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Three of Sporting Lisbon’s star players find themselves in an unusual situation as plenty of clubs are expected to be battling for their signatures.

Tottenham Hotspur should certainly be in the pack, particularly when it comes to a potential deal for attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

The Portuguese star, along with Gelson Martins and William Carvalho, have asked for their contracts at Sporting to be terminated, as reported by Sky Sports on Tuesday morning.

The trio want out of the Portuguese outfit due to the recent attack on the squad, which left some players beaten after a group of 50 masked fans stormed the training ground in May.

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Fernandes is valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, but if the 23-year-old gets his wish, he could be available on a free transfer, which should certainly alert Tottenham.

Fernandes proved his creative credentials last season by scoring 15 times and registering 12 assists, which is a huge plus from a Spurs point of view as they could do with more goals from midfield.

The six-capped Portugal international can also play as a secondary striker, and considering that he produced 134 shots during the campaign, Tottenham could have another goal threat alongside Harry Kane.

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Fernandes has the attributes that would slot in nicely to Mauricio Pochettino’s fluid system, but he may have to jostle for a place with Christian Eriksen, depending on where he is picked to play.

At the moment, the Denmark international is firmly holding on to a place in the team, but with amount of competitions that Tottenham will be competing in, being able to have quality to rotate with would be a huge benefit.

According to Sevilla ABC, Newcastle United are considering a move for Swansea City midfielder Roque Mesa in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Mesa joined Swansea from Las Palmas last summer, with the Welsh outfit paying £11m to sign the versatile midfielder.

The Spaniard struggled to make his mark in the Premier League, however, and moved on loan to Sevilla in the January transfer window.

It is understood that Sevilla have the chance to sign Mesa on a permanent deal ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, but according to Sevilla ABC, Newcastle are considering a swoop.

Mesa actually has a contract with Swansea until the end of the 2020-21 campaign, but his time at the Welsh club appears to be over after failing to settle.

Should Newcastle make a move?

There is no question that Newcastle need to boost their midfield this summer, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the future of Mikel Merino.

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There is no question that Mesa is a brilliant footballer, and it is not difficult to understand why Swansea made a move last summer following an impressive couple of seasons in La Liga.

Mesa did not make much of an impact at Sevilla in the second half of last season, however, and at the age of 29, he is certainly not a long-term option for Newcastle.

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To be honest, Mesa, who is valued at £6.3m by transfermarkt.co.uk, is more suited to the Spanish league, where he can really show his ability on the ball.

He did not seem to fancy the hustle and bustle of the Premier League, and Newcastle should swerve a move for the midfielder this summer, despite his undoubted talent.

Echoing recent reports from The Independent, The Telegraph claim Tottenham left-back Danny Rose is no longer a prime transfer target for Manchester United, with Jose Mourinho prioritising other areas of his squad to strengthen during the summer.

The news comes as some surprise considering reports of United’s interest in Rose span back a good few years now, and really escalated at the end of last summer when the England international cast doubts over his future with Spurs by openly criticising the club’s wage structure.

So, is it the right decision on the Red Devils’ part or is Mourinho missing out on a fantastic opportunity to strengthen one of the weakest areas of his starting XI with a quality player proven at the top end of the Premier League? Football FanCast look at the potential consequences of the United gaffer’s decision to pull the plug…

Luke Shaw gets another chance but eventually leaves for free

Ashley Young will likely remain Mourinho’s most trusted choice but the England international can’t be depended on to play practically every game of next season, when he’ll have turned 33, so at some point in the campaign the United boss will need to trust Luke Shaw. The former Southampton prodigy appeared in line for a summer departure, having failed to win over Mourinho during his two seasons playing under the Portuguese, but developments on the Rose front suggest the disputing pair will have to stomach each other for another twelve months.

Some United fans will be glad to see that, because there’s still a huge section who think Shaw should be in the team every week injecting dynamism into the attack with overlapping runs. But the real danger is Shaw’s contract situation with his terms due to expire next summer. He’s still a relatively valuable commodity in the transfer market due to his potential and previous performances for Saints, but will almost certainly end up leaving for free if he’s forced to endure another bit-part season at Old Trafford.

Considering he was initially signed at a cost of £30million+, that’s a whole heap of change to throw down the drain.

United’s attack continues to lack balance

While Young’s just come to the end of a fantastic renaissance season, excelling in a role that many assumed would be beyond his skills set, his effect on the balance of United’s attack – especially going forward – remains an underlying concern. Purely because he’s naturally right footed, the former winger is forced to come inside and take a few extra touches before whipping into the penalty area. Although his deliveries for much of last season were top-class, it inevitably slows down the pattern of the attack and those inside the box often end up drifting offside.

That was perhaps the crux of the appeal with Rose; although Young’s held up his end of the bargain, the Tottenham defender can have the same kind of effect while skipping to the byline rather than cutting inside every single time. It offers much greater balance to United’s attack and that’s something they’ve really struggled with under Mourinho – no matter which options he fields, they always seem to lack the natural fluidity that once made United such an iconic team.

Rose – who Transfermarkt value at £27million – would have taken the Red Devils a step closer to that once again and in terms of next season’s title race, just look at the effect changing their full-backs had on Manchester City last time out. It sounds hyperbolic, but having a natural left footer at left-back may well be the difference between winning and missing out on the crown next term.

Tottenham end up missing out on Ryan Sessegnon to a big six rival

Tottenham’s interest in signing Fulham wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon is no great secret, but United’s revaluation of their pursuit of Rose inevitably muddles the picture somewhat. It was assumed that the 18-year-old would come into the squad as Rose’s direct replacement, likely spending much of his first season playing second fiddle to the dependable if unspectacular Ben Davies. However, Tottenham are now left at something of a quandary because there aren’t too many other obvious suitors for Rose – the only alternative club mentioned by The Telegraph are Everton, but they’re unlikely to meet Spurs’ £55million valuation.

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So it becomes a question of whether Tottenham can really afford to have three left-backs at the club, and whether Sessegnon really wants to join a squad in that situation – knowing he’ll need to outperform two players who have far more experience than him just to make the starting XI every week. Should he indeed leave Craven Cottage this summer, that may be just what pushes him into the hands of a big six rival instead. In apparent contrast to Rose, pretty much every major Premier League club seems to be keeping tabs on the Fulham teenager right now.

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The Sun are reporting that Leeds United are set to sign four Manchester City players on loan this summer, as Pep Guardiola looks to help out new boss Marcelo Bielsa in his new job.

Goalkeeper Angus Gunn, defender Tosin Adarabioyo, attacking midfielder Brahim Diaz and striker Lukas Nmecha are all linked with a move to Elland Road this summer.

The Premier League-winning manager is said to be particularly keen on his players developing at Leeds because he himself has learned a lot from Bielsa, and they both adopt a similar high-pressing style of play.

Who do you think will win the World Cup? Let us know here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

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Bielsa said in his first press conference as Leeds manager that there were four or five areas that need strengthening in the teams, and he would certainly be doing that by signing the Manchester City young talents.

Angus Gunn on loan at Norwich last seasonLeeds fans have been reacting to the transfer news on social media and we’ve selected some of the best ones for you to check out below.

As quoted by Sky Sports, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has delivered his verdict on how to get the best out of Nicolas Pepe.

What did he say?

The Ivory Coast international arrived in a club-record deal from French side Lille, but has failed to hit the ground running at the Emirates, scoring just four times across all competitions.

And having recently been appointed as Unai Emery’s permanent successor, Arteta has revealed his blueprint on how he will try to eke out the winger’s potential at the club.

He said: “He found a team that in that moment was not performing at the best. Probably, the environment for him to settle wasn’t ideal. It isn’t just about him, we are here to help him. If he is willing to learn, to work hard I am sure he has potential to be top, absolutely top. (Against Bournemouth) he showed in two or three actions already how good he can be. But he has to be consistent.

“The problem with the confidence is he is confident only if he plays or he is confident of the manager if he trains well enough to convince me that I have confidence in him. I think it has to be a mix between the two.”

Fresh start

Make no mistake about it, after arriving in a £72m deal, big things were no doubt expected of Pepe. Could he be the man to help form a devastating attacking trio including Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang? Instead, the 24-year-old has often found himself on the substitutes bench, watching on, registering just 1,019 minutes of Premier League football despite making 17 appearances in the competition.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Arsenal Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

But the Gunners should not be quick to jump to any conclusions regarding their big-money signing. Coming from a new league and culture would have been a major shock for Pepe, and so it may well take this entire season for him to get fully acclimatised. Arteta’s words however will be like music to the winger’s ears as he looks to finally make his mark in English football.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta should focus on moulding this Arsenal starlet into a superstar.

Parachuted back in from the cold against Arsenal on Monday night, Lucas Leiva put in a truly excellent performance against the Gunners during his 75-minute outing.

The Brazilian has been the subject of intense rumours of late amid suggestions he’s been informed by Brendan Rodgers that he’s fifth in line for a starting berth at Anfield, but he certainly didn’t perform like a player on the verge of a move.

Although he did nothing fancy, the 28-year-old went about his work as the deepest of the midfielders in a composed and calculated manner, sweeping behind Emre Can and James Milner while using his reading of the game to cut off numerous Arsenal attacks and protect his centre-backs.

One performance may not be enough to persuade Rodgers to alter his stance, yet this sort of showing from Lucas is nothing new, with the former Gremio man having reinvented himself, come back from the brink and won over the supporters time after time through his Merseyside career.

Offload the South American? Liverpool would be foolish to do so… and here are FIVE reasons why…

Best defensive midfielder at the club

With Rodgers hailing Lucas as his “best defensive midfield player” ahead of kick-off at the Emirates Stadium, suggestions that he does not value the 28-year-old were quickly dispelled. Admittedly the competition for that title at the club is minimal, but, if anything, that makes his presence all the more important.

Emre Can, Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson have all filled the position at various points, but with the German a little too robust for the darting movements needed, the Welshman too lightweight for physical battles and the Liverpool skipper’s talents wasted in a deeper position, Lucas is the player to turn to as an orthodox holder.

Rodgers’ system doesn’t always demand someone whose game is limited to screening, however, there are always occasions when a little more solidity is desirable.

One of few senior stars

With the exit of Steven Gerrard, Liverpool are now a little short on senior players. This was reflected at Arsenal as Milner pulled on the captain’s armband in just his third competitive game for the club, and the fact that Lucas, at only 28, was the third youngest member of the starting XI – Martin Skrtel, 30, and Milner, 29, were the oldest – further drives home the lack of experience.

Okay, age doesn’t always bring wisdom and a host of Liverpool’s first-team players already have plenty of international caps and club appearances to their name, yet know-how can often be invaluable across a season.

Further to this, off the pitch Lucas is known to be a gelling character for the South American contingent at the club in particular, which is handy given that Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino are still young, while another Brazilian import in the shape of teenager Allan Rodrigues de Souza was also drafted in over the summer.

Perfect for the big games

75 minutes. Four tackles won. Four intercepts made. Almost 50% of his duels successful. Lucas really did thrive on the big stage.

Despite their questionable form this season, Arsenal are without doubt one of the most difficult teams for midfielders to face, with the movement of players such as Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey electric. It only takes one moment of hesitancy or a single lapse in concentration to give away a chance, or a goal.

Despite Lucas having not featured competitively this season before the whistle, he looked up to speed and performed his duties admirably for the 75 minutes he could manage – fitness was an issues – showing that he has what it takes in the big games.

In matches where Liverpool need to keep it tight – against the ‘big four’ – there is no better option in Rodgers’ squad to anchor the midfield.

Are there any better options out there?

We’re now just a week from the transfer deadline, so any deal for a replacement would have to be conducted swiftly. It would be naïve to suggest Liverpool haven’t already got names in mind and that contact with agents/clubs has not been made, but still any deal would have to be rushed to be secured in time.

Southampton’s Victor Wanyama appears to be an orthodox ‘destroyer’ option, but he’s fairly limited in a technical sense, while Asier Illarramendi of Real Madrid is a long-term target, but is more adept as a playmaker than a hustling holding midfielder.

Cult hero

From being booed onto the pitch, roundly criticised by fans and held up as the scapegoat as Rafa Benitez’s regime came crumbling down, Lucas has reinvented himself as a crowd favourite. Some turnaround.

Lucas’ hard working attitude, willingness to sacrifice himself for the team and friendly persona have bought him cult hero status at Anfield, with fans now upset by suggestions that he’s set to leave.

As far as recent shocks go in Premier League history, Arsenal’s opening day defeat to West Ham United at home was up there.

Not only because the Hammers don’t typically fair well against the Gunners but simply born out of the fact that many were believing Arsene Wenger’s men were the real deal this season – or they were meant to be.

Still of course capable of going toe-to-toe with the early pace setters Manchester City with 33 Premier League fixtures left to contest this season, the 2-0 loss was rather strange for any Gooner to comprehend.

With Wenger’s men having enjoyed a fine pre-season, having signed Petr Cech and at the time looking like they might go on to sign a few missing jigsaw pieces with the window still open, not to mention having beaten Chelsea in the FA Community Shield, the West Ham loss totally took the wind out of Arsenal fans’ sails, leaving them feeling well, empty.

In fairness to the Gunners, they’ve managed to grind out some important away wins at Crystal Palace and Newcastle United since that forgettable day while easily dispatching of Stoke City at the weekend but a few of our neutrals are questioning today just how far Arsenal can go this season.

Starting a fresh Champions League campaign tomorrow evening, Arsenal will know they simply have to get further than the round of the last sixteen this campaign having fell at this hurdle for the last five seasons in a row.

For a club the size of Arsenal, succeeding on four fronts will depend on the majority of the squad staying fit and only today, we heard that Jack Wilshere has suffered his umpteenth injury setback in his career.

With Arsenal needing to dig deep to fight on four fronts again this season, they can’t afford to carry any passengers and that’s why we’re using today to list five Gunners stars who we think are deemed overrated.

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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 most overrated Arsenal players in the current squad.

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Kieran Gibbs

Nowhere near the opinion splitting levels of Olivier Giroud, it is still true that Kieran Gibbs is another Arsenal player who divides thoughts amongst the Gunners fanbase.

Seen by the vast majority of Gooners as one of the many success stories of the Arsenal academy, Gibbs is often held in high regard with few being so willing to criticise his performances but since making his professional debut back in 2007, has he really progressed at the rate he was expected to do so?

Now firmly a second choice at left back behind the now extremely consistent Nacho Monreal, Gibbs will need to impress whenever he gets an opportunity in order to get back into the team but to sum it up, Monreal seems to give far less away than Gibbs who is at times a bit too lightweight.

Having only won eight senior international caps with England to boot, this tells you all you need to know about the player not being deemed better than the likes of Leighton Baines and Luke Shaw by Roy Hodgson.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

You often hear Arsenal fans, pundits and over excited England fans absolutely raving about Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but in reality, he still isn’t one of the first names down on Arsene Wenger’s teamsheet, week in, week out.

Don’t get us wrong, he’s a supremely talented young footballer but he’s never really achieved a consistent run in Arsenal’s first team as an indispensable cog simply because he struggles to find consistency in his own performances.

The former Southampton man can be sublime one week and totally anonymous the next it seems and when talking to people about their opinions on Oxlade-Chamberlain, many seem to overlook the fact he really seems to struggle with consistency in his game.

Mesut Ozil

Arsenal fans will immediately tut at the fact that Mesut Ozil has undoubtedly improved in the last six months or so after a slow start to life at Emirates Stadium but be honest, when you forked out £42.5 million for the German international, did you really expect him to take so long to adapt to English football?

The likes of Alexis Sanchez have proved that bedding in periods are only for those players who aren’t determined enough to find their best performances much quicker.

In Ozil, Arsenal fans usually wax lyrical about him because lets face it, he is a huge star in world football but when watching him on a week-to-week basis, like Oxlade-Chamberlain he is simply scintillating one week and a passenger the next, and how frustrating is this?

He is becoming more consistent as time goes on but being Arsenal’s all-time record signing, we just think Ozil should be delievering for the Gunners most weeks – and in the big top four battles to boot – given his age and experience.

Joel Campbell

This man is a controversial choice in this countdown given the fact that some claim Joel Campbell is underrated given Arsene Wenger rarely chooses to give him an opportunity in the first team.

Nevertheless, we’re going with overrated because you often hear Arsenal fans claim that Campbell worked wonders in the World Cup for Costa Rica – which he did – with these same supporters often choosing to end their conversations about the player right there.

In truth, Campbell has barely figured for Arsenal at club level since last summer’s tournament and this must be for a reason other than simply being unlucky at not being picked by Wenger.

If anything, Wenger sometimes trusts his players a bit too much and having been such a staunch advocate of giving younger players a go in his first team, we think Campbell must simply not be up to scratch in training otherwise the Arsenal boss would’ve given him more game time.

Of course, he plays on the flanks where Arsenal have an embarrassment of riches but considering he was all set to move to Turkish football ahead of Arsenal not managing to sign a striker this past transfer window, we think Arsenal fans still rate him a bit too highly.

Jack Wilshere

We all know about the talent Jack Wilshere possesses; just unfortunately enough for fans of both Arsenal and England, we haven’t seen as much of it as we would’ve liked.

The question to ask yourselves regarding the Wilshere debate is whether the player himself has really gone on to develop and progress much beyond that performance against Barcelona back in 2011.

Still the most memorable solo performance in his Arsenal career to date, that was a long time ago now and due to his repetitive injury troubles, he hasn’t been able to get back to those levels again.

Arsenal fans naturally gravitate towards their number 10 because he is one of them, an Arsenal supporter and someone who is a bit of a cheeky chappie but with his injury troubles worsening – as we heard earlier today – we think Gooners might have to readdress their kudos paid to the player who is now missing too many games each season.

Since first emerging in the Premier League with the Hammers last summer, West Ham’s Diafra Sakho has certainly built himself a decent reputation within the English top-flight.

In fact, the recently discovered Upton Park favourite might even represent one of the most loved assets currently working under Slaven Bilic at the moment, despite his obvious lack of status when he originally found himself on these shores.

The determined 25-year-old initially arrived as a widely unknown hopeful – with the modest experience of playing for FC Metz in the French Ligue 2 firmly under his belt – yet now, the Senegalese front-man has defined himself as West Ham’s first choice striker in front of the likes of Andy Carroll and Mauro Zarate, even when both are fully fit for selection.

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The reliable sight of witnessing Diafra Sakho wheel away in celebration, with his arms firmly fixed in the traditional Hammers pose, has simply become part and parcel of watching West Ham in the modern era. The former Metz man – who incidentally cost his current employers in the region of £3.5million last summer – has scored two league goals so far this season, adding to his already impressive tally of 10 goals amounted at Upton Park during the previous campaign.

However, seeing as several up and coming foreign stars helplessly falter among the English top-flight once the honeymoon period inevitably ceases, is Sakho really a truly promising asset for the Hammers up-top, or is he just another average Premier League striker?

For those who simply don’t watch the 2013/14 Ligue 2 Player of the Year on a week-in-week out basis for West Ham – yes, Diafra Sakho could ultimately represent no more than an average striker. He seemingly lacks a great deal of technical ability in attacking positions, his range of passing isn’t incredible by any standard, and his overall prowess in one on one situations can certainly go either way on occasion.

The ex-Stade Saint-Symphorien favourite hasn’t exactly set the world alight on the international scene either. Despite being loosely involved with Senegal’s wider squad somewhat sporadically over the last season, the likes of Mame Biram Diouf and Sadio Mane have nonetheless sounded themselves out as the preferred options up-top for Aliou Cisse’s side.

Can Diafra Sakho truly be worthy of the recent praise when his counterparts from Stoke City and Southampton supposedly hold stronger reputations among their national set-up? Such a rather unceremonious status initially looks to have the word ‘average’ written all over it.

Yet for all the Hammers fans who have in-fact watched the former Metz striker’s overall level of output over the last twelve months or so, the final evaluation surrounding Diafra Sakho certainly remains far from average. The 25-year-old attacker may not be the most elegant player in the final third, but through his uncanny awareness in and around the opposition’s penalty area, Sakho often finds himself scoring very significant goals for his side.

This is a man who seems to possess that all important striker’s instinct when it really matters. His two league goals this season – away to Liverpool and Manchester City respectively – came at a time when Slaven Bilic’s team needed them most. When the Upton Park faithful require someone to get them out of trouble, Sakho is usually dependable – and that is something West Ham supporters won’t forget in a hurry.

The Hammers no. 15 arguably gives more for his side off the ball than on it, however. He seemingly never grows tired of applying a high line of pressure against the opposition, often comes back to help his teammates further down the pitch, and always runs the channels tirelessly in an attempt to win something valuable for his side.

Diafra Sakho therefore offers a great deal more than your average Premier League striker. What he admittedly lacks in sheer technicality and overall finesse, the Senegalese attacker more than makes up for with his work rate and desire to help the team. He seems to actually enjoy playing for West Ham in a way that is scarcely witnessed among most modern footballers in today’s game. In displaying such a strong level of loyalty to the cause, Hammers supporters will inevitably hold Sakho in the highest regard for some while to come.

Such highly valued traits ultimately remain somewhat of a rarity among the English top-flight nowadays – and when combined with the player’s undeniably efficient goal-scoring ability for West Ham – the Upton Park faithful certainly find themselves with a player to truly cherish on their hands.

The 2015/16 campaign simply remains a fantastic opportunity for the club with players like Diafra Sakho on board.

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The crest is the one of the few constants a club has for its identity. Colours rarely change but different kits are churned out every year, players come and go, even stadiums are abandoned. The badge remains . . . well, not exactly the same.

Over the years top sides have switched their crests for a number of reasons. Manchester City are currently undergoing a month long consultation with fans about their current badge while West Ham United took a vote and will switch theirs to a new design when they move into the Olympic Stadium.

These are two recent examples of a trend that has become popular as clubs search for the most marketable look.

In the first of a series looking at changing badges we start with the ones clubs got wrong. To avoid being facetious the Manchester United badge doesn’t appear in this list. They were widely criticised back in 1998 for dropping the words “Football Club” from the crest but they were just ahead of the curve in the marketing game.

Here are the five worst badge changes…

Liverpool

Now this isn’t here to get Scousers angry. It isn’t even here because Liverpool Football Club has a bad badge, in fact, all iterations of their crest have been good. They are all equally iconic. The problem is how they have become interchangeable.

The more detailed version from the nineties that incorporated the Shankly Gates and the Hillsborough eternal flame replaced the Liver Bird in a simple crest design. The nineties version may have taken some getting used to but it brought together a number of vital elements.

It still is the official badge yet the latest jerseys have seen a return to the standalone Liver Bird atop the LFC lettering.

Again, either design looks good but there’s no reason for the reversion, because of this the current shirt badge qualifies for one of the worst badge changes in recent times.

Fulham

At first glance there is nothing wrong with the Fulham badge. It was introduced in 2001 to mark their debut in the Premier League. The club has had an array of crests, ranging from simple lettering to coats of arms. Normally I would be a fan of a simple design, they work well and from a marketing point of view and make most sense.

What I can’t applaud is laziness. No effort was made to keep one unique symbol in the design. It looks like the sort of thing computer games produce when they haven’t got the licence to use the real badge. Back in 2001 it faced an angry backlash from the fans and it’s not hard to see why.

Click here to view Fulham’s crest before the change in 2001.

West Ham United

As mentioned in the introduction, West Ham will alter their badge when they start life at the Olympic Stadium in 2016. Their new design could quite easily have joined the “Best Badge changes” list. The new offering will prove to be the Marmite of crest alterations.

When put to the vote, 56% of fans said they liked it. Or to put it another way, nearly half of them didn’t. Its crisp design should be applauded. The removal of the castle, thus disposing of any Boleyn Ground ties, makes sense. The problem is with the overall execution.

The addition of the word “London” looks tacky and the Hammers sit awkwardly in a crest that appears there for the sake of it. Instead of giving a nod to the original badge, that was a crossed pair of hammers in a crest, they should have just used it or had the hammers alone. The wording ruins an otherwise good design.

Click here to see what the Hammers’ new crest will look like.

Manchester City

Regardless of what happens during Manchester City’s month long consultation with fans one outcome is certain, a new badge will be designed. The current one was adopted in 1997 when the in-use circular badge became ineligible for trademark registration. The board didn’t like the idea of not being able to control merchandise or prevent counterfeit goods flooding the market.

So the circle went and in stepped an eagle. The centrepiece of the badge containing the ship and the three rivers stripe was a good way of keeping tradition. The eagle itself had been used in programming dating back to the sixties, one time Manchester council had requested all sporting teams adopt an eagle to represent the city.

It just didn’t look or feel like a Manchester City badge. The two previous circular versions were instantly identifiable. The eagle looked like an imposter. To make matters worse three stars were added for absolutely no reason. They don’t represent anything. At the time they were described as giving the badge a more European feel which came in handy for away games in the old Division Two.

Some fans have grown up with the new badge and feel attached to it but the majority are looking forward to waving it goodbye.

Click here to view Man City’s circle crest.

Leeds United

Leeds deserve to be here because they replaced a badge that was highly identifiable and transcended in football with a gimmick for no good reason.

What’s referred to as the “Rose and Ball” badge came into existence in 1984 and lasted 14 years. It was the one that last saw Leeds clinch a league title, incorporating the white rose of York, a yellow and white ball and the club’s name.

It was replaced by then chairman Peter Ridsdale to mark the Leeds march on Europe. The new one may include the traditional rose but it’s garish and looks like it’s been designed on a Commodore 64.

Click here to view Leeds’ previous crest.

Southampton’s shock win over Arsenal was, weirdly, one of the more predictable upsets you can get.

Arsenal given the chance to go top of the table and take control of the title race just meant everyone expected them to fall at the simplest of hurdles.

Saints have been in the worst of form recently, but they still managed to concede several times to Koeman’s men, who had picked a team with the aim of stopping the Gunners.

Mane and Long’s brilliance is one thing, but the Arsenal defence opened up their old wounds with some shambolic defending that was a throwback to the days of Pascal Cygan or Sebastian Squillaci.

We almost felt sorry for Petr Cech at times this evening, as his defence almost invited the runs of Shane Long on to them and Flamini failed to screen the defence at all, again.

Here are FIVE things we learnt tonight..

Arsenal need Alexis

The Gunners have succeeded without Alexis of late, but, his ability to get a goal out of nothing was sorely missed against Southampton.

Walcott is a nice option to have, but he cannot be compared to the world class talent of Alexis Sanchez. The Chilean is, along with Aaron Ramsey, the player that Arsenal miss the most.

Saints stayed off the turkey

Southampton looked so much sharper than Arsenal its hard to know whether it was fatigue or less turkey. The Saints have a good record on Boxing Day and this was an utterly priceless victory for the Saints.

Koeman clearly has his side well drilled and he masterminded the perfect performance.

Shane Long is a valuable plan B

Long, aside from tripping up Koscielny, was utterly brilliant this evening.

The Irishman’s work-rate has always been one of his best attributes and he utterly harassed both Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny throughout the game at St Mary’s.

The ex-Hull man has been criticised for his goal scoring record in the past, but he proved that he is a great second choice to Pelle when the Saints want to play a brand of fast breaking football. The partnership of Long and Mane will strike fear into many a defence.

Gunners still misfire

Whenever it looks like Arsenal will finally mount a proper challenge, they manage to show us all that they have never really fixed their deep-lying issues.

Arsenal’s lack of a classy defensive midfielder and shaky defence cost them once again here and they failed to produce a performance when it was most needed. Mesut Ozil has disappeared when he was most needed and you wonder who will really stand up for Arsenal when pushing for victory.

Ozil will never be reliable

The nature of flair players means they are often incredibly inconsistent. The problem with someone as high profile as Mesut Ozil, is that each quiet game looks to be a glaringly poor performance.

A man of such class rightfully gets a lot of defensive attention from the opposition, but the Gunners should not solely place their faith in Ozil if they are going to challenge for the biggest trophies.