’d still go over to the ref at full-time and have a moan.
Although, it’s clear to see why he’s frustrated. Middlesbrough just can’t seem to find any consistency lately, with each defeat followed by a win and vice versa.
His side’s trip to Stoke was a huge chance to impose themselves on those above them in the league and grab a second-consecutive win; but they blew it. And not only did they blow it, Stoke subsequently leapfrogged them in the table. Not a good day for Boro.
Reading are back in the grove following a tricky patch | Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images
It can’t be easy being a Reading fan at the moment. Each game they must be left wondering ‘are we doing to get the team that won seven out of our first eight games or the one that then went onto lose four on the bounce?’.
Well, they got the former in the early kick off on Saturday afternoon, cruising to a comfortable 2-0 win and finishing the weekend in third position in the league – just a point off top spot.
Wonder which Reading we’ll get next week?
Tony Pulis’ side are in big trouble | Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images
You know the drill. You lose a few games, you sack your manager, you bring Tony Pulis in and all is rosy… or maybe not?
Sheffield Wednesday are yet to bag a win under the veteran tactician, and while a 2-1 defeat to Norwich is nothing to be ashamed of, Derby’s win saw the Owls plummet back to the foot of the table, a position they thought they’d long left behind after wiping out their points deduction.
A massive Yorkshire derby away to Huddersfield awaits Pulis’ men next week, and defeat there could spell big trouble for the Owls.
Stoke are now well in the mix | Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Who would’ve thought it?
Stoke certainly have the big-name players to mount a promotion challenge, but given their performances last season and their far-from-stellar summer transfer business, very few expected the Potters to be challenging at the top end of the pitch this campaign.
In his first full-season in charge, Michael O’Neill looks to have breathed life into his Stoke side, and their win over Middlesbrough now sees them sit in fifth position, just three points off Norwich in first.
Watford have dropped down the table after a disappointing home defeat | James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images
While Reading and Stoke have been benefactors of a sharp leap up the table, Watford are one of the sides who’ve been squeezed out, courtesy of their shock 1-0 home defeat to Cardiff.
The Hornets enjoyed 66% possession against Neil Harris’ men but still couldn’t find a way to break the Bluebirds down, and defeat has seen them drop down to seventh in the league table.
Still, they can jump up to second with a win next week…what a league.
Let’
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