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Andre-Pierre Gignac – The Perfect Volley & Goal of the Season
It’s taken Andre-Pierre Gignac quite some time before he’s managed to find his scoring rhythm with Marseille, but it looks like these last couple of seasons have been good to him. The start to this year is no different, scoring 6 goals so far, including what might be the best we’ve seen this season in the 3-1 win over Ajaccio.
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Chelsea FC – Jose Mourinho Might Cost Them Thibaut Courtois
There’s really no love loss between Marca and Jose Mourinho, but it doesn’t mean that recent news of the Chelsea manager threatening Thibaut Courtois to be benched for the next two years if he doesn’t sign a new contract with the team to be untrue.
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A Big Weekend of Title-Deciding Football
The Bundesliga has been a two-horse race for the last three years, and even that might be over if Bayern Munich get the best of the injury-struck Borussia Dortmund when the two Champions League finalists from last season meet over the weekend. In the Premier League, it’s the Merseyside Derby that takes most of the attention with Liverpool and Everton clashing, but Arsenal against the very surprising Southampton is just as important to the top 4 picture if not more.
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Andre Iguodala Saves Warriors From Embarrassing Collapse
If it wasn’t for Andre Iguodala hitting a buzzer-beater, game winning shot, there would have been many wondering just how the Golden State Warriors managed to drop a 14-point lead in the middle of the fourth quarter, even if it was to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Russell Westbrook thought he had the game winner himself a few second earlier, but his incredible game fell just short of the mark in the 115-116 loss.
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Lionel Messi – The FC Barcelona Injury Blame Game
After denial comes shock, and then comes guilt. At least when it comes to the injuries Lionel Messi has been picking up at an alarming race. At his club, Barcelona, it seems there are three things left to be done: Support him until he returns, talk about how they’ll do well without him, and trying to find a single person who can be used to pin the blame on.
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Cristiano Ronaldo – Better Than All the Striking Duos in Europe
As the Ballon d’Or approaches, it becomes clearer and clearer there should only be one winner – Cristiano Ronaldo. Even if he hasn’t won a single title this year and his national team might not even make it to the World Cup, his amazing scoring rate this year and especially this season, being a more efficient goal producer than the best striking partnerships around Europe.
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Manchester United – Michael Carrick Injury Poses a Big Problem
Going by recent history, injuries to Manchester United players never keep them out as much as the initial assessments suggest, but no matter how long Michael Carrick is going to need to recover from his Achilles tendon problem, it’s a big blow for the Premier League champions.
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Arsenal FC – Olivier Giroud Isn’t Going to Rest Anytime Soon
One loss doesn’t mean the end of the world, but when you’re on top of the league, everyone is looking for a hint that you’re cracking. Arsenal aren’t a perfect team, they never were. However, their lack of support to their one and only striker, Olivier Giroud, might begin taking its toll soon enough, and maybe even has already begun.
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FC Barcelona – Lionel Messi Isn’t Superhuman
For almost five years, Lionel Messi was able to stay completely fit and hardly miss a match due to even the most minor of injuries. Suddenly, 2013 brings with it a turn of fortunes that also had to do with changes at Barcelona after Pep Guardiola left, and especially some of the people he took with him, making it less surprising that the team’s biggest star has been unable to shake off injuries for the last six months.
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Phil Jones & Manchester United Motivated by Hate
It might be the most popular club in the world, but along with Real Madrid, Manchester United are also the team that gets the most hate as well. That’s the price of being famous and successful. According to Phil Jones, one of the team’s best performers this season, it’s one excellent reason to be motivated for every match, especially after the slow start to this season.