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During one famous scene in 1980s BBC sitcom Yes Minister, two civil servants – Sir Richard Wharton and Sir Humphrey Appleby – discuss how to advise a Prime Minister during a crisis. 

“In stage one, we say nothing is going to happen,” Wharton begins. “Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it,” Appleby explains. “In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there’s nothing we can do,” Wharton continues, and so to Appleby’s punchline: “Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it’s too late now.”

On Wednesday, with Tottenham’s home game against Fulham the second match in as many days postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak, the Premier League issued a statement: “The Premier League has not discussed pausing the season and has no plans to do so,” was its beginning and its thrust. Business as usual during the most unusual season. Make your own mind up whether this is stage one or two of the civil servant crisis guide.

Football – including the Premier League – was postponed in March because the country entered a national lockdown. Eighty per cent of the country will begin the new year in Tier 4, which is effectively a social lockdown. Schools, universities and places of worship remain open (in contrast with the spring), but senior schools will delay opening for all students and primaries will do the same in the South East. Make no mistake: football is taking a risk by carrying on.

Tiers 1-4 explained. pic.twitter.com/PjCMRuuh8x

— Chris Grocott (@DrChrisGrocott) December 19, 2020

The notion of a “circuit break” fortnight has been widely mooted, but would probably do little to help. Players would have to train during the second week and so may only get five days off. The reaction from managers is laced with self-interest. Sam Allardyce, who would favour having two weeks on the training ground with his new squad, is for the idea. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, whose Manchester United team have rediscovered their form, is against it.

But the discussion is moot – we can’t fit in a break anyway. The Premier League is facing a scheduling nightmare without even the briefest hiatus. 

Let’s assume that Manchester City reach the EFL Cup and FA Cup final and the Champions League semi-finals, hardly an unrealistic proposition. With the domestic season needing to end on 23 May to allow the European Championship to start on 11 June and a 12-day international break in March, City will have to play a game every 3.4 days simply to fit in their scheduled matches. 

Manchester United are the same. The added round in the Europa League dictates that Solskajer’s team could play 40 more matches between now and the Europa League final in Gdansk on 26 May. Again, that’s a game every 3.4 days. And that’s assuming that there are no more postponements as cases rise across the country. Perhaps we’re actually at stage three of the sitcom joke.

Any virologist worth their salt predicted a significant rise in cases during the winter months when the workload on footballers typically reaches its peak. This spike and subsequent enforcement of lockdown procedures did not rush in from left field and should not have caught anyone off guard. In fact, the Premier League is fortunate that winter weather has not yet caused any postponements. That may come in January and February.

Read More

When will postponed Premier League games be rescheduled? Dates are running out for Man City, Man Utd and Spurs

At what point is player welfare considered here, or do we just continue to treat footballers as performing circus animals with a patriotic duty to entertain those cooped up at home? Sunderland manager Lee Johnson briefly discussed his concerns about the long-term lung capacities of players who contract Covid-19. Even those who don’t contract the virus will be asked to deal with an increased workload and pressure at a time of great national worry. Those who participate in the European Championship, Copa America or Gold Cup this summer face a relentless schedule over a 21-month period ending in May 2022.

This is a mess that could have been avoided. This season always promised unique, uncontrollable challenges that may arrive with little notice and cause lasting headaches. We could have scrapped one or both of the domestic cup competitions for a single season, sharing the usual revenue between League One, League Two and National League clubs. There could have been a disaster plan in place in case the season needed to be curtailed.

Instead, very few ceded any ground at all. The only significant change to a busy calendar was to start the season a month later and so make the window to complete the fixtures a month shorter.

That was either an act of foolhardiness, wilful ignorance or misplaced complacency; you’ve read this far so feel free to make your own choice. The Premier League’s “The show must go on” mantra was well-intentioned – goodness knows we all need some escapism – but escapism is a privilege not an indisputable truth. We are sleepwalking into a fixture calamity that may yet threaten the end of this season more gravely than it threatened 2019-20.

Anyone claiming to be shocked wasn’t taking it seriously enough in the first place.

Daniel Storey’s i football column is published in print and online on Friday mornings. You can follow him on Twitter @danielstorey85

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Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti will sign Swedish international keeper Robin Olsen on a permanent basis – to keep the pressure on number one Jordan Pickford.

England keeper Pickford has endured some shaky moments over the opening months of the season and been left out of the starting Premier League line-up by Ancelotti on two occasions.

Olsen, currently on loan from Roma, has impressed the Everton boss when deputising and now, Ancelotti wants to make his stay at Goodison Park permanent.

Ancelotti said: “We are pleased to have him here. He is a goalkeeper with experience so I think we are going to talk with him and his agent to find a solution for him to be here permanently. It can be for January or in June.

“The games that he played he did well. He was comfortable, he was calm, he was quiet. I think he gives good support to Jordan also.”

Ancelotti must decide who starts in goal tomorrow night as the Toffees open the new year with the visit of West Ham and former manager David Moyes to Goodison.

Victory would lift Everton to within a point of top place in the Premier League table, with Ancelotti welcoming Brazilian winger Richarlison back from a concussion injury. However, high-profile potential starters James Rodriguez, Allan and Lucas Digne all remain out to longer-term concerns and Ancelotti admits keeping his key players free from injury will be more important than trying to sign replacements in this month’s transfer window.

Ancelotti confident Everton can challenge for Europe

He said: “To be in the top four will not depend on the transfer window. To be in the top four depends on the quality we are able to show in the second part of the season and that means also to try to avoid the injury that we had in the first part.

“We had out important players – Digne, Allan, Richarlison. If we are able to recover well, these players [and] the squad is good enough to be in European position. We have a good squad for this. 

“To be in the top four will be more difficult and also to have a fantastic transfer window in January will be difficult because there are top teams [who are] really strong and in this moment we are pleased to be there but this doesn’t mean we are at the same level as these top teams.”

While Everton remain perplexed at the way in which the Premier League postponed their meeting with Manchester City on Monday, at just a few hours’ notice due to a Covid outbreak in the opposition camp, Ancelotti admits his side should benefit from the enforced rest.

He said: “Yes, the fact we didn’t play against City we can have fresh legs against West Ham. It can be an advantage for that reason so the preparation for the game it was good. I hope we are ready.”

Meanwhile, Ancelotti is looking for a fifth successive league victory tonight, a run all the more impressive as 14-goal leading scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin has not hit the net during that sequence.

But the Everton manager remains delighted with the England striker’s contribution, even without his prolific early-season scoring form.

He said: “It is true that he didn’t score as usual, as he did in the beginning but it is also true he was really important. 

“Against Chelsea, he won the penalty, against Arsenal he was involved in the own goal, he had opportunities against Sheffield United so I don’t have to ask more, I don’t have to ask him to score goals. We were solid defensively also because him and Gylfi Sigurdsson work hard defensively.”

Follow i sport on Facebook for more Premier League news, interviews and features

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• Sam Johnstone tells Sam Cunningham why he is finally ready to become a Premier League star
• The making of Timo Werner: How his father’s motivation and ‘scary’ power meant Chelsea star was always destined for the top
• Eric Dier reveals why he stormed into the stands to confront an abusive Spurs fan
• Daniel Storey: How to lose supporters and alienate Messi, by FC Barcelona
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Manchester United will finish 2020 with the third-best points haul in the Premier League over the past 12 months – a good achievement for a manager in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who is supposedly fearing for his job right now.

Sitting high in the Premier League table for the calendar year may not win anyone prizes other than very slim bragging rights to fire at rival fans, but 2020 has been a significantly difficult period that clubs have had to battle through.

The spread of Covid-19 at the start of the year eventually caused the Premier League season to go into hibernation between March and June, forcing a congested fixture list over the summer and resulting in barely any pre-season heading into the delayed 2020-21 campaign.

And to make matters worse for teams playing in Europe – such as United – the Europa League and Champions League campaigns ended just 20 days before the new Premier League season began.

But some sides have managed to cope with the fluctuating fixture list better than others.

The summer certainly proved a turning point for the likes of United and Southampton, but the same cannot be said for Sheffield United.

Indeed, there are some real surprises when looking at the table.

Here, i looks at the winners and losers from the 2020 calendar year – and who could impress heading into 2021.

Winners: Liverpool 1st

Having finally won a first Premier League title, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have already set the pace for the championship this season. And while 2020 will always be marred by the absence of fans at Anfield, it will go down as a hugely successful 12 months for the club.

Liverpool finish the year with the most Premier League points (77) by a clear distance. Even the fact they played more Premier League games bar anyone other than West Ham (also 35) doesn’t reduce their achievement. A 65.7 per cent win rate is bettered by no other team.

And Liverpool head into 2021 top of the current pile, with a three-point lead over United – albeit having played a game more. Reds fans would have certainly taken the past 12 months had they been offered them at the end of 2019. The only shame is that for the majority, supporters haven’t been able to watch their games live.

Winners: Man Utd 3rd

It wasn’t long ago that United were crashing out of the Champions League and talks surfaced of Solskjaer being replaced. But over the course of December, the Norwegian has not only rescued United’s season but also rekindled memories of their superb summer form.

United won six of their Premier League fixtures during Project Restart, drawing the other three. They reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and Europa League, and crucially pinched a Champions League spot on the final day of the 2019-20 season.

The summer form made up for a woeful start to 2020, where United lost to Arsenal, Liverpool and Burnley before January was out. Since the start of the new season Solskjaer’s men have wobbled ever so slightly but are now on top form again. Unbeaten since a defeat to Arsenal in early November, they are now suddenly real contenders for Liverpool’s crown.

Winners: Southampton 5th

There isn’t a side in the Premier League that has blown hot and cold more than Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men in 2020. Southampton started the year with three wins from four in January, only to slump into a miserable run that was only halted when Covid-19 postponed the Premier League fixtures.

Yet on their return to action in June, Saints collected 18 points from a possible 27, lost just one game – a 2-0 reversal to Arsenal – and finished the season in 11th place.

A few weeks later Hasenhuttl’s troops kicked off the new season with back-to-back defeats, before going on a seven-game unbeaten run. The streaky nature of their results has seen Southampton leap up and down the league ladder, and they have ended 2020 without a win in four. Still, their overall form this year is enough to see them sitting fifth in the 12-month table – not bad for a team that looked set on relegation after the infamous 9-0 loss to Leicester in October 2019.

Losers: Leicester 10th

Speaking of Leicester, Brendan Rodgers may well look back at 2020 as a year where things could have gone oh so well for the Foxes. They finished the 2019-20 season in fifth place and currently occupy third spot in the table. But remarkably, Leicester’s awful summer meant they languish 10th on the year-to-year ladder.

Just two wins during Project Restart saw Leicester fall out of the top four and miss out on the lucrative Champions League spots. A 4-1 defeat against to-be-relegated Bournemouth exposed just how out of character this Leicester side became during the summer – although the rot actually started when their nine-game winning streak ended in December 2019.

Having failed to keep the pace last term, Rodgers’ men have also fluctuated this season. Two instances of back-to-back Premier League losses have been enough for Jamie Vardy and co to slip off the title pace. Yes, they are still doing remarkably well to compete for a top-four spot – but looking back, 2020 could have been a whole lot better for Leicester.

Losers: Arsenal 8th

Few football clubs have endured such highs and lows as Arsenal in 2020. From starting the year unbeaten until Project Restart and winning the FA Cup, to sacking their mascot Gunnersaurus, ostracising Mesut Ozil and capitulating in the lead-up to Christmas, it’s been a strange 12 months in north London.

Arsenal were in crisis mode before back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Brighton earned Mikel Arteta a reprieve in the final days of 2020. Looking back, it hasn’t been a terrible year for the club, yet the league table for games played these past 12 months has them in eighth position.

What is most concerning are the 12 defeats suffered. To give that some context, Liverpool have lost four, Spurs eight and even Burnley have managed fewer losses (11) since the start of 2020.

Losers: Sheffield United 17th

Sheffield United finished the 2019-20 season in a solid ninth place – but their miserable form during the summer belied what to expect just a few months later.

Chris Wilder’s men claimed just three league wins in June and July to surrender what at one point looked like a very good claim for a European spot. Three straight defeats ended the campaign and, perhaps most crucially, the squad was barely strengthened when the transfer window opened.

Since then, Wilder is yet to taste victory in the new season – and that includes an EFL Cup exit to Burnley. Just two points earned so far is downright horrendous form, and any other club and manager bar Sheffield United and Wilder would have parted company by now.

Is there any hope for 2021? The boss needs investment in this squad if his side are to escape relegation. And even then, January 2021 will be unrecognisable to how the Blades began 2020.

Follow i sport on Facebook for more Premier League news, interviews and features

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• Sam Johnstone tells Sam Cunningham why he is finally ready to become a Premier League star
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In many ways, Manchester United finished 2020 in a style which epitomised their year – far from at their best, but finding a way to pull themselves back from the brink just when it mattered with a late 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Despite the disappointment of their Champions League group stage exit and a torrid start to the Premier League season, the Red Devils head into the New Year well poised as they sit just three points behind league-leaders Liverpool with a game in hand.

That’s thanks to an unbeaten run of nine league games stretching back to 7 November. United’s impressive record will be tested against an Aston Villa side who drew 1-1 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last time out and haven’t lost any of their last five league games.

In fact, so impressive have Dean Smith’s men been that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is expected to field as strong a line-up as possible, even with one eye on next week’s EFL Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

Nevertheless, Solskjaer will be forced to rotate with United preparing for their second game in four days. The Norwegian hailed the competition within his squad, warning his players they will not be able to “fake” their way into United’s starting XI.

“I think we have competition for places, which means you cannot go around and think you can fake your way through being part of this team,” he said.

“You only deserve to be in a team that you contribute in… And you’ve got winners like Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic, who don’t play every single game, but they’re so influential in the build-up to games, and even during games when they’re not playing.”

Team news

The most high-profile absentee is Edinson Cavani, who will sit out the first game of his three-match suspension following his FA charge over his offensive Instagram post. Anthony Martial should start in his place, but the Frenchman has only scored three goals in his 11 league appearances in the 2020-21 campaign.

Villa’s defence will be bolstered too by the return of Tyrone Mings from suspension.

As for United, Eric Bailly impressed against Wolves in another reminder of his capabilities if he can stay fit. The centre-back is expected to partner Harry Maguire again, with Victor Lindelof still struggling with the chronic back problem that forced him off in the 2-2 draw with Leicester City on Boxing Day. Long-term absentees Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones are also out.

Solskjaer’s other changes are likely to be through choice, with Luke Shaw, Scott McTominay and Fred available to come in for Alex Telles, Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic.

Daniel James will be contesting Mason Greenwood for a spot on the right. The latter has been struggling for form and hasn’t scored since the 3-1 win over West Ham on 5 December.

Follow i sport on Facebook for more Man Utd news, interviews and features

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• The making of Marcus Rashford: the Man Utd star who never forgot his roots
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The top of the mountain is visible once again to Manchester United. The question is not so much can they climb it against Aston Villa, but if they do, how long can they tolerate the rarefied air?

The visit of Villa concludes a calendar year of tidy progress under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Over the piece only Liverpool and Manchester City have returned more Premier League points. However, since the arrival of Bruno Fernandes in the last week of January none have been so relentlessly acquisitive, 62 points to Liverpool’s 61 over 29 matches.

The degree to which United have benefited under the anomalous conditions presented by Covid is tricky to determine. We have seen a dramatic tail off in Liverpool’s points accumulation. This may be the result of a cyclical shift to more realistic returns or the levelling consequences of multiple injuries in the squeezed circumstances.

More points are an obvious measure of progress at Old Trafford. Other positive metrics include improved patterns of play in the migration from counter attack to effective control of possession. United have developed a more flexible approach to games built around the influence of Fernandes, who might yet prove as significant a catalyst as Eric Cantona, who transformed United’s prospects when joining from Leeds almost 30 years ago.

There is also that harder-to-measure quality confidence, reflected in the atmosphere about the place, the attitude of the players, upbeat reflections, and not least, the balanced commentary of Solskjaer, who in good times and bad has never been anything but honest in his appraisal of performance, happy to call out weaknesses and identify problems with welcome candour.

With rivals floundering, United have capitalised

His problem then was not his understanding of the problems but demonstrating that he was the right coach to solve them. The purchase of Fernandes, the maturing of Marcus Rashford, the development of Scott McTominay, the greater consistency of Fred and a fully fit Eric Bailly at centre-half have all helped strengthen his hand.

Solskjaer is benefitting also by the unsettled circumstances of their traditional rivals. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are each managing change to a greater or lesser degree.

Solskjaer is clearly more advanced in the business of renewal than Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and Frank Lampard at Chelsea. Pep Guardiola’s is coming at change from a different place with arguably a much stronger foundation. Nevertheless the loss of Vincent Kompany and David Silva and decline of Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho have significantly flattened the City curve.

The picture is never perfect. Solskjaer has yet to get a turn out of winger Dan James. Right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a dead-end in the opposition’s half, which compromises the poor sap playing ahead of him. Anthony Martial appears locked in his own quixotic loop.

And the midfield is still a muddle when the McTominay/Fred tandem is disturbed either by the inclusion of slow moving vehicle Nemanja Matic or the enigmatic Paul Pogba.

After the sterility of the uber-organised Wolves, Villa offer a different kind of test and one United are arguably better equipped to meet. Like Leeds, Villa are a team built to prosper on the front foot, which theoretically at least creates the space for United to attack. Then again, if you accept Marcelo Bielsa’s argument, his United were the better team in the 6-2 defeat at Old Trafford, undone only by inferior finishing.

Villa made a fast start in the corresponding fixture last season, Jack Grealish making a statue of David de Gea with a sumptuous strike in a 2-2 draw. And enhanced by the addition of Ollie Watkins and Bertrand Traore, Villa have morphed into contenders themselves, spreading the goal threat in a way that might yet tilt the title narrative in their direction.

Follow i sport on Facebook for more Man Utd news, interviews and features

More on Man Utd

• The making of Marcus Rashford: the Man Utd star who never forgot his roots
• 5 contenders to replace Solskjaer as next Man Utd manager
• Why United are prepared to play the long-game in pursuit of Sancho
• Kevin Garside: Well done to Chadwick for reminding us all to be kind
• Man Utd need Cavani to be another Cantona – but even that may not save Solskjaer

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Edinson Cavani has been banned for three matches and fined £100,000 following his Football Association charge for misconduct.

Manchester United will not contest the decision over an offensive Instagram post in which he used the term “negreto”, despite the club insisting there was no racist intent behind his actions.

The incident came after the Uruguayan’s match-winning brace after coming on as a substitute in the Red Devils’ 3-2 win over Southampton on November 29.

Cavani issued an apology and deleted the post after the FA confirmed they would be looking into his conduct.

An FA statement has now confirmed the former PSG forward won’t available for matches against Aston Villa, Manchester City and Watford and he will also be required to attend an educational course.

“Edinson Cavani has been suspended for three games, fined £100,000 and must complete face-to-face education after admitting a charge for a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a social media post on Sunday 29 November 2020,” it said.

“A comment posted on the Manchester United FC striker’s Instagram page was insulting, abusive, improper and brought the game into disrepute contrary to FA Rule E3.1. The post also constitutes an ‘aggravated breach’, which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included reference, whether express or implied, to colour and/or race and/or ethnic origin.

“An independent Regulatory Commission was appointed to decide the sanction and its written reasons will be published in due course.”

Follow i sport on Facebook for more Man Utd news, interviews and features

More on Man Utd

• The making of Marcus Rashford: the Man Utd star who never forgot his roots
• 5 contenders to replace Solskjaer as next Man Utd manager
• Why United are prepared to play the long-game in pursuit of Sancho
• Kevin Garside: Well done to Chadwick for reminding us all to be kind
• Man Utd need Cavani to be another Cantona – but even that may not save Solskjaer

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As the UK deals with the second wave of Covid-19 and the new strain, it is becoming increasingly apparent that professional football is not exempt from the havoc it is causing on all other sectors of life.

Tottenham Hotspur v Fulham was postponed on Wednesday after positive tests in the Fulham squad and, on Monday, Everton v Manchester City was also postponed following Covid cases at City.

Football clubs have been doing their best to keep the game going – testing players weekly, using bubbles and strict zoning inside stadiums and training grounds while adapting facilities to minimise close contact – but it is becoming increasingly clear that it isn’t enough. To stop the spread of Covid, and bearing in mind that football players are humans too, there needs to be a ‘circuit-break’ to the season.

Throughout the pandemic, it has seemed that footballers have often been overlooked in discussions deciding if the season could continue. One of the main motivations for ‘project restart’ was to stop the losses incurred by a lack of games – the weeks without matches resulted in a £170m rebate payable from clubs to Sky for domestic TV rights. This has now been deferred to the 2021-22 season, and more is owed to other broadcasters for international TV rights. The focus has been on keeping games going for the sake of completing matches rather than prioritising player welfare.

This has come from fans too. When it was announced that Everton and City had been postponed, the conversation on social media quickly became a numbers game, with people questioning why the match was not allowed to play if City had over 14 players at their disposal.

The dehumanised nature in which some have regarded players may stem from the fact that largely, those who are fit and healthy do not have severe coronavirus symptoms. The general consensus is that the 10 days for which a player is out when they catch the virus is nothing dissimilar to a normal injury. However, as the cases at Newcastle United have shown, this isn’t always the case.

Speaking earlier in December, Newcastle manager Steve Bruce confirmed that two of his players have been hit badly by the virus: “We’ve had vomiting, sores, mouth ulcers, no smell, no taste, but the big thing, and which is the worrying thing, is the welfare of one or two of them,” he said.

“That long-term Covid is something which you wouldn’t think possible in young, fit, athletes. Unfortunately, it is so. They go for a walk for half an hour and then they want to go back to bed. It’s as brutal as that.”

On 21 December, Ipswich Town physiotherapist Matt Byard was one of the first to suggest a temporary pause to English football, saying: “Football may benefit from a ‘circuit breaker’ before a return to playing securely.” A short two-week break would allow time for players to minimise the number of people who they come into contact with and hopefully reduce the levels of the virus around the game, making it a safer place to return to after the temporary pause.

With the Government quick to impose restrictions on other industries to help reduce the spread of the virus and protect those who are vulnerable, why have the footballing authorities not chosen to do the same to protect all involved in the game?

The Premier League has said that it has no plans to pause the season, explaining in a statement that it has “confidence in its Covid-19 protocols to enable fixtures to be played as scheduled, and these protocols continue to have the full backing of Government.

“With the health of players and staff the priority, the League is also fully supportive of how clubs are implementing the protocols and rules.”

The attitude that footballers and club staff must keep soldiering on throughout the pandemic is one that could potentially be damaging to those who work in it.

Clubs are already stretched to their limits with a cramped fixture schedule; postponements due to Covid-19 will only add to the difficulties which players and managers are facing. Many of those in the sport have echoed the need for action to be taken.

“I am 66 years old and the last thing I want to do is catch Covid,” West Brom’s manager Sam Allardyce said after their 5-0 defeat to Leeds United on Tuesday evening.

“As much as we’re getting tested – we had one positive this week – it seems to be creeping around. No matter how hard we try, no matter how many times we get tested, how we wear our masks, how we sanitise our hands, we’re still catching a lot of infections around the country.

“If that helps [circuit breaker], let’s do it and let the season run a little longer when we get through it.”

In the Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship, there were 32 positive tests in the latest round of testing between 14 December and 20 December. However, women’s football’s advantage is that the already existing winter break now comes at the perfect time to act as a natural ‘circuit-breaker’ and help to stop the spread of the virus.

For the health of English football, it may be time for those in control of the men’s game to concede and temporarily impose a break to make sure that the welfare of all of those involved in football is treated with the utmost importance.

Adam Millington is a freelance sports writer, mainly covering men’s and women’s football

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True to form, 2020 ended in chaos for many Fantasy Premier League managers.

Mo Salah followed up a blank against West Brom with another poor showing against Newcastle, bringing an end to the Liverpool forward’s run of five goals in his last four league outings.

To make matters worse, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min weren’t in action due to Tottenham’s game against Fulham being postponed due to an outbreak of coronavirus in the Cottagers’ squad. Everton’s clash with Manchester City suffered the same fate, preventing Kevin de Bruyne or Gabriel Jesus from picking up any points this round.

On that note, there is still uncertainty surrounding City’s game against Chelsea on Sunday. A fixture that should guarantee goals under normal circumstances, picks from either side could be a risky strategy until there is confirmation that Pep Guardiola’s men have recovered – though the City training ground has now reopened.

Elsewhere, there are a number of more promising meetings in Gameweek 17. Manchester United host Aston Villa with 16 goals scored between the two clubs in the last 11 days. Everton, on a run of four consecutive league victories, take on West Ham, while Jose Mourinho and Marcelo Bielsa’s contrasting philosophies meet one another when Leeds travel to Tottenham on Saturday lunchtime.

With all that in mind, here are i‘s five players to sign ahead of the latest round of fixtures.

Karl Darlow (Newcastle)

Karl Darlow may only be 14th for clean sheets in the Premier League this term, but that doesn’t do justice to his individual performances. The goalkeeper produced another impressive display as he kept Liverpool at bay on Wednesday night and he has now saved 71.76 per cent of shots this season.

Only Burnley’s Nick Pope has a better record when it comes to preventing expected goals.

Price: £5m Points: 60

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Saka is expected to overcome the minor knock he suffered against Brighton and return to action in Arsenal’s trip to West Brom on Sunday. The 19-year-old has been one of the few bright points of the Gunners’ season so far, but he has been particularly influential in their two recent wins over Chelsea and the Seagulls.

The winger earned two successive man-of-the-match awards for his role in those post-Christmas victories and set up Alexandre Lacazette’s winner at The Amex.

Price: £5.2m Points: 48

Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

No Crystal Palace player has earned more FPL points than Zaha this season. The Eagles take on (still winless) Sheffield United and the Ivorian will be confident of adding to his eight goals and two assists against the side with the second worst goal difference (-19) in the top flight.

Zaha scored three goals in December and he’s particularly formidable against sides in and around the relegation zone – in fact, 50 per cent of his goals this season have come against the current bottom four.

Price: £7.4m Points: 86

Harvey Barnes (Leicester City)

With five goals in his last 10 appearances, there’s never been a better time to draft in Barnes.

The 23-year-old has scored twice since Boxing Day – once against Manchester United and once against Crystal Palace – and is even being talked about as an outside contender for England’s Euro squad next year. Leicester face Newcastle on Sunday at 2.15pm.

Price: £6.7m Points: 63

Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa)

The 25-year-old’s goal in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea was a little contentious, with Jack Grealish coming together with Andreas Christensen in the build-up. Nevertheless, it was El Ghazi’s fourth in his last three games following a brace against West Brom and another strike against Crystal Palace.

Villa travel to Old Trafford to face a United side buoyed by a late 1-0 victory over Wolves. Yet it was all the more morale-raising for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer precisely because the Red Devils had conceded six goals in their previous three league games, keeping just two clean sheets from their last seven matches.

Price: £5.8m Points: 45

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Manchester City‘s opening day Premier League fixture against Aston Villa has now been rearranged for 8.15pm on Wednesday 20 January.

The match was due to take place at the Etihad on 12 September but was postponed because of City’s progress in last season’s Champions League.

Manchester United’s game against Burnley that was due to take place on the opening weekend at Turf Moor has also been rescheduled for Tuesday 12 January.

The two Manchester clubs were both given a weekend off because their European ventures ran into mid-August.

Read More

When will postponed Premier League games be rescheduled? Dates are running out for Man City, Man Utd and Spurs

City exited the Champions League when falling to Lyon in the quarters on Saturday 15 August, while United were knocked out of the Europa League semi-finals when losing to Sevilla a day later.

That was enough to grant United and City an extended break, although by contrast Wolves were not offered a similar reprieve even though they lost to Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-finals on 11 August.

The rearranged fixture means City will play at least eight matches in January, although that could extend to nine if they beat Birmingham in the third round of the FA Cup.

Follow i sport on Facebook for more Premier League news, interviews and features

More on the Premier League

• Sam Johnstone tells Sam Cunningham why he is finally ready to become a Premier League star
• The making of Timo Werner: How his father’s motivation and ‘scary’ power meant Chelsea star was always destined for the top
• Eric Dier reveals why he stormed into the stands to confront an abusive Spurs fan
• Daniel Storey: How to lose supporters and alienate Messi, by FC Barcelona
• An apology to Man Utd’s Jesse Lingard

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Manchester United‘s opening day Premier League fixture against Burnley has now been rearranged for 8.15pm on Tuesday 12 January.

The match was due to take place at Turf Moor on 12 September but was postponed because of United’s progress in last season’s Europa League.

Manchester City’s game against Aston Villa that was due to take place on the opening weekend at the Etihad has also been rescheduled for Wednesday 20 January.

The two Manchester clubs were both given a weekend off because their European ventures ran into mid-August.

Read More

When will postponed Premier League games be rescheduled? Dates are running out for Man City, Man Utd and Spurs

City exited the Champions League when falling to Lyon in the quarters on Saturday 15 August, while United were knocked out of the Europa League semi-finals when losing to Sevilla a day later.

That was enough to grant United and City an extended break, although by contrast Wolves were not offered a similar reprieve even though they lost to Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-finals on 11 August.

The rearranged fixture means United will play at least eight matches in January, although that could extend to nine if they beat Watford in the third round of the FA Cup.

Follow i sport on Facebook for more Man Utd news, interviews and features

More on Man Utd

• The making of Marcus Rashford: the Man Utd star who never forgot his roots
• 5 contenders to replace Solskjaer as next Man Utd manager
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• Kevin Garside: Well done to Chadwick for reminding us all to be kind
• Man Utd need Cavani to be another Cantona – but even that may not save Solskjaer

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Burnley’s new owners officially took charge of the club with a ringing endorsement for manager Sean Dyche and the guarantee of cash for the January transfer window.

Protracted talks for the Clarets concluded late on Wednesday with US investment company ALK Capital buying a controlling 84 per cent stake in the club in a deal believed to be worth £200m.

Dyche has been kept in the dark over the talks, which dragged on for several months and meant he was unable to strengthen his squad in the summer window.

But incoming chairman Alan Pace, a Wall Street executive and managing partner of ALK Capital, wasted no time in offering his public backing for Dyche, who has been in charge at Turf Moor for over eight years.

Read More

The world according to Sean Dyche: ‘I’m not always right… only 99.9999 per cent of the time’

Pace said: “We have been very, very big fans of Sean for some time. The longevity and stability on the management side is something that has been very impactful, from our perspective – the playing style and the ability to perform at the level they have.

“So we’re very big fans of Sean and we are very prepared to come in and support Sean and the management team.

“We need time to get in and understand what their needs are, what they have been planning for, what the decisions are that they have taken so far and where they are desiring to get to.

“But we are fully prepared to back the manager.”

A run of three wins and a draw from the last five league games has dramatically improved Burnley’s league position and a win over Fulham on Sunday – should that fixture go ahead following a Covid outbreak in Scott Parker’s squad – would lift them eight points above relegation.

The form book points to Burnley securing safety and a sixth successive season of top-flight football, a run the club has not enjoyed since a 24-year spell in the top division came to an end in 1971.

Read More

Will the Premier League be postponed? Latest on if other fixtures will follow cancelled Spurs vs Fulham match

Dyche has been frustrated for some time at his lack of resources to strengthen a paper-thin squad under former chairman Mike Garlick, who will remain as a director along with his business partner and former majority shareholder John Banaszkiewicz.

But the Burnley manager admits there is no guarantee he will want to spend in the new window with Dyche focusing more on avoiding the sort of injury list that crippled his side earlier in the current campaign.

He said: “We’re looking into what we do, what the medics do, the players, days, different times and schedules, maybe operating slightly differently for the players.

“If there are things in the market we think we can align, okay, if there’s not, which has often been the case because of finance, we’ll keep operating with the group we’ve got and make sure we get them all fit.

“If you have money available, you can only spend it if players are available, and if they are the right players, it’s worth it. If they’re not, I’ve never seen the point.”

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Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow kept a clean sheet and pulled off a save of the season contender to frustrate Liverpool and boost his hopes of an England call-up.

The 30-year-old has been one of the bright sparks in what has been a fairly drab season so far for Newcastle since he replaced the injured Martin Dubravka.

With England No 1 Jordan Pickford out of form and others failing to usurp him in Gareth Southgate’s pecking order, the Newcastle stopper has been tipped for international honours.

His performance in the 0-0 draw with Liverpool on Wednesday night, in which he made one stunning fingertip save to deny Mohamed Salah and another eyecatching, albeit much easier save, from Roberto Firmino, will have done his chances no harm.

What a save!@NUFC goalkeeper Karl Darlow denies Mo Salah with a tremendous stop #PLonPrime #NEWLIV pic.twitter.com/a8zJ4idahc

— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 30, 2020

“It would be silly of me to not admit that I’m aware of [England rumours],” Darlow told Amazon Prime after the game.

“Hopefully I can just keep performing how I have been and if that gets me into contention then I’ll be over the moon with that.

“I just need to keep performing and hopefully that [the call-up] might happen.”

Back in the stduio, former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer was more ebullient in his praise for what he described as “superb” display.

“He should be very, very proud of his performance,” Shearer said.

“When you are playing against the quality of Liverpool and their forwards you know you are going to have to have a good game.

You are going to have to rely on your goalkeeper at some stage during the game… when required he came up with the goods.

Read More

Liverpool stumble against Newcastle to give Man Utd a boost and kindle hopes of a Premier League title race

“He was big and strong and just kept them out and there was no way they were going to get past him. The defenders in front of him had to work extremely hard but when they got past the defenders he was just exceptional. Superb.”

Former Liverpool midfielder Steve McManaman added that Darlow has been “excellent for the majority of the season,” to which Shearer replied: “He got an opportunity when Dubravka was injured. The question was put to him, ‘You’re in there. Can you stay in there?’. Well Dubrvaka is now not getting back in this team with his form like that.”

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ST JAMES’ PARK — England would appear to have a title race. Liverpool flew back from Tyneside on Wednesday night on top of the Premier League, which is where they were when entering 2020, but whereas 12 months ago Jurgen Klopp’s team had a 13-point lead, this morning it is just three. That it is over Manchester United, who have a game in hand, is unlikely to go unnoticed.

Liverpool’s quest last January was to win a first league title in 30 years. In 2021 it will be to equal United’s tally of 20 championships. The Reds of Merseyside remain favourites, but two draws in four days against opponents Liverpool would expect to defeat has raised a debate.

That Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow was outstanding and needed to be was proof of Liverpool’s attacking threat, but as against West Brom on Sunday, opportunities came and went. Liverpool have won just two of their eight away games.

The fact that Alisson made a diving save from Ciaran Clark in the last 10 minutes illustrated the game was not all one-way. Steve Bruce had requested a performance that would “shut a few people up” and he got one. This was one of his best nights at St James’ Park.

Read More

Ally McCoist and Jon Champion steal the show on night of drab Newcastle vs Liverpool draw

The champions’ teamsheet, as ever, was scrutinised for changes and the sight of Thiago Alcantara’s name among the substitutes delighted Liverpool fans. Yet in an expansive opening half hour it was Newcastle’s big change, the re-introduction of Callum Wilson, that was the game’s major influence. Wilson, half-rested, half-protected in the loss at Man City, began like a genuine Newcastle United No 9, albeit in a No 13 jersey.

The home side had clearly noted Nat Phillips’ presence and seeing a makeshift red partnership in front of him, Wilson ran, checked and passed with menace. He was worrying Liverpool all on his own. Behind him Matty Longstaff was building on a solid showing at City with some short, sharp contributions. All over, there was an energy to Newcastle which their fans will have squinted at to recognise.

It was a tone set as early as the second minute when a cross-shot from the right from Wilson forced Alisson to tip over. Ten minutes later Wilson ran at Phillips on the opposite flank. He beat the stand-in centre-half in a one-on-one and Wilson was quickly eight yards from goal, though at an angle. As he shot, Fabinho raced in to block.

But Newcastle were heartened; Liverpool had been given another warning. DeAndre Yedlin then snatched when in a decent position.

Amid this, Liverpool racked up attacking moments of their own. There was some exquisite one-touch football from Klopp’s side and a truly wonderful 40-yard cross-field pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold.

But it took until the 34^th minute for Darlow to make a serious save. When it came, it was with Darlow’s fingertips and it prevented Mo Salah from slipping the ball into the far corner. Found by a cute Jordan Henderson ball, Salah was unmarked.

It was a real opportunity and there was another on the stroke of half-time when Roberto Firmino was fed a perfect centre by Sadio Mane. Firmino’s header from 10 yards was true and powerful. Darlow sprang to his right to parry.  

Klopp jogged down the tunnel when the half-time whistle blew. He may not have been anxious overall, but perhaps a little concerned that Liverpool had not taken their chances. It was his complaint after West Brom: “We have to finish the situations off.”

It is a remark he possibly revisited to himself when Mane flashed a header inches wide five minutes after the re-start. Klopp had just shown some frustration when Mane had fouled Longstaff.

A question now was if Newcastle could maintain their intensity. An answer, as the hour mark and then 70-minute mark came, was Yes.

But the Geordies were being helped by Liverpool’s ongoing wastefulness. Klopp has his head in his hands twice in two minutes, first when Salah profited from a piece of Firmino brilliance in midfield only to skew his low effort wide, then when Firmino nodded an Andy Robertson corner wide from five yards.

Shortly after, Klopp called for Thiago. Liverpool came again. A superb pinged 40-yarder from Thiago had Alexander-Arnold in space on the right. His cross was fast and dangerous and Darlow could only push it out onto Mane. The rebound was about to go over the line until Fabian Schar scooped it away.

There will have been cheers in Manchester.

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The action on the pitch wasn’t much to write home about but viewers of Amazon Prime’s coverage of Newcastle vs Liverpool were enraptured by the commentary of Ally McCoist and his old pal Jon Champion.

The pair aren’t regulars on Premier League coverage in England although BT and Sky Sports might well be mulling an offer of employment following their popularity over this festive period.

“Ally McCoist isn’t just good at co-commentating, he’s M&S co-commentating,” wrote one viewer on Twitter, where McCoist was trending above Newcastle, Liverpool, Brexit, and even Covid-19.

With the teams playing out a drab 0-0 draw, the high point of the night came with an intricate discussion of their half-time snack line-up, prepared by McCoist’s wife.

Consumption of Mrs McCoist’s beef & horseradish sandwich now underway ???? #NEWLIV #PLonPrime pic.twitter.com/euvFEOsvtl

— Jon Champion (@JonChampionJC) December 30, 2020

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“If there was some way of getting Ally McCoist to read the news or provide a soundtrack to everyday life… well, what a wonderful, absolutely magnificent and quite incredibly remarkable upbeat world this would be,” wrote journalist George Caulkin.

Bruce Millington added: “Discovering Jon Champion and Ally McCoist are commentating on a game you want to watch is one of life’s little victories, like realising the seat next to you on a flight is empty.”

Ally McCoist is an excellent co-commentator. Knowledgeable, as would expect, but with a light touch.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) December 30, 2020

It’s not the first time the pair have gained a cult following, with this newspaper describing them as the “dream team” of the last World Cup in Russia where they covered matches for ITV.

A travelogue featuring Ally McCoist and Jon Champion just travelling around the globe having a lovely time.

‘Champion of the World’ pic.twitter.com/pDNCkIwDus

— Gaby McKay (@GabyMcKay) December 30, 2020

With no particular affiliation to either club (although he did play for Newcastle’s rivals Sunderland) and a genuine, boyish enthusiasm for the game, McCoist makes for a refreshing change from the usual cast of old pros.

As Adam Hurrey wrote for i during Russia 2018: “McCoist’s sex appeal may have been weathered by the two decades since he hung up his boots, plus a thankless three years as manager of an imploding Rangers, but few if any co-commentators boast such a glint in their voice. Some attempt to lay big-game gravitas on with a spade, while McCoist just skips through his observations with glorious abandon.”

“Said it before but I’ll say it again, Ally McCoist is an absolute joyful listen on co-comms,” wrote Jack Reeve. “You can tell he’s having a brilliant time whilst providing really lovely snippets.”

i‘s James Gray said: “If Sky, or BT, or both, dont give Ally McCoist some co-comms work on the back of what he’s done with Amazon, they are missing a trick in my opinion. Been brilliant again this evening on Newcastle vs Liverpool.”

With two of Amazon’s matches being postponed this week until some point later in the season, let’s hope it won’t be too long until we hear McCoist and Champion again.

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At precisely 2.02pm, Jose Mourinho was sitting with his feet up. With just under four hours until kick off against Fulham, he and his coaching staff should have been making their final preparations.

Instead, they were slouched on communal sofas, buried deep in their phones with Sky Sports News humming away on a giant screen in the background. Slowly panning around the room with his phone before lingering on the time, Mourinho posted a video to Instagram captioned: “Match at 6PM… we still don’t know if we play. Best league in the world.”

Given that news had broken almost 24 hours previous that Fulham had returned a number of positive Covid-19 tests, Mourinho’s frustration was understandable. While the Premier League board had to convene to approve Fulham’s request for a postponement, something is wrong when the outcome of the decision-making process isn’t apparent until 3.14pm – the time the postponement was finally announced – on the afternoon of the game.

The resulting disruption goes beyond players, coaches and backroom staff. Mourinho will no doubt feel that waiting in limbo for so long was an unhelpful distraction for Spurs ahead of their next game against Leeds, with the prolonged uncertainty and sense of anticlimax both potentially unsettling for his team. 

• Fulham’s match at Tottenham postponed after ‘significant’ rise in Covid-19 cases
• Calls grow for ‘circuit break’ in Premier League after third game is postponed
• Why the Premier League is confident fixtures can continue
• Everton and Liverpool matches go behind closed doors after tier change
• The Premier League is running out of dates to reschedule fixtures

Even worse is the fact that, with so little time until kick off, medics, security, groundsmen and media may have set off for work before hearing news of the cancellation. Allowing them to travel through Tier 4 London for no reason by leaving the announcement so late in the day is deeply unfair.

While the Premier League clearly needs to move faster when deciding how to respond to Covid-19 outbreaks, the first priority should be the health of players, club staff and others working in football. This is now the third Premier League fixture postponed on account of Covid-19, while Fulham join Manchester City, Newcastle and Sheffield United in suffering a significant flare-up within their squad.

The latest round of testing in the top flight returned 18 positives, the highest figure of the season so far. While the Premier League insists there are “low numbers of positive tests across the overwhelming majority of clubs” and there is “full confidence” in being able to continue as scheduled, it feels like an increasingly precarious situation. 

Sam Allardyce has called for a “circuit break”, though increased fixture congestion comes with the risk of more serious injuries down the line. Still, when even Big Sam is worried, the Premier League at least needs to listen.

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