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Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have smashed all manner of records en route to winning the 2017/18 Premier League title.

One way to look at City’s accomplishments is that the former Barcelona manager has achieved feats within two years that Sir Alex Ferguson was unable to muster in 20 Premier League seasons.

Why has Guardiola been able to etch this City side into the history books in a way Ferguson’s United seldom managed; certainly not breaking so many records – most points, most wins, most goals – all within one campaign?

One argument is that the standard of the Premier League has decreased in recent seasons. This may seem contrary as the top flight’s middle class has never been richer or better stocked with internationals but there is weight in the argument.

Fergie’s United used to win games on aura alone, but so do City, and there is a pragmatism within the top flight now that ensures avoiding a morale-busting thrashing at the hands of Guardiola’s men is seen as something to be proud of.

Many mid-table sides have gone in pursuit of greater flair, which is not exactly conducive to putting up strong resistance in the face of a long afternoon trying to bloody the nose of a rampant side.

However, the overall quality of player has gone up – each team now has players who can cause damage – so it likely runs deeper than that.

There is also an argument to suggest that Ferguson’s style of play left the door open to a greater extent than even Guardiola’s aggressive brand of football does.

One word that former United stalwart Gary Neville mentions constantly when talking about the club’s traditions under Ferguson is ‘risk’.

That left the door open for the odd aberration when the balance between risk, reward and slickness of performance was slightly out, undermining any hopes of churning out a machine-like season in the manner City have produced this time around.

Yet, there is one, more practical reason behind Ferguson’s comparative ‘failing’. City have been able to focus squarely on the Premier League since their elimination from the Champions League at the hands of eventual finalists Liverpool in early April.

In truth, if the prospect of a Champions League and Premier League double was still on the cards, City would not have been so hell-bent on breaking records, which are great but pale in comparison to trophies.

Ferguson’s greatest title winning teams, especially in 1999, 2007, 2008 and 2009 were generally fighting for multiple honours towards the sharp end of the season.

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Around the turn of the millennium represented United’s best opportunity to set an unassailable record; it is at that period where the difference in desire to set the record under even the notoriously driven Ferguson and the obsessive Guardiola becomes clear.

Guardiola also has experience of maintaining standards throughout title processions, garnered and honed throughout his time with Bayern Munich but that should not diminish his achievement, unmatched by the man who is undisputedly the greatest manager of the Premier League era.

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It was not that long ago when Arsenal fans were worried that Hector Bellerin would be snapped up by his former club Barcelona.

In November last year, the right-back signed a new six-year deal at the Emirates, which was met with joy from the fanbase.

Now, though, some are calling for the Spaniard to be dropped in favour of outcast Mathieu Debuchy.

The Frenchman has not featured in a single Premier League game this season as he was seemingly removed from manager Arsene Wenger’s plans.

In fact, the 32-year-old has only played in 13 top-flight matches since the start of the 2015-16 campaign.

On Tuesday night, Debuchy was handed a place in the lineup for the Gunners’ Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against West Ham United at the Emirates.

Danny Welbeck’s goal was the only thing to separate the two sides as Arsenal grabbed a place in the semi-finals.

The game itself was not the most thrilling, but Debuchy caught the eye, particularly after providing the assist for Welbeck’s goal.

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Now some fans are urging Wenger to play the Frenchman ahead of Bellerin.

It’s safe to say that it hasn’t been an easy start for David Moyes at Manchester United. The Red Devils have already lost nearly half the Premier League games they did last season, and we aren’t even at the end of October.

Granted, the Scot has faced a series of incredibly tough fixtures, taking on Swansea, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in the opening five weeks of the new campaign, but all the United boss has proved so far during his Old Trafford tenure is that Sir Alex Ferguson is an almost impossible act to follow.

Of course, it doesn’t take the brain power of Steven Hawking to realise that a 13-time Premier League title-winning manager would be irreplaceable, but many expected the former Everton manager to have made better progress.

The theory was at the start of the summer that Manchester United’s talented squad, who claimed the English accolade last season,  along with the club’s monolithic infrastructure and efficiency off the pitch would be able to withstand losing such an iconic manager, even if his replacement bared no particular experience at title-winning or even Champions League level.

But the transition process hasn’t quite gone to plan, as the Red Devils find themselves in 9th place with 10 points after seven games, and the performances have been almost  as disturbing as the results.

So what is it that the reining Premier League champions are missing exactly without Ferguson at the helm? They have the same title-winning squad as last season, with the added midfield influence of Marouane Fellaini, and although the Scot’s talents are well-known, he’s hardly been the most hands-on manager over the last few years.

Joey Barton even quipped in a recent meeting with the press that Ferguson ‘couldn’t put on a training session to save his life’, and although few United fans would pay attention to the words of a  controversial midfielder who has spent the majority of his footballing career with the noisy neighbours and can’t even claim first-hand experience on the issue, it’s by no means the first story we’ve heard to suggest the Scot’s role significantly reduced in the latter stages of his managerial tenure.

Yet, Jamie Carragher believes the former gaffer was still worth in excess of ten points per season, for his ability to pressurise referees, galvanise his players and wind-up the opposition. An interesting valuation considering the Red Devils have dropped eleven points so far this year.

More than anything else however, or any particular positive managerial attribute to Ferguson’s name, I believe it’s the psychological edge over opponents Ferguson, or rather Ferguson’s image, provided that the Red Devils are suddenly missing this season.

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With a Ferguson side, you knew exactly what you were getting, because it was what the man came to symbolise over the years; work-rate and hustle for a full ninety minutes, an aggressive determination to succeed, and the confidence that they could beat any opponent, big or small, and overcome any burden to recover from a losing position.

The combination provided a fear factor the Red Devils, just as the famous ‘hairdryer treatment’ did for Ferguson’s players, a kind a preceding reputation, a myth of monolithic dominance, that insisted upon their opponents to play in a more negative and cautious manner to accommodate for it.

But now, for the first time in the best part of twenty years, United’s ability to overcome any endeavour has seriously come into the question, as has their in-build determination, and as a result, other Premier League clubs have simply stopped being scared of them. As West Brom proved a few weeks ago,  if you go to Old Trafford positively and well-prepared, without getting caught up in Manchester United’s tradition of success, then you can claim results, and other clubs are now beginning to follow suit.

And it’s not simply a case of what goes on during any particular match-day -Ferguson’s image of a man who should be feared, and subsequently United’s as a club that should be feared, was constantly maintained in the media and by pundits, as well as being a rather self-fulfilling phenomena.

Now however, we’ve already seen a wealth of criticism from the British press over Moyes’ failed transfer pursuits in the summer, not to mention his side’s performances on the pitch. If Sir Alex had made just a single addition to a title-winning squad, nobody would have batted an eye-lid. Similarly, if the Red Devils had started the season in such poor form with Moyes’s predecessor still at the helm, they would have undoubtedly been tipped to bounce back in the title race, rather than suddenly fade away.

It’s this psychological edge that Moyes must somehow try to reaffirm if he’s to make a success of his Manchester United tenure. It will be no easy feat, considering Ferguson’s powerful image was a cumulative effect of his maintained managerial successes over the years.

But if he can’t do it via results, there are other ways too. Ferguson regularly criticised referees and the press to put pressure on them, which was yet another showing of the Scot’s entrenched desire to succeed,  and something Moyes should strongly consider replicating.

So far, we’ve seen the United boss criticise the FA’s schedulers by alluding the tough start to his Old Trafford career in terms of fixtures could only have been a product of design rather than fate, but we need to witness further aggression and temper from Ferguson’s successor in the public eye.

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That being said, the Ferguson mark 2 act won’t be convincing without results – in fact, it could have the adverse effect – and although United’s performances have a long way to go before they start living up to the dominant displays that further helped provide the Red Devils’ fearsome image, the impetus over the next few weeks must be to claim as many wins as possible, and put notions that the United have become a soft touch over the course of the summer to bed.

Moyes has a great opportunity to do so however now that his difficult start in the Premier League is out of the way. Regular giant-killers Southampton may prove an issue, but after facing the Saints at Old Trafford this weekend, the English champions take on Stoke, Fulham and Norwich over the next month, which is a more than ample enough opportunity for Moyes to re-instate his side’s dominance and monolithic reputation.

Is it Sir Alex Ferguson’s psychological edge Manchester United are missing most?

Join the debate below!

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Rickie Lambert believes Southampton can have no complaints after Saturday’s crushing 6-1 defeat away at Arsenal, The Southern Daily Echo reports.

Saints’ misery was compounded after Jos Hooiveld and Nathaniel Clyne both scored own-goals to add further gloss to the score line for the Gunners.

It sums up a brutal introduction to the Premier League for Nigel Adkins’ side, who remain the only side without a point this season and have conceded a whopping 14 goals in their first four matches.

He said: “I think they thoroughly deserved their victory, the margin as well,” he said. “We were unlucky with some goals, but they could have scored more as well. I think it was about right.”

The south coast side were constantly tormented by Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla, who are both proving to be very useful addition to Arsene Wenger’s team.

This led Lambert to admit that the visitors were simply not good enough to cope with the North Londoners.

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“We will have to look at it, but credit to Arsenal – I thought they were excellent. They had a couple of players we couldn’t handle”, he added.

Southampton will be aiming to get their first points of the season when they host Aston Villa at St Mary’s next Saturday.

Arsenal said goodbye to long-serving manager Arsene Wenger on Sunday, winning 1-0 away to Huddersfield Town in the English Premier League.

On an emotional day for the club, the Frenchman managed to secure one last victory, ending the Gunners’ dire away record in the top-flight since the turn of the year.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal in the 38th minute was enough for all three points.

While the win was welcomed by supporters, the performance was a reminder for some that there’s many players in the squad they’d love to get rid of this summer.

One of those is Danny Welbeck, who appeared from the bench to replace the goalscorer in the 67th minute.

He was largely ineffective in his time on the pitch and fans are pretty fed up with him, with plenty looking for the club to perhaps get rid of him this summer, or at least sign an upgrade.

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They took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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According to reports in The Sun, Southampton will face competition from Chelsea if they want to sign West Ham United striker Andy Carroll, who is rated at £8.9m according to Transfermarkt, during the January transfer window, and they have been dealt a blow with the Daily Mail reporting that the Blues have made an official enquiry.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun reports that Saints are interested in the 28-year-old as they look to find a target man to replace the injured Charlie Austin, but the Blues are also keen on the centre-forward.

The Daily Mail has added that the Premier League holders have already enquired about bringing the England international to the club on loan until the end of the season.

How has Carroll done this season?

He has, once again, struggled with injuries that have stopped him getting a consistent run in the West Ham side, while he was also suspended after picking up a red card against Burnley earlier in the campaign.

The 28-year-old has netted twice in 12 Premier League appearances, although both of those came in the vital 2-1 victory against fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion at the London Stadium on Tuesday.

Carroll is known for his heading ability and strength in the air, and according to WhoScored.com he has won 70 of the 118 aerial duels he has faced in those 12 league games.

Would he be a good signing for Southampton?

He certainly would be, as long as he can keep fit.

Saints enjoyed most of their success in recent years when they had Rickie Lambert and Graziano Pelle as lone strikers, and there is no doubt that Carroll has similar physical attributes.

His strength in the air and ability to hold the ball up and bring the rest of his attacking teammates into play could be crucial for a Saints side that are struggling for goals and lie above the relegation zone on goal difference.

Will they get him?

It doesn’t seem very likely.

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While Chelsea may feel that they could get Carroll on loan until the end of the season, the same won’t be said of Southampton, who look to be a relegation rival for the Irons right now.

If Saints are willing to pay over the odds to get the 28-year-old then a permanent deal could happen, but that seems unlikely even with the predicament they currently find themselves in.

Marseille manager Elie Baup has said Andre Ayew will not leave the Stade Velodrome, despite interest from Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, The Express reports.

Ayew has been strongly linked with a Premier League move this summer after clashing with Baup over his desire to play as a central striker.

But Baup, who has preferred deploying Ayew out wide, has spoken out on the issue, backed by Marseille president Vincent Labrune.

“Let me be clear: I am counting on all the players who are here,” he said.

Asked about the possibility of Ayew playing through the middle, he added: “Who has promised to change our structure? Certainly not me.”

Ayew himself spoke last month about his desire to play in the Premier League, particularly at Anfield.

“The English league would be a dream,” he said.

“It is the most followed league in Ghana so, yes, I have a big preference for England.

“I’ve always supported Liverpool.”

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With Baup and Ayew’s turbulent relationship set to continue, Premier League sides tracking the 23-year-old Ghanaian will not see reason to stop doing so.

Ayew, who reportedly was the subject of a £5million bid from Arsenal in 2010, scored ten goals in 39 appearances last season, taking his overall record at Marseille to 148 games played and 41 goals scored.

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The Daily Mail claim that Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli will miss up to four weeks of football after undergoing eye surgery this week.

The controversial forward joins Sergio Aguero on the sidelines for City who now only have Carlos Tevez and Edin Dzeko as recognised first team strikers going into a crucial period of the season.

Balotelli is short sighted and regularly wears contact lenses to play in games but an allergic reaction has recently prompted the club to send the forward to Italy for laser eye surgery.

Balotelli will certainly miss both of Italy’s opening World Cup qualifiers as well as City’s trip to Stoke in two weeks’ time. The surgery may also rule the striker out of the eagerly anticipated Champions League showdown with Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid and the Real boss was at the Etihad Stadium yesterday to scout City for the fixture.

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His off the field antics may have been endeared to by the British public but manager Roberto Mancini will see this unfortunate injury as another negative story surrounding the forward.

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Manchester City have plenty of talented players within their squad, and given the fact that they recently lifted the Premier League trophy, it is unlikely that many members will want to leave.

If anything, manager Pep Guardiola is expected to strengthen his squad in an attempt to challenge on all fronts next season.

A story has emerged, though, claiming that the newly-crowned England champions could potentially lose talented youngster Pablo Maffeo.

The 20-year-old, who moved to the Cityzens’ youth academy from Espanyol in 2013, is currently on loan at La Liga side Girona.

The full-back has impressed against frequent Ballon d’Or winners Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Maffeo is yet to get his big break at City, which has prompted other clubs to come sniffing around.

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According to Eurosport, Stuttgart have made a record £7.9m bid for the right-back, and City are yet to decide whether or not to accept the deal.

Judging by the reaction on social media, the fans are keen for Maffeo, who is contracted until 2019, to remain at the club.

Ronald Koeman is fast becoming a hero at Southampton after guiding the club to their highest ever Premier League finish, narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification.

The Dutch manager built himself a solid defensive unit that provided the backbone of the their success.

Fraser Forster impressed in goal, Nathaniel Clyne and Ryan Bertrand were strong in attack from the full-back role and the centre back pairing of Jose Fonte and Toby Alderwiereld provided a rock that kept quiet some of the best strikers in the league.

The Saints conceded only 33 goals last season, keeping 15 clean sheets in the process. That’s a remarkable record for a team not considered amongst the best in the division, and only champions Chelsea were better defensively, conceding one less than the South East side.

Manager Koeman faces a major challenge to replicate that form this season, and he heads into the new campaign with only one of that defensive lineup fit to play; captain Jose Fonte.

Clyne and Alderwiereld have both moved on to new sides, with Clyne becoming the latest Southampton player to join Liverpool and Spurs swooping to bring in Belgian defender Alderwiereld.

As for the other two, both players are in the middle of lengthy spells on the sidelines through injury. Fraser Forster is recovering from a knee injury that ruled him out of most of the second half of the season alongside left back Bertrand, who is also out with a knee problem.

If that didn’t leave the Saints short enough, centre back Florin Gardos astonishingly becomes the third bad knee injury in recent months, and he faces seven months on the sidelines.

Koeman is being forced into the market to add numbers to his defensive options, the former Barcelona player has said he wants one or two more central defenders before the start of the season.

He did managed to bring QPR centre-back Steven Cualker in on loan earlier this week, but he certainly needs further reinforcements to ensure his defensive options are up to scratch ahead of the new campaign.

Here are three targets the Dutchman should be looking at…

Virgil Van Dijk – Celtic

The Dutch centre back has become an important part of everything good at Celtic. Available for around £10million, he would be a great addition to the Saints’ back line.

Van Dijk has spoken of his desire to move to a better standard of football and to impress ahead of next summer’s European Championships in France.

Koeman’s Dutch revolution would provide the perfect opportunity to do just that.

The Dutch defender is highly regarded by most. He’s a big, strong defender with excellent technical skills, and has the intelligence to read the play and adapt his position to have the best chance of recovering the ball.

It is not just in defence where the 24-year-old shines, though. He scored 10 goals for Celtic last season, and regularly impressed at both ends of the field.

Bruno Martins Indi – FC Porto

Ronald Koeman has been a fan of Martins Indi for a long time, even failing to lure him to the Premier League last summer when the player decided to move to Porto instead.

The Dutch manager learned a lot about the defender from facing his side during his time with Feyenoord and was always impressed by the youngster’s talent.

Martins Indi can play either in the centre of defence or at left back and would be a real coup for the Saints if they could lure him to St. Mary’s, though Porto are likely to want to make a decent profit on the £6million they paid for him last summer.

The stocky centre-back possesses obvious strength and has been commanding at the back during his time in Holland. The player is also great in the air and, surprisingly for most defenders, has great composure, with his ball retention a favourable attribute of his game.

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At 23 he is another talented defender with a very bright future ahead of him.

Hector Moreno – Espanyol

Moreno is a real talent in defence and has been drawing attention from some of Europe’s top clubs for a number of seasons.

The Mexican international has become a vital part of the backline for both club and country, Moreno is Mexico’s best defender and would be available for around £8million this summer.

A strong defender in the tackle, Moreno is not the big physical type of centre-back you normally get, playing with a bit more skill and technique than most. The Mexican is comfortable on the ball, having recorded one of the best passing accuracy ratios in the Espanyol squad last term.

Alongside the player’s technique, his main strength is his intelligence on and off the ball. Moreno reads the game brilliantly and is known for his interceptions.

The 27-year-old would fit Southampton’s philosophy perfectly and would provide a like for like replacement for the departed Alderwiereld.